Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday afternoon we went to a small daycare/school in our town to do an activity with the kids there. First, let me just say that we met 18 precious children there! One of the guys in our group had planned an activity, and it went really well. He told the creation story one day at a time. After hearing about each day, the kids drew a picture to represent that day. The rest of us were spread out among the kids to help them know what to do, etc. I was helping a little girl named Kimberly and a little boy named Mario. After my experiences with kids in Manzanillo, I am not surprised by how much I enjoyed this time with the kids. Right now our plan is to return there for more activities every Tuesday afternoon. I suspect at some time in my near future I will be singing some of those great songs I learned to do with the kids in Manzanillo, like "Padre Abraham!"

Wednesday Bible Studies

Our group started holding a Bible study in the plaza in San Juan on Wednesdays. The Wednesday before last, we met at 5 pm. Parker's family and Audra's family came. Cory played guitar and we sang Spanish praise songs. Parker read from the Bible and said a few words about what he had read. We took prayer requests and prayed. Throughout the entire time, the Catholic church nearby seemed determine to interrupt by constantly ringing their bells.

The following Wednesday, this past week, we moved the meeting time a little earlier to avoid the bells. It was raining a little, so we found a small shelter. This time 3 families came. Parker's host dad came prepared to read a scripture as well this time. Three of his teenage nephews were there both times. That night, one of the nephews went home and made kites for each of us. He had Parker bring them to us the next day as a gift. This weekend is a time when everyone here traditionally flies kites, and he wanted us each to have one. He even took the time to find out our names and put our first inital on our kite. Very thoughtful for a 15 year old guy! Please pray for our Wednesday Bible studies to continue to grow. Pray that more people will come and that our time will be increasingly meaningful. Pray for the hearts and lives of those who attend.

Monterrico Beach

We went to Monterrico Beach on the Pacific coast of Guatemala for the weekend. The drive there took a little over 2 hours. The place we stayed was right on the beach, which was great. I didn't really go far into the water because the riptide was extremely powerful. Due to its proximity to volcanoes, the sand is black. Saturday night we saw a beautiful sunset and watched 300-400 baby turtles being released into the sea.

While we were eating dinner, it rained really hard. When we went back to our rom later, it was partially flooded. My duffle bag was sitting in 3 inches of water, and all of my clothes were soaked. Even my Bible got a little wet. (The room had a thatched roof, which was also home to a family of bats.) I had really been hoping to finally have a hot shower after about 16 consecutive days of cold showers. As it turned out, the shower water wasn't hot, but it was warm saltwater from the sea instead. Nothing like using saltwater to shower, to wash hands before removing contacts, etc. :)

We had arranged a tour guide to help us look for giant sea turtles at 8 pm Saturday night. They had emphasized that they could not guarantee we would be able to find any sea turtles, but since it only cost a few dollars each, we went for it. Well, you know how walking on sand is harder than walking on a solid surface? Our guide was walking very fast, in the dark, and he would not give up the search. We just kept walking for almost an hour before he finally turned around and headed back, so we had to have walked a total of 3-4 miles on the sand that night. It was crazy: for the entire group, this guy made $50-60 bucks just to give us a good workout and not see any turtles. At one point, 3 guys on 4 wheelers started circling us, and we thought we were about to be robbed.

By the time we returned to the hotel at 10:30, the party with loud music was in full swing. The music lasted until 2:30 am. Between wading through water to climb into my bed and hearing the loud music, it took quite a while to get to sleep. Then, one of my roommates had scheduled a 5 am tour, so her alarm woke me up at 4 am. After that, I never slept more than 30 minutes at a time for the rest of the night.

When we were driving back Sunday afternoon, our van had mechanical problems, so we were hanging out alongside the road in a remote area for about half an hour while our driver and guide repaired it. We also drove through a town having a crazy fiesta, and people in scary masks stood near our windows while someone on the other side of us shot off fireworks that were inches from the van.

So, it was a crazy weekend; certainly less relaxing than anticipated. Yet another adventure to remember.

This morning my teacher, Rosario, started asking me things about the Bible again. I am going to take my Bible with me tomorrow. Please continue to pray for her and for God to speak through me.

Neighbors

The house across the street from mine is a two-story concrete building. I think the first floor is some sort of chicken plant, and about a dozen guys work there. I think many of them live upstairs, as well. It seems there is always at least one of them hanging out one of the upstairs windows. Therefore, when I am in the street walking to or from the gate in front of my house, I have to endure various whistles, comments, etc. I make a point of not looking or reacting at all, but that doesn't seem to deter them. Furthermore, from their windows they can see over the wall into our yard and even in to one corner of my room when my door is open. (I like to open the door for air flow because otherwise it is pretty muggy in the room.) One day I was home along and a guy was just sitting there watching every move I made. I am trying to not let any of this bother me, and I have decided that the best thing I can do is to pray for them. So, please join me in praying for the guys who live across the street from me.

Soccer is a dangerous sport ., . . for the fans!

Sunday was another adventurous day. A member of Parker’s host family and a friend of his took 6 of us with them to Guatemala City to attend a soccer game. I know practically nothing about soccer, but since it is such a big part of the culture across Latin America, I decided it would be a great idea for me to go. The 2 teams playing were the Rojos (Red) and the Cremas (White), which are apparently big rivals. Since we know nothing about the teams, we adopted the favorite of Parker’s family: the Cremas.

We knew we were in for a little excitement when we were parking the van and saw a crowd of people wearing white on the verge of a riot on the street outside the stadium. By the time we got out of the car, rocks had been thrown into the stadium and police had come. The crowd ran, and the police pursued and shot off a couple of rounds of tear gas (at least we think that is what it was). It quickly drifted to us and we had to head in the other direction to escape it. I’m glad we weren’t any closer because it was some pretty horrible stuff to inhale!

Once we got inside the stadium, we learned that this is the home stadium of the Rojos. Their fans have the majority of the stadium, and a section at the end is reserved for the opposing team. There are separate entrances based on which team you are for and barricades inside the stadium in an attempt to keep the fans separated. The Crema fans were the ones who had been in the street, and they were pretty energetic inside the stadium as well. It wasn’t long before some of them started climbing up the fence between the stands and the field. Barbed wire was no deterrent for them. They took some red shirts with them and set them on fire as a symbol against the Rojo team. Before and during the game, fans on both sides were setting off fireworks. Rojo fans were mainly setting ones that created a red smoke. Crema fans were usually throwing loud ones over the fence onto the track around the field.

At halftime, there were several crazy fights in the stands. I am not sure what that was all about, because it was among Crema fans. No alcohol was allowed in the stadium, so that wasn’t the problem. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, which seemed a little anti-climactic to me. However, that may have been for the best since any other ending would have been likely to incite further incidents. As we were leaving the stadium amidst the crowd of Crema fans, more fights broke out (rocks were thrown, etc.) and we had to hurry away toward the van. As we were reaching the van, more tear gas was used. We saw an ambulance go toward that area. The craziest part is that all of this is very normal to them, and none of the crazy things done inside the stadium seemed to cause any concern for the police or the security guards. Seeing firsthand the effect that soccer can have on people has given me an interesting perspective on the culture.

The First Week

My room:The view from my room: The walk down hill to school (which means the walk home, of course, is uphill!)
I have already seen prayers answered. Saturday night after dinner Juan, Sandra, and I continued to converse for quite a while at the table. I thought of a few topics, and Juan was great at thinking of things to discuss. Juan asked me if I read anything in Spanish, so I shared with them that I am reading my bilingual Bible. (I read a section of verses in English, then read the same section in Spanish to help me comprehend.) Sandra said that they have a Spanish Bible and that it is a good book. She asked me if I am Catholic or Protestant. I said that I am protestant, then I commented that I follow the Bible. She told me that when my Spanish improves, she wants me to explain some things from the Bible to her. Friday she had shown me a picture of the Virgin Guadelupe and talked about how wonderful she is, so I was encouraged by this opening. I pray that God will give me opportunities and put the words in my mouth and give me the boldness to speak at the right time.

Sunday morning we visited a bilingual church in Antigua. It was interesting. Sunday night when Audra, David, and I rode the bus back from Antigua we realized that San Juan was in the dark—no power! It was very dark it seemed like everyone in town was out wandering the streets. It was a little eerie, so Audra and David decided to walk me home instead before heading back toward their houses.

Monday morning we were assigned tutors. My tutor is a woman named Rosario. She is the same age as me, and class went really well. The 4 hour morning flew by. We all went home for lunch and were to meet back at the school at 2 for the afternoon activity. (Most afternoons they offer activities either at this school or at their location in Antigua.) We were given a tour of San Juan. Then we watched a movie about the terrible war in Guatemala and people heading north to survive in the early 80’s. This is a picture of the school. We all sit at little tables around the building or in the garden with our own tutor. (Note the view of one of the volcanos in the background.)

Tuesday morning I became frustrated over all of my mistakes in language class, and that afternoon we toured the place in town that makes fireworks.

Wednesday morning class was better, and we hiked up to a place called Cerro de la Cruz that overlooks the city of Antigua. While we were there, it started pouring, and we were absolutely drenched by the time we made it back down to the APPE school building in Antigua.

Thursday morning from the school we could see that the other volcano had coughed up a little smoke.

That morning I was blessed by the opportunity to have an amazing conversation with my teacher about the Bible and about God. I was able to share a few Bible stories with her, and one of her questions led me to explain about free will. She really enjoyed the conversation. She said that we needed to spend some time on grammar for the rest of the morning, but she also said that she wanted to continue this conversation again in the future. It was so encouraging the way God helped me through the conversation! Please be praying for my teacher Rosario, for her husband and kids, and for me as I continue to develop this relationship.

Arrived!

I arrived safely in Guatemala on Thursday morning, and am now settled in with my host family in the small town of San Juan del Obispo, where the language school is located. We were driven from the airport in Guatemala City to the school in San Juan del Obispo. Once there, we were met by our host families and walked to our respective houses. It was quite an adventure getting my three suitcases to the house as it is uphill on cobblestone all the way! I felt horrible that they had to help me with such an unpleasant task, but they were very kind.

Friday morning’s activities at the school included individual interviews intended to place us each at our current level of Spanish abilities. Beginning Monday, we will each be tutored individually from 8 am until noon every weekday, then we will have a couple of hours of homework. We are also encouraged to participate in many activities and excursions offered by the school. Friday afternoon we had a walking tour of Antigua, where we can go for internet access, etc. It is just a short bus ride away.

My family provides all of my meals except on Sundays. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the meals in the home, but so far it has been a great experience. One meal was soup and rice and beans, another was rice and chicken, and another was chicken and pureed beans. There are always tortillas on the table, and sometimes there is bread as well. One meal included beets, which are okay but not my favorite. However, I really enjoyed these beets as they had been sprinkled with fresh lime juice and coarse salt. It was a great improvement.

The houses here are much different than the ones to which we are accustomed in the U.S. From the street you just see a big wall and a locked gate. Once inside the gate, we have a courtyard of sorts. Each room of the house has its own separate entrance with a metal door that can be locked. With the exception of the two bedrooms and the bathroom used by the family, none of the rooms have an interior connection. You go outside to move from room to room. It is arranged in a V-shape. First, there is my room near the front wall. Then there is another guest room. Next is a room that I believe is used for laundry, and then the bathroom that I use. (This bathroom does not have hot water. Sandra invited me to come use their bathroom so that I can have hot showers, but so far I think that having my own bathroom is worth the sacrifice of taking cold showers, especially when the alternative involves walking through the couple’s bedroom in order to use their bathroom.) There is actually a gate leading to the backyard where the two buildings meet. The first two rooms in main building are the family bedrooms. Next is the kitchen, followed by the living room. Around the house, there are many flowers, plants, fruit and vegetable trees, and they even have coffee growing in their backyard. I am pretty excited that they grow their own avocados and limes as I am a big fan of the combination. There is also a family pet dog named Clifford (even though he is small and black, not big and red!), and they raise chickens.

My goal now is to post a new entry to this blog once a week, most likely over the weekend when I have more time to go to town for internet access. I will try to include pictures next week, but that will depend on the speed of my internet access.

For now, please know that I appreciate your prayers more than ever before. It is impossible to describe the type of culture shock that goes along with an immersion experience. I’m doing okay but know there will be difficult times ahead.

Please pray for my mind to absorb, process, retain, and recall the language. My host “mother,” Sandra, is wonderful at helping me learn. She told me right away that I would have two teachers: one at school, and her at home! I have a harder time communicating with her husband and two sons, but I really want to be able to do so. I also am praying that God will help me think of things to talk about, because even in English that is very difficult for me with people I don’t know well . . . .

2 Weeks Almost Gone

My 2 weeks at home have nearly come to an end. It has been a flurry of shopping, time with family and friends, goodbyes, packing, repacking, etc. I can't believe that I will be in Guatemala by noon on Thursday! Please pray as I finish packing, as my parent drive me to the airport in the middle of the night, and as I meet my host family in Guatemala.

IMB Commissioning

FPO ended with our commissioning service and reception on Wednesday, September 23. My parents and sister Karen surprised me by driving almost 1100 miles from Missouri to Richmond, VA to attend. I didn't know they were there until I was walking to the front and heard my sister say my name. I turned to see the 3 of them, and they tell me that my facial expression was priceless!

I never expected to have family at the commissioning, but their presence and the sacrifice and love it represented were a tremendous blessing to me. Of course, while I got on the airplane the next morning, they started the 1100 mile drive back home. I spent the night with a friend in St. Louis to wait for them to catch up with me so I could ride the rest of the way home with them.

TIckets

As we enter the last few days of FPO, everyone is beginning to look beyond commissioning to the next few transitions. Many of us will have a little more time at home before heading overseas. Please pay for all aspects of these transitions, inclluding goodbyes, visas, travel issues, adjustment to new cultures, etc. I now have both my ticket to fly home and my ticket to head overseas. I fly back to St. Louis on Thursday, September 24, and I fly to Guatemala bright and early on October 8! In Guatemala, I will be living with a local host family. Please pray for this family and my rleationship with them.

Nature Walks

I've mentioned the "quads" we live in: here's my quad, and then the next picture is the fountain near the library.Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have beautiful places to walk? Walking in the midst of God's creation is such an amazing setting in which to spend time talking to Him.

There are usually horses in this area, but there weren't any out the day I carried my camera on my walk.

Introvert

Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Assessment? I got my results last week, and it turns out I am either an ISFJ or an INFJ, depending on the day. I suspect nobody who knows me will be shocked to hear that the I part represents Introvert. That's right. It's official. I am NOT an extrovert!

I've been thinking a lot about my personality and characteristics and what they mean in terms of my interactions with others, and therefore what they ultimately mean in terms of my ability to serve effectively. Obviously, God made me the person I am. He uniquely designed me with a perfect plan in mind. I think that means that God can use introverts to reach people but that He may do so in different ways than He uses extroverts. So, I think the first lesson in this for me is that I should embrace the person I am and the characteristics that God has given me. At the same time, I think I need to be sensitive to the ways He may desire to stretch me and help me grow. I want to let go of any part of me that is not of Him and be aware of how my personality impacts the people around me. Am I reflecting Him? Am I adequately communicating His love?

Please pray for me to be moldable and senstive to the needs of those around me.