Guatemala
I have tried to write this a few times now but I could never find the “perfect” words to say. I couldn’t even try to put into words how much I have loved Guatemala.
I always knew that I wanted to come to Guatemala, being adopted from here it was a dream to come here and see what my life could of looked like.
When I was in 8th grade I was doing a project on Paradise bound which is an orphanage in Guatemala. While I was doing the project one of my teachers asked me if I ever wanted to go back to Guatemala. I said I did and he told me to pray about it. Which I did for a while and then I kinda of just never thought about it again. I thought that I wouldn’t go back ever. 5 years later I am not only going there but I am living there for 3 months.
I never imagined that I would of fallen in love with this place. I have not only fallen in love with this place but I have grown and learned so many things. This will be the place that I will remember how I have grown.
Guatemala was one of the hardest times but it did have it’s good times. I have learned how important it is to let other people in and how unhealthy it is to hold everything in. I was convicted of so much. I am 5 months sober of juuling, I am no longer afraid of what others think of me. I have forgiven myself for the things that I thought I was guilty of but in reality I really had no control over. I was baptized in Guatemala, I was able to start to let the broken chains fall off.
I have eaten way too much taco bell and not drank enough water. I went to taco bell at least once a weekend. I was probably dehydrated for majority of the time that we were in Guatemala.
The thing that I have fallen in love with the most are the kids in San Lorenzo. They were hard to love on sometimes but they truly taught me what it was like to be loved. Being surrounded with preschoolers almost everyday for the last month, it really showed me what it was like to be loved. They would constantly want to run around and just braid my hair or sit on my lap. They didn’t always listen but that was okay.
There was just so much to love about Guatemala, the people there were incredible. They were so hospitalbitle. During house visits they would sometimes give us pepsi or lemonade. They would always invite us in. There really isn’t a way to really describe it but they just made you feel so welcomed.
The views around the base were incredible, getting to be surrounded with mountains and volcanoes how cool is that. The sunsets were so distinct as well. Everywhere you went the views were breath taking.
Guatemala was such a special place and it will be something that I won’t ever forget. It is also a place that I will defiantly want to go back to.
