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We are having a blast
here. We just moved to Panajachel. Yesterday, Monday….was packed full! We got
up at 6:00am and took a boat across the lake. Then we went zip lining. Zip
lining was so much fun! There were 8 different courses of different speeds and
lengths of zip lines. Kacie screamed her head off on everyone of them. Gary and Hannah L. failed
the test to see if you could stop in time. But they finally got it and were
able to go. Heather had a hard time crossing the rope swings at the end. Then
we had to walk up the biggest hill of our life to the bright green church where
we did our ministry but before we did our ministry we had to wait 2 hours
because we got the time mixed up but the view was beautiful up that high. It
was a blessing in disguise. While we
were waiting this one old lady street merchant walked all the way up the hill
to sell Brennan a scarf, and earlier in the day this one lady kept following
Kacie around asking her to bye this rug and telling her how hungry her 8 kids
and baby were. She was relentless! We all had a blast. J Today in Panjachel we got to wake up late and then eat breakfast and went
shopping. We are all spending a lot of money here. Amber is having the time of
her life bargaining for things she doesn't even want. Haha. Julianne and Peter
got hammocks and they couldn't be happier. Arianna made a merchant angry by the
price that she gave, he snatched in from her and walked away….we are all having
so much fun making the merchants mad and bargaining for the things that we want
except for Amber. The ministry we are doing is tiring but rewarding. We are
singing a lot and doing skits and dramas. Stacey is keeping us all in check
(Thanks Mama McKnight!) Tonight we are going to a different church to do a
program for adults and kids. But before
we go, we are going to hit the streets again and see what else we can bargain
for and who else Arianna and Amber can frustrate with their bargaining skills.
With much love Kaice, Amber, Heather and Arianna. Here are some pictures to
enjoy! We love you and miss you all!
"For I was
hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked alter me, I was in prison and you
came to visit me... 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you did for me'"-Matthew 25:35-36, 40
This place is so incredibly beautiful, God's
glory is evident everywhere you turn. As we walk through the streets admiring
the abundant beauty, we're sadly reminded of a poverty-stricken world and why
God has called each of us here. We're constantly being taught to treat everyone
as if they were Jesus and to see them through His eyes.
We haven't done many VBS-type programs this
week; instead, we've been able to do more street ministry to reach out to the
average people of Guatemala. After a busy day on Monday doing kid's programs in
Santiago,
Tuesday's plans were up to us so we prayed and listened to God for what he wanted us to do for the day. After lots of prayer, we decided that
some should stay and rest, while others should go reach out to the people on
the streets. We bought food and water and walked the streets passing them out
to the people. The kids we met on the streets were so desperate to get some of
our chips that one of them climbed a telephone pole, reminding all of us about
Zaccheus. They were so grateful and appreciative of what we were doing.
Wednesday, we were able to be on a Guatemalan radio program. We gave
testimonies, sang songs, and read Bible verses; it was an amazing opportunity. Special
thanks to Peter for his solo, Swing Low. We are all sure it's the beginning of
a profitable radio career.
Love, Hannah J. and Amber (The Best Roomies
Ever)...and the rest of the Guatemala Team=)
As a team we woke up very early and
packed our things because we were moving hotels. We moved from Casa Lola to
Hotel Paraiso before going to breakfast at a local restaurant. Even though it's
not paradise (the showers shock you and fireworks are constantly exploding
nearby), this hotel is a lot better than we all expected we were going to be
staying in. It even has a coconut tree where young men may entertain themselves
by knocking coconuts off of it.
Eating is always an adventure, not just because
of the usual pleasantries it provides, but also because we never know for
certain what we are going to get. After an enjoyable breakfast we all hopped in
the back of a truck and headed to Lucas' church. Riding in the back of a truck
is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in Guatemala so far. While one may
think that a car ride can get rather dull, that is not the case here in Guatemala. The
rides usually consist of singing,
windblown hair, bumpy cobblestone roads, speed bumps every fifteen feet, and
ample honking of the horn.
We arrived at Lucas' church and
immediately started our program for the kids. We sung many children's songs,
preformed a mini-drama about Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego, performed a couple of meaningful and entertaining skits, and our
'Set Me Free' drime. We also played a few games with the kids. That day we also
were privileged to visit many of the children's houses who came to the program.
We prayed over their houses and their families. They were very eager to receive
prayer and glad to have us there.
Later that afternoon, after eating
at a local pandaria, we ministered with teenagers. We attempted to teach them
our drime, which didn't work out as well as we hoped due to the language
barrier which brought some confusion. In spite of some communication
difficulties, I believe that we made an impact on their lives, and know they
made one on ours. Sometimes it's just nice to talk with people who are close to
our age. We left Lucas' church and picked up some supplies for our fun-filled
evening.
We left on a boat ride to a nearby
beach, which was actually pretty exciting. The lake was a little rough and our
boat didn't have windows. In order to keep water out, we attempted to hold up a
large tarp all the way around the boat. We arrived at the beach where I
attempted to light a fire and many went swimming. We ate roasted hot dogs along
with chips, sodas, and roasted marshmallows for dessert. The food was
satisfying and the experience was enjoyable.
We came back to the hotel as the sun was
setting, all of us with red, white, or blue glowsticks to celebrate the Fourth
of July. Inevitably, I thought of home on that day, wondering how my family
would be celebrating their independence. That night we shared about how God was
working in our lives. God is doing so many amazing things here! All of us are
growing in Him and advancing our relationships. Please pray that we would
continue to work well together as a team and that sickness would be broken
among us.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" Isaiah 61:1
Guatemala is a place of contrasts. The lake and mountains surrounding us are gloriously beautiful, but the concrete houses and trash-lined streets that make up everyday life here in San Pedro present a very different view. Even though many of the people here live in what Americans would consider extreme poverty they still have smiles on their faces and words of welcome on their lips. The mornings and afternoons present opposites as well. We wake up to warm sunlight, but by the afternoon the sun has usually been replaced by rolling clouds and steady rain.
We've been in Guatemala for a week now, and God has been working in us and through us everyday. He's been teaching us all patience, especially during meal times because the Latin American pace of life is not as hurried as we are used to. During the mornings we usually lead kids programs at local churches and we have time for ministry preparation in the afternoons. We have had lots of opportunities to spend time with the kids who live near the churches, lead them in both Spanish and English songs, perform dramas for them, and also read through Spanish tracts with them which explain how people receive the gift of eternal life.
The children we're interacting with either speak the native Mayan language or Spanish so there is a language barrier present. However, there are team members who know enough Spanish to help the rest of us communicate with the kids. Even if we don't always know the right words to say or we end up pronouncing something terribly wrong we have all been able to communicate God's love to the kids through hugs, smiles, and laughter.
Please pray for our team and also for the people we're meeting and interacting with here in Guatemala. Many members of the team have been fighting off illness and especially upset stomachs, but everyone who is sick is looking forward to being healthy so they can have more energy to do ministry. God is truly blessing each one of us on this trip and is teaching us so much as we work together as a team and experience a new culture as well as challenges and trials. Thank you to everyone who supported us financially and through prayer on this trip!
Hey everyone, we hope this finds you just as
filled with the love of God as we feel. Today was our first day of VBS at
Antonio's (Gary's
friend) church! We had so much fun today. Our skit of David and Goliath was a
hit (sorry there are no pictures of the skit yet). All the kids really liked
seeing Hannah Lanning on top of her brother's, Peter, shoulders. We also played
a lot of games...pato, pato, ganzo (duck, duck, goose) and
soccer/basketball/football/whatever you want to call it. We got owned by seven
year olds. Even though the language barrier was difficult, we got through to
them and had a wonderful time which was orchestrated by God, we do believe.
We've had
an amazing experience trying new food, walking up and down hills, learning how
to barter in the local markets and almost getting our ATM cards eaten by the
machines. Today was also Brennans' Birthday!!! He is our shinning starJ
We played
fun games tonight in celebration and eased Brennan's need for a panadaria
(Guatemalan bread is really really yummy)! Over all it was a fun time but on behalf of
the entire team; please pray for strength, because everyone is a bit tired from
traveling and culture shock.
Guatemala is an absolutely beautiful place
and we are being blessed by our surroundings, but the heaviness of the Mayan
culture and demon worship is getting the best of us. So as a friend, we ask you
to pray for us and help us fight our giants.
Much love
from Kacie, Amber, Heather, and the rest of Gua-te-mala team wooooo!
sorry for lack of photos...not enough hours to upload them
Traveling
through time and across the globe, we have finally reached our destination. Welcome
to Guatemala,
land of the little children peddlers, two hour long meals, and rain puddling
around our ankles. Sounds wonderful, does it not? We love it already.
We all woke
up at three am Wednesday morning for a two hour drive from Gainseville to Atlanta. We all made it
through customs...well, some of our peanut butter didn't. The airport had "gnarly
trashcans," according to Brennan. The plane left Atlanta
around 9:30 a.m. Eastern and arrived in Houston
at 10:45 a.m. Central time. After an hour delay in Houston, the plane finally took off around
12:30 p.m. Central time and took us to this beautiful land. Guatemala finally had the privilege
to meet us at 2 p.m. Mountain time.
Twisting
through the mountains gave us an interesting view of the land. We saw
waterfalls, volcanoes, sheep, goats, and women carrying baskets on their heads....
We made it here safely because God is always the real driver of life.
We're staying
in a hotel in Panajachal for tonight awaiting tomorrow's boat ride to San Pedro
across Lake Atitlan..
We all love
each other bunches.
In case you
didn't know this, people speak Spanish here. We're having lots of fun
attempting to talk to everyone trying to sell us little trinkets. We don't
think they seem to understand "No" however.
Pictures
will come later...
Thanks for
your prayers! May God continue to bless you all!
We received a call from the team and they have landed safely in Guatemala. The traveled directly to Lake Atitlan. Everyone is safe and very excited about beginning ministry.
