Rick's Home Away From Home

I have been in Quetzaltenango Guatemala for language school since Saturday April 18th...after flying from Albany - Newark - Guatemala City, I took a bus from there to Xela - about 4 hours, non-stop, then a short taxi ride to my host family's home. I was warmly greeted by my sister in Christ Ruth Gramajo (Ruth is Lesly Najjar's Mom, so we immediately had something in common which began my adventure in Xela on a positive note!)

For five hours per day, 5 days per week, I will immerse myself in language studies at El Portal Language School until June 12th. In addition to that, I have been participating in 2x per week conversation sessions that last about 2 hours each - this is areal challenge as I am not a long conversationalist to begin with! So far, my experience although difficult to initially adjust to has been wonderful. Slowly but surely I am learning the language...so you can teach an old dog new tricks!!! ;)

Please pray for my ability to continue to learn and apply what I have learned. My effectiveness as a team leader is dependent on my ability to effectively communicate with the ministries we serve in Central America.