Another Stone

Each year there are 5 semesters of 12, 8 week classes with a 2 week break in between. That 2 week break is pretty vital. Jimmy always has big plans. It is when he can work on improving existing projects and starting new ones to get the farm self sustaining. He also uses this time to fix everything that has broken during those 8 weeks at the farm and at our house.

Friday evening after the last class of the semester, we were sitting at home talking about all the wonderful things that were going to be accomplished in the following weeks. I foolishly joked that something unexpected is probably going to happen that will eat up all of this precious time, since that really usually does happen! Well a couple minutes later Jimmy got a call that a huge storm came through the farm/institute and tore off half of the roof on the largest classroom. This is where we teach all of the first year classes and also where our church meets temporarily. It was sprinkling at our house, but nothing even close to a storm and our house is a less than a 10 minute drive down a dirt road from the farm. A tropical storm had come through... crazy.

I watched Jimmy's face. It always looks exactly the same whether happy, angry, or sad, but I still watched. He was processing and making plans. We had a mama pig that was about to give birth. We could sell the babies and pay for the roof repair... that's what was going on in his head. 

Then the phone rang again. The mama pig had died. No one knows why. You can't even eat a pig that dies for an unknown reason!!!

I looked at Jimmy's face waiting for anything. Still no change, but he did quietly say, "I am completely alone."

It feels like that sometimes. When the people you think will be helpful are more of a liability. That edge of the roof was the one part he had paid someone we thought would be a co-laborer to finish... but they obviously didn't care enough about it to do a good job. It feels like that sometimes when you come up with a solution to barely get by and then that solution falls through!

 A couple minutes after that, our 10 year old Boxer came over and laid on her pillow next to us. She had been sick. We knew she had cancer and there wasn't anything else we could do, but we thought we had a little bit more time with her. Well, she wasn't breathing very good and look uncomfortable. I made her some eggs since she wouldn't eat her dog food and she rejected those too. We knew it was time to put her down. Besides a necessary guard dog, she had been our first baby, before we had kids. I had gotten her for Jimmy our first Christmas here on the field. At this point who cares about the roof, our precious Lucha was going to leave us soon! 

This is how I will remember Lu. She was about 1 year old, when we lived in SE.

The next morning about 7:30, Jimmy was getting ready to take Lucha to the vet in Santa Elena to put her down, when he got a call from a church we had visited on furlough. I say a church, but it was from a friend who is one of the deacons. He said that they had had a meeting that morning and voted to send the money to cover the roof. Jimmy had posted some pictures on FB, not asking for help, just pictures of the craziness.

So basically less than 12 hours later, after we had come to the realization that we had no plans for a solution, God took care of it. Oh, and people don't call us here. We usually get a message that says to call them since we are long distance... and who knows our number?! 

I have a pile of stones, memory stones of when God has comforted us. This was one of those stones. It has nothing to do with money. We were just sad and God used a friend to reach out to us to tell us that He loves us and feels every single thing that happens to us... even our broken hearts about a dog!

When the church sent the check they said that they sent a little extra since sometimes repairs have unforeseen costs and that if we didn't need all of it for the roof, then to use the extra for a new dog. I tell you my God is specific. 

So now our roof is fixed and we found a puppy. She is a perfect fit for our family. I was worried about our other dog, Bags, since she was best friends with Lucha, but she had room in her heart for a new addition. Her name is Mu (long u), that's Kekchi for shadow. She actually has a weird howling bark that sounds like she is mooing! 

Mu

Bags and Mu, the new pack

A couple days later someone messaged Jimmy to call them. They were offering him a job in the States. It was a ministry job, a really good one, just not at all what God has put in our hearts. Jonah, our 7 year old, heard about it and I thought he was going to say something about why in the world we couldn't go live there and do that since he would be close to grandparents and he has some friends there. This is what he said, "Why would you ever do that! God has given you a job to do and He takes such good care of us here!" Then he went through and listed several bad things that had happened over the years and how God helped us through each thing and the specific ways He had blessed us through many of them. He said, "God always takes care of you when you are doing the job He gives you."

So that's why I'm sharing this. This is one of the memory stones that is part of our family's story of how God takes such gentle care of us. I want us to remember these stories always.

ITEM OF THE DAY: 

While our roof was being repaired we had our church service in our building that is still under construction. It needs a floor, wiring, and bars on the windows before we move in, but it does have a roof! It is a beautiful building, next to the village. Unfortunately it is also right in the middle of the goat project. There is nothing smellier than goats. That service made your nose burn! This one goat watched us the whole time. So I guess we will be moving the goats in the future!

Titus' Birth Story Pt 3: Finding Out the Design

The earliest we could get into the cardiologist was Monday, the 16th. We were scheduled to fly back with Paul that afternoon. We had packed everything up and moved out of the apartment where we had been living for the last 3+ weeks.

 The heart hospital is located behind a wall with several other medical facilities. When we arrived there were families everywhere with sick children, coming for treatment. Honestly it was overwhelming. I didn't expect there to be so many children. How did we get here. I felt like I blinked and we went from looking forward to the arrival of our perfectly healthy baby to now we are in this strange place filled with sadness. We didn't belong there. Our baby was fat and healthy. I wanted to get the test, be told everything was fine and leave!

Checking into the heart clinic

       As Jimmy and I were sitting in the hallway waiting to go in for Titus’ echocardiogram, a stranger came up to us. I immediately thought he was going to ask us for money, but as I listened to his words, I started to cry. He said that before we went in he needed to share Romans 5:1-5 with us. Then he read it right there on the spot. There were so many hurting people around us. I never expected for God to send someone to reach out to us that day. I read the passage in English on my phone several times after he walked away. At that point I knew something was going to happen and I was going to need these words. God was preparing us for something.

Soon after, they called my name. We went inside a little dark room and I laid Titus on the table and took off his little polo shirt. When Titus' heart popped on the screen I saw it pulsating really fast. Then I saw the number 275. The letters were so tiny on the screen that I couldn't read them. The tech was completely silent. I said, “Jimmy that’s not his heart rate is it?” Then the number went to 300. (It should be down around 120-160) The tech still wouldn’t say anything. Then he rushed out of the room.

 The tech soon returned with 2 doctors. One was the boss of the heart hospital and the other was Dr. Herrera, the cardiologist we had come to see. They started to explain to us why this was dangerous. They were very clear, making sure we understood the urgency, yet very kind to focus on the big positive that his heart was structurally perfect. We then went for an ECG and then Titus was immediately admitted into the NICU. There he was given Amiodarone through an IV to shock his heart back into a slower rhythm. Then he was started on Propranolol to keep it there.

 I am so thankful that God had us there that day. That is the only hospital in Guatemala that has the medicine needed to shock his heart back into the right rhythm. I'm thankful that he was having tachycardia during the few moments they were looking at his heart. Tachycardia can come and go. It hadn’t showed up in the other NICU and if we had missed it, he could have died in Petén without us knowing any better. God protected our little boy!
 
Titus spent the next 2 days being observed in the NICU, to make sure the Propranolol would regulate his heart. It went back up after the first day, so he received another dose of the Amiodarone and then they upped the dosage of the Propranolol. That time it worked.

I was so thankful for UNICAR (Unidad de Cirugía Cardiovascular), the heart hospital where we were at. It was started by a Guatemalan doctor in the 70's and many hospitals in the States have donated equipment and training over time. The equipment in the children's ICU was specifically donated by the Ronald McDonald House. They also built a beautiful waiting room, where I slept for 2 days. We were paying, but most children are treated for free. We even met a family from Honduras who traveled to Guatemala just for this hospital. The care in this ICU and from DR. Herrera is excellent.

What Guatemala always provides is a big dose of perspective. After spending 2 days and nights with the mothers in that waiting room, I was thankful for what Titus' issues were compared to what the other children/mothers were facing. One of the mothers had been sleeping in that waiting room for over a month. Her daughter had received 3 surgeries and now had an infection. She was 6 months pregnant. I tell you, these ladies were some of the bravest people I have ever met. We laughed and cried together. That first night, before we turned off the lights, we all prayed together for our kiddos. I am so thankful for their sweet spirits and am still praying for their kiddos.

Jimmy kept bringing us goodies to eat! Dads were not allowed to stay past 6PM. With each nurse or doctor that came around the corner, we hoped/feared news of our little one or the chance to go and see them. Titus was so exhausted from his heart working so hard, that he barely opened his eyes at that point. It was hard to get him to eat. I was so happy each time they called me to go in. He would grunt like he was hungry, but then only nurse for about 2 minutes, we made it through though. This NICU was very supportive of mothers being with their babies. Incidentally Titus' right ventricle was slightly enlarged, but it repaired itself once his heart started beating normally for a couple days.

Titus in a regular room being monitored

All the mommies were hoping to get bumped up to a regular room upstairs, because that meant our babies were improving. The 3rd day, Titus got bumped up! While I was there all but 3 of the 10 families I met got bumped up. Upstairs is not as nice. Titus was to be observed (mainly by his mother) for another 24 hours. There is a big difference between those 2 floors. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Before Titus was discharged he had another ECG. At that point Dr. Herrera diagnosed him with Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. Titus was born with 1 or 2 (based on the ECG's) extra electrical pathways in his heart. 

His last ECG

My musical dad describes Titus as being in cut time while the rest of us are in common time. Jimmy says he runs on 220. If WPW presents itself when you are an infant, it is possible for those pathways to snap as you grow, resolving the problem. Adults/older children with this syndrome learn how to shock themselves back into a regular rhythm when they sense they are too high, with a vagal maneuver. Once Titus is big enough (around 5 years old maybe) he can have a heart cath where they go in and attempt to burn or freeze the extra paths. Everything is dependent upon the severity and also how well you respond to meds.

We were able to fly back to Petén on my 36th birthday!

At that point he was receiving the Propranolol every 8 hours. 12 days later he started going up to 280 again about 6 hours into his meds each time. Dr. Herrera is wonderful and responded right away to Jimmy's texts. The vagal meneuvers we use are holding him upside down for 20 seconds or holding a frozen gel pack to his face for 20 seconds. About 45 min in, the upside down maneuver worked both times he had a breakthrough.

Checking his heart rate

We ended up flying back to Guatemala City. Jimmy's mom extended her trip (because she is that nice) a couple days and stayed with the kiddos in Petén (where she went without power and water most of the time). Titus was started on a new med in addition to the Propranolol, Propafenona. I'm thankful for the machines that were given to us where we can monitor him to know exactly where he is at. This allowed us to not have to admit him to the hospital again. We kept him hooked up all night long in the hotel. Once he responded well for 24 hrs to the new meds, we were able to return to Petén. We got to fly back with my mom who is spending the next month with us! Our moms take such good care of us and we appreciate our dads who are willing to rough it for a month+ without them!

On the way to go get Kiki from the airport

Titus meeting his Grandma Kiki!

 As he grows, his dosage has to be proportionally increased. I wish we were still just on the Propranolol because the new med really seams to upset his stomach. Right now he gets medicine 6 times a day. He does pretty good keeping it down and falling back to sleep when we wake him up to give it to him, other than the tummy aches with the second one. At our next appointment in 3 weeks, maybe we can make more adjustments.

Jimmy and I both have alarms set on our phones for the 6 times he gets medicine. I hook him up to the oximeter a couple times a day, just to double check. I take his pulse like a psycho mom! Basically what he has will be fine as long as we keep an eye on it and he takes his meds. We continue to pray that he responds to his meds and stays healthy. Fevers are what throw everything off. Dr. Herrera is a Christian and we could not have asked for a better doctor in any country. Because of UNICAR and Dr. Herrera, we can manage his condition from Petén. That wouldn't have been possible a couple years ago. I am SO thankful this did not affect our ministry here.

  I shared this in our update. I have learned a lot in the last month... lots of Spanish terms for things pertaining to the heart mostly. The most important thing though was what Jimmy shared with me. I remember being afraid in the hospital and Jimmy telling me that faith is a gift that God gives us. We get to trust Him for our future for our own benefit. We look back and clearly see God’s hand through all of this, so how can I choose fear? So that’s what I do when I start to panic, I look back and thank God. One day we will get to share that with Titus. We can tell him how he was intricately designed by God and how God used that design to show us his power and love for all of us!

Our long legged boy!

That Time Both Our Vehicles Wrecked the Same Day

No, we didn't run into each other! While my mom was here we had gotten a flat tire on our SUV, a Nissan Patrol. Jimmy took it to get it plugged. He saw them put the tire back on with a gun thingy.

Jimmy's parents had bought plane tickets to fly us all to KS for 2 weeks. We were flying out about a week after she left. Our flight was leaving at 6 AM on Thursday morning. About 4 hours into our Wednesday trip to the capital Jimmy was passing a semi. He wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, you pass a lot of large trucks on the 2 lane highway. As he merged back into his lane I felt a bump, then it felt like we were kind of fish tailing it. I thought maybe we had a busted tire. I just knew the semi behind us was going to hit us as Jimmy was trying to maintain control while getting us to the shoulder. About the time we were off the road Jimmy said look and I saw our tire rolling down the other side of the road. Awesome!

How does your tire just fall off? If that had been a front tire I wouldn't be typing right now. God really protected us. Somehow the semi didn't hit us. Somehow this happened on a straightaway were there was actually a shoulder on the side of the road, one perfectly the size of our truck. Once you got out of the truck you were in the lane. Due to the mountains in Guatemala, there often times aren't shoulders or straightaways.

But there we were 4 hours from home and about 3 hours from the capital. We don't know anyone there. We started praying that God would help us. 

Jimmy got out of the truck and started walking to find a mechanic. He assumed we did some damage to our vehicle dragging it a ways on its rotor. All the stems that the lugnuts screw onto were sheared  off, but that's ok because all the lugnuts were missing anyway. 

He walked about 2 kilometers and came across an open mechanic shop, but no one was there. He moved on and walked another kilometer. Soon 2 guys drove up along next to him and asked if he owned the truck they saw on the side of the road. They said, "Get in, we will help you!" 

Now in this area of the country guys wear guns on their hips, flashy ones. They also have enough clips going all the way around their belts to be involved in a serious shootout and not lose due to running out of bullets. That's the way these guys were. One owned a mechanic shop and I assume the other was one of his workers. They were 2 of the nicest people we have ever met. They had no reason to be kind to us or help us, but they went out of their way to fix our problems.  

{Silly Jonah waiting in the car}

 Jimmy had told me not to get out of the vehicle, so I didn't. I was worried that due to the small shoulder, that we were going to be hit. People pass like crazy on this highway and drive drunk. We see a lot of messed up stuff and I was just worried for my kiddos' safety. But there we sat. I was praying the entire time! 

The 2 men drove Jimmy back to our truck. I was happy to see them! They looked at our vehicle and told Jimmy they would send another guy in a few minutes to drive Jimmy into town (20 minutes away) to buy the parts that he needed. They left and then sure enough a few minutes later a guy showed up and took Jimmy to find some parts that would work. It was a total of about $10 worth of parts. This guy wouldn't take any money for gas. About an hour later the other 2 guys came back and bending over into the lane of oncoming traffic with our truck jacked up on 2 different jacks, fixed our truck. They wouldn't take any money either. 

So we went from thinking our vehicle was all messed up and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere, probably going to miss our flight, to everything was fixed in about 4 hours for $10. 

 

Our boys asked who those guys were with guns. We said, "These are the people God sent to help us!"

And we were so thankful. It was really neat to see God orchestrate everything right there in front of our kids. There was also another very nice man who was sent by a friend who got there right as they finished up our truck. He had come to pick us up but instead only followed us to the tire repair place after these guys fixed our truck. We had to have the tire that fell off put on our spare rim. He was just listening and watching to make sure everything was ok. Yet another person we will probably never be able to return the favor to.

{Tire shop}

We are so humbled by all the people that God sent our way. How do you repay them? I pray that God sends people as kind in their next time of need.

We got about 2.5 hours of sleep that night in a hotel before getting up to drive to the airport. After our trip to the States before we left the capital to return home we got a car wash while in a parking garage. For some reason the guy had a riveter and fixed our bumper while it was in a parking space. I'm telling you God took care of every single detail of our big ol' mess!

Before our 7 hour drive home we got it checked out at a mechanic shop just in case. We found out our brakes pads were worn, so that was another positive since we wouldn't have known otherwise. We replaced those before coming down out of the mountains. Everything else looked great!

Now as for the other vehicle. The same day we were sitting on the shoulder missing a tire, Jimmy had left his pickup at the farm so that they could still run and pick up chicken feed and other necessities over the 2 weeks and also pick up the teens from Santa Rita to come to youth group Wednesday nights. Well while they were turning left into the village to pick up the teens someone tried to pass them on the left. This is a common problem here due to a "turn single" meaning multiple things like "pass me" and "I'm turning". Anyway they got t-boned. Thankfully the next day they went back with the police and the other driver paid for most of the repairs. They called to tell us what had happened but decided to save it for another day due to us being broken down at the time ourselves. Haha! God knows how much you can handle at one time! Thankfully no one was hurt in that incident either!

Blessings Flowing at 30 Gallons Per Minute!

Just a couple weeks ago we were at a real low point in our ministry. We had a need for water at the pastor's institute/farm property and had no idea how this need would be met without God working a miracle. You can read of our water troubles here. This is just another beautiful story written by God that brings Him glory and gives us a little glimpse of who He is (Job 42:5). Experiences like these make us feel extra loved on by God and even more compelled to share His truth with others. 

We sent out our prayer letter for February asking people to pray for our water situation. Less than 24 hours later a Mennonite friend of ours called and said that on his way back from the capital he saw what he thought to be a well drilling rig (pictured above). 

He gave Jimmy the km marker number. It was about a 2 hour drive from our house. Jimmy left as soon as classes were over that week and headed off in search for this rig. He had no idea if they would still be there, but he left hoping this might be God's answer to our prayers. 

It was a horrible trip. Jimmy had a flat tire. Not knowing that the emergency brake wasn't working, the trucked rolled while Jimmy was under it, almost getting him. There was definitely a guardian angel involved! 

Well, when he arrived the rig was still there and Jimmy found some volunteer well drillers from the States working it. They were with an Adventist ministry called Water for Life. A couple days later, the man who heads up this ministry came to our house in San Pancho. Jimmy gave him a tour of the farm and explained the purpose of the institute and our water situation. He was so kind and encouraging. He told Jimmy that he believed that they would be able to dig our well. They work in seasons and would be able to fit us in the schedule maybe next January or February. 

This was the most promising option we had found. We had already been waiting over a year for the other, more expensive private company, with no hope of them coming anytime soon. We were really thankful for a January/February commitment. 

Then a new mayor was elected in the village next door to the institute (where the well we were using is located) and the threats of them turning our water back off returned. There are currently 3 families that live on the farm, plus 5 single guys, plus all the crops and animals. Jimmy made the commitment to provide water for them all before they moved here. These constant threats that had been actually realized before are very burdensome to live with on a daily basis.

Soon after the new mayor was elected, Jimmy got a call from Water for Life. They had a couple with a few days left in the country who wanted to come and get started on our well and asked us if that was ok... Well sure! 

{The sludge that came out}

It was a super nice Christian couple from the state of Washington name Jon and Chris Hansen who own their own well drilling company, along with Jon's brother. Can you imagine showing up in Petén from Washington?! That is a climate shock. Jon worked on the rig all alone every day, all day long in crazy heat with no shade, in the dry season for 8 days. He had a little help the last 2 days, but Jon was the only skilled laborer.

 

They stayed in our guest room during that time. I kept saying we couldn't have nicer strangers come and stay with us for a week. They aren't strangers anymore!

 

The kids loved it too! Ms Chris was so great with Jonah, Silas, and Eden. They loved all the artsy stuff she had them get into. And, I'm pretty sure Silas met his story telling match! I really enjoyed my time with Chris too. I hope they come through our town every year on the way to villages!

 

We figured they were just going to get started good before they had to leave, but on the last possible day for Jon to have enough time to hook up a pump, he was at 115 feet, with 12 feet of water in the hole. Jon was very cautious because sometimes there is water but it doesn't replenish itself. He measured and timed the water. For 45 minutes he took out 13 gallons a minute and couldn't get the water level to go down. 

Jon and Chris have been coming to Guatemala for 6 years. They had been here this time since the beginning of March, working hard the whole time. They had 2 days planned at the end of their trip,  at a bed and breakfast just as a little rest before flying back to work in the States. Well, they gave up those days to help us.  

Usually when a pump gets hooked up to a well the first time they use a generator and then hook up electricity later. Well on the way to the hardware store the last morning Jimmy ran into the electrician who installed our transformer. (Jimmy had tried to call him, but his number had changed.) The electrician said that his client for the day canceled and he had the entire day free. So, while Jon was hooking up the pump the electrician ran the wires underground for the 220 to run the pump. Are you seeing that this is God's well?!

Here is the pump all wired up, the first time it's turned on:

 That is 30 gallons a minute! It's crazy! Only God could bring all of this together and provide this for the farm!

 The students were super happy! There is water every day now, with a lot more pressure, and no threats of it being taken away. It's pure water too!

 One of our second year students was laughing remembering last year when there was no water and they had to bathe in the ditch!

 Cute little Nacho got a bath first thing!

 So basically a Mennonite friend saw an Adventist ministry who ended up sending a Non-denominational couple to drill a well for some Baptists. Do what you want with that, I think it's real interesting. Many times that's how missions works!

 We love these guys! They are a beautiful testimony of God using people who follow Him!

I hope God blesses their socks off!

We want to thank Metro Baptist Church in Goodlettsville, TN who paid for the well (almost 2 years before it was drilled!), and Pastor Andy Schalchlin and his family in AR and Fellowship Baptist Church in Thonotosassa, FL for paying for the pump and the reservoir. I'd say this was a team effort!

Our New Church Home!

Some really exciting things are happening in our church in San Pancho. Six people have put their faith in Christ in the last two weeks and several of those plus some who were fearful last time are now excited about being baptized and making their faith known on the 13th. The line we drew in the sand is working. 

We started sending two microbuses to SR since many were being left behind and we have been having several visitors from the other guerrilla community as well. Our heart though is to reach out more to the people from San Pancho, the town where our church building is located. Our current rental is on the outskirts of town. If we advertised in the main part of town we wouldn't be able to fit into our rental anymore, since we have outgrown it just with the people from the other 2 communities. Well one of our church members passed this house the other day and noticed a "for sale" sign. He and Jimmy went to look at it today. 

Our town is made up of a main square (which doesn't have any available properties and no one is interested in ever selling and if they were they would ask crazy amounts for them). Then it has a second catty cornered kind of second town square which has the town meeting hall in the middle. This property is about 3 houses down from that secondary town square. We could hold all kinds of outreaches that would be easy to advertise and close for most people to walk to. Basically it is in a great location and if it were in an any better location it would be too expensive for us to buy. 

They are asking $33,000 for it. This is a lowered priced (down from $40,000) since it has been on the "market" for so long. It is more than fair. For once we didn't get quoted the "gringo price" when asking about it. At one time the owners were renting it. They had a bad experience with renters who ran up the power bill and then skipped town. After speaking with them over the phone (they are currently in the States), and us praying like crazy, they agreed to let us rent until we are able to purchase in one lump sum. (People don't usually make payments on property or vehicles here like in the States.)

{The property includes the little house past the end of the wall in the photo} 

It is much larger than our current location, more functional, and a much better location and the rent is only $27 higher than our current place! (That's God!) We got the keys today and can start holding services there as soon as we want. They are giving us 6 months to raise the funds before they put it back on the market. 

This is what is to the left of the photo above. It is a perfect place for people to fellowship before and after the service and for kids to play. The gate makes me SO happy. I am constantly worried about my kids and our church kids getting hit by cars since our other building opens right onto the street.

The building is a very large one story house that is broken up into 3 ideal classroom sized rooms plus a large kitchen/fellowship hall and then another large room for the sanctuary. 

This is the main room, larger than our current sanctuary. This room needs to be painted before we move in. Right now it is covered in blue sponge paint.

When I first moved here this tile would have made me dizzy, but now I really like it! I think it dresses up the room.

It has a metal roof, which can give you a problem with rats since there is an opening between the roof and the wall, but it has plywood false ceilings, which will help with that! (Another improvement from our current rental, which is constantly filled with critters and droppings.)

This is the what we are calling the "fellowship hall" which is right off the sanctuary. It has a working sink. I can picture us prepping tamales in there!

 Do you see the ceiling fan and air conditioner? I have never seen that before in a rental or even in a house in San Pancho. There were lots of things about his house that were pleasantly unexpected. 

This room has an outside door, great for when we have fellowships and want to eat outside.

It has a huge backyard for when our church has grown more and our people are ready to raise money themselves to build their own formal sanctuary. This is ideal for missionaries as we never want to do everything for our people, but you have to do something to get started, so with this property we can get them started and they have room to continue on their own!

{It was hard to get the entire lot in the photo}

There are two classrooms like the one above. I picture one as a kids class and the other as a nursery one day since it had a bathroom attached to it. 

It was so funny to see a bathroom this large here!

This was the other separate bath:

 Here is the third classroom. I picture this as the ladies classroom.  

I would love to put things on the walls that we have been studying as a reminder! We have never had a place this nice before! Jimmy and I have been randomly blurting out how excited we are to each other the past two days!

Look at these hallways! They are nice and wide... made for our church! 

The hallway is long and turns a corner, so if we put the kids class at the end of it, we can be as loud as we want! 

Some of the inside walls were made like this:

I think it is kind of charming... where you don't see the wire. The outside walls are concrete block. The structure is all very sound. 

There is another large closet/pila room at the end of the hall. 

Soon we will have another clean up the church party with our people, to get it ready for our first service. We are SO thankful. We really have felt for the past several months that we have been asking for a place to grow that God had a preexisting structure for us! 

I am so excited about what this means for our church family! There is a new ministry we are planning on starting with our church people very soon and this location is perfect for that! Seriously I am squealing over here!!! Please praise the Lord with us over what He has provided for our church! And please pray that we are able to raise the money needed for the purchase in the next 6 months. Thank you!

 CUTE ITEM OF THE DAY: 

The other day Eden found Jimmy's box of clown stuff.