DONE

today is the last day at the campus. Me and caleb got up at 4am to drive to the airport and say goodbye to everyone. it was sad - i've lived day and night with thoes people for 5 months straight, and now i wont be able to see them for at least 3 weeks.
Calebs brother arrived this morning. tonight were grabbing a hotel in antigua, and then we're off to Tikal for a few nights. after that, not sure where were going.
My flight comes in at sea-tac airport at 2:30 am on june 25th. So ill see you all when i get back.
cheers

almost done

we are just starting our last week with Joann and Slava from trinity. We just finished our last week in our homes and the soccer playoffs in san pedro was yesterday. School ends in 11 days. Most of us are finishing off our gift shopping (sorry guys, but dont expect anything from me. i havent really been in the shopping mood). I've got plans to do the last few things that i havent done yet and feeling sorry for myself couse i have to leave guatemala. but at the same time, i've had enough school and im ready to leave the campus- and i cant wait to see all my family an freinds - and impress you with all my newfound maturity ( una buena broma)(aha).

for thoes who i havent told, me, caleb and his brother ( or "caleb, his brother and i" for all you critics) are taking a few weeks and traveling around central america. The plan is to head up tikal agian, then through the Yucatan in mexico, back down through belize, honduras , el salvador, and if i got time, Costa Rica.

Las Lisas

These are just a few pics from our trip to Las Lisas. and a ruin around antigua.

still alive

so i know its been a while since my last post, and i dont really have any good excuse, but i have been busy. After El Salvador we went back into our homes in san pedro and finished off our final papers and wrote our spanish final exam and did our final oral. For most of us, it went really well. We had a free day before taking off for tactic agian, so we decided to hike volcan Agua. Its not an active volcano, but it has an amazing view. It was 3700 meter up. I was feeling sick agian, didnt eat the day before and i didnt have any energy. i probably shouldnt have gone, but im glad i did. it was one of the hardest things i've ever done. I prayed for strength each step up. At the top, we couldnt see much, except for the clouds bellow us. But Fuego, the active volcano, was erupting nearby. we couldnt see it, but could definitly hear it erupting and rumbling.
We had to run down the mountain because we didnt want to get stuck in the dark. Comming home from santa maria, the town at the base of the volcano, was fun. no buses, taxis or tuk-tuk's were running. eventualy we found a guy with a truck who we paid to drive us back.
the very next day we left very early and sore for tac-tic. This time we didnt do as many kids ministry stuff, but we did a lot of painting and moved a lot of block. We painted the inside of a churh in tac-tic and the outside of a new school nearby and moved block into the back of trucks and then unloaded them at a construction site where they are building another school.
And good news. I went to the docter the other day, and he didnt think that i have a parasite, which means i should hopefully stay healthy. but i do have a cold, and i just gave it to everyone else here - suckers.
And we have some new freinds. there are 10 students from trinity who are living and taking classes with us. So its a big diffrence from 7 to 17 people on campus, but i think its a good change.

El Salvador

Ive been getting lazy with this whole blog thing.
Just a quik recap of the past few weeks. We've been working on our final exams and papers for Cross cultural communications, anthropology new testament survey and spanish. It was a lot of work and stress, but now im almost done everything and can look forward to new round of classes to do it all over agian. Last week we took off to El Salvador for the weekend just to relax. We rented a house to ourselves overlooking the beach. Some of us took surfing lessons, went swimming, almost drowned a few times -it was awsome. It was nice not to do anything but sit in the sun.
Now im back living in my guatemalan homes for a week and then off to tactic agian for a week.

Semana Santa

The past week was Semena Santa. Its a huge catholic holiday to mourn / celebrate easter. The 2nd largest semana santa celebation in the world happens every yeay in antigua. Thousands of people from all over come to see the processions and the parties in the streets. For almost a whole week, marching bands playing death march music follow behind these floats walk up and down the streets. Diffrent people and families sometimes spend a whole day creating eloborate carpets made of flowers, fruit and colored sawdust that the processions walk over.
Its was really impressive to see 80 - 90 guys carrying these massve floats that weigh several tons through the streets for hours - somehow it ties into the whole penence aspect of catholocism. The creepy thing was that everyone, including the spectators, wears black and even with thousand of people on the streets, everything is lmost silent. We tried to some street ministry stuff during the main night, but a bunch of catholic goons got really upset, so we had to leave. THe smoke in the pictures is the insence they burn ahead of the floats. Somtimes there was so much insence burning that you couldnt see the other side of the street.
Next thursday our group is going to el salvador to relax on the beach for a few days. should be nice, especialy since school has been so crazy lately.

"Driven from the mainland to the heart of the Caribbean"

yep, im still alive. Ive been away for a while. First living in homes and then on a trip to Tikal ruins and the Caribbean. But the trip went ok. Parts were good other parts were horrible. We left really early on wednsday morning. But the two days before the trip i got really sick I almost didnt go, but at the last second i changed my mind and jumped in the car. The 9 hour ride to Tikal was miserable. The next morning we went to the Mayan ruins. it was so much fun just to walk around and climb up the temples. Again, we got in trouble from security for climbing around on the wrong parts. i even threw up on the top of the biggest temple in central America – my proudest moment. allways seems like we never have enough time to spend at these places. we left from there and drove to the coast of Belize, on the Caribbean.
To stay in Guat we have to renew our Visas, which means having to leave the country for a while. Belize was a crazy country. Really threw me off when everyone spoke English. - there was also ton of asian people mennonites - something you don’t see where I live. On the coast, where we stayed, its all blacks. We were one of the few white people in the whole city. We took a boat out to a typical Caribbean island with white sand and palm trees and spent the day snorkeling in the reef.
The next morning we drove back into guatamala, and stayed at a place called Livingston. Its an island just off the coast of guatemala. the only way to get there is an hour long boat ride through rivers and around the islands - the whole area used to be where all the pirates would hide out and keep their treasure. you can still see pirate forts there. Agian, the whole city was black, except this are was a lot more touristy, so we didn’t stand out as much.
It was such an amazing trip, but i felt sick for most of it and couldn’t eat much – which is the only thing you do on road trips.

Ruins Ruins Ruins

I’ve got a lot to write about since its been so long since my last post. For the most part, its been a lot of the same. Homework, essays, go into Antigua for a white chocolate frost grande. But with Bob gone, and Spanish class finished we had no classes for almost a week. It didn’t mean less work because of the work from other classes, but it did mean we had a little freedom to do whatever.

Last Saturday we got up nice and early at 4 and spent 6 hours on a cramped shuttle to go to Copan in Honduras. We grabbed a hotel watched our first T.V. in 3 months (anaconda 2 in Spanish) and then checked out the Mayan ruin, which are a taste of what the ruins in Tikal will be like. Of course, we got in trouble from a Honduran soldier with a big gun when a few of us tried to climb a part of the ruins. At night we walked around the small town for a while. The next morning we went back to the ruins the check out the tunnels that run beneath the pyramids and temples, and then ran back to our hotel to catch our shuttle back again. It was an awesome trip, but would have been better if we had more time.

So now our group is off on a five day trip to Tikal to see more ruins very early in the morning again.. It’s a lot of driving and a few of us are sick. So it could easily be a horrible time – but we are praying it wont be.

never want to read agian

After we came back from tactic we had a short day to recover, and then we jumped straight into school again. Professor Ruth Anaya flew down from Trinity Western and taught us Anthropology 101 and cross cultural studies 302 in a ridiculous two weeks. We had three classes a day starting at 9 in the morning and usually ending at 9:30 at night, with time in between for an inane amount of reading, studying, homework and not much else.
On the 3rd, we had a field trip type thing to different place in Guatemala City. We first went to visit the slums that had grown around and in the Garbage dump. I felt awkward just going to visit without bringing any help, or even to visit anyone. After the slums we went to the Guatemalan Palace, their parliament buildings. The contrast from cornstalk homes to a palace with gold, marble and stained glass made us feel a little weird- but I think that was the point. After our first lunch at a Wendy’s in a few months we went to the Museum and art gallery. The museum was really cool. There were two thousand year old Mayan sacrificial alters and stone idols just lying around in the open. Could have spent a few days in there.
Then last Friday we went to a game farm a few hours from the campus. It was a self driven safari type thing for most of it – including all the lions, giraffes, hippos and all that- and a zoo for the monkeys and smaller animals. Its nothing like the zoos back home. Here I could lean out of the car and be within grabbing distance of the lions, Monkeys were just hanging around the picnic areas – all thanks to the lack of those animal rights groups.

I really enjoyed the classes, and I learned a lot, but im grateful for some time off now. It was a lot of late nights studying and reading, but now we have the weekend to sleep, and for those of us who are sick, to recover.

Tactic

Today we got back from the Tactic trip. It was tiring, but it all went well. The town is located to north of guat city in the mountains. The weather was a lot like home. Cold, wet and a little windy.
While we planned for 100 grade one kids for the vacation Bible School. What the school gave us was 101 grade 3,4,5 and 6 kids. So the program we designed wasn’t as good as it could have been. But we did it anyways. They seemed to really enjoy it. It seemed a little weird to see grade six kids doing songs crafts and coloring pages, but I think they enjoyed it and I hope they got something out of it.
We were treated like rockstars after the 1st day. When our van would pull up to the school, we could hear yelling and screaming, and then the kids would pour out of the tiny classrooms and come give us hugs and high-fives.
On the second last day at the school, we had an “alter call” ( or whatever you want to call it) and probably 40 kids rushed to the front to get saved. To be honest, I think most went only because we asked them to, but hopefully itll have a lasting impact on a few of them. –right now our group is trying to find enough Bibles to send up to them.

Most of the days, after we finished with the vbs, we would drive to a construction site where Impact Ministries is building another school. We dug a lot of ditches and moved thousands of pounds of blocks. Other days we would so home visits where we drove around the city visiting and dropping off food and praying for families that needed it. Another day we went to a hospital and gave out colouring pages and crayons the kids.

On our last day there, we went to this church high up in the mountains. It was a catholic church and a temple for the corn god combined. We watched Mayan priests give sacrifices to Jesus and the corn god – very weird and creepy. We also got to visit a coffee plantation.

On our way back to Antigua, we stopped at another Mayan temple. It was a giant sink hole that the Mayans use for worship and sacrifices. It reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was black and quiet except for the fires of the priest, which gave long shadows, and the echoing chants of the prayers. Gave me the creeps. I ended up pissing off one of the Mayan priest when a flash from my camera went off during his ritual. I thought it was funny – just hope nothing bad happens to me now.

So luckily we are all back safe, especially after the car rides. The roads here are small and windy and filled with old trucks. On the six hour car ride, we saw a bad brush fire, 3 car accidents and had a small landslide the shut down the highway for a bit, and had a semi hit the metal fender on our van. – a little scary, but I took some wonderful drugs, so I felt very calm the whole way.
It was a busy week. I loved the trip, but im glad to be back.

New baby nephew

Its been fairly relaxed around here the past week. Mostly taking spainsh and NT Survey classes. Yesterday we had a valentines day party with the whole group. i found it very ironic, especialy after everything that happend the past few weeks. A few of us listend to the Canucks game after- which was amazing.

On Sunday our group is leaving for a place called Tikal. Its a small town somewhere, and the 8 of us will be putting on a VBS type thing for over 1oo grade one kids. for a week. Its a lot of work planning for so many kids- so pray that it all goes well. After we finish with the kids, there is somekind of building project well be doing.

Its going to be fairly busy, so lets hope it all goes well.

Also, my baby nephew Cole was born on tuesday. sucks i cant be there to see him. He was born 3 weeks premature, so he' a little small, but well be playing football with him in no time.

Pikya hike

Today was our day off so we decided to climb volcan Pikya. Pikya is an active volcano, and when its really active, tyou can barely cllimb to the base, or otherdays you can climb right to the cone.

After an hour and a bit long car ride, we were partways up the volcano and had another hour and a half hike we came to the lava fields. The path up was really nice. It was through some dense forest, with some look out points where you could see the town bellow, some beautifal lakes and even all the way to guatemala city, which is miles away. - we really lucked out with a clear day. Jasmin and her boyfriend Chris rented horses to take them most of the way.

Before we even came to the lave fields, we could see some recent lava flows that stretch way down the volcano. The volcano itself was fairly active. lots of steam and falling rocks from the top, and some lava flowing from the sides, but nothing too extreem. Although, to get to the bases of the cone, you have to climb over these lava fields which are still hot. Some places, you could look down these cracks in the rock and see streams of lava flowing not even ten feet bellow your feet.

I saw a few people who stepped in the wrong place and melted the soles of thier shoes. I even roated marshmellows on thoes rocks.

The pure heat comming from thoes rocks was amazing. There would be a cool breeze, and then the wind would change and the heat would just hit you. We tried to climb over to the lava but the rocks were just too hot.

It was an amazing trip and i hope we can do it agian before we leave. Unfourtanitly, its the only active volcano in guatemala that we can climb, but were planning on a few more trips to other mouantins.

No more blog competition

I few things have happened since the last time I blogged. Dave and Shawn left to go back home, and a little bit of drama with our team. So it sucks that they can’t be here, but life still goes on without them.

It’s been a little slow round here since we came back from boot camp at San Juan. We said goodbye to Dave and Shawn on Friday. Saturday was a very relaxed day. I spent it hiking around Agua, by myself, but that’s ok. Sunday we went into Antigua and found a really good church called Vida y Fe. It was translated, which was very nice, and it somehow connected with YWAM, so there are lots of other people our age from all over the place.

Monday night we had our first earthquake. We could hear this rumbling coming, I just thought it was a big truck passing by, but then the room started to shake and the beams were creaking. Then a few minuets later it happened again. The radio said it was a 4.5 on the rictor scale, and that the epicentre was only a few kilometres from our place. –not huge, but enough to feel it.

On Friday our group will be going to our ministry sites. We each get to choose where we want to volunteer around this area. Some are teaching ESL to kids, some are going to a hospital in Antigua and Santa Maria. Jasmin and I are planning on going up to a school nearby and help building an extension on a school while Katherine helps teach a class there. I’m really looking forward to it.

On Saturday, our group is climbing volcano pikya. We wont be able to climb up very high like they did in other years, because lave is flowing down most of it, but that’s even better.

We’ve also been planning out tip to Tikal and Belize. Hopefully some snorkelling and maybe some kayaking – but well see.

So, it feels different with 2 of our 10 member team gone, but I don’t want to be anywhere else.

- pic of dave and shawn buying thier shuttle to the airport

Random pictures

I just thought i would post some pictures i have so you can see the everyday life.



Here is shawn doing the dishes while i slack off.







Us after our hike to church.

the view of san pedro from the base of volcan agua





Pictureof my house in san pedro







Our group at lunch




more to come...

Boot Camp

The past five days group was at a missionary "boot camp" at a small town called twoetuacos ( spelt wrong, ill edit it later). We got up at 5:3o Thursday morning for the three hour drive. I didn’t realize how high the elevation in Antigua was, until we drove east. We drove down hill for hours. First through the high mountains with all the trees and then though the low valley. As we got out of the mountains, it became hotter and hotter.

The area is covered by these high, steep ridges and valleys, and the town is located on the top of one these. The amazing thing is that people farm the sides of the valleys. The local joke is that if you drop your harvest, it rolls into your neighbors’ field.
So we spent the first three days starting construction on a family’s house. No one has cars, so it was a good 45 min walk to the construction site. It was hot and humid and digging trenches in the sun was exhausting. We were building a bathroom, kitchen, storage area, and digging a 12 foot deep septic tank for a family. I figures it would be no problem to get at least the trenches and the septic tank finished by the time we left, but you can only work so fast in that heat.
They warned us that if we weren’t always drinking water, we would get sick, but two in our group didn’t, and it wasn’t fun. We were up at 7 and working hard till 4. We would be in bed by at least 8:30, but usually earlier.
So on Sunday, we had a three mile hike into the next town to go to church. I felt kinda embarrassed when I showed up to church dripping in sweat and dirt, when the rest of the people we all dressed nice and clean. The whole thing was a little surreal, but on the way back, we stopped off at the Rio de Flores and I was baptized.

Somehow, Al, the missionary there, heard I wasn’t baptized and asked me if I wanted to be. At first I said no, but later it seemed like a good idea. I figured God had already called me to Guatemala, so why not a baptism. Don’t worry, Dave took hundreds of pictures.
After that, Juan Carlos came, picked us up, and we went to an island called Las Lisas, on the coast, almost in El Salvador. We walked onto a wooden ferry that took us to our hotel on the beach. It wasn’t fancy, but compared to where we were the few night before, it was amazing. We spent that night on the beach playing football and stuff, couldn’t go in the water because of the rip tide, but it felt good to be on the ocean.

The next morning some of our group woke up early to watch the sunrise ( not me) and we spent the morning boogie boarding and swimming. We really didn’t want to leave, but we got back in the van, and drove the three hours home just in time for another long Spanish class.

The entire trip was amazing. Made me wish I was doing more missions work here. Its hard to go back to studying when I know I could be back there getting stuff done, but maybe ill come back.

Dont ever drink the water

They warned all the students down here to not drink the water, and not to use anything but bottled water to brush your teeth. I figured that I usually have a strong stomach, and so when I ran out of bottles water at my home in San Pedro, I used some from their tap.
I really regret that.
So I haven’t really eaten anything over the past couple of days, and what I have eaten doesn’t stay down. The problem is that on Thursday the group is leaving for a mission’s boot camp near El Salvador. We’ll be hiking through the jungle carrying building supplies and building a bathroom for a community out there. I was really looking forward to this trip, but now I don’t know how I’m going to survive it. I’m praying that ill get better soon and get back my energy back.

Orphange

Friday is usually our missions day, and this time we went to an orphanage. The whole facility there was really impressive. 400 and some kids from a few weeks old to almost 20 all live on the one campus that holds schools, trade shops, clothing exchange warehouse, dentist, physiatrists, physiotherapists and a lot more. While they do a great job providing for the kid, their admitted problem is that the kids, especially the young ones, don’t get enough one on one attention. Which makes sense when there are 4o kids in preschool and only 4 or 5 adults. So we went up and got to play with them. At first the kids were a little shy, but by the end we each had a small pack of children wanting to play. It was hard to leave, but we all have the option of choosing to go back as our ministry site. I still haven’t decided where ill go.

Its been a while

January 15 – 20ish
hey yall
its been a while since my last post. I've been living with a family in San Pedro, so it was hard to get to a computer. Living in the Spanish homes was a great experience, but i have to admit that its really nice to be back home. I was surprised how hard it was to live with so many people and not being able to communicate properly. Usually after a lot of grunting, hand motions and some clever impersonations, we could understand each other. I'd love to tell you how many people lived in my house and what their names where but i have no idea. As far as i could figure out, three families and a bunch of friends all share houses, babysitting and cooking together. So it was always a guess as to which house to go to for food. At night I would go to bed and there would be a certain set of people in the house, and when I woke up there would be another set. They tried to tell who everybody was and which kid belonged to whom, but i never did figure it out.

The house was about a 15 - 20 min walk to the school, and we had to make three trips back and forth a day, which usually was a good thing because on the way is a place called a paneria. They sell these fresh baked pastries called pandulce that works out to 15 cents Canadian each. I might even gain some weight.


So we also finished our first week of regular school at the campus. In the mornings we have New Testament Survey class which has been interesting, even though i've already covered a lot of it in high school. Then we would go home for lunch and come back for Spanish class. Spanish has been slow going, especially since were working through a program called destinos. We start with a half-hour movie about some really hip 90's soap opera that teaches the very basics.

Yesterday we learned to count.

The class has been great for my self asteem, but other than that….

Anyways, im off for a nap in my hammock.

The pictures are of my family in San Pedro.

Im not sure how to say this...

Meet the new david.