Hey guys,
So it has been a crazy week! I am in Guatemala staying in the mountains in a town called Santa Cruz de Quiche. My whole squad of 55 people is staying with an organization called Agape in Action. We are staying in tents in a fenced off field. The Agape in Action base is right next to a hospital that serves hundreds of people daily so there are often people hanging around outside of the base. My team of 6 girls is working with a children’s home for the month. Currently there are 64 kids at the home and we spend our days helping out at the school that the home also runs. We have only been there a couple days and done a variety of activities but at this point the game plan is that we do devotions with the kids in the morning and then maybe help out in the classroom and we are also helping with the construction of a high school next door to the school. So we are currently working on leveling the ground to lay the foundation.
All the people we are working with are amazing! Our contacts (at Agape in Action) our super generous and love God and love people so it has been great to get to know them a bit. There is also this amazing guy who we have been working with at the school. He is 20 years old and is fluent in English (he learned from watching movies). But he has been our translator and guide for the past couple days and is just so much fun to hang out with. He hopes to go to America for school and then plans on doing the World Race because previous racers who have volunteered at the school have impacted him so much so that is pretty cool.
This weekend I was able to relax and take a trip to a beautiful lake called Lake Atitlan which is surrounded by three volcanoes and is just absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at a hostel were I stayed in like a legit tree house with a straw roof and no walls in the middle of a jungle so that was pretty sweet. We also hiked a waterfall and were able to just relax and enjoy each other’s company while marveling at God’s creation.
Today (September 15) is Guatemala’s Independence Day (as well Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras) so my team marched in the parade with the school kids we are working with and that was awesome. There were thousands of people watching and the kids looked super cute all dressed up and it was just a good time to celebrate with the people of Guatemala.
In all honesty Central America was the place I was least excited to visit because I have been to Costa Rica a couple times and kind of had the attitude of “been there done that” but this week has made me re-fall in love with Central America and develop a deep love for Guatemala. The land is beautiful, the people are beautiful and the culture is beautiful and I am so excited for the two months I get to spend in Central America.
Thank-you for everyone who has been praying for my team and I. We have all been safe and for the most part people are in good health. Thank-you also to people who have supported me financially. My next deadline is December 1 and is $10,500. Any donations are gladly accepted as I need your help to continue this journey.
