Song of the season....

I have always loved movies and music.  They can thrust you to a world away, or allow you to re-examine your own world.

I used to post a song of the week....a song that spoke to my soul for that time.

A friend of mine (thanks MIKE!) led me to this song.  It is exactly what I needed to hear and echos the longing of my heart.  It helped put words into mi mente y alma.  It allowed me to express, for a second, a hollowed Amen.

It is a great reminder that we need not simply trust Jesus for our future, but for our day to day.
Lord, today's schedule will not allows turn out the way I envision it to go: I will trust you.

Lord, learning a new language, and wanting to learn it well, is hard!: I will trust you.

Lord, after 14 years of youth ministry, a master's degree, and this being the third place...and making the least amount ever with the largest our family has been (#s, not pounds as we have lost a few): I will trust you.

Lord, with everything today and everything tomorrow: I will trust you.

Today, my favorite words in the song were not the ones sung, but the ones that rested within the framework of the bridge: The words of my heart......

May you find yourself LONGING to trust in the one who holds tomorrow in the palm of His hand.  May you be blessed...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00hVZ86OpGI

Thank you Aaron Keyes for allowing God to speak in and through you...

Thank-YOU

Thank you God for an amazing sunrise outside of our window.

Thank you Jill for sending us this word from Above!

“Look at the nations and watch—
    and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
    that you would not believe,
    even if you were told.

Habakuk 1:5

just for the fun of it........

Over the years of living in ministry as a family, there is one thing that both Vicki and I have learned:  We have to find fun to keep sanity close by!

So what do we do when it is Guatemala's Independence Day and it is raining buckets?

We have fun.

What do you do when the kids say that they miss their school mates?

We have fun.

What do you do when the internet is not working because of the rain?

We have fun.

Theology: The study of God.  Sometimes we take Theology too seriously.  I mean, we all desire to know God more.  Yet, if we solely take "knowing" as a mental state, we miss something major with God....heart and soul.  There is Theology in service.  There is Theology in ministry.  There is Theology in rest.  There is Theology in play.


So, with that...we let the fun continue.  We still take Spanish classes, hold meetings, clean, organize, plan retreats, e-mail potential partners, help the kiddos with their school, planning events like TIM HAWKINS in IOWA APRIL 9!!!!, gearing up for a construction team, and planning for the board to come....and more......

Eating fish given to us from a Pastor Friend (fish was in the ocean four days earlier)
Playing Just Dance 4 with Debora and Noemy and the family
Emilee playing piano
Making up a game in the rain (pine needles were confusion bombs, red leaves were healing, and green    leaves were poison).
Naomi looking good!

"Hey guys I look like a cowboy" said the great Pastor Jesus (of course he said that in Spanish)

The locals call it BELA fish.....it was THICK and amazing....

Fish Tacos made from the fresh fish!

Princess Naomi

Emilee having fun

silly fun out in the rain

The work must be done!

The work must be done.

Naomi, Yohana, Lesly~Working

We can take this statement many ways.  I need to do the work now OR the work is complete.  Or is there even more?  My writing has been silent for a bit.  I am being worked on.  Sometimes this work is enjoyable and other times it is strenuous.  I would say that the work for me as of late has been difficult, maybe even listed as a trial.  I have stayed true to our Heavenly Father and as I have I’ve felt HIS presence and reassurance.

On Aug 8 I was reading my devotion out of “Jesus Calling”  and the LORD spoke.  I need to find Joy in the little things.  “The best response is a heart overflowing with gratitude.  I am training you to cultivate a thankful mind-set. “  I think I’m a thankful person, but am I really thank-ful for all things the Lord has given me. . . even my trials?  UMmmmm  much thought and contemplation went into this simple lesson on thankfulness. 

1.     I’m thankful for a loving God who will never abandon me . . .”Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love HIM.” James 1:12

2.     I’m thankful for my husband who is supportive through thick and thin. (In our life sometime it feels more thick than thin J)

3.     I’m thankful for my kids.  Sometimes this is my biggest trial and I need to turn that into abounding joy and thanksgiving.

4.     I’m thankful for the small place we call home in Guatemala.  It keeps us warm, dry, and a family.

So as I walk this journey of life I am reminded of the need for Joy.

Got it God now let’s move on.

The beautiful volcano Agua, off of the patio!

OH no, another lesson? 

This one has been one that I have worked on for a long time and still have much to learn.  I tend to be task oriented or maybe a different and stronger word is a work-ahalic.  I enjoy making a list and then at the end of the day seeing how much I’ve accomplished.  It brings me much joy to cross it off!  I know that accomplishment is not always what God wants for me in a day.  Sometimes HE wants me to sit and enjoy all that HE has created!  Again, “Jesus Calling” was my tool to hear HIM speak.  “REST IN ME, MY CHILD.  This time devoted to Me is meant to be peaceful, not stressful.  You don’t have to perform in order to receive My Love.  Be careful that your devotion to me does not become another form of works.  I want you to come into My Presence joyfully and confidently.”  Oh man I need to rest and do the resting peacefully!  Okay Lord.  I will rest in your grace and peace, joyfully.

Watching the fog roll in!

The tale of 3 trees~sometimes we need to
rest a while to realize our full potential!

The work must be done, sometimes the work is different than I thought it would be.  

Thank you Father for continuing to work on me!

vicki

The arm bone is connected to the ......

     Some of you may or may not have known that this past Memorial Day (exactly one week before we were to move to Guatemala) I tore my right bicep.  First off, let me say that doing this is something that I do NOT recommend for anyone.  Also, being right handed, this proved to be a MAJOR inconvenience.  I went to three different doctors in three different states in one week (ER on the day it happened in Worthington, MN...Wednesday to my local doc in Sioux Center, IA....and then Thursday to the specialist in Dakota Dunes, SD).  They said that the bicep was torn and recommended surgery.  Surgery was not mandatory, but said that I was young enough that I would want that.  If I opted out of surgery, it would be 6 to 12 weeks of recovery, probably would not be able to use my arm in a "using a screwdriver" motion well again, and be about 30 to 40 percent weaker in the arm.
     If I proceed with the surgery it would be 6 weeks of not being able to lift anything heavier than a pencil with the arm and then another 6 to 8 weeks of rehab.  The kicker was that if I went to the surgery route, Guatemala would have to wait.
   After praying together, both Vicki and I felt that the greater need was for us to go this summer.  We would trust that God would heal my arm to the point of His power.  I had to ice it quite a bit....wear an elbow brace....and the biggest hurdle, ask someone to help me lift things that I normally could lift by myself.
    My daily habits had to change a little bit.   Yet, the biggest thing I had going for me was many people praying.

Those prayers helped GREATLY.  Considering I had an MRI done in March for my knee that I dislocated, I did not want to have an MRI done before we left.  I did not want too much radiation, and the cost would not able to be absorbed in our budget.  As the summer went on, I began to shift my prayers that the tendon would only be partially torn and not completely.  You know what, I firmly believe that the prayer was answered!
   As the summer went on, the pain decreased greatly.  I still wore the brace, but gradually attempted more things (even was able to move a sheet of cement board by myself by the end of the summer.  Now, I can flex my muscle, lift about the same amount of weight with each arm, and even use a screwdriver!  I think that with some simple physical therapy, I can get my arm back to where it was before the accident.  I will never be a professional weight lifter, I am still a little cautious with various heavy objects, but am grateful to God for healing.  I am not 100% what happened in my arm, but "I am Still Confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and wait for the Lord!"  (Psalm 27:13-14)

Thank you for your prayers.....

~Justin

School update

Hi everybody!

How are you all doing?

For the past couple weeks we have been taking Spanish class from Requel, who is a wife of one of the people on staff, and she happens to know a little bit of English. So us Schrocks have been enjoying Spanish. Justin goes to class first thing in the morning while us kids go to school. Then Miya, Kira, and Naomi go at ten. After that is Caleb, Emilee and me(AJ) Then Vicki goes in the afternoon. We are very blessed to have a great Spanish teacher.

School for us kids has been a little different (In a good way) since our Aunt Cheryl has come to teach us. We would love big prayers for her as she has to prepare everyday for us to learn. We have been having a lot of fun with her.

Our days have gotten longer and harder at school, 

but we are having fun and missing you all.

Always praying for you guys in Iowa.

-AJ

Justin and our spanish teacher Raquel

AJ working on Math

Caleb and Aunt Cheryl (our teacher) 

Emilee practicing Spanish

 "A Child's life has no dates; it is free, silent, dateless.  A child's life ought to be a child's life, full of simplicity" ~ Oswald Chambers

Timateo Seminario: Week 1 complete

We just said goodbye to 26 pastors and lay leaders from the 2016 class, of the Timothy Lay Leadership (Timateo Seminario).  What an epic time.  To see men and women hunger for more.  In a time and world where it is easy to settle on things, why settle for anything less than the full measure of Jesus?

The Holy Spirit was truly felt and seen on Saturday morning during worship.  Seriously, it was felt!  How can one describe it?  How can one capture it?  You can’t.  You can only allow it to capture and describe YOU!  So we worshiped! 

We look forward to this Wednesday when we welcome the 2015 class of Timateo students.  Another group of 20 men and women from all around Guatemala and Mexico will come to grow and learn.  I may be the tallest one here at the base, but when I am in the presence of these people….I am in the presence of giants.

Keep praying for this side of the ministry: The discipleship.  The fruit is amazing to see…..

SIDE NOTE:  Our family has started Spanish lessons and boy is it intense.  We are blessed to have an aunt here to help us with the school for the kiddos, but we find that our time is filling up fast.  Please pray for strength……strength and maybe even an Easy button!  But since there are not Staples stores here, we just continue to plug away.

~Justin

Close your eyes and see...

Do you remember the first time you ate at McDonalds?  I don’t.  I mean, I remember some of the first times I went.  There was that time when the family went to the McDs on 86^th street in Des Moines in the 80s and watching all the pre-made burgers in the different colored Styrofoam containers slide into the warmer.  I think I had a cheeseburger and fries.  I remember once when I went to Indiana to visit some of my mom’s cousins and the happy meal for that time had these plastic link tube connectors.  Pretty sure that was back in the day when the toys for McDonalds seemed epic.

For many of us, we would not consider going to McDonalds as a savory upscale place to eat.  Today I saw it differently.

I had to go into the capital to get our passports back after completing the extension to allow the family to stay past the 90 days allowed when you visit/tour Guatemala.  I went there two weeks ago with a buddy and remembered the way.  I was going to go today to pick them up, head to Price Smart (Costco) for some supplies for the Timateo Seminario conference this weekend, and take Miya with me.  Yet, the new staffer, Jacqueline wanted to come with.  I said sure (but not completely sure why until on the way home we were asked to pull into a police check point and her Spanish saved the day).  We got to the office, got the passports and left.  Since we parked in McDonalds (yeah for free parking!!!!) and it was 12:25pm, we said, lets eat here.  Miya was cool with that, I was okay with that….but Jackie….she just beamed and said “okay”.

As we sat to eat, Miya with her cheeseburger, me with my quarter pounder and Jackie with hers, we prayed and then I saw a first: Jackie just melted as she took a bite of the burger. 

She. Had. Never. Eaten. At. McDonalds. Before.

            She took her time with each bite, allowing the flavor (sabor) to dwell within her mouth as long as she could.  This 21 year olds eyes closed and a smile formed on her mouth.  She enjoyed the experience.  She savored the experience.  She lived in the experience.  I found myself (trying not to stare too awkwardly since this was only her second day), happy for her and in the process I began thinking about my burger.  How it was cooked, the sweetness of the Salsa Dulce (Ketchup), how the onions had a slight crunch to them and how the cheese just oozed as I consumed it.

            Let me ask you this: When was the first time that you savored the presence of Jesus?  When was the last time you did?  When was the last time you lived in the experience of Jesus?  When have you stopped to allow the flavor of what Christ brings to our lives to dwell within you?  To stop and focus on the little parts that makes up the whole.  Allowing the Sabor of Jesus to take control of your mind and refresh you, is a joy AND is possible.  Many of us have “come to Jesus” too often.  Every Sunday.  At Bible Studies, (I personally like Bible doings better). When we worship….hmmm…what would it look like if we worship Jesus with the intensity of that first encounter EVERY time? 

            You know what?  When we start to remember Jesus and how He impacted us with our first time, we might just get a little more joy back and say: I’m loving it…..once more.

Dios te bendiga mis hermanos en Jesus Christo.  Con mucho amor, yo deci, Buenos noche.