Lessons Learned

Over the almost two weeks we have lived in Guatemala, we have learned some lessons. At first glance these lessons may seem negative, but keep reading. God has shown us so much already.

• You can’t get there from here!

Okay, you can, but there are no good roads. Last week Wanda and I drove to Guatemala City for the first time. We had some much needed shopping to do, and our landlord graciously offered to let us borrow his truck. In Troy, OH, where we lived for the last 11 years, we had a Wal-Mart, Lowes, Staples, and numerous retails stores within 1.5 miles of our home. Here the nearest large store is 75 minutes away in Guatemala City. This journey takes us through several towns, some with cobblestone streets, all with narrow roads that are often bottlenecked with vehicles parked in the street. This, combined with both human and animal foot traffic, causes the trip to be a slow one.

Once you get to the city you are confronted by divided roads and one-way streets. You can find yourself right across the road from your destination but still face a three mile trip through congested traffic.

Lesson Learned #1: We don’t really need as much as we think we do. Since it is such an ordeal to shop retail we keep a shopping list posted. Once we are settled we plan to only go into the city once a month. As a result, much of what seemed so important when the trip to Wal-Mart was only three minutes doesn’t seem worth it when the journey is over an hour. This is freeing us from impulse buying and the accumulation of junk that fills the home and drains the budget.

• Hurry up and wait!

Life in Guatemala consists of a series of long lines. At the Bodegoña in Antigua you can spend an hour weaving through crowds and narrow aisles shopping for groceries only to face lines eight to ten people deep at the cash registers. A five minute trip to the bank can quickly become a forty-five minute ordeal as you are confronted by a line of 20 people. Even small towns have traffic jams that can leave you sitting in your car for long periods. A part of living in this culture is learning to wait.

Lesson Learned #2: Slow down! In the fast food, microwave, customer service oriented culture of America we can find ourselves becoming impatient with a three minute wait. We can honestly begin to think that the world should revolve around us because we have a schedule that is too full and we are so important. That mindset creates an environment of everything from rudeness to road rage. I have been repeatedly struck by how kind and deferring the Guatemalan people are. You very seldom hear angry car horns or angry words. They are quick to yield their place in line. Most are quick with a smile and kind word and are very slow to complain. They are content to wait patiently in line with their own thoughts or a pleasant conversation. I have so much that I want to learn from them, but at the top of that list is how to slow down.

• Walk, walk, and walk some more!

Because of the above mentioned road conditions, it is much easier to walk than drive if your journey is less than a mile or two. Why bother pulling your vehicle through the courtyard gate, negotiating narrow, crowded streets, and then doing it all in reverse when you could walk it easier? This is a huge change of pace from the US where I have been guilty of getting in my car to drive to another store in the same strip mall!

Lesson Learned #3: Enjoy the journey and get some exercise! In the last two weeks I have met more people than I had in the last six months because I walked past them instead of driving past. I have noticed more details about my neighborhood and enjoyed more of the outdoors than I did in my last five years in Troy. And I have gotten more exercise and seen my clothing already begin to fit more loosely. I am rediscovering the joy of walking instead of driving.

• Learn to throw a party!

Every day is a party in Guatemala. Just ask some of our team members who have been on one of our trips. In the middle of the day you will hear a loud burst of firecrackers or a boomer (a huge firecracker that rattles your chest) because someone is celebrating a birthday. It seems like every other weekend is another festival that is celebrated with a parade of some sort. And every Sunday morning we are awoken at 5:00 am by music from a local church that is celebrating Jesus. (I think it is also intended as an outreach of some sort as they play the music through external loudspeakers. I would not recommend this kind of outreach in the states!) It seems there is always some reason to celebrate and throw a party.

Lesson Learned #4: Don’t forget to have fun! In the midst of much need, suffering and serious work, there is still so much to celebrate. I can become so focused on work and “ministry” that I forget that one of my greatest ministries is to reflect the joy of the Lord to those around me. So, I am trying to remember to enjoy life and throw regular parties!

So, those are a few of the lessons I am learning here in Guatemala. Now here are some recent pictures of life and ministry. Have a great day!

A Video Blog

My daughter, Brittney, has begun a video blog to keep friends up-to-date on life and ministry here in Guatemala. You can visit her blog at www.brittneyfulp.blogspot.com.
Her blogs will likely be far more entertaining than mine, so make sure to check it out and sign up to follow it!

Home at Last

After a year-and-a-half of planning, selling, and packing we are finally home in Guatemala! On January 25th after a long night in Ronald Reagan Airport and a long day of traveling we arrived at our house in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. Our family, along with our dear friends Casey and Carmen Stickley, unpacked and slept soundly that night.

Since our arrival our days have been filled. Our new hometown is a wonderful place, but it can be challenging to figure out. We are outside the typical tourist areas, so it is hard to find anyone who speaks English.

Shopping is an adventure as there is not a Wal-Mart in sight. Instead, our shopping is done in small storefront businesses. We go to one shop for meat, another for vegetables, another for housewares, still another for hardware… We have made fools of ourselves repeatedly with our slaughtering of the Spanish language, but the people are friendly and helpful in spite of our blundering.

Another adventure has been our attempts to purchase a van. We originally intended to purchase a used vehicle, but that has proven to be futile. Vans are in high demand here, and used ones demand a high price. As a result, purchasing one that is 4 years old with over 100,000 miles would only save us about $4,000-6,000. So, after much prayer and counsel from wise believers, we decided to buy new. Unfortunately, finding the right van has proven difficult. We have decided that air conditioning is important as temperatures can top 100 degrees occasionally, but the dealerships are out of vans that are equipped with air. As a result, we are waiting until late February when the next shipment should arrive. In the meantime, we are living without transportation.

God is also teaching us patience as we have learned that life in Guatemala consists of lots of lines. (Sometimes you have to stand in line to get a piece of paper that will allow you to stand in another line!) A simple trip to the bank often involves a line of 20 people and 45 minutes. This is very different from the US where people become impatient if there are more than two people in line in front of them.

In the midst of all this, we have been blessed by some wonderful people who have helped us in very selfless ways. Esdras, our driver, has spent two full days with us helping us shop for vans, get our NIT numbers, and doing banking. In addition, he volunteered his vehicle and time to take our family into Antigua to celebrate Joshua’s birthday on Monday. Mayra, who runs the travel service that provides our van, has waved some of our fees to assist us while we wait for a vehicle. Girardo, a local believer, has arranged other transportation for us at a very low cost on occasion. And our landlord, Salomon, has taken his own time to help us learn our way around and get us connected to the internet. God has helped us through these people and more.

We have also found the time to get into Hermano Pedro to spend time with our kids there. It is so wonderful to have our family there together! Our children are wonderful with the residents and my heart was filled with joy as I watched them holding, playing with, and loving our HP kids. God is truly good to us…better than we could ever deserve.

We begin our language studies on Monday. Please pray that we will comprehend and retain what we study. Also pray that God will help us as we begin the difficult (and often expensive task) of becoming residents.

Thanks for your prayers and support! More to come on a regular basis!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew

A few more photos:

 

 

 

 

On Our Way

Finally, after over a year-and-a-half of working, praying, and waiting, we are on our way to Guatemala! It all seems like a dream.

I returned from our team trip on Sunday, January 2nd to be greeted by a flurry of work to prepare for our move. Sorting and packing culminated in a massive sale on Friday and Saturday when we saw the majority of our remaining possessions leave our home (followed by two days of sitting, eating, and sleeping on the floor since we no longer had furniture).

On Sunday, we had a nice break as we worshipped with our home church one last time and were commissioned. After the service they threw a “Hello Guatemala Party” to send our family off. What a wonderful afternoon we had as so many people showed up to wish us well and say goodbye, often through tears. What a blessing our HeartLand and Crosspoint families have been to us! They will be greatly missed!

On Monday we returned to packing and was able to reduce our possessions down to two suitcases and a carry-on each. Believe it or not, when you have a family of 11 people moving, that is still quite a bit of stuff! On Tuesday morning we loaded those cases onto a borrowed trailer (Thanks, Smiths!) and said goodbye to our home on Tamplin Drive as we drove off into a snowstorm.

We arrived safely in NC that evening where we are now enjoying time with my mom, sister, brother, and their families. We will stay here until the 18th when we travel to PA to be with Wanda’s family for a week.

Over the last week, I have found my faith challenged several times. Those challenges were greatest as I saw my children’s tears in the midst of their goodbyes to friends. During those moments I found myself asking if I am doing the wrong thing. Would God really want me to rip my children away from so many that they love and everything that is familiar? I felt like a horrible father. But then my children amazed me by wiping their tears and expressing excitement for our move and coming ministry. God also reminded me that one day we will have eternity to be with the family and friends we love. For now, we have work to do.

Soon there it will be time to pack up and head out again, but for now we are resting and enjoying our time with one another. We are also rejoicing in how far God has brought us and how close we are to our new home. Thanks for your continued prayers for us in all our travels!

Life and Death

(Blogged December 31st, but posted on January 1st due to internet problems.)

Today was spent at Amor del Nino, a wonderful orphanage run by Steve and Shyrel Osborn. As you enter their home, you find lots of little one, lots of laughter, and lots of love. But in the midst of the happiness, there was some grief. Steve and Shyrel’s granddaughter, Abby, passed away suddenly this morning at the age of 2 1/2. She has had severe special needs since birth, but this was unexpected. Please pray for their family during this time.

In spite of grieving with the family, we were still able to enjoy the children. Nails were painted, hair was styled, swings were pushed, and everyone had a blast. We also held a New Year’s Eve party with cake, candy, and decorations.

This evening we returned to Antigua which is in full party mood for New Years Eve. Street performers, fireworks, concerts and more combine to create an environment that is somewhat overwhelming yet wonderful. So, Happy New Year from Guatemala!

Here are a few photos of our day:

More Juggling

The last two days have been a blur. Hosting such a large team has been challenging as we needed to split the group in half and send them to two different locations on Wednesday and Thursday. Yesterday half the group went to Casa Jackson (the malnutrition clinic) and held children, organized, cleaned, and repaired. The other half went to Hermano Pedro and took some of the children and adults to Pollo Campero and to the park. They had a great time removing socks and shoes and putting the children’s feet in the fountains.

Today the groups swapped locations. The Casa Jackson team loved on the children and a couple of our guys repaired sinks, toilets, and did white-washing. I feel horrible, but the Hermano Pedro team was short-changed today due to my inability to juggle my ministry team responsibilities with my moving responsibilities. I met with Chris Mooney of Bethel Ministries in Chimaltenango this morning and he helped me establish our bank account. One of Pat Duff’s friends graciously agreed to drive me to the appointment. My meeting was completed quickly, but I forgot that I was on Guatemalan time which runs much slower than American time. By the time my gracious driver returned me to Hermano Pedro, it was too late to check the children out for lunch or for a trip to the park. I tried to make it up to them by treating them to a nicer meal at Mono Loco. I don’t know if I appeased them all, but they all enjoyed the food.

I do want to praise God for Chris Mooney. He introduced me to a key person at his bank, helped me set up our account, and promised to vouch for us financially. As a result, we have been granted immediate access to funds deposited to our Guatemalan account from the US (normally at 30 wait to clear). Chris and Donna Mooney do wonderful work through Bethel Ministries, and I encourage you to check out their ministry by clicking here.

Tomorrow we will head to Amor del Nino where we will love on more children and throw a New Year’s Eve party. Tonight…sleep! You know you are tired if you nod off in a Tuk Tuk!

Good night from Antigua, Guatemala!

Here are a few pics of the last few days:

Worthwhile Work

Today our team spent the day at Los Gozosos, a special needs group home in Chimaltenango. As always, we experienced a sharp contrast from our time at Hermano Pedro. In Los Gozosos the children are loved deeply by those who care for them. Each child is known and pushed to achieve their full potential. Joy is evident in both the kids and the nannies, and Christ is the center of it all.

We helped with some of the many jobs that needed to be done around the home. Our group worked together to mow, edge, lay gravel, groom flower beds, install lights and outlets, fix doors, wash window, and more. While the work was exhausting, it was so worthwhile. The work done in this home is important to the kingdom, yet they are underfunded and overwhelmed. Any assistance provided is greatly appreciated.

We also had the opportunity to spend time just loving the children. Laughter was abundant along with hugs and kisses.

I would encourage you to find out more about Los Gozosos by visiting their Web site at www.losgozosos.org.

Here are a few photos from our day: