Latin America Trip 2011-12: March 2012

Not sure what to all write about for the final post of Latin America Trip 2011-12! I’m sitting here in Abbotsford, B.C. trying to collect my thoughts and I’m finding it difficult to summarize 4.5 months of a warm culture that I felt very much at home in. And unfortunately for my friend Dana, she has to deal with the bulk of my re-entering Canada culture shock! So I thank her deeply for her patience with me J !!!

Some of the things we’ve seen in the last few weeks include a coffee tour at the Filadelfia coffee farm which does supply Starbucks with some of their coffee, a trip to Monterrico beach full of gorgeous (but scorching hot during the day) black sand, and watching Cuaresma processions in Antigua (Lenton season processions put on by the Catholic churches in Antigua).

We had the opportunity to go with Luis to a youth rally put on by one of the schools where over 900 students participated in activities and listened to different speakers giving testimonies and us, who gave a talk on sex and dating. For the talks, the youth were split into two separate groups, Luis took one group and Chris and I took the other to give them the talk! So that was a great experience thank Luis so much for the trust he put in us to give that talk!

Actually we have a lot to thank Luis for!!!!!! He went out of his way countless times to pick us up on his way to the schools, giving us opportunities to teach in his classes and for all of the translation he did for us, teaching us a lot about what is country is and how it works, and most of all for being an awesome friend and huge man of faith role model! We will certainly miss all of the jokes and laughs!!!

I don’t think I’ll write anymore here at this point. I would rather have a great conversation in person! So if you would like to hear more – I would love to chat with you!!!

A huge thank you to all of my extremely supportive friends and family over the last months for the encouraging words and the prayers!!! We went down trusting that if we opened ourselves up to be used in whatever God was doing in Guatemala, that He would provide opportunities for us, and He was more than faithful!!! And we feel so blessed to have had the chance to encourage and be encouraged by our fellow brothers and sisters in Guatemala!

Luis and his beautiful family!

The next batch of coffee trees to replace trees that are 15 - 20 years old

Coffee tree - red berries are ready for the picking

Drying the beans before roasting

Youth Rally Event

Monterrico beach

Carpet made by a store owner in front of his business for the Cuaresma procession to pass over

While Chris and I won’t be around to see the house in Santa Maria be completely finished, it was very close when we went for our last visit on Tuesday! The items left to complete are the bathroom, the pila (laundry/washing area), and the installation of doors and windows.

The family the house is being built for, and the guys we were working with were a joy to be around and we are so thankful for how they welcomed us, what they taught us about construction techniques and living in their community, how they welcomed us into their homes, their patience with our Spanish, and for all the laughs!!!

I certainly look forward to the day when I can go back and visit them! Definitely a huge learning experience on so many levels! When we said our goodbyes, it was very clear that the project isn’t only affecting the family getting the house, but the workers as well as they see the generosity poured out by the donors back in Canada!

The house itself should be finished by this coming Wednesday or Thursday (March 21/22)!!!