I survived a week on the road with 3 teen agers.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Last week Cesar, Kevin, Miguel and I went up to Plya Grande to see some of our students, their families and our teacher. I meant to write about the trip as soon as I got back home but after spending 7 days on the road with 3 teen age boys I needed another 7 days just to rest up from the trip. Not only did we visit a half dozen of our sponsored kids and their teacher who live about 14 hours from Chimaltenango but we also stopped off and visited several people along the way.

One of our first stops was at an orphanage in Guatemala City where a number of kids that come to camp live. My boys had made friends with several of these kids last month at camp and they asked if we could stop by and visit them. Our visit was a rather short one but a good one.

"Don't worry it is only a wig."

Our first night was spend in Cobon after nearly ad day of riding in the car with Cesar, Kevin and Miguel I was ready for a rest. Fact is I made sure that my motel room was several doors down from theirs. Don't take me wrong I love these kids like they are my own but haven't you ever needed some time away from your kids? Especially if you have one like Miguel. Miguel works 8 to 10 hours a day and goes to school at nights so he has little time to let lose and have fun. I think that in the past 7 days he has done his best at trying to make up for time that he lost at just being a fun loving crazy kid. He has spent 95% of this trip being totally crazy. Fact is he has been so bizarre at times that it has almost driven me crazy. Why do I put up with it becasuse Miguel is one of the most sensitive God fearing boys that I have ever had the privilege of meeting and when he really needs to be serious he can be. I am still praying that we can get 10 % serious and only 90% crazy out of him the next time that he comes along with me, but I will invite him again in a hart beet.

Only near the end of the trip did I discover that on the nights that I did not have devotions and prayer with the boys Miguel did. On our second day out when we stopped off to replace a broken wheelchair at the home of an extremely poor family, Who do you think offered to pray for the family?





Fact is I am very proud of all 3 of these boys. One evening when they met some tourists from Israel that claimed to be atheists all 3 of my boys let them know how they felt about their Lord and Savior. Each and every day they demonstrated the love of Christ to those that we came in contact with. Was I tired after the trip? You bet I was! Would I do it again. You bet! Fact is I am writing this from a hotel room in San Pedro. We are here repairing a few broken power wheelchairs and checking on a boy that is in need of one. This time I only have 2 of my boys with me but those of you that know what Fernando and Bryan can be like when they are together know that one day with them can feel like 2 weeks with Miguel.

Oh well,

I guess I

can't expect them

to be as mature as me.

Here is an update on the kids that we visited up above Plia Grandi

Flipe, Mayra, Mario, Miceala and Onias are all doing great.



12 year old Felipe is a happy boy who loves the schooling that he receives from our teacher Blanca who comes to his home several times a week to school him.. He walks with some difficulty and talks only a little. His mother told me that there is no way that he would be accepted at the public school.









12 year old Mario can say only a few words and walks only with the use of a walker or crutches. He does well with his schooling. Like all of the other kids Blanca teaches him at his home as well.












Miceala and her siblings are very shy around strangers, but she took hold of my hand and smiled when I arrived. It took her a while to warm up to her teacher but now they are the best of friends. Miceala's mother seems to be taking a lot more interest in Miceala. This is a real answer to prayer as a few years ago only her Grandmother cared for her. I looked at some of her school work and she is doing very well.

Some of Miceala's brothers and sisters in the doorway of their home.

8 year old Mayra is the apple of her father's eye. Mom is a bit quieter when we are there but seems to love her daughter as well. Although Mayra does not talk much she is very bright. At times she rater play than study but Mayra's parents promised that they will keep the other children away when she is studying. We are working on getting her into Hermano Pedro to be fitted for some braces and then we will give her a walker.










Onias who is now 20 has decided that he no longer wishes to continue his normal schooling with Blanca, but his mother is going to continue to work with him at home.

The long hair is not his.
(That wig really gets around)

This was my first opportunity to meet Blanca, our teacher in person. She seems to have a real love for the kids and they and their parents have nothing but good things to say about her.





While we were visiting with Filipe we were approached by Maria's mother. Eight year old Maria who Maria has downs syndrome has never been schooled. Mom would love to have her daughter schooled and Blanca would very much like to work with her. We are praying for a sponsor so that we can get her schooled.














Wow! God answered that prayer really fast. We now have a sponsor for 8 year old Maria. (We have more kids waiting though)




Well it is getting late so I am going to head off to bed. Wish that I had put the Boys a few more rooms down from me though. I can still hear them even though I turned my hearing aids off.

Goodnight and Merry Christmas,

Yours in Christ: Dick and the kids.