Welcome to Guatemala!!
And so it begins, the World Race has started.
A couple weeks ago my team and I arrived in Guatemala City after what seemed like the easiest travel day ever. Earlier that morning we got to the ATL airport at 4am and then flew out a few hours later. At 12am my team, Flames to Fire, got picked up by the sweetest man who has be the driver at Los Gozosos for quite a while. I got pretty car sick on the way to our ministry host so I didn’t take in the scenery too much, but I heard it was beautiful!
This month I am staying in the city of Chimaltenango at a home for disabled children, called Loz Gozosos (aka. Joy Filled Home). Upon our arrival we were greeted with toothy smiles and lots of joy! Loz Gozosos started in 2003 by a woman named Maureen and it has been growing ever since. As of now, 23 children ranging from about a year old to 24 live in the home. My team and I are going to spend the month helping with everyday stuff and doing special projects that the staff hasn’t had time to get to.
5am: Wake up and help the kids bathe and get dressed. Many of the children can’t walk by themselves or get dressed so the staff enjoy having the extra hands to assist them!
6:30am: Breakfast! A cook prepares the meals for everyone at Los Gozosos! We sit among the children and help feed a few of them, but a lot the them are able to feed themselves.
7:00am: We wash all the dishes then start our special projects such as deep cleaning rooms, killing the cockroach population, painting, or landscaping!
9:00am: Wrap up our projects and have some time to ourselves!
11:00am: Devotional with the staff and children!! We sing songs, read the bible, and pray. The love these kids have for their “Daddy God” is inspiring.
12:00pm: Another small break before we eat lunch!
1:00pm: Lunch with everyone! We eat lots of rice and beans but not always. Lunch is usually the biggest meal of the day and my favorite meal I have had so far has probably been mashed potatoes, fish sticks and vegetables. I know, I know, very american choice. The empanadas are delicious too!
2:30pm: Dishes washed, dried, then put away!! Woohoo! Chill time begins and over the next few hours we have a team meeting then maybe a walk, maybe go to the cafe, maybe get snacks, or really whatever we want to do.
5:30pm: Make sure we are back to Los Gozosos, then get ready for dinner!
6:00pm: DINNER TIME!!! Usually followed by dishes and a DANCE PARTY!! It quickly turns into a workout holding up some of the kids so they can freely dance but they absolutely love it!
7:00pm: Devotional time round 2!
8:30pm: Time for bed!! I’m on granny schedule so 9am is my new midnight! I’ve never in my life consistently fallen asleep so early. I’m slowly but surely becoming a morning person that naturally wakes up by 6 on my off days! If you know me then you know that’s so unlike me!
I’ll be sharing more stories with you about the kids and hopefully a video that shows a day in the life at Los Gozosos!
I’m still in need of people to donate to my trip so I can continue this journey! If you would like to partner with me or know somebody who would, then a donation can be made above!
I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into my life!
Comment below what would be your favorite part of my day!
Until next time,
Tessa
