Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Our day started out at 6:00 AM. We were headed to Vulcan Pacaya, an active volcano located near Guatemala City.

It looked like we were in for some beautiful weather as we set out on on our next big adventure! When we were about half way to our destination, however, Andy and Chuck both asked, "Do you smell hot brakes?" Sure enough, about 2 minutes later, the driver of the van seemed to be having trouble braking effectively as we went down the mountain. He immediately pulled over to the side of the road.  There was concern that the brakes would fail, so our first mission was to find a rock or two to place in front of the tires to keep the van from rolling downhill. Chuck leapt across a drainage ditch to find rocks, elevating himself to ninja status in the eyes of the youth. While the youth in the van prayed, our guide and leaders poured water on the brake pads to cool them. Billowing smoke streamed from under the van, but it was decided that the van was safe enough to drive to a nearby Pollo Campero (a fast food chicken restaurant) for a more thorough inspection.

Here's Chuck looking for a rock.  Andy says that the picture looks like
it could be a Big Foot sighting!

While the youth indulged in a small snack, Chuck removed the front wheel to check for damage to the brake pads. He determined that there was no damage; they had just overheated, and we were good to go!

The journey up the mountain was steep, so we rode horseback to the top!  For many youth, this was a first experience riding horseback. Each horse had its own guide, however, so we felt very safe. We were in awe of the ease at which the horses and their guides navigated the treacherous terrain and I, for one, was sincerely thankful to be riding instead of walking.

When we reached the viewing area at the base of the cone, our ride was over, though.  We would be hiking our way down. We all dismounted and admired the spectacular view.

Our guide shared facts and information about the history of the Pacaya Volcano. He told us that the volcano's current active phase began in 1965 and has had consistent activity since then. March 2014 was the most recent eruption. I did an internet search to see if there was a video of a Pacaya eruption.  Here is what I found:

Next we walked/slid down to the remains of the most recent lava field. We all took care navigating through the field of lava rock since it was incredibly jagged and sharp. We paused for some amazing photo opportunities...

...then continued on to an area where a layer of rock had been cleared away to expose a still-warm section of the lava flow.  Our guide pulled marshmallows and chocolate coated cookies out of his backpack and we made s'mores on the spot!

Next on our journey, we visited The Lava Store, which was located at the base of the crater. Reported to be one of the world's most remote places for a gift shop, The Lava Store features the work of local artisans who create jewelry from volcanic ash, coconut shells, and sterling silver. You can read more about The Lava Store here.

There were no horses for the steep and winding trail DOWN the volcano, but we all made it safely to the bottom.  Along the way, there were many scenic outlooks where we could see panoramic views of Guatemala. I've included some pictures below, but there is really not way to capture the experience of being there.

Our original intention was to make it back to the seminary to do a bit more work there, but due to our issue with the brakes on the van, we just didn't have enough time. On the way home, we stopped at a different Pollo Campero to sample Guatemalan fast food!

Our trek up and down the volcano had been exhausting! Needless to say, the ride back to the seminary was a quiet one!

That night for our evening program, we heard from Daly, a graduate of the seminary that had been a student 4 years ago when FUMC youth had visited before. Daly gave testimony about her struggle to pay her tuition. She petitioned God in prayer daily, but eventually was told she must leave the college due to inability to pay. She was heartbroken and at a loss for what the future might hold when she received word that her tuition had been paid by members of our congregation. She tearfully praised God for the generosity of American friends and strangers. 

Daly is now working in music ministry in an area of Guatemala where there are many unbelievers and the practice of witchcraft. She asks for our continued prayers for her ministry and the spiritual lives of those to whom she ministers. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

We were excited to get back to the work site to get started on all the work we had to do. . .and to see our new friends again!

In particular, we were excited to see the children!

After greeting each other, we quickly began to work.  Our first task was to build 2 doors and 2 windows.

Next we added corrugated tin to to form the walls...

And then the roof.

Elena's new house has 2 rooms, a porch, hinged doors and windows, and two solar powered light fixtures.

Paul, Chuck, and Andy even added some tiered gravel steps up to her porch!

In the afternoon we had more workers than tasks, so there was time for many of us to play with children and visit with adults.

Then, the youth had a great idea to build a basketball hoop for the field where the children played behind the houses.  Our FUMC youth designed and executed the entire project and finished with pride in their accomplishment and love in their hearts.

I spent a lot of my time teaching students to make their own friendship bracelets.  (Maddie had brought embroidery floss and several youth had made bracelets as gifts, but we still needed more!) It was the highlight of my day to work with individual children to help them create their own bracelet. My Spanish is limited, but I know my colors and numbers well enough to provide instruction.  By the end of the day, the adults wanted bracelets, too, so one boy helped me make enough for each of them. Their delight was evident as we presented the fruit of our labor.

A couple of our youth had an opportunity to visit one of the simple homes, as well. I will ask the to write a guest blog to share with you all!

We were reluctant for the day to end, but knew that it must. Flowers and letters were delivered to our youth by the Guatemalan children. Some small boys even professed undying love for a couple of our girls!

Our own youth decided to leave hats and sunglasses for the kids, who had wanted to wear them during our stay.  I can't blame them, either. . .the children's hearts were aglow to be wearing things from the "Americans".

Before we left, we held a dedication in which we offered prayers of thanks and prayers of blessing for the house and the family that would dwell in it. Elena's mother (Abuela!) represented Elena during the dedication at the work site, but when we returned to the seminary, we were able to pray with Elena herself and present her with the key to her new home. We also gifted her with 2 prayer shawls from our church and 2 Spanish Bibles.

For dinner, Elena blessed us with a special meal to thank us for allowing God top use us as an instrument of His love by providing her with a house.

Later on, some of the youth ran off to play soccer with the seminarians. It was dark outside by then, so our best attempts at photos were in vain. I'm sure you can imagine what a wonderful time they all had!

Thank you, church family for your prayers for good weather, especially during our 2 days of outside work on Monday and Tuesday.  We only had the slightest amount of rain on Monday, and that was a welcome relief from the blazing sun!  Otherwise, our weather was perfect, which helped us complete a lot of work for the families. At one point, I told Carolina that our church back home was praying for good weather.  She shook her head and responded, "I only pray that my children are safe, that I have a tortilla to feed them, and that they have clean water to drink." I am humbled.

As I reflect on the experience of sharing time with my brothers and sisters in Christ in the village of San Andres Itzapa, the most potent moments were those that I spent with the mothers. These are strong women, powerful in their own right. Many without a husband (due to violence or disease), they struggle to meet the needs of multiple children.  Though their earnings are meager, their faith is great. Oh, that I might have the faith of these Guatemalan women!