God Always has a Plan, Just Go With It

A friend of mine sent me a message a while ago and she gave me some advice that will forever stick with me. She said:

"God always has a plan, just go with it."

Travis and I have been praying for a while looking for guidance and understanding on a particular subject. We have had a lot of challenges, but with what we were praying for, there was a lot of confusion as to what we should do.  I didn't understand until recently.  I realized the reason there was so much stress and confusion was because we were trying to stop what we knew was right.  We were trying to change what was in our hearts and the feelings we were having, but once we realized this we felt so much peace and relief.

The lesson we learned here was exactly this "God always has a plan, just go with it." It's like the flow of a river.  You can't control the current or go against, you just have to go with it. You can't stop what you know is right. You can't change God's plan for you, you just have to go with it. Yes, you may have worries and fears, but having faith and trust that the Lord will be by your side watching out for you every step of the way, brings great peace and comfort and those worries and fears fall away.

Sometimes, things happen that you may not like at the time or even expect. But in the end you will be grateful and will have grown so much through it all. It brings me so much comfort to know that my Father in Heaven is watching out for me and will help me every step of the way on this journey through life. 

So, if you are struggling with something and you can't seem to control what is coming your way, just remember, God always has a plan, just go with it! :)

Friendly Faces

One of the hardest things about moving to Guatemala for me was not having any friends.  I felt very alone at times, but one day I took a step back and started to realize that I know more people then I thought I did. 

First, there's Dago.  He's the helping hand at the hotel doing construction and sweeping and such.  He's helped me and Travis learn so much Spanish and in turn he is learning English from us.  

Second, there's Mercedes.  She's the fruit lady and the best one in town.  Her cart is the cleanest and she always picks the best fruit.  She knows exactly what I like.  Every time I come up to her cart she says "Pina y Mel," which is pineapple and honey.  She is a sweet lady and is very patient with me and my broken Spanish. She taught me how to say the different fruits and toppings they put on them. 

Third, Alicia. She is the cleaning lady for the hotel and also helps out at Karen and Bruce's.  She is probably one of the best.  She's shown us the ropes on things to do and not do.  She is so sweet and has a fun personality.  She's also taught me a lot of Spanish and her and her daughter are so good with Emree. (Picture is of Alicia and Emree picking flowers).

Forth, Kathy she's a Jehovah's witness who stops by often to see how I'm doing.  She invited me to lunch last week and it was so nice to get to know her and what she believes.  She has a very good heart and is also a very good friend to everyone she meets. 

Finally, there's Pauly.  He is a very special person.  All the gringo's around here call him the mayor.  He is the sweetest man you'll meet.  He always takes a minute to stop by and see how you are doing.  He has a great smile and a genuine love about him. He is always willing to help anyone new in town.  He is the friend you want to have around.  He makes you feel good  about yourself and about life.

Taking that step back and seeing those friendly faces really brought a lot of peace into my life.  I'm grateful for these wonderful people as well as the many more around here in Panajachel that I know.

E is for Eddy dady?

The other day Travis told me a funny story that I had to share with you. 

Travis and Dago (worker for the hotel) were working together and a couple times a day Dago would say "Eddy daddy?" Travis assumed he was trying to speak English, but he didn't know what in the world he was trying to say. So, he would sometimes say "Si" and other times say "No" without any idea of what he was trying to respond to. 
Then, after about two weeks of this he had the realization that Dago was trying to say "Are you ready?" Travis then clarified to him that he was definitely not speaking English and corrected him, but it was so funny that now everyone working on the hotel are all saying "Eddy daddy?" instead of "Are you ready?" 

There are funny things happening everyday around here and it makes the adventure that much more fun!

D is for Dinero

If you walk down the main roads of Panajachel you will often get asked a question that has to do with Dinero or Money.  Almost everyone on the street who comes up to you and are freindly are most likely not looking to be your friend. They are looking for you to buy something. Sometimes it can get a little annoying, especially if you are a white American. Americans in Guatemala are considered to be rich and have tons of money, since most of us fly here. I've been asked many times if I flew here and when I say yes they automatically ask "Dinero?".

They often think that we have unlimited amounts of money that comes from the bank or ATM.  An example of this just happened to me the other day.  I was sitting in front of the hotel just hanging out and a man came and sat down right next to me.  He was looking for someone to donate money to an orphanage.  I told him I would love to, but I have "no Dinero," but he obviously didn't believe me.  It probably didn't help since I had an empty smoothie cup sitting right next to me.  But after that smoothie I really didn't have any money to give at that moment. 

He continued to try and persuade me to give him money. I kept trying to explain that I had no change to give right now and he said, in Spanish, the bank is right there why don't you just go and get some?  I laughed to myself and said "Lo Siento, I'm sorry," and he headed off down the street. 

I get a kick out of these people sometimes in thinking that I am so rich when in reality I am just like them.  We are living off Guatemalan wages just like everyone else.  The Guatemalan people may even make more money then we do.

In any case, if you ever come to visit just remember, if you don't want to buy something  or you don't have any money "No Dinero" are some good words to know. :)

 

 

 

Corn on the Cob

When I can't think of something to eat and I want something good and cheap, I head on out to the main drag (the street with tons of shops and restaurants).  Off to the side of the road a ways, you will find a little charcoal grill and on it is corn on the cob.  I've never had grilled corn on the cob before and I have to say I am a huge fan.  They cover it in lime and salt and it is delicious and they are only Q5 each.  What a deal!

There are all kinds of delicious foods around Guatemala and I'm having a blast trying them all out. :)

Billy

My brother-in-law Billy came to town this last week.  He and his friend Larry were our first customer's at the hotel.  They had a lot of fun exploring Pana and other neighboring towns and eating all the delicious food. The day before they left Travis, JC, Dago, Billy and Larry all went on a long hike up the mountain.  This is Billy's view of their adventure:

We walked down an alley and the alley led to a steep trail, and we hiked up the trail for a long time and when we didn't think we could climb any more we came across a clearing where people were tending their fields and we realized they hiked these trails every day, sometimes carrying seeds, sometimes caring crops and we knew we could go on. So we looked to the top of the mountain and we climbed toward it and when we didn't think we could take another step, when it was so hot and humid our vision was blurry we suddenly found ourselves in someone's backyard, and she was friendly, though I couldn't understand her words I understood her tone. And there was a dog there that broke our hearts, we could see it's heart through it's rib cage, which was in plain view, as were it's hip bones and all its bones. And it stared at us with sad eyes, I didn't think I could take it, then it's mate appeared, just as skinny and hungry and sad. And a third dog was there, it looked like a mix of the two but less skinny, less sad. When we tossed food to them the old ones let the young one eat. I want to go back for them. But we had to continue on, across another mountain into another town where children in rags behind gates smiled and waved at us and I was amazed at their simple joy, and confused by the loud man ahead of us honking a horn like a clown and carrying a giant box and we realized it was the ice cream man, with less music but just as annoying and we couldn't pass up the opportunity. We ate our ice cream cones and we walked and we laughed and we felt like children.

It was so fun having Billy around. Hopefully, he and Larry will be back soon with others following right behind. :) 

April, A Time for a New Beginning

I love the month of April.  It's a beautiful month that says Spring is coming, or at least in different parts of the world.  Here in Guatemala the rainy season is going to be starting up.  Starting a new month is almost like a new year at this point in my life.  Last month is past and gone and now it's a chance to move forward starting fresh with new goals and new ideas. 

Over this last weekend, I listened to the General Women's Meeting for the LDS church.  I came to understand some things and decided that it was time for me to make some goals.  I've set 4 daily goals for myself:

                                 1.  Hand wash a load of laundry every morning.
                                 2.  Come up with  meals from scratch with things I have.
                                 3.  Keep learning Spanish no matter how much I learn, just keep learning, by
                                      by talking to people, Doulingo, etc.
                                 4.  Write everyday in my Journal.
         
I've never tried doing daily goals just monthly or yearly. I'm excited for this month for me to develop new talents and skills . For me this April is a time for a new beginning and with the rainy season coming up it's almost like a cleansing. Welcome April! I can't wait to see what's ahead!  :)