Meet the Animals of Hogar de la Roca!!!



"Someday soon we shall put on the sun.  Not the one we see, that's just a sketch of what's to come." (My Epic)
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one is forgotten by God." (Luke 12:6)



Genesis 2:19  "So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky.  He brought them to man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one..."

Meet Perla!

Or in English her name is Pearl and she is certainly one of a kind.  This saucy Cocker-spaniel is the self-proclaimed queen in our little animal kingdom here at the house.  Having asserted herself as the dominate first lady Perla gets first choice of  food, water, or whatever other amenities may come their way.  Perla is our most alert watchdog and not a single passer-by goes unnoticed as her trademark high-pitched bark is heard by all and often conducive to setting off an "all dog alert."  The phrase is coined from the famous Disney classic "101 Dalmatians" where every dog in the neighborhood starts barking at once.  We have a lot of "all dog alerts" here, which is a good thing because there are a lot of robberies as well.  Fortunately for us Perla is on the case. If anyone was to make it through the dog alarms and into the house they would quickly run into Perla's second in command.

Meet Nala!

Complete with her very fashionable spiked collar Nala serves us as the bark behind the bite.  This strong and lean American Boxer is the intimidation factor towards any and all unwelcomed guests.  However if you were to spend anytime at all with Nala you would quickly learn what a gentle giant she truly is.  Being the baby of the house Nala craves attention and affection from everyone around her.  She loves to play, has an overabundance of energy, and has no clear idea of her true capacity for strength.

Meet Onyx!

In case you can't tell from this picture Onyx is a  sweetheart in the truest sense.  With such a meek and gentle spirit about her in a house full of dominant personalities, Onyx can often be seen waiting her turn to eat or to receive a belly-rub after the other dogs have moved onto another adventure.  All signs of meekness do however miraculously and instantly disappear as soon as the "blue ball" comes out to play.  In front of the house Chris will throw a blue racket ball down the street and the dogs will chase it and bring it back in the common way dogs do.  Onyx however is a speeding black bullet that leaves the other dogs with literally no chance of ever touching the ball.  So Chris has to hold her collar when he throws the ball and give the other dogs a big head-start.  Even so it's often Onyx who returns with the coveted "blue-ball" ready to reluctantly relinquish it to Chris hoping to repeat the process as many times as possible.

Perla's Puppies!

These little boys are no longer with us but their presence certainly made an impact on us while they were here growing up and getting ready to transition to their new families. They managed to be this cute and yet remain true "holy terrors."  It was a joy to see them grow and sad to see them leave one by one.  Selling puppies is something Chris does regularly as a fund-raiser for the ministry and I just heard Onyx is the next mom on deck!

Meet Hunter the Dog...!

What can I say?  The only dog I've ever known to literally have his own original theme song, Hunter has been my best friend and companion for over the past ten years.  More like a person than a dog Hunter has lived in the Suburbs and Cities of Connecticut and Massachusetts, Brooklyn/Williamsberg NY, an artist collective warehouse in Providence Rhode Island, and most recently as a missionary-dog here in Guatemala City.  Hunter has traveled across the 50 U.S. States on tour with my band many times and some of his favorite places to frequent are the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean (although not so much to get in the water), and the Grand Canyon.  Hunter has survived rat-poisoning, a broken hip, a brush with an alligator in Birmingham, an arrest at a Texas & Mexico border checkpoint with an overnight in Dog-prison, and multiple dog-gang related "jumpings".  Here in Guatemala, he has learned to get along fairly well with his new dog companions despite the age and size difference.  For the first time in ten years he isn't allowed in bed with me or on the furniture here which has been an difficult adjustment for us both.  However, Hunter is healthy, happy, walking often a couple miles a day, losing excess weight, and is full of life.


The setting sun and water volcano as seen from our roof-top.

      People who are new to Christianity or who are just simply curious will often ask if there is a place in heaven for animals.  I was one of those who found myself  lovingly contemplating my pet who experiences nearly the full spectrum of human emotion as well as a unique personality.  I often thought and hoped within myself that surely God has a place in eternity for creatures as noble as these.  Today, it is my belief that he does.  
     When God put creation into motion, before the sickness of sin entered into the picture, man, woman, and animals lived together in complete harmony. There was no sickness, no death, and no food-chain.  Heaven, will eventually be a "return to the garden" or original intended perfect state.  As a result of man choosing evil we are temporarily left in a "fallen state."  The animals were actually the first to suffer a capitol consequence of the fall.  The first biblical recorded death was not Cain Killing Abel.  After Adam and Eve received the knowledge of good and evil they were suddenly ashamed of their nakedness so "The Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife."  I can only image the desperate heaviness that moment must have held for the earth's first man and woman.  I envision them viewing a skinned animal carcass for the first time while flies and birds start to get their first taste for flesh. Perhaps the first cold breaze passed over their flesh and they shuddred in the maginitued of the moment.  Whether you believe in the creation story literally or as a mere interpretation of the truth, the truth rings clear.  Death, sickness, and violence, even amongst animals feels inherently wrong and out of place to us at the core of our souls.
Isaiah 11:6-9  "In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;  the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.  the calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.  The cow will graze near the bear.  The cub and the calf will lie down together.  The lion will eat hay like a cow.  The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.  Yes, a little child will put it's hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.  Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my Holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the lord."
Hope is essential for all of us if we are going to make it through this fallen land of ours.  For Christians, it is essential to have hope in a heaven that excites us.  In fact, i believe Heaven is often viewed in a rather unspoken way as a potentially boring and shapeless place. That tells me that not enough people have really dwelled on what heaven will look like in a broad and imaginative scope.  The scripture above is a promise from God that I look forward too even now with near tears in my eyes.  For me, a sensitive animal lover, seeing nature return to harmony and a lion literally laying with a lamb is a promise and hope that sustains and excites me.  In addition to this there are many promises for you waiting to be uncovered and claimed between you and your creator.  I encourage you to find those promises.  Get a picture of heaven that will excite you!  Of course, your imagination couldn't compare to what you will experience as you behold to real thing.  But that shouldn't stop you from contemplating often the joy that awaits you in paradise.  Think of the vastness of the universe and the depths of the ocean and creation that will be yours to explore.  Remember..."God does not forget a single sparrow.  And the very hairs on your head are numbered.  so don't be afraid; for you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."  Luke 12:6-7