Today was a tourist day; after breakfast, we got all the stuff we needed and got on the bus. It drove us to the lake, where we rode a huge boat and swam close to shore for a couple hours. The lake was really pretty, with green forests on either side and clear blue water. After we were done swimming, we went back to the bus and rode to a nice restaurant next to the lake for lunch where we decided what we were doing: shopping in the market or zip-lining over the jungle in a series of switchbacks. I chose zip-lining and soon I was getting a full-body harness put on me and hiking up the mountain (a 20 minute walk). It was really fun zip-lining; one of the two guides accompanying us would slide down ahead of us to the end of the section of zip-line we were on while the other stayed at the beginning to start us. They would hook us up and send us flying over the jungle, trying to see monkeys or take pictures. The guide standing at the end of the line would wave a red flag to tell us to use our gloved hand to grab hold of the line behind us to slow down. He would then catch us at the end and we would walk to the n ext line and wait until our group was done and both guides could come and help us with the next line. It was really amazing and I’m really glad I decided to zip-line instead of shop, despite the twenty dollars I had to pay (which really wasn’t that much; in the States it probably would have been a hundred dollars). I’m so happy I got to have this amazing experience and see God’s beautiful creation in a completely new way.
~Rebekah
Today we got up a 7:oo and had devotions which I really want to keep going when I get home. We got to go to the lake and swim in the hot springs. It was so cool, I’ve never done something like that in my life before. After the lake we went and ate lunch which where hamburgers and fries. We could either go zip-lining or go shopping, I decided to go zip-lining because I have never done that before and thought it would be a really cool adventure and it was. The zip-lining was two hours long and I have to tell you that if you get the chance to do something like that do it. I’m so glad I came on the trip and got to see how BIG our God really is. I’ve learned so much and hope to take it home and use it for the glory of God.
~Abigail
Good morning world (as it is about one a clock there)
Although I would love to write a long, in depth description of today, it is about one hour after lights were supposed to be out and I still have to upload pictures and pack. The idea of packing up all of my things (which are thrown everywhere around my room) is a thought that I can’t yet grasp. I can’t believe that it has been six days since arriving in the beautiful country of Guatemala. The people that I have met and talked to this week have really opened my eyes to what a different culture is like. The things that the Lord showed me are life changing.
If you didn’t know, I had ACL surgery about one month ago, so coming into this trip I had no idea what was going to happen. I knew that I was not going to be able to play my favorite game, soccer, because of my knee, and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to do a lot of things that I would usually have been able to do. Like carry heavy sandbags and posts at the various sites. But even through the hard change in plan, I knew that God was with me and that he had a plan for me this week. The things that he has taught me this week can be summed up into one word: humbleness. I had to humble myself and not be the leader that I know God has made me to be, but watch, wait, listen, and take instructions even though I didn’t want to all of the time. It was really hard to watch my friends and family members play a game of soccer against the Guatemalans and not be able to play, but I got through it and had fun cheering for my team. But enough about that, I don’t have too much time.
Today was a great day to end the week, it was filled with amazing food (which we get every day), shopping for some and zip-lining for others, a beautiful boat ride accompanied with jumping off of the boat, and nice long bus rides that were delayed because of traffic. I even got to jump off of the boat, but don’t tell my orthopedic or physical therapist. J As you have probably heard from reading the above bloggers, the group split up after the boat ride to either go shopping or zip-lining. The zip-line was incredible. It was so remarkable to look at God’s creation of the lake, volcanoes, trees, huts, and my fellow team mates and know that he put everything there for a purpose. Although the hike up to the top of the mountain was challenging for me because I had to leave my crutches at the bottom, I made it up to the starting point and made it down all eight of zip-line segments that wove their way down the mountain. I was one of the people with the camera so it was nice being able to see everyone go down the certain segments of the zip-line. To wrap it up, we drove back to the hotel, had an amazing dinner, devotions, and the rest of the team has gone to bed.
Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts throughout this week, because we experienced many miracles. I can’t even begin to tell you everything and every way that the Lord has shown up this week: from keeping the team somewhat healthy and no major injuries to showing up in each and everyone’s day to reveal a plan. Continue to pray for the two students (Heather and Stephen) and leader (Brian) who are staying an extra three days to further minister to the people of Guatemala. Good night to some and morning to others- I am off to pack.
<3 Rebecca
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Day six- Thursday
Hello Friends and miscellaneous family members,
First, thank you so very much for your prayers on this, my second Guatemalan excursion. Through me, NO authentic witnessing will happen on this trip without God, as it says in 1 Corinthians 3:6. In a desperate attempt to fill you in on just a smidgen of my trip I will start my narrative about our soccer game. With the terms already pre-existing, that the losers buy the winners Gatorade, we, the team, set out to capture the Raptor Rush Flavor of GATORADE. Needless to say, the Guatemalans were the only ones consuming Tangy goodness after it was over. Enufff said. Although disappointing, this was a huge part of bridging the gap between two cultures. Thanks once again for the prayers.
Much Love homies,
Stephen
Greetings folks around the world.
Today was somewhat bittersweet – we finished our interactions on the work sites. I’ve spent four days with some great Guatemalans; Diego, Mario, Alberto, Daniel and Samwell (the interpreter). Today we framed the foundation and mixed the largest batch of cement by hand I have ever seen. We sifted sand for the mortar mix, cut rebar ties and moved about a ton of dirt – seriously. The work has been hard but everyone, our students and the Guatemalans, have interacted really great. Thankfully several students could help with the translation. Meeting the family that will move into the soon to be two story home addition was a huge joy as well.
Well, my blog time is up and I gotta sign off. Thanks for praying and watch for future announcements on when we will share the whole story of this awesome trip.
Peace,
P Scott
Hi friends,
Hope a good number of you have been keeping up on our adventures here in Guatemala. Your prayer support over the past week is much appreciated. Today was a big change up for me as far as projects go. I spent all of today at the block house construction site in the city (I was at the orphanage / fence project site the previous three days). I’m continually reminded no matter where I am down here that often times my way (or the American way) is not always the best way. I’m humbled by even the simplest of things….this time it was the way they mixed their cement. As Pastor Scott mentioned all was mixed by hand, not by a machine, not in a tub or bucket, but right on the flat ground inside house we were building. I was so skeptical at first but when I saw how skilled they were at the work, I was convicted of the pride I was carrying. It’s a good thing to be humbled.
I can’t wait to share with many of you in person the great victories God has given this team this week and the many ways He’s worked in the very hearts of those involved. Thanks again…
-Brian
First, thank you so very much for your prayers on this, my second Guatemalan excursion. Through me, NO authentic witnessing will happen on this trip without God, as it says in 1 Corinthians 3:6. In a desperate attempt to fill you in on just a smidgen of my trip I will start my narrative about our soccer game. With the terms already pre-existing, that the losers buy the winners Gatorade, we, the team, set out to capture the Raptor Rush Flavor of GATORADE. Needless to say, the Guatemalans were the only ones consuming Tangy goodness after it was over. Enufff said. Although disappointing, this was a huge part of bridging the gap between two cultures. Thanks once again for the prayers.
Much Love homies,
Stephen
Greetings folks around the world.
Today was somewhat bittersweet – we finished our interactions on the work sites. I’ve spent four days with some great Guatemalans; Diego, Mario, Alberto, Daniel and Samwell (the interpreter). Today we framed the foundation and mixed the largest batch of cement by hand I have ever seen. We sifted sand for the mortar mix, cut rebar ties and moved about a ton of dirt – seriously. The work has been hard but everyone, our students and the Guatemalans, have interacted really great. Thankfully several students could help with the translation. Meeting the family that will move into the soon to be two story home addition was a huge joy as well.
Well, my blog time is up and I gotta sign off. Thanks for praying and watch for future announcements on when we will share the whole story of this awesome trip.
Peace,
P Scott
Hi friends,
Hope a good number of you have been keeping up on our adventures here in Guatemala. Your prayer support over the past week is much appreciated. Today was a big change up for me as far as projects go. I spent all of today at the block house construction site in the city (I was at the orphanage / fence project site the previous three days). I’m continually reminded no matter where I am down here that often times my way (or the American way) is not always the best way. I’m humbled by even the simplest of things….this time it was the way they mixed their cement. As Pastor Scott mentioned all was mixed by hand, not by a machine, not in a tub or bucket, but right on the flat ground inside house we were building. I was so skeptical at first but when I saw how skilled they were at the work, I was convicted of the pride I was carrying. It’s a good thing to be humbled.
I can’t wait to share with many of you in person the great victories God has given this team this week and the many ways He’s worked in the very hearts of those involved. Thanks again…
-Brian
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Day five- Wednesday
Hola! Today I went down to the orphanage to build a fence around it. While I was doing this I fell off a cliff but luckily I was saved. We also found a toxic bug that can kill you, which was pretty scary. I enjoyed playing with the little kids and blowing bubbles with them. That was basically how today went so… audios!
~Shanna Santos
Estoy muy emocionada! Vamos a jugar al futbol con los trabajadores de mi porjecto. Oh, sorry. I’ve been speaking Spanish mostly all day and can’t seem to drag myself back to speaking choppy English. But for your sakes, I will. I’m very excited! We’re going to play soccer with the workers from my construction site. They invited us, which is a huge show of friendship, familiarity, and respect. But more than the game, I’m excited each time I walk down the narrow hallway, into an open, flower covered courtyard, past hundreds of screeching, dirty chickens, and into our designated building area. I’m excited for each day that I can see the guys, work alongside them, and get to know them better. It’s great to laugh, smile, and laugh as Laura attempts to speak Spanish (while she’s actually speaking Spanglish). Today, at the house, we finished four layers of block, and cement and we started the middle support layer.
Other than the house, the fence team came back looking like they had just climbed out of a chimney. The VBS went very well, as we did a craft, performed the Ragman drama, sang songs both in Spanish and English, and played with burbujas (bubbles) and globos (balloons). I heard that teaching English went well; however, I didn’t ask the details. Everyone is working hard and soccer tonight will be a nice break, although dinner is going to be late and my stomach is already singing.
God is at work! Thanks for all of your prayers and support. However, with a little bit less support, I may have been able to manage to just buy a plane ticket here and would have to stay…but I guess it’s not my time yet. Oh, and check out Psalm 145:6-7 (and the rest of the chapter while you’re at it). It’s my verses for today on witnessing.
Much love, Heather
Today was a great day. Each morning we begin the day as a team; then we spend time with the Lord individually. This is a great consistency of the week. The team is starting to experience some weakness as we have been away from home for a few days. However, the team is reaching people through service. I am on the house team where we continue to bend steal into rectangles for the beams, sift sand for a cement mixture, lay block for the foundation, and any other odds and ends that need to be done. The first and only time we attempted to do VBS at the house was this afternoon. There were too many children for our man power and supplies, but we were able to talk to a few before we had to leave. I love spending time with the kids and trying to communicate with them! The best part is that we have formed relationships with the men we are working with. We know about their families and how they ended up working for Mario! Somehow we ended up playing a soccer game with them tonight. This was quite the break through because men and women do not play soccer together in Guatemala! (I watched a great game!) We ended the night spending time together by the fireside and watching Princess Bride or mingling. Thank you for your continued prayers. Pray for our continued strength and unity as we finish our last few days in Guatemala.
Always,
Tricia Michalko
~Shanna Santos
Estoy muy emocionada! Vamos a jugar al futbol con los trabajadores de mi porjecto. Oh, sorry. I’ve been speaking Spanish mostly all day and can’t seem to drag myself back to speaking choppy English. But for your sakes, I will. I’m very excited! We’re going to play soccer with the workers from my construction site. They invited us, which is a huge show of friendship, familiarity, and respect. But more than the game, I’m excited each time I walk down the narrow hallway, into an open, flower covered courtyard, past hundreds of screeching, dirty chickens, and into our designated building area. I’m excited for each day that I can see the guys, work alongside them, and get to know them better. It’s great to laugh, smile, and laugh as Laura attempts to speak Spanish (while she’s actually speaking Spanglish). Today, at the house, we finished four layers of block, and cement and we started the middle support layer.
Other than the house, the fence team came back looking like they had just climbed out of a chimney. The VBS went very well, as we did a craft, performed the Ragman drama, sang songs both in Spanish and English, and played with burbujas (bubbles) and globos (balloons). I heard that teaching English went well; however, I didn’t ask the details. Everyone is working hard and soccer tonight will be a nice break, although dinner is going to be late and my stomach is already singing.
God is at work! Thanks for all of your prayers and support. However, with a little bit less support, I may have been able to manage to just buy a plane ticket here and would have to stay…but I guess it’s not my time yet. Oh, and check out Psalm 145:6-7 (and the rest of the chapter while you’re at it). It’s my verses for today on witnessing.
Much love, Heather
Today was a great day. Each morning we begin the day as a team; then we spend time with the Lord individually. This is a great consistency of the week. The team is starting to experience some weakness as we have been away from home for a few days. However, the team is reaching people through service. I am on the house team where we continue to bend steal into rectangles for the beams, sift sand for a cement mixture, lay block for the foundation, and any other odds and ends that need to be done. The first and only time we attempted to do VBS at the house was this afternoon. There were too many children for our man power and supplies, but we were able to talk to a few before we had to leave. I love spending time with the kids and trying to communicate with them! The best part is that we have formed relationships with the men we are working with. We know about their families and how they ended up working for Mario! Somehow we ended up playing a soccer game with them tonight. This was quite the break through because men and women do not play soccer together in Guatemala! (I watched a great game!) We ended the night spending time together by the fireside and watching Princess Bride or mingling. Thank you for your continued prayers. Pray for our continued strength and unity as we finish our last few days in Guatemala.
Always,
Tricia Michalko
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Day four- Tuesday
Hola mis amigos!
I spoke some Spanish today, well tried too..haha. We started out the day with devotions very early. I find myself waking up a minute before we have to start and walking out the door. I also did VBS this morning with Amanda, Heather, Anna, Stephen, Tess, and Bryan. We did the drama, "In the Light" for the kids and I think that they understood it pretty well! After VBS I went went back to the brick house. We took a tuk tuk (I'm not sure of the spelling), but it's pretty much like a little taxi but it has three wheels and no doors. It's quite the experience. The people at the house are finally starting to warm up to us. We spoke to a couple kids today and even taugth the one little boy how to play War and took a little girl to get ice cream. There are often times where some of us are sitting around doing nothing..some people look at this as a disadvantage because we aren't working, but I think of it as an advantage because we get to interact with the Guatemalan people. The house is coming along pretty well and everyone is working pretty hard..I even got to carry bags on my back..Guatemalan style. After we were all showered and clean we went and picked up cakes from a local bakery for Josh and Lee's baby shower. I feel like I say Hola! a thousands times a day, but in Guatemala people are so friendly and greet anyone and everyone. Well I have to go help set up for the baby shower to Josh and Lee. Hope all is well at home and I miss everyone!
Love, Lauren
Hola amigos!
Isn't God amazing? Every morning, at 6:30 (AM) our entire group meets down around the fountain at the center of the hotel. This morning, Trish (Kimps' cuz) read her favorite Bible verse to the group. The verse was Isaiah 61:1, which says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” This verse directly applies to what we are being called to do down here in Guatemala. We are dealing with people living in extreme poverty, we are dealing with people afflicted with broken hearts, we are dealing with people held captive and imprisoned by the many lies Satan has sown and this verse is just further encouragement for us as we try to accomplish our goal on this trip. The crazy part of it is, we also had a daily devotion established weeks before the trip, and it just so happened that Isaiah 61:1 was assigned as reading for this morning. It is amazing how God works.
Adios, Evan.
So far this trip has been amazing! It’s so cool to experience what life is like where I’m not in the comfort of my own home. Today was the first day we had good weather, thank the Lord. At the concert of prayer they talked about “flexibility,” and that word has been proven to be a key word here in Guatemala. There are two construction sites and one van. My group was going to be the second group to go to our site. We think that they forgot about us and we waited for two hours to go to our site. It was really awesome because it was a great way to bond with the kids in our team. We lost Shanna’s hackysack twice and a couple of us ended up having to climb on top of the roof of the hotel. It was amazing. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. The prayer schedule is definitely a helpful guide; I use it in my own quiet time. ADIOS!!!
Anna Wimer
I spoke some Spanish today, well tried too..haha. We started out the day with devotions very early. I find myself waking up a minute before we have to start and walking out the door. I also did VBS this morning with Amanda, Heather, Anna, Stephen, Tess, and Bryan. We did the drama, "In the Light" for the kids and I think that they understood it pretty well! After VBS I went went back to the brick house. We took a tuk tuk (I'm not sure of the spelling), but it's pretty much like a little taxi but it has three wheels and no doors. It's quite the experience. The people at the house are finally starting to warm up to us. We spoke to a couple kids today and even taugth the one little boy how to play War and took a little girl to get ice cream. There are often times where some of us are sitting around doing nothing..some people look at this as a disadvantage because we aren't working, but I think of it as an advantage because we get to interact with the Guatemalan people. The house is coming along pretty well and everyone is working pretty hard..I even got to carry bags on my back..Guatemalan style. After we were all showered and clean we went and picked up cakes from a local bakery for Josh and Lee's baby shower. I feel like I say Hola! a thousands times a day, but in Guatemala people are so friendly and greet anyone and everyone. Well I have to go help set up for the baby shower to Josh and Lee. Hope all is well at home and I miss everyone!
Love, Lauren
Hola amigos!
Isn't God amazing? Every morning, at 6:30 (AM) our entire group meets down around the fountain at the center of the hotel. This morning, Trish (Kimps' cuz) read her favorite Bible verse to the group. The verse was Isaiah 61:1, which says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” This verse directly applies to what we are being called to do down here in Guatemala. We are dealing with people living in extreme poverty, we are dealing with people afflicted with broken hearts, we are dealing with people held captive and imprisoned by the many lies Satan has sown and this verse is just further encouragement for us as we try to accomplish our goal on this trip. The crazy part of it is, we also had a daily devotion established weeks before the trip, and it just so happened that Isaiah 61:1 was assigned as reading for this morning. It is amazing how God works.
Adios, Evan.
So far this trip has been amazing! It’s so cool to experience what life is like where I’m not in the comfort of my own home. Today was the first day we had good weather, thank the Lord. At the concert of prayer they talked about “flexibility,” and that word has been proven to be a key word here in Guatemala. There are two construction sites and one van. My group was going to be the second group to go to our site. We think that they forgot about us and we waited for two hours to go to our site. It was really awesome because it was a great way to bond with the kids in our team. We lost Shanna’s hackysack twice and a couple of us ended up having to climb on top of the roof of the hotel. It was amazing. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. The prayer schedule is definitely a helpful guide; I use it in my own quiet time. ADIOS!!!
Anna Wimer
Monday, July 13, 2009
Day three- Monday
Hola,
We had a very fullfilling full day in Chichicastenango today! It was a joy to wake up and worship with the group in this beautiful part of God's creation. After devotions and a great breakfast Pastor Scott and I led a group of 15 to start digging the foundation for a two story house. The local boss and a translator were a joy to work with. They were very organized and had three tasks for us; cutting wire, bending the wire on a nail jig and digging about a 33 inch deep trench by 50 centimeters wide ditch. At first they didn't want the ladies digging so they were doing the first two tasks. Much to the pleasure of the Pastor Scott, Ryan and myself the locals allowed the ladies to help us dig. There is no way we would have finished the foundation today with out the strong support of our ladies. The weather was in the 70's with on and off rain. It was enriching to try out our limited spanish and talk to the locals. It was a real team effort as we had to bag and carry the dirt about fifty yards. We had all groups working on different tasks and also making the rebar columns that will support the corners. It is such a beatufil walk as we cam back to Casa del Ray, our Hotel. Will keep you posted on our progress and the many other great things the Lord is doing in this area. I will thank our prayer supporters back home as we really feel your support.
Birk
Today was the first work day. I was on the construction team that was working on the house. It was a very small house by American standards, but we dug a deep trench around the perimeter for the foundation. We had to remove all of the dirt and carry it away from the site, while some others were building steel rebars for the concrete columns. It was hard work sometimes, but it was fun working with native Guatemalans. It was very fun talking to them in Spanish and learning about them at a personal level. Before I came, I thought that most of my communication with the people would be brief or in basic Spanish. However, after being at the site for awhile, I had had some great, and long, conversations with some of the workers. I was talking to them about the same kinds of things that I would talk about with my friends, and not just asking them questions that are taught in Spanish class. The best part of talking to them was when I told a joke. I came up with a joke in Spanish, and all three of them laughed. It was fun because I wasn't sure if they would think it was funny, but we had a great time. I cannot wait until tomorrow. This trip is amazing--both the projects and the bonding with team members.
-Ryan
So here I am on my first ever missions trip, on my first ever blog...no one who knows me would ever doubt that I'd be on a missions trip, but ME - BLOGGING??!! Oh, yeah, and I even have photos to prove it! (With God, all things ARE possible!) Of course, He had to bring me all the way to Guatemala to force me to do this, but hey, it happened.
But enough of that; I have way more important things to write about. This trip is amazing on so many levels, and I can hardly wait to share it! The terrain is very dramatic, very beautiful, and very captivating. One of the many volcanoes we saw as we drove to Chichi was still smouldering, a mere hint of the power and majesty of our Lord. The people are very interesting and not what I expected. They are very tiny, very dark skinned, and very different from us; yet I feel a connection with them that I had not expected. One lady we passed on the way to the market was barely waist-high to me. The children are some of the most absolutely adorable children I have ever seen, and their smiles can melt you like the sun. I wanted so much to share our moments in great detail, and while the three and a half years of spanish that I studied has proven invaluable, I regret that I am limited by the confines of our language barrier. Some of the natives are very reserved, and we've been told that they have some significant (albeit unfounded) fears about us, but once they engage with us, a whole new world if intrigue opens up.
We have seen God at work here already, and it's been largely in us. He has knit our hearts together to serve this sweet people, and He has done so much more than I have time to write tonight. I can't wait to tell you all more, and I will close with thanking everyone back home who have been so instrumental in helping us get here and are praying for us. And I can hardly wait to see what all God has in store for us here!
Sally
Hi everyone from Pittsburgh!
I'm so excited to share my day and experience with all of you. Today, I was supposed to go to English Second Language to help translate english to the little Guatemalans in their classrooms, however, plans changed and I helped with the fencing project. Although I was disappointed to not see the children at the school, I was happy to help with the fences. As expected, God turned the disappointment into a great and exciting day!
When we first arrived at the project, the weather did not look promising. Although it sprinkled at points in the day and was a bit chilly, it did not downpour completely on us, making the hammering and building still possible. Because we were on slopes for hammering the barbwire fencing to the posts, it was very slippery, yet thankfully, we only had minor injuries during the duration of the fencing time. Evan, Sally, and Abigail were on my team for the building. While Sally and Abigail left to tend to Abigail's wound, Evan and I were left behind to finish the project. This was not a good idea. Instead of the 8 inches we were supposed to have between each fence, we had 2 feet! We did not realize this major mistake until we hammered the nails in. I, then, said "Jesus please help us fix the fence!"As we went back to see any possible solution to this problem, we decided to count our losses and cut the wire after the Guatemalan man insisted that we needed to fix it. Proceeding to cut the fence, I desired to cut the fence, however, since I lack muscle, I failed at cutting it. I attempted on pulling the wire and wiggling it back and forth to gain progress, but, instead, I pulled out the nail! Praise Jesus! The Guatemalan then saw that Jesus really does answer our prayers, as simple as the request may be. I have to go now though...others need to share too! See you soon!
Emi
We had a very fullfilling full day in Chichicastenango today! It was a joy to wake up and worship with the group in this beautiful part of God's creation. After devotions and a great breakfast Pastor Scott and I led a group of 15 to start digging the foundation for a two story house. The local boss and a translator were a joy to work with. They were very organized and had three tasks for us; cutting wire, bending the wire on a nail jig and digging about a 33 inch deep trench by 50 centimeters wide ditch. At first they didn't want the ladies digging so they were doing the first two tasks. Much to the pleasure of the Pastor Scott, Ryan and myself the locals allowed the ladies to help us dig. There is no way we would have finished the foundation today with out the strong support of our ladies. The weather was in the 70's with on and off rain. It was enriching to try out our limited spanish and talk to the locals. It was a real team effort as we had to bag and carry the dirt about fifty yards. We had all groups working on different tasks and also making the rebar columns that will support the corners. It is such a beatufil walk as we cam back to Casa del Ray, our Hotel. Will keep you posted on our progress and the many other great things the Lord is doing in this area. I will thank our prayer supporters back home as we really feel your support.
Birk
Today was the first work day. I was on the construction team that was working on the house. It was a very small house by American standards, but we dug a deep trench around the perimeter for the foundation. We had to remove all of the dirt and carry it away from the site, while some others were building steel rebars for the concrete columns. It was hard work sometimes, but it was fun working with native Guatemalans. It was very fun talking to them in Spanish and learning about them at a personal level. Before I came, I thought that most of my communication with the people would be brief or in basic Spanish. However, after being at the site for awhile, I had had some great, and long, conversations with some of the workers. I was talking to them about the same kinds of things that I would talk about with my friends, and not just asking them questions that are taught in Spanish class. The best part of talking to them was when I told a joke. I came up with a joke in Spanish, and all three of them laughed. It was fun because I wasn't sure if they would think it was funny, but we had a great time. I cannot wait until tomorrow. This trip is amazing--both the projects and the bonding with team members.
-Ryan
So here I am on my first ever missions trip, on my first ever blog...no one who knows me would ever doubt that I'd be on a missions trip, but ME - BLOGGING??!! Oh, yeah, and I even have photos to prove it! (With God, all things ARE possible!) Of course, He had to bring me all the way to Guatemala to force me to do this, but hey, it happened.
But enough of that; I have way more important things to write about. This trip is amazing on so many levels, and I can hardly wait to share it! The terrain is very dramatic, very beautiful, and very captivating. One of the many volcanoes we saw as we drove to Chichi was still smouldering, a mere hint of the power and majesty of our Lord. The people are very interesting and not what I expected. They are very tiny, very dark skinned, and very different from us; yet I feel a connection with them that I had not expected. One lady we passed on the way to the market was barely waist-high to me. The children are some of the most absolutely adorable children I have ever seen, and their smiles can melt you like the sun. I wanted so much to share our moments in great detail, and while the three and a half years of spanish that I studied has proven invaluable, I regret that I am limited by the confines of our language barrier. Some of the natives are very reserved, and we've been told that they have some significant (albeit unfounded) fears about us, but once they engage with us, a whole new world if intrigue opens up.
We have seen God at work here already, and it's been largely in us. He has knit our hearts together to serve this sweet people, and He has done so much more than I have time to write tonight. I can't wait to tell you all more, and I will close with thanking everyone back home who have been so instrumental in helping us get here and are praying for us. And I can hardly wait to see what all God has in store for us here!
Sally
Hi everyone from Pittsburgh!
I'm so excited to share my day and experience with all of you. Today, I was supposed to go to English Second Language to help translate english to the little Guatemalans in their classrooms, however, plans changed and I helped with the fencing project. Although I was disappointed to not see the children at the school, I was happy to help with the fences. As expected, God turned the disappointment into a great and exciting day!
When we first arrived at the project, the weather did not look promising. Although it sprinkled at points in the day and was a bit chilly, it did not downpour completely on us, making the hammering and building still possible. Because we were on slopes for hammering the barbwire fencing to the posts, it was very slippery, yet thankfully, we only had minor injuries during the duration of the fencing time. Evan, Sally, and Abigail were on my team for the building. While Sally and Abigail left to tend to Abigail's wound, Evan and I were left behind to finish the project. This was not a good idea. Instead of the 8 inches we were supposed to have between each fence, we had 2 feet! We did not realize this major mistake until we hammered the nails in. I, then, said "Jesus please help us fix the fence!"As we went back to see any possible solution to this problem, we decided to count our losses and cut the wire after the Guatemalan man insisted that we needed to fix it. Proceeding to cut the fence, I desired to cut the fence, however, since I lack muscle, I failed at cutting it. I attempted on pulling the wire and wiggling it back and forth to gain progress, but, instead, I pulled out the nail! Praise Jesus! The Guatemalan then saw that Jesus really does answer our prayers, as simple as the request may be. I have to go now though...others need to share too! See you soon!
Emi
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Day Two- Sunday
Today Jim fullfilled my third grade wish, to be a line leader...I had the chance to lead the whole group to church..which was just up 15 steps. Anyways, on a more serious note, we went to church with other missionaries in ChiChi. We then had some free time, where some people played frisbee, while others learned to juggle..with lemons. After lunch we all went to the market where i used my AMAZING bargaining skills with Emily. I purchased an item originally priced for 300 Q for 175 Q. We also got to practice our spanish skills and witness to 3 little girls named Jennifer, Rosa, and Juanlina(i couldn't understand what she said). I had an amazing time dancing with them and acting like a 5 year old..once again. The overall expierence has been filled with laughter and fun times. We hope this week brings good memories and experiences that we will remember in the years to come.
~Hannah G.
To start off my day, I woke up around 8:00 a.m. Guatemalan time. I turn only to see Hannah G. (my roomie) sitting reading a book. Apparently, she had woken up aorund 7:00 a.m. and I didn't hear her make a sound. Anyways, we went down to breakfast around 8:30. For breakfast, we had some amazing french toast and the syrup was also very good. After breakfast, we were told to go get ready for the church service being held. The service was about prayer and i was able to closely relate since prayer is a strong topic for me. Once the service was over, we had lunch and got ready for the market. Boy was that an experience! We started out by walking down to the market in groups. Once we got to the market, I didn't quite know what to expect, but it was nothing like what i thought it was going to be. First, we went into this store called De Colores. Aftewards, we ventured into the market. I was astonished by all the people, women, and children who would just come up into your face and ask you to buy something. They would make several offers and I had no idea what to do except to say "No Gracias" and walk away. I felt terrible saying it to the children, but I didn't want what they were selling. Oh, and by the way, mom if you're reading this....I GOT YOUR BLANKET! I'm now allowed back into USA. After the market, we came back and played with these 3 little girls who were very cute. We then had dinner and group devotions and that's pretty much my day!
~Kaitlyn
For everyone else this is day two, but for me this is only day one. I got a call Friday morning saying that I might not be able to get my passport on time and I may not be able to even go on the trip. My mom told me that if it didn't work out there was a reason for it, and I wasn't meant to go. When we had almost given up hope, two options suddenly appeared. One was to drive to the Philly office where my passport was being approved and the othe option was to switch my flight and have me fly down to Guatemala City by myself. We made plans to make an emergency trip to Philly until we discovered that the Philly office closed at three and there was no way we would make it there in time. So we expedited my passport to get it there on Saturday and switched my flight to Sunday. God found a way for me to get to Guatemala and that made it apparent that I was meant to be a member of the '09 Guatemala team. I was okay with flying from Pittsburgh to Atlanta by myself, but from Atlanta to Guatemala was a completely different story. I have never flown internationally by myself until today. I was so nervous about getting all the right papers and filling them out correctly, and figuring out where to go once I got off the plane. But luckily while I was sitting in Pittsburgh International Airport waiting for my flight to board I overheard a group of people talking about how they were flying to Guatemala City. As the plane began to board I walked over to them and explained my situation and asked if they could help me get through immigration and customs once we landed in Guatemala City. Without these people I don't know if could've made it through everything as smoothly as I did. After I made it through customs and immigration i was rushed out the door by a security guard. When I stepped outside the airport i was overwhelmed by the huge crowd of people waiting for their family members, friends and relatives. I stood by the wall for a good 20 minutes and there was no sign of pastor scott anywhere. I began to a little worried and scared. I had no clue where he was, let alone where I was. Then a missionary came up to me and asked if I needed help or to call someone. She even offered to drive me Casa del Ray, where we were staying, which was about 3 hours away from Guatemala City. I was so thankful for the people God put into my life today. My faith was put to the test, but I continued to trust in God and he came through for me. Hannah S-J
4 bombs went off last night during our sleep. I heard 3 of them, I don't remember the 4th one. Guatemalan's make small makeshift bombs to set off for numerous reasons including to scare off spirits and to celebrate birthdays. It is very common to hear these bombs go off anytime of the day or night. The hard work has not set in yet. Today we attended a church service for missionaries and then headed to the market to do some shopping. I had 3 young girls follow me for 20 minutes trying to get me to buy their toys. I bought a couple stuffed animals from one of the three girls and the two other girls were VERY upset that I didn't buy from them. They proceeded to follow me and tell me that to make it up to them for not buying their toys, I had to buy them ice cream. I laughed and said no.
I have very mixed emotions in the market, ranging from deep sadness over the poverty of the people to joy in seeing the simplicites of their life. It was hard to see the babies strapped to the mom's back for what seemed to me HOURS of the day while the mother's sold their wares. The 3 year olds who sat in their mother's lap for what seemed HOURS on end while their families sold items. Their didn't seem to be a lot of joy in the children's eyes. I can't imagine my daughter having to sit with me at work for hours and hours and hours and have to do it everyday.
I was speaking with a woman as I was purchasing an item and she asked me if I was pregnant. (because I do look so) Now, earlier this week, I told myself that I would not pass up a moment to talk of my son and how he is no longer in my life and I can still bless the Lord's name, so this was my moment of truth. I told her that I had a son 4 months ago that passed away. She looked at me with great concern and said something that I have no idea what it meant and we parted ways. I don't know why we were meant to have that conversation, but we did. I had another conversation here at the hotel and found out about 2 other women losing children who are in the neighborhood, so with an odd anticipation, I hope to speak with them. I shared with my group tonight that I feel very humbled to be one of 27 that God has brought here for a reason, for a purpose. I feel so inadequate right now in my life as I feel I have been needing a lot of comfort from those around me as opposed to giving it right now. I pray that God will show me his purpose and show me while I am here to take full advantage of it.
Well, games are being played right now, I must go join everyone. God is good all the time.
Hannah H.
~Hannah G.
To start off my day, I woke up around 8:00 a.m. Guatemalan time. I turn only to see Hannah G. (my roomie) sitting reading a book. Apparently, she had woken up aorund 7:00 a.m. and I didn't hear her make a sound. Anyways, we went down to breakfast around 8:30. For breakfast, we had some amazing french toast and the syrup was also very good. After breakfast, we were told to go get ready for the church service being held. The service was about prayer and i was able to closely relate since prayer is a strong topic for me. Once the service was over, we had lunch and got ready for the market. Boy was that an experience! We started out by walking down to the market in groups. Once we got to the market, I didn't quite know what to expect, but it was nothing like what i thought it was going to be. First, we went into this store called De Colores. Aftewards, we ventured into the market. I was astonished by all the people, women, and children who would just come up into your face and ask you to buy something. They would make several offers and I had no idea what to do except to say "No Gracias" and walk away. I felt terrible saying it to the children, but I didn't want what they were selling. Oh, and by the way, mom if you're reading this....I GOT YOUR BLANKET! I'm now allowed back into USA. After the market, we came back and played with these 3 little girls who were very cute. We then had dinner and group devotions and that's pretty much my day!
~Kaitlyn
For everyone else this is day two, but for me this is only day one. I got a call Friday morning saying that I might not be able to get my passport on time and I may not be able to even go on the trip. My mom told me that if it didn't work out there was a reason for it, and I wasn't meant to go. When we had almost given up hope, two options suddenly appeared. One was to drive to the Philly office where my passport was being approved and the othe option was to switch my flight and have me fly down to Guatemala City by myself. We made plans to make an emergency trip to Philly until we discovered that the Philly office closed at three and there was no way we would make it there in time. So we expedited my passport to get it there on Saturday and switched my flight to Sunday. God found a way for me to get to Guatemala and that made it apparent that I was meant to be a member of the '09 Guatemala team. I was okay with flying from Pittsburgh to Atlanta by myself, but from Atlanta to Guatemala was a completely different story. I have never flown internationally by myself until today. I was so nervous about getting all the right papers and filling them out correctly, and figuring out where to go once I got off the plane. But luckily while I was sitting in Pittsburgh International Airport waiting for my flight to board I overheard a group of people talking about how they were flying to Guatemala City. As the plane began to board I walked over to them and explained my situation and asked if they could help me get through immigration and customs once we landed in Guatemala City. Without these people I don't know if could've made it through everything as smoothly as I did. After I made it through customs and immigration i was rushed out the door by a security guard. When I stepped outside the airport i was overwhelmed by the huge crowd of people waiting for their family members, friends and relatives. I stood by the wall for a good 20 minutes and there was no sign of pastor scott anywhere. I began to a little worried and scared. I had no clue where he was, let alone where I was. Then a missionary came up to me and asked if I needed help or to call someone. She even offered to drive me Casa del Ray, where we were staying, which was about 3 hours away from Guatemala City. I was so thankful for the people God put into my life today. My faith was put to the test, but I continued to trust in God and he came through for me. Hannah S-J
4 bombs went off last night during our sleep. I heard 3 of them, I don't remember the 4th one. Guatemalan's make small makeshift bombs to set off for numerous reasons including to scare off spirits and to celebrate birthdays. It is very common to hear these bombs go off anytime of the day or night. The hard work has not set in yet. Today we attended a church service for missionaries and then headed to the market to do some shopping. I had 3 young girls follow me for 20 minutes trying to get me to buy their toys. I bought a couple stuffed animals from one of the three girls and the two other girls were VERY upset that I didn't buy from them. They proceeded to follow me and tell me that to make it up to them for not buying their toys, I had to buy them ice cream. I laughed and said no.
I have very mixed emotions in the market, ranging from deep sadness over the poverty of the people to joy in seeing the simplicites of their life. It was hard to see the babies strapped to the mom's back for what seemed to me HOURS of the day while the mother's sold their wares. The 3 year olds who sat in their mother's lap for what seemed HOURS on end while their families sold items. Their didn't seem to be a lot of joy in the children's eyes. I can't imagine my daughter having to sit with me at work for hours and hours and hours and have to do it everyday.
I was speaking with a woman as I was purchasing an item and she asked me if I was pregnant. (because I do look so) Now, earlier this week, I told myself that I would not pass up a moment to talk of my son and how he is no longer in my life and I can still bless the Lord's name, so this was my moment of truth. I told her that I had a son 4 months ago that passed away. She looked at me with great concern and said something that I have no idea what it meant and we parted ways. I don't know why we were meant to have that conversation, but we did. I had another conversation here at the hotel and found out about 2 other women losing children who are in the neighborhood, so with an odd anticipation, I hope to speak with them. I shared with my group tonight that I feel very humbled to be one of 27 that God has brought here for a reason, for a purpose. I feel so inadequate right now in my life as I feel I have been needing a lot of comfort from those around me as opposed to giving it right now. I pray that God will show me his purpose and show me while I am here to take full advantage of it.
Well, games are being played right now, I must go join everyone. God is good all the time.
Hannah H.
Day one- Saturday
We made it! We are all safe and sound at the hotel Casa Del Rey. The countryside is amazing. After a long day of travel we are all looking forward to a night of rest.
~Annelise
Today (July 11, 2009) was down for travel from Pittsburgh to Chichicastenango, Guatemala. The day began very early. Most team members were up at 3:00 AM. A few team members were up even earlier that that .... in fact they never went to bed ... I think it was a girl thing. Needless to say we had some very sleepy girls on the trip. But the "champion sleeper award" goes to Ryan. No kidding ... he slept more than he was awake during today's travel.
God surely superintended our travel. We made all of our connections, although our seats to Guatemala city where almost given away as we hung out eating breakfast in Atlanta. We're making a list of lessons learned. More than, numbering suitcases, and securing seat assignments before breakfast, is that God is wonderfully creative. Not only did He create a great group of teens and leaders, but also He created a beautiful country and people group in Guatemala. I look forward to ministry this week.
Jim
We just finished up our first night of worship and it brought back many memories from my trip to Guatemala last year. It makes me very excited and anxious to see what God has planned for us this week. Today was all around pretty uneventful except for losing one bag and a little traffic on the way to the hotel. (fortunately, we made it for dinner)
~Amanda
We have made it safely to Guatemala. It was a long and tiring trip, but the team is excited to have finally arrived. We only lost one bag which was filled with supplies, and it was mine, but hopefully it will show up. We had our first meal and it was delicious! Keep us in your prayers!-Julz
~Annelise
Today (July 11, 2009) was down for travel from Pittsburgh to Chichicastenango, Guatemala. The day began very early. Most team members were up at 3:00 AM. A few team members were up even earlier that that .... in fact they never went to bed ... I think it was a girl thing. Needless to say we had some very sleepy girls on the trip. But the "champion sleeper award" goes to Ryan. No kidding ... he slept more than he was awake during today's travel.
God surely superintended our travel. We made all of our connections, although our seats to Guatemala city where almost given away as we hung out eating breakfast in Atlanta. We're making a list of lessons learned. More than, numbering suitcases, and securing seat assignments before breakfast, is that God is wonderfully creative. Not only did He create a great group of teens and leaders, but also He created a beautiful country and people group in Guatemala. I look forward to ministry this week.
Jim
We just finished up our first night of worship and it brought back many memories from my trip to Guatemala last year. It makes me very excited and anxious to see what God has planned for us this week. Today was all around pretty uneventful except for losing one bag and a little traffic on the way to the hotel. (fortunately, we made it for dinner)
~Amanda
We have made it safely to Guatemala. It was a long and tiring trip, but the team is excited to have finally arrived. We only lost one bag which was filled with supplies, and it was mine, but hopefully it will show up. We had our first meal and it was delicious! Keep us in your prayers!-Julz
Friday, July 10, 2009
Oceans Apart
Close your eyes...
How long did it take you to realize that you can't read with your eyes closed? Haha. Since you can't close your eyes, just imagine with me...
Across the ocean, there is a people, a nation, a city, a community- to us, they are the Guatemalans. But to them, they just call each other "us." They live in simplicity, adorn themselves with traditional dress, and faithfully worship gods of their created Mayan Catholicism. Across the ocean, there will soon be another people- to the Guatemalans, they are foreigners, outsiders, different. They live in luxury, adorn themselves with modern not cultural clothes, and faithfully worship their gods of money and fame. Across the ocean, there will soon be a collision- both groups will meet and stereotypes will be shattered. The Guatemalans, poor and humble, will see that our ACAC team does not fit the proud, rich stereotype they had imagined. Our team, rich and comfortable compared to the rest of the world, will see that the Guatemalans have something that they don't- they have a gratitude that runs deeper than a present, than a new car, than a pay raise.
Tomorrow morning, before the sun wakes, we'll be meeting at the airport, saying our goodbyes to family, and embarking on a journey. Tomorrow morning, we'll be taking the first steps to invite God to collide our world with the Guatemalans' world. Tomorrow morning, we'll be stepping out of our comfort zones into a place of utter reliance on God.
How long did it take you to realize that you can't read with your eyes closed? Haha. Since you can't close your eyes, just imagine with me...
Across the ocean, there is a people, a nation, a city, a community- to us, they are the Guatemalans. But to them, they just call each other "us." They live in simplicity, adorn themselves with traditional dress, and faithfully worship gods of their created Mayan Catholicism. Across the ocean, there will soon be another people- to the Guatemalans, they are foreigners, outsiders, different. They live in luxury, adorn themselves with modern not cultural clothes, and faithfully worship their gods of money and fame. Across the ocean, there will soon be a collision- both groups will meet and stereotypes will be shattered. The Guatemalans, poor and humble, will see that our ACAC team does not fit the proud, rich stereotype they had imagined. Our team, rich and comfortable compared to the rest of the world, will see that the Guatemalans have something that they don't- they have a gratitude that runs deeper than a present, than a new car, than a pay raise.
Tomorrow morning, before the sun wakes, we'll be meeting at the airport, saying our goodbyes to family, and embarking on a journey. Tomorrow morning, we'll be taking the first steps to invite God to collide our world with the Guatemalans' world. Tomorrow morning, we'll be stepping out of our comfort zones into a place of utter reliance on God.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Concert of Prayer
You are cordially invited to the concert of prayer tonight from 7:00 to 8:30. The night will be filled with live worship, prayer, and time to get to know the members of the team. It is in the Robinson Chapel, which is located in the Union Place building. Come to cover the team and their ministry with prayer before they embark on their journey
Monday, July 6, 2009
Preparing To Go
Thanks for joining us in the adventure the Lord has called us to. We appreciate your prayers and look forward to sharing with you as the journey unfolds.
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