Debrief was exactly what I needed. There was volcano hiking, delicious food, wifi and hot showers all in a single swoop. Even better was being able to sit down and soak in the emotional rollercoaster of Honduras. It was extremely difficult for me to say goodbye to everyone at Heart of Christ, especially Mila. I promised her that she would always have a home in Miami to stay if she ever visits.
We left Antigua early Thursday morning and headed to the mountains for our next ministry sight. We squeezed into a famous Guatemalan chicken bus and piled our packs on the top. The ride was supposed to take an easy 4 hours, but unfortunately none of us could have foreseen the technical difficulties our bus was going to have. For my family’s sake- I want to say that we are all very much OK and no one was hurt. We had been riding up and down mountains for most of the ride. On one curve our bus was going too fast and due to the fast traffic going the opposite direction, the driver hit the breaks and steered off to the side of the mountain. The driver assured us he had it all under control, but the smoke and burnt tire smell was enough to leave us all feeling unsteady. Once the bus backed up from the side of the mountain and tried to continue driving up the road, it could not gather enough momentum to carry all our weight. Yupp, we started rolling back.
I happen to sit at the front of the bus where everyone around me was just as stirred up as I was. But those who sat in the back half of the bus didn’t seem to be bothered by what was going on. It was so strange. The co-pilot immediately jumped out of the bus and placed a chalk behind the back tire to stop the bus from rolling anymore. Long story short, about 8 of us had to get off the bus to lighten the weight. I volunteered myself as tribute. I could not have stayed on any longer without having a heart attack. As soon as we got off the bus, the driver was able to get everyone up the steep hill and I walked my happy little self up to get back in. The bus driver had to take it slow so the engine would not overheat and all this extended our travel time. We were all very happy to arrive at our ministry in one peace.
It is important for me to share this moment with everyone since it truly started my ministry in Guatemala. I will no longer take moments for granted, nor will I allow myself to think about things and people I am missing back in Miami. I have dedicated 11 months to giving back and making a difference, so I will be 100% present here in Guatemala. Mind, body and soul.
