April 14

Greetings!

This morning we went to the Chichoy school to participate in devotions. The children were really excited that we were there. We sang and after that they prayed for us. Before they ate breakfast, we formed a line and each child came to hug us. It was really sweet.
We then went to the Marcos caves. We each got helmets with lights and rubber boots. We walked up a hill for a while until we got to the entrance of the cave. For those who were claustrophobic, it seemed to be quite a stretch. When we got to the end of the cave, we stopped and worshiped for a while. That part of the cave is a “sanctuary” which is similar to the sink hole. People come to meditate in the darkness.
We went for dinner at Polo Campero’s, which is a Guatemalan fast food restaurant. We needed to have a good meal before facing the hospital and the things we would see there. We went to the hospital and Zaak gave us a short talk about what we would see there and how the people would act towards us. Guatemalans have a fear of hospitals. When they are sick, they avoid the hospitals as long as possible because they think that they are a place to die. This turns into a vicious cycle because when they finally come to the hospital, they are extremely sick and then they do die. The other Poccumchi people hear that others have died, and they don’t want to go to the hospitals either. The cycle keeps on going, which is really sad.
We saw a lot of really sick people at the hospital. Some of them were getting better, like the children who had appendicitis or broken legs or arms. However, we also saw some kids who were very close to death. We asked them if we could pray for them, and every person gladly accepted it. I think that the hospital had a huge impact on us. Although we saw things that were hard to accept after living in Canada, we also gave the people hope. After the hospital we came back to the guest houses for a while and then went to Les’ for supper. We had a delicious meal of rice and chicken, and then had a time of worship and sharing. We’re all doing well. Although we’re somewhat tired, we are definitely enjoying all the new experiences that we are going through. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.God bless!

Submitted by Kristi

April 13

Greetings!
This morning we got up later than usual so we could be ready for the activity to start at 9:15. We were put into groups of four or five to go shopping in the market. Our groups were given a Q100 bill and a list of the fruits, vegetables, and other things that we had to buy for Carmella to cook with. It was an interesting experience to try and communicate with the Guatemalans because although most of them spoke Spanish, some of them spoke Poccumchi. After this we went for ice cream.
After eating lunch at Les’ house, we went to a coffee plantation. We drove up a road that went along a ledge on a cliff. It was a really long way down, and the road was extremely narrow and bumpy. In some parts, half of the road was higher than the other half, so it would feel like we were about to go over the edge.
At the coffee plantation, Zaak gave us a tour. We saw where the beans were put into the machines, and how the husks were beaten off. Water runs through the whole plantation. It was really interesting to learn all the steps involved in preparing coffee beans.
We then went to a church service at the school. Once again, the worship was amazing. The singing was extremely loud for the 200 people that were there. Kaitlyn, Mark, Chelsea, and I shared some scripture with the people who were there. The message was really intense. Rita shared the sermon, and we had some of it translated by Les to us. At the end of the sermon, there was an invitation to become Christians and lots of people who had been touched by the sermon went up.
After this we went straight to Les’ house for supper. After we ate, we had a surprise party for Ryan M., Ryan C., and Ever. In Guatemala, the tradition is that the ones who are a year older have to take the first bite of the cake. There is also a tradition that includes setting off firecrackers. Each of us got a firecracker and Johnny (Les’ son) lit them for us. It was extremely loud, and some of the pieces of firecracker hit us in the ankles.
Everyone’s doing pretty well. Amanda is much better from her heat exhaustion. However, I gashed my foot open on a pipe while walking down the street.
God Bless.


Submitted by Kristi