Guatemala is a lot more than just the first country of my race. To me, it is a place of peace, grace, growth, and joy. It is a place of kind words and hard feedback, cool mornings and hot afternoons. It is tight chicken bus rides, runny cakes with no icing, watered down coffee, the soft pat pat pat of tortillas in the background of my english lesson and the pounding of the rain on the tin roof during worship. It’s frigid showers and showers so hot they burn the backs of your legs. It’s “thanks god.” It’s side hugs, kisses on the cheek, it’s watching the sunset every night, it’s rejoicing in the Lord, it’s “gracias para bienvenida nos en tu casa.” It’s matthew, mark, luke, and john. It’s weird fruits and dirty chais and megapaca. It’s dance parties and team times filled with awkward silence. It’s also team times filled with laughter. It’s deep pain and deeper prayers, it’s shalom and contentment. It’s fried plantains and my nineteenth birthday.
love you, guatemala.
I’ll be back.
