This past weekend was a holiday weekend in Guatemala… INDEPENDENCE DAY! Since it was our first weekend in town we all decided to branch out and have some fun. A few of us decided to go see the Mayan ruins, and go zip-lining; others decided to hike a mountain. I, personally, joined the group that chose to go to the lake for the weekend.
Things we learned this weekend:
Hanging out the door of chicken busses is SUPER AWESOME… until the driver tries to pass someone… (don't worry Nana it wasn't me).
Bring your rain coat EVERYWHERE.
I've been in bass fishing boats bigger than Guatemalan "Ferry's."
The ECO Hostile "Iguana Perdida" is where it's at! (We slept in a TREE HOUSE).
There are few things more entertaining than watching women argue about football.
Old docks may not hold more than 10 people at a time.
Cliff DIVING is quite harder than just Cliff JUMPING.
Beware of over friendly dogs while climbing rock faces soaking wet.
Write down the name of the dock you ferry FROM… so you can ferry BACK.
Make friends everywhere you go:
We met two lovely boys from Guatemala City, who planned on conquering one of the three lake volcanoes in the morning, and really helped us out in a stitch.
We befriended a Swedish hiker who also planned on tackling the volcano who entertained many an interesting philosophical debate.
I personally made good friends with an 85 year old man who was born in London (but left when he was six months old… because he couldn't stand the food), grew up in India, spent his "hippie days" in California, married and adopted in Australia and eventually wound up retiring to Guatemala to OPEN the Iguana Perdida which he named after his friends band. After showing me a few tricks on my harmonica he shared stories about his good friend Emily O (who supposedly helped found Jazz Fest in New Orleans), his architect friend from Australia who built the theater for and helped put on the original Rocky Horror Picture Show, and even mentioned what Willie Nelson's ex wife told him were the reasons she left him.
He kept repeating "HAVE A GOOD TIME… NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO."
That really stuck with me:D
I even met an American woman living in Guatemala city who has been working with the schools and mal-nourishment, and a drummer who founded a troupe of clowns that travel Central America teaching STD awareness in their skits.
It was a very interesting weekend!!
As I sat on the front porch/dock, overlooking the waves, watching the lightning outline the volcanoes, the lights from distant islands and the fishermen in their hand carved canoos… I thought…
What a beautiful creation by an amazing Creator.
Then, as I viewed some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my life, I remembered…
God made this beautiful place… all these wonderful things…
He made the earth, the sea and the sky… and he thought it was GOOD.
But it wasn't ENOUGH.
He wasn't satisfied until he made US.
So as beautiful as the most amazing scenery may be… God believes that WE are so much more beautiful than that…
Today in the parade my kids sang "He made all of creation to capture my attention…"
I believe that he made creation to mirror our very souls… for we all contain mountains that need conquering… cliffs for diving… volcanoes for taming… rivers for floating…
"I give it all to you God, trusting that You'll make something beautiful out of me."
SO my challenges for you today are:
Seek beauty… and when you find it FIND GOD THERE.
Then… recognise that same beauty in each person you meet… including the one in the mirror.
<3 Ajax
