TBT: Guatemala, May 2015

Team: Fresh (Yes! We seriously decided to name our new team “Fresh”)
Word of the Month: Joy

This was the first month of our new teams. Team Fresh with me, Kathryn, Tanja, Brittni, Katie, Steve, and Daniel.

We served at Nueva Generacion and lived in Antigua (along with another team from our squad). We served in multiple capacities. We visited the area primary and secondary schools and taught the students about Jesus and moral values. We helped translate into Spanish the curriculum used to teach the students about moral values. We also helped build a house for a family in the youth group of the church. It was a month full of ministry and filled with laughter. 

[Waiting for the bus after a day of construction. These “Chicken Buses” were filled with individuals getting home from work/school, still wearing their white, clean shirts. Just imagine the looks we got, covered in dirt and filth]

I don’t think I laughed as much as I did when I was in Guatemala. After the first 4 months of the Race being challenging and full of tears and soul work, it was a breath of fresh air to have the Lord remind me of my need to laugh and have fun. It was a month of spiritual rest. It, in a sense, filled me back up so that I could do the tough work the rest of the year. Without that time, I really could’ve gotten burned out on the Race AND my spiritual life. 

Ministry was so great. I spent a week translating the curriculum, one day teaching in the schools, and the other days at construction.

[During recess in an elementary school]

We had some really great off-days. On the days we didn’t have ‘official’ ministry, we chose to explore. We went to Volcano Pacaya, spent the night in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, and explored Antigua.

 
[Exploring Volcano Pacaya. We roasted marshmallows with the heat from the volcano]

 
[Our night away in Panajachel along Lake Atitlan. Technically, I took this in the morning]

Antigua has a very special place in my heart. Cobblestone streets, wonderful people, bright colors, markets, and a McDonald’s nice enough to propose to someone in. We were blessed.  

[Me at the wonderful McDonalds. Seriously, this McDonalds has a fountain, real plants, and a view of Volcano Agua. Don’t hate.]

 

p.s. Here are some bonus photos because why not? 

[I was sad to see all these chicks locked in a cage, but their fluffiness did bring me quite the outburst of joy]

 
[The view of Volcano Agua from our front door]

[Too many bracelets to count at the street markets in Panajachel]

[While waiting for the bus. A picture I took of an ant doing the remarkable] 

[Me and one of my Alumni Squad Leaders, Abby, on the way to the volcano. We both looked great that day so it needed to be documented…and shared to prove that I DID, in fact, take showers]

[One of my favorite parts of my time in Antigua: Me and Señor Garcia, our 96-year-old joyful friend. God put him in our path and we (me, Brittni, Daniel) spent 2 hours talking to him without understanding a lot of the Spanish. We prayed for him, shared Scripture with him, and listened to him talk. There was so much joy in his eyes and his smile and laugh were contagious]