Hola!
It is day 16 of the world race, and it is also my 16th day in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. And this is my first blog update.
At first, I wasn’t sure to write about. But then my team woke up several days ago with a bat in our toilet, which made me realize that every day is filled with moments of humor and beauty. Not just for me here in Guatemala, but for everybody everywhere. If only we had eyes to see.
Before I talk about the bat incident, I want to spend a moment remembering my grandpa who recently passed away. He and my Grandma piloted their family through several decades of mission work, mostly in India and Argentina.
I wasn’t there for that part, but I remember loving it at their trailer home near us in Minnesota, where they moved after retiring from missions.
He was good at games and clever with his hands. One of my favorite games to play with him was Caroms. I clearly remember him beating me every time, without fail. During one game, he beat me all in one turn, before I’d had chance to play. He also loved making things from paper, especially frogs.
You might think that things like that don’t matter. But when we buried him a month ago, he was accompanied by a procession of colorful paper frogs, hopping joyfully alongside him into the beyond.
My grandpa lived with joy and gusto. He told a great story with his life. And I hope to follow in his footsteps.
So here it goes.
