I paid 19.50 Quetzales (about $2) for a huge slice that would have cost at least $7 in the States. It was so good that Jo Anna who is supposed to be losing weight (what's up with that???) on the trip ate a third of the slice. So much for 1 bite! Ha!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Cafe Condesa
Sorry, but I cannot help to mention the cheesecake that we had today that was out of this world. A friend of ours, Lisa Holbrook (founder of the adoption/orphan care ministry Caroline's Promise) adopted their child Caroline (hence the name for those cerebral readers) from Guatemala. She posted a comment on my/our Facebook account that said we should find the coffee place (Cafe Condesa) near the indoor market for some excellent cheesecake.
Driving Me Plaintains
Today we had more plantains than in our 36 years on earth combined. These people know how to eat...especially starch-filled banana relatives!
It really has been a whirlwind today. As I write this I still have to post pictures & try to get some sleep before we leave the hotel at 4:30am tomorrow to catch a flight to the Peten (rain forest) region. We started off with a Guatemalan breakfast (which, incidentally, included plantains) & got to know Wendell & Dave some more. Incredible people doing God's work here. More to come about the those guys another time. Later in the morning we worshiped with a church partner in the area, ate lunch at a local restaraunt (which, oddly enough included us eating plantains) with a mariachi band and then spent most of the day driving to and from as well as shopping in the old Spanish colonial town of Antigua. What an amazing morning of fellowship with vibrant Christians as well as sightseeing (didn't shop except 2 purses for the girls) in the 500 year old town. We drove closer to a volcano in the area of which I took and will post pictures. Would love to expound, especially on the church partner involvement but gotta catch a few winks before sunrise...minus 3 hrs.
Tomorrow's activities are outlined in the 1st post of the series. Talk to you more soon!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
It really has been a whirlwind today. As I write this I still have to post pictures & try to get some sleep before we leave the hotel at 4:30am tomorrow to catch a flight to the Peten (rain forest) region. We started off with a Guatemalan breakfast (which, incidentally, included plantains) & got to know Wendell & Dave some more. Incredible people doing God's work here. More to come about the those guys another time. Later in the morning we worshiped with a church partner in the area, ate lunch at a local restaraunt (which, oddly enough included us eating plantains) with a mariachi band and then spent most of the day driving to and from as well as shopping in the old Spanish colonial town of Antigua. What an amazing morning of fellowship with vibrant Christians as well as sightseeing (didn't shop except 2 purses for the girls) in the 500 year old town. We drove closer to a volcano in the area of which I took and will post pictures. Would love to expound, especially on the church partner involvement but gotta catch a few winks before sunrise...minus 3 hrs.
Tomorrow's activities are outlined in the 1st post of the series. Talk to you more soon!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Saturday, February 13, 2010
And so it begins...
Our journey...His journey for us has begun. I cannot begin to describe all that I am thinking & feeling about. We have a tremendous opportunity for personal growth. Jo Anna & I are in Guatemala to "observe & serve" as I like to call it. How will our heavenly Father minister in us His children...& through us to the (His) children during this time? That remains to be seen. I also ponder how He worked out the trip so that we would meet our Petronita. How will this one day encounter make a difference? What change will come of this? I have so many more questions than answers at this juncture.
We have half the team we expected to this point as many have had to rearrange their plans or cancel altogether. Jo Anna and I have already briefly met a couple from Colorado Springs that work at CI HQ (Justin & Andrea), a woman from Washington state (who incidentally lost her luggage to the Black Hole of Airline Flight) named Melodye, a commodity trader from KS (Dave) & trip leaders (Sean Dana & Robyn Spencer). We look forward to getting to know them more and watching God use them this week. We are brothers & sisters in Christ serving together...the brothers, sisters & families in poverty in one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere. To God be the glory in all that is said & done.
Tomorrow we worship with our CI church partners...Guatemala-style.
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
We have half the team we expected to this point as many have had to rearrange their plans or cancel altogether. Jo Anna and I have already briefly met a couple from Colorado Springs that work at CI HQ (Justin & Andrea), a woman from Washington state (who incidentally lost her luggage to the Black Hole of Airline Flight) named Melodye, a commodity trader from KS (Dave) & trip leaders (Sean Dana & Robyn Spencer). We look forward to getting to know them more and watching God use them this week. We are brothers & sisters in Christ serving together...the brothers, sisters & families in poverty in one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere. To God be the glory in all that is said & done.
Tomorrow we worship with our CI church partners...Guatemala-style.
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Snow & Ice and Everything Nice
It was a dangerous trip down from Clemmons to Charlotte. It was snowing rather strongly & we saw many accidents. We were fortunate to have made it down in one piece. Some Compassion Tour friends are still looking for alternative plans due to cancelled flights and such. Who would have guessed that we would have had to battle more snow and ice as we drove south?
Well, as I type this we are safely in the air (thank you, Lord). We had significant delays dealing with check-in due to our baggage being routed to Miami (should have been direct to Guatemala City). My patience as well as Jo Anna's was tried. However, we knew others were even worse off. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. Nonetheless, we made it on the plane and still had our coffee beforehand! Woo hoo!
One last thing...we had unexpected in-flight entertainment. A woman sitting in front of Jo Anna was obviously very exhausted and kept nodding off. She kept leaning into the aisle then -- in bobble-head fashion -- popping back up woozy. Poor thing would have been injured by the drink cart had it continued :-)
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Well, as I type this we are safely in the air (thank you, Lord). We had significant delays dealing with check-in due to our baggage being routed to Miami (should have been direct to Guatemala City). My patience as well as Jo Anna's was tried. However, we knew others were even worse off. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. Nonetheless, we made it on the plane and still had our coffee beforehand! Woo hoo!
One last thing...we had unexpected in-flight entertainment. A woman sitting in front of Jo Anna was obviously very exhausted and kept nodding off. She kept leaning into the aisle then -- in bobble-head fashion -- popping back up woozy. Poor thing would have been injured by the drink cart had it continued :-)
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, February 12, 2010
Compassion International Sponsor Trip Intro
Greetings, WBFJ family and other friends! Just a quick introduction via our itinerary. Sorry, but my work schedule has me booked until we leave Friday evening to stay with friends in Charlotte for our Saturday flight. The list below is by way of Sean Dana, our CI Sponsor Trip Leader:
Saturday, February 13 Our adventure begins! Today, as you know, is a travel day. Our TACA flight departs Miami International Airport at 3:10 p.m. Once we are settled into the hotel we will meet together to get to know each other and for some orientation topics. We are staying at the Hotel Princess Reforma tonight which is just a short distance from the airport.
Sunday, February 14 What better way to experience this new country and culture than to join them in Sunday morning worship We will join with our brothers and sisters in Christ at GU-879, one of our church partners in Guatemala City as we begin to anticipate all the Lord want to do in us and through us this week. Later we will travel to the beautiful old city of Antigua for some site-seeing. Once back at the hotel the team will organize supplies and ideas for our ministry opportunities this week.
Monday, February 15 This morning we fly to Santa Elena, in the region of Petén. Once we have checked into our hotel and have had breakfast we will visit the San Andres Student Center, (GU-858) our first visit to a Compassion child development center. After a wonderful program presented by the children, you will have an opportunity to see how a student center functions, learn now student center staff track the progress of each child and how they account for sponsorship-provided resources. Then, we will visit the families of several children from this center to learn about their lives and connect with the complexity and reality of living life amidst tremendous poverty. After lunch we will work together to minister to the children of this student center through the vacation bible school activities we have planned.
Tuesday, February 16 After a good night sleep and some breakfast we will head out to experience a day in the life of a sponsored child. We will travel a short distance to GU-954. Our day will begin by dividing into five groups and walking a short distance. We will spend the morning with a Compassion family and live life as they do every day. You can help with daily chores, participate in the family business and visit with the family. We’ll help serve the children their lunch. Then, in the afternoon we will work together in our ministry teams to engage the children in the VBS activities we have planned.
Wednesday, February 17 We start our day at GU-912 where we will work together to paint the student center kitchen as well as the tables used for the children. After a half day of service we will take the afternoon off to explore the exciting attractions that this area of Guatemala is known for, the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Ixpanpajul (an echo-tourism park). This will be a fantastic day in Guatemala!
Thursday, February 18 We check-out of our hotel this morning and make our way to the airport to fly back to Guatemala City. Once back, we will make the trek to our last Compassion child development center visit. Today is unique because our hosts for this visit will be several emerging young leaders who were once children in this student center but are now nearing completion of the Leadership Development Program. We will have lunch with them as well to hear their testimony and see the potential that await the children we sponsor and will meet tomorrow. The afternoon will find us at a brief stop at the country office and then some time to shop at a fun, authentic handicraft market.
Friday, February 19 It has been a great week and today is our last full day in Guatemala. Today, we meet the children we sponsor and spend the day making memories together as we interact together at a local amusement park. This is always the highlight of the week. Tonight we will celebrate all that we have learned and experienced in Guatemala this week.
Saturday, February 20 Once relative strangers, today 25 new friends go their separate ways as we return to Miami on TACA flight to catch domestic flights home. We are now prepared to take our new knowledge and zeal for the Lord and His work through the ministry of Compassion back to our families, friends, places of work and churches.
// Please do pray for traveling mercies on this trip as well as most importantly, for God to receive the glory in all that is said and done!
Saturday, February 13 Our adventure begins! Today, as you know, is a travel day. Our TACA flight departs Miami International Airport at 3:10 p.m. Once we are settled into the hotel we will meet together to get to know each other and for some orientation topics. We are staying at the Hotel Princess Reforma tonight which is just a short distance from the airport.
Sunday, February 14 What better way to experience this new country and culture than to join them in Sunday morning worship We will join with our brothers and sisters in Christ at GU-879, one of our church partners in Guatemala City as we begin to anticipate all the Lord want to do in us and through us this week. Later we will travel to the beautiful old city of Antigua for some site-seeing. Once back at the hotel the team will organize supplies and ideas for our ministry opportunities this week.
Monday, February 15 This morning we fly to Santa Elena, in the region of Petén. Once we have checked into our hotel and have had breakfast we will visit the San Andres Student Center, (GU-858) our first visit to a Compassion child development center. After a wonderful program presented by the children, you will have an opportunity to see how a student center functions, learn now student center staff track the progress of each child and how they account for sponsorship-provided resources. Then, we will visit the families of several children from this center to learn about their lives and connect with the complexity and reality of living life amidst tremendous poverty. After lunch we will work together to minister to the children of this student center through the vacation bible school activities we have planned.
Tuesday, February 16 After a good night sleep and some breakfast we will head out to experience a day in the life of a sponsored child. We will travel a short distance to GU-954. Our day will begin by dividing into five groups and walking a short distance. We will spend the morning with a Compassion family and live life as they do every day. You can help with daily chores, participate in the family business and visit with the family. We’ll help serve the children their lunch. Then, in the afternoon we will work together in our ministry teams to engage the children in the VBS activities we have planned.
Wednesday, February 17 We start our day at GU-912 where we will work together to paint the student center kitchen as well as the tables used for the children. After a half day of service we will take the afternoon off to explore the exciting attractions that this area of Guatemala is known for, the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Ixpanpajul (an echo-tourism park). This will be a fantastic day in Guatemala!
Thursday, February 18 We check-out of our hotel this morning and make our way to the airport to fly back to Guatemala City. Once back, we will make the trek to our last Compassion child development center visit. Today is unique because our hosts for this visit will be several emerging young leaders who were once children in this student center but are now nearing completion of the Leadership Development Program. We will have lunch with them as well to hear their testimony and see the potential that await the children we sponsor and will meet tomorrow. The afternoon will find us at a brief stop at the country office and then some time to shop at a fun, authentic handicraft market.
Friday, February 19 It has been a great week and today is our last full day in Guatemala. Today, we meet the children we sponsor and spend the day making memories together as we interact together at a local amusement park. This is always the highlight of the week. Tonight we will celebrate all that we have learned and experienced in Guatemala this week.
Saturday, February 20 Once relative strangers, today 25 new friends go their separate ways as we return to Miami on TACA flight to catch domestic flights home. We are now prepared to take our new knowledge and zeal for the Lord and His work through the ministry of Compassion back to our families, friends, places of work and churches.
// Please do pray for traveling mercies on this trip as well as most importantly, for God to receive the glory in all that is said and done!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Bionic Jo Anna
God is sovereign. We may not like his plans, but His ways are perfect. We don't always understand His purposes, but He does and uses them ultimately for His glory. Deuteronomy 32:3-4 says: "I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."
Jo Anna is having surgery tomorrow to repair her broken wrist/arm that occurred on December 17th. They will be placing a metal plate and screws in her arm. She will be fully out of commission for at least the next few days and who knows how much longer after that.
She had gone back to work full-time to help us pay for the adoption(s). Our disability only pays 60% which means that not only will we not be able to set any money aside for that purpose, but we will be fortunate if we are able to pay our monthly bills. :*-(
UPDATE: 6 weeks or more recovery (2 in a splint & 4 or more in a cast)...metal plate and screws are permanent. Most of you are not aware Jo Anna is an insulin-dependant diabetic so healing is impeded. Her doctor is a friend of the family and probably will be the one to do the surgery. Newest challenge is that it looks like she may not get disability :*-( If that is the case, we will be in BIG trouble financially.
UPDATE: Jehovah Jireh is our God! He both provided for our surgeon friend to perform the surgery with precision (great prognosis, though she has been in pain) and through a series of seemingly unusual circumstances, our finances. So far, so good in many regards. Jo Anna is still in pain...and there is still some fiscal uncertainty, but we know that (1) we are meant to have trials & tribulations and (2) our God is bigger than any problem we think we have.
(LAST) UPDATE on this post: TBD
Jo Anna is having surgery tomorrow to repair her broken wrist/arm that occurred on December 17th. They will be placing a metal plate and screws in her arm. She will be fully out of commission for at least the next few days and who knows how much longer after that.
She had gone back to work full-time to help us pay for the adoption(s). Our disability only pays 60% which means that not only will we not be able to set any money aside for that purpose, but we will be fortunate if we are able to pay our monthly bills. :*-(
UPDATE: 6 weeks or more recovery (2 in a splint & 4 or more in a cast)...metal plate and screws are permanent. Most of you are not aware Jo Anna is an insulin-dependant diabetic so healing is impeded. Her doctor is a friend of the family and probably will be the one to do the surgery. Newest challenge is that it looks like she may not get disability :*-( If that is the case, we will be in BIG trouble financially.
UPDATE: Jehovah Jireh is our God! He both provided for our surgeon friend to perform the surgery with precision (great prognosis, though she has been in pain) and through a series of seemingly unusual circumstances, our finances. So far, so good in many regards. Jo Anna is still in pain...and there is still some fiscal uncertainty, but we know that (1) we are meant to have trials & tribulations and (2) our God is bigger than any problem we think we have.
(LAST) UPDATE on this post: TBD
Friday, December 25, 2009
It is most certainly a different kind of Christmas this year
I am not going to lie. This has been a difficult Christmas season for us. To top off a challenging few weeks that saw me changing jobs and more, Jo Anna broke her wrist 1 week ago yesterday. We were roller skating and having a most excellent time when she attempted to retrieve Sarah's antler headband only to lose her balance and land on her rear. Both bones in her left arm near her wrist were broken and had to be reduced. Jumping ahead, she has been suffering a great deal and dealing with nausea as well. What a struggle...
I can't say with certainty that I understand WHY this happened, nevertheless it did. There is some deeper purpose to it, though we may never understand it. Despite this minor tragedy, we are reminded that this is a time of celebration as we remember the birth of the true Suffering Servant. Jesus Christ was most likely not born on December 25th, 0000, but, believer or not, no one can deny that he WAS indeed born back then. How much can we suffer compared to what He did for us as Christians? There is no human pain, tragedy or global catastrophe that could compare to what He endured approximately 33 years after His birth. Jo Anna's/our family's suffering cannot be compared to the weight of the sin of the world.
Thank you Jesus for loving us enough to bring a "means to the End" despite knowing what you were in for. I know I don't deserve it...
Merry CHRISTmas!
Scott
I can't say with certainty that I understand WHY this happened, nevertheless it did. There is some deeper purpose to it, though we may never understand it. Despite this minor tragedy, we are reminded that this is a time of celebration as we remember the birth of the true Suffering Servant. Jesus Christ was most likely not born on December 25th, 0000, but, believer or not, no one can deny that he WAS indeed born back then. How much can we suffer compared to what He did for us as Christians? There is no human pain, tragedy or global catastrophe that could compare to what He endured approximately 33 years after His birth. Jo Anna's/our family's suffering cannot be compared to the weight of the sin of the world.
Thank you Jesus for loving us enough to bring a "means to the End" despite knowing what you were in for. I know I don't deserve it...
Merry CHRISTmas!
Scott
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