One of the requirements to live here in Guatemala is that we have to get residency- or else leave the country every 3 months. We have been working on getting residency (it's a little like international adoption paperwork) but it is not completed yet... which meant we needed to leave the country for a day or else we would be considered illegal. So, we packed up the car, and our awesome fellow missionaries (The Patlans) and headed to the Guatemala/Mexican border to have our passports stamped. It was actually a wonderful homeschool lesson for our kids as well... they got to experience immigration, see rubber trees, go the beach and drink Coconut milk from a stand on the side of the road.

And one of the coolest things we saw was this...

U.S coast Guards... closest thing to home we have seen in quite awhile. :)

One Day...

From my daughter Addisyn...

Ever since moving to Guatemala, my eyes have been opened to the many needs of those living around us. My friends, the kids that I laugh and play soccer with, and go to church with, live in poverty every day and it breaks my heart. I hurt for them knowing that most of their day consists of working in the fields so their family can eat that day and it breaks my heart further that they can’t even afford to go to school. They wear the same torn up clothes every day because they can’t afford new ones and yet they never complain. These kids are no longer just a face to me anymore- they are my friends.

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”  - Bob Pierce

Last year on February 3^rd, a group of us decided to do something about the poverty I had witnessed in Ethiopia while picking up my baby sister Havyn- so we launched the One Day/One Lunch project. You can read about it here: 

Over $6,000 was raised for the Adami Tulu Preschool in Ethiopia, because people like YOU and people like ME decided to do something. We came together and chose to give up our lunch for just one day and donate what we would have spent on lunch that day to those in need instead. That small sacrifice made a huge difference in those many children's lives. I cannot thank you enough for that.

This year, I like to once again ask you to join me in making a difference in the life of a child. This year on the one year anniversary , February 3^rd, I’d like to ask you to join me once again in going without lunch and give what you would have spent on lunch that one day to Eagles Nest International to be used for school scholarships. But I’d also like to ask you to take it a step further and challenge your friends, your family, your coworkers, your class mates and your entire school or entire church to join in. Can you imagine what an impact we could make if God’s people came together and decided to sacrifice by giving up their lunch- for just one day? It’s something so simple we can all do.

As we all know, education is the key to breaking free from the cycle of poverty and yet so many of us take it for granted. It cost approximately $450 a year per student to attend the New Day Christian school on Eagles Nest campus. $450 a year for a child to not only be educated in math and science but more importantly in the word of God. While not all of us have $450 laying around, if a bunch of us came together and gave what we could, gave up our lunch money for one day- together we could make a difference.

Will you please join us this February 3^rd? Will you be a part of bringing the message of hope and healing to those who have so little?

All it takes is…

One Day.

One Lunch.

Are you in?

 To give go here: (scroll down for school scholarships please).  Thank you for being a part of these children's hope for the future. :)

My dad told me that he noticed that I hadn't been writing very much lately and asked why. The truth is, I'm not exactly sure anymore how to put into words or how to process all of the things we see here in a day. Sometimes my heart is so heavy and my emotions are so raw I don't even know where to begin.

So much newness...

So much change...

And in truth, many days I struggle with how to balance it all.

So for today, I am doing all I know how to do- taking it one step at a time, learning as I go and  handing the rest over to Him and trusting that He has a plan.

And so out of exhaustion and lack of words I will leave you with some random pictures of our days here.. 

Want to be a trader?

A special thank you to our partners- we love you!!

We absolutely love having short term mission teams come serve along side of us here at Eagles Nest. This past week we have been so blessed by an amazing High School team from Bloomington/Normal, Illinois. They have done so much in helping us get the school ready for the new school year that begins next week here.

One of the things we have discovered is that teams that come really want to know more about the culture here in Guatemala and how they do life on a daily basis. So, today we took this team to the home of one of the families who work with us here at Eagles Nest so they could experience a meal Guatemalan style and experience their lives first hand.

We started it off with a ride in a tuk tuk to the families home.

With a short walk the rest of the way...

We arrived at the home..

They washed their hands before..

Giving tortilla making a try...

After that they were seated at their table (and left the cooking to the experts)...

 They prayed in Spanish and enjoyed their meal...

Served by an adorable wait staff...

Thank you so much Cornerstone- what you have done has made a difference and we are so grateful for each and every one of you!