Family...

Here are some pictures of our family from last week when we saw them...

Mario and his youngest sister, Gloria.  It was her birthday and all she wanted was for us to take her to eat Pollo Campero so of course we did!

Brittany Rachel- aka Cinderella with one glass slipper :)

Yandel with his new remote control car that Nathan sent him from the United States!

He LOVED it!

Brittany with her favorite white aunt

Brittany with her smile and her mama's smile even bigger in the background!!

I love having family just a short drive away- it makes it a little easier to be so far away from my family!!!

I would also like to take this time to make a shout out to two of my favorite people, Becky and Layne, who are celebrating their birthdays today!  Happy birthday to both of you!!! I am thankful that you are both in my life!!! 

Thanks for reading!

Mario

I would like to take some time to talk about one of the things I love most in this world… my husband, Mario Romaldo Martinez Blanco.  I could sum him up by just saying that he is amazing, but since most of you don’t know him that well and others don’t know him at all, I think I will take some time to tell you why he is amazing.

First of all, he is a child magnet.  I am not even kidding you.  I call him the baby whisperer because anywhere we go that there is a baby he ends up holding it and loving on it.  All babies love him.  All kids love him too.  If we go to ministry, he is usually the one with the crowd of kids around him.  The other day we went to a school to do a program for the high school students and I couldn’t find him.  I should have known he would be with the elementary kids showing them his cool tricks and then asking them what they though Jesus was like.  It was precious to hear some of their answers and even more precious to see my husband in the middle of them all.  One day he was talking with one of the young guys who came with one of the teams and they were talking about how they both like to play with the kids here because they want to be a positive male influence in the lives of the kids.  They both said that neither one of them got that when they were little, so they wanted to be able to provide that for the kids who might be in their same situation.  I know that Mario is going to be an amazing dad someday and I am so thankful that our Heavenly Father is the perfect example for him to follow.

Another reason why Mario Romaldo Martinez Blanco is amazing is because of the way that he takes care of his family.  Right now his brother is going through a difficult situation and Mario is the one he calls for advice.  I love to hear him counseling his brother and knowing how much his brother looks up to him.  His sister was also going through some difficult times a while ago and Mario’s mom called our house so that he could call his sister and help her through her difficult situation.  He is a blessing to his family and being one of the only Christians in the family he is also bringing the Truth and the Light that they need so badly. 

One of the best things about Mario is that he puts up with me.  Some would say that is what everyone says about their spouse, but those who know me know that this is not always an easy task.  There are days when I just miss everything about “home” and I am in a bad mood and don’t want to talk to anyone or do anything.  He just encourages me to spend time with God and waits patiently for me to come back to my senses.   There are other days when I feel like I might die if I don’t get an ice cream within minutes.  He once again is patient with me, not allowing my dramatic pleas convince him of anything.  He knows better.  Most days, when I am acting “normal”, he just loves me for who I am.  The other night I asked why he loved me and that was his response.  He said “I love you because you are who you are”.  Ahhhh, who could ask for more?!?!? 

Well, I honestly could go on and on, but I guess I will stop here since I realize the rest of the world doesn’t need to know every detail about why I love my husband… but he sure is amazing!!!

Thanks for reading!

A Thought

Today Mario and I were on our way home from the YWAM base and we saw a car that had something that caught Mario's attention.  It was the license plate of the car in front of us.  This is what most license plates look like, with  a P in front that stands for "Particular", or common.  It is what all personal vehicle license plates have.  The car in front of us didn't have a "P" in front, but instead it had a "C".  Mario explained to me that the "C" stands for commercial.  It is what most of the delivery trucks have in front of their numbers.  There are also plates that have an "A" in front which means alquilado, or rented.  The taxis all have an "A" as well as any car that is rented from any agency. 

Why am I writing on and on about the license plate system in Guatemala?  Because I have never realized this system until today.  I mean, I have heard people say "Particular" before they give the rest of the letters and numbers on their plates, but I have never noticed the different classes.  I like to think of myself as a pretty observant person, so the fact that I hadn't noticed this was a little surprising and even in a really weird way exciting to me.  I didn't take my eyes off of the different license plates we passed the rest of the way home.  Then as we drove into our neighborhood, a thought came into my mind...

How many times do I do this with the Bible or other things God wants to teach me?  I can't begin to tell you how many times I have read a verse and then one day it will just pop out, as if it is something I am reading for the first time.  Just like the many times I have seen this system of license plates over the almost 3 years I have been here, but I am just now figuring it out.  I am so thankful that God is patient with me as I learn the lessons He has for me and I know there will be lessons that take longer to learn than others, but I pray that my eyes will be open to see what new things He is trying to teach me each day. 

Thanks for reading!!

One Year Later...

Last year at this time we were being pronounced husband and wife and what an adventure it has been ever since!  Tonight we had the amazing opportunity to go out to dinner to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and we had such wonderful conversation.  I am usually the "talker" out of the two of us (I know this comes as a shock for those of you who know me at all), but tonight we reflected on our past year and thought about goals and dreams we have for our next year.  One of Mario's goals is to improve our leadership as a couple.  He also said that he would like to get to know my family better- which I LOVE!   I can't wait to see what God has for us- even beyond our wildest dreams!