Here’s the scoop on what I’ve been doing lately! School ended about 2 weeks ago giving us a few extra free days. Last weekend we took a 10 hour road trip up to the Mayan ruins of Tikal. We hired a driver recommended by our host. On the way we stopped and floated through caves on inner-tubes, ate killer burritos, stayed in hostels accessible only by boat and zip-lined through jungles. Tikal itself was incredible and full of amazing history. I loved getting to walk through the ancient Mayan city and imagine it thousands of years ago thriving with people. I absolutely loved getting to know a bit more about Guatemala’s history, not to mention discovering monkeys in the trees and funny raccoon-ish animals on the steps of the temples! We even made friends with some girls at the bottom of the temple who shared their chips with us. We ended up seeing them again at night near our hostel and talking to them some more! We spent the night in Flores, a tiny island an hour from Tikal. The water surrounding the island was so serene and calming. We spent an awesome evening exploring the island and relaxing. On our way back home, we stopped at Rio Dulce (sweet river!) and took an hour long boat ride to a place called Livingston. The boat ride was extremely refreshing after hours of riding in a hot smelly car! We went through channels of cliffs covered in trees that looked like something out of the incredibles! That was by far my favorite part! That night we stayed in the most amazing hostel with wooden pathways over water. The next day we stopped at an old castle on our way home. It was so much fun to explore the castle and enjoy the beautiful Guatemala weather! All in all, the trip was fun although not always relaxing. 15 people crammed into one van with no air conditioning on a highway with endless speed bumps made for an uncomfortable drive! But it was worth it! One funny thing that happened: on our way north, the road funneled us into a detour. We all had to stop and get out of the car even though none of us had a clue why. People in official government clothing started searching our car. As it turns out, they were looking for illegal fruit! We didn’t have any so we were allowed to pass thank goodness!
When we came home, we went right back into working, This week we’ve been having a soccer tournament for some of the kids! It’s been a blast helping out with drills and playing in games! Many of the boys are very talented and play in official leagues. It’s been great getting to know them outside of a school setting and being a friend and teammate instead of teacher. They’re all such goofballs and make me laugh all the time. I even got a sunburn on my face except for the wrinkles around my eyes. That’s how much I was smiling! Halfway through the day, David, a man who works for Engadi and accompany’s us to school most days, gives the kids a bible message. It’s nice to be able to pray with them and share bible stories since we’re out of the public school setting. Next week we will be holding the tournament again and I’m hopeful that even more kids show up! I’m so excited to keep building the relationships started this week!
In addition to the tournament, we have been painting the school in the afternoons. It’s a pretty gross job, but the improvement is immense! The dirty school walls look so clean and professional with a new coat of paint.
After next week, we will start holding summer school classes for the kids! I cannot wait to start teaching again! I’ve missed it with all my heart. I miss being in front of my classes teaching them to sing Old MacDonald, or making them repeat “my name is” a hundred times. I miss the joy I feel when they have learned something new. I miss the feeling of pride I get when they bring in English textbooks borrowed from their cousins and siblings. I miss hearing their excited voices sing, “good morning teacher!” when I walk in the room. I even miss the terrible 6th grade classes that have fist fights and don’t pay any attention to what we’re doing. It’s crazy that something I was so apprehensive about became such a joy for me! While in the beginning I dreaded walking into class, now I dearly miss being in front of my students. How crazy is that! God is really changing me for the better!
All in all, I’m absolutely in love with Guatemala. While the vacation was fun, my heart soared when we returned home because I just love the country I’m living in. It’s definitely the most beautiful place I’ve ever been! Praise God for his glorious creation!
