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I’m in Guatemala!!!

We landed in Guatemala City at 11:58 on Saturday, October 15th.  I had been yelling “Guatemala Day!!” at everyone I saw that day, so I’m glad we made it there before midnight, despite a few delays.  I was walking around wide-eyed from the moment I woke up that morning to when I finally got to pass out in my bed at 2:30 am that night.  (Yes! you heard me right! I have a bed!). 

I could not believe we were actually leaving the country!!

and I’m actually on the race…

for the next 7 months…

Wow!!

Our first few days here were mainly focused on orientation.  We had cultural training where we learned Spanish slang, Guatemalan greetings, and how to respect our ministry hosts.  My team also took a few days to tour Itzapa and Parramos, the towns where we would be doing ministry.  We met our ministry hosts who are all incredible people and learned what our schedule would look like for the next few months.  Our ministries are very diverse; I was super excited to have such a wide array of experiences.  We have soccer ministry on Tuesdays, book club on Wednesdays, activation on Thursdays, English class on Fridays, and VBS on Saturdays.  Along with house visits, ATL (Ask The Lord), and time for planning mixed in.  Already in the first week, we’ve also added an art exhibition, a cooking class, a camp out, a cook out, and a christmas party to the schedule.  I already know my experience with these ministries in the next three months is going to be incredible.  

When you’re leaving the only country you’ve ever known, a new place is -of course- expected to be quite different, but Guatemala still brought intense culture shock with it.  There’s a new currency- the Quetzal that’s worth about 7.7 USD.  There’s the weather- that allows for shorts and a t-shirt in October instead of a winter coat.  There’s a foreign language- that I even know a decent amount of and it’s still very confusing. There’s the transportation- chicken buses and vans that are partnered with people constantly yelling out stops and are packed with twice as many people as they’re designed to hold.  There’s the people- that are extremely relational and will welcome you into there home at a moment’s notice.  There’s a whole new culture- that’s been fascinating and strange and amazing to live in.  I don’t believe that any amount of knowledge of Guatemala would have prepared me or been comparable to experiencing it.  

My time here has included experiences, days, and views that have been all over the board, but I am so thankful for this time.  I’m looking forward to this life for the next two and a half months and I’m excited to see what God has in store here. :)