2012 news letter

I thank God for my family, my mom is doing well, He protected her in New York during the storm that hit the West Coast this year. She is still working (cleaning apartments) but she is tired, I pray that 2013 would be her last year there and then she can come back home and enjoyed her grandchildren and beautiful daughters here J

My father is doing OK, he is still drinking but not too bad, he has a lot of physical problems that had kept him away from drinking too much. He lives by himself in Guatemala City. I see him often, it is hard for me to see him drunk, I love my dad!

I thank God for the opportunity to visit my sister Cynthia in September, her husband William is a marine and he is serving in Afghanistan, I got to visit her right while his base got attacked, God protected him but some other marines died, and I was with my sister while that happened. I got to see my mom who came from NY to see me in California as well as my aunt who raised

 me, her name is Zoila, she is 75 years old, and prayed for her son conversion for more than 25 years... God gave her the gift of seen his 50 year old son walk up to the altar to accept Jesus in his heart!

My sister Doris, is doing good, she did great in university and she is only one year away to become an E.S.L. teacher, just like me, I love when my sisters follow my steps! Except when I fall, than I don´t want them following me!

My bodies, Junior and Milly, Junior became 8 year old last August, he loves Milly, she is full of energy, playful, and does not like to listen! I love them both, but Junior is the one I love the most. (please do not comment anything in front of Milly!) We love going to visit the children at the orphanage, and the children there LOVE them, they love Milly the most but I don’t tell Junior that. 

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

2012 has been a pretty busy ministry year; I continue teaching Bible lessons, at Precious Moments, a school for poor children that live near the garbage dump of Santa Fe, zone 13 of Guatemala. This year we only got 2 teams to visit us, to do ministry there. It is hard to teach about a loving father if their father here in earth is a gang member who kills people as a job. This year we got 2 families that the father was killed, and another family, of a single mom, whose 2 children got to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, they both got shot, both alive thank God, but seriously injured. I visited this 3 families a number of times now, but their heart  is hurt and love is not in their eyes any more. Please continue to pray for these children, for Martita the founder of this ministry, and for finances that would cover the teachers’ salaries, we are looking for next year 8 churches, small groups or schools that would like to “adopt” a classroom for $250.00 per month, this year we served to 180 children. (in a 3 bedroom house!)

And please pray for me! As I drive there now once a week, please pray for safety more than anything.

HIV ORPHANAGE

There had been some changes, If you had ever visited the orphanage you have to had noticed the lack of adults in the babies area, only one or two nurses to take care to 8 to 12 children… thank God a church from Minnesota started a program called “Hug a baby” and they hired a nanny to hold babies while they drink their bottle, change their diapers regularly and also give some physical therapy to the children, she is doing a great help and I can see the improvement in the health and social skills of the babies, if you want to be part of this ministry let me know and I can give you the information you need to do so.

One of our children is in heaven now, she (Ingrid) had some cardiac condition that affected her, if you visited she is the one in bed, or wheel chair, she could not walk, talk, or move, now she is free as an eagle!
The children learn in a slower pace, but they have fun doing it. Please pray for me as I want to be a witness of the love of Jesus for me and for them.

 

it is an eathquake!

I was driving my new car, got stuck in traffic in the middle of a
bridge when all of a sudden the car started rocking… that is weird, I
thought… then I heard on the radio “there is an earthquake” ayayay if
the bridge can´t take it that is it… but the bridge is still there and
I am still here!  But that is not the same story in other parts of
Guatemala.
I want to share some of the GREAT blessings God has giving me in the
last 2 months.
In September I got the blessing to go to CTEN ORIENTATION in Texas,
got to meet lot of great people, I got to see God’s work in other
parts of the world like Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. I was honored to
share the same room with all of them!  I praise the Lord for the
provision for that trip; the same family that donated the air ticket
also got me to visit my sister in San Diego. Right at the same time
that my brother in law base in Afghanistan got attacked,  it was the
right time to be with my sister, thank God Billy is safe but please
keep him in your prayers.
I also got the chance to share the gospel with my cousin Juan Carlos,
28 year old, who accepted Jesus in his heart while we were talking in
my sister´s kitchen, so talking about been where God wants you to be…
In September I got to lead an exploratory trip for a Church from
Indiana that is praying about bringing a team to Guatemala next year,
so I hope and pray that they do!
October was a pretty busy month, is the end of the school year, so I
needed to pass final exams and grade them, lots of work but it is over
now!
I got the visit of the pastors of a supporting church for a few days
and it felt really good to be loved and cared by them while they
visited Guatemala.
A week after they left was the earthquake, 50 people died, more than
1,000 homes were badly damaged, over a million people were affected by
it.
The same week Ingrid a girl from the orphanage died, because she had
heart problems, she was 12 but now she is with Jesus for eternity.
Violence is still very bad in the city, 3 students from precious
moments had been victim of it,  one family lost the father because the
gang members came to their business and asked for their extortion
money, when the father refused to pay… they killed him.
3 weeks latter 3 people were killed one of them was the father of
another student of mine, Junior… who is doing really bad! And last
week, 2 of my students got in the middle of a gang territory fight and
got shot just because they were in the wrong place…
University is going well but it is extremely hard! 4 classes per
semester plus teaching is hard! But take a look of the circumstances
of this children, I am obligated to keep my studies and become a
children psychology for them!
On other subject, my van thank God has been rented this month, 7 more
payments of 500 US each and then every time the van is rented 10%
tithe. 30% will go to precious moments , 30% to maintenance  and 30%
to my personal support… but so far nothing for December or January
please help me praying for rental opportunities.
Thank you for your prayers! I need them, here are some suggestions:
Health
•       Spiritual life, that I can spend enough time with the Lord
•       Protection
•       Financial support, still behind(US250) monthly support
•       Energy and intelligence to keep all the knowledge I am getting at
University in my brain!

I was driving my new car, got stuck in traffic in the middle of a
bridge when all of a sudden the car started rocking… that is weird, I
thought… then I heard on the radio “there is an earthquake” ayayay if
the bridge can´t take it that is it… but the bridge is still there and
I am still here!  But that is not the same story in other parts of
Guatemala.
I want to share some of the GREAT blessings God has giving me in the
last 2 months.
In September I got the blessing to go to CTEN ORIENTATION in Texas,
got to meet lot of great people, I got to see God’s work in other
parts of the world like Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. I was honored to
share the same room with all of them!  I praise the Lord for the
provision for that trip; the same family that donated the air ticket
also got me to visit my sister in San Diego. Right at the same time
that my brother in law base in Afghanistan got attacked,  it was the
right time to be with my sister, thank God Billy is safe but please
keep him in your prayers.
I also got the chance to share the gospel with my cousin Juan Carlos,
28 year old, who accepted Jesus in his heart while we were talking in
my sister´s kitchen, so talking about been where God wants you to be…
In September I got to lead an exploratory trip for a Church from
Indiana that is praying about bringing a team to Guatemala next year,
so I hope and pray that they do!
October was a pretty busy month, is the end of the school year, so I
needed to pass final exams and grade them, lots of work but it is over
now!
I got the visit of the pastors of a supporting church for a few days
and it felt really good to be loved and cared by them while they
visited Guatemala.
A week after they left was the earthquake, 50 people died, more than
1,000 homes were badly damaged, over a million people were affected by
it.
The same week Ingrid a girl from the orphanage died, because she had
heart problems, she was 12 but now she is with Jesus for eternity.
Violence is still very bad in the city, 3 students from precious
moments had been victim of it,  one family lost the father because the
gang members came to their business and asked for their extortion
money, when the father refused to pay… they killed him.
3 weeks latter 3 people were killed one of them was the father of
another student of mine, Junior… who is doing really bad! And last
week, 2 of my students got in the middle of a gang territory fight and
got shot just because they were in the wrong place…
University is going well but it is extremely hard! 4 classes per
semester plus teaching is hard! But take a look of the circumstances
of this children, I am obligated to keep my studies and become a
children psychology for them!
On other subject, my van thank God has been rented this month, 7 more
payments of 500 US each and then every time the van is rented 10%
tithe. 30% will go to precious moments , 30% to maintenance  and 30%
to my personal support… but so far nothing for December or January
please help me praying for rental opportunities.
Thank you for your prayers! I need them, here are some suggestions:
Health
•       Spiritual life, that I can spend enough time with the Lord
•       Protection
•       Financial support, still behind(US250) monthly support
•       Energy and intelligence to keep all the knowledge I am getting at
University in my brain!

His base was attacked last week, gun shooting, darkness, marines hurt, some don´t move any more... his family in his mind, his 5 year old boy William, who wants to be a marine like his daddy, his 10 month old baby girl Addrianna who looks just like him and his beautiful wife who was just in a car accident the night before... more gun shootings, his heart beating so fast, in the mist of all of that GOD WAS IN CONTROL OF ALL, and he knew that, that gave him peace.

I was coming to meet my niece, little I knew what was the real reason why I came this week!

 

On the other side of the world, in America God had taken care of everything, yes Cynthia (my sister) got into a car accident, it was pretty bad but thank God she is fine and the kids as well, I was coming to visit her in San Diego so she prepared a surprise "for me" but she was been used by God to comfort her! the accident was the very day that my mom and my aunt who raised us came to visit her, so yes Billy was in Afghanistan when the accident happened but my sister was not alone! I came the following week, the day after I came Billy´s base was attacked, he is OK and once again she was not alone, THANK GOD because He allowed things to happen but He takes care of us.

I go back to Guatemala today and I pray and ask for your prayers over my brother in law Billy and my sister in California Cynthia, their kids and that the car that was in the accident gets fixed soon.

wow it has been a long time! but here I am again

If you are wondering about my health, thank Him, I am doing so much better, I got pretty sick by the end of august and beginning of September, after the retreat I decided (as I finally had time to do that) to go to the tummy doctor, I did and he gave a couple of test and turned out I had gastritis but also a bug in my tummy. The doctor said “no more coffee or hot pepers” that was the last thing I heard… his mouth kept moving but I was in shock… what do you mean no coffee???

If you know me… coffee is part of me, there is no Betty without coffee… but I had to stop drinking it, cause as soon I had just a little bit of it, my tummy would just felt horrible… those were the 3 longest weeks of my life, but the forth week an angel sent me some decaf coffee and that was my motivation to keep on going with that horrible diet… (coffee was just one out of the 100 things I could not eat!) lots of medicines, lots of days not wanting to get out of bed because the medicine was a bit strong, lots of prayers to recover… and here I am! Thank God as I write this to you… drinking my coffee without feeling bad!

Mainly that is why I have been not good in getting back to you or not writing my regular mail. I am doing much better and guys like this one make it easer every day!

Thank you for keeping me in your prayers!

After that I took some time off to recover… my sister Dora and I found this incredible deal to fly to San Diego for $150.00 round trip to visit my sister in CA. My mother met us there, and we all had a great time together, I have to ask you to keep my nephew in your prayers, Guille is wearing a helmet to fix a small problem in the shape of his head.

I came back to Guatemala on September 21 and worked on our objectives and office meetings; there is a lot to do and little time to do it!

What is going on with Betty?

You might wonder

( I hope you do!)

Well my life has been so busy during this last months, busy with ministry but also family and the transitions at the office are not finish yet, but mostly heath issues.

I want to share with you a little about the ministries that have been going on after the teams went back to the States.

With a team from Arizona we worked at a “school and orphanage” in the city. The Guatemalan running that place is very poor and there is not help from anywhere else. This team was lead by God to support this ministry by paying the rent of the property, I am trying to set that in a way that is clear to all parts!

There was another team that came after. They did great construction work, one of the houses they built was for a widow with 4 children. After they left the lady wanted to have a service at her house, and I did my best to make it happen too!

There was our annual retreat, it was meant for all the missionaries from SEPAL (OCI IN GUATEMALA) and I was in charge of that, as I asked you to help me pray for that and I know you did because everything went just great!

Hola!!!

Thank God our retreat went great!
we had a great week at the city and also a great weekend in Panajachel,
I celebrated my birthday with all the Sepal missionaries and my dad and aunt in Panajachel,
we had music, fireworks and I even did canoppee for the first time in my life!
after all the streess of the reatreat, I am taking 10 day vacation in San Diego with my sisters, I got a great deal with a new airline, I paid $150 for a round trip to LA. I spent the night with my uncle in LA and we took the train this morning to San Diego.
THank you for your love and prayers,
I have some medical problems, thank you again for your prayers!
love you!!!!

June its gone and I am so thankful to God for all the things He has giving me the change to do with many brothers and sisters from USA to bless and be blessed by the indigenas from Guatemala. It is amazing that many people walk more than an hour to be seen by a doctor and sometimes there is nothing the doctors can do to help them but the persons walk back home happy because there was somebody who heard them and there was someone else that prayed with them...
July beggins with a team coming down from Arizona, we will be traveling to Coban, and doing ministry in the city as well. They will go back on the 17th ,and on the 24th the next team arrives, they will be doing ministry in the city for most of the time.

I will try to keep you up date on what is going on.

To some people this can be scary, for others adveture! for me... this is my Guatemala!
The roads are not that safe, but that just force you to be careful when you drive and helps you develop faith! Here is a picture of the roads to Campur.

I am back in the city for the weekend, it is good to be home for a couple of nights, I was doing ministry in Campur that is a village outside Coban, it is the rain forest! I am posting a couple of pictues to show you how happy the children are to have visitors and how happy we are to serve them!

Thank you for your concerns... about the earthquake,
thank God no major damage has been done, me and my family are doing good.
Please continue praying for me and the group I am doing ministry with,
we are 7 hours from the city and it is raining a lot.

Blessings!

Marcos Vidal is from Spain and he sings this song:
"Mi Regalo" (My gift)

I want to share with you the lirics and my attemp to translate it!

No son muchos pero Dios los puso ahí, un poquito más cercanos, me los regaló a mí, para hacerme comprender un poco más el calibre del amor de mi Padre celestial. No son muchos, pero no los hay mejores en la tierra, sin temor a los leones en la arena. Sólo pendientes de que alguien me proteja, aunque el precio sea mayor, son amigos, y no tengo que dar nombres o apellidos... ... porque ellos mismos ya se saben aludidos. No son muchos pero Dios los puso ahí, extranjeros de otra talla, tan insólitos aquí, que me respetan y regañan a la vez, y me quieren como soy, aunque me conocen bien. Están cerca, no me es fácil engañarles, porque llevan mis heridas y miserias en su pecho, y jamás me echan en cara lo que han hecho, aún teniendo una razón, son amigos, no hace falta dar sus nombres o apellidos... ...porque de sobra ellos se saben aludidos. No son muchos pero Dios los puso ahí, peregrinos incansables, luchadores de marfil, forasteros con nostalgia del hogar, en sus frentes brilla el sol, en sus manos siempre hay pan...... ...y en sus labios no hay engaño ni traición porque son sellos, y jamás he visto zánganos más bellos, ni me he reído tanto, como junto a ellos, aún en medio del dolor, son amigos, y no quiero dar sus nombres ni apellidos... ...ellos lo saben y se dan por aludidos

There are not too many, but God placed them there, A little closer He gave them as a gift to me, To make me understand a little deeper His love for me as my heavenly father. There aren’t many of them, but there are not better than them in earth. They are always making sure that someone is protecting me, even if they have to pay the price, they are FRIENDS, and I don’t have to say their names ... … they know who they are. There are not many but God placed them there, foreign and bigger than me, so different here, they respect me , correct me, and love me as I am, even though they know how I am. They are close, it is not easy for me to try to lie to them, because they carry my wounds and my sorrows in their hearts, and have never told me what they have done for me. They are friends; I don’t have to say their names, because they already know it! There are not many but God placed them there, peregrines that never get tired, fighters, foreigners that miss their home, in their face the sun shines, and in their hands there is always bread… … and in their lips there are never tricks or lies, And I have never seen weird creatures more beautiful than them, and I have never laugh so hard with anyone just with them, even when I am in pain, They are friends, And I don’t want to say their names or last names… … they know and know that I am talking about them

Hola desde New York!

I am still in New York, I went to the movies yesterday with my mom and my cousin Jose,
we saw "spiderman" and it was very special to see the movie in New York!
We went for a walk after the movie but even I looked for him I did not see him "jumping around"

We went to Atlantic City today and it was pretty fun!

Hello from New York City!

I am having a good time with my mom, New Yorkers are so happy to see me here (yeah right...)
I will be going to the movies tonight and see my old time hero "spider man", and after the movie we will walk around in the city trying to see him jumping around from building to building, I hope I can get a good picture of him....

Life is such a miracle and Guille is one for sure!

He recognize my voice now, (maybe cause I talk a lot...???) he smiles a lot and he sure eats a lot!

Thank you for your prayes and please keep me in your prayers as my trip continues in USA.

Blessings to you!

I am in California now, my nephew is such a blessing!
He made his first field trip today! we went to the zoo, my aunt came from NY to see me and I am happy with my family and eating guatemalan food in USA!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

I have nothing but praise in my heart!

He is so good and powerful!

I survived to all my commitmets in MN and thank God I didn't mess up!
It was so good to spend time with old friends just to talk, pray and have fun.
I thank God for every person I saw, talked to or got a smile from, I thank God for the friends that hosted me in their homes, may Him bless them for taking the risk of having me with them!
I had a great time!