Goodbye Honduras andddddd hello Guatemala !
Leaving Teguc was hard. We had such a wonderful family there. Being able to live in one place for 2 months is kind of a curse; what happens when you have to say bye to all your kiddos and new moms ? i had grown to genuinely love them, so it was difficult, but what’s more important is that Jesus loves them. If we are the ones sent to communicate that and live out that love, I’m a okay with having to say bye because honestly its not really bye.
So we packed up our stuff, picked up our friends from the valley, drove through the night on a double decker bus to Guatemala ! The MOUNTAINS WERE CRAZY, taller and greener and mightier than the ones we lived on in Honduras, and I thought those were lit. Then I realized that the mountains we were driving through weren’t just mountains THEY WERE VOLCANOS WHAT THE CRAP THAT’S AWESOME.
THERES ONE VOLCANO WE CAN HIKE UP AND CAMP ON AND ROAST MARSHMELLOWS OVER THE LAVA AND IM SO EXCITED
A week in Antigua ! I had heard great things about that city but I didn’t really understand until I got there. Cobblestone streets. Colorful shops everywhere. Hoppin markets. Sunshine ! We were all in this hostel and were within walking distance from most everything. I may have had too much taco bell, may have had too many pancakes. Showered for the first time in 47 days. It was so much fun being together and getting to rest, getting to be surrounded by peace, the Lord’s restoration, and newness ! I LOVE GUATEMALAAAAAAAA !!!
So they give us ministry together for the next two months and SURPRISE WERE ALL TOGETHER AGAIN ! Adventures in Missions had been working on a base in Parramos, about 40 min outside Antigua, for squads to live at. We are the very first people to stay here ! It’s barely finished, were breaking everything in but it’s so cool to be able to honor a place like that.
The staff here is so giving and visibly on fire for the Lord. They organized for every team to help at different bilingual schools around Parramos and Chimal, and they pour into us daily. My team and I are helping Michelle, one of the long term AIM staff, start a ministry/ school here at the base actually! It is available for kids and people of all ages. Lots of Guatemalan families want to send their children to bilingual or English schools for more opportunity and a higher education. But recently students have been turned away because the schools are too full, and the prospective students know absolutely no English. Our job is to teach beginner English to the local people who are looking to be enrolled in real bilingual schools so that they have a better chance of getting accepted.
We had orientation yesterday and school starts tomorrow, so we will see how it goes! Getting to pioneer ministry is such a unique opportunity and experience. And in 3 weeks Michelle is getting married so we will be on our own- yikes haha. So please be praying that we would be able to give these kids our best over the next couple months and that the Lord would impart his wisdom onto us as how to provide for these children!
In a about a week and a half I will be halfway through the race. That’s crazy !!!! It seems like yesterday that we flew to Asia and lost our nuts over “noodle man.” Something feels different in everybody. Like we hiked up a freaking difficult mountain, came down a little beat up and dirty but ultimately stronger. It’s so cool to see everyone pressing into that growth , to feel it in myself as well, and just experience the raw openness that this season is offering. It feels big, what’s coming. Thank you Jesus for surrounding us with joy and unfailing love every morning!
Oh yeah, and I’m 87 percent sure I lost a pizza sock in Honduras. Rest in peace.
Love you guys. I hope everyone is doing okay. I promise I’ll shower more.
~i
