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Here are our prayer letters that we write every three months. If you are not on our email list and would like to receive these letters, please sign up today. Enjoy reading!
March 1, 2007
Dear Friends and Family,As I sit down to write these letters, I often just begin typing whatever comes to mind as I think back on the past three months. However, this month I decided to reread the letter that I had written in December and in doing so found that I had ended that letter with this sentence, "We are looking forward to this next year to see what God has in store as we continue to build on the foundations that we are laying." Little did I know in December what God had in store for this year, but Thomas and I can definitely say that our lives are going to change in a big way this year.
We have recently moved in to our new home and are enjoying being in our own place again, though there are many things yet unfinished. We do not have doors or kitchen cabinets and just had windows installed about five days ago. We do have bars on our window frames and outside door frames for those of you wondering how it is that we have been living in a home where someone could just walk right in the front door. It is very common for security purposes to have bars on all of your windows and doors. We do hope to get doors soon, and just the other day we put a deposit down on having kitchen cabinets made. Overall, we are excited to be living in our new home on our own land.
Just before we moved in I called my parents one day since it had been a while since we had talked on the phone. I updated them on how things were coming along on the house and then told them that I was glad that we had put in two small extra bedrooms instead of just one. When my parents asked why, I responded by saying that Thomas and I were going to have someone living with us soon and that with two extra bedrooms they could still come down and have a room to stay in. My mom seemed a little concerned, and I'm sure was thinking, "why are you going to have someone live with you in your new home; don't you think it would be better that it just be you and Thomas." But before she could say anything I told that them that it would be about eight months or so before this person arrived, and at that moment my mom got it and gave out a joyful scream on the other end of line! Thomas and I are excited to let you all know that I am pregnant, and we are looking forward to a baby due in September or October!
As for other areas of life here in Nicaragua, all is going great. We have been blessed with two wonderful short-term teams helping out at the sports center. One of the teams was from the church that started the scholarship program, and it was a real joy this year to have as a part of the team the woman and her daughter who do much of the fund-raising and behind-the-scenes work on organizing all of the funds that have made the scholarship program what it is. It was fun to have them come and help pack up backpacks and take them to a local church and give them out to the children. All in all, in January we were able to give out over 300 backpacks to help families as their children started school. The second team was a team of 5 families with the oldest child being 16. It was awesome to watch the kids on the team play games and get to know the kids from the local neighborhood. Putting together tons of water balloons and starting big water fights has always helped break down barriers.
Sitting on our porch in the evening watching the sun fade into the hills and enjoying the last bits of light it leaves behind, I have wondered lately - what more does God have in store for us? Does He have plans that I could not even imagine at this moment in time? And what of the family that we have begun - how will He use us as a family? May we all continue to wonder at how God is working around us!
Seeking Him for life,
Amanda y Thomas Gutierrez
"dale una luz a los que aman tanto vivir en Nicaragua."
~ Guardabarranco (Nicaraguan duo)