This first day-and-a-half have been eventful, to say the least, and definitely full of miracles.
One might say the miracles started with all 20 people and 36 bags arriving safely in Guatemala, but I think that the miracles started months ago, when God worked to put together this amazing team. Because somehow, with this wide range of personalities and volume levels, we all get along. It’s actually even better than that: we work together really well. Where one of us is weak, others are strong. We complement each other in ways only God can engineer.
But we did get here safely, and we got through customs really quickly. We waited around a bit for the vans. We got everything and everyone into 2 twelve-passenger vans. After lunch at Subway, we went to The Lodge to unwind before we went to Las Verdes. I don’t think anything has ever broken my heart and brought me so much joy at the same time. The kids started coming out of their homes, following us and giggling at our greetings.
We visited a woman’s home last night. The concrete front was painted a vibrant turquoise, and the people inside were just as alive. The woman we met was so proud of her daughter and grandchildren, her home, and her 23 years in Las Verdes.
On the way back to The Lodge, we turned into the wrong driveway and had another miracle. One of the vans got stuck trying to turn around, with a sharp drop off on one side of the road. When it got turned around, a truck tried to turn in as we were just getting out, but we got out alive and made it to The Lodge for dinner. Dinner was delicious, by the way.
This morning we went to the church in Las Verdes to work with the kids while another group went to help clear out foliage at the construction site. The kids were really social and sweet, and we got a lot of Spanish practice, but I don’t know what we would have done without translators.
So far, this week has already been a beautiful reminder of how blessed we are in America and how joy has nothing to do with money or indoor plumbing.
Awesome updates! Love hearing from the students! Praying like crazy for you guys!