week 1 in Quiché

 our first week in Quiché...

last Sunday was moving day. after getting my truck all loaded up i went down to help Nicho and Araceli load their furniture onto a moving truck.  it was pretty special to experience their combo of excitement and sadness as they emptied their little house of all they owned, with plans to permanently relocate to a place they'd never been.

after some prayer and some sweet goodbyes we finally hit the road.  Araceli cried a bit as we made the trek through the mountains. pretty understandable considering she has been married less than a year, is due with their first child in 2.5 months, and is leaving her family, friends and the only village she's ever known.  in fact, she told me last night that she has never traveled more than an hour from home.

we hit the ground running upon arrival. got the furniture moved in, started unpacking boxes and suit cases, grocery shopped, and bought a fridge for Nicho all in the first day.  the house we're renting hasn't been lived in for several years, and we started realizing it right away!  the first few days were spent dealing with busted pipes, flooded rooms, and lots of little things. on the bright side, Nicho and i got to know the town of Santa Cruz del Quiche pretty fast as we ran around trying to find/fix things!

yesterday we found an english school in Chichicastenango (for Nicho and Araceli) and took a tour of the whole town on market day, which was great. they'll start classes next week, and we'll be leading them through some online theology studies. it's going to be a great season of learning and preparation!

perhaps my favorite thing so far is how Luciana has been drawn to Araceli. the other day I noticed her watching Araceli clean her floors, and then later in the day she was cleaning our floors the same way. the next day she helped Araceli wash her clothes in the outdoor pila... then gathered her own dirty clothes and went out and did the same. and now they are making tortillas together in the evenings, Araceli patiently teaching Luci how to do it properly. precious!!

we've all been striking up conversations with locals and praying for God to lead the way for BVSA Quiche.  we don't know exactly when/where/how just yet... but we're here... praying, learning, seeking, and ready to obey however He leads.


Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  Psalm 96:3 


Comments

Beth said…
Luci is so grown up looking!! Love thinking about Nicho and his wife doing this with you. God is so good. And watching you and Kerrie continue to follow Jesus like this is beautiful.