Love is a Verb

Well, I feel that it's definitely time to update, but I don't know where to start or what to say!! The past week has been full of great things!
It was vacation week at Casita all last week, so there weren't as many kids there as their usually is. My little class only had 6 at the most every day. I've been so blessed to be able to be in the classroom with all of the little ones! Only Zoe can really talk yet, and it helps with my Spanish to practice the basics in there. Also, Melissa is the 20 year old teacher. She's so sweet and has also helped me with my Spanish a lot. She is always so patient and seems to know how to love those kids in just the right ways. Even though we can barely communicate most days, I feel like I've gotten to know her heart really well and it's so inspiring to see her with those children, how much they're drawn to her and how much they respect her. 

 ^Seno Melissa, Luis, Bianca, Zoe, Chelsey, Joseph, Cami, Seno Kelly

Through prayer and talking with Jessica and Jasmine I've come to the conclusion that we really have nothing special on our own to offer the people here. Nothing but the love of God. Anything materialistic given to the kids mostly gets ignored or destroyed within a week. And only being here for a short time limits the depth of relationships we're able to form. Not to mention the language barrier. BUT, by loving these children and making it as obvious as possible that we're here for them and want to help and love them in the ways that they show need, God will do something with it. I pray that we're doing God's work here, even though many days we don't feel very effective or aren't sure what the right way to love here is. Through God's guidance I know He is working here, though! 

Also, life with the people at SETECA has been great! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Saturday, a group took us to an extreme sports park. It was all outside in the middle of beautiful green mountains, and it rained on us, which made it that much more fun!

Every day that I'm here I truly feel blessed to be getting to know Jessica and Jasmine, the other US interns here: my coworkers and roomies. It's been so amazing to do this with them. We're always encouraging and supporting each other and we laugh so much that it's ridiculous. It's so amazing to sit down and read the word and talk about God in our lives together. He just always has his hand in these things, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he put the three of us together. Despite our backgrounds, where we're from, and the differences in the journey of our faith, God bonds us together like nothing can and it's been so incredible embracing these sisters God's given me here!

 And then, there's Camila.

I don't know why I feel so drawn to this little girl, but God has definitely given me a heart for her!! If nothing else feels worth it to have come here, Cami does. This little girl is the sweetest little girl I've ever been blessed to meet. She's always strong and brave, and she's so sweet and full of love and kisses! She's a true blessing from God in my life. Leaving her will be so hard, because I look forward to picking her up and hugging her every morning, and I dread 

leaving her every afternoon while she sleeps so peacefully during her nap time. 

                                                        She's practically a little angel... :)

Acts 10:34-35 "Then Peter began to speak: I now realize  how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."

Acts 17:24-28 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your poets have said, 'We are his offspring'."

Here's a link to the Glick's blog: http://glicksguate.blogspot.com/

They talk about great things they're doing here that we've been privileged to witness and be a part of!

"Dios Bendiga Este Hogar"

Yesterday Jasmine and I moved in with Jessica to an apartment at the Seminary, SETECA. It already feels like home, especially with our wooden heart hanging above our beds that says "Dios bendiga este hogar" (God Bless This Home)! We also bought a coffee pot today so we can wake up to our own coffee in our kitchen in the morning. It's a small, simple place, but it's definitely enough, and with the three of us girls, I know it's going to be filled with a lot of good conversations and memories by the end of our three weeks here! Being at the day care, Casita Benjamin, has been great! The kids are adorable and the teachers are funny and friendly, but I definitely wish my Spanish was better! It can be a little frustrating or overwhelming when I try so hard to communicate with the teachers, kids, and people at SETECA, but I just don't understand or can't form what I want to say correctly. But I know God is teaching me patience, and thankfully the other two girls here know Spanish much better than I do and are so encouraging and willing to help. They know that when someone asks me something and I just look at them, I need a translation!

Yesterday, when we went to Casita, I got placed in the classroom with the babies up to 3 year olds, and they had lunch and then a nap. It was simple, but a good time to begin getting to know the two teachers and the students. Then we came back to SETECA, walked from Casita Benjamin by a really sweet woman named Hermana Ana. We met some of the boys that go here and watched a soccer game with them, cheering on our friend Oscar. Our team lost, but it was a lot of fun and you can see the field from the balcony on our apartments. Dinner in the caf is a great time to meet people and have conversations, which has been fun. We also spent a lot of time in our room talking. It's so incredible how God connects people and how easily we've all seemed to bond. I am so excited to get to know both Jessica and Jasmine better and to go through this incredible experience with them. We've all learned so much already and it's so neat to be bonding in a place like this, learning together what it is to have faith and to love others as a selfless servant. It's hard, but it's so good, and I know the rest of my life will consist of me continuing to learn in these areas. We're also going to try and do a bible study together in the mornings, which is going to be wonderful! We talked about starting Acts, which I studied with some girls before coming here. I think God is really wanting me to learn from Acts.... and how can you not? It's such an incredible book, especially when looking at it from the perspective of wanting God to work through you!

Today, we went to Casita and I was in the same class. We played with blocks with letters, had a snack (sandwich and some type of banana juice?), read a book about animals, had lunch, and then the kids went down for a nap. There are some girls that definitely make it apparent that they are in need of attention. It takes patience, but I just know how much God loves them and I can't help but think of where they come from that make them feel and act the way that some of them do. I'm excited to get to be in their lives for a very short while, and even if they never remember me, I already know I'll never forget them. I'm excited to keep working with them, and to continue getting to know the teachers! I'm mostly there to help, and sadly I feel limited many times due to the language barrier, but I'm trying and they're so accepting! Hopefully things will catch on fast and it will all become more natural very soon!

Jessica and Jasmine and I also took a taxi to a big, very nice mall called "MiraFlores" this afternoon and walked around. It instantly felt like being back in the states... a very odd feeling after being with those kids at Casita. But there are a lot of fun things to do there, so hopefully we'll go back sometime with a group and have dinner and a movie or something!

I am praising God for how he has obviously had his hand in every moment of this internship and these relationships and it's so neat to see them growing and to feel him working. Tomorrow is one week down in Guate: three more to go!

More pictures and updates soon hopefully!

Buenos noches!

Psalm 33:4-5, 20-22

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

    he is faithful in all he does. 

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

    the earth is full of his unfailing love. 

We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in his holy name.  

 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.

The Last of Orientation

The last two days have been very busy, but great!
Yesterday, the Glicks took us four girls and Maria up on the mountain in San Lucas to a park. It had some great views and there were neat swings and play areas up there. 

 We also climbed a little tree house that you could see a great view from.

And we saw a big, mean centipede.

That night we got to go to Mike's church for youth group. We played games with balloons and on teams, sang songs led by Oscar, and did little devotionals in groups. It was great to meet some of the youth and to practice my Spanish. They seem like fun kids and it's awesome to hear that God is working in their lives. During our devotional we also talked about faith and servant hood. Both of which have such different meanings to me here. But in a great way... I'm glad God is opening my eyes and allowing me to see things from new perspectives.

 Then, today, we went to a water park about an hour away and took along roughly 150 people. It was a lot of the children from Casita Benjamin and their moms and some dads. It was a very rare day for the whole family to go do something together. The men and women were separated and had a type of devotional time while we played games with the kids. Then we all had lunch and hit some pinatas. We also walked around some and enjoyed the beauty that Guatemala holds. Hopefully God touched some hearts today in ways that only He can. It's awesome to just get to be there and to love on people and to see all of their smiling faces during such a great day like today.
There were lots of pretty things to see at the water park too :)

 And we had pinatas! The kids loved it of course! A great ending to a great day!

After all that, the Glicks took us to dinner at Pollo Campero, which was yummy! And then we went back to their house and watched a documentary called "Reparando". It definitely touched the heart. It took a look at Guatemala's history and how things that have happened here affect the people and the way they live their lives. It showed some personal stories and expressed some of the ways that things are changing for good here. You can't watch it and not have your heart break for this place and these people. You can't not want to be part of helping these people and doing God's work here.

Tonight's our last night in the guest house until the end of the internship. Tomorrow morning we have breakfast and then split up. Two of the interns go to The Oasis, a girls' home, and myself and another intern join a 6 week intern at the Seminary and start at the day care. I'm excited to start serving, but definitely a little nervous! Please pray that we continue to stay healthy and safe and that we allow God to use us in however he has planned! 

God bless!

 http://www.athentikos.com/reparando/

Antigua tiene mi corazón .

Today was another incredible day! We spent all day in Antigua! Most of this post is going to be of pictures, which of course, can never do justice to this place. We started up above the city, looking down on it, beside this huge cross, and surrounded by three volcanoes.

 One of the volcanoes, Fuego, even erupted a little bit and we got to see the smoke rising from where we stood!

 Then, we went down into Antigua and explored a little. We got to see the beautiful yellow arch that is in every picture and painting of Antigua. I was pretty pumped, as you can tell :) It didn't disappoint!

 Getting to experience the impact that Guatemala has on the heart with these three girls has been a blast and is bringing us together fast. All three of them are also Camino interns and are great girls!

 In the square is La Merced, which was obviously gorgeous, inside and out!

 On the square beside it were two adorable sisters. One of which was this little one. Her name was Lilly and she was absolutely precious and let me take a picture of her :)

 We also had lunch there, in a nice little restaurant and then traveled to San Fransisco. This was another beautiful cathedral, surrounded by another square with a small market, and ruins on it's left.

 We got to go inside and walk around the ruins which was really neat. Most of what used to be there was destroyed due to big earthquakes, but we had fun with what was there :)

 We also went to the market and met a really sweet woman who is friends with the Glicks. Her name is Debbie and as soon as she met us, she spoke to us in English and gave us all gifts and told us how happy she was that her sisters in Christ could come :) It was very sweet... It's so neat how God can connect people no matter where you are in the world. There was also a woman who weaved incredible items and knows the Glicks. I can't remember her name, but she let us take a picture of her working. The market was a lot of fun!

 My great purchase of the day was a hammock. Success. And yes, this is the backyard of my home for my first 5 days in Guatemala. Life is good :)

I continually feel so blessed to be here. I can not believe it's only been two full days.... I feel like I've already been here for the whole month because we've done so much and seen so many amazing things! The people are lovely and the place is beautiful. There's now two groups living in the guest house with us. One of 17 and one of 25, from Michigan and Dallas. It's nice to have music and laughter and feel like the house is full. Tomorrow consists of traveling up the mountain and working with the youth from Mike's church. Can't wait to see what else God does and to meet more amazing people and see more of his creation.
My life is a dream right now.
Please pray that we continue to be safe and healthy and that our relationships grow and blossom!
Until next time! Buenos noches.

Si Señor, si, si Señor, Amen.

Today: Wow. I got to experience so many different aspects of Guatemala with the Glicks and the other interns.

The day started at the guest house where we had a delicious breakfast, and then the Glicks and their adopted Guatemalan daughter, Maria (who I already adore!), joined us and we went over some simple safety and cultural things. The rest of the day consisted of traveling to various places, meeting lots of people, and seeing things like I could not have imagined. 

We went to a place called SOS first. There were 13 houses that hold "tias" that take care of children from troubled families. Mike walked around to the homes and invited the children to a park outing that we will be doing Sunday. We mostly just followed and waiting and heard a few of the kids' stories from Sandi.

Later, we visited the Missionary school that Maria attends with other missionaries' kids, and we got to explore there some. It was a really nice place, and I especially enjoyed the sweet little library :) But there were no kids there today. We also went to the central part of Guatemala city and walked around the square. We saw the Presidential Palace and a gorgeous cathedral that we got to go inside of. It was absolutely breathtaking. Behind that was the first evangelical church in Guatemala.  It was neat to see places with such history!

Then, we went to a cemetery. Sounds kind of morbid... strangely enough, it was disturbing for much different reasons than any cemetery I've ever been to in the states. The tombs were like small buildings, some guarded with doors, windows, or bars. And they were above ground, obviously very special to the families of those who had passed. Many were decorated and were very beautiful and intricate. Further back, though, were just large walls where bodies were placed inside for 7 years while the families of the person tried to pay for them to keep the tomb (these are for poorer people who cannot afford the nice, individual tombs). Some of the tombs had actually been broken into in a search for any kind of jewelry or belongings that could be sold... And behind the tombs, the land we stood on dropped off down into a huge valley. This held what is known as Guatemala's dump. It was insane. There were naturally beautiful green mountains rising up from it, surrounding it, and yet in the middle, dump trucks continually came in, pouring in more waste and trash into this area. The smell was gruesome enough, but what really made me sick was seeing the vultures circling above and down into it, and the people scavenging around inside of it, looking for things to sell. You can't see something like that and not say in your heart, "There has to be something we can do to help those people live a life that doesn't come down to this." The children at the day care I'll be working at (starting Monday) come from some of those families and live that lifestyle. They live in small "homes" just on the other side. I can not wait to love on those kids, encourage them to love learning, and to share God's saving and providing love with them! We actually got to visit the school, Casita Benjamin, today too! There were still a few kids there (it was late afternoon), and they were absolutely precious! I can't wait to see it full and to get involved with everything they're doing there!

Tonight we had dinner at the Glicks' and got to meet a young girl named Ericka and her sweet 6 week old baby girl that live down the street from the Glicks' home. Then we went to a place called Cairo's house, where there were about 7 children, ages 5-11 of those I talked with, that have cancer. Most of them had a family member that lived there with them as well. It was a small and simple place, but you could tell it was full of love despite the pain and suffering (physically and emotionally) that must surely go on there every single day. A boy named Oscar came and played his guitar and we all sang songs together. Though the simple smile or hug of one of those children was enough to keep me going for the rest of my time here, to hear them and their families sing (in spanish) "I'm trading my sickness. I'm trading my pain. I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord", broke my heart, because that is so real to them. They show faith in ways that I never have had to before. Their time in this world is knowingly limited (in ways that remind them daily), and yet they were so excited to clap their hands and stop their feet because they believe that Jesus Christ has saved their souls! Thankfully, they were all feeling good tonight, but as Mike told us earlier, "It's one thing to think some of the people here are so happy even when they have nothing. But when things are bad and they have nothing, they really have NOTHING." I just wish I could make everything better for them... but God is sovereign and he knows what he's doing even when we can't understand.

I know that I can't help but to have my eyes open while I'm here. And besides making me practice my Spanish (which I definitely still need a lot of!), I know God is going to teach me so much while I'm here. Please pray that I am open to do whatever he has of me, even in times when I am uncomfortable or overwhelmed. I know it will be worth it. I'm here for them, because of Him.

We go to Antigua all day tomorrow!
I know this is long, but I hope you enjoyed reading if you made it to the end! 

God bless! Buenos Noches!

Guate at Last!

It's almost midnight in Guatemala and I'm here in a guest house with the three other interns :) We all made it safely! We'll be living in this guest house until Monday. The house holds 60 people and will be full by the end of the weekend with us and other visitors! The Glick family from the states were very welcoming and seem so sweet! We start orientation tomorrow, visit Antigua Friday, and are going to be meeting various people and visiting different ministries for the rest of the weekend! It feels surreal that I'm actually here... but I can not wait to start relationships with the people here and to get involved in all that God has planned!

I hope to start my day off tomorrow sitting on the balcony, drinking coffee and reading my bible while looking out at Guatemala City and some volcanoes in the morning!!

Buenas Noches!

Guate in 5 days

Hello! I am so excited to say that I leave for Guatemala in 5 days! God has provided financially, assuring me that he wants me to be in Guatemala this summer! I've got my shots, my plane tickets, my luggage, and I'm just praying for God to continue preparing my heart! Prayers can be for safe travels, health as I adjust to the new place and foods, and for the people I am going to be forming relationships with. I can not wait to see God work!

Hasta Luego!