Guatemala, Part 7

Here is the continuing story of our mission trip to Guatemala. . .

Saturday (7/27/13)

I got up around the normal time this morning, showered, and went down to do my devotions. I had done most of my packing last night, so I finished the rest of it this morning. After that, I hung around in the front room with T who was waiting for M to take him to the airport (he’s going to Costa Rica for a few days.)

M was running late, so we went ahead and sang “Rise and Shine,” prayed, and dug into our cereal and cookies. M finally arrived and we waved goodbye to him and T.

While we waited for the bus to come, we played some card games and I called home and talked with Mom. Then it was time for goodbyes. L Saying goodbye is so hard. A came by the house again. Even though we can’t communicate much, we still felt a connection. I would love to get to know her better.

F’s wife dropped him off. I’m really going to miss her too. I really connected with her. I love K and P too! Saying goodbye to M (the cook) and O (the Pastor’s wife) was bittersweet. I’m really going to miss everyone.

N, D, F, and S came with us to the airport. On the ride to the airport, I talked some with N about D.C. and what he’s studying at George Mason. He’s pretty quiet, but friendly. I also talked with F about college. He wants to go back to school, but it would mean a lot of time away from his family. I told him about College Plus and he said he wished they had something like that in Guatemala.

We got to the airport, unloaded everything and took a few more pictures. Goodbye hugs went all around. S said to make sure we keep in touch on social media.

Ben and me with S, D, and N at the airport.

We all checked in and started filling out customs forms. I lost count of how many times we had to go through a screening checkpoint. Once we got back to the terminal, we bought lunch. I bought a chicken Panini with plantain chips and a strawberry banana smoothie. I tried some of Ben’s Bianca Mocha Frappe. J

Trying the Bianca Mocha Frappe. I posed for the picture, but grimaced just afterward. I still don’t like coffee, whether we share the same name or not. J

We hung around and played a few games of spoons at the airport. I tried to journal a bit.

Playing spoons at the airport. It just wasn’t quite the same. You really need metal spoons, a table, and the freedom to scream when you play spoons. J

There were 2 other missions groups on our flight. Pastor D and I sat in an exit row with an empty seat. We enjoyed the leg room! Our flight was a little turbulent, but not bad. I finished my devotions, journaled, and napped awhile.

Leaving beautiful Guatemala.

We landed on time in Houston and headed for customs with about 1,000 other people. The line moved quickly, but it was still a long wait. Thankfully we had no troubles. We collected our bags to take them through security again. After several more check points, we made it through. Poor H had her hat searched twice today!

We went to buy dinner at the food court. I bought a meatball sandwich at Subway. Before I ate, I borrowed Pastor D’s phone to call home. I talked with Mom for awhile. I started to choke up. I just miss everyone in Guatemala so much. Leaving new friends is always so hard for me.

After we ate, we all met up at our crowded gate. Thankfully our flight wasn’t full. The seat next to me was empty for awhile. Then a girl from another missions team sat next to me so she could play cards with the kids behind me. I journaled during the short flight.

We landed safely and made it out to baggage claim. I texted Dad to find out if he was picking us up at the church. Mom called and quickly said not to leave with the team. They were only 10 minutes away. Apparently our flight landed early. J It was still a nice surprise, especially for Ben (who didn’t know.) They had made “Welcome Home” signs for us. We had hugs all around and pictures.

My sweet family. J

Then it was time to say goodbye to the rest of the team members. L I’ve come to love each and every one of them this week. Mrs. B said “I love you” as we hugged. She made a great Mom for the week. J

On the drive home, we talked almost non-stop about the trip. I took the time to catch up on Instagram. It was so good to have follow requests from the young people in Guatemala!

We got home around midnight. I skipped showering and went right to bed. It was about 1 a.m. I had a hard time falling asleep with my mind spinning so fast. It also seemed really bright and hot in my room. I woke up in the middle of the night with one of the worst Charlie Horses ever! It left me limping the next morning.

To be continued . . .

Guatemala, Part 1

Guatemala, Part 2

Guatemala, Part 3

Guatemala, Part 4

Guatemala, Part 5

Guatemala, Part 6

Guatemala, Part 6

Here is the continuing story of our mission trip to Guatemala. . .

Friday (7/26/13)

This morning I woke up with an upset stomach. I think that any weight I gained on the trip is probably gone now. :-P

I came down to do my devotions and some journaling. Mr. M was up and I talked with him a little bit about my mixed emotions. He said that probably wherever I go on a missions trip, people will want me to stay, and that I may have some difficult decisions to make in the future.

We enjoyed a simple breakfast before leaving for Antigua. Unfortunately G and A were sick, so we won’t get to see them. L They are such a joy to be around. G makes you smile every time her bubbly laughter comes out. They both have such a passion for the Lord and serving Him.

We got on the bus, and I plunked down in my usual spot (the second row on the left.) The drive to Antigua was pretty! The mountains and volcanoes are gorgeous.

Getting closer!

The first place we went to was Cerro de la Cruz, where a cross overlooks the city of Antigua and the big volcano. It was breathtaking! I really want to climb the volcano now. J We took lots of pictures and looked around.

Ben and me with Pastor D and his wife, O (the founders/directors of Fellowship Guatemala.) The volcano behind us is Volcán de Agua.

With Pastor A and his family (he runs the ministry at the school and the opportunity center.)

We walked back over to the bus and left for lunch. We drove up one of the smaller mountains on some cobblestone switchbacks. The place where the restaurant was located seemed to be part of some hotel or resort.

Driving up to the restaurant.

We passed lots of Picasso-style art pieces, aviaries, gardens, and avocado trees on our way. The restaurant had a great view of the mountains.

I think it’s safe to say this is an example of a bad parking job. J

I sat at a table with four of the Guatemalans and Ben. It was fun. J D let me use his iPad mini to post a picture to Instagram.

Ben and I waiting for our lunch.

For lunch I ordered lemonade (it’s actually limeade), and a pizza called Medio Oriente. It had curried chicken, Kalamata olives, peppers, and other stuff on it. I also tried some of Ben’s Margherita pizza and M and S’s French fries. All the food was great!

My pizza!

After lunch, we started playing a game called 1-10. A dare is made to one person, and those two people count to three and then say a number between one and ten. If they say the same number, the person has to do the dare. M had to hug a waitress, H had to hug a waiter, and J had to walk into the kitchen and ask for the bathroom. We were all in stitches!

We left the restaurant and started driving towards the market. We had to park several blocks away and walk.

Walking to the market. Yes, the sidewalks are narrow. J

We arrived at the market and scattered. Ben and I went with M (one of the translators.) It was pretty crowded and had lots of narrow aisles. I felt like we were going in circles inside a cave! Everything looked pretty much the same.

We bought an angry bird hacky sack and painted yo-yo for Josiah. For the twins, I bought stationery made from recycled paper and flower petals. I had already bought coffee beans from Pastor D for Mom and my grandparents. Our translator knew one of the t-shirt guys, and he gave me a good price on a shirt for Dad. I bought a little painting and a little nativity scene for the missions shelf. For myself, I bought a pair of pink jade earrings made with sterling silver. M knew the vendor, so I got a very reasonable price.

When we finished, we waited at the front of the market for the others. Finally, we realized that they were waiting around the corner.

Waiting for everyone to arrive outside the market.

Once everyone made it out of the market, we walked to the square. It was beautiful and made me think of the square in our town. J We went into a really nice coffee shop for a snack.

The square in Antigua.

One of the first things I noticed was my name on the menu! They had a drink called Bianca Mocha! I thought that was cool. But I ordered a strawberry banana smoothie. J (I’m not a coffee drinker.) I sat with Mr. B and his boys. Mr. B had a tiny little cup with double espresso in it. The boys had caramel macchiato frappes and let me try some. I was happy to stick with my smoothie. J

Once we all finished, we met up by the fountain in the square. We took a group picture before walking a block to meet E who was bringing the bus over. We pulled out around 5:30 p.m., so I was expecting to see more traffic on the way home. We kept up a pretty good pace for about the first 30-45 minutes. Then we hit traffic. We tried to make the best of it. We watched “Facing the Giants” and half of “Courageous’ in Spanish. Some of the kids played with some phone app that was a form of charades. I played for awhile and then went back to my seat and talked with others.

Just the beginning of our traffic woes. By the time things really kicked into gear, it was too dark to get good pictures.

Most of the Guatemalans said they had never seen traffic so bad, which made me feel better. J At this point, we had only moved about 3-5 miles in one hour. We were sitting surrounded by buses with lots of diesel fumes pouring into our open windows.

We sat so long that I looked out the window and saw Pastor D and F (a translator) buying food and drinks in a little store! Things continued to go from bad to worse. A ton of buses kept trying to cross from the side streets. It doesn’t seem there are any laws about right-of-ways. So whoever was the pushiest, won. I could have sworn we hit a bus at least once.

We saw one fresh accident that was blocking two lanes of traffic, but it definitely wasn’t the main cause. Later someone said there was a demonstration going on because a part of the city had no water. Whatever it was, we didn’t get back to the mission house until 8:30 p.m. This traffic experience was right up there with Haiti!

Somehow S and N made it through all that traffic to the house in time to have dinner with us. J Tonight M left us stew and rice. It was good, especially after waiting so long for it!

Now this here is some chunky soup! J Just the way I like it!

After dinner, we had a couple of different things going on. Most of the adults were in the dining room with Pastor A and his wife, presenting gifts to them. Some of the young people started a game of spoons in the kitchen. I sat with F, his wife, D, and S at a table in the front of the house.

Presenting some of our gifts to Pastor A. I’m going to miss them so much! We had to say goodbye to them tonight.

I jumped into a few rounds of spoons before I went into the living room and played with K, the four-year-old. We played catch with her angry bird hacky sack. We started hiding it and she would say “Donde esta pajarito?” She wouldn’t let me stop once we started playing!

Saying goodbyes were hard. L We knew we’d see most everyone in the morning, but it was still hard. It’s amazing how quickly you can bond with people. Everyone here feels like family to me.

It was really late, but we still had our debrief time. Pastor D and O stayed again. Tonight, Pastor D went around and told each of the students what he appreciated about them. By the time we finished our debrief it was almost midnight. There were no updates or card games tonight. Everyone went straight to bed.

To be continued . . .

Guatemala, Part 1

Guatemala, Part 2

Guatemala, Part 3

Guatemala, Part 4

Guatemala, Part 5

The Cross

Cerro de la Cruz, Antigua, Guatemala.

“The deep undertone of the world is sadness - a solemn bass, occurring at measured intervals and heard through all other tones. Ultimately, all the strains of this world's music resolve themselves into that tone; and I believe that, rightly felt, the cross, and the cross alone, interprets the mournful mystery of life, the sorrow of the Highest - the Lord of Life, the result of error and sin, but ultimately remedial, purifying and exalting.”

--Frederick W. Robertson

Recipe--Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Over the past several years, our family has tried to slowly eliminate certain processed foods. As much as we can, we try to make things ourselves so that we know exactly what’s going into our bodies.

Recently, Roma made some homemade chocolate sauce. It turned out so delicious, and it’s a snap to make. You may never want to taste the stuff out of a bottle again once you’ve tried this. J

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Photo Credit: Roma.

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix cocoa and water in saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve cocoa. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Boil 3 minutes. Add salt and vanilla. Pour into sterilized pint jar. Let cool. Cover and store in refrigerator. Keeps for several months.

Guatemala, Part 5

Here is the continuing story of our mission trip to Guatemala. . .

Thursday (7/25/13)

I had intended to get up at 6 a.m. today, so I would have time to catch up on journaling. I must have had my arm underneath my body or the pillow, because I didn’t hear my alarm go off. So I got up at 6:20 a.m. and took a cool shower.

Afterward, I did devotions. For breakfast this morning we had cereal, scrambled eggs, little churro/biscotti cookies, beans, watermelon, and our orange drink. M (the cook)’s son was sick and so she ran a bit late. She has been a great cook!

Breakfast

We left a bit late for the school. When we arrived, we set up all our equipment and then they brought in all the morning school kids. There were a LOT of them!

Someone said we had about 400 kids during the morning school session. They look ready for some entertainment in this photo! J

Prepping for the talent show.

G was our emcee. She led the kids in some songs with the help of the translators (who were wearing crazy hats.) She did a skit with C and then we did our dance (a funny dance to “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble.”)

Dancing. J

G talked after that while we got ready for the skit. We got so hot performing it!

The 3 midgets. J

After that, the Guatemalans closed us in a fun song called “Tuku Tuku A Ka Ta Ka.”

More dancing!

Saying goodbye to the kids was hard. We received so many beautiful cards and notes from them. T and her little friends showered me with confetti. I’m going to miss all of them!

Pastor A said the teachers had a presentation for us. We went up to one of the classrooms where they served what I thought was lunch. We had a crispy tortilla with red sauce and parmesan cheese, and a little fried object [called a rellenito.] It was plantains with sweet black beans as a filling. It was really good! We also had some orange soda.

The snack prepared for us by the teachers.

While we ate, one of the teachers spoke. She expressed her gratitude for our team. Then they said we were going over to Pastor A’s church to eat lunch. I was already full! When we stepped out of the classroom, we were mobbed by the kids who were leaving the school. Once we got outside, I pulled out a few family pictures to give away. That was crazy! J

We loaded our things on the bus and drove a few blocks to the church, which is housed in a former auto shop. We gathered chairs around and Pastor A shared his heart with us. He was getting emotional. He reminds me so much of my Abuelo.

Pastor A (right) sharing the testimony of his church with the help of M, one of our translators (left.)

He talked about all the miraculous ways God has provided for their young church. Pastor D shared how much he’s enjoyed getting to know Pastor A. He and his wife, C, knelt down and we all gathered around and prayed over them. I’m so grateful for them and I’m inspired by their example!

We sat around and talked while we waited for lunch. Some of us played Dirty/Power Uno. For lunch we ate burgers, chips, and rice drink.

Our yummy lunch.

After we ate, we visited some more. I talked with A (G’s husband) about his testimony. He grew up in a relative’s home and went to the church often. When he moved out, he drifted away from church and into the party life. He got in several motor vehicle accidents. He was almost killed in a motorcycle accident. That was when God really got his attention. He started going back to church. That’s also when he met G. She was his physical therapist. Not long after that, they got married! Their daughter A is the most beautiful 3-year-old I’ve ever seen!

We piled into the bus to head back over to the school. We had a completely new group of kids this time. They were a lot more outgoing than the morning group. We broke them up into groups and had soccer games.

Getting ready for the soccer games.

There was a group of about 10 girls that came over, called me by name, gave me kisses and hugs, and started asking all kinds of questions even when I didn’t understand.

These sweet girls took over my camera! They kept putting new people in the pictures, snapping a photo, and rotating more friends in. J

Our dance and skit went much better this time. Our whole group joined in the “Tuku Tuku A Ka Ta Ka” dance. I love it!

On the bus ride back to the mission house, I sat across from “Uncle T” (a member of our team.) I asked about his personal testimony. He has been through so much more than I ever would have imagined. I love hearing testimonies because they show how the grace of God can transform a life.

When we got home, all the Guatemalan teens crashed in the living room. M and S got into a little wrestling match. It ended up being really funny! J

T announced that she wanted to get a snow cup. That sounded good to all of us, so we walked to the store around the corner. They had to hand-grind the ice, so it took a long time to make all of them. I got one called “Frutas” which had a little bit of everything. It had pieces of pineapple, coconut, tamarind seeds, sweetened condensed milk, and sprinkles on top. It was delicious!

When we got back to the house, I sat with the Guatemalans and listened for awhile. I’ve been trying to immerse myself as much as possible so that I learn more Spanish. I can usually understand what is being talked about, but not specifics.

We played a game of Power Uno before dinner. Tonight, F (another translator)’s wife and two kids came to eat. Their 4-year-old daughter, K, is really cute. Their 2-month-old son, P, is precious and looks just like his Daddy. His wife speaks good English and doesn’t look like she could have possibly given birth two months ago! I enjoyed talking with her.

Our delicious dinner of grilled barbeque chicken, tortillas, pico de gallo, green beans, mashed potatoes, and refried beans. Delicioso!

After dinner, we tried to play a game of Dirty/Power Uno. We had about 13 people playing! Everything started falling apart 15-20 minutes into it. Whole hands of cards were disappearing. Poor J was so frustrated and we were sure that Bruno (one of the Guatemalans; that’s not his real name, but he looks like Bruno Mars so that was our nickname for him) and D (the missionary’s son) were plotting together. We all gave up and about 2 minutes later, C (a member of our team) shouts that it was H (another girl on our team)!!! She was in hysterics; it was her first time playing and she had fooled us all.

After that, we had our debrief time. Only tonight, the Fellowship Guatemala folks stayed. Our time together was very encouraging and sweet. We ended in song. We sang at least 3 songs, including “10,000 Reasons” and “How Great is Our God.” Worshipping the Lord with such special songs in different languages was truly a glimpse of heaven. No one really wanted it to end. Finally, Mrs. B got up and said “Hasta la Vista, Baby.” J

Tonight was bittersweet because we knew our time together was coming to an end. I had gone to another room, and came back into the living room just as everyone burst into laughter. Apparently Bruno is really good at popping/cracking people’s bones. Ben told him that none of his bones would crack. So Bruno cracked his back. Accordingly, there was this rippling in his spine and then a big pop in his chest. What made them all laugh was the look of shock on Ben’s face afterward. People were literally rolling on the floor laughing!

Before I went upstairs, Pastor D put some pictures on a flash drive since I had run out of room on my camera. Then I headed up.

During the testimony time, I had shared about searching for the reason why God had me on this trip. When I went up, I talked with the two Mrs B’s a little more about my testimony. I also read my letter from Mom. It was so appropriate. She encouraged me for the rest of the trip to think on the very questions that had been going through my mind. I stayed up until 1 a.m., journaling and praying. I also had an upset stomach. It finally subsided enough for me to sleep.

To be continued . . .

Guatemala, Part 1

Guatemala, Part 2

Guatemala, Part 3

Guatemala, Part 4

Guatemala, Part 4

Here is the continuing story of our mission trip to Guatemala. . .

Wednesday (7/24/13)

I was a bit more tired than normal this morning. I still got up at 6:30 a.m. though. Today I had a burning hot shower thanks to J’s explanation of the widow-maker shower head yesterday. It was almost too hot, but I didn’t want to touch it for fear of ruining it! J

I did my devotions and chatted for awhile. For breakfast we ate cereal, toast with butter and strawberry jam, papaya, and orange drink. Today we mixed in with the Guatemalans at our tables. Or as J says, we “de-segregated.”

We left a little late this morning and picked up M (a translator.) I sat behind him and T on the bus and enjoyed talking with them.

One of the busy market streets we passed on our drive to the school.

Every morning when we arrive at the school, we walk past a street vendor who sells these sub sandwiches that smell so good. It’s a bit torturous!

Today the sport was basketball. We started off with the older kids. I jumped in and played for awhile. It was actually pretty fun! They are finally coming out of their shells and talking to us more. A little girl named E talks to me a lot, and one of the girls from the opportunity center told me I was beautiful. J

Playing basketball with the older kids.

The little ones only played ½-court basketball. Most of them didn’t watch long, but instead played games with us. T and some of her friends had us playing a game of tag where you had to go to jail if you were caught.

T (center) with me and one of her friends. I think she’s one of the most beautiful little girls I’ve ever seen!

Mis amigas.

The staff game today was pretty low-key. I guess basketball isn’t as big of a deal as soccer. J There was no point in me playing because I’m so much shorter than everyone. I was too tired anyway.

We left the school pretty late and drove to the opportunity center for lunch. It was amazing! We ate something similar to empanadas or pastelillos. They are called Doblados and are a fried meat pocket made with a corn tortilla, and filled with meat (ours had leftover steak), cooked onions, and cooked cabbage. We had them with a red sauce and a spicy green sauce, parmesan cheese, chips, boiled potatoes, oatmeal cookies, and a rose hips drink. It was an amazing meal!

Our delicious lunch!

Hanging out with some of the chicas at the opportunity center.

Mr. J led a game where he moves his hands together and the kids had to clap their hands. If they clapped when his hands did NOT cross, they were out. It was fun! Then we broke up to do the “Ojo de Dios” craft. I helped teach. Unfortunately my camera got dropped and the flash won’t work. L At least it was old and needing replacement!

At the end of our time, I gave away some of the pictures I had brought of our family. The kids *loved* them and kept asking for more. Even after we got on the bus, they ran over and asked for more.

We started driving towards the orphanage. I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Normally I would have thought I would cry a lot, but I haven’t had a lot of emotion so far. We had a little trouble finding the place. We were greeted by R who helps manage the orphanage.

As we walked through the house to the backyard where the kids were, I was struck by all the plants, pictures, and other little things around to beautify the home. The backyard was like a huge covered play area. They had a swing set, monkey bars, more swings, bird cages, an open area to play in with hopscotch, and a little table with chairs.

All the kids were sitting in chairs. When we walked in, they started singing a song. It was precious! They all introduced themselves and stated their ages, and our team did the same.

Introductions at the orphanage.

They sang a few more songs for us, most of them led by G. Then she told the story of Peter and the wolf, using a few members of our team to act it out. Ben (aka Peter) kept saying (by accident) “Bien lobo” (“good wolf!”) instead of “Viene lobo!” (“here comes wolf!”) J Pastor D was a hilarious wolf. J

After our little presentation, the kids played musical chairs. Three-year-old D got out almost right away. I went to console her and held her in my lap. Turns out she had a bad case of lice. The kids did some running races before we had some free play time.

Me with little D.

As I played with D, she seemed to be carrying a heaviness that no 3-year-old should have. She was probably suffering from one of the emotional disorders discussed in the foster care books I’ve been reading. I played with a 9-year-old girl named I. She was much happier, and wanted to ride on my shoulders everywhere.

Playing with I.

We toured the entire orphanage in 2 groups. They have about 25 kids total, but we only played with about 12 of them. It’s actually more of a “half-way home” where kids come for a year or two until the court decides who gets custody of them.

While the facility was well kept and very nice, I still had the overwhelming thought of “No child should live like this.” Kids were created to have a Mom and a Dad. They (orphans) don’t have anyone to change their clothes when they get dirty, wipe their nose when it’s runny, or truly trust. Good or bad, an orphanage is an orphanage.

They went in to eat dinner, and a little 6-year-old named E prayed. It was precious! He prayed for the Americans and that God would take care of their cars and that nothing scary would happen to them!!! J Kids are the best.

The kids eating their dinner.

While they ate, our group went into the chapel to hear the Director/Founder of the orphanage speak. She is incredibly inspiring and passionate about the ministries she has started (which include a church, homeless food kitchen, orphanage, and nursing home so far.)

Listening to “Mamita A” speak.

Leaving the kids was hard on most everyone. We drove back to the mission house for a late dinner. We ate a mix of leftovers.

A taco, boiled potato, and doblado.

We had our debrief meeting not long after dinner since it was so late. J, Pastor D, Ben, and I stayed up late playing Power Uno. It was funny! We each won one game and then turned in around midnight.

To be continued . . .

Guatemala, Part 1

Guatemala, Part 2

Guatemala, Part 3