Hello again from Casa Bernabe--the "House of Comfort"--located in the lush mountains above Guatemala City.  Yesterday (Saturday) was a very busy day working with the children, and then going shopping to acquire all the necessary items for a grand fiesta on New Year's Eve.

We shopped at Walmart and PriceMart (Costco). Is this Guatemala?  : )  Tom McCarthy is quite the driver and was able to squeak the orphanage van into a parking spot designed for a fat motorcycle, and we loaded it literally floor to ceiling and on our laps with food, produce, milk jugs, punch fixings, and game supplies.  It was a miracle of Biblical proportions that the van was able to climb the hills back to the orphanage! Once here, many eager teenage girls were on hand and we got everything unloaded and put away in the kitchen in record time.

Last night after a late dinner of muy delicioso frijoles y arroz with fresh cream, many of our team played Spoons.  We howled with laughter for hours, especially seeing Alexis and Romario engage in a duel to the death over a spoon  that would eliminate one of them from the game. Guess who prevailed?  All I can say is: "You go Lex!!"  Romario is a consummate gentleman, filled with smiles, good humor and grace in defeat, though tonite we will have an "Ultimate Spoons" rematch and I know he is ready to regain his honor!

Today we had a wonderful worship morning with almost an hour of praise music followed by a sermon delivered by Florey Herrera, the Director of Casa Bernabe.  She spoke from a text in Isaiah 49 that references God's choosing of a "polished" (specifically chosen, special) arrow in his quiver to carry forth the mission he has designed for it.  She related with passion to the Chapel full of children and adults that we, too, are each chosen by God for a particular mission in life. We are called to discover and then embrace that mission.  As God's "elect" arrows we must fly strong and straight to "hit the mark" God has sovereignly set before us. He has known us since before our birth and, like Jeremiah and Isaiah, has a plan for our lives to serve His Kingdom objectives.

After worship, we played on the concha (the open courtyard area outside of the main building) with all the kids -- toddlers to teens.  I had a great time with a volleyball "keep it up" circle of kids, while others just chatted or leisurely enjoyed the beautiful weather outside.

Tomorrow will be our "full steam ahead" day, cooking for 250 and then managing the games & activities after dinner to keep all the kids engaged and happy for the evening hours. There will be a time of worship & prayer after recreation time, and some surprises we aren't yet allowed to know!

Both in the US and here in Guatemala, we can enjoy many good things in our lives by God's grace and mercy.  But we also daily see and experience heartache, brokenness, pain and the need for His redeeming love and restoration in the entire human family. Christ alone is the answer!

As this year comes to a close, may God speak to each of our hearts as we review by the Holy Spirit's prompting if we are more Christ-like now than when 2012 began.  And may we then together seek Him all the more in the year ahead!

Hasta luego, mis amigos!  Vaya con Dios! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Donna Alberta