Change of plans today. Peaceful protests will be blocking highways so we can’t get to Bethania and the school. Instead we’re going to Sembradores to pack and deliver food baskets in their neighborhood. Traffic will be gridlocked so if we’re stuck there, it will be safe and we can eat dinner until traffic clears.
Had to get up at 430 our time so it will be a very long day. Prayers appreciated!
By: Maddie Gerard & Emma Jo Philips
Beauty amongst poverty. As we met the youngest of Guatemala we were confronted with the overwhelming poverty that these children face. Many live in huts made of metal planks amongst stray dogs and wild chickens. Glass litters the ground and rust has spread across their playset. But this doesn’t deter them. These children are passionate and kind, all they want in life is affection. Although they suffer daily,their love for others shows.
Today was our first official day with the kids.We started the day at the elementary school in zone 7 where we met in their large courtyard. The morning was defined by soccer and tag and using the the guys of our group as a jungle gym. After recreation time we split up into Bible time and game time. Noah Johnson shared the story of creation and pointed the children to the Word and the supremacy of God. “In the beginning God created, the heavens and the earth.” Johnson talked about the creation of man and the value of life. The missionary story, told by Maddie & Noah Vance, was the story of Betty Greene, a pilot in World War 2 and missionary in New Guinea. The kids were fascinated as much by the stories as by the “gringos” telling it. Game time involved a sack race where no one really cared who won. And a giant parachute the kids spent more time crawling underneath then anywhere else.
We then helped serve kids lunch and hosted craft time, which consisted of hundreds of crayons, about forty children, and cardstock pescados (fish) for the children to color. Janie took the head of the operation and shared Mathew 4:19 with the kids which reads “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.'” After that lesson was translated into Spanish, Ben, Viki, and Emma handed out tons of crayons along with the pescados for the kids to decorate however they wanted to. We all jumped in and helped the kids color. I was blown away by how talented and artistic each of the children were. All of the chilren, along with the adults, loved the craft. The smiles on all of their faces said it all.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the local soccer field and playground investing in the kids. We talked with them, played with them, and tried our best to give them the pure, innocent fun of childhood. It was truly a humbling experience to show these children God’s love and see their love for us; accepting us, as outsiders, into their lives.
Tomorrow we’re back again to keep pouring into these kids – please pray for strength and endurance and opportunities to show Christ’s love to these beautiful children aand their families.
By: Janie Wehrer
As our second full day in Guatemala concludes many of us are reflecting and absorbing what we have witnessed. An undoubtable highlight of the day includes the morning church service at Sembradores de Vida in Guatemala City. While traveling to church early in the morning we passed the ravines, a crammed congregation of tin huts and shafts seemingly layered atop one another on a large stretch of mountains. American standards would qualify these as impossible living conditions, and yet to thousands of people this poverty is their reality. The diversity of living conditions in Guatemala is astounding. At our church service there were representatives of a spectrum of living conditions, a factor that is not obvious to the observer as a spirit of unity dominated the atmosphere. Though the church is not a physical spectacle, and housed perhaps thirty to forty people, the worship and prayer time can only be described as unearthly. Immersed in the sincerest expression of worship (most of which I could not decipher), I felt saturated by the presence of God, provoking me to express my own praise, and absorb every moment. Following worship a service was delivered by Pastor Fernando about living in the fullness of Christ and rejecting false philosophy (Colossians 2:8-10), his profound words were graciously translated by a bilingual member of the church, allowing us to comprehend his message.
Following the service our team set up a “picnic” on the third floor of the building, feasting on pre-made sandwiches and snacks. As we waited for Pastor Fernando to return and give us a preview of what we would encounter this week, we entertained ourselves by singing and playing the church piano. When Pastor Fernando arrived back at the church he brought with him Pastor Mario, a representative of an affiliate church who works directly in zone 7, the area where we will be serving this week. After hearing an explanation of what we will be encountering, we embarked on a prayer walk through zone 7, specifically focusing our prayers on the children affected by the devestating conditions of poverty and gang violence, while also magnifying our perspectives of poverty. Finally we returned back to the mission house to focus our attention on preparation for the coming week of VBS ministry.
Already we as a group are growing closer and daily understanding how blessed we are and how much work there is to do for Christ’s kindgdom
By: Autumn Miklas
Our day started bright and early when the sun streamed through the windows revealing the tin Guatelmalan rooftops. Shortly after breakfast and a team meeting we embarked to Antigua. The ride to Antigua was an experience all in itself as our bus driver navigated our team in the bus through the narrow and winding streets that paved the way to our first destination, a picturesque view of the city and surrounding mountains. Cera de la Cruz view was beautiful and allowed us a small glimpse of Antigua. 
We climbed aboard the bus again in search of a coffee plantation. When we arrived at the plantation we were led through a laid-back tour that revealed the steps of the bean-to-cup process that coffee goes through. We plucked coffee cherries from their plants and popped them into our mouths to reveal a sweet crunchy nibble. The coffee beans were spread across the ground in the dyring step of the process, which they allowed us to trample across and throw into the air (hopefully not disturbing the ending quality of the bean 🙂 At the conclusion of the tour we tasted the freshly brewed coffee and purchased some true Guatemalan beans to sip back in America. The coffee was smooth and rich and satisfed the baristas and coffee lovers of the class.
Lunch, was next on the agenda. The team split up to enjoy the either American choice food-McDonalds or the Guatemalan choice food- Tacool! No need to go into much further detail on McDonalds other than that it was the nicest McDonalds that the team had ever stepped in to. Tacool on the other hand is a Guatemalan chain taco restaurant. The service was quick, and we received our array of 18 tacos to consume between five of us girls. The flavorful tacos burst with flavor and juices as the we bit in to them.
The culture of Guatemala we all fully embraced as we navigated through the narrow aisles of the market, bartering for the best prices. Timothy and Lori, Clubhouse staff, assisted us through the tricks of successful bartering. The colorful patterns of Guatemalan fabrics and souveneirs caught our attention as we spent our precious quetzals.
The team dinner was enjoyed at Las Palmas where a candlelit three course meal was served to us. The rooftop allowed us yet another oppurtunity to capture some amazing photos of the scenery inlcuding the a full view of the volcano.
The cobble stoned streets of Antigue left us all with an ache in our feet by the end of the day, but it was well worth it. Every step brought new sights and vibrant walls. We tasted the food, viewed the sights, felt the sun, and are now off to sleep with anticpation of tomorrows events!
Oh, and wait! One more thing, don’t forget to check out http://www.clubhouseg.com to see additional pictures and information regarding our team posted by the Clubhouse Staff!
Sun is up. Coffee is brewing. Wendy, our team cook this week, is preparing breakfast. Seniors are slowly waking up after a much needed night’s rest.
We tackle Antigua today to do some shopping and soak in the best of Guatemalan culture.
Prepare for an overload of pics tonight!
LC Senior Go! 