Hola Mis Amigos!
It was a fantastico last (and full) day in Guatemala. We started off with the world famous continental breakfast "just the way we like it" at 7 o'clock, courtesy of Kevin and Ginny. Once the rest of the Guatemalan missionaries arrived, we all headed upstairs for some time in God's Word. Manuel led discussion, and started off by asking us, "What should a Christian leader do?" He selected passages from many places in the Old Testament, like Deuteronomy 4:23-29, 2 Chronicles 14:4, Psalm 105:4-5 and Jeremiah 29:11-13. He connected each passage to each other and elaborated on how they apply to our specific circumstances today, and ended discussion with Micah 6:8. The whole discussion was really thought-provoking and just the right way to start the day.
The next step of the day was a bittersweet one, as we Gringos and the Guatemalans all gathered on the balcony/roof for some picture taking. All the pictures we took today and throughout the week should be available on the Groundwork Guatemala Facebook page. And even though the goodbye tears were flowing early, this was a great way to capture all the deep relationships that were formed in such a short time.
Not surprisingly, we were forced to "choose wisely" for our last adventure outside of the house. We had the option of visiting either a local Guatemalan coffee roaster, Godoy's Gourmet Organic Coffee, or to visit some nearby Mayan ruins. At Godoy's we learned many ins-and-outs of coffee roasting, and even got to try some freshly roasted, ground, and brewed complimentary coffee. For once we did not need a translator for our tour, regardless of Kevin's instinct to have Evelyn translate the owner's Californian accent. This allowed for an in-depth explanation from the owner about her journey to Guatemala and her involvement in coffee roasting. Those who ventured to the ruins really enjoyed it. The first thing they did was make clay objects out of similar clay to the Mayan artifacts on display. Then the crowd viewed four Mayan ceremonies which would have been performed when the Mayan culture was at large, and even were able to see Mayan artifacts and a house.
Lunch involved leftovers from the week, and was sadly our last lunch with our Guatemalan friends. Kevin showcased his "Vino Palmer," which was nothing more (and nothing less) than grape juice with sweet tea. Once lunch was done, we started preparing for the faith lesson, which was to start around 2 o'clock. Unlike other days which involve traveling to various locations, Fridays are when Ginny and Kevin open their home to city residents. Numbers were sparse at first, but local Guatemalans of all ages came for fellowship and time in God's Word. Ana, Michael, and Brian even ran a clinic within the house for those in need of medical attention. It was as edifying a time as ever, and everything eventually wound down around 3:30. With some time to spare before most of the Guatemalans (besides Cesar and Sandra) left, a small group of us taught Oscar (Guatemalan missionary) the card game Euchre, and he picked up on it before the last hand was played. He claims he will be a Euchre champion for next year's game. We have no doubts.
Once final goodbyes were said to Carlos, Odie, Ana, Julian, and Oscar, the details of our super secret, exclusive dinner extravaganza were unveiled, our expectations were exceeded as dinner was enjoyed "just the way we liked it"- pizza on the balcony. Andy got his much needed pizza fill (devouring an entire pizza) and we all enjoyed the laughter-filled conversations, especially from the banter of Ginny and Kevin. The day couldn't have ended better, as Kevin had us meet in the infamous upper room for some reflective thought and discussion. He posed 4 questions to us, which were: 1) What surprised you most from the week, 2) What frustrated you most from the week, 3) What did you learn about yourself, and 4) Where did you see God this week, and the optional fifth question 5) How will you use what you've learned here at home? Discussion lasted two and a half hours, which may give some idea to how comfortable everyone felt with both talking and listening to one another discuss the very personal reflections each of us had.
We finally dismissed and were off to bed at 10. Tomorrow we will be heading to the airport at 10 a.m. sharp, after we take care our final packing and cleaning. God was with us and among us this whole day and week, as all of the bonds which had been made between us at the beginning were strengthened all the more with a full day of laughs, tears, and thankfulness to God.
Dios de Bendiga,
Maria y Pablo (Mary and Paul)
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