thank you God!

I’m continuing to be amazed by this country and this city. The culture {colors, city, people, beliefs, languages, nature, and architecture} is not failing to impress me. Last night I had a full night sleep. A whole eight hours of uninterrupted goodness. The streets of Antigua may have not slept but I slept soundly on my springy bed. My quilt [from gramps and gran from the Lethbridge] is my security item for the next 2 ½ months. Thank the Lord for the familiarities and comforts of home [i.e. blankets, ice cream, random Guatemalan fake Oreo cookies, McDonalds] I thank him also for rest. Our days are consumed with language school and walking. Tons and tons of walking. We walk everywhere; which is potentially excellent and healthy for a body but slightly hard on mine at times. Tuesday was our second day of walking around this city and our first day at the market and our second day of language school. Combining these three together it only affirmed me that:

a) I love, absolutely love God’s preeminent creation: us. I especially love us [humans] in our youngest, perhaps most honest vulnerable stage of life. I love the innocence and love that children withhold. Children, specifically in third world countries hold a resilience and durability that is next to none. Children here range from going to school to walking the central park shining shoes. They can and are just like any other child anywhere; they are just in a different situation. Learning life lessons very early and learning to make do with what they have.

b) I potentially could survive here, or anywhere they speak Spanish if I could speak Spanish. I enjoy walking the markets and bartering. Now only if I could complete my newly found dream of creating conversation and learning about their lives.

c) The food here isn’t half bad at all. My stomach is handling it just fine. Today I discovered I strongly dislike papaya and I don’t mind chocolate pancakes. :)

Espanola!

Overwhelming it was being in Spanish language school from 8-12 a.m. on Monday morning. They are throwing this Spanish at us from the left and right and from above and from below. This afternoon we took a tour around Antigua where we are staying for the next three weeks. I have had mixed emotions about being here. Debating whether I can actually handle it all. However, I know I can’t do it. I can only do it, get through it, manage it with God. I can’t do it alone. I can’t. But with him I can do everything and anything.

I serve a big God.

There was a moment today that it just felt beautiful. We were touring Antigua, walking the uneven sidewalks small stores on the both sides of me, colourfully dressed people and then there was a gust of wind then a chicken bus (local transport bus) drove by, and all of a sudden it was hard to blink from stuff in my eyes, dirt on my lips and exhaust in my nose and life was *calm+beautiful* In the moment of busyness, chaos, a broken past and a country that is full of violence I felt at home. It felt normal to have that grind on my lips and my eyes barely open. Amongst it all the sun shines, music plays and I breathe the fresh air. And I say thank you God. Thank you for food that fills my stomach and isn’t actually that bad. Thank you for universals. Laughter is universal. Smiles are universals. Sneezing is universal. J

Culture Shock : Round one

After being in Guatemala for less than 24 hours I believe I experienced a round of culture shock. It was only re-enforced within the next 24 hours I was in Guatemala. Saturday night we stepped off the plane into a humid sticky air and we stood and breathed it in. Travelling to Guatemala Bible Seminary (Chimaltenango), we found our rooms and very soon hit our 2 piece foam beds. We discovered that North Americans in general are large people as the showers only come up to our shoulders. Everything seems smaller.

Sunday morning we experienced our first meal that came as a bit of shock to my tastes. I love milk. White. Chocolate. Love milk. However, I now know that I am not a fan of warm powdered milk. : ) We were blessed with our first church service, all in El Española. Without understanding it, our communication class was put to the test as we read non-verbal gestures and followed cues. The dynamic passionate speaker was amazing, despite not understanding a single word he said, we could tell he incorporated stories into his sermon and he spoke with such zeal you could just tell he loved the Lord. One verse we managed to get out of it with the help of interns translating :

Joshua 1:9 ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do

not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’

This was a powerful verse as the most of us where feeling exhausted from travelling, anxiousness about the upcoming weeks and the dangers that Guatemala withholds. It strongly reassured me that God is at Camp Bighorn (Montana), he is at Prairie (Three Hills), and he is in Guatemala (Antigua, Chimaltenango, Chichicostengo). He is with me while I walk the streets or eat strange foods. He is with me while I am engrossed in learning or missing people. He is.