Friday, November 30, 2007
The Long-Anticipated Monthly Update.
As I sit here and write this, I’m finding it impossible to believe that a month has already gone by since I said good-bye to my family at the airport. For me, it has been crazy to realize how much one person can learn in only a month, about herself, her team, God and the Spanish language. It’s been an awesome time for me to really branch out of my comfort zone and rely a little more on God’s incredible strength.
Even though our task for being in Guatemala is solely to learn Spanish, I am realizing how much learning Spanish IS quite the task. Living with my host family has quite possibly been the coolest thing I’ve experienced since birth! From the beginning, I’ve felt God present in this situation, as it used to be a big fear of mine. As soon as I got here, this fear was replaced with excitement and an eagerness to put in 100 percent of my effort. So thank you for your prayers! Breaking through the language barrier and adjusting to an entirely different culture has been challenging, yet altogether pretty thrilling. God is still revealing to us a little more about why we were each placed in our specific homes, and as we do, it’s exciting to understand how God is actually using our presence in their lives for his purpose.
Since coming here, the neighborhood Mennonite church where all of our host families attend has allowed for us to get involved in a small way. In the next month, we have the opportunity to help with/run a kids camp for the poor children in the community surrounding the church. I am excited to finally use my skills with actions in a Spanish context, which is pretty different than kids ministry at Willingdon Church! (but I think pointing up to the sky is universal for God, right?)
Last Sunday, we also had the opportunity to sing a few songs in English in front of the entire church. It was just the four of us, 3 microphones and a guitar. If you know me at all, before coming to Guatemala, singing in front of a large group of people was the absolute last thing on my to-do list. Before we left for church though, I read Psalm 137. In verse four I found a verse that said exactly what I was feeling. "How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?" Yes, I had a lot of doubts that this would actually in any way be beneficial to the church. How are we supposed to sing songs in a language that no one is even going to understand?? But I kept reading, "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy." It was one of those moments that makes you say "Oh". It made me realize that even though we are in a foreign country, we still need to remember God. He is the reason that we are here and he is the same God that the Spanish people are worshiping. Whether they understand or not, God is our Highest Joy and can use even my voice for His glory! All in all, it was one of those stretching experiences that you loathe while it’s happening, but you can look back on and love.
One of the things that I’ve constantly been asking God for here, is wisdom (James 1:5-8). I believe that I create so much more potential for God to work through me when I am striving to be more like him. Because I have been asking, God has been giving me a lot to stew over. (1 John 3:21-22) He has been showing me the importance of spending time in His word and talking to him constantly. The 2+ hours on the bus each day has been a sweet time for this. As I stand with at least three people breeching my personal bubble, I can come before God in prayer because he’s always with me. It’s a rush to know that I serve a God who’s not silent! I now have a rapidly growing list of all the things God has been speaking to me through His scripture.
One specific time was this past week. The light-bulb in my bedroom “mysteriously” burnt out (I still say it was God). I’ve sort of made a habit of doing my homework in my bedroom, so when the light burnt out, I was forced to move my activities to the kitchen table. Needless to say, I got talking with my mother (in Spanish) and ended up having one of the more successful conversations that I’ve had yet. Over the next few days, I had so many more sweet family times spawned from the fact that I couldn’t do anything in my bedroom. One of those nights I was reading my bible at the kitchen table and came across Isaiah 60:19 - "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." Pretty interesting seeing as God was offering to be my light at the same time when I physically didn't have one. I’m loving the fact that I believe in a God who burns out light bulbs by His power and through that can teach me lessons!
For those of you who have been following my adventures a little closer through my blog this might be a repeat, but for me it’s worth sharing. Seeing as the entire reason we are in Guatemala is for learning Spanish, it’s natural that some of the things I am learning pertain to this. A lot of what I am learning has to do with weakness (because I know nothing of Spanish) and how I need to rely on God for my wisdom. The other lesson I am learning is just the fact that not only can I let God into my classroom, I need to let God into the classroom. If I’m not asking God to help me with the language, I am wasting these two months. It’s pretty important that God taught me this early on so that I could make the most of this time.
I really want to express my thanks for continually lifting me up in prayer this past month. I have for sure felt comfort in knowing this. Some more specific things that you could pray for would be:
-as we continue to learn Spanish, pray that we would remain strong in the desire and effort that we put in.
-for the children God has already selected to come to the church camp in December.
-that there would be a trust and openness developed between members of our team.
-that we wouldn't be missing opportunities to be Jesus' hands and feet while in Guatemala.
-that God would continually stretch us in preparation for Panama, but also that we could see this language study as our current ministry.
-we would be listening to God's voice for guidance in the coming month.
I would really love to hear from all of you, but because of internet arrangements and time, I may or may not be able to respond. However, send me an e-mail anyways, because I do still love hearing about what's going on back home. Thanks for sticking with me here. I appreciate it.
With Humble Gratitude,
Amanda
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
¡Muchos Gracias!
Just a quick post about a recent occurence in my life.
We had our first major Spanish exam on Tuesday of this week. I was pretty nervous just because I didn't feel like I had gotten a very good overall grip on everything that we had learned. I planned on studying the night before for a decent number of hours just so that everything would be fresh in my head. Anyways, to make a long story short, I didn't get around to studying as much as I would have liked because we were in the process of working some things out and discussing other team issues. So I'm pretty sure that God was there with me, not only because I asked him to be, but because I pulled out of the exam with a 96%... I'd say that's a decent mark considering. Thanks for your prayers. They are for sure being answered by our loving father!
We had our first major Spanish exam on Tuesday of this week. I was pretty nervous just because I didn't feel like I had gotten a very good overall grip on everything that we had learned. I planned on studying the night before for a decent number of hours just so that everything would be fresh in my head. Anyways, to make a long story short, I didn't get around to studying as much as I would have liked because we were in the process of working some things out and discussing other team issues. So I'm pretty sure that God was there with me, not only because I asked him to be, but because I pulled out of the exam with a 96%... I'd say that's a decent mark considering. Thanks for your prayers. They are for sure being answered by our loving father!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A Revelation as of Late
There are a few things that we've been learning as individuals and as a team that are impacting how things are going over here in Guatemala. and I shall now share them with you..
One of the things that God showed me last week is just how much He wants to be involved in what I am doing. Even though I am just going to school every day and it feels fairly mundane, God still wants to be the center and focus of my life. I read a verse in Psalm 127 that said, "Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Unless I am involving God in my Spanish study, I am going to school every day in vain. Even though I sometimes feel like God wouldn't want to be in the classroom with me because its boring and difficult, He still has a desire to help me and encourage me as I learn. I've been trying to get in the habit of allowing God to daily refresh my mind for my next class and give me energy and a desire to learn. Because if I am not allowing God into the classroom, I am wasting my time trying to learn this other language called Spanish.
One of the biggest blessings that I have felt since arriving here is regarding my relationship with Natalie, my female team member. Things have gone so well with her that I have no other choice but to admit that God is working there. As we slowly begin to build up a trust of, respect for, and relationship with one another, we've been able to challenge and encourage one another in love. Last night, Nat came over to my house where we ended up talking about some sweet things. We realized that God had been speaking to both of us through the same verse in Isaiah 54. Since coming to Guatemala, and leaving the intense atmosphere of our training, both of us had felt a little less 'in touch' with God. I found this verse as I made my way through Isaiah in my devotions and decided that it was for me. Nat thought that God was speaking to her through another verse and ended up stumbling upon this one in her search. Anyways, the verse was:
7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.
All in all, a really encouraging word from the LORD our redeemer, and it was cool to realize that he was speaking the same to both of us. We ended off last night with awesome prayer time in which we could open up together and talk to God about the things that we're going through. Although things are going incredibly well in this relationship, you can continue to pray that there would be fruit coming from it and that we would continue to put God at the center.
As a team, we are sort of learning/realizing now that we aren't going to be spiritually 'fed' as we go to church each week. There is only so much that you can get out of an all Spanish service and we are realizing that we are going to have to go beyond this. It is going to take effort and discipline on our part to feed ourselves and come together in worship and prayer. So now it's all the responsibility of us four young ens to learn our own lessons and apply them to our lives. scary.
Another thing that Nat shared with me last night was the verse God gave her while on the silent retreat a few months back. He gave her this verse specifically for the 'Panama team'.(which at that point hadn't even been created yet.)
Isaiah 58:9-11 (NIV)
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
It is a little scary because it's talking about us, as a team, having to cry for help. This speaks of vulnerability, being humble and about the lows that we will go through. It mentions crying out to the Lord. But it doesn't end without first giving us a promise. I think this is going to be an important verse as we encounter our problems as a team and learn to rely less on ourselves and more on the strength of our creator. Keep praying for us as a team as we are continually being transformed by Jesus and understanding more about the reason we are here. With Love, A-Reim
oh and sorry that there are no pictures. The internet is being finicky over here in Guatemala.
One of the things that God showed me last week is just how much He wants to be involved in what I am doing. Even though I am just going to school every day and it feels fairly mundane, God still wants to be the center and focus of my life. I read a verse in Psalm 127 that said, "Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Unless I am involving God in my Spanish study, I am going to school every day in vain. Even though I sometimes feel like God wouldn't want to be in the classroom with me because its boring and difficult, He still has a desire to help me and encourage me as I learn. I've been trying to get in the habit of allowing God to daily refresh my mind for my next class and give me energy and a desire to learn. Because if I am not allowing God into the classroom, I am wasting my time trying to learn this other language called Spanish.
One of the biggest blessings that I have felt since arriving here is regarding my relationship with Natalie, my female team member. Things have gone so well with her that I have no other choice but to admit that God is working there. As we slowly begin to build up a trust of, respect for, and relationship with one another, we've been able to challenge and encourage one another in love. Last night, Nat came over to my house where we ended up talking about some sweet things. We realized that God had been speaking to both of us through the same verse in Isaiah 54. Since coming to Guatemala, and leaving the intense atmosphere of our training, both of us had felt a little less 'in touch' with God. I found this verse as I made my way through Isaiah in my devotions and decided that it was for me. Nat thought that God was speaking to her through another verse and ended up stumbling upon this one in her search. Anyways, the verse was:
7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.
All in all, a really encouraging word from the LORD our redeemer, and it was cool to realize that he was speaking the same to both of us. We ended off last night with awesome prayer time in which we could open up together and talk to God about the things that we're going through. Although things are going incredibly well in this relationship, you can continue to pray that there would be fruit coming from it and that we would continue to put God at the center.
As a team, we are sort of learning/realizing now that we aren't going to be spiritually 'fed' as we go to church each week. There is only so much that you can get out of an all Spanish service and we are realizing that we are going to have to go beyond this. It is going to take effort and discipline on our part to feed ourselves and come together in worship and prayer. So now it's all the responsibility of us four young ens to learn our own lessons and apply them to our lives. scary.
Another thing that Nat shared with me last night was the verse God gave her while on the silent retreat a few months back. He gave her this verse specifically for the 'Panama team'.(which at that point hadn't even been created yet.)
Isaiah 58:9-11 (NIV)
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
It is a little scary because it's talking about us, as a team, having to cry for help. This speaks of vulnerability, being humble and about the lows that we will go through. It mentions crying out to the Lord. But it doesn't end without first giving us a promise. I think this is going to be an important verse as we encounter our problems as a team and learn to rely less on ourselves and more on the strength of our creator. Keep praying for us as a team as we are continually being transformed by Jesus and understanding more about the reason we are here. With Love, A-Reim
oh and sorry that there are no pictures. The internet is being finicky over here in Guatemala.
Monday, November 12, 2007
el Volcan Pacaya
On Saturday, we got the sweet opportunity to hike a Volcano. It was a pretty rad experience. I have never been so hot in my life, I think. We were told that the average time to get to the top was an estimated two hours. When we got there, the sign said 1 and a half... so we had to do it in under 45 minutes. Hooray. I just about died.
We had to take 4 buses to get there and the trip took about 2 and half hours. When we got off the bus at the volcano turn off, we found out that we had missed our last bus by about 7 minutes. (the next one wouldn't come for probably 3 hours) Being the crazy Panamanian team, we decided to RUN the 15 km to the base of the volcano and THEN hike up to the top. HA. I had no other choice (besides dying) so we started running. After about 5 minutes, the bus that we were supposed to be on, passed by us on the road up the mountain... so the sweet little ladies at the tortilla stand lied to us. The next vehicle that passed us, we all threw up our thumbs in desperation. Yes, we hitchhiked in Guatemala. It was about a 20 minute ride in the back of some random guys pick-up truck to the next town. It was sweet relief from running all that way.
Anyways, skip to the hiking part, I just about gave up. It was probably the fastest and steepest I have hiked in my life. Andrew volunteered to be my Kidron for the day. (Kidron is one of my friends from training who ran with me in the mornings and always encouraged me while hiking. While we ran, she quoted bible verses to me about ¨God helping us in our weaknesses¨ and ¨finishing the race¨. All in all very encouraging) On Saturday, Andrew played that part for me except he didn't know any verses for the occasion. He was pretty awesome to have though. He told me to drink my water and encouraged me not to die.
Once we got to the top (well not the top because that is physically impossible because it is far too hot) we stood by the lava, took some pictures, ate lunch, and read some Isaiah. It was an absolutely gorgeous view and a perfect day weather-wise. After running back down the volcano (yes running) we found out that we had missed the bus back down to the highway by about 45 seconds. So we started walking the 15 km again. After about half an hour we were picked up by a van-full of sweet French-Canadians who drove us back down to the highway.
After the day was done and I was lying in my bed at home, I realized that we had totally been blessed and protected by our heavenly father. Here are just some of the ways:
-The transit system in Guatemala is really confusing so Chris's Guatemalan brother Doda came with us until we could make sure we were on the right track.
-The bus driver told us where to get off even though we didn't speak Spanish.
-Both times when we missed our bus, there was someone there to take us where we needed to go. (the first guy who picked us up totally went out of his way to take us to the base of the volcano. And he would not accept any money)
-I could actually get to the top and I never fell on the way down.
-On our way home we stopped at a market to look around and maybe eat. A lady came up to us who spoke only Spanish and tried to tell us something. When we couldn't understand her, we walked away. About 10 minutes later she found us again with a message written in English on a piece of paper telling us that this area was known for gang related stuff and therefore really unsafe for foreigners. We thanked her but decided to stay a little more. Then another guy came up and told us the same thing. So we left pretty quick realizing that God might have possibly been trying to tell us something...
Our team had an incredible day together and we were able to enjoy Gods creation.
It really felt like God was present all day and it made me feel quite loved.
That was our weekend and it was a nice break from all the studying during the week. By the way, the Spanish is going okay. We now have two weeks under our belt and we are hoping that before we know it we will be grasping all the difficult concepts and communicating better with our host families. It is taking a lot of effort on all of our parts, but I can already see it paying off. Thank you guys for praying!
We had to take 4 buses to get there and the trip took about 2 and half hours. When we got off the bus at the volcano turn off, we found out that we had missed our last bus by about 7 minutes. (the next one wouldn't come for probably 3 hours) Being the crazy Panamanian team, we decided to RUN the 15 km to the base of the volcano and THEN hike up to the top. HA. I had no other choice (besides dying) so we started running. After about 5 minutes, the bus that we were supposed to be on, passed by us on the road up the mountain... so the sweet little ladies at the tortilla stand lied to us. The next vehicle that passed us, we all threw up our thumbs in desperation. Yes, we hitchhiked in Guatemala. It was about a 20 minute ride in the back of some random guys pick-up truck to the next town. It was sweet relief from running all that way.
Anyways, skip to the hiking part, I just about gave up. It was probably the fastest and steepest I have hiked in my life. Andrew volunteered to be my Kidron for the day. (Kidron is one of my friends from training who ran with me in the mornings and always encouraged me while hiking. While we ran, she quoted bible verses to me about ¨God helping us in our weaknesses¨ and ¨finishing the race¨. All in all very encouraging) On Saturday, Andrew played that part for me except he didn't know any verses for the occasion. He was pretty awesome to have though. He told me to drink my water and encouraged me not to die.
Once we got to the top (well not the top because that is physically impossible because it is far too hot) we stood by the lava, took some pictures, ate lunch, and read some Isaiah. It was an absolutely gorgeous view and a perfect day weather-wise. After running back down the volcano (yes running) we found out that we had missed the bus back down to the highway by about 45 seconds. So we started walking the 15 km again. After about half an hour we were picked up by a van-full of sweet French-Canadians who drove us back down to the highway.
After the day was done and I was lying in my bed at home, I realized that we had totally been blessed and protected by our heavenly father. Here are just some of the ways:
-The transit system in Guatemala is really confusing so Chris's Guatemalan brother Doda came with us until we could make sure we were on the right track.
-The bus driver told us where to get off even though we didn't speak Spanish.
-Both times when we missed our bus, there was someone there to take us where we needed to go. (the first guy who picked us up totally went out of his way to take us to the base of the volcano. And he would not accept any money)
-I could actually get to the top and I never fell on the way down.
-On our way home we stopped at a market to look around and maybe eat. A lady came up to us who spoke only Spanish and tried to tell us something. When we couldn't understand her, we walked away. About 10 minutes later she found us again with a message written in English on a piece of paper telling us that this area was known for gang related stuff and therefore really unsafe for foreigners. We thanked her but decided to stay a little more. Then another guy came up and told us the same thing. So we left pretty quick realizing that God might have possibly been trying to tell us something...
Our team had an incredible day together and we were able to enjoy Gods creation.
It really felt like God was present all day and it made me feel quite loved.
That was our weekend and it was a nice break from all the studying during the week. By the way, the Spanish is going okay. We now have two weeks under our belt and we are hoping that before we know it we will be grasping all the difficult concepts and communicating better with our host families. It is taking a lot of effort on all of our parts, but I can already see it paying off. Thank you guys for praying!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
My Neighborhood.
This is me, hanging out on the street. We played soccer, then volleyball, then baseball, then we had a photo-shoot. Don't be deceived; I am only wearing shorts because I just went for a run. It is really quite cold here. This is Nat and I waiting to go to school in the morning.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Hebrews four verses fifteen to sixteen
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Quite the Experience
On Saturday, I had the sweet opportunity to attend a Guatemalan wedding. I've really enjoyed my host family being willing to involve me in their lives so far, and this day was quite the experience. I really didn't want to go at first because that would mean my team wouldn't be there and they'd probably be having fun without me. But I decided to take the risk of it being incredibly challenging and awkward and I went. Good decision. It was pretty interesting that the first wedding that I've ever been to was Guatemalan/Catholic, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There were some things that surprised me about weddings and some things i expected to happen, but didn't. The highlights: Some guests were wearing dresses that you'd see at a graduation and some guests were wearing ripped jeans and dirty shirts. (I was the happy medium with a pink summer dress) The bride never smiled. Some man, in the middle of the ceremony, used the end of his cane as a back-scratcher (in full view of everyone). At a random point in the ceremony everyone stood up and began kissing each other (and me). We definitely didn't eat supper until around 9:00. And the dancing was pretty much what I expected; perhaps a little crazier.
At the reception, I sat next to Oscar, the portable bar. Before even the food and the 'champagne' came, he pulled out probably a 3L bottle of (i think it may have been) vodka. But he was mixing drinks for anyone and everyone who wanted one. good times. We left the wedding around 10:30 which was just when it was beginning to get intense. Oscar, mentioned above, kept asking me to dance with him so that he could "teach me Spanish" ... and I had to refuse to the best of my Spanish abilities. I'm afraid that the Canadian style of dancing that I've acquired is far inferior to what the Latinos consider dancing. After driving home and getting into my bed, I was super grateful that I took the risk and was able to experience such a fiesta!
The next day, after sleeping late, the four of us went to the park with Chris's slack line and a soccer ball. Once again we felt like celebrities because there were kids materializing out of no where to come and play with us. (Maybe it felt like more but it was at least 15 kids) They were all curious to know what Chris was doing with this line slung up between two trees. Once one kid was brave enough to try, they all wanted to try! It was sweet. I met Wendy, a young-en who helped me with my Spanish a little. It was a cool experience for me because I rarely get to feel that popular.
Other than that, nothing new is really happening here. Just a whole lot of studying and riding the bus. Chris figured out that we spend approximately 9 and a half hours on the bus each week. What an adventure. So far we've had only one wallet stolen, but Andrew managed to convince the man to give it back... with no major harm done to the other man.
You can continue to pray for the language studies and also you can pray for Nat and Andrew who are presently battling a pansy-cold. It's nothing serious but it's quite a nuisance. Pray also that God would continually give us the strength to depend on him for everything. It's pretty busy here and it takes discipline to get up earlier than 5:30 to start our days with devotions and prayer. Thanks for praying for us so far. We've really felt blessed to know that we are always covered in them.
At the reception, I sat next to Oscar, the portable bar. Before even the food and the 'champagne' came, he pulled out probably a 3L bottle of (i think it may have been) vodka. But he was mixing drinks for anyone and everyone who wanted one. good times. We left the wedding around 10:30 which was just when it was beginning to get intense. Oscar, mentioned above, kept asking me to dance with him so that he could "teach me Spanish" ... and I had to refuse to the best of my Spanish abilities. I'm afraid that the Canadian style of dancing that I've acquired is far inferior to what the Latinos consider dancing. After driving home and getting into my bed, I was super grateful that I took the risk and was able to experience such a fiesta!
The next day, after sleeping late, the four of us went to the park with Chris's slack line and a soccer ball. Once again we felt like celebrities because there were kids materializing out of no where to come and play with us. (Maybe it felt like more but it was at least 15 kids) They were all curious to know what Chris was doing with this line slung up between two trees. Once one kid was brave enough to try, they all wanted to try! It was sweet. I met Wendy, a young-en who helped me with my Spanish a little. It was a cool experience for me because I rarely get to feel that popular.
Other than that, nothing new is really happening here. Just a whole lot of studying and riding the bus. Chris figured out that we spend approximately 9 and a half hours on the bus each week. What an adventure. So far we've had only one wallet stolen, but Andrew managed to convince the man to give it back... with no major harm done to the other man.
You can continue to pray for the language studies and also you can pray for Nat and Andrew who are presently battling a pansy-cold. It's nothing serious but it's quite a nuisance. Pray also that God would continually give us the strength to depend on him for everything. It's pretty busy here and it takes discipline to get up earlier than 5:30 to start our days with devotions and prayer. Thanks for praying for us so far. We've really felt blessed to know that we are always covered in them.
Monday, November 5, 2007
A few Pictures.
Here is our school on our first day. The weather is no longer like this. It's pretty cold now...
A little worship time on the roof of Natalia's house.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Guatemala es Loco!
I think that this is going to work better for getting my stories across than an email. So here goes...
Guatemala is pretty intense! We got here at 5:00 in the morning on Monday and walked out of the airport to a sea of hundreds {probably thousands} of Guatemalan faces being held back by a little orange, mesh fence. We felt much like movie stars because everyone was watching us walk down the path. Next, we got a dose of Guatemalam driving as we were taken to the Spanish school for a short nap. After waking up, we had a quick orientation out on the lawn, during which i burnt only half my body... don't worry though. I burnt the other half the next day so i wouldn't look silly! After this orientation, our Spanish parents came to take us all to our new homes. It was about an hour bus ride and a 15 minute walk to my house in 'zona seis'. While walking home, I'm pretty sure that I told my mama, Lucky, that I had 2 kids... i think that I have things cleared up now though! Each day, I look forward to coming home and using the things that I am learning. It is so different than I thought it would be, because I was terrified of being alone in a family but now I am thriving. There must be quite a few people praying for me! The other day we got lost coming home and it took us probably 2 and a half hours. So while we were walking I learnt how to say "i am hungry". When I finally made it home, I walked in the door and said "Yo tengo hambre." They loved it! I finally could say a full sentence that made sense. So to reward me for my improvement they fed me approximately 3 meals in one. It was really fun. I have been blessed to be placed in a encouraging Christian {Mennonite even!} family who has given up a lot to host me!
Our typical day is completely packed from dawn until dusk. We wake up around 6:00 and catch the bus {which costs 1 Quetzal} at 7:20ish to be at school for our 8:30 class. We leave school around 5:00 and when we get home, we eat, sometimes showere, talk to our parents about our day {definitley in Spanish} and fall asleep around9:00. Oh and do homework, devotions and bible memorization somewhere in there.
The team is doing really well with our communication, relationships, culture shock, and everything else. So far we've all managed to avoid diarrhea, and the cold showers are definitely growing on us! I'll add some pictures later, because right now I should be studying. I felt I owed you guys more than a point form email. But now with our first week here coming to an end, I will say adios! I still fully appreciate all your prayers.
Guatemala is pretty intense! We got here at 5:00 in the morning on Monday and walked out of the airport to a sea of hundreds {probably thousands} of Guatemalan faces being held back by a little orange, mesh fence. We felt much like movie stars because everyone was watching us walk down the path. Next, we got a dose of Guatemalam driving as we were taken to the Spanish school for a short nap. After waking up, we had a quick orientation out on the lawn, during which i burnt only half my body... don't worry though. I burnt the other half the next day so i wouldn't look silly! After this orientation, our Spanish parents came to take us all to our new homes. It was about an hour bus ride and a 15 minute walk to my house in 'zona seis'. While walking home, I'm pretty sure that I told my mama, Lucky, that I had 2 kids... i think that I have things cleared up now though! Each day, I look forward to coming home and using the things that I am learning. It is so different than I thought it would be, because I was terrified of being alone in a family but now I am thriving. There must be quite a few people praying for me! The other day we got lost coming home and it took us probably 2 and a half hours. So while we were walking I learnt how to say "i am hungry". When I finally made it home, I walked in the door and said "Yo tengo hambre." They loved it! I finally could say a full sentence that made sense. So to reward me for my improvement they fed me approximately 3 meals in one. It was really fun. I have been blessed to be placed in a encouraging Christian {Mennonite even!} family who has given up a lot to host me!
Our typical day is completely packed from dawn until dusk. We wake up around 6:00 and catch the bus {which costs 1 Quetzal} at 7:20ish to be at school for our 8:30 class. We leave school around 5:00 and when we get home, we eat, sometimes showere, talk to our parents about our day {definitley in Spanish} and fall asleep around9:00. Oh and do homework, devotions and bible memorization somewhere in there.
The team is doing really well with our communication, relationships, culture shock, and everything else. So far we've all managed to avoid diarrhea, and the cold showers are definitely growing on us! I'll add some pictures later, because right now I should be studying. I felt I owed you guys more than a point form email. But now with our first week here coming to an end, I will say adios! I still fully appreciate all your prayers.
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