Volume 4, Issue1 Lake Almanor, CA Reno, NV December 2007

giving food
in Tabacal

Backyard surfing Moving with Adventure

Guatemala

Ballet lessons
Dear Friends and Family,
Some people value power, prestige,
accomplishment, while others value more
simple things like running water, electric-
Tasting Guatemalan rain Brookings, OR ity, and shampoo. In July I met a small
boy who made me reflect about what I
value. I like to think that I’m not material-
Tabacal church inaguration istic, but then I’m brought face to face
with the reality that I have more this year
than most people in the world have in
their lifetime. After finishing up a VBS a
Rio Dulce (sweet river)
young lady and I were passing out toiletry
bags. The kids hugged us and thanked us
as they left for home. One mom returned
Grand Canyon
the next day to tell us of her young son
who loved the shampoo we gave him so
much that he was sleeping with it beneath
his pillow. It was the first shampoo he had
ever owned and he guarded it like a treas-
ure. I was humbled to think of how many
different types of cleaners I have beneath
my sink, and how many kinds of soap I
have in my shower. He felt special be-
cause he had shampoo! It’s the little things
that make a difference in people’s lives.
Never forget to smile, say thanks, be gra-
cious, and if given the opportunity, give a
bottle of shampoo to those who have none.

The Unknown
The Unknown
This year has been filled with so many In August Heather was training in the
changes. March and April were filled with new director to take her place at the English
ministry excitements as the church in Tabacal Academy, we were saying our goodbyes and
Lake Almanor
was inaugurated. Eric was asked to pray making a trip around Guatemala where we
Camel riding in Petra over the church and turn the key to the main visited Tikal and got stuck in a small village
water supply, spraying everyone with a sprin- during a flood! We finished another great
Halloween kler! year of homeschooling and the girls had 8
Anzo meets biological girls over for a baking birthday party, com-
grandfatther In May our adoption was completed
plete with their own mini pies and chef pi-
internationally and on May 14th, Anzo was
ñata,
made a citizen of the United States! At the
end of May, Eric went on a 3 week project The 1st of Sep., we made the great move
trip to Jordan, where they reviewed the de- back to the States and thanks to the generos-
sign of their construction process in order to ity of people, we were offered a house to live
help them build more efficiently and cost in during our transition. After much thought
Anzo readopt in the effectively. He was able to swim in the dead and prayer, we took a leap of faith and
US
sea and look out at the promised land on moved to Reno in order to pursue ministry
Mount Nebo. We were apart for our 10 year here in the Reno area.
Disneyland
anniversary!
New
After living with such purpose and di-
home prototype in San In July, Eric was back in the States for rection over the past 3 years in Guatemala,
the national Conference for EMI. He made we have come to a place we haven’t seen in
many new contacts and it was an amazing quite sometime, the territory of the unknown.
time to hear about how EMI is networking to
We aren’t sure where we’re going to live
reach out in many other needy countries
yet, how we’re going to provide for our daily
Balloon races in
around the world.
needs, or how ministry is going to look, but
Reno Heather did yet an-
our heart remains open and our purpose is the
Eli other VBS (last one
same, to care for those who are often looked
soccer though).
team past. We know that God will
bring the opportunities and
Heather’s we will say
Chimaltenango VBS 18’ tree
yes to care for
Heather and Evelyn those in dis-
Lacama village welcomes us make tortillas by
hand tress.
Heather’s Best friends .
English Academy A jungle school Mandy and Heather
Ericland
Adventures in Ericland
It is never easy to say goodbye. I said goodbye to the people
of Tabacal and our ministry with our church in San Lucas. After
5 months of planning and my 2 week trip to Jordan to give sug-
gestions on how to improve their home construction process, I
closed up all my projects with eMi in hopes to go to Jordan.
When the Jordan opportunity closed 2 weeks before leaving
Guatemala we were left in quite a spot.
We returned to the states, to Lake Almanor, CA with no plans.
Shortly after arriving I started pastoring a hurting church in
Reno, NV that had just lost their pastor 2 weeks prior to our arri-
val in the states. I have continued to pastor there over these last 4
months. Just 2 weeks ago we moved from Almanor to Reno and
we are hoping to close the church at the end of the year and start
again as something new in January. We are not sure exactly what
it will look like but we will wait on the Lord. I am looking for an
engineering job to pay the bills and hopefully
Intern Jonathan and water
have a job by the time you are reading this. system in Palin
Habitat home in Guatemala City Sinkhole
Amman, Jordan
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye to EMI to EMI
As of September, we were no longer working with EMI. They
have been very supportive and we will continue to
support them in their ministry endeavors as well
as Eric still hopes to be going on project trips from
time to time. The Guatemala office officially
moved to Costa Rica in October and have found
an office building to begin again about 1 hour outside of San
Jose. We are in Reno now and are hoping to begin vision cast-

 
Heather Ventures
Heather Ventures
This year has been a year of goodbyes, transitions, and
surprise goodbye parties. I had mixed emotions (sad to say
goodbye, but happy to leave it in good hands) as I trained in
the new director of children’s ministry at Iglesia Galilea,
trained in the new director of the English Academy, and
passed on the preschool story time ministry. Throughout all
that, continuing to homeschool was a challenge. The kids
finished up a great year in May and the summer was busy
with all the training in of new people to take over what was
built!
I have learned that being in charge makes you busy, and
so I have turned over a new leaf, (at least for a few months). I
put my kids in AWANA’s and I’m not a leader, not that I
wasn’t asked, but believe it or not I said I had to pass (don’t
pass out, this is a true story). Truly I’ve been a little bored
and it’s hard to transition from super busy and making a huge
difference in people’s lives to a slower pace. I’m trying to be
content in all things and treasure the time I have to snuggle
more with my kids, read more scripture and pray more.
ing in the new year for a new ministry that brings churches
together in the biblical sense that “They have eve-
rything in common”. Please pray as we seek di-
rection and for the people of Pathway (the church
in Reno Eric’s been pastoring) that we’re in min-
istry with. “Let there be no divisions among us”!
 
  

   
 
After having to pick up his One night at dinner, she was hold-
toys, his promptly said, “I wish I ing up her middle finger and we
was a baby so I didn’t have to work” If said that wasn’t nice and it meant some-
he only knew what real work was! thing bad in the U.S. To which she replied,
well we’re not in the States!

Our pet
chicken pecked the earring out of Abi’s She went with
ear and the next time she laid an egg, Heather to her first baby shower
Anzo said, “I think Abi’s earring is in and was great the whole time, but when
there!” she got back home she said, “It wasn’t that
fun, we didn’t even get to give the baby a
When talking about what his new mid- shower”
dle name should be, the girls suggested, Cookieman, Anzo
yelled, “YES!”

Be sure to check out our websites teamhaddox.blogspot.com and EriceMi.blogspot.com