New Job

For the past year, I have been working with Wayland Baptist University translating academic, pastoral textbooks from English to Spanish. WBU has started a new pastoral certification program that is now offered in many sites accross Texas in both Spanish and English. I've been on a team that is helping to crank out the textbooks for the Spanish-only classes.

I have learned a TON. Not only have I improved my written Spanish dramatically in this past year, I also have techincally been through three seminary style classes. I also have worked with the nicest people at Wayland and have felt proud to be part of this ministry.

In February, I was contacted by a former principal of mine, who is now a Superintendent in west Texas, asking me about my interest in working as an online Spanish teacher. This past month I was officially hired and will now be transitioning to work for the Texas Virtual School Network in partnership with this particular west Texas school district.

Monday I started my official training course and in August I will make my debut as a part-time online teacher. I'm on a learning curve, but I have to say that I'm pretty excited about the job! It's crazy for me to think that I will be teaching students in west Texas even though I will (probably) never live in west Texas, and at least for another year, will be teaching them all the way from a different country. Technology is cool, huh? Now let's just hope my Guatemalan Internet connection consistently cooperates! :)

Baby Chapin

This entry is dedicated to Baby Dove #3. Since finding out about my pregnancy, I’ve blogged about field trips, hair cuts, Holy Week, translation jobs, and travel, but not much mention about our little Chapin. For all of the adventure in the past 3 ½ months, I assure you Baby #3 has been along for the ride

It’s not something I say just to be dramatic, although I do have a tendency for the dramatic at times, but this will truly be the last of our children to come from my body. I don’t deny the possibility of having more children, but I will not birth them, I promise.

The pregnancy has been very hard physically and emotionally. Physically, I have been extremely exhausted and have had near daily bouts of vomiting. The night before I left San Antonio to return “home,” I had a night of vomiting, following by a day of travel and lots of airplane vomiting, followed by another full day of vomiting when I thought surely it couldn’t go on. It did and yeah, that was hard.

Emotionally, I’ve (only kind of) joked that I’ve suffered from a bit of pre-partum depression instead of the more common, well-known post-partum depression. I really, really, want to be excited about this baby’s arrival, but most days I feel so overwhelmed by my physical condition and the demands of my oldest two children, that I can’t muster the joy I know is there.

But then, you see, we go for a sonogram. And we see his (or her) tiny little hands and cute little feet all curled up under his cute little butt. And I feel it – a hint of the excitement, a splash of the peace that all will be wonderful, a needed dose of that joy.



And then, the doc gives me some medicine for my vomiting and I’ve had two nights vomit free, hallelujah. And tonight Sam kept calling the chop-sticks at the restaurant pork-chops and Ruth kept copying whatever the waiter would say (“¿Algo más?” “Ago ma?”). And I remembered again that Stephen and I make darn cute kids. I’m excited we get to have the blessing of another.

Doves: May 9 - 15

The Girls…

In January my mom went in for a routine mammogram. In February, she had a biopsy and was diagnosed with ductile breast cancer. In March and April, we prayed and prepared as a family for what the journey might entail. On May 3rd, she had a full mastectomy and breast reconstruction. On May 12, all pathology reports came back clear and she was declared cancer free. Amen and amen.

Ruth and I were blessed to be in San Antonio the week my mom returned home from the hospital. Although I read about breast cancer, looked at pictures of what the reconstruction process was like, talked to my aunt, my mom, and my dad extensively about what would happen, I still was unsure about what to expect to see when we arrived in SA. The first moment I laid my eyes on my mom I truthfully told her, “Wow. You look beautifully normal.” I’m hoping she received it as the good compliment I meant, but I was so impressed that just six days post-major surgery, her face was bright, her skin was glowing, and she looked, well, beautifully normal.

It was nice to feel like I could serve and help her that week, since all my life she has been helping and serving me. She deserves the best care and my prayer was to provide even the smallest dose of TLC. She’s strong, courageous, and humble. I kept thinking all week that she should be complaining – hey, the woman has earned some complaining rights – but she never did.

Ruth was a trooper with the travel and the changes, but proved to be unfortunately fussy and super clingy to Mommy most of the week. I told my parents that she was acting like that all week so that they wouldn’t miss us too much when we left.

The Boys…

When we arrived back “home” (whenever I refer to Guatemala as “home,” I’ll always put that in quotes, since it’s hard to ever really consider a foreign land home), Stephen greeted me with a kiss and then said, “I’ll trade you a whiner for a why-er.” Apparently Samuel maximized his time with his dad by asking as many questions as possible in a one week time span. Hey, his dad is pretty darn smart, why not take advantage?

Stephen and Sam had the ultimate “boy week” while we were gone. Just minutes after we left on our departing flight out of Guatemala, Stephen and Sam lived it up at Chuck-E-Cheese and rode the indoor roller coaster not once, but twice. I’m glad they were able to have such a diversion so quickly after we left because Sam lost it at the airport when we had to say our good-byes.

“What? I really can’t go?” he cries.

“Sam, we’ve talked about this. We’re having a boy week and a girl week. Ruth and Mommy are going to help Nana. You’ll stay with Daddy.”

“Noooo,” he bawls, “I thought you were just joking. I really want to go!” Needless to say, while on the plane I started brainstorming ways to get that kid back to San Antonio before he turns five!

The next day, Stephen woke Samuel up with a big surprise – they were headed to the beach, just the two of them! Let’s just say, since we’ve been back “home”, now Sam is asking when Ruth and I will leave again so that he and Daddy can just have their boy time. Stephen is an awesome daddy and I’m so glad he used the week to make memories with his son.

Sam at the beach in Monterrico.

To get home, our car even road on the boat.

Last Day!!

We've talked with Samuel many times about my mom's breast cancer. He's been very sweet about praying for her and often asks, "Is Nana'a cancer out, yet?"

Today on the way to church, I told Sam that tomorrow was Nana's big surgery and that we should really pray for her today and tomorrow.

"Well," he says, "Then today is Nana's last day with cancer!"

And yes it is. Congratulations, Momma. Today is your last day with cancer! Thanks to our little four year old, who reminds us that tomorrow is something to celebrate. You can do this, Mom!! Fight like a girl! Fight like a Momma! Fight like a Nana! We love you!!!

Easter Week

Last week was the largest celebration of Holy Week our family has ever seen. Rightly so, as Antigua, Guatemala hosts the largest Holy Week in the world!

We celebrated Easter with a lovely combination of American traditions mixed with new-to-us Guatemalan traditions. Take a peek at our fun week!

Thursday, April 21

We decided to host an American-style Easter party here at our house.

There is no such thing as buying Easter baskets (or plastic eggs) in Antigua. As a matter of fact, when I asked for "huevos plasticos" at a few different stores, I got very weird looks. So what do you do when you can't buy it? You make it! We kicked off the party with a basket-making craft.

Ruth really designed her own basket. Also, when you don't have Easter grass, you make that, too. For part of the craft, the kids ripped up pieces of tissue paper as grass to line their baskets.


Almost ready for the egg hunt! Left to right is Ruth, Eva and her mom, Sam, Josh, and Elizabeth. Not pictured are two other friends that came, Daniel and Jonah.






A party for our family is not complete without Rice Krispy treats. Too bad you can't buy Rice Krispies in Guatemala, either. Sometimes it feels like the only cereal they sell here is Corn Flakes. So what do you do? You make Corn Flake treats and dye them all different colors and then make them look like Easter eggs! I wasn't too crazy about them, but the kids didn't seem to notice the difference.

Friday, April 22

Good Friday is the day with the most processionals and carpets in Antigua, Guatemala. (If you checked out one of my recent, previous blog, you know a little bit about this.) We were able to participate and make a carpet of our own. See for yourself!

Working hard! The week before, the kids did a carpet of their own. This week, the adults got to design the "alfombra" and participate, too.

Can you tell what we designed?? Lots of people couldn't, but it created some interesting conversations.


Walking by our carpet. The only people that walk over the carpet are the ones carrying the Jesus float. If you look in the left hand side of this pictures, you can see another blob of a carpet. The kids decided to create another one of their own! The adults didn't mind, because after a while, sticking to the design was tough with little helping hands.


Here they go!

The best seat in the house! Stephen's office was literally right above our carpet. We got to watch the whole parade from the window of his office instead of on the crowded, incense-strong streets.

There they go! Crazy, huh?

And what's left after they march by? Not much! But we still thought it looked kind of cool.


I had to include this picture, too. Behind the Jesus float always comes a Mary float and the women are in charge of carrying it. Just look at the expressions on their face!

Saturday, April 23
We spent the morning at a birthday party celebrating the 3rd birthday of our new friend at church. The afternoon was spent dying Easter egg's at our good friend Tina's home.

Ruth makes a party hat look good! Our friend (whose son turned 3) sent us some pictures that she took and doctored with Photoshop. She's such an artist!

I'm glad my new friend, Hannah, passed these photos along because my camera was stolen the day before during all the maddness of the Good Friday processionals. She was also kind enough to lend me a camera until we get a new one of our own, so I didn't miss a thing on Easter Sunday!


That afternoon, we dyed Easter eggs at Tina's house. I think Ruth looks so grown up in this pic!

Sam takes his egg dying seriously.

Sunday, April 24 - Happy Easter!


We had such a lovely Easter Sunday. That morning we had brunch at the top of a famous lookout here in Antigua and then attended Easter service. That afternoon, we Americans celebrated an English-style Easter in Guatemala. How's that for international! My friend Tina's husband is from England. We spent the afternoon with her family and Tina cooked an English Easter feast complete with rack of lamb and roasted potatoes. YUM! And of course, the kids got to hunt for Easter eggs.


We had brunch at Cerro del Santo Domingo with several friends. This is my good friend, Maritza. We also dined with our new friends Hannah and Jordan and their children Solomon and Grace.

It's hard not to feel close to God with views like this! Praise God. He is risen, indeed!

And when you don't really have an Easter basket, a bucket will do just fine! What a wonderful Easter, 2011!

I'm Sorry, Sam

Sam comes home most days with about two pages (or ten minutes worth) of “homework.” Mostly, it’s more practice with what he learned that particular day. We’ve traced lots of letters and numbers. We’ve counted pictures. We’ve cut out pictures that start with a particular letter’s sound.
Earlier this week, Sam was sitting down to do his homework and noticed that his teacher had given him a smiley face (instead of a star) for the previous day’s assignment.
“Why did Miss Mirna give me a frowny face? What did I do wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing, honey. That’s a smiley face,” I assured him. (Although the eyes and nose were drawn kinda weird, I do give him that.)
The discussion continues and Sam is not convinced. He ends up getting so bothered by the supposed frowny face that he starts to cry. And at that moment, at age four, for the first time, his perfectionist, want-to-be-the-best student personality is revealed. And I am completely to blame. I’m so sorry, Sam.
The next morning, Stephen asked Miss Mirna to explain to Sam that he did not get a frowny face on his assignment. She told him that, of course, it was a smiley face. She also said, however, that a star was better than a smiley face and perhaps Sam was aware that the faces she draws are the symbol for good work, but the best work earns a star.
So how do I help my “star” student relax a little and just enjoy the learning? Maybe I should just ask my parents…they will know!

Pretty Ruth!

Ruth on Easter Sunday morning.

Ruth at a birthday party the day before Easter.

Painting Easter eggs the day before Easter.

Posing for the camera Easter morning.