Right now we are sitting in a hostel in Guatemala City called Los Volcanes. I didn´t get a chance to blog yesterday, so let´s do a little re-cap.
Wednesday
It was an amazing day! Everything went so well, though not quite according to plan. In the morning we went to the park... we had expected courts for volleyball and basketball, but no such luck. We came to a lovely garden-style park. Then the pastor talked with the mayor, and we were directed to a small covered porch-type area across the street. So, we adapted our activities. We set up bracelets, face-painting, and balloons. We could not have anticipated how well it went. At first it was a little slow... a couple of kids and that was it. But then, when we started blowing up balloons and making animals and hats, people from the street started streaming in. Not just kids, but adults too. The pastor was working the crowd, passing out salvation tracks (in Spanish of course). Lots of the adults made salvation bracelets. God used an unexpected situation to reach a much wider audience.
In the afternoon, we went for our fun outing. We went to a fantastic zipline that goes all the way down the mountain. We had so much fun! Donna was the only one who couldn´t do it, because of her recent surgery. They give you a harness and a helmet, then gloves. One glove has a pad of leather. You use the pad of leather to slow yourself down on the zipline, like a kind of brake. My shoulder is sore from braking that way. Everyone had a great time.
What a wonderful day!
Thursday
This morning we brought a bunch of stuff to the orphanage, and said good-bye to the kids. There were no kidnapping attempts, although many of us were tempted.
Later we drove to Antigua. It´s a historical and touristy city. We shopped for a couple of hours, and ate lunch in the most beautiful McDonald´s I´ve ever seen. This afternoon we climbed back in the schoolbus and drove to Guatemala City. We finally arrived at this hostel, close to the airport. We´re about to eat pizza!!! Yay for cheap, greasy, American-style food!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
More schools, more schools!
Tuesday
Today we worked at two schools back to back. The first school, which we thought was a high school, actually was a bunch of younger kids. We had to adjust our activities for younger students, but it was fine.
We did relay races of various types and we made bracelets. The kids were suprisingly organized.
At the next school, we worked with kids age 3 to 6. It was a little hectic with all the little kids, but we managed. We did the parachute, bubbles, more relay races and we read a story in Spanish, called "Tu Eres Especial" (You Are Special) by Max Lucado.
This afternoon most of the team went to the local market. They really enjoyed this cultural experience. The guys are going to go finish the hole they were digging yesterday for a new septic tank.
Also, Aaron got sick yesterday. The good news is that it´s not a stomach thing, like from the food, but he had a fever. He had to stay home this morning, but when we got back he was feeling better.
Tomorrow we plan on going to the park in the morning to play games and share with local kids. Keep praying that we can touch the hearts and lives of the kids and others that we meet.
Today we worked at two schools back to back. The first school, which we thought was a high school, actually was a bunch of younger kids. We had to adjust our activities for younger students, but it was fine.
We did relay races of various types and we made bracelets. The kids were suprisingly organized.
At the next school, we worked with kids age 3 to 6. It was a little hectic with all the little kids, but we managed. We did the parachute, bubbles, more relay races and we read a story in Spanish, called "Tu Eres Especial" (You Are Special) by Max Lucado.
This afternoon most of the team went to the local market. They really enjoyed this cultural experience. The guys are going to go finish the hole they were digging yesterday for a new septic tank.
Also, Aaron got sick yesterday. The good news is that it´s not a stomach thing, like from the food, but he had a fever. He had to stay home this morning, but when we got back he was feeling better.
Tomorrow we plan on going to the park in the morning to play games and share with local kids. Keep praying that we can touch the hearts and lives of the kids and others that we meet.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Parachutes, Bracelets, Bubbles (Oh my!)
Monday
Today we went to a local school. Everyone had so much fun! We don´t know how many kids we had, but we think it was more than 200. We had various stations for the kids.
At one station, Margaret and Donna were blowing bubbles. The kids loved it. Another group had jump-ropes
I was working the parachute station with my mom. I got hoarse from yelling instructions in Spanish, but we had a lot of fun. The kids really seemed to enjoy it as well.
Finally, a group helped the kids make "salvation bracelets". They have five colored beads that represent God´s plan. Chris Lewis explained it, and Anna translated, and shared verses in Spanish. In this process we shared the gospel with hundreds of kids, plus a handful of teachers.
The pastor from the church here at Eagle´s Nest helped us with this a lot. He arranged for us to visit the school, drove us there himself, and stayed the whole time helping with the bracelets.
It was a little bit chaotic dealing with so many kids, but it went more smoothly than we expected. At one point, though, the kids swarmed Margaret, looking for bubbles. In Jeff´s words, it looked like they were about to carry her off like ants carry food.
This afternoon we distributed some supplies to the construction workers at Nido. Jeff´s company donated hats, t-shirts, socks, and some really nice quality shoes. The guys´smiles were precious.
Right now our guys are digging a ditch for a septic tank. The kids and most of the women are playing with the orphanage kids.
Tomorrow we have a full schedule. On the tentative calendar are two schools plus the park in the afternoon. Keep on praying for safety and health and sleep.
Today we went to a local school. Everyone had so much fun! We don´t know how many kids we had, but we think it was more than 200. We had various stations for the kids.
At one station, Margaret and Donna were blowing bubbles. The kids loved it. Another group had jump-ropes
I was working the parachute station with my mom. I got hoarse from yelling instructions in Spanish, but we had a lot of fun. The kids really seemed to enjoy it as well.
Finally, a group helped the kids make "salvation bracelets". They have five colored beads that represent God´s plan. Chris Lewis explained it, and Anna translated, and shared verses in Spanish. In this process we shared the gospel with hundreds of kids, plus a handful of teachers.
The pastor from the church here at Eagle´s Nest helped us with this a lot. He arranged for us to visit the school, drove us there himself, and stayed the whole time helping with the bracelets.
It was a little bit chaotic dealing with so many kids, but it went more smoothly than we expected. At one point, though, the kids swarmed Margaret, looking for bubbles. In Jeff´s words, it looked like they were about to carry her off like ants carry food.
This afternoon we distributed some supplies to the construction workers at Nido. Jeff´s company donated hats, t-shirts, socks, and some really nice quality shoes. The guys´smiles were precious.
Right now our guys are digging a ditch for a septic tank. The kids and most of the women are playing with the orphanage kids.
Tomorrow we have a full schedule. On the tentative calendar are two schools plus the park in the afternoon. Keep on praying for safety and health and sleep.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Here We Are!
So we haven´t been in touch in a couple of days. We have just been so exhausted after long days. So here we go: three days in one blog.
Friday
We awoke, dark and early. We drove an hour in a bus to Raleigh. We checked sixteen bags in no problem (Thank God!). We flew to Atlanta, then on to Guatemala City! We had miraculously few problems once we arrived. And, better yet, all our luggage got here at the same time we did!
In the evening, we spent some time with the adorable children in the orphanage. There are about 15 or 18 kids under 2 years old, then four older girls. Everyone had a great time with the kids
Saturday
We left Nido del Aguila at about 7:30, in an impossibly small bus. We took a boat-tour of the lake and a few surrounding villages. We started in Panajachel. Then we went to Santa Cruz, and walked up a mountain. I´m not exaggerating here folks... we walked up a steep winding cobble-stone staircase to a small village called Santa Lucia. We learned to make tortillas. Next, in San Juan, we ate lunch in a restaurant that is run by an association of Guatemalan women. Next we went to Santiago, where we shopped in the market. We had a great time making deals and buying hand-made souvenirs. We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Panajachel. The food was amazing, and the service was great too. The waiter brought us chocolate cake for Aaron´s birthday (actually today, Sunday) and had the band sing happy birthday.
Sunday
We slept in today, and then went over to the orphanage. Then we went to church (on the property) with the older girls. The service was in Spanish, of course, but it was still an interesting experience. We had lunch with the pastor, and planned (tentatively) our week. This afternoon we are going to a grocery store.
Keep praying for us as we start our ministry. Pray that we all get enough sleep, and that no one gets sick. Pray that we have an impact on the kids at the school we are visiting tomorrow.
Friday
We awoke, dark and early. We drove an hour in a bus to Raleigh. We checked sixteen bags in no problem (Thank God!). We flew to Atlanta, then on to Guatemala City! We had miraculously few problems once we arrived. And, better yet, all our luggage got here at the same time we did!
In the evening, we spent some time with the adorable children in the orphanage. There are about 15 or 18 kids under 2 years old, then four older girls. Everyone had a great time with the kids
Saturday
We left Nido del Aguila at about 7:30, in an impossibly small bus. We took a boat-tour of the lake and a few surrounding villages. We started in Panajachel. Then we went to Santa Cruz, and walked up a mountain. I´m not exaggerating here folks... we walked up a steep winding cobble-stone staircase to a small village called Santa Lucia. We learned to make tortillas. Next, in San Juan, we ate lunch in a restaurant that is run by an association of Guatemalan women. Next we went to Santiago, where we shopped in the market. We had a great time making deals and buying hand-made souvenirs. We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Panajachel. The food was amazing, and the service was great too. The waiter brought us chocolate cake for Aaron´s birthday (actually today, Sunday) and had the band sing happy birthday.
Sunday
We slept in today, and then went over to the orphanage. Then we went to church (on the property) with the older girls. The service was in Spanish, of course, but it was still an interesting experience. We had lunch with the pastor, and planned (tentatively) our week. This afternoon we are going to a grocery store.
Keep praying for us as we start our ministry. Pray that we all get enough sleep, and that no one gets sick. Pray that we have an impact on the kids at the school we are visiting tomorrow.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What are we doing, anyway?
Before we leave, I'm going to take the chance to describe what we plan to do with our time in Guatemala.
We will be staying at an orphanage/conference center near Solola Guatemala, called "Eagle's Nest", or "Nido del Aguila" in Spanish. We plan to help the orphanage with a few projects.
We are also planning to give a VBS/sports camp for the local kids in the village. (Pray for that: sixteen Americans, a handful of translators, and hundreds of Guatemalan children speaking Spanish.) We have soccer balls, basket balls, beach balls, jump-ropes, bubbles, a parachute, craft supplies, and some ideas for Bible lessons.
So that's basically our back-story. We leave tomorrow "dark and early"... 4:30 in the morning. Pray that we all get to bed early tonight. The next time I write, we'll be in Guatemala!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Packing Party
Tonight we gathered for the last team meeting, to pack equipment and supplies. We carefully filled suitcase
after suitcase with deflated soccer balls, jump-ropes, toothbrushes, and bubbles. We inventoried everything in each suitcase, and labeled each bag with a bright yellow "Westover" tag, and a number. We also weighed each bag to make sure it met airline requirements of "under 50 pounds."After that, we pulled, carried, and dragged all ten heavy suitcases through the church, then ran back. It's amazing how much fun packing can be...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Who are we?
Before we leave, I think a little exposition is in order.
First of all, our Guatemala team is special. We are specifically a "family" team. This means that we have with us five children. Westover teams do not generally include children under 15.
The best way to break down this team is by families:
Stokes
Aaron is our fearless leader. He is interning at the church this summer. His wife Anna is our most fluent Spanish-speaker. She works as a Spanish teacher.
Pinon
The Pinons are our largest family, with five team members in all. David and Gabrielle lead this family. Their children are Alexandria (age 13), Anastasia (11) and Zachary (9). Together the Pinons have collected mountains of jump-ropes, matchbox cars, and other donations for our team.
Kendall
Allen and Donna make up another segment of our team. Donna teaches pre-school, and Allen commutes... to Boston!
Barber
Margaret has a special connection with Guatemala. She and her husband adopted their son from Guatemala a year ago.
Kubis
Jeff and his son Chad (10) also join our team. This dynamic duo is also referred to as "Chad and his Dad".
Lewis
Chris, a Westover pastor (well-known for his sweater-vests), is providing Spiritual leadership to our team. But this man is multitalented: not only does he teach the truth of God with great skill, he also plays the banjo and makes balloon animals! He brings with him daughter Anna Ritchie (8), the youngest component of our team.
Reitz
Last but not least, Beth is the administrative assistant to the global missions office at Westover. And of course, yours truly, Melissa. I am 16, so I attempt to bridge the gap between kids and adults. And I have been designated as chief blogger.
So there you have it folks, the Guatemala Family Team of 2009 in a nutshell.
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