Well there is only around two weeks left in my trip here. A little bit less than two weeks actually. Knowing that there is only that much time left my mind has begun to wander to the future and how things are going to be when I get back. In this blog post I'm going to have two sections, one section on the future and how I'm doing. The other section will be an update on the condition of my heart and what God has been doing in me.
The Future
Going back home is an extremely scary thought to me. I will arrive back home on the 13th, God willing, and then will leave for college on the 17th. This leaves me only the 15th and 16th as days to prepare myself for leaving. That means sending out thank you letters, finishing up administration stuff with school, and also just getting reaclimated with American culture. It's not going to be easy and a lot of things are already stressing me out. Finances is the number 1 issue. I have so many things that I feel called to do. I feel called to return here or to another spanish speaking country next summer, there are also another couple of trips that are completely up in the air that I would really like to go on. Also I'm taking a student loan. So many of these things don't seem possible to me. It's so hard to remember that God will provide sometimes. This stuff seems so impossible because I'm trying to do it all by myself. I really have to work on becoming more and more dependent on God but it's extremely difficult. I also have to find a Job up in Greeley in just 4 days after arriving. There's just so much on my plate and it's starting to get to me. I ask for your prayers in giving me a sense of peace and calm, at least while still in Guatemala.
The Condition of My Heart
It's amazing seeing the ways that God has been working in me on this trip. One of my prayers from the very beginning of this trip was for God to begin to destroy my pride. I've already seen Him working but it's still a work in progress. I'm striving to live in a way where I am completely dependent on God. I may seem weak to the world but at my weakest, I am strongest with the Lord. Another thing that I just really realized is how dependent I've become on reading the Word and on journaling. The past week I forgot my bible and my journal at my host families house and wasn't able to get them until yesterday. The whole week I felt slightly disconnected from God. I think in general that it's good that I've become so dependent on reading Gods word. The Bible is the way God speaks with us, and I think I'm really starting to understand that in all it's meaning. It's been proven many times in my journal that God is there when I need him. I have opened up to many "random" passages that address exactly what I'm dealing with. That's not chance that's God speaking. My dependency on reading the Word is showing me how much my heart and soul is beginning to yearn to know more an more about our Lord and Savior. It really is amazing to see all the things that God is doing.
I hope that all is going well back in the States!
P.s. Excuse all the typos, I'm using an iPod. =)
God Bless!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Nearing the End
Well I know it has been an extremely long time since I've blogged and I am really sorry. I have been extremely busy here in the Capital and just haven't had a lot of time at a computer. This blog post will be long but as full of information as I can get it.
My Work in La Capital
Now that I'm much more settled in to where I'm living and the country itself I've really begun to be able to see what God is doing and am really able to focus on the ministry I am doing here. I have a lot on my plate while working here. My days are usually extremely busy and I'm out and about all day long. We started out by teaching 2 classes of English at the local public school but that changed pretty quickly. After our first class the morning principle asked if we could come also on Wednesdays. That pushed us up to 3 classes a week. After the afternoon principle heard how the classes were going she also decided that she wanted classes in the afternoon on all three days also. This means we are teaching to two different classes, 3 times a week. This has given me a huge ministry opportunity and I am so excited to be working with the kids. I've been teaching basic English and ending with a memory verse for each class. The first day we taught class they were extremely excited. We told that class that we would see them on Friday but after class the principle asked us to come on Wednesday. We returned on Wednesday much to the kids surprise and we immediately asked the kids if they remembered the memory verse. We didn't really expect them to because we were there 2 days earlier than we were supposed to be, but they remembered! It was a huge encouragement to see that God was even working through our English classes. Another huge part of our ministry has been working in our church with a group of kids doing tutoring. It's great to be able to see all the same kids over and over again. It's interesting because I really see the importance of building a relationship with the children and the people here in Guatemala. It seems like I see so many examples of people bringing aid or just coming to work when what these people really want is love and a relationship. I could go on and on about the importance of relationship. I find it extremely encouraging to know that I am making a difference in these kids lives. Christ is being shown through me and that is just so exciting! I love working with the children here in Guatemala it has just been a huge blessing! One week I spent two days accompanying a doctor and traveled to small clinic in Escuintla and also to a public hospital in Chichicastenango (I think). Those were two great days. They definitely helped confirm my calling to the health field. In the clinic I learned how to draw blood on a person and actually practiced on another person! In the hospital I helped in the emergency room and learned how to give a shot and also worked in the lab analyzing medical samples. It was AWESOME. I never thought that I'd find so much enjoyment in helping people with illness. I 100% feel called to work in the health field and I am so excited to start school in the fall.
Atitlan
This past week the team from Tri·Lakes Chapel arrived and I accompanied them on the trip to Lake Atitlan and Paquip.vIt was really amazing to be with the group even though it was a little difficult to be with Americans for so long. We met the group at the airport and went straight to Antigua. We were planning on doing an amazing race to get the team to face some cultural immersion and frustration. We were rained out of it though and were not able to do it which was really a bummer. We spent the night in Antigua and left for Paquip the next day. The instant we arrived in Paquip I felt welcomed. The moment I walked off the bus I saw some kids that I recognized and two of them yelled "Chris!". I couldn't believe that these kids had remembered my name after a whole year of being gone. The following days were full of working on VBS and just building relationships with the people. The second day we were invited to teach English at the public school and that was right down my alley. We got a team together and I helped lead people in teaching in 5 different classes for 1 hour. We split into teams so that all the classes would have the full hour. It was a huge blessing to be working with those kids. One moment that really stuck with me from the trip was the final day that we were doing our VBS. We were playing games and we had just finished giving the kids our extra marshmallows and pretzels. We were all in groups leading games when suddenly I feel someone poking me from behind. I turn around and a boy asks me to hold out my hand. I hold out my hand slightly suspicious that he may just lay a big bug in my hand. He slowly puts two puff chips into my hand and then runs away. He comes back five minutes later and gives me two more chips. Then I watch him walk to all the other leaders and give them portions of the snack that he had brought from home. I was absolutely shocked by what I was seeing. Here was a boy that had just been given so much from us and in turn is giving back to us. I was amazed at how easily he was living what so many of us struggle with. These children were so happy to get these snacks from us and so grateful for them, but seeing this boy give back even after he had been given was amazing. What if we all lived like that? How different would the world be? Leaving Paquip was difficult again like last year and it made me realize how difficult it is going to be leaving the kids here in the Capital after working with them for two months. at our debriefing the last night in Paquip, the main focus was on how we can take what we've seen and experienced here and use it to change our lives. How can we take what we've experienced and in turn make changes in the way we live? This message really stuck with me and I really thought and talked a lot with God about what he wanted me to see and take away from this trip. On our last debrief in Antigua, the night before everyone left, I finally saw what God was trying to show me. I had many frustrations with the team which made me a bit cross the whole trip. Through that God showed me how our expectations can either make or ruin a moment. He showed me my weaknesses and strengths in working with people and the way that I can work on them. He showed me how much of a hindrance pride can be, both in life and in ministry. He showed me how much I need to change in myself and He started a work of healing and processing the things that I have experienced here. This trip was a great way to just deal in small doses what I'm going to deal with back in the US and just in life in general. Watching the team leave today was also quite the experience. Watching so many of my friends and family leave while I stayed was extremely surreal. I'm so happy I get to continue work here and I pray that God will continue to bless it.
Caroline's Promise
Well now I have to make a shout out to a group that had a huge impact on me while they were here. We met a team in the house that we were living that was here for two weeks. The group was from an organization that supports kids, very similar to Compassion. They have a sponsorship program where you can pay for a Guatemalan child to attend a Christian private school in Guatemala City. The public schools in Guatemala City are absolutely horrible so the only real way for a Guatemalan child to break the cycle of poverty is for them to get a real education which is only found in private schools. Not only does the organization support the kids but it also supports the school and even sends teams down to work in the school and to meet their sponsor kids! Staying with this team was a real blessing. The people were amazing and all seemed to have a real heart for God. I was lucky enough to spend one of my free days working with them in the school. They were just a blast to work with. It was amazing to see how God was working through them in enriching the children's lives. Overall it's an amazing organization with amazing leadership and I would love it if you could take a look and spread the word. I will post a link for you all on the bottom of this post and also on my links page.
God Bless You All!
http://carolinespromise.net/
My Work in La Capital
Now that I'm much more settled in to where I'm living and the country itself I've really begun to be able to see what God is doing and am really able to focus on the ministry I am doing here. I have a lot on my plate while working here. My days are usually extremely busy and I'm out and about all day long. We started out by teaching 2 classes of English at the local public school but that changed pretty quickly. After our first class the morning principle asked if we could come also on Wednesdays. That pushed us up to 3 classes a week. After the afternoon principle heard how the classes were going she also decided that she wanted classes in the afternoon on all three days also. This means we are teaching to two different classes, 3 times a week. This has given me a huge ministry opportunity and I am so excited to be working with the kids. I've been teaching basic English and ending with a memory verse for each class. The first day we taught class they were extremely excited. We told that class that we would see them on Friday but after class the principle asked us to come on Wednesday. We returned on Wednesday much to the kids surprise and we immediately asked the kids if they remembered the memory verse. We didn't really expect them to because we were there 2 days earlier than we were supposed to be, but they remembered! It was a huge encouragement to see that God was even working through our English classes. Another huge part of our ministry has been working in our church with a group of kids doing tutoring. It's great to be able to see all the same kids over and over again. It's interesting because I really see the importance of building a relationship with the children and the people here in Guatemala. It seems like I see so many examples of people bringing aid or just coming to work when what these people really want is love and a relationship. I could go on and on about the importance of relationship. I find it extremely encouraging to know that I am making a difference in these kids lives. Christ is being shown through me and that is just so exciting! I love working with the children here in Guatemala it has just been a huge blessing! One week I spent two days accompanying a doctor and traveled to small clinic in Escuintla and also to a public hospital in Chichicastenango (I think). Those were two great days. They definitely helped confirm my calling to the health field. In the clinic I learned how to draw blood on a person and actually practiced on another person! In the hospital I helped in the emergency room and learned how to give a shot and also worked in the lab analyzing medical samples. It was AWESOME. I never thought that I'd find so much enjoyment in helping people with illness. I 100% feel called to work in the health field and I am so excited to start school in the fall.
Atitlan
This past week the team from Tri·Lakes Chapel arrived and I accompanied them on the trip to Lake Atitlan and Paquip.vIt was really amazing to be with the group even though it was a little difficult to be with Americans for so long. We met the group at the airport and went straight to Antigua. We were planning on doing an amazing race to get the team to face some cultural immersion and frustration. We were rained out of it though and were not able to do it which was really a bummer. We spent the night in Antigua and left for Paquip the next day. The instant we arrived in Paquip I felt welcomed. The moment I walked off the bus I saw some kids that I recognized and two of them yelled "Chris!". I couldn't believe that these kids had remembered my name after a whole year of being gone. The following days were full of working on VBS and just building relationships with the people. The second day we were invited to teach English at the public school and that was right down my alley. We got a team together and I helped lead people in teaching in 5 different classes for 1 hour. We split into teams so that all the classes would have the full hour. It was a huge blessing to be working with those kids. One moment that really stuck with me from the trip was the final day that we were doing our VBS. We were playing games and we had just finished giving the kids our extra marshmallows and pretzels. We were all in groups leading games when suddenly I feel someone poking me from behind. I turn around and a boy asks me to hold out my hand. I hold out my hand slightly suspicious that he may just lay a big bug in my hand. He slowly puts two puff chips into my hand and then runs away. He comes back five minutes later and gives me two more chips. Then I watch him walk to all the other leaders and give them portions of the snack that he had brought from home. I was absolutely shocked by what I was seeing. Here was a boy that had just been given so much from us and in turn is giving back to us. I was amazed at how easily he was living what so many of us struggle with. These children were so happy to get these snacks from us and so grateful for them, but seeing this boy give back even after he had been given was amazing. What if we all lived like that? How different would the world be? Leaving Paquip was difficult again like last year and it made me realize how difficult it is going to be leaving the kids here in the Capital after working with them for two months. at our debriefing the last night in Paquip, the main focus was on how we can take what we've seen and experienced here and use it to change our lives. How can we take what we've experienced and in turn make changes in the way we live? This message really stuck with me and I really thought and talked a lot with God about what he wanted me to see and take away from this trip. On our last debrief in Antigua, the night before everyone left, I finally saw what God was trying to show me. I had many frustrations with the team which made me a bit cross the whole trip. Through that God showed me how our expectations can either make or ruin a moment. He showed me my weaknesses and strengths in working with people and the way that I can work on them. He showed me how much of a hindrance pride can be, both in life and in ministry. He showed me how much I need to change in myself and He started a work of healing and processing the things that I have experienced here. This trip was a great way to just deal in small doses what I'm going to deal with back in the US and just in life in general. Watching the team leave today was also quite the experience. Watching so many of my friends and family leave while I stayed was extremely surreal. I'm so happy I get to continue work here and I pray that God will continue to bless it.
Caroline's Promise
Well now I have to make a shout out to a group that had a huge impact on me while they were here. We met a team in the house that we were living that was here for two weeks. The group was from an organization that supports kids, very similar to Compassion. They have a sponsorship program where you can pay for a Guatemalan child to attend a Christian private school in Guatemala City. The public schools in Guatemala City are absolutely horrible so the only real way for a Guatemalan child to break the cycle of poverty is for them to get a real education which is only found in private schools. Not only does the organization support the kids but it also supports the school and even sends teams down to work in the school and to meet their sponsor kids! Staying with this team was a real blessing. The people were amazing and all seemed to have a real heart for God. I was lucky enough to spend one of my free days working with them in the school. They were just a blast to work with. It was amazing to see how God was working through them in enriching the children's lives. Overall it's an amazing organization with amazing leadership and I would love it if you could take a look and spread the word. I will post a link for you all on the bottom of this post and also on my links page.
God Bless You All!
http://carolinespromise.net/
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Beginning of Something Beautiful
Well everyone, first I want to apologize for the lack of updates. I´ve been extremely busy and haven't had the chance to really update this. I'm now relaxing at home after a long day on the beach and am finally able to sit down and take my time and present you all with a real update. I´m going to have two parts to this message. This first section will be an update on the what I've been doing. Yes this section is extremely important but I also want to add another section. My second section is going to be a spiritual update. I've been down here for nearly a month and have really started to notice some changes in myself. This second section is extremely important. I can be doing all the good things I want down here but if I'm not growing spiritually and connected to God, am I really doing missions work? Well lets go ahead and get this started!
SECTION 1
Well it's no lie that I have had an extremely busy week. My first week in Guatemala city was full of work and fun. I was suprised to find that our house is a large, complex like, set up where teams of missionaries usually stay for a home base. Most of the teams that go are only there for a week do I feel pretty special being there for 2 months. The owners of the house also run a missions organization called Impacto. They have churches in the Lake Atitalan area and also run a school. We are there for all 3 meals a day and they do our laundry! It is truly a blessing to be staying in a home such as this. This has been our home base for the first week and will be for the next two months. In the neighborhood where we are living there is a Public School that has hundreds of poor students. The school is in very rough shape and part of my ministry in Guatemala will be fixing up this school. Twice a week, at least, we will be at the school teaching engllish to 6th graders. The school doesn't have the funding to hire a good english teacher so we get the job. We will also be repainting the rooms, fixing a broken down wall, and cleaning the grounds where garbage and old desks have piled up. The weird thing about this school is that it is in the center of a really nice neighrborhood but it is in horrible condition. Do people not care about their community? Other than the work in the school we will also be doing many other projects. We will be working in La Limonada twice a week in the two different schools that are located there. For those of you who have no idea what La Limonada is I recommend you take a look at Lemonade International (Link at the bottom of this page). La Limonada is the largest slum community in Central America and is an extremely dangerous place. The community is filled with gang violence and drug trafficking. Many of the children are abused daily and are rarely fed. The schools that we are working in provide a way for the children to leave the home, get an education, and eat meals. The school provides Breakfast and Lunch everyday for the children. They also teach proper hygeine and provide toothbrushes and vitamins to the children. I've visited the schools twice already. Once to Mandarina and once to the original school Limon. The kids were amazingly hopeful in light of a horrible situation. I'm going to add a little bit extra on Limonada at the end of this post. Other than those two ministries I'll be working with Awana in the church, known as Oansa here. Mainly that is the set schddule in our ministry. We have a lot of things that just come up and we do. It's been a great first week.
SECTION 2
I have been here for nearly a month now and have really started to become a part of the culture. I understand more why things are done the way they are and understand a little better the mind of a Guatemalteca. Now that I'm a bit more comfortabel with the culture, for now at least, I find myself with the time to really reflect on what God's been doing in me this past month. In my first few weeks I was presented with a huge amount of time to read. I read all of C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and have relaly found a lot to build my Faith on. I'm still a relatively new Christian and having a book that describes Christianity in its most basic terms is great. It´s really given me a strong guide to base my actions off of. I have also been delving into the Word daily which is something I have never done before. I've read through Matthew and am now almodt finished with Acts. It's the first time I've really taken the time to read and to study the Word daily. Through this I have found many things that I have really been able to apply to my life here in Guatemala. One issue that I have is Pride. Jesus talks about many times how horrible an attribute this is to have. I have been praying much on this and I think I am starting to see a change. Working in Guatemala I'm unable to raise myself to a level above anyone. If I did I would lose all the impact I would have on these people. I have been able to find myself in a much more humble postition recently. I've been able to submit to authority more than ever and really have had a heart for putting other people before myself. I look forward to looking back and seeing what else God has done in me and I will definitely keep you updated as I relaize these changes.
Thank you all so much for supporting me in this mission. I believe we have already had a huge impact on many of the children and adults that we have been working with. I feel so blessed to have a team of strong supporters behind me and I can't wait to continue sharing the work God has been doing through me.
La Limonada
I have had the pleasure at working at the two schools in La Limonada and will be working in them twice a week for the rest of my trip. While at the school this week I was told that funds are running low and they may have to stop feeding the children. This absolutely breaks my heart. God has given me a real burden for this place and it kills me to hear that minsitry is being halted by a lack of funds. I'm attaching the link at the bottom of this post and I hope that if you have any interest you would take a look at the place. the site has information on different ministries in La Limonada. Please if you have extra time in your prayers I urge you to add this. God Bless
http://www.lemonadeinternational.org/
SECTION 1
Well it's no lie that I have had an extremely busy week. My first week in Guatemala city was full of work and fun. I was suprised to find that our house is a large, complex like, set up where teams of missionaries usually stay for a home base. Most of the teams that go are only there for a week do I feel pretty special being there for 2 months. The owners of the house also run a missions organization called Impacto. They have churches in the Lake Atitalan area and also run a school. We are there for all 3 meals a day and they do our laundry! It is truly a blessing to be staying in a home such as this. This has been our home base for the first week and will be for the next two months. In the neighborhood where we are living there is a Public School that has hundreds of poor students. The school is in very rough shape and part of my ministry in Guatemala will be fixing up this school. Twice a week, at least, we will be at the school teaching engllish to 6th graders. The school doesn't have the funding to hire a good english teacher so we get the job. We will also be repainting the rooms, fixing a broken down wall, and cleaning the grounds where garbage and old desks have piled up. The weird thing about this school is that it is in the center of a really nice neighrborhood but it is in horrible condition. Do people not care about their community? Other than the work in the school we will also be doing many other projects. We will be working in La Limonada twice a week in the two different schools that are located there. For those of you who have no idea what La Limonada is I recommend you take a look at Lemonade International (Link at the bottom of this page). La Limonada is the largest slum community in Central America and is an extremely dangerous place. The community is filled with gang violence and drug trafficking. Many of the children are abused daily and are rarely fed. The schools that we are working in provide a way for the children to leave the home, get an education, and eat meals. The school provides Breakfast and Lunch everyday for the children. They also teach proper hygeine and provide toothbrushes and vitamins to the children. I've visited the schools twice already. Once to Mandarina and once to the original school Limon. The kids were amazingly hopeful in light of a horrible situation. I'm going to add a little bit extra on Limonada at the end of this post. Other than those two ministries I'll be working with Awana in the church, known as Oansa here. Mainly that is the set schddule in our ministry. We have a lot of things that just come up and we do. It's been a great first week.
SECTION 2
I have been here for nearly a month now and have really started to become a part of the culture. I understand more why things are done the way they are and understand a little better the mind of a Guatemalteca. Now that I'm a bit more comfortabel with the culture, for now at least, I find myself with the time to really reflect on what God's been doing in me this past month. In my first few weeks I was presented with a huge amount of time to read. I read all of C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and have relaly found a lot to build my Faith on. I'm still a relatively new Christian and having a book that describes Christianity in its most basic terms is great. It´s really given me a strong guide to base my actions off of. I have also been delving into the Word daily which is something I have never done before. I've read through Matthew and am now almodt finished with Acts. It's the first time I've really taken the time to read and to study the Word daily. Through this I have found many things that I have really been able to apply to my life here in Guatemala. One issue that I have is Pride. Jesus talks about many times how horrible an attribute this is to have. I have been praying much on this and I think I am starting to see a change. Working in Guatemala I'm unable to raise myself to a level above anyone. If I did I would lose all the impact I would have on these people. I have been able to find myself in a much more humble postition recently. I've been able to submit to authority more than ever and really have had a heart for putting other people before myself. I look forward to looking back and seeing what else God has done in me and I will definitely keep you updated as I relaize these changes.
Thank you all so much for supporting me in this mission. I believe we have already had a huge impact on many of the children and adults that we have been working with. I feel so blessed to have a team of strong supporters behind me and I can't wait to continue sharing the work God has been doing through me.
La Limonada
I have had the pleasure at working at the two schools in La Limonada and will be working in them twice a week for the rest of my trip. While at the school this week I was told that funds are running low and they may have to stop feeding the children. This absolutely breaks my heart. God has given me a real burden for this place and it kills me to hear that minsitry is being halted by a lack of funds. I'm attaching the link at the bottom of this post and I hope that if you have any interest you would take a look at the place. the site has information on different ministries in La Limonada. Please if you have extra time in your prayers I urge you to add this. God Bless
http://www.lemonadeinternational.org/
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Life of a Student in Antigua
Well I guess I can officially say I'm kind of getting into the routine of living in Antigua. It's definitely different. I had the extremely enjoyable experience of riding a Chicken bus today. It was pretty crazy. You kind of just get up when you want to get off. There are no safety standards whatsoever. It was pretty awesome. Food here is amazing. Even the fast food is a billion times better than food that I've had in the US. Todat I visited a macadamia(?) nut farm and that was quite the experience. It was a crazy hippie american who ran it. Very interesting thoughts. Oh! Mel Gibson was in Antigua yesterday. My host family met him in the Central Park. I was a little jealous. Dinner that night prompted some conversation about some of his best movies. The whole family agreed that the Passion of the Christ was his best. The two Danish kids who live with me have never seen it and it was pretty cool to hear that they were at least interested. I believe God can work in crazy ways, even movies sometimes. I'm definitely praying for them. I have 4 hours of school in the morning and 2 in the afternoon and it's pretty darn exhausting. Next week I start 4 hours a day which should be much easier on my brain. I'm picking up the language pretty quickly which is definitely good. I can prety much understand anything said to me, I'm just not too good at speaking it yet. It should get better sa time goes on I hope. I think thats really all I have for now. I'll throw some prayer requests on the bottom of this.
Prayer Requests
Pray for conitnued patience. It's extremely stressful sometimes.
Pray again for the people living with me
Pray for my family and people that are missing me back home
Pray for continued health
Pray for a Godly mindset for me so that I can stay focused on why I'm here
Pray for Centro Biblico El Camino, the church I will be working in
and anything else you might want to pray for!
Thank you all so much for your continued support on this trip! Feel free to contact me at Guatechris22@gmail.com!
Prayer Requests
Pray for conitnued patience. It's extremely stressful sometimes.
Pray again for the people living with me
Pray for my family and people that are missing me back home
Pray for continued health
Pray for a Godly mindset for me so that I can stay focused on why I'm here
Pray for Centro Biblico El Camino, the church I will be working in
and anything else you might want to pray for!
Thank you all so much for your continued support on this trip! Feel free to contact me at Guatechris22@gmail.com!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Starting to settle in...
Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. School has been exhausting, but I made it. 4 days, 6 hours a day (7 today). I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I found out a little bit more about my host family last night. Theyre a wealthy family and have been to the states multiple times. Colorado even! Where I'm living is an older colonial house in Antigua Guatemala. The town is absolutely beautiful, for those of you that haven't seen it, google it and you'll understand what I'm talking about. My house is an old walled in Spanish colonial house just a 5 min walk away from the edge of Antigua. My host family has 3 daughters and the family is extremely nice to me. I also visited a jade processing factory today with my Muestra (Teacher). It's pretty crazy how expensive it all is. There were necklaces there worth over 1000 US Dollars and a chess set worth at least 2000. It's crazy to see the contrast of wealth and extreme poverty in the same place. Well on to ministry stuff.
I found out today that my friend and I have the opportunity to work with gang youth in "La Limonada" in Guatemala City twice a week. We will be working with an organization so we will have escort and there shouldnt be too much risk (that was for Mom) but it is the most dangerous part of GC. I don't think God would present me with an opportunity like this unless he wanted me to take it. It is a little scary but I take comfort in that it's all in Gods hands. I have my first Sunday at the Church in GC and I'm pretty excited to see where I'll be working for the majority of my trip!
I hope all is well with everyone and I appreciate your prayers! Feel free to email me anytime at guatechris22@gmail.com!
Ve a Dios!
I found out today that my friend and I have the opportunity to work with gang youth in "La Limonada" in Guatemala City twice a week. We will be working with an organization so we will have escort and there shouldnt be too much risk (that was for Mom) but it is the most dangerous part of GC. I don't think God would present me with an opportunity like this unless he wanted me to take it. It is a little scary but I take comfort in that it's all in Gods hands. I have my first Sunday at the Church in GC and I'm pretty excited to see where I'll be working for the majority of my trip!
I hope all is well with everyone and I appreciate your prayers! Feel free to email me anytime at guatechris22@gmail.com!
Ve a Dios!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
An Interesting Dinner
My host family had a guest over tonight. He was a very strongly opinionated athiest and either a communist or anarchist. He spoke English and spent the whole dinner talking about how religion is stupid and is the reason the world is so corrupted and wrong. He also says that only certain people have any purpose in the world. Only a few people who can actually do something in the world. I didn't have a chance to but in and give my missionary point of view but I definitely made him contradict himself. I found out the other students here are at least against religion. I'm still in shock from what I've heard. Please pray for my host family, and the other students living with me. They really need it. Maybe God put me here for a reason. I'll have to see what opportunities God presents to me. Please pray also for me to have the strength and the means to make a difference when the time comes.
I copied that out of an email I sent earlier. I never thought that I may be called to help non guatemalans. Again please keep these people and I in your prayers.
I copied that out of an email I sent earlier. I never thought that I may be called to help non guatemalans. Again please keep these people and I in your prayers.
Monday, May 30, 2011
I'm There! Finally!
Well guys, if any of you have been following my Facebook you probably already know how crazy it was getting here. But I finally made it!
On Sunday I arrive at DIA ready to leave in a couple hours. I then find out my flight is delayed and now I'll miss my connection in Dallas. They say they will fly me
To Miami after Dallas and that I'll spend the night there and leave for Guatemala in the morning. After arriving in Miami late I am told that they ate out of overflow hotel rooms and that well have to find something else to do till 10 the next morning. Nate and I decided that we should try and get some sleep in MIA. That didn't work. We ended up sitting there listening to some of our favorite songs (over and over in my case), till we were able to fly out. After all that I arrived in Guatemala after just a 45min flight. Oh wait I forgot the time zone change. So now Nate and I were jet lagged and living off an hour of sleep.
Now I find myself in my room at my language host family's house, typing this blog. I think bedtime is coming up soon.
Want to thank everyone who has been praying for this trip! Obviously God is working, teaching me patience and coolness at this point. I hope that you all will continue diligently in your prayer for this trip. You all have been a true blessing! Please feel free to email me at Guatechris22@gmail.com if you would like a more personalized message!
God Bless,
Chris
On Sunday I arrive at DIA ready to leave in a couple hours. I then find out my flight is delayed and now I'll miss my connection in Dallas. They say they will fly me
To Miami after Dallas and that I'll spend the night there and leave for Guatemala in the morning. After arriving in Miami late I am told that they ate out of overflow hotel rooms and that well have to find something else to do till 10 the next morning. Nate and I decided that we should try and get some sleep in MIA. That didn't work. We ended up sitting there listening to some of our favorite songs (over and over in my case), till we were able to fly out. After all that I arrived in Guatemala after just a 45min flight. Oh wait I forgot the time zone change. So now Nate and I were jet lagged and living off an hour of sleep.
Now I find myself in my room at my language host family's house, typing this blog. I think bedtime is coming up soon.
Want to thank everyone who has been praying for this trip! Obviously God is working, teaching me patience and coolness at this point. I hope that you all will continue diligently in your prayer for this trip. You all have been a true blessing! Please feel free to email me at Guatechris22@gmail.com if you would like a more personalized message!
God Bless,
Chris
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