Friday, August 23, 2013

Applications Out!

There were 73 different churches and missions represented the other day when Jimmy formally presented the institute at the Kekchi pastors meeting. Domingo and Manuel, two men very involved in the Institutes' planning, translated everything into Kekchi and made sure all the pastors' questions were answered thoroughly. Each pastor went home with a handbook and application for admissions. 
Please be in prayer for the pastors as they present the institute to their churches, for those applying, and for Jimmy and the rest of the board of directors as they chose the group of men who are in this first class. That "freshman" class will begin Jan 7, 2014!
That was a rough day for Jimmy. I'm sure he didn't think it was funny while it was happening, but looking back it makes me laugh (it did at the time a little bit too), just because many days here are like that. 

He had dropped his handbooks off at a bookstore here in town in plenty of time to be bound. He printed them on nice paper at our house (which is a little more expensive) since often times when you get copies made here they are crooked or the copy machine glass ins't clean. It was very important to him that these books look sharp! Anyway he went by the bookstore on several occasions checking on them, reminding them of his deadline and encouraging them to work on them. Each time they said that they would get them done no problem. Well... that morning came and he went by there at 7:30AM. They still weren't done. He went back at 11:30 and they were taking a lunch break so he had to find someone to let him in. They had 27 of the 80 bound! Jimmy had to staple the rest. He was not happy.

Did I mention that he woke up that morning to a staple in his tire. He aired it up to take it to the bookstore at 7:30. Then he went to a tire place, waited 20 minutes only to have someone pull up after him and they helped that person instead. Then he left and went to Santa Elena (15 minutes away) hoping to have better results. He did! He made it all the way to Sayaxche where the meeting was on that patched tire with time to spare. All he had left to do was cross the ferry. At this point it looked like his day was turning around. When he pulled up to the river, he was the first vehicle in line. Then a man carrying an orange cone comes out and sticks it right in front of Jimmy's bumper. It was time for their 30 minute lunch break! 

30 minutes later he crosses. He drives to the church but has to pass it because he can hear something else stuck in his tire. He leaves his truck parked at yet another tire shop. It was a large bolt this time in a different tire. He grabs all of his stapled books and briskly walks to the church where the meeting is, hoping not to miss his scheduled time to speak. The meeting was running a little bit behind. Jimmy rushed to get there at 1:30 (30 minutes late)... he didn't speak until 5:00!

He calls his wife to tell her his sad story. She was rushing to get lunch ready for the team and while she catches the humor in it all she fails miserably at being sympathetic... oops!

1 comment:

  1. Oh my goodness, I just had to laugh at this because it is so typical Guatemala! I am glad he finally made it and there were so many interested pastors. I will be praying for the process (and for no more flat tires!)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...