Joyful!

A preface to this blog; an afterthought to this blog:

I am not suggesting that building a home is not an expression of the love I have received in Christ. Rather, I am suggesting that just as faith without actions is dead (James 2:17), so too deeds without an expression of faith is perhaps ambiguous -- or an incomplete expression of the hope and love we have in Jesus.
Moving on...Today we completed the home that was started a week or two before we came. Here is a picture of Veronica and her children (less a camera shy boy and their working father). They say "Gracias!" This is a joyful day -- the house is basically complete (less moving in). A need met and to be enjoyed for a lifetime. It truly does changes one´s outlook and spirit. By changing their living condition, you are pouring hope into a situation that may feel hopeless. We had a barbecue to celebrate the completion today at lunch with the construction workers. The boys from the family celebrated by scrapping it out on their new porch!

Last weekend, we went to Semuc Champey. Summary in brief sentence fragments:
gorgeous pools of water, "cattle" transportation (pictured above - only 15 per ride haha!), Only one break down of the bus (because the clutch actually wasn´t fixed in the shop); Only 3 police pulling us over and not needing to pay any bribes; finding a delicious cup of hot cacao - made purely from its bean; being inviting into the kitchen of a restaurant to learn how to make hot cacao from its bean - the deal was that Dale and I couldn´t comment on the state of the kitchen (I love the "stringent" health regulations of restaurants here!); enjoying time with Guatemalan friends from the church and learning Spanish inside jokes (¡Baya!).

Well talk with you soon.
Andres

P.S. I will upload pictures in Antigua on Sunday as the Internet is slow in Tizate right now.

Struggle

Life is...Struggle.
A struggle for more, a struggle for less... a struggle for more of what?

Unkept, messy rooms. A basket filled with dirty laundry. An unwiped table attracting flies. This is what I observed when visiting a family I connected with last summer. They received a home after last summer from Global Shore. It is a family with five boys and a mother. The father passed away a few years ago. Their house and living condition is better, but did it truly solve and meet their struggle completely? Is this only part of the picture of ¨love¨? By the way, the boys and I had a blast playing soccer and monkey in the middle.

I guess I´m realizing the temporary fulfilment a house provides a family. It provides a lifelong impact in their living conditions, but the struggle we observe is still there. A new home is perhaps only possible through external help due to their current economic situation, but it only touches the surface of the need.

In the past week or so, I feel this insatiable hunger and longing for a deeper and fresh encounter with Jesus. Living off the few clothes and items packed within a suitcase, I see how my life is not as distracted by the ¨things¨ I purchase. I am noticing more and more how empty the promises of consumerism are - if you buy this, it will satisfy. Items that provide temporary fulfilment. This has challenged me to live next year more simply so that I can remove obstacles that deter me from pursuing a fresher and deeper relationship with Jesus. My solution or challenge: A Buy Nothing Year. How can this possibly occur? This means, I will be avoiding buying new items and items I do not deem necessary - aka, I can buy food, gasoline and necessities. I hope this will teach me that when I am tired and weary, I can go straight to Jesus, who can grant me true rest and satisfaction. It is saying, I choose to live simply and find comfort in Jesus who remains forever. This is my struggle for less.

On the other hand, as I struggle to live simply and void consumerism of its power, I see how it is causing struggle in families here. With rising food costs, I was talking with my host mother and others. Staple foods - such as corn flour and black beans - have doubled and tripled in price. They already spend a considerable proportion of their earnings (60-80%) on food. I think through my observation, the rising price of gasoline burdens developing countries more so, as their disposable income is minimal to begin with. This may cause concern or worry. The pressure to provide and to live is a constant struggle. This is the struggle for more to meet needs.

Perhaps along with temporary satisfaction - building a home - we need to recognize and look to Jesus who provides us with eternal satisfaction. Perhaps in a sense, whether striving for more or less, we strive for a constant satisfaction. We need to learn that we can give Jesus our concerns to find true peace within our lives by trusting that Jesus will provide us with our needs. Perhaps providing my Guatemalan friends with this truth - void of the lies consumerism teaches us. Applying generosity and help with a message of Jesus´ hope and peace for the future completes this picture of love.

We are always in need - no matter where we are in the world - and we need to know and trust that Jesus can provide us with the hope and peace we need for our weary souls.

Take care,
Andrew

P.S. It has also been a struggle to keep up with my blog. There has been several random and extended power outages this last week (not to mention the extended periods without running water). Thus, I apologize for the lack of posts. Hopefully there will be a few to catch up this week. Up next: Meeting the construction family and a weekend away.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.¨- Jesus, Matthew 11:28-29

Filled with Double Meanings

This blog is inspired by the fact that one words in the English language may have multiple meanings. Also, some English words have two Spanish equivalents and vice versa.

Sick - My second week here in Tizate and Guatemala can be summarized by this word. As in, the scenery in Guatemala is ¨sick¨(aka beautiful, gorgeous). It has also made me ¨sick¨(as in, intense stomach pains). Here, you see the enticing pineapple and mango sold on the streets in Antigua. I bought a mango, which is apparently a ¨no no¨in rainy season, as they collect extra water and bacteria. I was sick for a whole day! After my trip to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan, I also laid on my bed with intense stomach pain. Pray that I feel better. (This also explains my late post). Or perhaps Guatemalan timelines are influencing my lifestyle.

This past weekend, I was able to visit Panajachel and Lake Atitlan with some of the group. Is that view not ¨sick¨? It is three volcanoes surrounding a lake that developed within the craters of the volcanoes. It is by far, one of the most beautiful places I have seen in this world. I was able to explore the lake by public and private boat rides. This allowed me to really see how I was in a lake surrounded by three volcanoes. The theme of the weekend was going on boat rides that never made it to the destination we were initially told.

Time - I am reminded of the movie ¨Rent¨. How do you measure a year in the life? I am sure that in some sense, sometimes we measure life by money. In the past week, I have been affirmed twice, that life should be measured in time and relationships. At the start of last week, the group went up to Tactic. There, Impact Ministries has established 4-5 schools. They follow similar visions for Tizate´s school, although they are a few years ahead in the process. It was neat to see the future of Global Shore Opportunities´school vision for Tizate. Children, if brought up through the school in Godly and responsible ways, can become the system of hope for the future of El Tizate. Rita and Les Peters (Founders of Impact Ministries) emphasized that it is not the projects that are of utmost importance, it is the relationships and the time invested in people that matter in life. They measure their success through their relationships and their ability to disciple children and teachers to live in Godly and responsible ways.

In Panajachel, here we are at Crossroads Cafe. We talked for an hour to the caffeinated owners (an American-South African couple). They discussed how they ended up in Guatemala and how they now would rather measure life in time as opposed to money. The man realized during one of his two-hour commutes in California that he spent 1000 hours on the road every year. He decided he would change careers so that he could reclaim those 1000 hours with his family as opposed to pursuing a money-savvy career. Was the extra money worth the time he was unable to spend with his family and build relationships? He now works with his family and children and they live above the coffee shop they own. Sweet eh?

Lesson learned: Measure life in time and not money. In trying to define life by time and relationships, living simply allows us to starve money of its ability to define us. It shifts us from consumerism to a relational priority. (Oh by the way - are you interested in joining me in a Buy Nothing Year?) More on that later.

It also frees up our money (which is ultimately not our own) to help others simply live.

Aside from that - Tizate is doing well. ESL classes are running smoothly. The first construction project is almost completed and we have begun digging the trenches for the second house. I will report on life on Tizate soon (My goal: Thursday).

Love you all lots!

Andrew

Appointed

Arrived in Guatemala...in a day and a half.

Delayed flight in Detroit. Missed Connection in Fort Lauderdale. Anticipating our arrival in the hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Taxi Ride to Miami. Flight from Miami to Guatemala.

Tizate is a small rural village that is no more than a few roads and houses are either on the roads or carved into the mountains. Life here is filled with many new sights, smells and sounds. Imagine the smell of wood burning, along with polluted river smell wafting through the air, along with firecrackers starting as early as four in the morning to late into the night. And let´s not forget all the barking dogs.

It has been great to reconnect and live life as ¨normal¨ here in Tizate with Mariana and Factor. I have enjoyed their hospitality very much. Tonight, I made a Canadian meal of Omelets for them (with cheddar cheese - a rare and expensive find). I had a real philosophical debate - what constitutes Canadian food? (Let me know if you think you have an idea).

My Spanish is rapidly coming back although I still feel a little rusty. It has helped me develop relationships in the village.

I am excited about the relationships that are developing this visit to Tizate. Would you like to here about a lovely couple at the church I attend here; Alberto - a man who desires to speak English - who called out to me one night on my way home late at night; Nancho and Welfredo - the construction workers who I am have a great time getting to know; the ESL adult students who are speaking better than last summer?

Life is a struggle but I hope to gain a deeper glimpse into the culture of El Tizate, Guatemala through the relationships that God has given to me
- the life I´ve been appointed to live.

Andres.

(I will update the blog every Thursday night. I will unfold one picture of life here in Tizate per entry. Photos to come!)

Friends and Family. Period.

Grain fields and windmills.

Friends from the asparagus pack house.

Coffee Culture. Tillsonburg Pay Day Runs. (Hoping to kick the coffee habit once again this summer)

Family.

Guatemala - stay tuned for weekly updates starting this Sunday. We are leaving in 3 hours!

Goodbye.

Andrew

Eroding

Lakeshore Road is quite an interesting place. Before coming in late-April, part of the road eroded and collapsed. Here is a picture of the "Abyss". It was a gradual build up of water underneath the road and one day it just collapsed. It reminds me how the life is eroding and changing beneath us and how I need to root myself in God who is my constancy in the world that is changing.

This week amidst the work, I needed to fix my glasses. After a mild bump and having them fall off, I was under the assumption that my glasses needed one screw tightened and an adjustment. Instead, I found out that they needed a whole new arm. Luckily, I had super-Mom get on the case and tomorrow I will have the new frames.

Yesterday, the asparagus season ended after the busiest two weeks of packing in the barn. In the season approximately 2.4 million pounds of asparagus was packed, just to give you a magnitude of the operation. Boy was I happy when I pulled out the final skid of asparagus!

On Thursday, the team will be flying to El Tizate for the next two months.

Time in Port Burwell is eroding.

A few more days to enjoy the beauty of Lake Erie.

Life is going to change - surroundings, language, activities, friendships.

I look forward to my return - to build upon existing friendships, to receive a deeper glimpse into the culture of El Tizate (a rural Guatemalan village).

I will be living with Mariana and Factor - the family that hosted me last summer.

I will also be involved in the construction of the current housing projects as well as teaching an evening adult ESL class.

I will be posting a photo blog before leaving in the next few days.

Andrew

Unpredictable

Have you ever stood in a moment and thought about how you arrived there?

Have you ever thought about the pieces of your life's puzzle that needed to fall into place to make "that" happen?

Seemingly unrelated pieces of a puzzle fit together to craft our life's journey. Looking forward at a bunch of scattered puzzle pieces, we realize that life is unpredictable in the way it is pieced together. Yet, when looking back on how we arrived to various moments, stages and events we can see how the pieces "make sense".

Or perhaps we are in moments right now that we do not understand the purpose or God's plan for them, but they will make sense in their time. Perhaps we are discouraged and need to re-piece the puzzle back together again.

In the asparagus barn, I've had many opportunities to reflect on my journey in life so far and where I have arrived, and events that have brought me there. But I tend to lean toward the future, thinking about all of the possibilities for my life. But, I am constantly reminded that the opportunities are endless (Teaching locally, abroad, pursuing my Masters), but God has specific puzzle pieces for my life that fit into his grand puzzle for humanity.

If I saw the whole picture to my life, it might feel scary, daunting or lacking adventure. It wouldn't require the trust or relationship that God designed for us to live out with him.

Therefore, I could speculate about my future or I can trust that the plans God has for me are to prosper, to not harm me and to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). I just need to trust and listen to him, seeking God's heart in the moments he has given me, by not speculating and worrying about tomorrow but to be concerned for the moments I am in now (Matthew 6:34).

I've surrounded this blog with a picture of a sunrise and sunset, the start and closure to everyday - we cannot predict what will happen after that sunrise (how our day will unfold) or the sunset (what the future holds), but we need to embrace the opportunities Jesus has given us in the present, where he is challenging us to abide with him.

I am thankful for the silence or "thinking space" I am given in the barn to reflect upon life.

Take care,
Andrew

P.S. The Sunrise I watched in Port Burwell with Fiddy, while the sunset is just one of many in this beautiful area of Southern Ontario on Lake Erie.

Busy and Mischevious

Dear loyal blog fans,

The theme to my titles with explore "La vida es..." (a neat phrase sketched into a rock in Antigua). Each title will answer this deep yet light-hearted question of what life can be.

I have been here living in the hamlet of Houghton Centre - in between Port Burwell and Port Rowan for the past month now. The asparagus season started early due to the warm weather in April, but the cold weather in May has slowed asparagus production down. The hours haven't been too long (9-10 hours a day) and my job is the same as last year (dragging skids of asparagus from the cooler and plopping the lugs onto the line to be bunched and packed). I have also been the "hoser" of Spearktek 6 - ensuring that the machine sprayed down clean. This job has been a welcome break from the University academia and has given me time to reflect and think.

Living out in the country has resulted in a few mischevious adventures for me at "The Ark" (where the 12 summer students reside).

Ironically, we had a flood in the basement of the Ark.

Kris, Dale and I are enjoying the upstairs loft (we call it the penthouse).

One day at the beginning of May, Dale and I were working on watering new trees and saw a dead hawk laying on the side of the road. We placed it in Mary's window with a note that said "I'm watching you with my hawk eyes". We hoped that the hawk would become the team mascot, but alas - it was decomposing and attracting unwanted flies.

While driving home from a team trip to St Jacobs, the group of people in the truck I was in, stopped at the side of the road to see if we could join the volleyball game occurring in a backyard we saw (thinking it would be fun and random). They shouted "No!" This is our first team shot in St Jacobs (less photographer Julianne).
Here's one more 'near' St Jacobs (Mom - look real hard haha) Here is Rachel (Yo-Yo), me, Dale and Mary.
One weekend ago, I was able to go see Dale get baptized in Leamington. It was great to attend and be there to support him on that day and visit with his family. That Sunday afternoon, we went to Point Pelee to stand at the most southern tip of Canada. Here we are sitting at the 42nd parallel in Canada.

Then here are Karla and I determining to reach the absolutely tip (with my life philosophy of "Go Big or Go Home"). Visit it someday if you haven't got the chance yet.
My apologies for my inability to post - from this point forward I'll update it weekly (perhaps on the Sunday or Monday).

Talk with you next time, with some ideas and thoughts God has been stirring in me.
Andrew

Lists, Lists, Lists

Well, to preface this entry, I must say, I feel slightly euphoric writing this blog as I have completed my undergraduate degree today and will start teacher's college in the fall.

A few weeks back, I felt a little more nuttier than usual - trying to figure out all the details of moving, school assignments, marking exams, and writing my one exam. So I made up a "Freedom List" - hence, when all the items were checked off I equated this to freedom! What a sense of accomplishment.

Then, I started to think about my habit of list making for my sanity and organization. Yet, I realize how living from "list to list" has become my existence in the University system. Does this help me develop the habit of enjoying the "now" and everyday moments that make life beautiful - such as the spontaneity of nature, coffee shop conversation, enjoying meals and time with friends?

On Sunday, I'm moving down to Port Burwell, Ontario, to embark on "Round Two" of Global Shore Opportunities Summer Student Program. I've made a "list". I'm sure I'll accomplish them.
1. To learn to be more like Jesus.
2. To start living in the "now" and in the "everyday" moments.
3. To search and discover beauty in all circumstances, no matter what.
4. To live in community with others and learn what "community" means.

Stay tuned over the next four months: the first two filled with asparagus and the next two with El Tizate (the village that has a special place in my heart). Now it's time to pack, and move on, and spend a little time with family and friends before I depart.

Enjoy freedom in the everyday moments!
Andrew