It has been quite a while since we have chatted, so I’ll share a general life update. So grab a cool drink and get comfy.
First of all, we have gotten notes, cards, texts, and words from so many of you, that you pray for us daily and ask how we’re doing. We appreciate that so much. We thought 2 years ago that we would step away for a bit for some much-needed rest, but without going into all the nitty-gritty, I’ll just say the devil has upped his game over these last 2 years, and it has brought us to our knees many, many times. However, through these last 2 years, God has held us steady! He has been faithful; He has given so much grace; He has been our Shepherd; He has sent the Comforter to walk with us through some really dark valleys; He has covered us with His wings and held us with His everlasting arms. There is nothing like the peace that only comes from our Heavenly Father in the midst of the big storms raging around us. We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you, also. Your prayers, love, and support for us over the last 2 years have carried us, and we don’t take that for granted. Thank you so much!
We are currently living in Kansas near our family. Our oldest, Kristyn, brought a special young man into our family last year, and we love him like our own. Kristyn and Bradyn are in the process of building their first home, and I know they would appreciate prayer, as anyone who has built a house knows all the stressful details that it involves. Owen has a great job where he gets to use his welding skills and does a lot of construction and concrete work. He has had a unique opportunity in the last several months to oversee a Spanish-speaking construction crew. His boss has hired this crew on different occasions for construction needs, but they needed someone who could speak Spanish to oversee the crew, so his boss gave Owen that opportunity. Megan graduated with honors from high school in May. God really helped her with such a big transition and starting in a new school for her senior year. Jeren has been living his dream this summer working for a farmer. He has been hauling grain and cutting hay. It’s a very hot and dusty job, but he loves it. Ashlyn has been keeping busy with babysitting, cleaning, and enjoying summer camps. She and Jeren are both going into their junior year of high school, which does not seem possible.
Now on to the work in Guatemala, God is doing amazing things at Hope Bilingual Academy in Jalapa!! There are 198 students this year. The school is growing and bursting out of the classrooms. Many discussions have happened on how they can expand a certain classroom by extending a wall to make more space or putting up a temporary wall for an added room. Keith has received exciting videos of the progress being made and many FaceTime calls asking his opinion on things. He loves being part of the growing work there.
If you were one who gave for the start of the band class a few years ago, I’m happy to report that the instruments are still being used and new ones are added as the years go by. You can see some of them in the picture of the students playing in the parade.
The school year in Guatemala is heading into its final months, and the teachers are starting to think of end-of-the-year happenings. Lord willing, Keith will be headed to Guatemala soon for some legal documentation that needs to be signed before the end of the school year. His time there is never long enough. On his last visit, he was able to take Megan with him, and that was the highlight of the year. Everyone there loved getting to see her, and she was equally happy to see them. Ashlyn reminds Keith frequently that it’s her turn to travel with him now.
We appreciate your continued prayers for our family and for the ministry in Guatemala. We have reminded ourselves often that if God wasn’t working, the devil wouldn’t be fighting so hard. That does bring some comfort, but when you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to remember sometimes. We know all of you understand that because we are all in this together. We find peace in knowing that God is with us. He is with our children. He is with the work He is doing around the world, and He is with you, too.
We love and appreciate each one of you.