I received a few questions for this Q&A and added on a few more simples ones! I hope you enjoy reading about my time here in Guatemala!!
1- Were there any moments where you were either watching or participating in something and you knew that it was a God-blessings moment- that only God could have created for you and the people around you?
Simple answer for this- yes! There have been many moments where I feel it is a perfect God moment. One example would be during a house visit. This woman had a very hard time with her marriage and found out her husband was cheating on her shortly after having a baby. After praying, we broke out into worship and singing praises to Jesus for almost an hour around her. It was not what we were expecting when we stepped into that house, but it was what God had planned. It was beautiful seeing her receive prayer and know that God has it all planned out and is caring for her through it all.
2- Is it hot?
Sort of. It changes through out the day. In the morning and evening, it is a little chilly where you want a sweatshirt. During the day, it can get hot but not terribly hot. I believe the average temperature during the day is around 75 or so degrees through out the whole time I’ve been here.
3- Do you have a favorite food there?
Yes!! All the food here is so good!! We have two amazing cooks at the base, and they make THE best food! For breakfast, my favorite food is just good ole pancakes…. They’re simple but delicious. For dinner, I love the traditional dish Estofado. It’s a stew type meal with beef and a tomato based “soup” put on top of rice. My favorite part of that meal is dipping the tortillas, which we have with every dinner, in the leftover “soup” part. AHH! SO delicious!
4- Have you learned any Spanish?
Yes! My Spanish has grown a ton while being here in Guatemala. I had four years of Spanish in high school but took the year of during senior year. Lots of my Spanish left my brain that year, but it came back very quickly while being immersed in the culture here. I have also learned a lot more Spanish, and I am excited to learn more when in Ecuador, another Spanish speaking country, for the next three months.
5- What’s your favorite memory in Guatemala?
This is a hard one! I would say a silly memory would be falling down the volcano face first. It is a hilarious story but very hard to explain on a screen. I encourage you to use your best imagination as I try my best to explain…. It was on the way down from hiking the volcano called Acatenango. It had taken about five and half hours to go up the day before and another hour that morning to summit. Going down was suppose to take one to three hours because it was so steep and there was nothing you could do but run down it. I had already fallen countless times, and we were all very tired. We got to one of the hardest parts of the hike which was pretty close to the bottom but the steepest of it all. The tricky part was that it is steep, rocky, and lots of loose dirt. Lise and Gel had just fallen. We were all laughing at them and before I knew it, I was toppling face first down the volcano. I had no idea what was happening. I just kept rolling with a backpack on and stopped only when Gel put her hand out to help. I had no idea what happened and couldn’t process because we were all laughing so hard. Imagine five of us standing/laying in the middle of the path because we couldn’t stop crying laughing because it was so funny and rare that someone would fall face first. It took us a good five minutes before we settled down and all tried to get back up and continue down the volcano. It was hilarious and will forever be one of my favorite memories of Guatemala.
6- What will you miss the most going to Ecuador?
The people! The people in the villages I got to serve in. The people on base staff here. The people who run the chicken buses. All the people here are great and so kind. I am excited to meet the people in Ecuador but will for sure miss the people of Guatemala!
Thanks for reading my blog!! If you have any other questions about what Guatemala has looked like, comment them below or message me!!
A prayer request I have for this week is for PVT! Please be praying for great conversations, growth, and for us to be sensitive to what God wants to say to us!! Thank you so much for the great support and continual prayers!
Lots of Love,
Paige :):):):)
