Following are excerpts from a recent letter from Anna Kummer
(Daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Kummer)

Today was the most amazing storm I have ever seen in my life. We were trying to teach a computer class at the time. It started with a light rain that soon turned into a torrent so hard that we could not see the upper part of the school. We quickly turned off the computers so they wouldn’t blow up. I’m glad that we did, because after about 5 minutes of rain the lightening began. As we sat in a circle trying to teach over the roar of the rain, the lightening grew closer. All of the sudden, a bolt of lightening hit about 100 feet from the classroom building. I have never seen lightening that close. You could feel the electricity running through the air. The trees were blowing like it was a hurricane.

It’s really interesting to be in a foreign country as a missionary at my age. I mean, a lot of almost 17-year-old girls are sneaking out, lying to their parents and always having fights and disagreements about who gets the car and who they can go out with. Instead of that life, I am working with my parents, teaching classes, helping the people, learning a new language and culture and trying to be a paradigm to the other teens my age. It’s really cool. Sometimes I think that I would like to be like the other “normal” teenagers with a boyfriend, a car to cruise around in and a good job with lots of friends, but I’m glad to be where I am, and it’s not like I can’t be a teenager here.

The Indigenous women do not have a lot of options for education or any life other than marriage at 17 (or younger) and carrying water and cooking over open fires. For this reason, it’s so exciting to see El Centro Maya – a school run by the Asuncion sisters where my Mom and I are working. The center gives them a grade school education in 3 or 4 years. That doesn’t sound like a lot but considering that people with a high school education are qualified to be grade school teachers, that’s a pretty big step. At The Center, they also teach practical skills that can help the girls get jobs and ameliorate their lives. In computer class, they are learning how to make spreadsheets! Is that incredible or what? A lot of their houses have dirt floors and thatch roofs and they can make spreadsheets!

If any of you happen to be in Guatemala, please stop in. We have an extra hammock and more than enough black beans and rice. Maybe the sun will even come out to welcome you – just like all the other 365 days of the year.

“Que Dios bendigales en todo su trabajo y vida” (God bless you in all your work and life)

Anna