Guatemala in the Rear View Mirror

What a difference 25 years makes!  When we returned to Guatemala early this year, we were thankful to find our former coworkers still following the Lord and faithful to His Word.  It took a bit of effort to locate the homes of our dear friends, since everything in the villages had changed so much. 

We realize that they have seen many missionaries come and go, and wondered if they would remember us.  It was a joyous reunion as they greeted us with obvious recognition, even though we have all grown a bit older. 

Their homes are much more modern now, and the streets are paved.  Running water and electricity are the norm, and in fact, we found a cell phone tower right down the street from our old house in the Mam village where we lived.  What an amazing transformation.

 Jim with Emiterio, our main language tutor and the voice on the Jesus film and the audio New Testament in Mam of San Juan Ostuncalco, and his family

Emiterio with his family about 24 years ago

Jim and Santiago, who is the son behind Emiterio in the photo above

 Norberto, pictured here with Jim this past January, was our neighbor across the street, and a vital member of our team as a native missionary among his own people.  Notice the phone tower in the background and the paved street.

 This was the front of our house back in 1987.  Today the road is paved and the house is replaced with a big 2-story building.

Emiterio and Norberto promoting scriptures in the local market

Going into the New Year

The Lokers are going back in time for another visit to Guatemala.  Since our roots are there, we always feel the pull of gravity to go south for a visit every now and then.  The last time we were there as a family was almost four years ago.  We will visit some Missionary Ventures field coordinators there, as well as see friends who work in similar recording ministries in Chiapas (which is on the way) and in Guatemala.

The children are looking forward to this rare road trip, which will be made even more fun since Hannah is home to go with us. 

Those of you who read my other blogs know that I sometimes struggle to remain in the present tense.  It's virtually impossible for me to focus on today without going back and remembering the past and/or pondering the future.  That's just how I am wired somehow.  Maybe it's the story-teller in me that remains in high gear; I don't know.

With the New Year coming, it's natural to be focused on the future, though, right?

Next summer we will need to be in the states for a few months to visit our supporting churches and hopefully find some more individuals to partner with us financially in our ministry.  The last time we were there was summer of 2009.  Our plans are in the early stages, but a primary concern at this point is that we have no leads on housing.

Do you know of any affordable missionary housing in the Cleveland, Ohio area where we might stay?  There will be six of us unless the kids find jobs elsewhere.

Please make these things a matter of prayer, and let us know soon if you have any suggestions.

We also need wisdom regarding transportation.  Travel through Mexico is not advisable, yet we need to upgrade our Suburban to something with fewer miles, less wear and tear, and newer tires.  If we drive up, we could bring back a newer car.  Even if we fly up, we will still have to find a vehicle to use for the summer.


If any of you have an SUV or Suburban that is still in good condition that you might want to donate to a very good cause.... please let us know.  We could sure put it to great use down here.

For that matter, please think of us if you are upgrading anything like furniture, iphones, bicycles, vacuum sweepers, bread machines, linens, or anything else we might need for our stay next summer.  Think of our teens if you can offer them summer employment or know of someone who might need their help.

Right now all of these factors seem a bit overwhelming to consider all at once, but we are looking to God, who has always provided for us in the past.  Each year we pray that the economic situation will improve so that former supporters might be able to support us again, but ultimately it is God who meets our needs, not necessarily our friends.

It's not too soon to start scheduling speaking engagements (even outside of Ohio) for next summer, so let us know if you are interested in having us visit your church, Sunday school, small group, or other gathering.  It's always an encouragement just to hear that people want to see us!  Every time we go back it is sad to see how busy everyone is, and how few have time to hang out and visit any more.  That's when we experience the clash of the cultures the most.

Meanwhile we are praying for each of you, that God will bless you mightily in all the ways that are most important, that you will prosper spiritually in the New Year.  For those of you with young children, hug them tight and read them stories and enjoy them.  It's true what they say.  In the blink of an eye they will be grown up and maybe far away.  You will miss these good ol' days!

Happy New Year's Y'all!