The English Update

To catch you up from the last post, Tyler shared in church at the beginning of October and did a great job. We can now drive to the grocery store without using a GPS. And I’m still not driving yet (but have been practicing in very controlled settings)! 

We were able to get to know some more people from Second Chance Church by going on an amazing hike, where the kids really surprised us with their ability to climb (without complaining). Asher took an art class for the month of October and learned how to use pastels. We stayed the night in Antigua and got to spend some encouraging time with our team leaders and see their son in a play. We helped to send off our teammates, the Robertsons, for their stateside (they will be back in May or June of next year). And we got to make a trip (about 2.5 hours north from where we live) to Huehuetenango (nicknamed Huehue or “way-way”) to visit a Youth Ranch (Boy’s Home). 

And this is where our story really begins. On the way to Huehue, we were feeling so excited and hopeful for the day ahead. We made it about 2 hours of the journey following behind the Stones, another couple here in Guatemala. Suddenly, Tyler began to notice a problem. It became increasingly more difficult to shift into first and second gear. Oh brother. Tyler safely got us to the side of the mountain road, where of course there was no cell service.

The spot we pulled off at didn’t have service, but it was in the front yard of a mechanic! While he could not work on our vehicle (because he specialized in larger work trucks), he knew of a guy up the road and pointed us in the right direction. Without service, we couldn’t get in touch with the Stones to let them know what was going on. So, when the mechanic told us he had a friend up the street and to the right, we felt we had no choice. We said a prayer and bucked up. 

We started the car in second gear and, by God’s grace, were able to make it about two kilometers down the road until we saw the Stones standing on the side of the road waving us down. We pulled off, updated them, and made a plan to get the truck to a mechanic. We were still able to make it to the Youth Ranch and got to meet some of the boys and learn about all the neat stuff they are doing. When it was time to leave, we all crammed in the Stones car and, leaving our truck with a mechanic who works under a shade tree, headed home.

That weekend we used Ubers to go everywhere. We had to fight with a few different ATMs to get the cash we needed to pay for the truck repair, which Tyler would need to pick up on Sunday. Rookie mistake not having cash on hand, lesson learned. On Saturday we had a really nice lunch with some new friends which provided a nice escape from the chaos we were living in, and then that night we attended a kid’s movie night at Second Chance Church, where we watched Prince of Egypt and Wrenley fell asleep in my lap! My favorite! 

On Monday and Tuesday, the Stones traveled to an area where they have done significant work throughout their time in Guatemala. Tyler joined them for the overnight trip to Ixchiguan and had the opportunity to meet many of the church leaders who work throughout this area. These are people we will work with regularly. Please pray for the churches in Ixchiguan to remain faithful to the gospel. The girls and I are looking forward to joining them next time!

Monday (11th) was also a big day for our neighborhood. Monday morning, the neighborhood WhatsApp group began blowing up. Our water tank had run dry. This water tank feeds our neighborhood and the one next to us. Bone dry. 

The girls and I did great the first two days without Tyler and without any extra water. We had plenty of drinking water already filtered, but were careful not to waste a drop. We ordered takeout, used paper towels as plates, and made it work! But by Tuesday evening, we were ready for Tyler to be home and help us carry the heavy 5 gallon jugs of water from the shop across the street so we could, you know, flush the toilets and wash some dishes. We thought the water would be fixed that first day. Then they discovered it was a bigger problem than initially thought, so it would be a few extra days. Then the neighbors (of our neighborhood and the one next door) needed to come to an agreement about the fix, so we waited more days. Then it was Sunday (today), and no one should work on a Sunday. And now we are (still) praying it will be any day now. The girls have been troopers! I have mostly been a trooper. I’ve had a few low moments, but with a bit of Tyler sarcastic jokes, I am staying positive and hopeful. Please pray for our attitudes to stay high despite the challenges of not having water. And please pray for the issue to be fixed soon. 

Tomorrow (Monday), Tyler and Gary Stone are driving to Guatemala City. A few of our Logistics Coordinators are coming to Guatemala for a check-in. We know two of them, one from our time in Botswana, and the other is one of our closest friends from our year in Puebla, Mexico! I know they will have a great time catching up! 

It’s funny to think we thought we were settling into a routine before last week! Things have gotten a bit more complicated, first without a car, and now without water. Hopefully, we’ll get back on track soon. We’re wrapping up our first month back in language study and would appreciate prayers for finding great language partners who can help us grow in our ability to communicate.

Tyler is also preparing to attend a meeting for indigenous pastors during the first week of December, where he’ll also share a little about us and our roles here. Please pray for meaningful connections to be made during this meeting!

With Love,
Tyler & Rachel