Happy Cumpleanos

So we're still studying spanish. Every day, we wake up, eat some great breakfast (that probably includes refried beans), go to class and start speaking spanish. Holly has cut her day back to four hours of study, while I have upped my hours to six. Im trying to catch up and get through the essentials before we have to leave- Im doing well, but had to start a little behind where I thought, since my grammar is horrIble. I have a test manana, to graduate to Level 3. Ill keep you posted- I have to make a 75 to pass.. Other than that- I also graduated to 26 years old on Saturday! We spent the weekend in a town not too far from here called Panachel, on an impossibly beautiful lake surrounded by three volcanoes. Here's a pic of Holly and I with another volcano.

We had a great time walking around the towns and interacting with the local merchants, who have made quite a name fo themselves with the tons of "tipico" merchandise they pass on to us gringos every year.

Our hotel was situated in a natural reserve and we took local three wheeled taxis called "tuk-tuks" into town every day.
The weekend was great, except that it left Holly with a cold that we are both still trying to kick. The spanish word for a headcold is "gripe"- quite apropo.
Other than that, no much is happening- we have made some great gringo friends who we can take a break from our Spanish with- People from all over the world are here, trying to conjugate verbs, just like us.
More on our glamourous life soon- after I pass my test!
Love yall- miss yall, (but we found a gringo cafe that imports Dr. Pepper, so we dont miss America too much...)
TJ (and Holly)

Volca-no kidding

Our legs are tired, our backs are sore, but Holly and I can officially say that we have climbed an active volcano and stood less than one foot from a flowing river of molten rock. Yes, friends and family, Holly and I, today, feel like the adventurers we always knew we were.
We have been in Antigua, Gautemala for a week, today. Here is a picture of our school and our Maestras (teachers.

We spend five hours a day speaking (or trying to speak, in my case) Spanish with them, and so far, we like it! A few headaches from trying to understand all day, but those should subside.
Here is a pic of our city for the next five weeks. Antigua sits right underneath a smoking volcano and has been detroyed several times by earthquakes. They just keep moving the city a little bit and have learned not to build very high. Good thinking, guys.

Thats it for now- but keep checking bac for the next really, exciting, high energy adventure that we go on. we will keep you posted...

Guatemallalujah!

Well, after weeks of being semi-nomadic mooches, living with friends and family, Holly and I are finally home. At least, home in Guatemala. We are excited to be here and be living in one place for the next six weeks. We even unpacked our bags!
We had a wonderful time with our friends and family in OK and KS, complete with hugs and tears and some great meals from our moms and Gmas. We even had an adventure with Holly’s family when we got caught out on the lake during a storm (its officially called a “microburst”).
But, sadly, on Saturday morning, we packed up and drove out of Ark City, KS, headed for Nashville International Airport.
Our flight to Guatemala was pretty uneventful, as trips to Latin America go, and we arrived in Guatemala City and took a taxi to the nearby town of Antigua, where we will be studying for the next six weeks.
It has been about 48 hours since we got in, and we are only just starting to realize how wonderful it will be to study and prepare here in this beautiful city. The language school is great- very nice and professional, and our house parent, Senora Maria, is a charmer. We eat great, sleep great, and haven’t been too swamped with homework or culture shock yet. We have only made a few ventures out into la ciudad (the city), but plan on taking more time to get lost and experience this place.
We are checking email daily, and plan to blog several times a week, so keep checking back and keep praying that we learn what we need to learn for God to use us in the D.R.

(The above picture is the courtyard of the home where we're staying. Our room is just lovely, and our senora makes three delicious meals a day. It's kind of like having a bed & breakfast all to ourselves! We keep reminding ourselves not to get too spoiled!)

Hangin' @ the Homefront

Well, it is official. Holly and I are homeless. We packed up, got our rent deposit back, and skee-daddled out of Nashville on Monday morning. It was a little sad, and more than a little strange to think that we dont "live" in Nashville anymore, but we have some things to look ahead to, so we wont be too heartbroken, at least we think.

Right now, we are in Tulsa, visiting my family and church, Park Plaza CoC. It has been great to be here and even greater to see how excited the PP congregation is about our move. We will be officially recognized by the church on Sunday morning, and then have an ice-cream and pie social that evening, along with the other missionaries that the church is sending to the Northwest US.

So- are we really missionaires? It really looked funny to see our names on the church billboard- but i guess thats what we have been preparing for these last few months... but it still was a shocker to have it up there in lights like that!

A few more days in Tulsa and then we're off to Ark City KS, to see Holly's family!
Less than ten days left and we are on our way to Guatemala for language school...