Something most people don’t know about missionaries is they have the ability to adore where they are, miss where they’re from and feel like they don’t fully belong anywhere, all at the same time.

10 things I miss about the United States

1. I miss my family. I miss my oldest daughter and my two grandchildren and I miss my mom. I wish I could just stop by for coffee. We can talk for hours. I miss that.

2. I miss the Colorado Mountains. I miss hiking and camping with my dad. I miss the opportunity to take my kids fishing.

3. I miss seasons, especially fall. I miss the Aspen trees changing. I miss the crisp air. I miss the first snow.

4. I miss convenience. I don’t think you can have a slower pace of life and convenience at the same time so I’d take the slower pace of life, most days. But some days I want to go to Target or Home Depot and just find everything I need.

5. I miss drinking water from the faucet. When I visit the United States, I’m still very cautious about the water. Even though I know it’s ok, I always ask if the water’s safe to drink.

6. I miss sidewalks and grass. How weird is that? Both are just so scarce here. I don’t know anyone in any village near us that has grass but Guatemalans LOVE it!

7. I miss easy banking. It’s not uncommon to wait an hour or two to withdraw money or make a deposit. Opening a bank account for our non-profit nearly killed me.

8. I miss good beer and the unending diversity of restaurants. Colorado has some of the best micro beers in the world and you could eat at a different restaurant every day for two years and not eat at the same one twice. Google it.  (Leave a comment below with your favorite restaurant, especially if it’s in Colorado.)

9. I miss the postal service. There’s no postal service in Guatemala. I miss getting a personal card or something I ordered from Amazon Prime, especially books.  Are you with me???

10. I miss libraries. I don’t know of a single school library in Guatemala and there are very few bookstores. We rely on people visiting to pack a few in their bags.

10 things I love about Guatemala

1. I love the culture. I love the colors and smells. I love that the streets are always crowded. I love the vendors selling everything from tortillas to bed mattresses.

2. I love the people. Some of the very best people I’ve ever met are here. They are uncommonly kind and hardworking. If there were an Olympic event for hard work, Guatemala would win a medal.

3. I love the markets. They’re the heart and life blood of the country. The fruits and vegetables are fresh and almost free. I can buy 10 lbs of strawberries for $4.

4. I love driving here! I’m not gonna lie, it’s insane. It’s like a video game…except you only get one life.

5. I love the weather. Guatemala is known as the land of eternal spring. The average temperature is 76 degrees. Don’t get me wrong, it gets cold. One winter it dropped to 73!

6. I love the landscape of Guatemala. Before I visited, I had no idea that it was so mountainous. We’re an hour away from climbing Volcan Acatenango towering at 13,045 ft. and just 2 hours from the black sand beaches at the Pacific Ocean.

7. Although adoptions have been closed since 2008, as permanent residents, we were able to adopt 4 little ones. It’s a slow process, but Guatemala gets this right. There was an intense screening process but no cost to adopt.  I LOVE that we were able to adopt!

8. I love the slower pace of life. There are people going in all different directions but there’s a patience about it all. Everyone seems happy and kind. It reminds me of a scene from Beauty and the Beast.

9. I love the roaring rain and electric thunderstorms. Rainy season starts in May and goes through mid November. It almost never rains all day. It’s usually just a few hours and the rest of the day is covered in sun. When it rains, IT RAINS. I love it.

10. I love Spanish! I love that all our kids are bilingual! I love listening to my wife speak and translate Spanish. I love listening to our little ones go back and forth between both languages. I love the puzzle of learning. You never really arrive.

Save The Dates

November 1st, 6pm
Elbert Mercantile
Live Auction, Silent Auction, Chili Supper and music by Guatemalan recording artists, Rene and Diego Marroquin.

November 8th, 6pm
Windsor Rec. Center
Live Auction, Silent Auction, Coffee & dessert and music by Guatemalan recording artists, Rene and Diego Marroquin.

** Message me if I can send you Save The Date postcards for your church.
** Message me if you would like to donate something to the auctions OR if you or your business would like to partner with us for the event.  ((THIS IS HUGE))

Photos by George Sisneros are copyrighted.  Message me if you would like to use them.