Guatemalan Update #6

Dear Friends and Family,

First off, I want to apologize for for not writing sooner. The last e-mail we sent out was in June. When I look back there was a lot that happened, but not so much that we could not have written. Thank you for your calls, and e-mails but most importantly your prayers for us.

A couple of songs by song writer Robin Mark have really captured the cry of our hearts lately.

Lord Enlarge Our Vision

Lord enlarge our vision and increase our faith May
we stand securely in the words You gaveWe can reach this world and we will win
this landAnd walls will tumble down, walls will tumble down

O Lord there is a price to payI know I have a part to playNo part too small, no price too high We're not satisfied 'til we standIn Your promised land

There's a light that's shining on this western shoreAnd it blazes brighter than it did beforeWe can send Your light through all this landAnd see Your kingdom come, and see Your Kingdom come.

Be Unto Your Name

We are a moment, You are forever Lord of
the Ages, God before time We are a vapor, You are eternal Love everlasting,
reigning on high

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty Worthy is the Lamb Who
was slain Highest praises, honor and glory Be unto Your name, be unto Your name

We are the broken, You are the healer Jesus, Redeemer, mighty to save
You are the love song we'll sing forever Bowing before You, blessing Your name

Life has really taken on normal feel. (I guess it should after almost 8 months). One thing that we have not been able to shake is the incredible need here for true Christianity, we are still seeking HIM to enlarge our vision. I am sure that you all are wanting an update on more than our favorite songs so here is a brief update on all of us.

Nathanael
There is almost nothing that Nathanael cannot accomplish. He is our earliest walker, has two teeth and is an incredible joy.

Joelle
Joelle is a lot like a flower that never saw the sun. Everyday she is doing better, healing more, and learning what being in a family is all about. I never would have believed the amount of emotional hurt that could be inflicted on a child in 12 months. Praise the Lord that HIS love is breaking through. Her adoption is finally seeming to start moving. We are hoping to be home in October (hopefully 2005).

Abraham
Abraham is turning into one of our biggest talkers. He was slow to start, but is trying to catch up quickly. (He has good example in his Daddy.) He is so helpful and the babies LOVE him. He is growing like a weed and loves being read to.

Abel
One of the funniest things as a parent is that raising your children is almost like raising yourself. I have never met anyone who is more like his Daddy than Abel. We think alike, we like and dislike most of the same things, and we LOVE being together. God has such plans for our children and we are thankful that God is raising Abel up to be a leader. Abel, has an incredible memory and as we have devotions every morning he is learning Ephesians 4 probably faster than any of us.

Betty
Of course, Betty stays VERY VERY busy, but she is the "happy mother of children". Some of you have e-mailed and she keeps trying to get a second to sit down and write those e-mails but that second never comes. I have never loved her more, she is the best friend and best mother that we could have. She has been counselling a friend of ours and the Lord has really used that situation to cause us to strive all the more dilligently to keep our marriage strong and to pour into our relationship with the Lord.

Josh
I have continued to be blessed with work to do. I have started working with CAM International, a missions organization based in Dallas. It has been such a blessing to use the skills God has given me to serve the team there. I went to Dallas for a few days in August and will be going back in several weeks. The bad thing about these trips is that there is no time to visit. I fly in work my head off and fly home (to Guatemala that is). I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to preach at a church about 45 mins from Antigua. Preaching in Spanish has been a fun experience. I am thankful for all of the doors that God is opening for us.

Well that is a little bit about us here in Guatemala. We are so thankful for our faithful God who can move in our lives here and your lives back home. Our Internet connection has been much better lately and as such my IP phone has been working great. You can call us anytime and it will ring here in Antigua :-) We have also updated the blog with a ton of new pictures. The address is: http://volcanoland.blogspot.com/ I have also uploaded some short video clips to: http://www.resonantmedia.com/downloads/public/FamilyVideos/ I will probably start putting more videos there so if you are interested you can check back for more.

We are so thankful for your prayers and concern for all of us.

Because of Jesus,

Josh, Betty, Abel, Abraham, Joelle, and Nathanael

P.S. Please forward this to anyone you feel would like to get an update from us. Since I have been here I have lost some e-mail addresses due to some computer problems. If you know anybody who would like to be added to the list please simply have them shoot us an e-mail. Thanks.