Coming to you from Guatemala by your favorites, Cristian and Hannah!
What a day to remember! Sadly today was our last day in beautiful Guatemala City. We started our day nice and early with breakfast just the way we like it, and as usual we had devotion right after breakfast. Lovely Sandra led devotion explaining and reminding us that the our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who works through us. This will be good to remember as we leave Guatemala.
Unlike our past days, we did not have home visits but instead we had the opportunity to see the touristy side of Guatemala City. Our lovely group had the opportunity to choose between going to the Kaminaljuyu Archaelological Guatemala Park to see and explore the City of the Death and all of the Mayan ruins or to go to the Godoy Coffee Roasting place where organic gourmet coffee is made, roasted, and sold. My group (Cristian) was made up of Anna, Emily, Hannah, Casey, Yasmine, and Michelle . The group was led by Sandra and Carlos who did an amazing job explaining the old Mayan ruins, sites, and traditions. The other team was made up of Andrew, Mil, Skyler, Maddie, Jack, and Haylie. Their team was led by Kevin and Manuel. Both teams had a great time exploring a bit of Guatemala's beauty.
After returning from our trips, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of all our favorite leftovers from the week. The lunch was extra special because we got to eat with the Guatemalan missionaries again, like we did on Monday. All of the missionaries were so welcoming and friendly with us this week, so the whole day was bittersweet because we knew it would soon be time to say goodbye. We enjoyed some time after lunch to relax, hang out, or spend time talking with the missionaries before people began arriving for the faith lessons around 2pm. We enjoyed sharing pictures of with each other and getting to have a little more time to talk and laugh together.
Faith lessons went well again today. The young children spent the first part of the lesson in the garden, where they did the story, skit, and craft. After that, they walked to a nearby park, where they had lots of fun. The older youth were on the 3rd floor of the house, where a nice breeze kept everyone cool. Both groups had less kids than any of the other days, but that made it nice to build more personal relationships with the kids. Some of the missionaries had children of their own who attended the faith lessons, so it was fun to make those connections.
After the faith lessons, it was soon time to say goodbye to our Guatemalan friends. We all enjoyed getting to know each missionary this week, so they truly will be missed when we return home. We all made a special connection with different missionaries that will not be forgotten. We will remain thankful for how they guided and protected us this week. The missionaries not only shared their smiles with us, but also their love and positive attitudes.
For our last dinner, we enjoyed a five star meal with a view that consisted of pepperoni, cheese, and ham pizza, along with Guatemalan gasosas (flavored sodas). We enjoyed the meal on the roof, where it was cool enough to wear sweaters. After our familiar American dinner, our whole team gathered one last time to reflect upon our week. Both Kevin and Ginny joined us and asked us questions that prompted us to discuss the things we learned and the ways we were changed this week. In different ways, we were all touched by God, and being able to share these moments as a team was a special way to end the week.
Tonight we end by packing and getting ready for our early flight (leaving house at 3:30am!!). Although we are very excited to see our family and friends again, the friendships we made this past week will never be forgotten. We will cherish the relationships and memories that we made. This experience was a blessing from God, and we cannot wait to share it with everyone back home. Guatemala has been great to us, and we are forever grateful.
Special Shout Out to Melissa (Maddie's Mom), on her 21st birthday (LOL). Happy Birthday from Groundwork Guatemala 2018!!
Isaiah 55:10-11
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Thursday, May 17, 2018
¿Donde? En Mi Corazón
¡Hoy fue un dia muy coloroso (today was a very hot day)! But it was also un día muy sentimental (a very sentimental day). A large number of our team met the children we are sponsoring or have been sponsoring since last year or earlier. For me (Emily) personally, the experience was something I will always remember. I was able to visit the home of Karen, the girl I am sponsoring, and talk with her and her mother about their current living situation as well as our shared interests and events from my own life. I discovered that she is very artistic, thoughtful, detail-oriented, and is doing extremely well in school. It is truly a blessing from the Lord to be able to have this connection with someone who lives thousands of miles away from me and to support her education and faith.
I (Yasmine) also had the opportunity to meet my sponser child. His name is David and he is 13 years old. He is the sweetest boy I have ever met- when he found out I was coming he got all dressed up and even took a shower before-hand! He opened up to me right away, asking me several questions. David and I suprising have a lot in common. I really enjoyed listening to him talk about his family, friends, interests, and favorite school subjects. Later on I got to meet his mother who expressed a lot of grattitude and joy. I also got to meet my mother´s sponsor child. His name is Yefri and he just turned 17. He is extremely intellegent and determined to study computer programming and finish school. He asked me a lot of questions about my mom, which I thought was very sweet. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet such amazing young men and to be able to help them grow in their faith as well as succeed in their studies.
We know that others on the team had similar interactions, as we heard stories about impactful moments throughout the day.
For the faith lessons we went to Gonzales Park. The physical space of the park was different than that of other areas we had visited simply because the ground was cement and there were benches and lots of tents. It was almost like large courtyards that made it easy to organize the kids into groups and have plenty of space to play soccer, read, run around, and jump rope. Many of the kids were super interactive and wanted to learn English words, such as colors, animals, and basic phrases. They even said "Thank you!" on the way out. Overall, they were full of energy and showed enthusiasm for learning. We were definitely worn out (and sunburnt) by the end of the lesson, but in a good kind of way. :)
When we got back to ministry headquarters, we had a delicious meal (shoutout to Ginny) of pasta and salad. Per usual, we shared our highs and lows of the day and are ready to take on our last full day tomorrow in beautiful Guatemala.
¡Hasta luego!
Yaz y Emily
So now I am giving you a new commandment: love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
John 13:34-35
Así que ahora les doy un nuevo mandamiento: amense unos a otros. Tal como yo los he amado, ustedes deben amarse unos a otros. El amor que tengan unos por otros sera la prueba ante el mundo de que son mis discípulos.
Juan 13:34-35
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Just The Way You Like It
Alright we started our morning with breakfast at 6am with "the Berwin meets Des Plaines meets Joliet Holiday Inn style just the way you like it without the waffle maker" (Kevin). Then we loaded the vans by 7am and were on our way to Buena Vista.
Upon arrival we applied numerous amounts of bug and sun sauce. We helped set up bible lessons, then we went to the local school. When we first arrived at the school, they were still in session. The school allowed us to enter and observe their classrooms. The school had 5 classrooms; the classrooms were very full, one teacher had 51 students in one classroom that should only contain about 20-30 students. Also one of the classrooms were empty because it was a pre-school and now there is no desks or a teacher in that classroom. At the school the playground was in the center of all the classrooms and it had a mini stage and a couple tires in the ground. The children out at recess at the time were running around and playing tag, all the children seemed interested in us because they all kept looking at us, as if they were unsure about us. When we left the school, waiting outside were these two little boys Minor and Juan. They stuck to Andy instantly and followed him the rest of the day.
After leaving the school, we broke up into groups of about 5 and 6 to go on house visits. My house visit (Casey) was to the family where Deaconess Betsy sponsors one of the sons. The son was at work in the rubber tree farm, so we met with his mother, grandmother, sister, and brother. The mother was extremely grateful for us coming and visiting her. It was good to hear that her son is doing very well in his studies and at the top of his class. The siblings were also very excited to meet us and they were interested in what we all were studying in school. There was one part during the house visit that was so awkwardly funny that it is worth sharing. There were guard pigeons everywhere. So during the house visit we were standing in a little half circle. It went myself, Anna, and then Andy. In the middle of our conversation, one of the guard pigeons decided that it was an appropriate time to fly into the house by flying in between Anna and myself. Anna jumped just a little but a few minutes later another pigeon decided to join his friend in the house as well. This time, the pigeon flew between Anna and Andy. Anna jumped way more the first time and she said she felt the bird flying past her head and was on alert the rest of the house visit. Back to the house visit, the mother was very grateful for us being there for her and praying for her and her family.
On my house visit (Yasmine) we visited a young girl named Suzy. She just finished high school and was trying to get a job at the sugar cane plantation to work in the office. She has to wait until she is 18, which will be this Saturday. This girl is one of the only children to complete high school in her village. She is very successful in her studies. While we were there she showed us how she uses the machine to grind the corn to prepare it for making tortillas. After she had showed us this, she asked us to sit down. We talked about our families, her older sister also finished high school and is married with children. She also has a younger sister, who decided she will no longer attend school; she was in 3rd grade. Suzy now wants to go to the university to study to become a nurse but her mom wants her to stay in Buena Vista and be at home. After we prayed and said our goodbyes, we all encouraged her to go back to school to persue her dream of becoming a nurse. After leaving, I realized that Suzy is an inspiration to me and her village because she worked hard to continue and finish school, whereas most people in the village are unable to finish school. After that we went to the local river, where they wash their clothes and dishes and also take baths. When we got down to the river, Haylie was holding Marvin's (Guatemalan missionary) hand and was stepping along the rocks. She slipped and fell in the river and she was fine but it was intertaining. There was a women down there washing her clothes and it occured to me that she had to carry this huge basket of clothes back up this steep and slippery trail. I was honestly heaving breathing on the way back up; I could not image carrying up laundry and a child. I am also adding that Haylie tripped twice going back up and that was pretty funny too. But she is okay, so it is fine. Then we headed back for the faith lesson.
Faith lesson time. Although yesterday's children were very talkative, these children took some time to warm up to us. To start the faith lesson, Oscar (Guatemalan missonary) introduced us to the group of children. Then we started with the songs, and today they went very well. The children knew all the words and we were all in sync. Following the songs, Jack taught the kids the memory verse, Hebrews 3:13. The verse was the introduction to the skit. The skit consisted of Nick, Andrew, Emily and us two. But what was new about today compared to the past two days, was that Oscar suggested us wearing beards. So Andrew went and found beards somewhere in the house last night. So today everybody except Casey wore a beard. But in my defense (Casey), there were none left and I used my hair to make a beard, so it's all good. The skit went good in the end. After the skit, we introduced the kids to the craft. The kids loved it and it was great to see.
(Casey) The highlight of my day was before the faith lesson started, I was reading booking to children. The children were a little distracted, which was understandable because there was about 125 children gathered in one space. While I was reading a book about a cat and sitting on a stool, this little boy comes up to me and puts his arm on my back and looked over my shoulder at the book. It melted my heart, it was so sweet to see that they were interested in anything that we were doing.
(Yasmine) The highlight of my day was meeting a little girl named Estella she was 8 years old and she was the sweetest thing. Estella asked me to read with her, then she smiled at me the entire time we were singing, she sat by me during the craft, and then held my hand and walked around with me to give the other kids high fives. She was just so cute and her smile warmed my heart. I am truly blessed to be here and have the opportunity to have such and amazing expirence.
We are both very thankful to be here! The experiences and encounters with the people of Guatemala have been truly amazing and an once in a life time experience. There are not enough words to express how great these past four days have been.
-Casey and Yaz
Upon arrival we applied numerous amounts of bug and sun sauce. We helped set up bible lessons, then we went to the local school. When we first arrived at the school, they were still in session. The school allowed us to enter and observe their classrooms. The school had 5 classrooms; the classrooms were very full, one teacher had 51 students in one classroom that should only contain about 20-30 students. Also one of the classrooms were empty because it was a pre-school and now there is no desks or a teacher in that classroom. At the school the playground was in the center of all the classrooms and it had a mini stage and a couple tires in the ground. The children out at recess at the time were running around and playing tag, all the children seemed interested in us because they all kept looking at us, as if they were unsure about us. When we left the school, waiting outside were these two little boys Minor and Juan. They stuck to Andy instantly and followed him the rest of the day.
After leaving the school, we broke up into groups of about 5 and 6 to go on house visits. My house visit (Casey) was to the family where Deaconess Betsy sponsors one of the sons. The son was at work in the rubber tree farm, so we met with his mother, grandmother, sister, and brother. The mother was extremely grateful for us coming and visiting her. It was good to hear that her son is doing very well in his studies and at the top of his class. The siblings were also very excited to meet us and they were interested in what we all were studying in school. There was one part during the house visit that was so awkwardly funny that it is worth sharing. There were guard pigeons everywhere. So during the house visit we were standing in a little half circle. It went myself, Anna, and then Andy. In the middle of our conversation, one of the guard pigeons decided that it was an appropriate time to fly into the house by flying in between Anna and myself. Anna jumped just a little but a few minutes later another pigeon decided to join his friend in the house as well. This time, the pigeon flew between Anna and Andy. Anna jumped way more the first time and she said she felt the bird flying past her head and was on alert the rest of the house visit. Back to the house visit, the mother was very grateful for us being there for her and praying for her and her family.
On my house visit (Yasmine) we visited a young girl named Suzy. She just finished high school and was trying to get a job at the sugar cane plantation to work in the office. She has to wait until she is 18, which will be this Saturday. This girl is one of the only children to complete high school in her village. She is very successful in her studies. While we were there she showed us how she uses the machine to grind the corn to prepare it for making tortillas. After she had showed us this, she asked us to sit down. We talked about our families, her older sister also finished high school and is married with children. She also has a younger sister, who decided she will no longer attend school; she was in 3rd grade. Suzy now wants to go to the university to study to become a nurse but her mom wants her to stay in Buena Vista and be at home. After we prayed and said our goodbyes, we all encouraged her to go back to school to persue her dream of becoming a nurse. After leaving, I realized that Suzy is an inspiration to me and her village because she worked hard to continue and finish school, whereas most people in the village are unable to finish school. After that we went to the local river, where they wash their clothes and dishes and also take baths. When we got down to the river, Haylie was holding Marvin's (Guatemalan missionary) hand and was stepping along the rocks. She slipped and fell in the river and she was fine but it was intertaining. There was a women down there washing her clothes and it occured to me that she had to carry this huge basket of clothes back up this steep and slippery trail. I was honestly heaving breathing on the way back up; I could not image carrying up laundry and a child. I am also adding that Haylie tripped twice going back up and that was pretty funny too. But she is okay, so it is fine. Then we headed back for the faith lesson.
Faith lesson time. Although yesterday's children were very talkative, these children took some time to warm up to us. To start the faith lesson, Oscar (Guatemalan missonary) introduced us to the group of children. Then we started with the songs, and today they went very well. The children knew all the words and we were all in sync. Following the songs, Jack taught the kids the memory verse, Hebrews 3:13. The verse was the introduction to the skit. The skit consisted of Nick, Andrew, Emily and us two. But what was new about today compared to the past two days, was that Oscar suggested us wearing beards. So Andrew went and found beards somewhere in the house last night. So today everybody except Casey wore a beard. But in my defense (Casey), there were none left and I used my hair to make a beard, so it's all good. The skit went good in the end. After the skit, we introduced the kids to the craft. The kids loved it and it was great to see.
(Casey) The highlight of my day was before the faith lesson started, I was reading booking to children. The children were a little distracted, which was understandable because there was about 125 children gathered in one space. While I was reading a book about a cat and sitting on a stool, this little boy comes up to me and puts his arm on my back and looked over my shoulder at the book. It melted my heart, it was so sweet to see that they were interested in anything that we were doing.
(Yasmine) The highlight of my day was meeting a little girl named Estella she was 8 years old and she was the sweetest thing. Estella asked me to read with her, then she smiled at me the entire time we were singing, she sat by me during the craft, and then held my hand and walked around with me to give the other kids high fives. She was just so cute and her smile warmed my heart. I am truly blessed to be here and have the opportunity to have such and amazing expirence.
We are both very thankful to be here! The experiences and encounters with the people of Guatemala have been truly amazing and an once in a life time experience. There are not enough words to express how great these past four days have been.
-Casey and Yaz
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
¿Como se dice bock bock en Ingles?
Andrew and Mil reporting for blog post duty.
So we are sure all of you are wondering the story behind the title of this blog. Well have no fear, Andrew and Mil are here with a fun, little story from our very eventful day. So, this being the first day that we were able to teach and interact with the children, there already was a great conversation with one child in particular about chicken noises that represents some of the time we had with the children today. So... Mil was conversing with a few children about pets and it all began with a young girl asking in Spanish if Mil had any gatos, (cats). And not knowing much Spanish, Mil kept having them repeat the word until one charistmatic little boy made cat noises, meow meow, to help clarify the word. After this was figured out, they proceeded to talk about cats and dogs, which Mil understood perro to mean dog. Then, the young girl shared of another pet that she had which was a Spanish word that Mil did not know the meaning of. In her moment of panic and not understanding this word, Mil ransacked her brain for any other animal she had seen today and in Guatemala. The first and only one that came to mind was a chicken. However, to make matters funnier, this came right after the same little boy made rabbit ears to try and help clairfy the animal. For Mil, rabbit ears equaled chicken in her panic. She proceeded by flapping her arms and making bock bock chicken noises to help describe a chicken, while still thinking that might be the answer... but a boys response was more out of left field than even her random animal guess. This particular boy asked how to say bock bock in English. How would you answer that????? Well, Mil responded with "chicken" and soon after a translator named Marvin came over and told Mil that the little girl had a pet rabbit. The end... just kidding!
This story is a great example of how many of us had a difficult time communicating with the Guatemalans, but through sign language (inside joke ask somebody about this who was on the trip), repitition, and the wonderful translators, both Guatemalan missionaries and our fellow team members we were able to get our message across. The message of our faith lesson, Barnabas encouraging Christians, and Christ's love for them. We exhibited this message of love to the children by reading books, playing games, showing interest in their lives, and assisting with their craft.
So, overall this was a special day for us and the whole team as it was the first day we traveled out of Guatemala City, to a place near Amatitlan called "El Rincon," and taught the planned out faith lesson to kids, teenagers, and adults. After our morning breakfast, "Holiday Inn Express Des Plaines, IL style" (as Kevin would say), and a devotion from the Guatemalan missionary Manuel, we all got into two vans and traveled about an hour away to "El Rincon." When we arrived we split up into three groups and went to visit different homes to do house visits. These house visits had special significance for our team this morning because each family visited had a child sponsered by one of our team members. This was a wonderful time for our team members who sponsored a child to meet them or recconect with them and their family.
Then, we all convened for "the best lunch we have ever had" because we made it as Kevin says. During lunch, many people experienced their "low" of the day by going to the bathroom which consisted of a non-functioning toilet surrounded by 4ft tall tin wall and a torn curtain for the door. This gave many funny stories that team members would be glad to share in person upon our arrival back home. Next, after our lunch came our faith lessons which we divided into our children and young adult teams as talked about earlier. This time was full of both funny and uplifting stories as we taught and sang about our common faith. After much fellowship and play, we returned back "home" where we enjoyed much laughter and delicious mac and cheese prepared by Ginny.
The night ended with a heartfelt devotion led by Andy where we shared encouragement for each of our teammates which was spiritually uplifting. Here we were strengthened as a team knowing we are redeemed by Jesus Christ and reminded that God placed us here all together for a reason working for His kingdom.
¿Como se dice the Holy Spirit works in marvelous ways en Espanol? #Godisonthemove
So we are sure all of you are wondering the story behind the title of this blog. Well have no fear, Andrew and Mil are here with a fun, little story from our very eventful day. So, this being the first day that we were able to teach and interact with the children, there already was a great conversation with one child in particular about chicken noises that represents some of the time we had with the children today. So... Mil was conversing with a few children about pets and it all began with a young girl asking in Spanish if Mil had any gatos, (cats). And not knowing much Spanish, Mil kept having them repeat the word until one charistmatic little boy made cat noises, meow meow, to help clarify the word. After this was figured out, they proceeded to talk about cats and dogs, which Mil understood perro to mean dog. Then, the young girl shared of another pet that she had which was a Spanish word that Mil did not know the meaning of. In her moment of panic and not understanding this word, Mil ransacked her brain for any other animal she had seen today and in Guatemala. The first and only one that came to mind was a chicken. However, to make matters funnier, this came right after the same little boy made rabbit ears to try and help clairfy the animal. For Mil, rabbit ears equaled chicken in her panic. She proceeded by flapping her arms and making bock bock chicken noises to help describe a chicken, while still thinking that might be the answer... but a boys response was more out of left field than even her random animal guess. This particular boy asked how to say bock bock in English. How would you answer that????? Well, Mil responded with "chicken" and soon after a translator named Marvin came over and told Mil that the little girl had a pet rabbit. The end... just kidding!
This story is a great example of how many of us had a difficult time communicating with the Guatemalans, but through sign language (inside joke ask somebody about this who was on the trip), repitition, and the wonderful translators, both Guatemalan missionaries and our fellow team members we were able to get our message across. The message of our faith lesson, Barnabas encouraging Christians, and Christ's love for them. We exhibited this message of love to the children by reading books, playing games, showing interest in their lives, and assisting with their craft.
So, overall this was a special day for us and the whole team as it was the first day we traveled out of Guatemala City, to a place near Amatitlan called "El Rincon," and taught the planned out faith lesson to kids, teenagers, and adults. After our morning breakfast, "Holiday Inn Express Des Plaines, IL style" (as Kevin would say), and a devotion from the Guatemalan missionary Manuel, we all got into two vans and traveled about an hour away to "El Rincon." When we arrived we split up into three groups and went to visit different homes to do house visits. These house visits had special significance for our team this morning because each family visited had a child sponsered by one of our team members. This was a wonderful time for our team members who sponsored a child to meet them or recconect with them and their family.
Then, we all convened for "the best lunch we have ever had" because we made it as Kevin says. During lunch, many people experienced their "low" of the day by going to the bathroom which consisted of a non-functioning toilet surrounded by 4ft tall tin wall and a torn curtain for the door. This gave many funny stories that team members would be glad to share in person upon our arrival back home. Next, after our lunch came our faith lessons which we divided into our children and young adult teams as talked about earlier. This time was full of both funny and uplifting stories as we taught and sang about our common faith. After much fellowship and play, we returned back "home" where we enjoyed much laughter and delicious mac and cheese prepared by Ginny.
The night ended with a heartfelt devotion led by Andy where we shared encouragement for each of our teammates which was spiritually uplifting. Here we were strengthened as a team knowing we are redeemed by Jesus Christ and reminded that God placed us here all together for a reason working for His kingdom.
¿Como se dice the Holy Spirit works in marvelous ways en Espanol? #Godisonthemove
Monday, May 14, 2018
City Livin'
Hey Ya'll it's Skyler and Maddie comin' at ya live from Guatemala City.
Today we started our day venturing into the city to visit another ministry called Only a Child. Here we learned about George's mission of getting children off the street, into school, and eventually a job. We were able to visit with the boys, get to know them, and encourage them. We also got to see how the boxes there are made. Being able to visit with the boys there was a great experience because we were able to see how encouraged they are by us being there and taking an interest in them.
After Only a Child we went and parked outside of the dump. Basically the dump is a massive landfill where all the trash goes and then people go down there and look for things. People want to find recyclables that they can then sell, or maybe even food to feed their family. As you can probably imagine this is not the safest of things to do because they are going through garbage which can cause diseases. In this area their is a lot of drug and alcohol abuse, so the money that they may make from selling recyclables often goes to their addictions and not their family. Visiting the dump really puts the way of life in Guatemala, Guatemalla City specifically, into perspective for all of us. Living here is not the safest or easiest,but its their normal day-to-day life.
Today we met all the Guatemalan missionaries!!! We got to enjoy lunch with them to get to know them before going out on our house visits. For house viisits today we had three groups, all being able to experience different things. Guatemalan houses are not your typical American houses. The houses we saw today have a tin roof, cement floor, and curtains as doors.
The group Skyler was in went to visit a woman named Laura. Seeing how grateful this woman was to see and visit with us was incredible. We hadn't even shared anything about ourselves or about the Bible yet and she spent a good 15 minutes talking about how happy she was to see us. We were able to pray with her and encourage her to continue praying about the things that troubled her. After encouraging and visiting with her we went down the road a little bit to visit with a man named Jorge. Jorge was also very grateful to see us. He talked with us about how he wanted to be able to go and spread the Gospel, but was having trouble walking to be able to do so. We shared some Bible verses of encouragement with him and we were able to pray with him.
The group Maddie was in went on a visit to one of the Guatemalan Missionairie's homes, Oscar. We were able to meet with his mother, one of his sisters, and his nephew. His mother was so greatful for us to be there and to share the Word of God with her. We then went across the street to visit Oscar's sister and she shared a medical miracle with us which she shared how greatful to God for this she was. It was such a great opportunity to be able to expericence the life of one of the Guatemalan Missionaries!
The group Mil was in went close to the city dump. The first house was a family of five, but the one son was not there. The mother told many stories about how through prayer she was healed, and how women come to her to ask for a blessing of a baby even though they were considered infertile. Towards the end of the visit, the very outgoing father decided he wanted the family to play for us. He brought out a guitar, accordian, and a bass stringed instrument which the daughter, mother, and he played. The second house had three boys and a single mom who was gone most of the day because she had to work long hours to keep the boys in school. We conversed about their interests such as art which they were very good at. Most importantly, we finished with a prayer reminding them of their Heavenly Father.
We all had such a wonderful day here in Guatemala City and can't wait for what is to come in the next few days.
Love and miss you all!
Hasta La Vista Baby!!!
Today we started our day venturing into the city to visit another ministry called Only a Child. Here we learned about George's mission of getting children off the street, into school, and eventually a job. We were able to visit with the boys, get to know them, and encourage them. We also got to see how the boxes there are made. Being able to visit with the boys there was a great experience because we were able to see how encouraged they are by us being there and taking an interest in them.
After Only a Child we went and parked outside of the dump. Basically the dump is a massive landfill where all the trash goes and then people go down there and look for things. People want to find recyclables that they can then sell, or maybe even food to feed their family. As you can probably imagine this is not the safest of things to do because they are going through garbage which can cause diseases. In this area their is a lot of drug and alcohol abuse, so the money that they may make from selling recyclables often goes to their addictions and not their family. Visiting the dump really puts the way of life in Guatemala, Guatemalla City specifically, into perspective for all of us. Living here is not the safest or easiest,but its their normal day-to-day life.
Today we met all the Guatemalan missionaries!!! We got to enjoy lunch with them to get to know them before going out on our house visits. For house viisits today we had three groups, all being able to experience different things. Guatemalan houses are not your typical American houses. The houses we saw today have a tin roof, cement floor, and curtains as doors.
The group Skyler was in went to visit a woman named Laura. Seeing how grateful this woman was to see and visit with us was incredible. We hadn't even shared anything about ourselves or about the Bible yet and she spent a good 15 minutes talking about how happy she was to see us. We were able to pray with her and encourage her to continue praying about the things that troubled her. After encouraging and visiting with her we went down the road a little bit to visit with a man named Jorge. Jorge was also very grateful to see us. He talked with us about how he wanted to be able to go and spread the Gospel, but was having trouble walking to be able to do so. We shared some Bible verses of encouragement with him and we were able to pray with him.
The group Maddie was in went on a visit to one of the Guatemalan Missionairie's homes, Oscar. We were able to meet with his mother, one of his sisters, and his nephew. His mother was so greatful for us to be there and to share the Word of God with her. We then went across the street to visit Oscar's sister and she shared a medical miracle with us which she shared how greatful to God for this she was. It was such a great opportunity to be able to expericence the life of one of the Guatemalan Missionaries!
The group Mil was in went close to the city dump. The first house was a family of five, but the one son was not there. The mother told many stories about how through prayer she was healed, and how women come to her to ask for a blessing of a baby even though they were considered infertile. Towards the end of the visit, the very outgoing father decided he wanted the family to play for us. He brought out a guitar, accordian, and a bass stringed instrument which the daughter, mother, and he played. The second house had three boys and a single mom who was gone most of the day because she had to work long hours to keep the boys in school. We conversed about their interests such as art which they were very good at. Most importantly, we finished with a prayer reminding them of their Heavenly Father.
We all had such a wonderful day here in Guatemala City and can't wait for what is to come in the next few days.
Love and miss you all!
Hasta La Vista Baby!!!
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Go with the Flow!
Happy Sunday!
This morning we had a lovely breakfast of eggs, muffins, and bananas before we headed off to church. A short ten minute walk through the streets of Guatemala City brought us to Santidad A Jehova, a small church full of welcoming people excited to worship and praise God. When we took our seats, an elderly woman came to each one of us and greeted us with a hug, a kiss, and told us 'God's Peace'. The service was unlike typical liturgical Lutheran worship that we are used to at CUC. Upon entrance, it was clear there was no set start time and many people were coming and going throughout the entire service. It was immediately apparent that we would have to go with the flow. In fact, one of the lead praise team members was taking a phone call, so the music couldn't start until he was finished. The church was designed in a very contemporary style with two screens on either side, three columns of stackable chairs, and the praise band was on a stage in the front with a center podium that had a miniture Ark of the Covenant in front. The music was very up-beat but with simple words that many of us could easily pick up on. During the 30 minutes of worship music, many of the women became very emotional, crying out and even falling to the floor in adoration of the Lord. There were several women, who Kevin described to us as being similar to Deaconesses, who went around to these women to comfort them and pray over them. This personally spoke to the two of us specifically since we are studying to be deaconesses. Along with the music, the service was embelished with a team of liturgical dancers. This week there were about 8 young boys, varying in age. Once the music was completed, the children came out and performed several songs and a skit to honor their mothers. In Guatemala, they celebrated Mother's Day on the 10th. One of our own team members, Christian, is serving with us instead of being home with her son for Mother's Day. Because Christian is fluent in Spanish she was able to follow the service and went up for the blessing that they gave for all of the mothers. It was a joy to see her immersed not only in the culture here but also being recognized on the day that we celebrate in the US. After all of the announcements that followed the commencement of mothers, the sermon began. Kevin explained to us that the pastor of the church isn't paid for his job and instead has another job to support himself; therefore, the congregation has to have a high level of participation throughout the service. In fact, one of the elders was the one who gave the message on 1 Samuel 1:1-8 about Hannah and Penniah. Though we couldn't understand most of what he said, we gathered that the main point was that we should ask God for our own blessings and not covet others' blessings. The service concluded with the presentation of two new babies to the congregation. Kevin told us they do this every 2nd Sunday of the month and it acts as a precursor to Baptism.
After church, we took the short walk back to the house and enjoyed a lunch of grilled cheese, chips and salsa. Next, we sorted out all of the supplies and donations we brought along with us. There were so many supplies that it covered the entire kitchen table and took 16 of us almost an hour to sort. We then had free time, which most of us used to take a nap. The rest of the evening consisted of planning our faith lessons for the week, eating lasagna for dinner, and playing several intense games of Dutch Blitz.
We would like to wish all of our mothers a very happy Mother's Day and God's richest blessings.
God's Peace and Goodnight,
Michelle & Haylie
This morning we had a lovely breakfast of eggs, muffins, and bananas before we headed off to church. A short ten minute walk through the streets of Guatemala City brought us to Santidad A Jehova, a small church full of welcoming people excited to worship and praise God. When we took our seats, an elderly woman came to each one of us and greeted us with a hug, a kiss, and told us 'God's Peace'. The service was unlike typical liturgical Lutheran worship that we are used to at CUC. Upon entrance, it was clear there was no set start time and many people were coming and going throughout the entire service. It was immediately apparent that we would have to go with the flow. In fact, one of the lead praise team members was taking a phone call, so the music couldn't start until he was finished. The church was designed in a very contemporary style with two screens on either side, three columns of stackable chairs, and the praise band was on a stage in the front with a center podium that had a miniture Ark of the Covenant in front. The music was very up-beat but with simple words that many of us could easily pick up on. During the 30 minutes of worship music, many of the women became very emotional, crying out and even falling to the floor in adoration of the Lord. There were several women, who Kevin described to us as being similar to Deaconesses, who went around to these women to comfort them and pray over them. This personally spoke to the two of us specifically since we are studying to be deaconesses. Along with the music, the service was embelished with a team of liturgical dancers. This week there were about 8 young boys, varying in age. Once the music was completed, the children came out and performed several songs and a skit to honor their mothers. In Guatemala, they celebrated Mother's Day on the 10th. One of our own team members, Christian, is serving with us instead of being home with her son for Mother's Day. Because Christian is fluent in Spanish she was able to follow the service and went up for the blessing that they gave for all of the mothers. It was a joy to see her immersed not only in the culture here but also being recognized on the day that we celebrate in the US. After all of the announcements that followed the commencement of mothers, the sermon began. Kevin explained to us that the pastor of the church isn't paid for his job and instead has another job to support himself; therefore, the congregation has to have a high level of participation throughout the service. In fact, one of the elders was the one who gave the message on 1 Samuel 1:1-8 about Hannah and Penniah. Though we couldn't understand most of what he said, we gathered that the main point was that we should ask God for our own blessings and not covet others' blessings. The service concluded with the presentation of two new babies to the congregation. Kevin told us they do this every 2nd Sunday of the month and it acts as a precursor to Baptism.
After church, we took the short walk back to the house and enjoyed a lunch of grilled cheese, chips and salsa. Next, we sorted out all of the supplies and donations we brought along with us. There were so many supplies that it covered the entire kitchen table and took 16 of us almost an hour to sort. We then had free time, which most of us used to take a nap. The rest of the evening consisted of planning our faith lessons for the week, eating lasagna for dinner, and playing several intense games of Dutch Blitz.
We would like to wish all of our mothers a very happy Mother's Day and God's richest blessings.
God's Peace and Goodnight,
Michelle & Haylie
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Bienvenidos a Guatemala!
We made it! Thank you everyone who prayed for our safe travel and who helped us to get here. Whether you made it finanically possible or physically drove us, we are grateful. We are also thankful to everyone that helped us fill our bags to bursting with donations. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to unpacking everything and helping sort and put it all away.
After our flight to Miami, we found Maddie who joined us via Baltimire and our team was finally all together. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and once again were on our way to our final destination, Guatemala City. Our trip through passport control and immigration (a first for several of our team) was like a breeze, thanks be to God! Before we knew it, we were walking out to the warm embraces of Kevin, Ginny, Manuel and even Julio! For several of us it felt like coming home to family. By the end of the week, I believe that will be the case for the whole team.
We are now at the house where we will stay each week. Kevin and Ginny showed us the essentials. Everyone has scoped out their bunk and been introduced to the odds and ends of living here this week. Will several of us need to go swimming for the toilet paper you aren't supposed to flush? Time will tell. Will everyone find the "sweet spot" for the hot water in the shower? That is yet to be determined. What we have already figured out is that Hannah may actually be a cut throat card player, several team members are forming a mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers group, and Jack has had several offers to do his hair. It is just the first day and some have just learned each other's names. Who knows what else we will learn about each other.
During our evening devotions, we talked about the fears in general we each have and specifically what we might be apprehensive about this week. We were reminded of the promise God has give us that He will command His angels concerning us, to guard us in all our ways (Psalm 91). This week we will tell the story of Barnabas encouraging the Christians at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas referenced Isaiah 42:6-7 to bring the light of the Gospel to the Gentiles, and we believe that promise to be true also for us. No matter what fears we may have, the Lord "who created the heavens and stretched them out", will keep us and make us to be His light.
The house is quiet now. All of the early morning travelers are getting a good night's sleep. Rest well, and you will hear from us again tomorrow.
Adios! Dios le bendiga!
~Deaconess Betsy
After our flight to Miami, we found Maddie who joined us via Baltimire and our team was finally all together. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and once again were on our way to our final destination, Guatemala City. Our trip through passport control and immigration (a first for several of our team) was like a breeze, thanks be to God! Before we knew it, we were walking out to the warm embraces of Kevin, Ginny, Manuel and even Julio! For several of us it felt like coming home to family. By the end of the week, I believe that will be the case for the whole team.
We are now at the house where we will stay each week. Kevin and Ginny showed us the essentials. Everyone has scoped out their bunk and been introduced to the odds and ends of living here this week. Will several of us need to go swimming for the toilet paper you aren't supposed to flush? Time will tell. Will everyone find the "sweet spot" for the hot water in the shower? That is yet to be determined. What we have already figured out is that Hannah may actually be a cut throat card player, several team members are forming a mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers group, and Jack has had several offers to do his hair. It is just the first day and some have just learned each other's names. Who knows what else we will learn about each other.
During our evening devotions, we talked about the fears in general we each have and specifically what we might be apprehensive about this week. We were reminded of the promise God has give us that He will command His angels concerning us, to guard us in all our ways (Psalm 91). This week we will tell the story of Barnabas encouraging the Christians at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas referenced Isaiah 42:6-7 to bring the light of the Gospel to the Gentiles, and we believe that promise to be true also for us. No matter what fears we may have, the Lord "who created the heavens and stretched them out", will keep us and make us to be His light.
The house is quiet now. All of the early morning travelers are getting a good night's sleep. Rest well, and you will hear from us again tomorrow.
Adios! Dios le bendiga!
~Deaconess Betsy
Thursday, May 18, 2017
One Last Road Trip
Buenas noches amigos, esto es Sarah,
It's crazy that this week is wrapping up so quickly. It feels as though we just got here, yet tomorrow will be our last day. God has blessed our time here abundantly. It's clear to see with every new day that each of us has a special purpose in being here.
Today started out like many others, breakfast just the way you like it at 7am, then devotions to follow. The location today was Gonzales Park (Spoiler Alert: This "Park" is an old basketball court with broken-up cement and only one basket with no net). As soon as we got there we split into 3 groups because we had multiple people who decided to sponsor children from this location. When you decide to sponsor a child you are taking care of their tuition costs to attend school for the year. Many children don't get to go to school because their families can't afford it so children go without an education. In Guatemala it is nearly impossible to get a job as an adult without a high school diploma.
Every group had a unique experience during their house visits. I went with Maddie and am so happy I did. Maddie felt called to sponsor 2 children and the first we visited was Blanca. The area we were in today was way more urban than we have experienced so far, but some things remained the same. Blanca's house had a tin roof, dirt floors, and sheets separating the different rooms. Their main room didn't have a roof, but it had a batch of newborn puppies lying on the floor who seemed to be in very poor health. We also saw the mother dog nearby who was so malnourished her ribs were clearly visible. Our heart strings were first tugged on when we saw the puppies, but quickly were hit much harder. Blanca and her mother (who was also named Blanca) introduced themselves to us. We then introduced ourselves to them and one of the Guatemalans on the ministry team, named Sandra, kept pushing me to speak Spanish and to help translate. After the introductions Blanca's mother delivered a very heartfelt and emotional thank you to our group and especially to Maddie. As she was speaking I was trying not to get choked-up as me and the Guatemalans were the ones in the room at that point who could understand what she was saying. As we translated her kind words to Maddie, her own tears started flowing. It amazes me how kind the Guatemalans are to us consistently as they ask strangers into their homes. They are constantly so thankful just for our presence and prayers. After Blanca's mom said her words, Blanca said some of her own about her thankfulness to Maddie and she started crying too! It was such an emotional visit, but I thought it was truly beautiful for them to be so grateful and connect with Maddie so much after just meeting her.
After leaving la casa de Blanca, we went on to find Maddie's other sponsor child, Josuè. His house was the complete opposite of Blanca's as it had a car in the garage, cement walls and floors, wooden doors, and healthy pets. In this home, however, lived multiple generations. The head of the house was the grandmother of Josuè. She was the caretaker of Josuè, his 2 siblings, his cousin, her 93 year old mother who is very ill, and her 2 sisters. She is unable to work because of all the people she takes care of and said that by Maddie sponsoring Josuè she is not only helping him, but helping his who family as they can use that money to provide other necessities. Everyone in this house was very kid, but it was a much less emotional experience.
Once we left the last house we went back to the park and ate our homemade PB&J's for lunch. After lunch we headed down the road to John the Baptist Park for the faith lesson with all of the children. It started off a little rough with one of the children realizing I understood her and then proceeding to tell me her entire family history, followed by Courtney getting hit in the face with a microphone while singing the word "Donde"(where) instead of the word "Porque"(Because) loud and proud! Even though the beginning was rough, I think we made up for it by delivering our best performance of our skit so far. The reading of the verse by Despina went smoothly as well. After that it was time to make our sheep. It truly warms my heart to see these kids making the sheep my family and I put so much time into putting together. They are always so proud of them and it is just the sweetest thing. Today was a little less heart warming than normal. We didn't realize that yesterday the kids were pretty rough on the glue sticks and we ended up very short on them. Kids kept gathering around us asking for our glue sticks when we only had about 1 per 10 kids. Finally I just sat down on the ground in the middle of the kids with my one glue stick and roll of tape and asked the kids to give me their pieces. It was more stressful today than normal, but it was still so nice to see them happy and playing with their sheep.
The kids finished their lesson by receiving a box of milk and some bananas on their way out the door. We then walked back to the buses to use the bathroom and head back to Kevin and Ginny's house. On the way back we stopped by a lake which had a beautiful view, but as we got closer we saw it was actually a nice shade of green and cringed as we saw locals swimming in it. We took a few photos by the lake with our Guatemalan friends and then kept on our way back for dinner. Mac and cheese with black noodles was muy bien and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories from Kevin and Ginny's past. Currently we are sitting around laughing hysterically about different events which have happened over the week including Melissa getting pooped on by a bird and Clair telling Skyler that she looks like a hamster.
Thanks for reading my very detailed explanation of our day and I hope you all are doing well at home. We can't wait to be back sharing about how God has used us through the course of this week.
Buenas noches y dios le bendiga,
Sarah
P.S. Happy birthday Melissa! Maddie loves you so much and hopes you had a great day!
It's crazy that this week is wrapping up so quickly. It feels as though we just got here, yet tomorrow will be our last day. God has blessed our time here abundantly. It's clear to see with every new day that each of us has a special purpose in being here.
Today started out like many others, breakfast just the way you like it at 7am, then devotions to follow. The location today was Gonzales Park (Spoiler Alert: This "Park" is an old basketball court with broken-up cement and only one basket with no net). As soon as we got there we split into 3 groups because we had multiple people who decided to sponsor children from this location. When you decide to sponsor a child you are taking care of their tuition costs to attend school for the year. Many children don't get to go to school because their families can't afford it so children go without an education. In Guatemala it is nearly impossible to get a job as an adult without a high school diploma.
Every group had a unique experience during their house visits. I went with Maddie and am so happy I did. Maddie felt called to sponsor 2 children and the first we visited was Blanca. The area we were in today was way more urban than we have experienced so far, but some things remained the same. Blanca's house had a tin roof, dirt floors, and sheets separating the different rooms. Their main room didn't have a roof, but it had a batch of newborn puppies lying on the floor who seemed to be in very poor health. We also saw the mother dog nearby who was so malnourished her ribs were clearly visible. Our heart strings were first tugged on when we saw the puppies, but quickly were hit much harder. Blanca and her mother (who was also named Blanca) introduced themselves to us. We then introduced ourselves to them and one of the Guatemalans on the ministry team, named Sandra, kept pushing me to speak Spanish and to help translate. After the introductions Blanca's mother delivered a very heartfelt and emotional thank you to our group and especially to Maddie. As she was speaking I was trying not to get choked-up as me and the Guatemalans were the ones in the room at that point who could understand what she was saying. As we translated her kind words to Maddie, her own tears started flowing. It amazes me how kind the Guatemalans are to us consistently as they ask strangers into their homes. They are constantly so thankful just for our presence and prayers. After Blanca's mom said her words, Blanca said some of her own about her thankfulness to Maddie and she started crying too! It was such an emotional visit, but I thought it was truly beautiful for them to be so grateful and connect with Maddie so much after just meeting her.
After leaving la casa de Blanca, we went on to find Maddie's other sponsor child, Josuè. His house was the complete opposite of Blanca's as it had a car in the garage, cement walls and floors, wooden doors, and healthy pets. In this home, however, lived multiple generations. The head of the house was the grandmother of Josuè. She was the caretaker of Josuè, his 2 siblings, his cousin, her 93 year old mother who is very ill, and her 2 sisters. She is unable to work because of all the people she takes care of and said that by Maddie sponsoring Josuè she is not only helping him, but helping his who family as they can use that money to provide other necessities. Everyone in this house was very kid, but it was a much less emotional experience.
Once we left the last house we went back to the park and ate our homemade PB&J's for lunch. After lunch we headed down the road to John the Baptist Park for the faith lesson with all of the children. It started off a little rough with one of the children realizing I understood her and then proceeding to tell me her entire family history, followed by Courtney getting hit in the face with a microphone while singing the word "Donde"(where) instead of the word "Porque"(Because) loud and proud! Even though the beginning was rough, I think we made up for it by delivering our best performance of our skit so far. The reading of the verse by Despina went smoothly as well. After that it was time to make our sheep. It truly warms my heart to see these kids making the sheep my family and I put so much time into putting together. They are always so proud of them and it is just the sweetest thing. Today was a little less heart warming than normal. We didn't realize that yesterday the kids were pretty rough on the glue sticks and we ended up very short on them. Kids kept gathering around us asking for our glue sticks when we only had about 1 per 10 kids. Finally I just sat down on the ground in the middle of the kids with my one glue stick and roll of tape and asked the kids to give me their pieces. It was more stressful today than normal, but it was still so nice to see them happy and playing with their sheep.
The kids finished their lesson by receiving a box of milk and some bananas on their way out the door. We then walked back to the buses to use the bathroom and head back to Kevin and Ginny's house. On the way back we stopped by a lake which had a beautiful view, but as we got closer we saw it was actually a nice shade of green and cringed as we saw locals swimming in it. We took a few photos by the lake with our Guatemalan friends and then kept on our way back for dinner. Mac and cheese with black noodles was muy bien and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories from Kevin and Ginny's past. Currently we are sitting around laughing hysterically about different events which have happened over the week including Melissa getting pooped on by a bird and Clair telling Skyler that she looks like a hamster.
Thanks for reading my very detailed explanation of our day and I hope you all are doing well at home. We can't wait to be back sharing about how God has used us through the course of this week.
Buenas noches y dios le bendiga,
Sarah
P.S. Happy birthday Melissa! Maddie loves you so much and hopes you had a great day!
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
The Village with the Good View
Hello friends! This is Melissa Dailey coming to you from the one and only Guatemala. Today was such an eventful day! We woke up at 5:45am (because we all love waking up that early) and we ventured our way towards Buena Vista.
Out of the four times I have been to Guatemala, today was my best experience in this place. Usually Buena Vista is HOT. And very humid! But this time it wasn't as hot as it had been in the past, which made the day a more enjoyable. After the two hour car ride, we drove down Main Street and we got to the Groundwork Guatemala Headquarters. We also made our way to the Executive Bathroom. We took a quick pit stop and we headed to a rural school.
I had visited this school many times before, though this time I was viewing it after I had student taught this past semester in an excellent school. It was interesting because at this rural school, the teachers were standing around talking while the students were running wild. Some students were in their desks, but many were playing and running down the road. The school had no textbooks or computers. In fact, many of the classrooms had tin roofs, holes with bars in the walls (windows), a small white board for the teacher to write out sentences for students to copy, and some decorations. A couple of the classrooms were closed because some teachers decided not to come to school today. The kids were still there, though, but they were just running around.
Coming from student teaching at a wonderful Christian school near Chicago, it was very eye opening to realize how little the students were actually learning. I planned lessons that allowed students to critically think. I used the SMARTboard to display the notes sheets I created on my laptop. I was able to distribute copies of these notes to my students using a copier. None of this is going on at this school. They don't have the resources to really help the students critically think and apply their skills to other situations, and that was really sad to see.
After we visited the school, I went with a group to an unknown place. We were trying to find a family and it took us 45 minutes. We finally got there and we were able to meet everyone in the family. They older couple had lost their son about a year ago, and because of it, they had to move away. They weren't able to attend the faith lessons anymore, and they needed encouragement on their faith. Every person in our group read a few verses from the Bible. We then prayed with them for a few minutes. The family was very grateful for us to be there. They even gave us Coke and crackers! We also each had a chance to make a tortilla and it was very fun. Some of our group members did very well, while others (like me) struggled. My tortilla looked like a triangle. I couldn't get it perfectly round like the Guatemalans do. Skyler and Maddie both dropped their dough on the ground! Regardless, we all had a great time.
When we got back, we taught the faith lesson with the kids. They really enjoyed singing and creating a sheep as their craft! All of us had fun serving the kids. They were so friendly and they wanted to play with us. We all enjoyed our time at Buena Vista.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say this week is going by way too fast. We only have two more days in Guatemala, and then we'll be home on Saturday! It's gone by so quick, but I am thankful for being able to come here with this wonderful group of ladies.
Until tomorrow, family and friends! And tomorrow will be exactly like today, only completely different.
-Melissa Dailey
Out of the four times I have been to Guatemala, today was my best experience in this place. Usually Buena Vista is HOT. And very humid! But this time it wasn't as hot as it had been in the past, which made the day a more enjoyable. After the two hour car ride, we drove down Main Street and we got to the Groundwork Guatemala Headquarters. We also made our way to the Executive Bathroom. We took a quick pit stop and we headed to a rural school.
I had visited this school many times before, though this time I was viewing it after I had student taught this past semester in an excellent school. It was interesting because at this rural school, the teachers were standing around talking while the students were running wild. Some students were in their desks, but many were playing and running down the road. The school had no textbooks or computers. In fact, many of the classrooms had tin roofs, holes with bars in the walls (windows), a small white board for the teacher to write out sentences for students to copy, and some decorations. A couple of the classrooms were closed because some teachers decided not to come to school today. The kids were still there, though, but they were just running around.
Coming from student teaching at a wonderful Christian school near Chicago, it was very eye opening to realize how little the students were actually learning. I planned lessons that allowed students to critically think. I used the SMARTboard to display the notes sheets I created on my laptop. I was able to distribute copies of these notes to my students using a copier. None of this is going on at this school. They don't have the resources to really help the students critically think and apply their skills to other situations, and that was really sad to see.
After we visited the school, I went with a group to an unknown place. We were trying to find a family and it took us 45 minutes. We finally got there and we were able to meet everyone in the family. They older couple had lost their son about a year ago, and because of it, they had to move away. They weren't able to attend the faith lessons anymore, and they needed encouragement on their faith. Every person in our group read a few verses from the Bible. We then prayed with them for a few minutes. The family was very grateful for us to be there. They even gave us Coke and crackers! We also each had a chance to make a tortilla and it was very fun. Some of our group members did very well, while others (like me) struggled. My tortilla looked like a triangle. I couldn't get it perfectly round like the Guatemalans do. Skyler and Maddie both dropped their dough on the ground! Regardless, we all had a great time.
When we got back, we taught the faith lesson with the kids. They really enjoyed singing and creating a sheep as their craft! All of us had fun serving the kids. They were so friendly and they wanted to play with us. We all enjoyed our time at Buena Vista.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say this week is going by way too fast. We only have two more days in Guatemala, and then we'll be home on Saturday! It's gone by so quick, but I am thankful for being able to come here with this wonderful group of ladies.
Until tomorrow, family and friends! And tomorrow will be exactly like today, only completely different.
-Melissa Dailey
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A Day at the Corner
It's not what you think, just let us explain. We started the day like always with a devotion from our dear friend Manuel. Today we visited El Rincon, which was about an hour from where we are. This is area was a lot more rural than where we are in Guatemala City. We started our time there doing home visits. Courtney, Melissa and Sarah were able to meet the child that they are sponsoring. It was very sweet to see how excited these children were to get a sponsor and know that they have someone back in the States supporting them. The homes in El Rincon were different than those we saw in the city. One house we saw had dirt floors and only two or three rooms. They had electric but no plumbing. The main room in the house did not have a roof over it, rooms were separated by curtains or sheets, and there was a chicken, a dog, and a cat just wondering around. The other house they visited was bigger and more finished than the others. They had cement floors, more electricity, a separate room for eating and sleeping. We then did our first faith lesson of the week! The faith lesson went very well, it is based on Matthew 28:19-20. Our skit was a little bit rough, but the kids were able to follow and seemed to enjoy it. Our skit was the parable of the lost sheep with Courtney being the lost sheep, and she was the happiest lost sheep you would ever see. We read to the kids and attempted to hold conversations. It is amazing how much they will insist on communicating with you despite not knowing our language or us knowing theirs. The kids were able to make a fun sheep craft using paper plates and cotton balls. Seeing them make the craft was great because they were so proud of their work and wanted to show everyone. After everything was over we got chased around and tickled for about 15 minutes, Deaconess Betsy may or may not have ended up on the ground under a pile of kids. All the kids and adults were very happy and grateful to see us there. Guatemalans are definitely huggers!!We ended the day by coming back to the house, eating some dinner, working on some crafts, and George from Only A Child will be here in a minute!
P.S. El Rincon means "The Corner."
Until next time, adios!
Skyler and Maddie
P.S. El Rincon means "The Corner."
Until next time, adios!
Skyler and Maddie
Monday, May 15, 2017
First Day Adventures
Hola from Guatemala!
This is Courtney Lofink here coming to you live from Guatemala. We just want to wish all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day (even though we are a day late). We hope you guys had an amazing day just like we did out here in Guatemala City! Yesterday we got the chance to go to church and experience a Guatemalan church service. It was such a fun experience to worship in Spanish and know that even in a different country we all worship and love the same God.
Today, we were blessed with more opportunities to see how God is working in Guatemala. Our first adventure of the day was getting to visit George's ministry called Only a Child. He takes in boys off the street and provides them with the opportunity to work and go to school. He told us his story and the way God is using him in the lives of these young men is inspirational. It is so incredible to hear someone be so convicted in their faith and so passionate about their purpose in life.
After hearing George's incredible story, we were hit with reality when we took a trip to the dump. In Guatemala all the garbage is taken to one spot and dumped in a landfill. There are Guatemalans who live on top of this garbage and spend their time searching through piles of garbage in the hope of finding something they can sell. It really puts things into perspective witnessing something like this and made me realize how many simple blessings in my life I take for granted on a daily basis. It was a very humbling experience for all of us. Our hearts and prayers go out for all the Guatemalans who deal with this reality everyday.
Our last adventure of the day was definitely the highlight for everyone! We got the opportunity to do house visits and pray with some of the Guatemalans. It is always so neat to talk and share bible verses with these amazing people. One Guatemalan, Meryl, told us a moving story about her uncle who had recently overcome the doctor's odds and was on the road to recovery after an accident he had been in. We shared Randell Newton's incredible story with her and were all overwhelmed by the realization that God truly does perform miracles. We are all sending our best wishes to Randell and his family from Guatemala and hope he can find comfort knowing that people in a different country are praying for his recovery also.
Please continue to pray for our team throughout the week and like Groundwork Guatemala on Facebook to keep up with the rest of our adventures. God's Blessings on the rest of your week!
Signing off,
Courtney Lofink
This is Courtney Lofink here coming to you live from Guatemala. We just want to wish all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day (even though we are a day late). We hope you guys had an amazing day just like we did out here in Guatemala City! Yesterday we got the chance to go to church and experience a Guatemalan church service. It was such a fun experience to worship in Spanish and know that even in a different country we all worship and love the same God.
Today, we were blessed with more opportunities to see how God is working in Guatemala. Our first adventure of the day was getting to visit George's ministry called Only a Child. He takes in boys off the street and provides them with the opportunity to work and go to school. He told us his story and the way God is using him in the lives of these young men is inspirational. It is so incredible to hear someone be so convicted in their faith and so passionate about their purpose in life.
After hearing George's incredible story, we were hit with reality when we took a trip to the dump. In Guatemala all the garbage is taken to one spot and dumped in a landfill. There are Guatemalans who live on top of this garbage and spend their time searching through piles of garbage in the hope of finding something they can sell. It really puts things into perspective witnessing something like this and made me realize how many simple blessings in my life I take for granted on a daily basis. It was a very humbling experience for all of us. Our hearts and prayers go out for all the Guatemalans who deal with this reality everyday.
Our last adventure of the day was definitely the highlight for everyone! We got the opportunity to do house visits and pray with some of the Guatemalans. It is always so neat to talk and share bible verses with these amazing people. One Guatemalan, Meryl, told us a moving story about her uncle who had recently overcome the doctor's odds and was on the road to recovery after an accident he had been in. We shared Randell Newton's incredible story with her and were all overwhelmed by the realization that God truly does perform miracles. We are all sending our best wishes to Randell and his family from Guatemala and hope he can find comfort knowing that people in a different country are praying for his recovery also.
Please continue to pray for our team throughout the week and like Groundwork Guatemala on Facebook to keep up with the rest of our adventures. God's Blessings on the rest of your week!
Signing off,
Courtney Lofink
Saturday, May 13, 2017
We're baaaaack!
It is hard to believe it, but here we are. We're in Guatemala! Thank you to everyone for your prayers for our safe travel. For the most part, our journey was uneventful and smooth with no glitches(which parents and family members always like to hear!). Check-in, security, wait at gate, wait to board, fasten seat belts, deplane, go to next gate, wait, get Starbucks, board plane, watch in-flight movies, etc. Our quick landing in Guatemala City though was hard enough to wake the dead or maybe just Courtney and it evoked lots of cheering from the passengers when we stopped! Thank you Jesus for landing gear that can handle the short Guatemala City runways. Don't worry, because of Guatemala City's location in bowl, they don't have a lot of space to just glide in for a landing, so this is normal!
Despite that exciting part of our trip, the best part is always being welcomed into the warms arms of Kevin, Ginny, Manuel, and anyone else they bring along for the ride(this time it was Julio). For those of us who have been here before, we know these faces and how seeing them gives us the feeling of coming home again. For the newbies in the group, they will soon find this out. The missionaries here are going into their 3rd straight week of hosting teams, and even still their love and joy is not diminished.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray for all of us to stay healthy, and for our friends to get rested from the busy last two weeks. Keep coming back here for daily updates on our adventures, and enjoy hearing about our activities from a different person each night!
Buenas noches!
~Deaconess Betsy
Despite that exciting part of our trip, the best part is always being welcomed into the warms arms of Kevin, Ginny, Manuel, and anyone else they bring along for the ride(this time it was Julio). For those of us who have been here before, we know these faces and how seeing them gives us the feeling of coming home again. For the newbies in the group, they will soon find this out. The missionaries here are going into their 3rd straight week of hosting teams, and even still their love and joy is not diminished.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray for all of us to stay healthy, and for our friends to get rested from the busy last two weeks. Keep coming back here for daily updates on our adventures, and enjoy hearing about our activities from a different person each night!
Buenas noches!
~Deaconess Betsy
Friday, May 20, 2016
This is Only a “See you later” Until Our Next Adventure.
Well, it is the end of the week. If I were to attempt to even begin to describe all the adventures we have had here and everything that we have learned, I would have to write a 1,000 page novel.
I will start with today. Mikayla and I took a tour of a coffee roaster. I have to say, after listening to Edwardo (the owner of the roaster) talk about the process of making a few pounds of coffee, I definitely have a new appreciation for going to Starbucks and ordering a cup of coffee. There is so much work that goes into it, from picking the beans of the leaves, to skinning them, to roasting them, and how many trees it takes. Of course I was drinking a sample of coffee at the time, and Guatemalan coffee is hands down the best I have ever had.
After the tour, we had lunch as usual, and prepared for our faith lessons. This lesson in particular was different, because we did not venture anywhere, this time the lesson was in the mission house. I feel that this made the lesson much more personal and real. The place that we have been staying at was opened to all these people waiting to hear the word of God, and it just proved to me more that you can truly woirship anywhere. The church is not a building with four walls and a steeple. The church is US. Our faith, our love, our words. Something Ryan said tonight during the devotion really stuck with me. He said that language barrier is not an issue here. The language of love is one that knows no traditional language such as Spanish or English, it is much more powerful than that. Today, I definitely saw that as I have all week. I know barely any spanish, but the way that these kids who have NO idea who I am will run up to me and hug me, or strangers here will smile and say Buenas Dias shows that God is so unbelievably powerful in this place, and I love it.
Thinking about going home tomorrow almost breaks my heart. But I know I will be back. Believe me when I say that there is no way I could not return.
Andy also has mentioned several times that we build relationships with people here in one day. Just one day, you meet wonderful people and make such strong connections with them. But, our time here is fleeting and we have to leave those wonderful people. However, we cannot measure impact (something else Ryan has said, of course). What we do, whether to us may seem small, makes a big difference to these people, because all they ask for is LOVE. To love and to be loved in return.
I am coming home from this trip with a bigger heart, and a strong desire to help those who need it. God has restored my faith in his love and grace, and that is something that needs to be shared across the globe. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations.” Psalm 57:9
All in all, what I have learned in this trip is this: Love others unapologetically. In whatever way you show love, do it. You never know who may need it. Do not be afraid of rejection, because avoiding those people and closing yourself off makes you miss opportunities to love others who so desperately need love. Go forth in love, friends. -Ari
“Let all that you do be done in love. ” 1 Corinthians 16:14
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Fun at Gonzales Park
¡Buenos Días! Today we adventured off to Gonzales Park, another location where we did faith lessons and house visits. I have to say that today was probably the most spiritually satisfying for a majority of us. Five people in the group sponsored children in this area, and it allowed for some powerful house visits with these children and their families.
When we arrived in Gonzales Park (which, by the way, is not even a park but this small square between two main roads), we split up into three groups to go on house visits. I went with Ari, Mikayla, Ryan, Sandra (one of the Guatemalans), and Rudy (a Guatemalan from the organization ´Only a Child´) to visit Ari´s and Mikayla´s sponsor children. Ari decided to sponsor Evelin and Mikayla sponsored Damaris. They were very excited and nervous to meet their children!
After a little bit of walking, we arrived at Evelin´ house. We went into her house and we talked with her mother, Ingrid, for a while. She explained that she was 33 and had three children and a husband. She told us how blessed she felt because God kept providing for her and her family. She appreciated getting to know us and she enjoyed hearing us talk about what we were studying in school. She explained talked a little bit about her children and she showed us a few pictures. After we talked for a while, we all prayed together. During this time, Ari said a short prayer while Sandra translated. Then, Ingrid started to pray for us. She went to each of us individually and she laid her hands on our hearts. I´m not 100% sure what she said during the prayer, but I definitely felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was amazing because by the time she had finished praying for us, most of us were in tears. Ari told me after the prayer that she knew she made the right choice to sponsor Evelin. The prayers were so powerful and she knew that God brought her there for that reason. It was such a fantastic moment to see because I was able to see God working through her. The whole experience at the house was amazing because God´s presence was beyond evident.
After that, we ventured off to Damaris´ house. She answered the door when we knocked, and when she found out that Mikayla was sponsoring her, she immediately gave her a hug and let us into the house. When we were there, we were able to sit down and have a conversation about Damaris´ life. She has a brother who is six, and a mother and father at home. Her brother and mother were home, and they joined us for the conversation. They were really nice and they wanted to know all about Mikayla. They asked her many questions, and eventually Damaris talked to us about school. She is in 7th grade, so she had various classes she had to take. Her favorite were art and communications. She showed us her artwork, and it was fantastic. She recieved 100% on all of her artwork. She also loved talking about God and appreciated when we all took out our Bibles to share verses with her. She was so happy for us to be there, and it was very evident. We actually overstayed our visit by 45 minutes (whoops... but the only ones that were not happy were our grumbling stomaches), but it is ok becuase people aren´t really concerned with time here.
During the rest of the day, we completed our faith lessons, ate some great (gluten-free) mac and cheese, and played Dutch Blitz. It´s been very relaxing, and it also gives us time to think and pray. This is the second time I have gone on the trip, and I have to say that Guatemala sincerly feels like home. Part of it is because I feel God´s presence so strongly here, but another part of is is because I know God is calling me to serve as a missionary in Central America after graduation. It feels so weird to think that we are going home in a couple of days, espeically since it feels like we just got here. I know that this will not be the last time I will be here, which gives me great comfort as the mission trip starts to come to a close. I have been so grateful to come on this trip, and it is always a life changing experience to love God´s people here. Until next time, ¡adios!
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Buena Vista: Blessed Beyond Our Vision
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ, and warm (in more ways than one) greetings from all us here in Guatemala!
Today has truly been a blessed day, filled with laughter, tears, and the unbounded love of Christ. Though it is easy to perceive this mission trip as us touching the people of Guatemala through sharing the Word of God, their sincere acceptance of Christs love and mercy in their lives serves is an eye opening testimony to the power of God and His constant presence in our lives.
The day started out pretty rough, having to wake up at 6 am in order to enjoy some breakfast "just as you like it", get prepared for the hottest day of the week, and be on the road by 7 am for our 2 hour drive to Buena Vista. Though the accomodations in the buses were less than comfortable, the view that was offered out of our windows was breath taking. The beauty of the mountains, the lush green of the forest, and the incredible blue of the sky were the least impressive of the sights. The volcanic peaks of Agua and Pacaya standing majestically over the landscape, the endless farms of sugar cane and rubber trees covering the horizon, and the water covered bridges through which we had to drive through, were breathtaking and exciting to us, silly tourists.
After going through the challenge of unpaved roads, we reached Buena Vista. As we entered village, it was unbeleivable as to the amount of natural beauty the people live in. The picturesque violet, yellow, pink, and red wild flowers, growing alongside the banana, avodacodo, and mango trees, stood in stark contrast with the poor living conditions that the people were subject to. Their walls were, at best, made out of metal roof sheets, having their floors made out of compressed dirt. As we walked out of the bus to our Faith lesson location, we were greeted by confused stares of the Guatemalan people, who were unsure as to what we were doing there. However, we did not lose heart, and continued with our service to them.
The first place we visited was the elementary school in Buena Vista. The school offers education up till 6th grade. As the houses, the floor consists of compressed dirt, while most of the rooms are blessed to have concrete walls. Though the school is surrounded by a chain linked fence, stray dogs are not uncommon here. Bugs fly through the windows and doors, which are kept open in order to provide some sort of releif from the heat. Even with the heat, the kids are still required to wear uniforms and be attentive in the sweltering heat of their classes, many of which do not have teachers. Though the description of the school might be disheartening to a kid, or a parent back home, the kids are as cheerful as can be. Upon seeing us they were so excited to hug us and talk to us, whether we understood Spanish or not. They were so open to play and wanted to spend time with us, which was evident by having our departure marked by dozens of kids climbing up the chain linked gate in order to say good bye as we departed.
After touring the school, we started on our Home Visits, specifically the sponsor kid of Deaconess Betsy, Exequias. Having entered the home with a fence of new barbed wire, it was evident we were up for quite a visit. The mother of Exequias, Angelita, though genuinely happy to see us, was greived over the death of her brother in law that happened last Friday. In addition, it had become difficult for Exequias to keep up with his studies, since he needs internet to study, having to take an hour bus ride once a week in order to maintain adequate grades for his scholarship. The family asked for us to pray for Exequiss studies and to have strength in the difficult times that they are having in their greif and loss of a family member.
After the House Visit, we headed back to the location of our Faith Lessons. After the adult Faith Lesson, led by Oscar, we quickly filled up on our PBJs and chips, and started getting ready for the kids and the youth. As the kids gathered around the fence, some of us began inroducing ourselves to them, learning the names and ages of those most comfortable sharing them. As the faith lesson went on, it was a pleasent surprise to learn that our fear of the kids being shy and introverted were more a less uncalled for. The kids were very polite and actively participated in the clapping with the music, watching the skit, and enjoying the craft. After the kids had received their snack, it was time for us to head back "home". It was hard to say goodbye to the kids to whom we were able to share the grace and love of Christ to, having seen the change of fear to joy in their eyes in the long day that we have had. And, as a reward to our service, we had quite a relaxing 2 hour nap back home.
To top of a day of adventure and witnessing the Holy Spirit at work with the people of Buena Vista, we ended our devotion with affirmation and appreciation of every individual in the group. It is often easy to feel insignificant in a culture where many of us do not even know the language, feeling as if we do nothing but clap to the music and hand out crayons for crafts. However, God has brought us here for a purpose. Though we often do not see His plan, we must not doubt that we have purpose. That purpose being the light to the lost, the literal hands and feet of love to a nation that is in need of Christs love and His saving grace.
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Today has truly been a blessed day, filled with laughter, tears, and the unbounded love of Christ. Though it is easy to perceive this mission trip as us touching the people of Guatemala through sharing the Word of God, their sincere acceptance of Christs love and mercy in their lives serves is an eye opening testimony to the power of God and His constant presence in our lives.
The day started out pretty rough, having to wake up at 6 am in order to enjoy some breakfast "just as you like it", get prepared for the hottest day of the week, and be on the road by 7 am for our 2 hour drive to Buena Vista. Though the accomodations in the buses were less than comfortable, the view that was offered out of our windows was breath taking. The beauty of the mountains, the lush green of the forest, and the incredible blue of the sky were the least impressive of the sights. The volcanic peaks of Agua and Pacaya standing majestically over the landscape, the endless farms of sugar cane and rubber trees covering the horizon, and the water covered bridges through which we had to drive through, were breathtaking and exciting to us, silly tourists.
After going through the challenge of unpaved roads, we reached Buena Vista. As we entered village, it was unbeleivable as to the amount of natural beauty the people live in. The picturesque violet, yellow, pink, and red wild flowers, growing alongside the banana, avodacodo, and mango trees, stood in stark contrast with the poor living conditions that the people were subject to. Their walls were, at best, made out of metal roof sheets, having their floors made out of compressed dirt. As we walked out of the bus to our Faith lesson location, we were greeted by confused stares of the Guatemalan people, who were unsure as to what we were doing there. However, we did not lose heart, and continued with our service to them.
The first place we visited was the elementary school in Buena Vista. The school offers education up till 6th grade. As the houses, the floor consists of compressed dirt, while most of the rooms are blessed to have concrete walls. Though the school is surrounded by a chain linked fence, stray dogs are not uncommon here. Bugs fly through the windows and doors, which are kept open in order to provide some sort of releif from the heat. Even with the heat, the kids are still required to wear uniforms and be attentive in the sweltering heat of their classes, many of which do not have teachers. Though the description of the school might be disheartening to a kid, or a parent back home, the kids are as cheerful as can be. Upon seeing us they were so excited to hug us and talk to us, whether we understood Spanish or not. They were so open to play and wanted to spend time with us, which was evident by having our departure marked by dozens of kids climbing up the chain linked gate in order to say good bye as we departed.
After touring the school, we started on our Home Visits, specifically the sponsor kid of Deaconess Betsy, Exequias. Having entered the home with a fence of new barbed wire, it was evident we were up for quite a visit. The mother of Exequias, Angelita, though genuinely happy to see us, was greived over the death of her brother in law that happened last Friday. In addition, it had become difficult for Exequias to keep up with his studies, since he needs internet to study, having to take an hour bus ride once a week in order to maintain adequate grades for his scholarship. The family asked for us to pray for Exequiss studies and to have strength in the difficult times that they are having in their greif and loss of a family member.
After the House Visit, we headed back to the location of our Faith Lessons. After the adult Faith Lesson, led by Oscar, we quickly filled up on our PBJs and chips, and started getting ready for the kids and the youth. As the kids gathered around the fence, some of us began inroducing ourselves to them, learning the names and ages of those most comfortable sharing them. As the faith lesson went on, it was a pleasent surprise to learn that our fear of the kids being shy and introverted were more a less uncalled for. The kids were very polite and actively participated in the clapping with the music, watching the skit, and enjoying the craft. After the kids had received their snack, it was time for us to head back "home". It was hard to say goodbye to the kids to whom we were able to share the grace and love of Christ to, having seen the change of fear to joy in their eyes in the long day that we have had. And, as a reward to our service, we had quite a relaxing 2 hour nap back home.
To top of a day of adventure and witnessing the Holy Spirit at work with the people of Buena Vista, we ended our devotion with affirmation and appreciation of every individual in the group. It is often easy to feel insignificant in a culture where many of us do not even know the language, feeling as if we do nothing but clap to the music and hand out crayons for crafts. However, God has brought us here for a purpose. Though we often do not see His plan, we must not doubt that we have purpose. That purpose being the light to the lost, the literal hands and feet of love to a nation that is in need of Christs love and His saving grace.
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Tales of the Adventerous El Rincón
Buenos noches to all those tuning in back home. This is Amanda and Courtney with the Tuesday scoop from Guatemala.
Today we had breakfast just the way we like it... buffet style. Manuel led our morning devotion challenging us to really be intentional about relationships with other people and meeting them where they are. We then headed out to El Rincón, about 45 minutes from the mission house.
Upon arrival, we took a group trip to the bathroom we would be using for the day. Margarita's family graciously accepted us into her home... and that's when we met Carlos. Carlos had a rough past and due to an accident lost one of his legs and function of the other. Margarita willingly brought him into her home and helped to care for him. Through this experience he became a christian and now enjoys witnessing to all the visitors that pass through Margarita's home.
After the interesting experience that was the bathroom (aka a hole in the ground in a shanty type hut with a sheet for a door) we split into three groups and went for house visits. In El Rincón every group had a sponsor child's family that they were going to visit. (Courtney here) The house visit that I was on, was for the sponsor child of team member Melissa. It was an awesome experience to see Melissa and her sponsor child reunited after a year apart. (Amanda Here) The house visit that I was on was for the sponsor child of team member Kyle. Kyle just decided the night before to sponsor his child and it was amazing to see the joy on the child's face when Kyle would offer his hand to him.
We then ate our very well prepared lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwitches and were ready to start our faith lessons. We were both in the group (there were 7 of us in total) that helped to teach the kids faith lessons. We started off just hanging out with the kids... reading books, learning their fun little hand games, just getting to know them. Then when the faith lesson actually began we started off with music. We sang about 6 songs in spanish (including "Jesus Loves Me" and "I Got the Joy"). After music we taught them the memory verse. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
After our memory verse we performed our skit. We had a lovely script (written by yourse truely (Amanda) and Melissa) but... somehow it did not make it on the ride with us that morning. For going into the whole skit kind of blind and having Oscar translate for us... I don't think our first try turned out all that bad. After we got through our skit we passed out the craft we had prepared for the kids. Many of the hearts seemed to mysteriously go missing because we ended up short by quite a few. After our craft we passed our snacks and said adiós to the kids of Rincón. Needless to say, our first faith lesson was a little bumpy but, we have three more to go and it can only go up from here.
We returned home to a waiting dinner of pasta and salad. George from the Only A Child ministry stopped by the house with samples of the wooden boxes and more stories about the young men in his ministry. Then we prepared a devotion for the night with some encouraging verses to try and help people stay positive and realize God has a plan for them this week. Now with our free time we write to you about the day as the house winds down.. and our team members wind up with a very loud game of dutch blitz in the next room.
This is Amanda and Courtney finished filling you in on our Tuesday in Guatemala. Buenos noches, heading to bed soon and not just because breakfast is served at 6am.
Today we had breakfast just the way we like it... buffet style. Manuel led our morning devotion challenging us to really be intentional about relationships with other people and meeting them where they are. We then headed out to El Rincón, about 45 minutes from the mission house.
Upon arrival, we took a group trip to the bathroom we would be using for the day. Margarita's family graciously accepted us into her home... and that's when we met Carlos. Carlos had a rough past and due to an accident lost one of his legs and function of the other. Margarita willingly brought him into her home and helped to care for him. Through this experience he became a christian and now enjoys witnessing to all the visitors that pass through Margarita's home.
After the interesting experience that was the bathroom (aka a hole in the ground in a shanty type hut with a sheet for a door) we split into three groups and went for house visits. In El Rincón every group had a sponsor child's family that they were going to visit. (Courtney here) The house visit that I was on, was for the sponsor child of team member Melissa. It was an awesome experience to see Melissa and her sponsor child reunited after a year apart. (Amanda Here) The house visit that I was on was for the sponsor child of team member Kyle. Kyle just decided the night before to sponsor his child and it was amazing to see the joy on the child's face when Kyle would offer his hand to him.
We then ate our very well prepared lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwitches and were ready to start our faith lessons. We were both in the group (there were 7 of us in total) that helped to teach the kids faith lessons. We started off just hanging out with the kids... reading books, learning their fun little hand games, just getting to know them. Then when the faith lesson actually began we started off with music. We sang about 6 songs in spanish (including "Jesus Loves Me" and "I Got the Joy"). After music we taught them the memory verse. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
After our memory verse we performed our skit. We had a lovely script (written by yourse truely (Amanda) and Melissa) but... somehow it did not make it on the ride with us that morning. For going into the whole skit kind of blind and having Oscar translate for us... I don't think our first try turned out all that bad. After we got through our skit we passed out the craft we had prepared for the kids. Many of the hearts seemed to mysteriously go missing because we ended up short by quite a few. After our craft we passed our snacks and said adiós to the kids of Rincón. Needless to say, our first faith lesson was a little bumpy but, we have three more to go and it can only go up from here.
We returned home to a waiting dinner of pasta and salad. George from the Only A Child ministry stopped by the house with samples of the wooden boxes and more stories about the young men in his ministry. Then we prepared a devotion for the night with some encouraging verses to try and help people stay positive and realize God has a plan for them this week. Now with our free time we write to you about the day as the house winds down.. and our team members wind up with a very loud game of dutch blitz in the next room.
This is Amanda and Courtney finished filling you in on our Tuesday in Guatemala. Buenos noches, heading to bed soon and not just because breakfast is served at 6am.
Monday, May 16, 2016
A Monday We Will Not Forget
Greetings from the Guatemala mission team on this Monday evening!
Today we visited a ministry in the city that works with youth who have lived on the streets and have a history of bouncing from place to place. George Leger, the leader of the ministry, is a Boston native who felt a call to be here in Guatemala to help youth who live on the streets. We met a few of the youth, but most of them were at school at the time, so we primarily met the young men who have stuck around to help with the ministry. They mostly focus on giving the youth structure and teach them life skills that they will need when they become independent. We were amazed by the carpentry skills of many of the people at the minstry. As a part of the ministry, the youth are taught how to work with others as they are taught how to create amazing designs in wood boxes and crosses. While they are wood working they are also required to be in school and also making money so they can start working towards independence.
Once we left the ministry, we got in our vans to drive to a cemetery and the Guatemala City dump. As we drove past a large wall that cut the city off from the dump. Groups of men were traveling through the entrance with large tarps wrapping up anything valuable they could find to sell in the market close to the dump. When we arrived at a cliff overlooking the dump, our senses were overbarred with the smell of the garbage, the sight of about a thousand vultures scavenging for any food, and the sound of large machinery moving the garbage as people picked through it. We has seen people living in filth and garbage on the streets of Chicago, but this is something that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. There are houses that are built on top of older areas of the dump that are no bigger than a bedroom in America. We thought we knew what poverty and hardship was, but this is something that is beyond soemthing we have ever seen. Cesar, a missionary who has been showing us around the area, said that people will pan for gold and search for gold in the sewage that has accumulated in the valley the dump is in. We wish we could describe it more clearly, but there are no words that can.
After we spent the morning taking in all of our new expreriences, we were thrown into a whole new form of ministry. We split into two groups of six and walked to a stranger´s home to simply listen, offer prayer, and share God´s word with our brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the hardest things for so many people to do is knowing when to close their mouth in order to open their ears. Opening your ears to a language you do not even know is a huge barrier. However, God made the stories of the Guatemalans clear as day. We can all agree that God intervened multiple times through His word. He knew what they needed to hear, and He revealed himself through giving us the words to say and the prayers to pray. People in America always seem to have their guard up and they don´t like to share their faith from fear of judgement and persecution. However, here in Guatemala, they tell their life story and testimonies after a few short minutes of introductions because sharing your faith is more common here.
We have been thankful for the patience and understanding of the Guatemalans and their willingness to help us learn Spanish. Cesar, Sandra, and Aracely have been very patient even though we sound like niños to them. There is nothing like being able to talk to someone in their native language. Many of the missionaries are learning English and some of use have been learning Spanish, so we have had many exchanges that have been mutually beneficial for our language acquisition. Many of us have taken Spanish classes throughout school, but this is nothing like the classroom. The ministry and life in Guatemala has been the ultimate classroom for our growth.
During the time we have been here, there have already been so many times that we want to help children and missionaries, but we have no idea how we can. That was until tonight when Ginny talked about sponsorships. The sponsorship program is when you pay a certain amount every month to help your child get school uniforms, supplies and in some cases even physical therapy when they can´t do so themselves. God has placed this program on the hearts of many on our mission team. When we decide to sponsor, Ginny sets up a home visit for when we go to their communities and we get to actually meet the child that we sponsor and we get to form a personal bond with them and their family. If you feel that God has placed this same thing on your heart, you can get in contact with Groundwork Guatemala by emailing: sponsor@groundworkguatemala.org. If you are on the fences about this step, pray about it!
Dios le bendiga (God Bless),
Ryan Weseloh y Kyle Heath
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
-Colossians 3:17
Today we visited a ministry in the city that works with youth who have lived on the streets and have a history of bouncing from place to place. George Leger, the leader of the ministry, is a Boston native who felt a call to be here in Guatemala to help youth who live on the streets. We met a few of the youth, but most of them were at school at the time, so we primarily met the young men who have stuck around to help with the ministry. They mostly focus on giving the youth structure and teach them life skills that they will need when they become independent. We were amazed by the carpentry skills of many of the people at the minstry. As a part of the ministry, the youth are taught how to work with others as they are taught how to create amazing designs in wood boxes and crosses. While they are wood working they are also required to be in school and also making money so they can start working towards independence.
Once we left the ministry, we got in our vans to drive to a cemetery and the Guatemala City dump. As we drove past a large wall that cut the city off from the dump. Groups of men were traveling through the entrance with large tarps wrapping up anything valuable they could find to sell in the market close to the dump. When we arrived at a cliff overlooking the dump, our senses were overbarred with the smell of the garbage, the sight of about a thousand vultures scavenging for any food, and the sound of large machinery moving the garbage as people picked through it. We has seen people living in filth and garbage on the streets of Chicago, but this is something that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. There are houses that are built on top of older areas of the dump that are no bigger than a bedroom in America. We thought we knew what poverty and hardship was, but this is something that is beyond soemthing we have ever seen. Cesar, a missionary who has been showing us around the area, said that people will pan for gold and search for gold in the sewage that has accumulated in the valley the dump is in. We wish we could describe it more clearly, but there are no words that can.
After we spent the morning taking in all of our new expreriences, we were thrown into a whole new form of ministry. We split into two groups of six and walked to a stranger´s home to simply listen, offer prayer, and share God´s word with our brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the hardest things for so many people to do is knowing when to close their mouth in order to open their ears. Opening your ears to a language you do not even know is a huge barrier. However, God made the stories of the Guatemalans clear as day. We can all agree that God intervened multiple times through His word. He knew what they needed to hear, and He revealed himself through giving us the words to say and the prayers to pray. People in America always seem to have their guard up and they don´t like to share their faith from fear of judgement and persecution. However, here in Guatemala, they tell their life story and testimonies after a few short minutes of introductions because sharing your faith is more common here.
We have been thankful for the patience and understanding of the Guatemalans and their willingness to help us learn Spanish. Cesar, Sandra, and Aracely have been very patient even though we sound like niños to them. There is nothing like being able to talk to someone in their native language. Many of the missionaries are learning English and some of use have been learning Spanish, so we have had many exchanges that have been mutually beneficial for our language acquisition. Many of us have taken Spanish classes throughout school, but this is nothing like the classroom. The ministry and life in Guatemala has been the ultimate classroom for our growth.
During the time we have been here, there have already been so many times that we want to help children and missionaries, but we have no idea how we can. That was until tonight when Ginny talked about sponsorships. The sponsorship program is when you pay a certain amount every month to help your child get school uniforms, supplies and in some cases even physical therapy when they can´t do so themselves. God has placed this program on the hearts of many on our mission team. When we decide to sponsor, Ginny sets up a home visit for when we go to their communities and we get to actually meet the child that we sponsor and we get to form a personal bond with them and their family. If you feel that God has placed this same thing on your heart, you can get in contact with Groundwork Guatemala by emailing: sponsor@groundworkguatemala.org. If you are on the fences about this step, pray about it!
Dios le bendiga (God Bless),
Ryan Weseloh y Kyle Heath
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
-Colossians 3:17
Sunday, May 15, 2016
United as the Body of Christ
Stardate: Sunday, May 15th, 2016
Captain's Log
This morning we went to church at Sendero De La Cruz, which was just a short walk away from the house. Sandra and Cesar, two of the Guatemalan missionaries, led the way and helped translate the sermon, as the service was entirely in Spanish. It was a eye-opening experience; so many people were so open with their emotions even in public, which is often something we seek to conceal in America. There were people dancing, crying, singing, and praying opening and often simultaneously. The message the pastor gave was on the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. There is a strong sense of community and love for all believers across cultures and countries as people smiled and greeted us even though we could not necessarily communicate in the same language.
After walking back from church, we enjoyed so delectable grilled cheese. Ginny shared a lot of cultural insights with us to further help us prepare for the week ahead. We planned out our Faith Lesson crafts and skits, which we will use throughout the week. Our memory verse that we're focusing on this week is Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." We want to share the message of justification through Christ's sacrifice as well as the importance of sharing that message with others.
We closed out our day with a devotion led yours truly (Mikayla and Dorothee) in which we read from 1 Corinthians 12, talking about spiritual gifts within the Body of Christ. This is a good reminder for us going into the week as many of us will be leading and serving in ways that are new and unfamiliar to us. God is using us all in incredible ways, some of which we might not see the results of yet, but that does not mean He is not working through us, and He will continue to do so throughout this whole week and the rest of lives.
-Cap'n. Mikayla Engel and Cap'n. Dorothee Belli
Captain's Log
This morning we went to church at Sendero De La Cruz, which was just a short walk away from the house. Sandra and Cesar, two of the Guatemalan missionaries, led the way and helped translate the sermon, as the service was entirely in Spanish. It was a eye-opening experience; so many people were so open with their emotions even in public, which is often something we seek to conceal in America. There were people dancing, crying, singing, and praying opening and often simultaneously. The message the pastor gave was on the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. There is a strong sense of community and love for all believers across cultures and countries as people smiled and greeted us even though we could not necessarily communicate in the same language.
After walking back from church, we enjoyed so delectable grilled cheese. Ginny shared a lot of cultural insights with us to further help us prepare for the week ahead. We planned out our Faith Lesson crafts and skits, which we will use throughout the week. Our memory verse that we're focusing on this week is Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." We want to share the message of justification through Christ's sacrifice as well as the importance of sharing that message with others.
We closed out our day with a devotion led yours truly (Mikayla and Dorothee) in which we read from 1 Corinthians 12, talking about spiritual gifts within the Body of Christ. This is a good reminder for us going into the week as many of us will be leading and serving in ways that are new and unfamiliar to us. God is using us all in incredible ways, some of which we might not see the results of yet, but that does not mean He is not working through us, and He will continue to do so throughout this whole week and the rest of lives.
-Cap'n. Mikayla Engel and Cap'n. Dorothee Belli
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Bienvenidos a Guatemala!
Friends we made it! Thank you for all of your prayers and support.
This morning our team met at Concordia for the ever important task of packing in-kind donations before our departure. After lots of shifting things around we managed to pack all of our donations AND stay under our weight limit for our checked baggage! Thanks to everyone who donated supplies.As a side note: I have to say that I don't think I will ever forget the memory of Kyle arriving on campus in all his grandeur. I'm not sure if it was the sheer look of joy and pride on his face or the look of Andy trying not to laugh as they walked in together. I'll preface this by saying Kyle is wearing a Hawaiian shirt every day while we are in Guatemala. Today's choice was a bright yellow one and the outfit was completed with a straw hat that I thought was a sombrero at first. Out of all the people on our team though, I'm pretty sure he got the most complements on his outfit during our trip! Let's just say, I don't think there will ever be a dull moment. Hahaha!
With everything packed our team of 12 made our way to the airport. Thanks Pastor Jeff and Mason for driving! Overall, we had a pretty great day of travel. Besides a little turbulance taking off and landing, everything else was smooth sailing; check-in, security, layover, immigration, baggage claim, customs-they all went off without a hitch. When the last person cleared customs, we eagerly stepped outside the Guatemala City airport and quickly found the familiar faces of Ginny, Cesar, and Sandra amidst the sea of eager taxi drivers, tour guide operators, and souvenir vendors. It's always like coming home to family in Guatemala. Julian and Manuel were at the ready with the vans and before we knew it, we were on our way to the house. Even though it was dark and the ride was short our team learned a bit about the Guatemala culture already...mainly the driving culture. Guatemalan driving makes Chicagoans look like student drivers, but don't worry moms and dads, Julian and Manuel are the best.
When we got to our home for the week, Ginny gave us the grand tour of the house. We left our donation bags in the office to unpack tomorrow, claimed our bunks, then we learned how to use the pila or the sink that pretty much every Guatemalan home uses for everything from dishes to laundry to toothbrushing. The girls learned how to use the shower in our own "executive" bathroom. We found out that there is a new shower head, so now it shouldn't be so difficult to get all the hot water we could ever want!
Our introducotry orientation continued on the roof where, during the daytime, we might be able to get a view of a few nearby volcanos. Ginny gave us a heads up that the neighbor's new rooster is quite annoying, so be forewarned. Another neighbor owns a parrot that can impersonate the Three Stooges and sometimes sounds like a baby crying or a dog barking, in addition to the real dogs in the neighborhood who also bark. Perhaps the most important lesson for the day though was about "brushing but no flushing" aka, brush your teeth only with bottled water (as well as drink) and don't flush the toilet paper or you'll have to go 'fishing'. Breakfast, 'just the way you like it' is at 8:30. More indepth orientation tomorrow.
To end I'll say I can already tell our team is quite a unique group of individuals, and I'm excited to see what a difference a week together makes. There are some familiar faces and some new faces; some quiet and reserved personalities and some "no holding back" personalities. Most importantly by the end of the week there will be no strangers, and a lot of wonderful memories to share. Even with one day of travelling together under our belts those friendships are already starting to develop. We ended the evening by playing Four on a Couch with Cesar, Sandra and Julio (Manuel's son), which put us off to a great start.
That's all for now friends! Stay tuned for more!
Blessings In Christ,
~Deaconess Betsy
This morning our team met at Concordia for the ever important task of packing in-kind donations before our departure. After lots of shifting things around we managed to pack all of our donations AND stay under our weight limit for our checked baggage! Thanks to everyone who donated supplies.As a side note: I have to say that I don't think I will ever forget the memory of Kyle arriving on campus in all his grandeur. I'm not sure if it was the sheer look of joy and pride on his face or the look of Andy trying not to laugh as they walked in together. I'll preface this by saying Kyle is wearing a Hawaiian shirt every day while we are in Guatemala. Today's choice was a bright yellow one and the outfit was completed with a straw hat that I thought was a sombrero at first. Out of all the people on our team though, I'm pretty sure he got the most complements on his outfit during our trip! Let's just say, I don't think there will ever be a dull moment. Hahaha!
With everything packed our team of 12 made our way to the airport. Thanks Pastor Jeff and Mason for driving! Overall, we had a pretty great day of travel. Besides a little turbulance taking off and landing, everything else was smooth sailing; check-in, security, layover, immigration, baggage claim, customs-they all went off without a hitch. When the last person cleared customs, we eagerly stepped outside the Guatemala City airport and quickly found the familiar faces of Ginny, Cesar, and Sandra amidst the sea of eager taxi drivers, tour guide operators, and souvenir vendors. It's always like coming home to family in Guatemala. Julian and Manuel were at the ready with the vans and before we knew it, we were on our way to the house. Even though it was dark and the ride was short our team learned a bit about the Guatemala culture already...mainly the driving culture. Guatemalan driving makes Chicagoans look like student drivers, but don't worry moms and dads, Julian and Manuel are the best.
When we got to our home for the week, Ginny gave us the grand tour of the house. We left our donation bags in the office to unpack tomorrow, claimed our bunks, then we learned how to use the pila or the sink that pretty much every Guatemalan home uses for everything from dishes to laundry to toothbrushing. The girls learned how to use the shower in our own "executive" bathroom. We found out that there is a new shower head, so now it shouldn't be so difficult to get all the hot water we could ever want!
Our introducotry orientation continued on the roof where, during the daytime, we might be able to get a view of a few nearby volcanos. Ginny gave us a heads up that the neighbor's new rooster is quite annoying, so be forewarned. Another neighbor owns a parrot that can impersonate the Three Stooges and sometimes sounds like a baby crying or a dog barking, in addition to the real dogs in the neighborhood who also bark. Perhaps the most important lesson for the day though was about "brushing but no flushing" aka, brush your teeth only with bottled water (as well as drink) and don't flush the toilet paper or you'll have to go 'fishing'. Breakfast, 'just the way you like it' is at 8:30. More indepth orientation tomorrow.
To end I'll say I can already tell our team is quite a unique group of individuals, and I'm excited to see what a difference a week together makes. There are some familiar faces and some new faces; some quiet and reserved personalities and some "no holding back" personalities. Most importantly by the end of the week there will be no strangers, and a lot of wonderful memories to share. Even with one day of travelling together under our belts those friendships are already starting to develop. We ended the evening by playing Four on a Couch with Cesar, Sandra and Julio (Manuel's son), which put us off to a great start.
That's all for now friends! Stay tuned for more!
Blessings In Christ,
~Deaconess Betsy
Friday, May 22, 2015
Emotionally, from the beginning to the end!
I can't believe that today is already Friday! The week is over and we only have 8 hours before we have to be ready to leave the house, crazy! I knew from the beginning that today was going to be a roller coaster ride, with it being our last day here. First, we had devotions lead by Carlos. He talked about having God in our lives everyday and how God works through us. We then had the choice to go to the coffee roasting place or the Mayan Runis. I chose to go to the Mayan Runis. We went with Sandra and Carlos, they taught us a lot about the different things that I didn't know about the Mayans. One interesting thing was that there were people having fires for sacrifices. It was really cool to see how other people worship. We came back and had lunch made by the wonderful Ginny. She has made lots of wonderful food for us all week, she is such a blessing. After lunch, we had faith lessons here at the house. It was not that many kids, but had such a wonderful time with all of them. All week being able to share the word of Christ with kids and explain it in a way that they could relate was such an amazing thing for me. I can't speak much Spanish, so the fact that I could relate to them in other ways that I didn't know at first, was so amazing. I was able to interact with them though hand motions and using the very little Spanish I know. After we had faith lessons, we had to say good bye to the Guatemalan Missionaries. It was so hard to say good bye to them because I feel that I know them better than someone that I have know for years. I started crying at one point because they are such an amazing group of people that love God so much. They also know so much about God and the Bible that it blows me away. After saying bye, we had the surprise of having pizza for dinner. At dinner we were talking about the week and how it has changed our lives. I really didn't even know why I chose to go on this trip at first, all I knew is that God was calling me to go. I know now that dthere are several reasons that I came on this trip. One was that to see a different experience of life that I have never known and that I know will change my life forever. I now don't want to leave and wish I could stay here and be with the kids forever, but I know that this is not possible. I know though that I will be putting more effort into changing some habits when I return back to the states. One of them being, to read my Bible more. Being in the word is something that I can't get enough of and would love to do that more. I know that most of us are excited, but sad to be going home, but are excited to reunite with our loved ones. Many of us said that we will just stay up since we have to be up and ready at 3:15 a.m. Can't wait to see everyone tomorrow (or later today).
Liz
Liz
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