A funny thing happened on my way to learning Spanish...

Well, actually, quite a few funny things have happened. And, since the blog gets a little heavy sometimes, I thought I’d share a few of the funny moments. Hope you enjoy!

Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers:

1. Pray for my Spanish teacher, Claudia. She professes to be Catholic, but in name only. In reality, she is deeply lost and desperately in need of our Savior. As my language abilities grow, we have had in-depth spiritual conversations and are currently studying the book of Romans in class every day. Please pray that she would not continue to harden her heart against the Truth that she hears.

2. Please pray for the eight missionaries here in Guatemala as they prepare to travel to their respective countries of service in mid-January. (As an FYI, I leave here in mid-February bound for three months of training in Peru.) Their names are John, Christine, Ryan, Brittne, and Mindy (Peru); Aaron and Stacie (Argentina); and Jessica (Ecuador). Pray that they would remain close to the Lord and that He would use them to bring Himself much honor and glory.

3. Pray for the five new Xtreme Team members who will arrive here in Guatemala to begin Spanish language study on January 4. Lift them up to the Father as they leave behind family and friends to serve overseas. Their names are Misty, Lori, Amy, Adam, and Jess.

Inquring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):

1.The Spanish word for “fortunately” is “afortunadamente.” But, in my head, it sounds like “UNfortunately.” During a conversation with a group of four Spanish teachers and three other students, one of the teachers asked me if adultery was common in the United States. My response? “Afortunadamente, sí.” (Fortunately, yes.) Needless to say, the response of the teachers was a variety of shocked expressions, followed by much laughter. :)

2. As many of you might know, Spanish nouns have genders. And, sometimes, they only differ by whether the last letter is an “o” or an “a.” For example, “hijo” is “son,” and “hija” is “daughter.” During the same conversation as previously mentioned, I was asked whether I was ready to have children. And I was trying to answer with, “I don’t have a husband.” But what I said was, “No tengo un esposa” (“I don’t have a wife”). Once again, the response was shock followed by laughter.

3. I had another conversation with various teachers and some other students. We were discussing some of the differences between Catholicism and evangelical Christianity, and we began to talk about the pope. In Spanish, “pope” is “el papa,” but we were saying “la papa.” No big deal, right? Well, we didn’t think so, either. But, after the second or third time we said it, our teachers broke down in laughter. When they finally explained why, we cracked up, too. “La papa” is “potato,” so we were just talking about the Catholic “Big Potato.” :)

4. And, finally, my personal favorite. The Spanish word for “German” is “alemán,” and the word for “pastor” is “pastor” (pronounced pa-STORE). Well, I come out of the supermarket one day and see a sign advertising an offer of an “alemán pastor.” And I had to look again because I thought, “What? A German pastor?” It was then that I remembered the Spanish word “pastor” also means “shepherd.” Makes a lot more sense for them to be selling a German shepherd, doesn’t it? :)

So stay tuned for more language blunders. I’m sure I’ll be able to keep you in stitches on my way to learning this crazy language!

Thank you for giving...

...to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO). For those of you who know about and give to the LMCO, there's no need for you to read this blog. Just accept my very sincere thanks for your generosity. It enables me to be here.

But there are a lot of people who, if they've even heard of the LMCO, really don't know its purpose. If you have no idea who Lottie Moon was or what this offering is all about, read on.

Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers:

1. Please pray for the salvation of Linda, an American I've met here in Guatemala. She and I have had several very deep and meaningful conversations, and she has heard the Truth clearly and is very close to accepting God's gift of salvation. Pray that the things of this world would fade in comparison with the Light of Christ and that she would choose to follow His ways.

2. Please pray for encouragement for Nick Diaz, a Peruvian Xtreme Team member. Because of a crime committed prior to his salvation, Nick was recently sent to prison and awaits an appeal of his sentence. But, rather than wallowing in self-pity, he has continued to be a bold ambassador, sharing stories from God's Word with the other prisoners. Pray that God would use him during this time and that he would persevere in the Lord in the face of trying circumstances.

3. Please pray for wisdom for me as I begin leading two new students in studying the Bible. Neither of these women is familiar with the Bible, but both are open to hearing the teachings of Christianity. Pray that God would lavish His wisdom upon me in knowing what is important to share and that He would give me the words to present His Truth clearly.

Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):

Lottie Moon was from the state of Virginia (that should appeal to many of you! :)), and she became a missionary to China in the late 1800s. While she wasn't the first Southern Baptist foreign missionary, she's certainly the most well-known now. She deeply loved and continually ministered to the Chinese people, even to the point of giving them her own food and money during a time of severe famine. As a result, she died of complications from malnutrition.

Additionally, Lottie was a strong advocate for the involvement of the Church in the United States in overseas missions. She wrote passionately to those at home, encouraging them to give generously to the work on the foreign field. She was the mastermind behind the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) and behind the annual offering that now bears her name.

Today, every penny of the money given to this offering goes to support Southern Baptist missionaries serving overseas and is responsible for half of the International Mission Board's total income. I, personally, am overwhelmingly grateful for the LMCO and wanted to share with you some of the things it purchases:

1. My language school here in Guatemala. Thanks to the LMCO, I am receiving one-on-one instruction in Spanish from a reputable school. And, after only nine weeks of instruction, I am able to communicate with almost everyone, even if my Spanish is far from perfect.

2. My travel to and from the field. This includes air travel, visas, and extra baggage fees. At times, visas need to be renewed, and this may require a quick trip outside the country. As you can imagine, this can get expensive, and it's all covered by Lottie Moon dollars.

3. My medical care. Though I've not needed it here, praise the Lord, it is good to know that I am able to receive health care if I need it. The LMCO has already provided me with several expensive but necessary vaccinations.

4. My food and housing. I am so thankful that my basic needs are provided for by the generosity of the churches at home. Because of this, I can focus on spreading the Truth about Christ.

5. Though it does not apply to me personally, the LMCO also provides for the education of the children of missionaries (MKs). This includes a contribution toward their college education.

I could go on, but I think you get the general idea. I am so appreciative of the LMCO. Because of the generosity of those who contribute to this offering every December, I am able to be here. And, while I've been here, God has given me the opportunity to share the Gospel with Rianne, Dorothee, Sasha, Alma, Ines, Mirian, Linda, Claudia, and Mario. On average, that is one person a week that has heard from my lips that there is a Savior Who loves them and offers them forgiveness. And there are twelve other missionaries here who are also supported by this offering.

Thank you, Southern Baptists, for giving us such an enormous privilege!