Hola from Guatemala!!! Our World Race Squad traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to Quiche, Guatemala July 7 by plane. Imagine a typical family of 4 maneuvering through the airport and TSA…but instead we had 60 people! Each person had a pack that had to weigh under 50 lbs, and a day pack which averaged 15-20 lbs. That was one heavy plane we all managed to squeeze onto.
Our Squad had a 6 hour van ride from the Guatemala City Airport to Agape in Action Medical Ministry in Quiche. We traveled through the breathtaking mountains with switchbacks and curves that put even the curviest roads in Colorado to shame. Guatemala has a green countryside, waterfalls coming from the mountains, and livestock dotting the sides of the roads. We saw an abundance of horses, cows, and stray dogs. The women wore colorful skirts and blouses carrying heavy loads on their heads and babies on their backs. In the city we were surprised to find Dominos, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and many other “American” businesses in Guatemala City on our way to Quiche.
We arrived in the evening and set-up up camp with our head lamps making a tent village just next to Agape in Action Medical Ministry. The following day each of our teams worked with different ministries in Quiche. Some worked at the hospital directly across the street from our compound on painting and construction projects. 1-2 teams worked at different local orphanages…some directly with the children and some on painting and landscaping.
My team Ergalieo worked at Case de Padre Orphanage for the first day painting and the remainder of our first week we worked with Pastor David at his school Colegio Evangelio Casa de Sabaduria. At the school we did skits, music and a bible story primarily in Spanish (one of our teammates translating) in the morning. In the afternoons we worked on construction projects, making cement, plastering, and painting etc. At lunch we’re absolutely spoiled by Pastor David’s wife Lole’ cooking authentic Guatemalan food for us. Below their house women make fresh tortillas. Myself, and another teammate failed miserably at our attempt to make tortillas at the tortilla tienda (store)…but we at least tried. Our second week we’ve been working with Pastor Victor breaking up dirt mounds to level out the ground to build a new church called Jehovah Jireh. Most of our team carried the freshly cut wood from cedar trees up a mountain to the pick-up truck that will be later used for this church. Our third week we were back at Pastor David’s school where we continued working on building an office, two doors by scratch, painting the school sign on the building, and receiving many hugs from the children.
Our free time is limited, but when we have free time we might be found making breakfast or supper for our Squad. Some play futbol (soccer) with locals who absolutely school our guys. Teammates practice or learn guitar, play Ultimate Frisbee, visit the market to hunt for food the next day, or take a Tuk-Tuk (Guatemalan mini-cab) to a local internet café to check-up on e-mails or Skype. On our first Saturday off we went to a town about 1 ½ hours away and played tourists. We got to view the active volcanoes; some went cliff diving, and taste-tested the local cuisine.
Biggest challenges for most of us this month have been the daily spurts of rain followed by the cool evenings living in the mountains. We are VERY grateful to live so close to a clinic, to our hosts at our ministry sites, and have learned to live together as one rowdy Squad. Next month we are headed to Honduras. 7 of our teams will be living in one city and 1 of the teams will be in another city (hunting for Unsung Heroes or possible ministries the World Race can serve at in the future). Possible ministries for the month involve teaching English and Math, prison ministry, working with homeless, orphanages, and playing with street children.
Lessons I’ve learned this month…to really rely on my team, ask for help, and it’s ok when I can’t do things…that God may have me “shine” in other areas of ministry. If you haven’t already…I would encourage you to follow my blog at erinjohns.theworldrace.org . I am 78% funded for the World Race and need to raise a total of $15,500 by January 1, 2014. If you would like to donate you can do so online by going to my blog, clicking on Support Erin, complete the info, and submit. Thanks so much for following my story…can’t wait to share more of what God is doing around the world!
