This morning we rode a van about an hour to Guatemala City where we climbed on the bus for a six hour bus ride to Puerto Barrios. I slept most of the way but woke up to see the landscape change from dry to desert like and then back to a lush green vegetation. We were dropped off at a bus station where our local contact, Dona Gladis, lives. Dona Gladis met us at the door with open arms and a shy smile. I fumbled my way through a conversation with her in Spanish. She invited us to eat a delicious meal of Spaghetti while she called her granddaughter and daughter-in-law Mildred and Vivian. Mildred and Vivian speak English very well, so with their assistance we were able to communicate much better. Dona Gladis asked what we wanted to do, so we told her we just want to serve. She communicated that it will be difficult for our team because we don’t speak Spanish well. She had a list of about 30 pastors in the area so she decided to call a few to see if we could help out. In the mean time she invited us to go to the youth service that was being held in the evening.
Mildred and Vivian then offered to take us to the mall before the evening service. First we stopped at McDonalds because Mildred and Vivian have toddlers that love McDonalds. The McDonalds was very nice with a two story playroom. They were having a special promotional night with Ronald McDonald singing and dancing. The parking lot was packed with hundreds of locals; it was so funny to see a Guatemalan Ronald with face paint and a wig. Then Bri, Joy, and I went to the mall. As we walked into the mall we felt like we were walking back into America. We recognized a lot of the stores and restaurants including Payless, Subway, and Gap.
The youth service was very similar to an American youth group service; it reminded me a lot of Crossroads. They played a game to see who could find a verse the fastest and a game similar to rock, paper, scissors. They also sang songs and listened to a message given by a local missionary. We were asked to sing a song so we sang Amazing Grace accompanied by Clinton on guitar and Josh on the Harmonica. After the service we became quick friends to many of the young people in attendance and promised to see them at the morning service.
Mildred graciously offered to let the girls stay at her house, which turned out to be quite a palace. It is situated right on the bay with a pool and air conditioning. I slept on a soft couch as the air conditioner beat out the sound of any roosters, dogs, or other animals.
The View from Mildred´s
