Pictures Galore

Allen

Eulalia

Part of the dance the kids are doing for the festival

Teacher Marcos teaching vocabulary through
movies to his advanced kids

Printmaking and Girls Retreat

Fermin with his finished work

Working on sketches

Finished products!

Tuesday, June 9


A rough morning with advanced got better with some dancing and the beginners class.  Beginners got to start printmaking today! We went on a nature walk to collect interesting things that we would use to design our prints.  I'm telling you, I seriously love this group!  I wish I had gotten a picture of everyone together, but I do have everyone in different pictures, so that will do!



After collecting materials, students drew a picture on paper of their favorite place or a place they would like to go (Some drew something they knew how to draw- I'll take that, too!).  Then used the leaves, flowers, and other things they'd collected to illustrate the picture they drew.

I'm genuinely so impressed with how they turned out!  Tomorrow the glue will be dry so they will be able to print them.  In the mean time, Marcos and I got styrofoam while the kids were at music class.  We're going to use them for a different printmaking method.  We also picked up chicken sandwiches and strawberry smoothies!

The kids drew the same picture on the styrofoam plates, then colored it with marker and printed it.

After school, the girls retreat started!  The Georgia team hosted a two day retreat for the older girls and I got to go and be a part of it!  We took a bus to a camp ground within Huehue.  It was so beautiful!  Not that the rest of Huehue isn't, but this was so clean and so green with pools and a bridge over a creek.  It was an oasis within a city.  The group I went with arrived a bit later than everyone else, but we still got to eat Domino's pizza (yes, you read right, Domino's).  Then we headed down to another building to hear Ashlie talk about sin and how Christ died for us to take it away so we could be with God forever.  I was very impressed with how succinctly she worded things and with how well she did with it being translated.  AND she had a great visual- tupperware.  A shoe box sized one represented us, a smaller one was Christ in us, with another similarly sized to represent sin that could not be in us if Christ was (so clever) and then a giant storage tub represented God and how we live in Him.

Keep in mind that many of these girls come from not great places and are now living at the Fund or at the Daughters of Purpose girls home.  Many were abused physically, sexually, and emotionally and some have kids of their own at age 16.  This retreat gave them an opportunity to not worry about things for a while because there were plenty of women around to dote on their babies, they didn't have to prepare any meals, do homework, wash laundry, or pay for anything.  They were able to enjoy the random dance party which broke out when the movie didn't work later that night.  The girls loved making headbands, necklaces, and their very own paintings.  They were able to relate to Americans when Heather shared her testimony and realized that they ARE loved and they ARE NOT alone.  Many opened up about what had happened to them.  A few found a new Father in Christ, girls that the teachers have been praying would find and accept Christ.

Teresa and I  :)

It was such an honor and privilege to be a part of the retreat, even for one night.  The girls that I've met here are so amazing and full of life! I love them and I love spending time with them, even if I hardly understand them and vice versa.

This bug interrupted the evening and is
twice the size in flight!  GROSS!!

School, Kids, and Food

Marcos with Diego and Jose

Monday, June 8

The advanced class is still acting crazy- they refuse to speak English and keep acting out since I've been there.  Marcos says it's very unlike them, but I'm not entirely convinced.. :)  We had shortened classes today because the kids start learning a dance for the festival coming up in July, called Festival Julios.  Carrie and Jamie did a great job choreographing it!!  It is so much fun! Classes were also short today because the Georgia team put together a mini carnival for the kids.  They had a toss game, a catch the cheetah tail game, a game where the kids stood in a line and passed a wet sponge to the front where it was squeezed-the team to fill their bucket first won.  They had a sack race and played the game where two people stand back to back with a balloon in between and teams of 2 race each other.  The kids looked like they had a lot of fun and loved getting candy, pencils, and other prizes.  

Squeezing the water out of the sponges

Sack race!

We used saran wrap to create the texture
when the watercolor was still wet.

The beginner class has been a lot of fun so far, which Marcos says is very unlike them, too.  We'll see about that!  They really love art, so we've been doing a lot of it!  Today, they finished up their watercolor projects and tomorrow we start PRINTMAKING!  One of my favorite types of art making! 

Students chose to write their favorite verse or draw a picture
over their water color.  This is Fermin's work in progress.

After school, I went home to catch up on some journaling and reading.  I really needed the quiet time and didn't realize it until I was in the midst of it.  I love people and I love being around people, but I most certainly need time to process and be away from others.  

Anderson sharing a toy

Virginia was one of my favorites to play with after school

Eventually, I went over to the Fund for a little while.  I played with Anderson by helping him run up and down the slide a bajillion times as I held his hand.  I watched the older boys play soccer, while a few younger girls persistently put things down my shirt...  "Dead bug, teacher!!" "Rocks, teacher!" with MUCH giggling in between..  Seriously though, a dead bug??  

For dinner, the mission team took all the teachers out to eat as a treat for all their hard work.  Thankfully, I was able to join them! We went to an Italian restaurant that was absolutely delicious!  Soda lemonade, chicken with bacon, potatoes, veggies and a yummy sauce on top.  Yummm.  I can still taste it.  Even better than the food, was the company.  Marcos and I sat with Heather, Christian, and Sarah, all girls from the mission team.  We laughed SO much!  Heather is a mom with an absolutely amazing testimony that we heard some of at dinner tonight.  Christian and Sarah both just graduated from high school, one is taking a year off and the other is headed to college (I can't remember what for).  

Left to Right: Heather, me, Marcos, Christian, and Sarah

House Church and a Mission Team

The mission team from Georgia
P.C. Sarah Sever

Sunday, June 7

The teachers usually have their own house church in the loft of Greg's apartment and have thus named it Upper Room.  This week because of the mission team that just arrived in Huehue (14 people), the interns (5 people), the volunteers (4 people), AND the teachers (12 people), house church was moved to the school.  So we set up chairs in rows and had a more traditional church service!  Laura, a woman on the mission team from Georgia, spoke after an amazing worship set led by Greg, who has, as correctly described by Marcos, the voice of an angel.  Seriously.  

Laura spoke about being spiritually dry and relying on God through that time, even if you don't hear from Him because eventually you will.  She's one of those people you can tell is very in tune with the Holy Spirit, just by the way she talks about Him.  Afterward, all the women on the mission team broke up into groups of 2 to pray for everyone individually.  Super sweet! 

Anna and I ended up praying with Laura and another woman from the team.  I asked them to pray for trust, something I've struggled with for basically my whole life, but especially over the past year.  Let's talk about how God spoke through Laura...  She talked about how much God loves me and thinks that I'm beautiful.  She said God has a very specific plan for me, and it may not be what I think it is. Laura got a distinct image of a fishing hook and talked about how God is trying to reel me in, that He is always seeking after me, waiting for me to give in and let Him take over.  These are things I know in my heart, but my head doubts constantly.  Laura's reminder that I am not only needed, not even just wanted, but that I am a chosen child of Christ came at just the right time. Even now, rereading my journal, I know in that moment I didn't fully grasp the sincerity and truth spoken in those words.  

I am chosen. 

The Paccos

Later, I spent some time at the Fund, then Anna, Marcos, and I journeyed to the Paccos.  Basically, it's a Guatemalan version of a thrift store that also has food.  There are several people with piles of clothes on tables or truck beds or hanging from long rods.  SO. MANY. CLOTHES.  In order to find any "treasures," you have to seriously dig through the mounds of clothes.  Don't worry, after much digging, I found a nice gap t-shirt and the most amazing, African-looking pants.  Anna found a really great sweater that she ended up wearing a ton.  Marcos was so picky and kept talking about how excited he was to shop at Target and Old Navy in the states....  He left empty handed, no surprise..

Around 8pm, the teachers and mission team had a bon fire on the roof of the house (This was safe, I promise!).  We talked and continued to get to know each other, made s'mores, and prayed.  We did A LOT of praying!  We prayed for healing in the lives of the teachers, the children, and friends- each needing healing in a different way.  It was such a beautiful night.  I haven't been a part of something so obviously Spirit filled in a long time. Or maybe I haven't had my eyes open to see.  Either way, I soaked up every minute and stayed in that place as long as I could. 

Today was exhausting- in every form that it comes, but I feel full and ready to take on tomorrow.

Daughters of Purpose

June 6, Saturday

The kids having a bit of fun trying to "capture the flag" 

Today was such as great day! I started off the morning with a bit of reading, Marcos lent me Kisses from Katie (It's about a girl who now lives in Uganda- Great read to add to your list and it has pictures!).  A few hours later, Megan and I headed to breakfast with some of the other women teachers.  Becca made the most delicious pancakes I think I've ever had! There was fresh fruit too!  Things I love.. yummm. It was really nice getting to know Becca, Megan, and Carrie better.  They are all hilarious and so passionate about what they do!

Marcos's attempt... :)

Megan and I went to the market to find hair ties, bananas, and turtle food-- you know the normal stuff.  A woman, named Leslie, who drives a bunch of the kids around passed us as we were walking back and ended up giving us a ride back to the house before we headed over to the girls' home called Daughters of Purpose.  These girls are so funny!  Granted I only understood about three words of any conversation, but their personalities shone through all of that.

Regina and I watching everyone
climb the flag pole

Daughters of Purpose houses girls from birth to about age 18.  Many of the girls in the home have faced unbelievable abuse, mostly from within their family.  Several of them now have babies to care for beyond just themselves.  Megan seems to know when they needed a shoulder to cry on, some tough love, or a giant supply of fun. Basically, she's super awesome!  While at Daughters of Purpose, I did a bit of braiding, some dancing, watched the Parent Trap, and got to know a bunch of the sweet girls.

Later, I went out to dinner with Marcos, Anna, Dani and Elia (like Ellie) to a fun restaurant with live, authentic, Guatemalan music.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and the food too!  Back at the house, the first ever interns that More Than Compassion has hosted arrived and were eating their first meal in Huehue (more on them later!)

Anna is a volunteer from Spain.  She's staying at the Fund for three weeks, she knows four languages well (Spanish, English, Catalan, and German) and knows parts of others, and she's amazing!

Dani and Elia are dating and working as phycologists at the Fund.  They are also from Spain and have poured everything they have into caring for the kids at the orphanage.  Once again, people that naturally exude love and compassion, which          
                                                               I can understand without being able to speak the same
                                                               language.  It's really something spectacular.

Friday Already!

June 5

Snack time break at the School of Hope

Parts of Guatemala remind me of Uganda, like the guards standing outside gated restaurants and houses, some of the food is basically the same, the intensity of the sun, the relevance of time, and the amount of hardships the kids have been through.  Other things are very different from Uganda, like the language barrier seems greater in Guatemala, the dirt isn't dirt- it's sand, normal clothes seem perfectly culturally acceptable for the most part, and white people are gringos versus mzungus.

The snack time bunch! Every day the younger kids sit in a circle together

Besides the cultural food, which is egg, rice, bean, hot dog, and tortilla heavy, there are several chains that we have in America.  I mentioned Taco Bell earlier, but there is also a Domino's Pizza and I saw a McDonald's to name a few.  At just about any tienda (Tea-en-duh or store), you can get a bag of Doritos or Cheetos with a Gatorade or Coke.  Paiz, a Wal-mart like grocery store, carries toaster strudels and graham crackers among many other American type foods.  It's pretty crazy what you can get here!  I think it makes it a bit easier to be in a place like this, because so much familiar food is readily available.

The day didn't hold too much- both of Marcos's classes earned a movie day, so we watched Avengers 2 with Advanced and The Blind Side with Beginners.  When school ended at 1pm, we walked with the kids back to the Fund, short for Fundacion Salvacion, which I'm pretty sure means Salvation Foundation? (Correct me if I'm wrong!)  It is the orphanage where the majority of the kids who attend the School of Hope live.  We ate lunch with the kids and then I played with some of the younger girls on the monkey bars and swings.  They had a blast pretending to need help, yelling, "Teacher! Teacher, help!" And I loved every minute of "rescuing" them!

Between lunch and 4pm, we walked to the grocery store and got all the supplies for chicken tacos!  On the way, we stopped to walk around the local cemetery!  It is incredibly colorful!!  Almost like they celebrate the lives of those who lived.  Marcos and I were back in time for him to tutor one of the older boys.  Dinner was delicious and then it was back to the Fund for a movie night. They showed Paddington, in Spanish. I was lost. But it looked funny and the kids enjoyed it, so that's what counts!

Back to the Beginning

Heidi and Anna

June 2-3

My flight from Rochester to Guatemala was an interesting one.. It started with a great farewell from my housemates, Heidi and Anna.  They even left me toooooonnnnsss of pictures and a few videos on my phone, so I wouldn't forget them (The next time we'll all be together is the middle of August). I hopped over to JFK and spent the night in the lobby.  I was not previously aware that baggage is not held over night.........I am very aware now.  An early flight got me to Atlanta, where I bought myself a delicious chicken biscuit doused in Chick-fil-a sauce.  And then boarded for GUATEMALA!!  I flew Delta, which was a real treat because they still serve drinks and snacks on every flight.  On my Atlanta-Guatemala flight, I even got a sandwich and piece of Hershey's chocolate!

Sunrise on my way to Atlanta

After fumbling my way through customs, I found Marcos with his friend Francisco.  We stopped at a mall for some Taco Bell, one of Marcos's favorite places to eat.  The level of development within Guatemala City definitely surprised me.  It's basically a more trash filled American city, kind of similar to Buffalo, NY but way bigger.  Francisco took us to the bus station, called a Holcones (whole-cone-ayz) bus, and five hours later, we made it to Huehuetenango (way-way-ten-on-go)! Most of the trip we talked or slept.  The view wasn't great since it rained most of the way... It is rainy season after all.

Street view as we drove to the bus station in Guatemala City

I stayed in the same house that the majority of the English teachers live in.  The teachers live downstairs in three bed rooms and then there are three more rooms upstairs for mission teams when they come.  I was introduced to a few of the teachers still up and then went to bed to rest up for school the next day!

The living room view from the dining room at the teachers' house

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Okay, Folks!  Sorry I haven't been so great at posting updates..  I've had a hard enough time trying to find the time to journal about everything, but no worries, I will back track and post things when I get home!
 
This weekend Marcos and I plus a friend, Anna, have been at Lake Atitlan.  It is sooo beautiful!! We went kayaking, did some shopping, and lots of eating!  Such a satisfying day...

Marcos and Anna, a girl volunteering at the orphanage who is from Spain.  

I had a wonderful first full day in Huehue!  We started out the day at Greg's (one of the teachers) apartment for worship, a perfect way to start the day.  I met Teacher Marcos's students- third grade advanced and fourth grade beginners. They're a lively bunch! I taught both classes an art lesson about watercolor.  I spent the afternoon at the orphanage, which they call the Fundacion or Fund for short.  I got lots of hugs and played on the swings and monkey bars with some of the younger kids, while Marcos tutored a couple students.  Later, all the teachers went to eat dinner at one of the teacher's houses-dinner was DELICIOUS! And I loved getting to know the teachers.  I'm really excited for the next two weeks!!  I do really wish I had a basic understanding of Spanish, but I'm trying...


I'm having a hard time loading pictures right now, but will work on it later!

Off to Guatemala I Go!

I leave for Guatemala in exactly ONE WEEK!  I'm SO excited to meet the children I've seen pictures of on Facebook and heard many stories about from several of my friends.  I have art lessons planned, clothes washing to pack, and brand new supplies to take to the kiddos.  I have a few more things to take care of before I leave, and then I'm off!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the cost of my trip and for all the prayers, too!  I've ended up with more than I needed, so the rest will be donated to the school and orphanage where I will be helping.  Thank you so much for furthering education in Huehuetenango!!



Trip Details:

Leave Rochester, NY on Tuesday, June 2 at 7pm
Arrive in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Wednesday, June 3 at 10:30am

Volunteer at the local orphanage
Teach a few art classes, help with English lessons
Make some food
Spend quality time with some amazing kids and some awesome teachers
Learn and see lots of new things

Leave Guatemala City, Guatemala on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:20pm
Arrive in Rochester, NY on Thursday, June 18 at 10am



Thanks again!  I'll keep you posted during the trip!