Greetings,
Nido del Aguila (Eagle’s Nest) has several mission services just outside Solola, Guatemala. These include a children’s home for 32 children; a Christian primary school for 130 students (Colegio Nuevo Dia); a daily feeding program for about 50 neighborhood children and their mothers, a retreat center that provides recreation, meeting space and lodging for groups up to 100 people; and a church with a weekly attendance of about 75 parents and children. Nido del Aguila also hosts about 20 short term mission teams annually that provide outreach to the children and the community. Nido del Aguila is led by Larry and Claire Boggs and Pedro and Felis Patlan.
Thanks to you, The Goldendale Christian Fellowship this year donated to Nido del Aguila in Guatemala, over $12,000 thus far. (Annual financial data is available upon request)In 2011, we helped to:
1) provide support for several of the orphan children,
2) provide partial scholarships to several grade school students at the adjacent Colegio Nuevo Dia
3) provided a full time tutor for the children in the orphanage so they could catch up on their schooling.
We were not the only ones to provide scholarships to the students at Nuevo Dia. Unfortunately, some of the parents of the scholarship recipients came to believe that their participation both as parents and as financially responsible, was no longer needed. Since all the scholarships were partial, these few paid nothing more during the year, leaving the school with a large financial burden at the end of the school year in October. The teachers each have a "monthly " salary of about $265. However, although the school runs only ten months from January to October, the teachers and staff are paid receive 14 "monthly" checks in all; one for each month, plus two additional checks in December to pay for their retirement and vacation. This may seem unusual, but it is typical in Guatemala.
Therefore for the next school year, 2012, we are proposing something different than individual scholarships. Donors are being asked to help sponsor each of the classes. There are ten grades, preschool through eighth grade with a total of nine teachers. The donations for each class will assure that the teachers get paid in a timely manner and provide funds for teaching materials and possible field trips. The parents will be expected to participate in helping their children and financially. The class donations will also enable the school to provide lower costs for the "needy" students in each class.
Last year, each student scholarship that we sponsored was $250/student, about half of the student's annual costs. For the 2012 school year that starts next month, we ask you to pledge or donate to support the students and school, Nuevo Dia. If we can donate enough to sponsor helping one class, then we can use any additional funds to help sponsor continuation of a tutor for the children in the orphanage. For both, at least $3000 is needed. Please help if you can.
Last January, we were blessed with being able to return for four weeks to Nido del Aguila. At this point, it is unlikely that we shall be able to return. But our hearts are still there with the children and the staff. They have many other needs that are set forth in their websites above. We encourage you to follow their blogs and help as you can.
We pray that each of you is blessed with joy and peace now and through the New Year.
Love never fails,
Ron and Beverly

A New Year Coming!

School is out for this year. The first year of the primary school at Nido del Aguila has ended. School starts again in Mid January. The transition in moving the school to Nido was taxing on students, parents and staff,but everyone believes that it was well worth the effort. Next year they plan for 90 primary school students plus they plan to extend the school into the higher grades, seven through nine. The extra effort by all has paid off and they have a solid base from which to expand. Praise God for His many Blessings!

Our six scholarship recipients all finished the year, some with more academic achievement than others. We have the grade reports for all six, complete with photos in an pdf format. If you would like to see the grade reports for Edy, Mayra, Rodin, David, Dennis and Esdras, drop us a note and we will e-mail them to you. These children were introduced in our last posting.

Although this last year was the first year that the government actually paid some of the child's expenses in public schools, the government does not pay any of the childrens' expenses in the private schools. At the primary level, the cost is about $450 for each student for the year at Nuevo Dia, our school. The cost is higher for the higher grades. We "awarded" six scholarships of $250 each last year which paid about 60% of the parents cost for their child. We would like to sponsor scholarships for four primary level children and a couple at the jr. high level.

We also donated $2500 this Fall for school equipment and teacher's supplies for the next year.
It is not a lot of money but it is a tremendous encouragement and has a great impact of those who receive the benefits, the students, parents and staff. Would you like to help sponsor a child next year for $250 or more? Your donation can be made in several payments over the year. Or a one time gift to help build the school and supply the teachers? We accept your tax deductible gifts of any size, anytime. Tell us how you want to direct your gift.

We are not likely to return to Guatemala and Nido del Aguila as Beverly's health is poor. However we were blessed to help at Nido del Aguila for the three years we were there. Now two full time younger couples have come to Nido del Aguila to help, Pedro and Feliz Patlan, and Lee and Angel Radford and their children. With their presence, the outreach of Nido del Aguila has a new and strong vitality. The school, Nuevo Dia, is only a part as we all are only a part of God's design.
God Bless you all,
Ron and Beverly

Scholarships and more( or less)

Thanks to your generosity, we have a total of seven "becas" scholarships in three different families. All these students attend Nuevo Dia Primary school. Each family lives in the community of Solola. In yellow is Esdras, age 6 in kindergarten. His older brother, David, age 8 is in grade 2 and is the young man on the right in white. His other older brother, Oseas, age 9 is in third grade (no photo). Their father is Carlos Lebon.
Denis, in orange, is age 4 and in pre-kindergarten. His older brother is David, age 8 in grade 2 and on the left of the two young men in white. Their father is Pedro Lebon. Pedro and Carlos are brothers.


Our scholars from last year continue attending school with our support. They are Edy Hom, age 9 in grade 3( in white with glasses) and his sister, Mayra, age 6, in grade 1. Their father, Mario Hom works across Lake Atitlan in Santiago driving truck during the week.

The first quarter ends just before Holy Week so we should have an update on their grades shortly after Easter. Nuevo Dia has 86 students enrolled. Plans are on track to move the school to Nido del Aguila during Holy Week.


The disappointing news is that Beverly's health continued to deteriorate, so we packed it up and came home this week. She is struggling with several problems, all of which could become chronic. So it is best to address the problems here in the U.S. We want to return to Nido this Fall, but we are not in control. Our hope is in Christ. Please pray for God's healing touch for Beverly.

Que Dios les bendiga,

Ron and Beverly

Nuevo Dia II

We arrived back at Nido del Aguila on January 13, about the same time the new school year started here. Our "new" school is Nuevo Dia a Nido del Aguila. Last year the school had 55 students in grades pre-kindergarten to 6th. Now we have 86 students, about 15 in each of six classes with six teachers, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, 3-4 grades and 5-6 grades. Everyone, students, parents, teachers, are enthusiastic about the school coming to Nido del Aguila. Unfortunately, we will not be able to make the move until about Easter. The church building is not finished enough yet to conduct classes in the lower level. Thus the school is crammed into the exisiting building being rented in Solola. See how little room the 2nd grade and 3-4grades classes have.
The new school facility will be a great improvement in which the children can learn. We have funds for scholarships for six students thanks to your generosity. The school needs "scholarships" for a couple teachers. Four teachers were in the budget, but the school needed six teachers because of an almost even distribution of children in all the class levels. Of course the school is also seeking help in providing supplies, materials and equipment for the teachers in the new building. You can send a tax deductible donation to Nuevo Dia by sending your donation to the Goldendale Christian Fellowship.
Spring Arbor University in Michigan brought two groups of college students this year for a three week culturalization. Each group spent several days at Nido del Aguila, visiting Solola, and the surrounding area. We have also re-established contact with two other outreaches in the area, Solomon's Porch in Panajachel and Vinya Studios in Solola. Such a delight!
Hope continues for the children's home. The Guatemala government has proposed a pilot program for foreign adoptions, yet they have not said when or how they will implement it. Also we continue to press to get certified as a children's home. The final steps of the certification process appear to be within sight. We have 12 children now, the oldest four are school age.
We brought our 16 year old grand daughter, Rachael, with us. She is enrolled in an online school accredited through the Stevenson-Carson School Dist in Washington. This way, Rachael stays abreast of her high school studies. Rachael also meets a couple times a week with Rosie, one of the teachers at Nuevo Dia who is staying at Nido del Aguila. Rosie wants to learn English and Rachael is learning Espanol. Lots of giggling.
Beverly is still struggling with health issues so while we hope to return here later this year, the question remains open. We do plan to return to Goldendale the week after Easter.
May God bless you and keep you.
Ron and Beverly

Nuevo Dia School

Getting an education is the main way of getting out of poverty. Thus even the poor will sacrifice to get the best education for their children that they can. Nuevo Dia (New Day)school in Solola was an opportunity for children in the primary grades to get a good foundation for their education. Unfortunately, at the end of the school year this October, the director of Nuevo Dia decided to end the School for financial and personal reasons. The school isn't much to look at as you can tell by these two photos, but it was a springboard for 55 children. Four of these children were four of our older children who attended the school.
So a problem and an opportunity confronted the parents and Nido del Aguila on how to continue the next school year starting in January, 2010. After much prayer and discussion, several parents decided to approach Nido del Aguila to continue the school on their grounds. The question was presented to the Board of Nido del Aguila who wholeheartedly approved. The main purpose of Nido del Aguila is to reach out and help the local children. While we are ready to continue as a children's home, the government has not given the final approval to us or any private childrens home. Thus we have a wonderful opportunity to reachout to the children of the community with a school.

For the last year and a half, Nido del Aguila has been building a new chapel for the new church started here last year. The chapel will be big enough to house a school and a clinic as well as the church but we will not be able to get the school moved there without a lot more work. The plan is to push the construction to try to get the school moved into the chapel by Easter and continue renting the old facility from January to April. The old facility was crowded with 55 students.

Thus far, we have 69 children registered and
four new teachers and a director. We are planning for 80 students and need two more teachers, plus much more equipment and supplies. Teachers are paid about $300/month. Eighty students will give a break even on salaries and expenses but give us nothing for the new equipment and teaching materials needed. We ask for and need your help in three different ways:

1. Could you sponsor a scholarship for a student? The student needs $100 before school starts in mid January for books and supplies. After that they need $20/month for school supplies and materials. Thus a "full" scholarship is only a total of $300, which can be paid over the school year. Could you pledge to sponsor a scholarship and send the initial $100 now for the student?
2. Could you help purchase the initial equipment and teaching supplies and materials and the transition costs? Some of the equipment is transferable, but we need more of just about everything. Your donation or pledge is welcome.
3. Could you help with a donation or a pledge to donate to pay for expediting construction for the next six months ? As you can see by the photos, the new chapel is still a ways short of being usable as a school.
   

Nuevo Dia is "New Day" in Spanish. This truly is a new day and a new opportunity for the families and children to better themselves with a better education and for all of us to serve, encourage and help them to a better life, through the Glory of God.
Send your pledges and your tax-deductible donations to Goldendale Christian Fellowship, P O Box 1259, Goldendale, WA 98620.

We are reurning to Nido del Aguila on January 12 and will keep you informed on the progress of the school.
Ron and Beverly

Update

We left Nido del Aguila in mid-april to return home to Goldendale. Since then many things have occurred at Nido, particularly in the summer months with several teams coming to serve. You can update at Nido by using the link to their website and reviewing their blog. The good news is that a couple more children left to go to their permanent homes in the US, Linda Marie and Wendy. A couple more of the children have been returned to their mothers. The not so good news is that Lillibet and Carlos have seemingly disapeared in the red tape jungle and that the adoptions of Flory and Jose Pablo are also ensnared in another bureaucratic cycle. The very bad news is that Kenia, who we tried last Spring to get to the US on a Medical visa and who instead was taken from us and placed into another home, has subsequently died. Kenia had several physical problems but it appears that it was the bureaucracy's neglect that ultimately did her in.

Nido is down to thirteen children but we expect to receive more soon as we have passed the inspection and examinations of CNA, the controlling agency for the children. We pray that adoptions open again soon to the US as these children will have so much more opportunity in life there.

The major construction project at Nido del Aguila is the chapel. Progress has been great with the first floor now poured. Although the building will not be completed until next year, our church will start using it this Fall. The chapel, when completed, will also be used as a clinic and possibly, a school.

The school year ends in Guatemala in October and starts again in January. Most families cannot afford to equip and clothe their children for school (uniforms are required) and so the children either do not attend or they do without. The public schools are almost always short of books, materials and supplies. Classes are only half a day as there are not enough schools. Since the public schools can only provide half day classes, the private schools are required to provide only half day classes. Through your generosity, we have provided scholarships of $25/month ($250 total for 10 months) to several children attending the Nuevo Dia' school in Solola'. We have four girls from Nido who attend this school. In all, Nuevo Dia', a Christian primary school, has 57 students. Please pray about helping one of the children in the only sure way to overcome poverty of body, mind and spirit; getting a good education. School starts again in January but we need to know now if you can help with a child's education so that the school can order materials for the child.

La Nina has changed the weather patterns in Guatemala this year. The result is wide spread hunger because of crop failure from drought. Malnutrition has always been a problem but now it is worse as many families face starvation. Last year the local farmers took a serious hit when high winds blew down 25% of their corn crops. This year it is worse. We are enclosing links to recent articles about the growing problem of malnutrition and starvation. Please pray for their relief.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/09/guatemala.calamity/
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200908u/guatemala-hunger
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32010&Cr=hunger&Cr1=


While we are home, we work on another ministry, "Chair Corps" for Wheels for the World. We collect wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, etc to be restored and sent with mission teams to third world countries. Through 2008, Wheels for the World has sent 52,342 wheelchairs to 102 countries. It seems like a lot until you realize that there are 15 to 20 million people who need this help. During the last two years, we collected 76 wheelchairs, over 250 walkers, plus canes and crutches. Last Saturday, it all got loaded into a 28' "pup" trailer to be sent to the California Correctional Facility in Taft, CA to be restored. Fed-Ex provides free transportation and the prison inmates provide free labor to restore the equipment. The restored equipment is then sent abroad with a trained short term mission team. Check the link at the top of the page for more information about "Wheels for the World" It is a worthwhile and deserving mission.


It has been great to be home but we do miss Nido del Aguila. We have enjoyed our time with family and friends. We have been able to spend some time at our summer home and at Mt. Rainier. We now have our 15 year old grand daughter Rachael living with us which gives us a completely different perspective on the events around us. Ron is scheduled for minor surgery in October. Beverly's abdominal, back and leg pain has been diagnosed as arising from spinal arthritis. We are confident that our health issues can be resolved before the end of this year. We plan to return to Nido in January, with Rachael. God continues to bless us as we pray He is blessing you.

Ron and Beverly

Winter Activities at Nido del Aguila

The winter here is mostly enjoyable, most of the time. We are not going to talk about the weather but about some of the things that have occurred in the last month or so.

Oscar had his third birthday on the 4th of February and we celebrated with a party in our apartment.
Joining Oscar were his playmates, Ana and Maria, Claudia and Onoria, staff of Ana, Vicenta and
Maria, and guests from California, Chris Brent and her children, Tyler and Elisa. It was special too because we connected with Oscar's parents, Dwayne and Laura Horst in PA on skype during the celebration. But the real celebration was two weeks later when the Horsts came to take Oscar home after three years of waiting! Oscar was ready to go!

Construction activity continued all month; principally on the security building as the team to install the security systems is due in mid-March. They poured the roof in one morning, using 13 men to mix and place the cement. The other major project here is the iglesia (church). Also, we hope one of the teams coming in the next month will work on completing the bathrooms and storage room for the playfield. It gets alot of play but needs the bathrooms finished.
Our road is a constant source of conversation. They finished working at the end of January, but kept the road closed to the public. They did give keys to the neighbors so we could get in and out. We did that for most of the month waiting for them to finish "negotiating" with the neighbors to finance the last 200 feet and with the hospital to finish the short stretch between the hospital and the seminary. Every week they said they were going to start on finishing the road the next week. Finally last week, they announced that while the contractor was ready and the neighbors had agreed on what was to be paid, the City didn't have enough resources to do the work for a couple of months.We thought that was great because in two months, we would be gone. However, the neighbors put more pressure on and now the word is that they will start to finish the road next week and it will take two to four weeks. In other words, the hassle with the road and getting in and out will continue all the time we are here. The newly paved road is a blessing but the process is otherwise.

We had a joint birthday party this last week for Linda Marie who turned three and Onoria who had her ninth birthday. They were joined by their playmates, Ana, Maria, Claudia and Onoria. Adults included visitors,Dr Phil Mitchell and his son Calab and daughter Molly, Don and Diane Froese, plus Larry and Claire and staff, Vicenta and Rosie. All the children got presents. Onoria and Claudia received new bicycles. The twins got new backpacks with tea sets and other toys. Linda Marie got lots of toys, dolls. And as a first time appearence on skype she got to interact with her adoptive parents and the rest of the family. Lots of cake and ice cream too. The birthday was very festive! Dr Phil, Molly and Caleb helped the girls on the bicycles the next day.
Besides having several families come to visit, we had a large group from Wichita here for two weeks. They had an ambitious program wherein they took spanish language classes every day for four hours and then worked on projects here, worked with the children at the Christian school, Nuevo Dia and visited numerous cultural sites about as well as Vinya Studios. They generously bought supplies for the teachers and a computer for the teachers to use to keep their records on. They had a full agenda while they were here and looked tired when they left.
The last photo is of Rosie and the older children. Rosie graduated last winter and now teaches as well as helping here teaching and caring for the children. In the foreground is Linda Marie. She is very close to leaving, probably in the next two months. Besides Rosie are (from left to right) Claudia, Oscar, Maria, Ana and Onoria. Oscar has already gone to his home. The others in the photo are increasingly not likely to leave Guatemala. Nido del Aguila plans to continue as a childrens home. So please continue your prayers for the children and the staff. C heck the "official blog" for Nido del Aguila at www. eaglesnestint.org .
We are returning home after Easter.
Ron and Beverly

Amigos legos de aqui,
January passed very quickly. Many things occurred here, some good, some not so great.
Starting with a not so great...
Last month we told you about Kenia, our special needs child and asked you to pray for her. We were able to find a couple in the US who would take her and also they lined up medical care for her. When we petitioned the court for a medical visa, they turned us down, took her from us, and placed her in a state run home. Not a good result for Kenia and a lot less than we had hoped for. We ask that you pray Kenia will be moved to a private childrens home that can give her the special care she needs, Hannah's Hope in Guatemala City.
On the bright side, Lupita and Maria Louisa went home with their adoptive parents in the US.
Oscar and Benjamin are close to leaving. Oscar is pictured here "skyping" with his parents in PA. However, the adoptive parents of the twins, Ana Luz and Maria Elizabeth, are now saying they don't want the girls so the twins could be abandoned twice. If the adoption is dropped, the twins will remain in this country. Please pray that the adoptive parents have a change of heart.
Larry and Claire Boggs returned in mid January. We are glad they are back. There is much we can do to help but there is always much that needs their personal attention. We have been able to get out for lunch once since they have returned.


CNA ( the governmental childrens agency) is now accepting applications for private childrens homes. Unfortunately, during 2008 over 80% of the private childrens homes in Guatemala were forced to close because of a lack of children and funds. We intend to persevere. Our application has been submitted and we have been inspected by both PGN and CNA this month. We thought that was unusual as the road is closed and they had to walk a half a mile each way(Our road will be closed for another month). Nevertheless, now Claire and six of our caregivers are now attending a week of "nanny" classes each month for six months in the City in order that they will be certified caregivers. We hope we will be getting more children soon.
School started in mid-January. Our older girls, Onoria and Claudia, along with the twins attend. The twins turn five in April. On their first day, the twins hopped and skipped all the way until we got there. Then they clung to us and did not want us to leave. We left immediately. When we returned to pick them up, they were happy and joyful. All four of the girls enjoy going to school and we enjoy taking them and bringing them home. Neither of us can remember being that happy to go to school. One morning it was so cold you could see your breath which is what the girls are doing in this photo as we walk along
We had three groups come this month, one from Illinois, one from Michigan and the last from Oklahoma. They are a real joy for us to be here and help them make a success of their mission trip. They are great people who all have a heart for serving others and working together. If you have not served with a short term mission team, we asked that you pray about stepping outside your comfort zone and serve others and expand your horizons. We also get visitors who come to help, to take in the beauty of the area and to be with the children. With or without a mission group, you are welcome to visit
We went to the City this week and picked up our passports and our extended visas, good for another 90 days. We plan to return home on April 16. It really is beautiful to serve and to be here.
May God's grace shine upon you. Ron and Beverly

December at Nido del Aguila

We are in good health and many things are going on here at Nido del Aguila in Solola. So we will tell you about a few of the happenings without boring you about the weather.
It is important to be "flexible" as things may not be as you expected but they have a way of working out. Our road to Nido del Aguila is an example. It is a half a mile dirt road from the front of the National Hospital to our childrens' home and retreat center. We are the end of the road. The City of Solola announced they intended to pave the road for the first 1/4 mile behind the hospital and that our road would be closed for the months of January and February. However if we were willing to pay Q12,000 up front they would try to acommodate our traffic. When we showed no interest, they lowered their demand to Q10,000. We were willing to talk about paying so much a week to let us in and out but not pay it all up front. On Friday, December 12, they told us the road would be closed most of the following Tuesday to haul in block but the road would be open the rest of the week. On Monday, December 15, they told us they changed their plans and the road would close in one hour and probably not re-open until February. We got two vehicles out but had no time to bring in aqua pura, food or anything else. So now the road remains closed for the first 1/4 mile to all vehicles. We can drive back toward the hospital 1/4 mile and park at the end of the construction. Thus we only have to walk and carry everything1/4 mile through the construction area. We and all our neighbors are in the same boat. At least we can use the pick-up and van to haul people and goods the last 1/4 mile.




In the other picture is Pastor Nery, his son Christian and the "trainer" from Helps International. This stove is called an "ONIL" stove after its inventor and offers a low cost way to eliminate the open fire in the kitchen of most homes. With no chimney for the fire, the cooking fire causes many health problems. This stove also burns about 75% less wood. The gathering of firewood is a fulltime avocation of the young, the old and the women. Pastor Nery and Ron have been "trained" on how to install this stove. The Jim Houston group from Birmingham, AL that came here at Christmas. (remember the road is closed, 25 people, 50+ bags) They bought 12 stoves after Pastor Nery said he knew at least 12 families that could and would use them. They got the first two stoves installed earlier this week. The stoves cost less than $150 each, including shipping from Guatemala City. It is an excellent outreach for Pastor Nery and our new church. Our only limitation is money?? Isn't it always? Could you help?
Check out the stoves at http://www.helpsintl.org/default.php
Helps International also has a home water filter that can certainly eliminate water borne illness, a major problem for infants and small children.
Pastor Nery has been having about 40-50 kids and 12-15 adults come to the Sunday morning services. A young couple is helping him now with a keyboard and singing. The Christmas service on the evening of Sunday December 21 drew over 200 from the neighborhood. (Remember, the road is closed)

December normally is a month of a lot less work. Everyone gets their regular paychecks plus vacation pay, holiday pay, sick pay and retirement pay. The children are home on vacation. Our staff in the childrens' home and the retreat center have a traditional Christmas dinner together in which there is much laughter and exchanging of gifts. The traditional meal includes fresh grapes and apples (Washington State of course). The construction crew instead takes a one day field trip together. This year they went to Esquintla to shop, swim, play futbol and have a good time. A lot of male bonding?
In the photos below, the Christmas party is on the left and the construction crew is on the right.



A christmas tree was put up and decorated in the childrens' home. With all the one year olds moving about, it quickly needed a barrier all the way around it to keep the ornaments on and the tree upright. The children all got presents and the older children were very excited. Our oldest boy, Oscar, turns three in February and he got the additional treat of a visit from his adoptive parents. The girls in the photo below are wearing their new sunglasses and carrying their new 'barbies". They are Linda Marie in front, and from the left, Claudia, Lupita, Ana Luz and Maria Elizabeh with Onoria in back. Lupita goes home next week. Linda Marie leaves soon too.

The little girl to their right is Kenia. She is nearly three but cannot sit up, feed herslf or talk. She has cerebral palsy, blind and has a host of problems. A couple in the United States wants to adopt her and bring her to the United States where her problems can be better addressed. Please pray for the quick success of the adoptive parents so Kenia has a better chance at life.
We ask that you also pray that the children here in the adoption process go home soon and that we are allowed to keep the others that are not being adopted and be allowed take in more children. Que la gracia de nuestro Senor Jesucristo sea con ustedes. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Stay in touch. Ron and Beverly

We had a short term mission team here last week for the whole week. They were 10 wonderful people from One Way Ministries in Alabama. Primarily, They assisted Pastor Nery of our new local church in conducting a three day Vacation Bible school for the local children. The VBS was a great success with over two hundred children attending the last day. The team also had the opportunity to see what Vinya Studios is doing now to get the truth of the Bible into the Mayan community. In case you don't know what Vinya does, use the link from our page. One of their creativities is finger puppet movies of Bible stories told in the Mayan languages. Jose Abel is here demonstrating how the movies are made. They recently built Noah's Ark (over 12' long built to the scale of a finger) and they created the parting of the Red Sea. Ambitious undertakings indeed for man. The team then spent their last day here on a tour of Lake Atitlan and experienced firsthand the different cultures around the lake before they flew home. We really enjoyed having them here and they were a great encouragement to Pastor Nery.
If you haven't been part of a short term mission, you should reconsider and go. Whether you leave your country or not, it will expand your horizons and provide the opportunity to build new relationships. George Barna recently had an article of the benefits to short term missions. Check out the article at the link below.

( http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=318 )

All of our children are healthy. We had a birthday party this week for six children who have birthdays this month and last. For most of them, it was their first birthday. They got right into the cake!
The Christmas tree was put up and decorated; but with all the one year old babies here, a barrier of chairs and benches had to erected in order to allow the tree to survive. Santa has been scheduled to appear here on December 4th. We had to schedule him early in order to get the real Santa! We will have a lot of "first" Christmases here this year.
Construction has shifted from the church to the new security building since a team is coming in March to install a complete security system. The church will continue in the spring. The sad news is that with fewer children here, we are having to let some of the caregivers go. We pray for more sponsors to support more children. There are many children in Guatemala in need. That is why we are here and enjoy being here.
Que Dios vos bendiga tambien,
Ron and Beverly

After two weeks in Solola...

We are back in Solola' at Nido del Aguila. Our flight was un-eventful except for the three hour delay in Houston because of storms. Once we returned we felt like we had hardly left.
Nido del Aguila is down to less than thirty children. Of the ones remaining, seventeen are not in the adoption process and their hope of getting a family in the US remains a hope but not much else. The Guatemalan government continues to forbid any adoptions outside Guatemala. A photo of the seventeen without families is enclosed. The oldest of these is Claudia, age 5, who is sitting next to Beverly. Claudia is holding our youngest, Angelito, who turned one month old today. Kenia who is in the chair in the back right is a special needs child and she will be three this month. She has a family interested in the US but we have not got the paperwork started yet. The remaining fourteen children are between 9 months and two years old. All these children are supported solely by donations from the US. We hope to get six more children as we certainly have the space and the manpower, but the increase will depend entirely on whether we have the financial resources to sustain the additional children. The children are so precious!
Another bright spot was Onoria's "promocion" from primary school to colegio. Onoria is eight years old, our only child beside Claudia over two years old. We attended as her "parents" and it was a delightful time. She attended a small Christian school,Nuestra Dia, here in Solola.
The crime in Guatemala is an ongoing problem. Guatemala has an "old west" flavor as law and order is sometimes taken into the hands of the citizenry. The day after we arrived, we went to the market in Solola. It was very crowded as usual. As Ron was pushing his way through a small group of small old indigenous women, it became a lot of pushing and shoving. When Ron broke free, he found that he had also been freed of his wallet, now apparently in the hands of one of those sweet grandmotherly types. It is a small comfort to know that grandma has a way to supplement her retirement.
In neaby Sn Jose Chacaya', one of the farmers noticed that his onion crop was not yielding what he thought it should. So he and his family started to keep a watch on th onion field at night. Two nights later, at about 11PM, they saw two men come into the field and started to harvest the farmer's onions. The farmer and his family confronted the two men who they discovered to be armed policemen from town. The policemen threatened the farmer with death among other things, but the farmer's family managed to get a coat from one the policemen before they left. The next day the farmer went into town with his neighbors and confronted the police and the mayor. After five hours of negotiating, the policemen agreed to pay the farmer Q5000 ( about $667) if the farmer would not press charges. Onions sell for about $100/sack from the field. It was a unique crime and resolution.
A more common resolution is the death of the alleged criminal at the hands of a vigilante mob. That happens several times every week here in Guatemala. Kidnapping is a particularly sensitive crime with the local populace.
Last week we had five days of strong north winds, sometimes gusting to over 60 mph. It was chilly. The temperature actually dropped one night to 7 celcius. ( we know, it is still above freezing). Corn is raised by nearly every farmer in this area. It is not so much a cash crop but a crop that feeds and sustains the farmer and his family through the year. Corn is planted in May and is harvested in January. The corn is harvested after it dries on the plant as it will not then rot in storage. The corn at this time is still growing and the ears are still forming. The corn is eight feet tall and taller. Needless to say it did not do well in the strong winds of last week. It is estimated that the farmers lost about 25% of their crop; a very big loss indeed to their annual sustenance.
Christmas is not far away! The tree is already up in the central park. A lot of the merchants had decorations up before All Saints Day (Nov 1) With our heritage of northern winters, it is a little hard to reconcile to the weather and the beauty found here in November and December. Lots of plants in bloom, lots of birds and lots of insects. We guess we don't miss snowshoeing that much. We will work it out without snow etc.
Lastly, we want to enclose a photo of Edy and his sister, Mayra. By the donations of Tom and Susan through the GCF, we have provided scholarships to them to attend a good Christian primary school this last year. The Guatemalan school year is from mid January to the end of October. Tom has already committed to support them for next year. Now is the time to support a child for next year. The cost is nominal, $25/month, for ten months starting in January. If you are interested, we need to know now so the school can plan for the additional student(s)
We also started spanish lessons again, but only three times a week. It seems that as we matured, our minds were coated with teflon and nothing sticks anymore. We pray this finds you well as we think of you often.
Que Dios los bendiga, Ron and Beverly

What are we doing??

So what is the Goldendale Christian Fellowship (GCF) doing or plans to do? Several things, first, support for the childrens' home in Guatemala, Nido del Aguila; secondly scholarships for children attending the Solola' Christian School; thirdly, promoting a short term mission to Guatemala; and fourth, working with Wheels for the World to develop a "Chair Corps" in Yakima.

The childrens home, Nido del Aguila (Eagle's Nest) was started in 2003 by Larry and Claire Boggs at an abandoned resort near Solola. Larry and Claire have been in Guatemala since 1978 as missionaries and have had a childrens home in Xela for over twenty years when they started looking for a larger facility. Nido del Aguila was the answer to their prayers as both a retreat center for local and Christian groups and a childrens' home. The retreat center helps pay some of the overhead of the childrens' home, but it does not pay it all. Last year, Eagle's Nest had nearly eighty children. Their purpose was to find adoptive Christian parents in the United States for all of their children. Fortunately, most of the children were in the adoption process by the end of 2007 because the law changed and now no new foreign adoptions are being permitted. Now facing this reality, Eagle's Nest no longer has funds coming from new adoptions as there are no new foreign adoptions and local adoptions are rare. Thus as the childrens' home shifts from seeking adoptive parents to being the adoptive parents, they need sponsors for each child. You can help through sponsoring a child at www.eaglesnestint.org. You can save us the PayPal costs by pledging and paying directly through us.

Public education in Guatemala is grossly underfunded and bordering on chaos. Small private schools are filling the void, but they too struggle as most of the population is poor. The Solola Christian School is one such school. They have 50 students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school term is from January to November. It costs $20-$25 per student each month for their school tuition and supplies. Thus, for $250 a year or less, a child can get a better education and a Christian world view. If you can pledge to pay $20-25/ month for ten months, you will enable the Solola Christian School to enroll one more student. However, we need to know of your commitment by year end so the student's materials are ordered. send a e-mail to me if you want to provide a scholarship for 2009. You will know your scholarship recipient and their progress.

Many people question the need and effectiveness of short term mission teams. They claim that the money could be better spent if they just sent the money and stayed home. An observation is that I have never heard those concerns from anyone who has actually gone on a short term mission trip. Short term mission teams can and do reach out to many and provide a positive witness for Jesus Christ. More importantly, the mission trip creates a higher awareness for the persons involved of God's love, fellowship, purposes and Glory. A short term mission is not just about serving others but also knowing and serving God in the process. Beverly and I have worked with many short term missions and seen the positive results for those being served and for those serving. There are many needs that we could meet in Guatemala with a short term mission team. We can help you make your short term mission trip a success. If you are interested, contact us.

Wheels for the World is a ministry of Joni Earickson Tada. They collect wheelchairs, walkers, exercise equipment, etc., send it to one of the helping prisons to be restored and then send to a third world country with a mission team to give and fit for those in need. Our participation is in developing a "Chair Corps" in Yakima to find, collect and store the needed wheelchairs and other equipment. We have two storage units nearly full already. You can help as a volunteer and help by donating to cover some of our expenses.

Beverly and I plan to return to Guatemala for six months in October to enable Larry and Claire Boggs to stay in the states to spend the holidays with family and to raise funds. Please "bookmark" our blog as our future posting will keep you up to date. Que Dios vos bendiga.
Ron