Merry Christmas from the Harman’s

Last year this time, you all received our annual Christmas letter where we shared how God was moving  us on to something different. We just didn’t know what at the time. Actually, we did by-the-time we printed and sent the letters out, just not when I typed up the letter in November.

Now, a year later, not only are we where God wanted us to be, but we have been here for four months. The whole process of moving our family from comfortable living in countryside Indiana to third-world Guatemala has been the most difficult thing we’ve ever experienced in our marriage. The first half of the year, everything we did we would say to each other, “this will be our last time to do this”. The last two months before we moved in August were spent in crazy-lady weeding, sorting, trashing, and packing mode. We introduced the kids to Guatemala their first time in March, and Britt and I returned in June to nail down a place to live while we wait on the Buena Vista School to be completed…where we are planning to make our permanent residence.

Saying “goodbye” to family and friends was the very hardest part of the whole transition. We have no date for return. So everyone assured us they’d come visit us. Leaving the house we built with all of it’s personal and unique facets and selling our business both were beyond our expectations.

Through all the transition, what kept us going was knowing God was behind all this. No matter how hard it was, we knew we were doing exactly what God intended for us. Even life here in Guatemala brought it’s own struggles in ways we weren’t anticipating. We weren’t anticipating the struggles with having our belongings shipped here that we encountered. We had no idea God would see fit for us to be without our own vehicle for 4 months. Our local friends, the Steeds went home to the States for the month of December and graciously are allowing us the use of their van while they’re away. The feeling of freedom it gives would be no where near as appreciated if we hadn’t been without it for three months. Now the matter of getting our own before they return is even more pressing. We also didn’t anticipate it taking this long to be in the new school building…living and preparing for the upcoming school year. God has his reasons for all He does. We are content where we are, waiting on His perfect timing. Money is always the factor with the progress of the building. Another of our greatest struggles has been with our kids. I had no idea how hard it would be for seven kids to live in a small house with absolutely no yard, especially coming from an unlimited amount of yard space for their use. Before our belongings arrived, we all struggled beyond words. I had many very low moments. But after some of their personal belongings (like two very special bikes) arrived, life definitely took a positive turn. The little boys had much more to keep them from driving everyone nuts and the big kids didn’t seem quite so bored. And of course, they were thrilled to start their math up again. ;)

One of the things I was dreading the most was learning Spanish. I felt like I was too old to “go back to school”. But as it has turned out, mainly due to our very talented teacher, Spanish class is my very favorite part of moving here. It’s hard. But apparently being old isn’t that big of a deficit in the process. I am progressing and so is the rest of the family.

My other favorite part of moving here has been every time we interact with the village of Buena Vista and the families we minister to in Magdelena as well. At first it was a bit frustrating, because we couldn’t understand much and could communicate ourselves even less. But now that we have a small grasp on the language, we can understand much and communicate (rather slowly) much less.

We truly are looking forward to living in Buena Vista soon where we will have interaction with these people on a daily basis. There will be many adjustments that we anticipate…living in a school with a growing number of students, living and sharing much living space with our co-workers who have become like family, and sharing the responsibilities that will immediately be on us living in a desperately poor village.

Here are a few ways you can pray for our family:
• That we will be able to find and pay for a vehicle before the Steeds return.
• That money will continue to come in to pay off the EducateBV building.
• That our move into the school will transition as smoothly as possible.
• We have to have our Guatemalan residence applications started very soon. It has to be in process before our next 90 day visa expires in February. There is an incredible amount of paperwork and red tape that must be completed before this can happen. If it’s not in process before then, we will be fined each family member every day it is not completed. (and that I won’t stress over it!)
• But most of all, when all these temperal things in life fall away, we ask that you pray that this ministry that we were sent here to help with will be effective. That hearts will be changed, and they will see Jesus through us.