Wow! This latest leg of our journey up to the northern United States by way of Mexico had some new roads and new faces. Let’s get the family to tell you about it.

When did you get here? We left Guatemala June 23 and got to Minnesota August 7. We stopped in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Illinois. (all)

What was it like to finish the school year at Inter-American School? It was okay, I guess, but I was glad it was over. (Erin) It was fun, most of it. (Luke, Ethan, Josiah)

How was the summer camp for missionary kids? It was fun; we went on hikes. (Josiah) Neat, with good games. Out tents got wet. We built an obstacle course. (Erin) Climbing the volcano Agua was the greatest. (Ethan) Making it to the top of Agua was the greatest. (Luke)

Was leaving Guatemala hard? Leaving the house was hard, and leaving friends. (Luke) Yes, leaving my friends and the neighbors, and our animals, and all my stuff that we couldn’t bring. (Josiah)

Why did you take a bus through Mexico to get to the USA? To go places that we had been to. (Josiah) It was cheaper than an airplane. (Luke) We got to sightsee in Oaxaca and eat grasshoppers there. (Paul)

What did you do on the bus for those 59 hours? Slept. (Erin) Played and talked and ate. (Josiah) Read books and did activity books. (Ethan) Watched movies, listened to tapes, and played the Game Boy. (Luke)

What do you miss most in Guatemala? Pets and friends. (Ethan) Friends and local snack called cicharrines (Erin). Friends, pets, our house, our stuff, and the water park down by the coast. (Josiah)

What were looking forward to most in the USA? Beef jerky and root beer and fishing. (Ethan) Getting back to everything and seeing relatives, and libraries, and video games. (Luke) Friends. (Erin) Swimming, movies, and cartoons. (Josiah)

Was the country fair as good as your remembered it? Yes. We liked the food, the rides, and the frog jumping contest. (all)

What is the weirdest thing you noticed in the USA? Tattoos, weird hairdos, different clothes. (all)

When is the hardest to fit in? When people are different. When people don’t know you and walk by and don’t talk. (Josiah) When you don’t know anybody. (Ethan)

What is it like being an MK (Missionary Kid)? You have to leave people all the time. (Ethan) Always meeting new people and goodbye to them. (Luke) Not living in one place all the time. We go places that some people never go. (Erin)

What kinds of things are you going to be doing this next year? Playing in the snow. (Ethan) School work, studying the Middle Ages. (Luke) Home schooling. (Josiah)

What have you found neat in the Twin Cities so far? Mall of America and the Science Museum. (all) The Twins game. (Paul)

What will your parents be doing? Dad is going to college; he needs to get a degree. And Mom will be home schooling us. (all)

What is your house like? Brick and has a basement and a garage. (Luke) We each have our own room. (Erin)

When are you going back to Guatemala? Next year sometime. (all)

How do you feel about that? Sort of want to [go back]. (all)

What is the hardest part about living in the USA? Being squished in the car. (Ethan and Erin) Missing stuff. (Josiah)

What is the neatest part about living in the USA? Having a Game Cube. (Luke) Having a kitten. (Erin) Walmart Supercenter. (Ethan) Nintendo. (Josiah) Going to garage sales and shopping. (all)

What are you thankful for? America and friends (Ethan) This house and the stuff we’ve gotten; my confirmation. (Luke) The kitten. (Erin) Good food, God, my family, our pet. (Josiah) Churches and friendly people. (Tammy) The opportunity to go to school. (Paul)

What do you ask prayer for Friends. (all) Nice people. (Josiah)

The LORD your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17

On This Journey
• Journey with Paul and Tammy Kinney in service of our Lord through the literacy and Scripture use project to the K’iche’ of Guatemala.