February 1, 2017.  Moving day.

Adios Antigua.

Bienvenidos San Pedro Pinula, Jalapa!

Three months flew by. (yes, we really are at three months now)  No mathematical errors right now.  Give me time..

We had the most amazing privilege of having our very own moving and encouraging team of four come straight from Georgia to go through all of the beginning hiccups of getting from one place to another, over the mountains and through the woods, here in Guatemala.  Here, where Uhaul is not a thing.  Where your moving truck probably hauled tomatoes yesterday and may very well haul cows tomorrow.  (mind you, we are glad of that order because vise versa might mean disaster for the furniture…if you know what I mean)

They blessed us with their love.  With their compassion.  With their selflessness.  Yes, we cried when it was time for them to go.  Being on this side of the mission circle means that pick up days are awesome and drop off days are not favorites.

But, we did not have much down time because we had another houseguest from the states and a team from New Hampshire  spend some time in Guatemala this month.  So much was accomplished with their visits!  We were so very blessed to spend time and grow with each of them!

We have been busy setting up house and working out the bugs of our new place.  Figuratively and literally.  Let’s just say that some of these bugs need a little extra dose of condensed spray…especially when visiting during shower time.  Grateful that there is no video footage.  I digress.

We received our water cistern and installation is complete!  Just this week!  We have been reveling in water every day.  Oh, the things that I so carelessly have taken for granted.  Water, for example.   Water problems are genuinely just a thing in Guatemala.  You deal with it and move on.  You run to the shower, quick like, when you the hear the water trickling into the pilla.  No matter what time of day.  No pushing.  No shoving.  Seriously.   (I will post a picture of a pilla later for those who have no idea what I am talking about.)

But, after 4 days of consistent water- after almost 3 weeks of unreliable service, we lost power to the house.  We now had water- but no power.

Let’s sit and chuckle.

I have to because the story I am about to share is straight from some comedy episode.  I cannot make this up.  Could not even if I tried!

So, the night before we leave for the awesome weekend conference for missionaries Intermissions 2017, I hear this loud noise that sounds much like the popping and sizzling of a motorcycle that is firing its last.  I know this sound, because, well, I had the pleasure of actually witnessing said occurrence  just the week before.  It was just another day in paradise until the lights flickered and I heard from one of my children, “It’s on Fire!!”.  Uh oh.  The first idea that flashed through my mind was ‘the moto crashed into the house and is on fire’??

Commence running.

There was fire.  There was smoke.  There was snapping and popping and sizzling.

However, there was no motorcycle.

There was only the electric meter attached to house shooting sparks.  ONLY.  Oh boy.

I am sure that you can imagine the frantic emergency call to the owner’s son in half Spanish and half English – because, well, I was freaking out a bit.  I suppose emergency situations bring your true language to the forefront.  I also was wondering what the emergency response # was.  Was it 911 also?  Mercy!  

Catastrophe was avoided.  God’s goodness was shown.  There was a sweet man that was able to fix the problem until a new meter could be purchased and we even had power within the next hour and a half.  We are now currently hardwired to the power line on our street.  You must know that time travels a bit slower in Guatemala.  So, this 1 1/2 hour time frame is actually equivalent to light speed!! God is good and faithful.

We give God the praise in all things.  This situation could have been really awful.   A wooden house would not have faired well- we have a concrete block home.  Our electrician could have been injured- he was not and we now have a new friend.  A complete rewiring of the home could have been in order- not needed only one cable and meter box need replacement.  It really could have been a motorcyclist crashing into our home and been injured or worse.  Thank you, Lord for what did happen.  Thank you, that we can laugh because nothing warranted tears in this situation.