FAQs II

Continuation of our FAQs series:

3.  What will you be doing in Guatemala?

As many of you know, our family has been travelling to Guatemala for the past 11 years.  We have gone on short-term trips with teams as well as with just our family.  We lived in Guatemala for 7 months in 2008/2009 and have continued to return every year since.  When we go, we serve with 2 ministries located in the highlands of Guatemala within the Department of Quiche.  

Adonai International Ministries (AIM) is a ministry that serves the Guatemalan people primarily through agriculture, medicine and nutrition.  While we are there, Don serves within their regular clinics.

I serve within the area of finances.  As we have returned to Guatemala year after year, we have developed a deep friendship with the people who founded the ministry more than 10 years ago.  For many years, we prayed about coming alongside them in a more long-term way, but the Lord kept asking us to wait for His timing and purposes. . . until now.  

The Lord had given AIM a vision for a hospital that would serve the people without access or funds for the national hospital. Recently, the Lord has opened the doors to make this vision a reality.  The ministry has purchased land which is being prepared for construction. See this previous post for more info. 

Our family will step into all that we can do to support the ministry and the hospital.  There is so much more going on (a nursing school, the widow's project, the prayer room, etc.etc.) but our primary role will be that of support - medically for Don and financially for me - as the ministry moves into this next season. 

Our heart is also to help with the teams that come to Guatemala.  We love seeing people experience new places and cultures!  This team from Arkansas came with us in 2014.  It was so fun to see the Lord move in each of them as they stepped out of their comfort zones.

The second ministry that we serve with is a children's home about 30 minutes from AIM.  We have a relationship with the workers and the kids that we plan on fostering and deepening while we are in Guatemala.  We will serve and work and play as much as we can with our friends at the home.

Outside of the work within these 2 ministries, we will be homeschooling our own kids and doing the other daily tasks of just living.  We will be building family time into our schedule just like we do in the States.  We will be living within a community of others that will also be serving.  We pray that we will be a blessing as we figure out how to do life in a different culture and with lots of new people.

4.  Will you be able to receive mail/packages while living there?

It is funny to me how often we get asked this question.  We can receive envelopes - big and little.  

When we lived there in 2008, my mom and sister would buy the largest padded manila envelope that they could find and stuff it full. It was a definite highlight for all of us!  Generally, we cannot receive boxes. They get lost in Guatemala City - either because of customs or theft.  

So then the next question is "How will you get your curriculum etc. for school?"  We will be asking teams and individuals who come to Guatemala to bring things with them for us.  This will be especially true for Caleb's college courses.  I am trying to buy most of what we will need for school now so that we can take it with us; however, there are always things that come up or that were forgotten.  It is not an option to order on Amazon and use your prime membership to get your books in 2 days!  I am going to have to plan around times that people are coming to visit or figure out how to get by without. 

Or all of our friends and family need to plan a trip now to come and visit us!  

Our mailing address will be:

Donald Allison

c/o Duane Ficker

Canillá, El Quiché 14014

Guatemala, C.A.

Stayed tuned as we continue with this series . . . 

 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way. . .   I Corinthians 1:4-5

FAQs

We have decided to do a series of posts entitled 'FAQs' because we are getting questions about our move and many of them are the same.  We will try to pick the most common ones but feel free to ask more!!

1.  Are you selling your house?

Yep, next question?  

Just kidding! Yes, we are selling our house.  We will be gone for 3 years (at least) and the idea of trying to rent and manage it while we are gone is a little overwhelming. We are currently working on 'finishing' things that we didn't make time for over the past 11 years.  If you are on facebook, you saw our back porch project!

 Yesterday, Don replaced some boards as well as primed and painted the pillars on our front porch.

Because of hail damage, we just had the roof and siding replaced. 

We are almost done with the outside.  We need to paint the 1st floor and basement as well as some other projects on the inside.  We hope to have it on the market in October.  So . . . if anyone is in the market, let us know!! ;)

2.  How are your kids with moving?  Will Caleb go with you?

For the most part, the kids are excited!  They love Guatemala and have friends there; however, they also have lots of friends here.  We know that it is going to be hard for all of us to say good-bye.  We are trying not to focus on the end but are really trying to make the most of the time between now and then.  It is a balancing act of getting stuff done while spending time with our friends.  We are so thankful for technology.  We can facebook, facetime, skype, email, blog etc. from Guatemala.  The world is so connected today. 

As for Caleb, he will graduate from high school this December.  He has decided to come with us to Guatemala for at least a year.  He is working on a B.S. in Criminal Justice with a criminal psychology cognate from Liberty University online.  He has about 15 courses to complete (5 of which will be done before we move).  He will complete the remaining 10 or so while we are in Guatemala and graduate next fall. He is praying about applying to the Drug Enforcement Agency when he is 21; however, in the meantime, he plans to seek the Lord and the purposes that He has for his life. 

He knows that the Lord's plan for him while in Guatemala is to focus on the prayer room.  In drawing up the blueprints for the hospital, we included a room to be used exclusively for worship and prayer. Although the hospital is not yet built, the prayer room has started with a few 2-hour sets a week. Caleb's plan is to raise funds for the sound equipment needed to get the prayer room established as well as lead some of the prayer sets.  

3.  What will you be doing in Guatemala?

Ok, the answer to this question is way too long to add to this post!  Stay tuned for more FAQs!  Thanks for reading! 

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way. . .   I Corinthians 1:4-5

Dog Training!

We have decided that if we are going to take our dog, Shadow, through Mexico, we need to get her used to riding in her kennel in the truck. It will take us close to 45 driving hours to get to the location of the ministry in Guatemala so Shadow needs to REALLY enjoy the ride!  "Why are you taking your dog through Mexico?", you ask.  Keep reading!

Shadow has only ridden in the car for vet appointments so, needless to say, she does not enjoy it at all.  However, she LOVES to go for walks. She knows when I come out and grab her leash that we will be on our way around the neighborhood. We decided to use this fact to our advantage.  

First, the 'coaxing' . . . "Let's go for a walk Shadow!"

Then the encouraging . . . "Come on, Shadow, let's go for a walk"

Then the commanding . . . "Up, Shadow!"

 Then she kisses me . . . she really wants to but it is just so hard!!

 "Rinse and repeat" . . . many, many times!  It finally took Don getting behind her to 'encourage' her to jump up into her kennel.  Doesn't she look a little pathetic??

We drove to a reservoir close to our house so that her first 'fun' ride wouldn't be so long!  Then she received her reward!  A nice walk around the lake plus a little swim at the end!

Once we were done, she walked right over to the truck . . .

. . . waited for her leash to be taken off . . .

. . . and jumped right in!

We are considering that sufficient progress for the first day!!  

So back to 'why?'  

In case you haven't heard, our family will be moving to Guatemala in January 2015.  We plan to drive our suburban and a trailer loaded with all of our belongings (including our dog) through Mexico. If you have been following our blog, the ministry is building a  hospital.  Don will serve with a Guatemalan doctor in the hospital full-time.  I will help with finances as well as continue to homeschool our kids.  We will also help with the teams that come to work with the ministry.  

Here is a link to a video that was made to spread the word about the hospital.  The land has been purchased and the ministry has been preparing and securing the property so that construction can begin.  

As I watch this video again, it stirs something deep within my heart and brings tears to my eyes. We have a long way to go (both physically and emotionally) to get to the place where we are ready to move our lives, but we know that this is the Lord's plan for us. We are taking one day at a time and focusing on the little steps (like training our dog!) so that we don't get overwhelmed with all that the Lord is calling us to do.  

Please join us in this journey. We have committed to 3 years in Guatemala and we need your support and prayers to make that happen.  Stay tuned as we simplify our life, reduce our belongings and step into the plans and purposes of the Lord!

Ryan & Katie Ann

Some friends of ours are on their way down to Guatemala.  Follow along with them on their blog

We are excited to partner with them.
Praying for safe travels as they leave the US.

Container

A few posts back, we told you about a container that was being shipped to Guatemala.  It was full of donated equipment and materials for the hospital.  After a long waiting period in customs, the container was released and driven up the mountain.  It could not go all the way to the site of the ministry because of the roads; however, it was parked as close as they could get it.  There they unloaded it onto 2 flatbed trucks and the equipment and materials were transported the remainder of the way to the hospital site.  The container will stay where it is until it can be transported and used by the ministry.  Here are a few pictures of the process!

The container!

The Ficker boys unloading.

On the road!

Finally made it!

We are so thankful and excited!  We are still waiting for the cement truck. It is getting prepped in the States and will be shipped soon.  Once it arrives, the cement factory will get under way!

Thank you all for your prayers and support as we watch the Lord build a hospital!  He is so faithful!