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...