Well this was my second trip to Guatemala, and I can honestly say that this trip is pretty awesome. Seeing God's presence here with the team and the people of Guatemala is amazing. I was a little nervous last year when I came here but this year has been phenomenal.
This week has gone by so fast. It seems that we just got here yesterday and we're leaving tomorrow. This week has been full of laughter, tears, adversity, sacrifice, service, joy, love and hope. I cant imagine anything better than getting to know my church family and the people of Guatemala. This group of people have shown so much of God's love to each other and to the Guatemalans. I feel that I am the one receiving the blessing by being here.
Seeing how the people react after we build them a house, that none of us would live in back home, is truly God at work. They are so thankful and so happy that they have something that is better than what they had before. I cants get enough of seeing the joy in their eyes when we dedicate the home and pray for their family, its truly amazing.
Kip Galyean
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Dora the Explorer Goes to the Mayan Ruins
¡Hola from Leisha!
(Guatemala Mission Trip rookie and group interpreter)
:)
I wanted to write a little bit about our experience at the Mayan Ruins today! I put on my "Dora the Explorer" alter ego before we left the mission house this morning and got ready for a full day of exploring with everybody!
The ruins are located about an hour away from the mission house. When we got there, the land actually resembled many other historic sites you may have seen in the U.S. I had this picture in my mind already of what it would look like based upon what I have read and seen in my history books. As is typical, they weren't quite like I had imagined. The ruins of the village are actually in good condition and quite visible compared to other sites here, but I had pictured them to be a lot bigger. Trees were growing on top of some of the ancient Mayan temples, and they had almost turned into hills, making them seem a lot shorter than I thought they would be in real life! My imagination was running wild as I tried to picture what they may have really looked like when the ancient Mayans lived there. We walked through the center of the ancient village past the temples and saw areas where they performed human sacrifices, as well as the areas where they played games that were actually a fight to the death! -You might see some of our silly pictures of us pretending to fight in this area. We had a good time hamming it up.
The most interesting and sobering experience while at the ruins was something that I never expected. In the very rear of the ancient village, there is actually a sacrificial space where modern day guatemalan/mayans practice sacrifices and rituals. When we came upon the area, there was a ritual taking place. John (the mission coordinator here in Guatemala) reminded us to "not be tourists" and quietly observe without pointing fingers. The ritual involved a "witch doctor" chanting and a mayan lady burning a sacrifice. There was smoke in the air that smelled quite unpleasant and I could just sense the darkness. John began to explain certain things about their beliefs and practices. It really opened my eyes to the darkness that is very real in this world. A lot of times I think we forget about "the other side". Today reminded me of that reality...as much as I don't want to be reminded of it sometimes.
(Guatemala Mission Trip rookie and group interpreter)
:)
I wanted to write a little bit about our experience at the Mayan Ruins today! I put on my "Dora the Explorer" alter ego before we left the mission house this morning and got ready for a full day of exploring with everybody!
The ruins are located about an hour away from the mission house. When we got there, the land actually resembled many other historic sites you may have seen in the U.S. I had this picture in my mind already of what it would look like based upon what I have read and seen in my history books. As is typical, they weren't quite like I had imagined. The ruins of the village are actually in good condition and quite visible compared to other sites here, but I had pictured them to be a lot bigger. Trees were growing on top of some of the ancient Mayan temples, and they had almost turned into hills, making them seem a lot shorter than I thought they would be in real life! My imagination was running wild as I tried to picture what they may have really looked like when the ancient Mayans lived there. We walked through the center of the ancient village past the temples and saw areas where they performed human sacrifices, as well as the areas where they played games that were actually a fight to the death! -You might see some of our silly pictures of us pretending to fight in this area. We had a good time hamming it up.
The most interesting and sobering experience while at the ruins was something that I never expected. In the very rear of the ancient village, there is actually a sacrificial space where modern day guatemalan/mayans practice sacrifices and rituals. When we came upon the area, there was a ritual taking place. John (the mission coordinator here in Guatemala) reminded us to "not be tourists" and quietly observe without pointing fingers. The ritual involved a "witch doctor" chanting and a mayan lady burning a sacrifice. There was smoke in the air that smelled quite unpleasant and I could just sense the darkness. John began to explain certain things about their beliefs and practices. It really opened my eyes to the darkness that is very real in this world. A lot of times I think we forget about "the other side". Today reminded me of that reality...as much as I don't want to be reminded of it sometimes.
***
I have not been on a mission trip since the youth trip to Puerto Rico. I rekindled a few relationships and made many new ones! Something that really touched me during this trip was realizing that the abilities that God gives us should primarily be used for His glory. I originally sought my Spanish degree in order to get a good job in the U.S. but I have since discovered what a tool it can be to reach people! I spent most of my time talking with the families at our work sites, and was able to gain amazing insight to not only their day to day routines, but also their spiritual lives and needs. All of our families that we built house for attended the local church, and after talking with them, I do believe that they have relationships with Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Through their joy of gaining a new house, I could see that it was the joy of Jesus in their hearts. I enjoyed helping everyone communicate better with the Guatemalan people! I wish I had clones of myself to be with each group, but I was so impressed with the non-spanish speakers' abilities to communicate nonetheless. The language of God is LOVE! I am so inspired by this experience to take my ability to communicate with hispanic people (who are so often overlooked) back to the U.S. and I hope this might inspire somebody to use their talents to serve where God is leading them.
¡Adios amigos, y Dios te bendiga!
Leisha Sitton
From Paul, in the dark with Rays on my eyes
Hey! This is Paul (Ray), this trip was my first mission trip ever. I found this to be one of the most meaningful experiences in my life. I always have prayed that God would find a way to use me in a way that could positively affect others. This was an answer to my prayers. I also dedicated this trip in honor of my wife, Annette as she always loved to help children in need and would always be willing to help anyone in anyway that she could. Not only did this mission reach out to children, it reached entire families and community. I've never seen such a need and a country of people that work hard for their families. They also show such appreciation for what this particular mission has done.
Last Day In Guatemala, By London Paulson
Today was our final day here in Guatemala. It was certainly the most emotional. We dedicated the houses to the families and prayed for their futures and relationships with God. There were two boys named Nahel and Elyong who I grew close to. Soccer is their passion, we played and played and played some more as their parents overlooked me trying to defeat two small dark skinned David Beckhams. The two boys were another reminder for me to maintain an open mind and an open heart. I am quite fortunate to have grown up in a loving family surrounded by a benevolent community in Wilmington. However, my experience in Guatemala has shown how others are not as fortunate. Tonight a member of our group mentioned how the indigents of Guatemala did not choose an impoverished life, just as I did not choose to grow up in Landfall by the sea. I was simply born into great opportunity, and strive to work as best I can with the cards dealt to me. Similarly, the Guatemalans have done the same even though they attain much less. They serve not only as an inspiration to myself but also to our entire group. Let this blog serve as a reminder of the copious blessings many of our congregation attain, and let it help to open the minds of the congregation. I look forward to sharing this experience with as many people as I can. The mission trip to Guatemala is one of the more humbling experiences of my life.
-London Paulson
-London Paulson
Jeff Troutman's work team in action
 |
| London Paulson working with Nahel on the front door of one of the houses |
Our Last Day
Today was our last full day in Guatemala. We took the opportunity to see some of the local sights and have a fun day. We went to an ancient Mayan village this morning. It was very interesting to see where the old temple was. There is a modern Mayan temple that is still in use that we saw as well. In the afternoon we went to Antigua to have lunch and do a little shopping. Right as we sat down to lunch the skies opened up and the rain poured down in sheets for about 30 minutes. It was amazing to watch the storm move over the mountains and into the valley. After lunch we took to the local market, which varied from flea market style shops to nicer shops.
Tonight we had our nightly devotional and everyone shared what impacted them the most this week. There were a variety of things that touched each team member's heart but overall everyone was impressed with the new home owners. Many team members expressed their amazement at sincere level of heartfelt appreciation and gratitude that the Guatemalans expressed towards us.
Overall it has been a great week. The time has absolutely flown by, but at the same time it seems like we have been here longer than a week. Looking back, so much good has been done in the last seven days to affect the local community. We were fortunate to be able to build 16 houses, distribute food to 75 families, pass out numerous soccer balls to children in the community, and bring countless smiles to the Guatemalan's faces. I know that every member of the team has been touched by their interaction with the Guatemalans. It is truly an honor to come to this beautiful country and show the love of God, through our service, to this community.
Thomas Varno
Tonight we had our nightly devotional and everyone shared what impacted them the most this week. There were a variety of things that touched each team member's heart but overall everyone was impressed with the new home owners. Many team members expressed their amazement at sincere level of heartfelt appreciation and gratitude that the Guatemalans expressed towards us.
Overall it has been a great week. The time has absolutely flown by, but at the same time it seems like we have been here longer than a week. Looking back, so much good has been done in the last seven days to affect the local community. We were fortunate to be able to build 16 houses, distribute food to 75 families, pass out numerous soccer balls to children in the community, and bring countless smiles to the Guatemalan's faces. I know that every member of the team has been touched by their interaction with the Guatemalans. It is truly an honor to come to this beautiful country and show the love of God, through our service, to this community.
Thomas Varno
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