Bitter, sweet and strange.

I struggle with good byes.

I like closure so I do need to say good bye to people, but I really do not like drawn out good byes.

My preference would be to say all my good byes within a few minutes, hop on the plane and leave.

But I can't always get what I want.

This week has really felt like one long drawn out good bye. I am still happy to be here in Tactic, but everyday I have had to say good bye to someone I have grown to love over the past month and a half. This has been tough for me. There have definitely been tears.

Today I was at Chamche (the main Vida school campus) and I was saying good bye to some teachers who are incredibly dear to me and as I was hugging them TWO of them started crying.

Ahh-my heart. It aches.

To love is a beautiful, but very hard thing. Especially when you love someone so dearly, but then you have to leave and you are suddenly no longer a part of each other's lives.

I am just trying to remind myself that I will see each of these incredible people in heaven and we will get to worship our King for all of eternity!

This is a beautiful thing.

I leave Tactic tomorrow and even though my heart wants to come back to this beautiful place, I have no control over when I will return here.

My time here has been absolutely incredible. I am so grateful that God gave me this opportunity and provided me with the necessary resources for me to come here.

I am overwhelmed by how much God taught me and is still teaching me through the experiences I have had here.

I am in awe of the people God put in my path for me to meet. I have met so many incredible people over the past month and a half.

I have met people on teams who have encouraged me in so many ways.

I have met countless Guatemalans who are faithfully serving the Lord regardless of the hard circumstances they live in.

I am still trying to process all that I have seen here and I know that I will processing it all for quite some time.

Thank you for your continual prayers and support. I thank God each day for you.

I ask that you continue to pray for me as I have 2 and half more days in Guatemala and then I fly back to Canada all day Monday.

Please pray for my last few days in Guatemala that there would be good closure and that I would be able to continue to bless the people I interact with.

Please pray for safety and energy for me as I travel and that everything would go smoothly.

I would also ask that you pray for me once I am home as I only have a few short days at home in Kamloops before I return to Trinity Western University in Langley, BC for my second year there.

Thank you for everything. You are all so dear to me.

I look forward to seeing some (if not all) of you very soon.

Sending love and hugs your way,

Michelle

PS- You are ALL invited to drop by my house Tuesday, August 24 between 7-9pm for an informal report-back/get-together. As I only have a few days in Kamloops before I leave for Trinity, I will not have time to see everyone and give a report on my trip. So...stop by my house, bring a dessert or snack to share, and we can visit! I would love to see you all there and get time to share with you AND hear about how each of YOU are doing.

Humility.

As some of you may or may not know, I have been struggling with my health for the last week. By the grace of God I am almost completely better, but it has felt like a really long time to be sick.

I know that it's never fun to be sick, but I find it's especially hard to be sick when I'm away from home. All week I just really wanted to have my family with me, to lie in my bed, and to eat (North American) chicken noodles soup (please don't be offended Guatemala).

I also find that it's especially hard to be sick when I am really busy and have a lot that calls for my time and attention.

I also find that it's especially hard to be sick when you know that you are lying in bed (with a not-so-great attitude) while everyone else (or at least it feels like everyone else) is out doing something fun.

Those have been struggles for me.

I always struggle with God as to what He is trying to teach when I'm sick. Before I share what I think God is trying to teach me, I need to explain something about myself:

I'm kind of a slow learner (can I an "Amen" from those who can relate? Thank you).

Like it takes me quite a long time to learn something new.

Or at least it feels like a long time.

Maybe I'm just impatient...

Skip the last thought-keep following the slow learner thought.

For example: I clearly remember the first time I had to do laundry and my mom taught me how to use the washing machine.

Now you and I both know that washing machines aren't THAT complicated, but-oh wow-I know that it took me at least 5 loads of laundry where I had to ask my mom to re-show me how to use the machine before I could do it right on my own.

Don't worry though.

I know some of you moms were getting a bit stressed for a minute there so I just wanted to calm your nerves:

I have been a successful clothing-cleaner (with AND without a machine) for quite some time now. I CAN do my own laundry.

I just wanted to clear that up.

Anyways...

So I think my slow learner issue applies to the lessons God tries to teach me, because-man!-it feels like like it takes a lot of reminders and re-teachings from God before I really understand a concept He is trying to teach me.

So back to what I think God is trying to teach me (for at least the thousandth time):

humility

Hmm.

That's a tough one to swallow-hey?

When I am sick I am humbled in many ways:

1. When I am really ill I rely on others for almost everything. Getting me food, water, clothing, and sometimes even cleaning me up. That is very humbling for me.

2. I look disgusting when I am sick. Really-I do.

My face is pale (well, paler than usual), sweaty, and sometimes green looking.

My body just stinks in general because I don't have the strength or energy to stand for long enough to have a shower. (DO NOT WORRY. I did, in fact, bath more than once this week and I am now clean.)

My hair has a party that Organization and Order weren't invited to, so you can just imagine what goes on up there.

You get the picture.

3. I miss out on fun things. I don't get to be a part of everything. I don't get attention. (Or at least I don't get attention except for the attention people looking after me give me). I don't get to be included in things. I don't know what's going on in everyone's lives.

Now, all of those things aren't necessarily BAD things in and of themselves, but when my desire for them stems from the pride in my heart, then we have a problem.

humility

I'm going to need God to keep working on my heart on that one.

Thank you LORD for your grace.

Thank you LORD that you do not give up on us.

Thank you LORD for your patience.

Much love to you all,

Michelle

Como Estan Ustedes?

Hello my dear friends.

I hope you are all doing so so well.

I cannot believe that I have been in Guatemala for a month and that I only have 2 weeks left! Time really has flown by.

A lot has happened since I last updated you all. Sorry for taking so long- it has just been super busy.

I finished off with my second team and picked up the new team and we have now had almost a full week with this new team. This team is actually from my home-Kamloops- so it has been extra special re-connecting with people I already knew and also connecting with people that are connected with people that I know and love.

I am really really enjoying this team. They have a really neat spirit about them and a really great attitude. I am very blessed by them.

We have already done quite a few work days as well as we have done our children's ministry. It is so interesting doing children's ministry because we do it in a different church with every team and every church responds differently. God was definitely moving though and I was very blessed by our time there.

I had the privilege of attending a wedding here in Guatemala yesterday. It was a Canadian-Guatemalan wedding (the bride is originally from Alberta) so that made it really interesting. It was at a very beautiful hotel about 15 minutes outside of Tactic (where the ministry is based) and I really enjoyed being at it. I don't know either the bride or groom very well, but I am good friends with the groom's dad so that is why I was invited. I actually ended up playing piano at the wedding because Jessica Peters was singing a song and needed someone to play the piano and sing harmony with her. So that was pretty cool. I definitely didn't think that I would get to play piano for a wedding while I was here. It was beautiful to be a part of it.

The last day has been pretty interesting because about 6 members of the team (including me!) have had some sort of stomach bug. I spent about 5 hours last night struggling in vain to keep any type of food or liquid in my body. Praise the Lord for fantastic friends though. Arryn Bauder (from Kamloops-we went to Kamloops Christian School together) is living in La Casa Amarilla with me and the other girls while her parents are in Kamloops. Arryn took fantastic care of me and I am so so grateful for her. I am feeling significantly better together today- I just need to regain my stength now. Every time I am sick I am reminded of how blessed I am to have good health. I am grateful for my health.

Today we had church and I am really appreciating the heart of the church here. I was definitely blessed during my time there.

Thank you LORD for your body at work here on earth.

I only have time for one photo (because it literally takes at least 10 minutes to upload each photo) from my past few weeks.

This is Wilmur. He is 12 years old. He attends one of the Impact schools. He is the son of the pastor from the church where we did children's ministry with the last team. He is definitely a leader and he will draw many people into the kingdom as he continues to serve the Lord. He was SUCH a blessing to me. Such a beautiful heart.

This is a natural sinkhole that is located about 15 minutes outside of Tactic. It is actually used as a place for witch doctors to perform rituals because it is seen as a place where one can be closer to the gods because it is a "low" place. For years Impact Ministries has been taking teams there to worship the one true God. It is pretty incredible to worship there. The devil has had a hold of the sinkhole for years, but there is actually a rumour spreading that the sinkhole is losing its power. Praise the LORD!

That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well.

Thank you so much for all you prayers and support.

Prayer requests:

-My health. That I would regain strength quickly.

-The health of the team.

-Wisdom as I daily deal with learning how to better love people.

Thank you.

Much love.

Michelle

Wonder.

It takes a lot to surprise me.

A lot.

I am not easily shocked.

I have come to realize that this can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing.

I have come to realize that often poverty doesn't shock me.

At first I thought that it was because I had become accustomed to it over the years so it no longer shocked me, but I now realize that it never really shocked me.

I was exposed to poverty from a young age so it was never a new, surprising, or shocking thing for me.

The poverty in Guatemala rarely shocks me.

That is not good.

It really isn't.

God is so faithful though-I am realizing more and more that God knows exactly what I need.

That is why I am working with teams.

Every day I am working with people who are shocked by poverty.

Some of the people on these teams are seeing poverty for the first time in their lives.

The VERY first time.

They are shocked by what they are seeing.

They ask incredible questions.

They think of things I have never thought of.

They see things that I have looked at before but never actually SEEN.

Have you found that in your own life before? That you have looked at something every day, but never actually LOOKED at it.

You've never actually soaked it in.

Appreciated it.

Taken it in.

You've become immune to seeing it.

In some ways, I have become immune to poverty.

I do NOT want to be immune to poverty.

I want my heart to break for what breaks God's heart.

I want to ache when he aches.

I want to cry when he cries.

God: break me.

Please.

I do not want to lose wonder.

I want to be seeing things with fresh eyes every day.

Let me not lose wonder Lord Jesus.

I just want to share a "quick" update (but if you know me, nothing is ever quick with Michelle)...

Some of the details might not be exactly accurate (ie: the dates, etc.), but that's because everything sort of blurs at this point.

This team arrived Thursday night, we spent Friday morning in the capital city, and then drove to Tactic Friday afternoon.

Saturday was the first work day with this team and we continued our work at Chijacorral. It's really neat to see the progress there. There is still a lot of work to be done, but a great deal has been accomplished.

Saturday afternoon we went to the hospital to pray for the children and new mothers there. I have done hospital visits there quite a few times, but I was really affected this time.

We were praying for a little girl-she wasn't even a year old-and she was severely malnourished.

SEVERELY malnourished.

You could pull the skin away from her bones.

We were in the middle of praying for her and I just couldn't take it anymore-I had to leave.

It hurt too much.

She wasn't hooked up to an IV.

She wasn't getting the hydration she needed.

And she needed hydration NOW.

My heart ached.

I got a glimpse of what the Father feels for his children.

Sunday morning I got the morning off (ahh-blessed rest), and then we went to church in the afternoon.

Church is always enjoyable and I feel so blessed to be able to worship with the brothers and sisters here. Man- we are going to have an amazing party up in heaven one day!

Seriously. It will be incredible.

On Monday we worked at the work site again and then did this team's first day of children's ministry at a Nazarene church in a small community called Pas Molon. We did 4 days of children's ministry there and I was absolutely blessed by the people who came out.

SUCH a blessing.

Beautiful, beautiful children.

I will share some photos later.

We have worked 2 more days since then and finished our last day of children's ministry (with this team) today.

Tonight I had the pleasure of going to a prayer and worship evening at the Impact church in Tactic. We spent an hour praising the Lord through song and prayer-it was a blessing.

That's a bit of a rough overview of everything, but I just wanted to update you while I had a bit of time.

I also wanted to share some prayer requests with you.

Please pray:

-For the team that is here right now. They are working really hard and a number of them have been ill in some form. Please pray that they can stay healthy so they can fully experience what God has for them here.

-For the people who came to children's ministry this past week-that the seeds that were planted would bear much fruit.

-For me to have energy and love for everyone I interact with. I know that I need to grow in patience and grace for everyone I interact with.

-For safety as we travel to Antigua this Saturday.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support.

You are all such an encouragement to me.

Blessings on all of you.

Much love,

Michelle

xoxo

Snapshots.

Here are a few snapshots of the past week or so of my life.

Me, in front of La Casa Amarilla (The Yellow House)-where I live.

My sponsor child gave me the top of this traditional dress-called a guipil (say: wee-peel) and the skirt is called a corte. Julie Sawatsky, one of the girls who lives in my house with me, lent me the corte.

I wore this to church last Sunday and my sponsor family was absolutely thrilled. I was actually able to sit with them during the service and worship with them. What an incredible privilege.

This is Selvin. He comes and visits me every time we work at Chijacorral.

I practice my Spanish with him and he practices his English with me.

He blesses my heart.

And yes, he wears TOMS. Someone donated shoes for ALL the kids in all the Impact schools.

And they were TOMS.

That's all for now.

Much love.

Life.

Hello dear ones.

I apologize if some of this is a bit jumbled. It is late and I am tired, but I really wanted to update you all.

I have been in Guatemala for just under 2 weeks-hard to believe hey? It's pretty crazy. It has gone by so quickly, but it also feels like I have been here for a long time.

I am so enjoying the work I am doing here. I feel so privileged to be working with Impact Ministries and meeting so many different people who also believe in what Impact is doing.

This past week has been very busy (it's always busy here...).

We continued to work with the team from Duvall and we had an absolute blast with them. They were such a blessing to us as a ministry as well as to me personally. I'm just going to give a brief overview of our last week. We took the team on home visits, went to the hospital in Coban, played soccer with some of the teachers from one of the Impact schools and travelled to Antigua and Guatemala city.

On Tuesday morning we left Tactic for Antigua where we take each team to do some touristy things. We had a great time there visiting ruins, going to the market and enjoying Antigua. I will post pictures soon.

While in Antigua, I had the privilege of visiting a dear friend of mine-Naomi Heye! She lived in Kamloops most of her life and is also an alum of Kamloops Christian School. We have known each other since I was very little and she is very special to me. She is working in a children's home about 3o minutes outside of Antigua and she drove in to Antigua to see me! It was so lovely. We went for crepes at this fantastic place in Antigua and had a chance to visit for the first time in over a year (I think it's been a year...or maybe more...I struggle to keep track of time...)! I am very grateful I got to spend time with her.

On Thursday morning we drove the Duvall team to Guatemala city where they flew back to Duvall. Me, along with Karren and Rocky Chupa, Arryn Bauder and Eric Valiante (he is a Guatemalan who does a great deal of work for Impact), then took the afternoon off just relaxing and spending time together. It was really great. After we ate dinner we had to go to the airport to pick up the next team. This team is from a church in Charlie Lake- they refer to it as a sort of suburb of Fort St. John (BC). This morning we toured the capital a bit and then drove back to Tactic.

I have such a neat job here. I get to work with short-term teams from all over North America and facilitate them as they serve Impact Ministries. It is so so interesting to see how different every team is. I am gleaning so much from watching teams and how they interact and the positives and negatives of every team structure.

I love that I can meet new, interesting and exciting people and spend 10 days with them, growing alongside them. I find it absolutely incredible that these teams accept me, love me, trust me and bless me in so many ways. I feel so honoured.

I am learning a great deal here and I am so grateful that God brought me here to serve with Impact Ministries.

I covet your prayers as I know I can only serve by God's strength-not mine.

Please pray:

-For continued energy, strength, patience and love for me

-That I would be able to connect with this new team and love on them and serve them as they so need

-That I would discipline myself to set aside time for just me and God

-For wisdom and courage in all my interactions-I want to be a blessing to all that I encounter

Thank you all so much for your support. You are so dear to me.

I would love to hear from you so comment on this or e-mail me-I would love to share with you more of what God is doing in me and I would LOVE to hear what God is doing in your life.

Much love,

Michelle

xoxo

Photos phrom the past phive days.

I hope you appreciate my failed attempt at alliteration...

Anyways.

Here are some pictures to give you a window into my life here in Guatemala.

A photo from children's ministry in a local church. I hope this photo tugs at your heart strings.

This is where we have worked for three mornings this week (and we will be working there tomorrow morning). It is one of the Impact Ministries Vida schools-Chijacorral (spelling might be wrong...)

Me, performing some last-minute, much needed dental surgery on one of the Duvall team leaders: Phil.

*I think I might have a future in the dental industry*-I hope you agree...

Sorry there are only a few pictures here, but it is all I have time for at the moment.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Please message me or e-mail me if you want to know more details about my time here:

m-coxon@hotmail.com

Walking hand in hand with Jesus,

Much love,

Michelle

xoxo