1/20/2011
Guatemala 2011 team arrived safely in Guatemala city this afternoon, and we met up with our two new teammates, joanne and Paula. Our friends from CALMS met us and loaded us up for a trip to Pollo Campero, a local food chain known for its fried chicken. From there, we traveled down the road a ways to visit El Refugio (the Refuge), which is a shelter for women and children who are escaping domestic violence situations. We had a nice visit, and were moved by the testimony of one of the residents, who is safe in the shelter with her one-year-old son after escaping two abusive relationships. We were saddened to hear that her two daughters, ages 6 and 9, are in the custody of their father in Nicaragua, and she only gets to see the girls once a year. El Refugio offers these women shelter, security, and sustenance while helping them to gain their independence by learning marketable skills. The women make beautiful, unique jewelry out of coffee beans and other kinds of beans, and they also sew aprons using traditional, colorful Guatemalan textiles. We enjoyed spending time there, and Pastor Miguel read from Psalm 37, sharing God's word in a place that is clearly doing God's work. We continued on to Antigua, where we settled into our rooms at the Lutheran Center. After listening to the CALMS director share the ministry's mission, specifically regarding empowering Guatemalans and avoiding creating dependencies, we enjoyed a dinner out together at a restaurant in downtown Antigua. Several of us have commented about how "at home" we feel here. Love to everyone at home, and thank you for your continued prayers!
1/21/11
Hello all! Hoping that our Internet connectivity will remain consistent enough to post updates frequently, but so far it's been a little spotty. This morning we had breakfast and morning devotion at the Lutheran Center. Bill W. spoke about the importance of action, and quoted St. Francis de Assissi, who said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words. The Bible confirms this in 1John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. We are seeing this already; even though most of our team does not speak Spanish, we still are able to share God's love. After devotion, we traveled into downtown Antigua, Jade Factory, bank, lunch, market, and back to the Lutheran Center. Dinner soon! I'll try some photos...
