You never know what you’ll run into in the streets of Chichicastenango. Just a few weeks ago, I (Michael) was driving home and I saw a young man sitting on a street corner near the local fire station. This isn’t all that unusual except that this man had no socks and no pants. I assumed …
Q&A
A recent missionary intern at ASELSI asked us some questions about missionary life for new missionaries. I thought I’d share our answers… Q. How did you know you wanted to be missionaries? A. We’ve both had a desire to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission since we were kids. Chrisi remembers telling her friends …
Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead (Nov. 1) is celebrated in Guatemala to remember, honor, and even worship the spirits of the dead. Even as I write this, I can hear the explosions of fireworks that have been rocking the air since about 5 this morning. In local cemeteries across Latin …
A son returning home…
We met a young Korean-Guatemalan man this evening. His father is a pastor but he’s been following his own direction for a while and now finds himself robbed and trying to make it to his home near the El Salvador/Guatemala Border (about 8 hours from here). He wasn’t ready to put God back in charge …
A Mayan witch accepts Jesus
In a recent update from one of our fellow ASELSI missionaries, an amazing example of God working in Guatemala was described… Emily Romero described what she saw while translating for a medical team in the village of Xalbaquiej: She said that an older man sat down for a medical checkup. He had three strange large …
Funnies from the Field
Guatemalans are very “helpful” when it comes to babies. With all the advice we get, Chrisi politely listens to their ideas but takes them with a large grain of salt. Here are some of the advice we’ve received: Don’t walk over a water hose while pregnant or the umbilical cord will wrap around your baby. …
How much do people make in Guatemala
As we move around Guatemala, we see a variety of life. There are people here who work so hard to make a living and there are people who have life made because of the position they have made for themselves or that their families were able to give them. Here are some of the wages …
A new generation is born!
Last night we were blessed with the birth of our firstborn son, Hudson Michael Shead. He was born at 11:39 p.m., in a clinic in Zona 13 of Guatemala City, Guatemala. He weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and he’s 19 inches long. Chrisi and Hudson are both doing fantastic! After about 12 hours …
Masks, Parades, and Guatemalan College Students
In Guatemala students from the public San Carlos University have a parade tradition that includes wearing masks, shouting and ranting about social and political issues.While they raise awareness about these issues, we pray for an increase in awareness of the spiritual need for real relationship with Christ here in Guatemala. We attended part of this …
Entering a new culture
Entering a new culture is…well…different. For years, we learned, replicated, and lived out the culture into which we were born. Now, we’re not just learning a new language, we are learning a new culture. To do this takes work. As new missionaries, we are studying Spanish and learning to adapt to our new Guatemalan culture, …