Over and out

This will be my last post written in Guatemala. Tomorrow morning I am flying out and will say goodbye to my 2 and a half amazing months here.

I came to bless but I have been blessed. I came to serve, but I have been served.

I have been blown away time and time again by Guatemalans. They are so hospitable, loving, warm, kind, patient and happy. The people I met have touched me deeply and I will forever remember them and the wonderful experience I have had here.

I have loved staying with Graham and Betty. Their kindness and work for the Lord has encouraged and inspired me tremendously.

I spent Sunday afternoon with some friends after church and we headed back to my house about 6.30pm. There were a few cars parked outside but still nothing clicked. We walked into the living room and sat down and THEN I looked over and saw some other friends crouched down behind the table. They threw me my first ever surprise party! It was so fun and special to have so many people that I loved in one room that night. I cannot say how much I love them!

Above all I thank my heavenly Father for this amazing blessed opportunity to come to Guatemala. I know its not a everyday thing. I am thankful how everything came together to get here, for the people I met, the lessons I learnt, my safety, and the continuous love, mercy, forgiveness and joy that I received and continue to receive.

Thank you to all those that have supported me on this adventure through prayer, encouraging emails, skype calls, friendship and love. Muchas, muchas, gracias xx

Friends at the last supper

Volcan de Agua

Guatemala has 33 Volcanos. I had to at least climb one while I was here. I did, it was great, and I'm sore today.

Started the ascent with Rudy at about 5pm Saturday afternoon. Over 10,000 people had climbed the volcano that day for a fundraiser against violence in homes so for the first hour we were battling the hundreds of people coming back down the mountain! After about an hour we joined up with Rudy's friends to walk the rest of the way in the dark. It took about 6 hours with a few breaks on the way. It made me chuckle (on the inside) to find a little shelter about an hour from the top selling coffee and other things. Only in Guatemala!

Arrived at the top at about 11pm and set up the tent in the crater(!!) then tried to get some rest. It was very difficult, people were yelling, it was freezing and very uncomfortable. I felt sorry for the people who weren't sleeping in tents!

Missed the sunrise but awoke to a funny scene. A donkey was eating from a pile of trash not too far from my tent. It was a beautiful day to walk around the top of the crater and to see Antigua, Chimaltenango, Guatemala City and we think, the ocean too!

I think I prefer hiking up the volcano. The 3-4 hr descent down was kind of sore on the knees. But we eventually made it down to find that where we had left the car there was now a market. So we had to wait round for an hour for the market to close down so we could drive out!

Was such a great experience! Enjoyed my first time up Volcan de Agua with Rudy - it was his 21st time! Don't think I would be that keen.

The view from my tent the next morning

Slept in a crater!

Rudy and a shell of a helicopter

Done.

Nearing the end of my stay here

In just under 2 weeks I will be on my way home to NZ. Time just flies! I am not ready to write this post yet so I will fill you in on what I have been up to lately.

Well not a whole lot.

A week ago on Sunday the whole church went up to camp to have the service there, a couple of baptisms and to have lunch together. I taught a bunch of them how to play touch rugby which was exciting. They learnt pretty quickly considering they don't play any sports here that are at all similar to touch rugby. Because I don't speak spanish I was giving Andres the english instructions and he would translate them to everyone. Haha that was quite funny, especially as Andres was learning them as well!

I tried to learn a few instructions to yell at my team. One was to get back 5 metres (when on defence) so we would be on side. The instruction is 'atras', I was yelling 'atres' which translates to 'to three'. Hmm so thats why they wouldn't get back...It was funny though!

On Saturday went to Emilios birthday party, he turned the big 21 (happy bday Emilio!). He was given a saxophone by his Dad, but I am pretty sure the pineapple lumps I gave him were better.

Hung out with my friend Bertha and her Mum Vilma after church this past Sunday. We went to a mall, a very new fancy shopping complex that felt like you were in Spain or something (reminded me of massey uni) and walked along 6th ave in zone 1. It was such a fun day and they were so kind and generous and thoughtful taking me to places I had not yet been to. I cannot say enough of how kind and thoughtful Guatemalans are! Bertha and Vilma both speak English as they lived in the states for a few years.

Marisol and I have started doing a bible study together on 1 Timothy. We have only had one so far and are doing our second this afternoon. It enjoyed doing a little reading up on 1 Timothy before hand and having that special fellowship time with Marisol. Her friendship to me is very special indeed!

So the countdown to my departure is on. I don't like goodbyes.

Touch Rugby

Bertha & Vilma

Reality.

I feel that in my blog I have not really talked about how corrupt Guatemala is. What reality is for people here.

There is corruption in all aspects of life here. In the government, in the police force, in universities, in jobs, in families, in everything! NZ is placed at no.1 or 2 in the list of honest countries. Guatemala on the other hand is waaaay down the list.

I found out on Friday via (ironically) the NZ Herald online that a Guatemalan congressman had been shot dead. He was looking at switching political parties to the newly elected party. Then he gets shot.

The last presidents wife is not a popular woman here. The things are I hear about her are crazy. She stole a whole lot of money from the government, money that should have fixed some of the crazy roads I drove along during my road trip. She then divorced her husband because she wanted to run for presidency and you can't if you are married to the president.

I hear countless stories that are full of such corruption its ridiculous. Of students in university who take a lot longer to get their degree because other students have paid the professor so they will pass their exam. These stories make me wonder how a country can operate at such a level of corruption.

Just last week literally 2 blocks from my house 2 people were shot in a taxi.

ALL of my friends at somestage have been robbed at gunpoint. A lot of the time this has been on buses. Many people have 2 cellphones so that when they are held at gunpoint and asked to hand over their phone they hand the cheaper of the 2 over.

You do not walk along the streets with a cellphone visible. That is asking for trouble!

I am not writing these things to shock you that I am living in a place this unsafe. I have never once felt in danger. I am writing these things to make you aware of what life is like for Guatemalans.

A new president was sworn in on Saturday and he said things like how change is going to start now. He even talked about the past corrupt government. Lets hope he accompanies his words with actions.

It makes me sad to hear these stories. I didn't realise how blessed I am to live in a country like NZ. We don't choose where we are born or raised do we? Maybe its about what we do with what we have.

Children waving to the cars as they pass by

Overwhelmed.

I started this blog post of with a different title but it has now changed.

Graham and Betty have guests for the night. Brian and his father are from Ocosito and arrived this afternoon about 5 and leave tomorrow morning around 5am.

They are up in the city because Brian has an appointment at the hospital. He is 9 years old now, but when he was 6 he was diagnosed with Leukemia. It was also highly likely that he had had leukemia for a few years before he was diagnosed.

Brian is a miracle. He is a walking, talking (though I cannot understand him) miracle. He is (obviously) alive and is free of the cancer! They are just in the city for him to have a check up. I had met Brian last week at vacation Bible School but it was another thing to have him sitting at the table eating dinner with us. It overwhelmed me for some reason.

His Father is so polite and loving. Whenever they have been up in the city for Brian's treatment over the years, Betty said they have been such a delight to have. I could see why.

Every time they come up to the city (a 3 hour car ride away) they have to take a more expensive bus because of Brian's health. I can't imagine what this family has been through over the years, how this has affected them. But I can tell that they are strong, they have love and they are centered by their faith in our Heavenly Father.

The greatest thing? Just last week Brian and his older brother accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour at Vacation Bible School. Not only is Brian free from cancer, but he is also now free with Christ! He is part of God's family. He saw his need for salvation, his need to be a child of the most loving Father in the world and he accepted the best free gift anyone could ever accept.

Overwhelmed.

Vacation Bible School No. 2 at Ocosito

On the afternoon of the first Andres and I were dropped of at the village of Ocosito (not far from Reu) where we would be till Thursday for Vacation Bible School. The rest of the troups from church arrived a few hours after us.

Graham and Betty have had a lot to do with a church there and this was the second Vacation Bible School that they have held there. Here our quaters were a lot more basic than where we had been. I shared a blow up mattress that was half deflated when we woke up in the morning. The toilet was in a outhouse alongside a shower that consisted of a trough of water that you scooped out with a bucket. There was a few hammocks round there which I loved laying in.

Washing dishes in a Pela

The Vacation Bible School was held in the afternoons from 2.30 till 5pm. There may have been around 70 kids (just a guess). They all met as one group at first in the church for songs then split off into age groups to look at a Bible story. I was "helping" Andres with the teenagers. I say "helping" cos I didn't really do anything. I still can't speak Spanish, yip its still a problem. They then all re-gather to play games on the field. The leaders were all so great with kids. It was fun to see them run the games. It was exciting to hear that on the last day that over 20 kids accepted the Lord as their saviour. Programmes like these can change peoples lives. One thing that I could do was pray for the programme and the kids, so I was excited when I heard that news!

Kids playing games on the field

I think one of the worst things about not knowing the language is when you are hanging out with a group and they all crack up laughing at a joke and you don't know what they are laughing at. And then they question if you are sad, why because I am not smiling constantly? Haha I was even questioned if I like hanging out with people (in a conversations about hobbies) as sometimes I just chilled by myself. So the lack of spanish is still a problem (though I constantly find out more people understand english, not good for my attempts at spanish).

I really enjoyed my time in Ocositi. It was different and I like different. It enjoyed the different experience that was very opposite to life in the city. Had a lot of traditional food which was yum too! Came back to the city yesterday afternoon and its also good to be back here and have a hot shower and the comforts of 'home'.

Rubber trees!

Pineapple plants!

Heading to the field with the kids

The leaders!

Best. Road. Trip. Ever.

That road trip I mentioned I was going on with some friends? Well it was good. It was great. It was the best road trip ever!

Left Guatemala city early Thursday morning (29th December) and had Pollo Campero for breakfast (first surprise of the trip). We then detoured and went to Lago Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes of the world. It was on the list of things to see here so it came as the best surprise to learn we were going there! We took a boat trip from Panajachel across the lake to another town, San Pedro and had a look round. I was caught out and got my first taste of sunburn in Guatemala. Had a lovely rudolph nose for the next few days. It was spectacular to cruise across the lake surrounded by volcanoes. Moments like those, I wonder how people can question that God exists. We then carried onto our destination for the night, Retalhuleu (Reu). Just out from Reu traffic was crawling, we found out that a dead body was further up on the road holding up traffic.

Lago Atitlan

With Andres and Emilio heading across the lake

We stayed at relatives in Reu who were so lovely! Meet half the family that night - a whole lot of cousins! The next day was water/theme park day! It was such a fun day! Best water park I have ever been too. The slides were soo huge and it was mayan themed and very well kept. We were there (xocomil) for the morning then went across to the theme park (xetulul) for the afternoon. That too was great, it had country themed areas in the park so I visited Germany, Italy, France and Guatemala all in one day! The highlight of my day (yes I know this sounds ridiculous) was having a ride on a 4wd motorbike round town with one of the cousins! It seems like every second person in the town has a motorbike or moped. It was so fun! Just casually taking a ride round town passing tuk tuks!

Best waterpark EVER!

Xetulul

On the Saturday, last day of 2011, we ventured out to the beach. We went on a road that reminded me of NZ car rally roads - but worse! A whole lot of pot holes! Apparently the government should be looking after these roads better but they don't. So that was an interesting journey, the car was covered in dust by the time we got to the beach. I never imagined palm trees in Guatemala for some reason, but there were a lots! The sand was a little black but not that dark. It was so good to see the ocean again! And so refreshing to swim in it! The temp was about 30 degrees. We drank fresh coconut milk and bought water out of bag (so cool!). That night we had a nice dinner prepared by their aunt and then let of fireworks! A great way to bring in 2012! It was such a fun road trip with Andres, Emilio and their Dad Ludwig. They were the best hosts and I was treated like a queen!

Guatemalan ocean!

Drinking water out of a bag

Happy New Year Friends!