Friday was mostly a travel day, and thankfully everything went as smoothly as could be expected. We touched down in Guatemala around 8:00 PM to find Greg and Karen waiting for us at the airport. After a few minutes, trusty bus driver Don Cesar showed up with the "Handy Bus" and we were off to Seteca, where we quickly settled in and went to bed.
The next morning, Saturday, many were awakened by the screaming of what have alternately been called "demon birds," "crazy Guatemalan pheasants," and "psycho pigeons." It's kind of obvious that none of us have actually seen one, but everyone has certainly heard their morning screams. After a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs prepared by the puppet team, Joel showed up for a brief presentation about his ministries. We were getting ready to go help out at a new skate ministry when we received news that one of the young men involved in the program had been shot and killed the previous night over a stolen bike. So, in our first lesson about being flexible, we switched gears and prepared for our day camp / VBS in the morning and spent the afternoon at an established skate ministry in another part of the city. Because we arrived at the church early, we were able to stop at what is quite possibly the nicest and friendliest McDonalds any of us gringos have ever seen - how often do employees open the door for you or offer you a table when you visit McDonalds? At the church, we spent several hours hanging out and visiting, and Randy and Emilio judged a "best trick" competition, with the winner receiving a complete new board. A high school youth group from Chicago arrived towards the end of the afternoon and performed a dance and a drime, followed by another drama from the church hosting the skate ministry and an invitation to receive Christ. Afterwards, we headed home and enjoyed tacos prepared by the fundraising team, we spent the evening in reflection and fellowship, preparing for the week ahead.
This morning got off to a fantastic start with panqueques prepared by the devotions team!!! Karen filled us in on our day after breakfast, and then we all prepared for church. We went to the church that Joel attends and which Kent and Shelly Hendricks spent six weeks at last summer. Those of us who aren't fluent in Spanish spent much of the service trying to understand bits and pieces of the sermon, and we were all grateful when the worship team led two English songs. The church was very welcoming, and we all felt very at home despite the language barrier. After a time of fellowship following the service, we headed off to Antigua. We stopped at a lookout on the way with a breathtaking view of the city backed by a large volcano, and Gary (our translator / life support on this trip) gave us a brief history of the city. The bus then dropped us off in the central park of the city and we walked to the hospital where Dick Rutgers works, a facility for people with special needs. The people who live there range in age from infant to elderly. After a tour of the facility where we were introduced to many of the residents, we were able to stay and visit with them. Some played games, some held the younger children, and some helped them eat. The remainder of the afternoon was available for touring the city, which pretty much catches us up to the present.
Before we go, we would ask that you would keep several things in prayer:
- The family and friends of the young man who was killed.
- The skate ministries and the work they are doing.
- Dick Rutgers and the work he continues in down here. You can keep updated on his work by visiting DickRutgers.com
- The health and safety of the team as we head into a week of eye-opening experiences. Pray that God will continue to move in very real ways in the lives of the team and in the lives of the people we encounter.
We will continue to do our best to keep you all updated on what's going on down here. Advance apologies if updates are irregular - so is the internet access. The same goes for pictures. We'll get them uploaded as soon as we have the time. Thank you for your continued prayer and support.
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