I have not been the best at this whole keeping up with my blog thing, so this is a little catch-up to what my life has been like the last few weeks. Sometimes, a teammate and I will look at each other in the midst of a breathtaking moment and ask if this is really our lives. Between the beautiful people and amazing places, I still feel the need to pinch myself. So here are random moments caught on camera, though there are so many more that I will never forget.
This is a giant pig my team stumbled upon while doing village ministry at Gracie’s in Honduras. It ate its fence post and attempted to devour all things held in front of its snout. I tried kissing it multiple times but soon realized that it was not a wise decision. The women who owned it laughed at us messing with their pig as they shucked corn and gave us the husks to feed him. He was a fun find.
The entire squad came together for a couple of days to do ministry in a village up in the mountains of Honduras in Choluteca. We all slept on the floor of a classroom and had meals prepared for us by the women of the community. The very first night, we were invited to church which was a “5 minute walk” from the school. We all set out soon to find that the 5 minute walk was really a 25 minute hike through the woods crossing through shallow streams and a river. A few cactus and barbed wire injuries later, we arrived at a small shelter they used as a church. It rained during our time there and when we began to return towards the school for much needed sleep, we found that the paths were flooded and our only option back to the school was wading waist-deep up a rising river. Although soaked, all ended well and I even got a few selfies in an umbrella hat out of it.
We unexpectedly had to leave Honduras a month early for Guatemala. The bus was planned to be picking us up around 12 but we didn?t actually leave until 5ish. There were communication and direction complications and we ended up having dinner at a small gas station. My food consisted of chocolate chip cookies, a blue Gatorade and a bag of Doritos. Yum. We stopped for the night near the Copan Ruins at a gorgeous hotel with hot showers and wifi. We couldn’t have asked for a better rest stop after hours on winding roads in a cramped school bus of 45 people and their person-sized packs. I haven’t had the best experience with travel days so far, but a broken down bus makes for a great photoshoot.
There were 3 Cerebral Palsy girls who lived at Gracie’s. Ivanna, Ericka and Shirley. They all had nannies but we had the opportunity to play with and feed them on house duty. Ivanna loved to walk and dance and be held. She had the most gorgeous eyes, her smile was contagious and if you laid with her long enough, she would get herself tangled up in your arms and cuddled around you. Ericka was the oldest and she loved when I sang to her (probably the only person ever) and she would lock eyes with me through the entire song. Shirley was the youngest and sickest. Feeding her took 2 hours per meal and was extremely messy. I loved holding her and seeing her rare comfort. Leaving Gracie’s ministry early was slightly heartbreaking. The CP girls definitely still have part of my heart back in Honduras.
After 2 days of exhausting travel by bus, we arrived in Antigua, Guatemala and were blown away with the city. A couple squad mates and I rented mopeds and took them up a volcano and around the streets of Antigua. The sights were astonishing and the views were like nothing I’ve seen before. Throughout the week of our stay, I spent a large part of everyday either on the back of a moped or navigating through the streets on one myself. It was such a touristy and slightly expensive thing to do but theres just something about motorcycles in the mountains and volcanos we couldn’t stay away from.
Part our ministry in Antigua was time spent at the Grandpa’s House. We bounced around from Grandpa to Grandma and all in between. Some of the gentlemen danced with us while the ladies watched and laughed. Their joy was apparent on their face when we walked up to their chairs and they chattered away. We played cards with the men who spoke English and they made jokes I didn’t completely understand. My teammate, Mackenzie, pranced around the entire home singing and dancing. I never thought I’d have so much fun at a home for people from a different country and 4 times my age.
The other part of our ministry in Antigua was volunteering at the hospital in the middle of the city. We were able to work with the Cerebral Palsy wing of the hospital. Over 50 female and male patients of all ages lined the walls of 3 rooms and my team slowly made their way from bed to bed to spend time with each person. The beds had bars around them to keep the kids from rolling or falling out. I couldn’t help but think it felt like cages. I didn’t know how often they were taken out and interacted with. Some of the patients yelled uncontrollably and others didn?t make a sound. One of the women sang “Happy Birthday” at least 20 times in a row. We played guitar, pushed wheel chairs, and talked to them. There really is no smile greater than the ones that come from people with Cerebral Palsy.
Now I am in a city on Lake Atitlan. There’s a wifi cafe a short walk from the property we are staying on. We get our own beds and piping hot showers. About 24 girls stay in the same room as I am in. (Thank you Lord for headphones and earplugs) Yesterday, we went cliff diving and every morning we wake up to the mountains and volcanos on the lake. It is so gorgeous here. I am already starting to feel at home again but I know we pick up in less than 2 weeks and head to debrief for 5 days, then off to the Philippines! If only one thing, this trip has taught me to take every moment and every place for all that it is worth and expect nothing less from this life of The Lord than constant moments that take your breath away.
