Day dos - Antigua

We started the day with devotions in the town square. We then boarded the bus for Antigua. Our guides sent us on a scavenger hunt through the Antigua market to teach us about the Guatemalan culture and also give us an experience of what it is like to try to navigate simple transactions in another language. Some of us even enjoyed coconut water served in sandwich bags. We then debriefed the market experience in the nicest Macdonald's any of us have seen complete with fountain courtyard and view of the volcano.

After some shopping, we went to the ruins of an old church and convent. We had a chance to sing in a very acoustically unique space in the basement of the convent.

Tomorrow we are off to hike the Pacaya volcano.

Day 1 Visit to Santa Maria de Jesus

We all arrived safely last night at about 10:00 in San Juan to the warmth of our home stays. This morning we were all sharing stories about how welcoming the Guatemalans have been. We began our day in the town square with a talk from a couple from Mission Impact, Michelle and Gerber (pronounced harebare). They did a great job of preparing us for our visit to Santa Maria in terms of how to interact with the villagers and gave us the background of the political struggles Guatemala has faced. San Juan, our home stay village, is more middle to upper middle class neighbourhood by Guatemalan standards. Santa Maria is predominantly Mayan and less wealthy.

We began by visiting Mission Impact's school for girls. Education for girls in Guatemala is not always available and MI has opened this school to address that inequity. If a girl has not entered school by the time they are 7, it is difficult for them to go back and do so. This school accepts older girls and encourages them to stay longer. Many girls only go to school until about grade 3 because their families want them to help at home.

We then went on a guided tour of Santa Maria with three students from the school as our guides. After that we were treated to meal of traditional Guatemalan food at the house of one the locals. At this same home, three of the children presented us with a card they made and a homemade journal to write about our experiences. After that we walked to a house on the edge of town for a very eye-opening and humbling tour of one of the more average family's homes.

Tonight we are off to Antigua to take part part in the Good Friday celebrations.

Guatemala bound

On the flight to Guatemala. The flight is about three hours long and it looks we are on time. We have wireless on the plane so we are able post. Not sure when we will be able to post again - depends on availability of wireless. Temperature is 68 in Guatemala.

Halfway there.

In the land of the free...

Arrived at Dallas airport. Half way there. Smooth way through customs and smooth flight (a little turbulence during landing). All is well.

One Week to Go!!!

Just a week to go before we leave for Guatemala! As we prepare for this exciting trip, we would like to ask that our entire school community keep us in prayer! Please pray for:

• Safety for the team - that God surrounds us with a hedge of protection
• Health - that our immune systems would be strong and our bodies would adapt to the different foods we eat.
• The spiritual journey of each team member
• For bonding and strengthening of relationships
• Wisdom for chaperones

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Team Building Activities

Before we head to Guatemala, it's important that we know each other as a team. And what better way to do this than get the students involved in some interesting and challenging team building activities! Here are some pictures of our students strategizing as a team and trusting each other to "pull" their weight.