Oregon-bound

We're heading home! Tickets have been purchased and we will be savoring the last few weeks of our time here in Guatemala. As the summer is in full swing and passing quickly, we have decided that it is time to return to Oregon. Our travels and experiences in Guatemala have certainly flavored and enriched our lives, and given us a new perspective of the world - a perspective that reminds us how blessed we are to be Americans.

Neftali is excited about the upcoming plane ride. He has been asking to ride a plane ever since he got off at the Guatemala airport back in February. He is fascinated by all modes of transportation, and has to ride each vehicle! He asks to ride motorcycles, buses, boats, cars, tractors, planes, trains... It's pretty precious.

I am excited to return to Oregon and deepen my job hunt. While 3000 miles away, I have continued to submit numerous applications for jobs. I am praying that something comes up soon, a teaching contract that will welcome me with open arms into my new career.

Emilio cannot wait to return to coaching. He misses his players desperately!

Look out, Oregon! Here we come!

A Day in the Life

Nefty showing off his cool shirt that his friends the Browns sent him!


Our sleeping quarters. Notice the cool mosquito netting. It has been a lifesaver! We all sleep in one room, Emilio, Neftali, and I on the floor on "colchones" (cushions/sleeping mats), and Solomon in the playpen/crib.


Kitchen/Living Room. The door to the left leads to the bathroom.


The "pila", where all the washing takes place.


Our yard.


The entry/driveway.


Solomon sportin' his new shirt from the Browns on one of our walks along the beach.
Thank you, Jason, Melanie, Sheppard, and Henry! You're thoughtfulness touch our hearts that day with the goodie box! It could not have been more perfect!


Brotherly love in the backyard.


The boys are supervising while I collect dry clothes. And no, there's not another baby in the sling - that's where I was putting the clothes after I folded them. :)


One of the many dirt soccer fields sprinkled throughout town.




Another soccer field. Both are located along the border of the Lake Atitlan.


What a view, huh?


Solomon is excited to head to our new home. We packed up the Jeep with pretty everything of value to us, and headed back to Panajachel after spending a week with Emilio's grandma in the capital. And this photo was taken BEFORE we added three small tables and four stools (all foldable, of course) to the pile!

Many friends have inquired as to what a typical day looks like for us here in Guatemala. So here is a glimpse of the Menendez family daily routine.

6:30-7:00am Wake up
7:00-8:00am Breakfast (usually pancakes or oatmeal)
8:00-8:30am Get kids dressed, tidy up the house
9:00-10:30am Morning walk to the beach to kick the soccer ball around
10:30-12:30 Solomon naps, mommmy & daddy hand wash clothes/diapers as needed
12:30-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-3:30pm Playtime, another walk? (to get fresh bread for coffee later?)
3:30-4:30pm Solomon's 2nd nap
5:00-6:00pm Make & eat dinner
6:30-7:30pm Shower kids, pajamas, and bed time for Solomon
7:30-8:30pm Wind down, bedtime for Neftali
8:30-9:30pm Coffee and sweet bread, mommy & daddy time
10:00pm Bed

Needless to say, our days here are pretty relaxed. It has been such a blessing to live in Panajachel. People are friendly, it's safe for us to walk around at nearly any time of day (and we walk EVERYWHERE! I LOVE it!), and Solomon doesn't cough or wheeze from excessive smog (though it's still smoggy, but not NEARLY as bad as Guatemala City).

We've been here for one and a half months now, and are living in our second home. The first was a great, one room bungalow with a loft, fully furnished, with a normal kitchen and refrigerator. Unfortunately, it was also a little expensive for our quickly dwindling budget. So, we found another place. It is very cute, nice yard for the boys to play in, and has a place for us to park our Jeep off the street (hard to come by here). But this house doesn't have any furnishings, nor does it have a kitchen. Apparently, it is not standard to have a kitchen of any kind in a typical Guatemalan home. Instead, every home DOES have a very large, concrete sink outside called a "pila" where all dish-washing, hand-washing, and clothes-washing takes place.

I have included a few pictures of our "new" home. All that you see we have provided ourselves, including the tables used as our "kitchen" shelves and counters, as well as the kitchen table that we eat from. Our friend the taxi driver has loaned us a cookstove to use temporarily. Daddy was wise in having a mosquito net made for our sleeping quarters, as the nightly awakening at 3am to kill buzzing, kamikaze mosquitoes that prayed on our children was getting old very quickly.

We are blessed to have a roof over our head (that's not metal) to keep us dry during the near daily rains, and gives us shade from the afternoon heat. We have everything we need here. God has been so faithful in providing for each of our needs - which are obviously very different from our wants. We don't have a t.v., or so many of the modern conveniences we had in Oregon. But that's okay. He has taught us to live a truly simple life. And in this simplicity, we have been greatly blessed with unforgettable (and unquantifiable) family time.

"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound...But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:12,19

Antigua

The view from Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross)






View from a monument donated by the Spanish government. Volcan de las Aguas is the volcano in the background.


The monument.


One of the many ruins sprinkled throughout the town. Most of the ruins, we discovered, are convents.


A popular photo taken by many tourists...including me.


Since Neftali loves horses, we decided to take a 30 min tour of the town by horse-drawn carriage.


Parque Central (Central Park)


Another shot of Parque Central




Iglesia La Merced, a Catholic church around the corner from our hotel. The photo doesn't show it well, but it was recently re-painted, included white detail on the front.




Another ruins site.


Our beautiful, hacienda-style hotel.

More changes ahead?

The last few weeks have really allowed my husband and I to think about how blessed we have been to be able to travel and spend this extended time with his family and friends in Guatemala. The experiences here have been unforgettable. But as the school year in the States comes to a close, all I can think about is how much I long to be preparing for the school year to come - in the States. I cannot deny that I am beginning to greatly miss some of my dearest friends. I also miss being in the classroom. As does my sweetheart - but he misses coaching soccer even more. So, after much praying and searching, we have decided to change up our plans a little and tentatively investigate returning to the States by fall. His grandma still needs much care, so our return will be pending we are able to find someone to help out. But in the meantime, I am scouring the websites and school district postings in search of my first teaching job. I believe that I found my dream position. I submitted my application and all the necessary documents. Each time I review the school site, I long to be the newest addition. The closing date for applications is June 2nd, so I will be fervently praying for a phone call. I am trusting the Lord to work out the details. We'll see what exactly He wants for our family. And while we wait, and continue praying, we will enjoy every moment we have to be together as a family, to be able to experience the beauty of our surroundings, and to share in the rich culture and food. After all, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Mothering Boys

Got a banana milkshake?


Bath time fun - in an actual tub!


Yes, we do use the car seat for Solomon...when we don't have 10 people in the car!


This must have been a 10-passenger day. :)


Born to play soccer.


Look at all those teeth!!


Nefty modeling his new soccer jersey. It matches his new blue soccer shoes (not shown). He thinks he's Italian.


I L O V E being a mom to boys. Children are such a blessing, and mine are doubly so! I just feel like I fall in love all over again with each new day that I watch them grow, learn, play, and love each other (and me and daddy too!).