I know, it HAS been a long time since we’ve updated this blog, so I’ll try and send it out individually.  We have enjoyed the fellowship with three other families of new missionaries also doing some language training here in Antigua.  Our understanding of Spanish is progressing better than I’d thought, and will greatly expand and increase our ability to minister…duh!

We have a small apartment about 30 minutes quick walk from our school,,and it is helping keep us fit.  The apartment is very unique, and is underground, so we cannot get cell phone signal.  Also, they haven’t perfected plumbing in an underground situation, so it’s a real trick to produce a successful flush.  

It has been a blessing to be able to see our grandson, Peter, on the web cam weekly.  Sometimes he’s even awake! 

A friend here had some observations I’d like to share and add to…so…

Some things you don’t see everyday in the USA>>>>  People sweep the dirt paths or floors with brooms.  And they water down the dirt and streets.  You can use a machete for anything: cutting the grass, as a hedge trimmer, cutting one’s fingernails, preparing dinner, etc.  There are men with guns for security everywhere: outside of pizza hut, in all parking lots, every business, walking the streets, etc.  Who knows if the guns even work? The open market is an interesting spot. Live chickens are for sale, right beside the huge bowl of pig fat, the meat hangs out in the unrefrigerated open air and along with wonderful, colorful fruits and vegetables.  Children, crippled people, and old people openly beg in the streets of Antigua.  Men lay in the streets passed out from alcohol consumption or something…  In our neighborhood there is an interesting combination of inhabitants, like no neighborhood in the States.  Next door to us is a beautiful house selling for $350,000 (behind a huge fence so that you cannot see), two lots down lives a family in a metal shack with at least 3 children.  Down around the corner is an open lot with a couple of horses tied to ropes and a colt hanging around.  The owner (yet unseen by us) moves the horses from time to time to different open lots within the subdivision.  There are at least two tiendas (shops) with household & food goods for sale; and businesses along side homes, for example a mechanics shop.  Motorcycles carry entire families and the tools for business (we’ve seen: ladders, planks, iron re-bar, pvc pipe, propane tanks, and I’ve even seen a hot water heater!).  Whatever, you do, unless you have a death wish, don’t get on a “chicken bus” to travel.  It’s always a scary encounter when you are driving and one of these sees how close they can get to your back bumper.  The drivers are crazy and there are many accidents.  Yet, most people rely on this mode of transportation to get around.  Considering all of this and much, much more, we find the people very lovely and generally are patient and will discuss things of spiritual nature as we struggle with the language.      

.  You will just have to come see it to believe it, and we hope you guys can. 

It’s time for a quick breakfast, then to put on the walking shoes, put our memory cands in our pockets, and head out to school.  If I only had a lunchbox…

Blessing to you all.  Thank you for your faithfulness. It means a lot!  Niel & Diana

 

So SHOOT me!  He’s my first grandchild!  Peter Niel Thomas.  Suggesting they call the next one Peter also, so (all together now!) they can have First & Second Peter…!

We’re getting ready to return to Guatemala, and it will be a bit harder now…but it WILL be good.  We’ve had some excellent visits with family, friends, and supporters.  Praising our God for His mercies and guidance.  We’re preparing our little house to lease our, kinda hard for Diana…one of those nesting things.

Got some real good materials for Bible School and discipleship, and found some good inspirational DVD’s dubbed into Spanish and looking forward to showing them at LBN.

Gotta go now..to finish my taxes.  Lets press for the “Fair Tax”!

Niel.

Oh, oh...there was supposed to be a really great picture of Peter above this text.  Rats!  I'll try to send some out to you guys by e-mail.

Computer challenged, niel. 

Sunday night, 9 March...Good evening all our friends, readers, curiosity readers, partners, and everyone in between....

God has used several of you to encourage us and to pray for us.  Some in person, some by regular e-mail, and some on blog, like our sweet sister Kass here.   (By the way, Kass, we're praying that God set fire under whatever necessary to get you guys on the mission field!)

We're about wrapping up our study here at the Center for International Training, and it has been a hard but insightful four weeks.  We just finisher a major paper on Guatemala, with a focus on the Maya influence.  If anyone would like a copy, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.  The instructors here are as concerned with our spiritual developement as our cultural education and mission work.  

Last week we went to a small country church close to here, and really enjoyed the fellowship.  They asked us to come back last Wednesday to do the service, and it was a real joy.  

This Tuesday, 11 March, we leave here by 10:00 and drive to Greenville, where Aaron and Ruth check in to bring our first grandbaby, Peter Niel, into the world!  (Currently he is breech, and unless God turns him, it will be c-section city.)  I.m suggesting that their next son be named Peter also, that is, so they'll have a First and Second Peter.   We'll post pictures as soon as we can, so stay tuned.

It was so nice to get to visit with yall as you came to Faith for the Missions Conference. We are so encouraged to see the ways God is using you. Thanks for continuing to shepherd us over the years. I am thankful for the special place you have in our lives. Kass

Good afternoon, everyone!  We arrived in the states a few days ago, greeted by cold, wet drizzle...quite a change!  We have come to attend the Center for Intercultural Training in N,C, which starts next week.  We are also visiting with some partners, and will come to Athens one wekend to participate in our church's missions conferrance. THEN (how convienent!) we'll be on hand to welcome our first grandchild....Peter Niel...into the world in mid march!

Had a wonderful lunch with our biggest fan Ginny along with another sweet couple who had been missionaries in Honduras in the early fifties.  Really enjoyed swapping of stories.

We'll write more soon, but the availability nof internet is sporatic for us at this point.

Blessings to all, Niel.

Christmas in Guatemala

I promised to write about Christmas, so here goes:   We decorated our little house here at LBN with a small artificial tree that Niel found in the attic  and some white twinkle lights that we brought with us.  Put up more lights outside and Christmas bulletin boards, etc. It was festive!

On the 23rd, Niel showed the film "the Nativity Story" to our local congregation.  During the film, I kept thinking that these Mayan people so understand life in Jesus' day, because they live it every day here.   And after the film, they were so touched by it, that it led into a wonderful time of praise , prayer, and adoration of our precious Savior!   It was a very special night for us.

On the 24th, Christmas Eve, the church gets together again, for a time of singing , games, and eating.  It was really good to be there, because they have accepted us into their Christian family, and joked around and included us in games, etc.  Later, a relative of Martha's, our caretaker here at LBN, who was here for the services, told Martha that most of the missionaries she has known always kept themselves separate from the people they were ministering to and she was happy to see that we were joining into the "family" activities of the church, wearing their clothes, etc.  It was interesting to hear that because we just thought that missionaries were supposed to do that.  Isn't God good?  Even in our ignorance, He enabled us to do the right thing. 

VBS pictures
VBS

Feliz Navidad my faithful friends.  It's Christmas Eve, and we'll be headed out to Immanual Baptist Church, where we have been serving, for a worship service and meal of various traditional tamalies.  We have been filling our time during these holidays serving famlies in need, and it has been good.  It is still rough, though, not being with your kids and loved ones.  (Other loved ones, that is..) We're planning, Lord willing, to be home next year, to celebrate our grandson's first Christmas.

We celebrated with our staff here this afternoon, and with a really needy family yesterday.  We managed to have three gifts for each of their four kids (thanks to several of you)...and dad Noe said ti was the first real Christmas their kids had ever had. Diana got the idea to do it up right for this family as she was asking their 8 yr. old about what she was wanting for Christmas, and she said..."We don't get Christmas presents."  Anyone know Diana would know that started the ball rolling!

Unlike most of the churches in the U.S., much more of the social community centers around the church, as evidenced by services four nights a week, apart from other smaller meetings.  In many ways it is resultant from poverty and lack of other diversions.  In some ways, however, there is a downside, as it frequently leads to legalism, and members are often looked down on if they are not at all services. In our men's meeting, I try to drive home that family should take precidence..

Hmmm...gotta go now... church starts in about 20 minutes...!

By the way, thanks to all for keeping up with our woork and lives, and for the consistant prayer and support.  Thanks also for the comments to this blog, too.  love, niel. 

...THE COFFEE IS RIPE, AND THE AVOCADOS ARE PLENTEOUS,
IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME IN GUATEMALA!

 I wrote this update twice now, and lost it somehow when software problems raised their ugly heads.  Praying that this will get through.   We will be forwarding this on to you as an update, request for prayer, and thanks for all your support.

We have been on the field six months now, and we hope we have been half the blessing to those we serve as they have been to us.  The last six weeks at Las Buenas Nuevas have been really busy, and  our service workload has increased.  Additionally, we are in the midst of Vacation Bible School at the little local church we go to.  Diana recently completed teaching a very successful course of E.S.L., then we were set apart to help with this.  Translated, we provided curriculum and handwork materials for over two hundred kids, much of it with your help, and they do thank you!  Special thanks to Mitchell Road Christian Academy  for all the stuff their students sent down.

The men's discipleship study was kicked off in October, and we have a real good core of guys attending.  I do my best struggling to communicate, but our format of Q and A helps me hide my linguistic inadequacies.  We really see as primary the need for leading folks, especially men, toward a deeper understanding of who God is and of their purpose.

Since September we have ministered to 250 pastors, missionaries, and families.  Many of the indigenous pastors are especially appreciative as many of the places they serve are very primitive and difficult.  We also seem to be a favorite stopover for honeymooners.  They have obviously heard of  the warm and lasting love of myself and Diana, and want to start their journey close to us!

We will be in the U.S. beginning 2 Feb. initially to attend the Center for International Training in N.C. for four weeks.  We will also be visiting some of our supporters and a couple churches during Missions conferences.  We are somewhat behind on monthly support, so we will additionally be making presentations  to remedy the situation, Lord willing.  We shall also prepare our house for rental, and be there for the birth of our first grandchild!  Please put these items on your prayer lists on our behalf.

    Let us know how we can pray for you as well. We are so aware and humbled  in God's plan of using us in Guatemala, and for how He uses you in  the critical role of resource and prayer support.
Our God is so good!  
Serving for His Glory
Niel & Diana  I Cor. 10:31

Please forgive us if you recognize the above.  It was suggested we pur a recent mass e-mail to our partners to the blog.  

Just spent a couple days in Guat city for a meeting w/ other missionaries, and to advance the paperwork toward our permanent visa, with a lawyer.  Wow!  What a task, and expensive, too...but necessary.  Did our monthly shopping, too.  Should do it til Jan. now.

Will write again soon.  Please let us know if this is being read!  Thanks....niel.