Only in Guatemala..

Mona and I are constantly catching ourselves marveling at our adventures in Antigua, Guatemala. It seems like every day, something hilarious or outrageous happens that leaves us thinking, "Only in Guatemala.." Tonight, while we were finally sitting down at 9:00 to eat dinner, we found ourselves discussing some of the most interesting things we've seen and experienced thus far. I thought I might share some of them with you-- some are more serious and inspirational.. others are just hilarious and weird. Regardless, happy reading! :-)

Only in Guatemala...
1.) El Ratoncito v. The Tooth Fairy? Forget about the Tooth Fairy visiting you-- El Ratoncito (The little mouse!) comes to visit kids to exchange their teeth for quetzales. We discovered this recently when one of Mona's sweet students lost a tooth and upon asking her if the "Tooth Fairy" visited her, she replied, "You mean the Mouse!??! Yes, the Mouse visited me last night and left me some money!" I don't know about you, but there's some magical and sweet about thinking a little fairy is delicately slipping under your pillow. As a kid, I think I'd be panic stricken thinking about a mouse creeping under my pillow in the middle of the night.. Although if that's what you're brought up to believe as a kid, I guess it isn't all that different from believing a human size bunny trots into your house every April. (If you want to read more about El Ratoncito, here's a great link!)

  

"El Ratoncito Perez"

2.) Guatemala as the Land of Eternal Spring? That's partially a lie. I don't know who dubbed this country like so, but it is far from the idyllic "Eternal Spring" weather that I was imagining. The only similarities that we've seen so far is that it rains allll the time (think "April showers..") and that it's almost always chilly in the mornings/nights like in March. To be honest, I can't completely figure the weather out: some days, I'm sweating like it's July, other days I'm sopping wet like it's April, others I'm wishing I had a parka because I'm so chilled. Apparently though, it's "winter" right now, which consists of temperatures between 55-75 degrees, so I'm definitely not complaining. :-) I just can't wait for the REAL spring to roll around!

3.) **BONUS ITEMS** in the grocery store? This is actually hilarious. Mostly, Mona and I shop at the fresh market, but when we go to the real grocery store here, La Bodegona, we always get a good laugh at the absolutely random things that are sold as *BONUS ITEMS.* Our favorite example is the "Free spatula with a purchase Goya black beans!" ............ What? We have now acquired about 20 *BONUS* spatulas that were casually adhered to the Goya cans with clear packaging tape.. Spatula, anybody?

4.) The humidity is out of control. Really.. it's crazy. We have a humidifier for the copier at school, but the moisture in the air continually dampens the paper and ink dispenser, causing "un astasco" (a paper jam) legitimately every other day. On top of that, I left some banana bread on our counter for less than a week, only to accidentally ingest a moldy slice without knowing it. Never will I ever again consume banana bread...

5.) The views are OUT OF THIS WORLD! First of all, the vibrant colors of the city buildings are preserved by law; shop owners are only allowed to repaint the shops their original color to preserve the ancient feel of Antigua (appropriately named..). This combined with the mostly brilliant blue skies and the panorama of volcanoes continually leaves us speechless. Even though we've been here for 2 months, there's not a day that goes by that I'm not just amazed by scenery. I've taken about 300 pictures of volcanoes alone at this point and not a single one does them justice. 

6.) Two Words: Las Pacas. Las Pacas comprise part of the fresh market, but consist only of clothing. Imagine TJ Maxx or Marshall's in American to the nth degree. Las Pacas have designer clothes, shoes, etc. at ridiculously cheap prices. I bought a Marc Jacobs dress there for 35Q (roughly $4.50) and found True Religion and 7 For All Mankind jeans there (each for about 50Q or $6 but unfortunately the wrong size :-(.) Everything is perfectly good quality-- mostly with tags, but somethings gently used. If Las Pacas were in the US, TJ Maxx and Marshall would certainly have a run for their money!

7.) Canons firing are like the heart beat of Antigua.  Mona and I honestly thought the city was under attack when we first got here, because these dang canons (or often, fireworks) are fired continually throughout the day, beginning as early as 5:30 in the morning and lasting well into the night. Every day. As we learned more, we found out that they're fired for celebratory reasons (birthdays, weddings, anything that calls for attention) and began to grow accustomed to them. Now, we hardly notice ever them and consider them to be like the city's heartbeat.

8.) Diet Coke does not exist here.  Okay, okay.. I know this isn't specific just to Guatemala. For the life of me, though, I cannot grasp why the US seems to be the only country in the world to have "Diet Coke" instead of "Coke Light." If you're unfamiliar with Coke Light, it's roughly the same flavor as Coke Zero in the States (which, if you're an avid Diet Coke drinker like myself, you know these are not the same!!) I've searched high and low for it, but have had to relegate myself to this lesser version of Diet Coke. Is it fair to say that I am eagerly awaiting a SPREE of Diet Cokes when I arrive home in December? :o)

My thoughts exactly.

9.) Iguana Tomato Smoothies.  Apparently, they're a delicatessen here? As Mona and I were shopping in the market last weekend, she was casually smacked in the back by a foreign looking tail. (If only I had captured her reaction...) To our surprise, the people were carving out the insides of a healthy sized iguana. Attempting to keep our disbelief under wrap (what the heck were the doing with this poor guy?!), we asked the Guatemaltecos what dish they prepared using the iguana. Very enthusiastically, they informed us that "Iguana Tomato Smoothies" are a delicious treat here and explained in great length each step of the preparation process. I'm all about trying to new things on this adventure, but that is way beyond my comfort zone! Yikes! 

Early morning trips al mercado.

10.) Machine guns at street corners are typical.  I almost don't think twice now about the heavily armed men throughout the city streets. They stand rather stoically at various spots around town, equipped with machine guns to protect the city's residents and visitors. While Mona and I are appreciative of these extra safety precautions, we always are asking each other, "What type of event do you think warrants the use of those big ol' machine guns?" Hopefully, we aren't ever around to find out. :-)

11.) Toilet Paper in the trash cans? This isn't really specific just to Guatemala but instead all of Central America. The septic systems here simply aren't equipped to handle TP in the toilets, so instead, every restaurant, shop, home, etc. utilizes little bathroom baggies for its disposal. You didn't realize how much you take for granted our complex septic systems in the US, did you? I will never take for granted this simple convenience ever again!

12.) When the clouds aren't out at night, there's an incredible view of the stars! It isn't entirely common to have clear skies at night here, but when you do happen upon a clear evening, it's hard not to lose yourself to the blanket of stars across the Central American sky. Just for fun, I looked up a map (click here to see it) of the light output across the world. If you zoom in and compare the light output on the eastern coast to Central America, specifically Guatemala, you'll notice that there just isn't generally as much light, which leads to a fantastic view of the night sky. Just walking back home tonight after Spanish lessons, Mona and I took a moment to see all the stars. Lucky girls we are, huh? :-)

13.) Traffic regulations are not enforced. Bear with me- there is a positive spin to this. Considering stop signs are viewed as "yield signs," seat belts are entirely optional, and passing on narrow, windy roads is like a free for all, I thought for sure I was going to witness a plethora of accidents- if not be in one myself!- while living here. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself..) Much to surprise, I don't think I've seen any. Generally, people are friendly and just wave to each other at the intersections to indicate which car will advance first. Drivers literally share the road by taking turns. It sounds strange (and trust me- I say this cheek and tongue because I still wear my seat belt shamelessly and would never be able to drive here without having a nervous breakdown..), but this system that they have really seems to work. The laws in Antigua actually prohibit honking your horn, in hopes that the city can be kept as tranquil as possible. Compared to other places that I've been, I have to say I've definitely been pleasantly surprised with the driving here!


Well, there ya have it. 
The top 13 things that we've marveled at since arriving here- the beautiful, the strange, the downright appalling (Iguana Tomato Smoothies? COME ON!), and more! Some of these things make me appreciate the luxuries that we consider to be staples in the US, but others make me realize how seriously blinded we are by all the stuff that we are engulfed in. Despite the hilariously odd and unusual things that exist in this city, I continue to believe that Antigua truly is a beautiful place with so many incredible things to take in! 

Missin y'all at home. All my love!

xoxoxo*KEB

Hard to believe

Hard to believe that school will officially be in session on Monday!

After what has felt like nearly a month long vacation here in Antigua, I must admit.. Settling into a more permanent schedule sounds kind of tempting. (I know, I know..  I'm going to completely regret saying that by the end of next week..!) This past week, Mona and I attended teacher work days at the Christian American School and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the other teachers, learning about the school climate and expectations, and just over all getting back into the swing of teaching. Before the work days started, I had a few definite moments where I thought to myself, "Wait, I have to teach? But I kind of like this life of leisure.. strolling through the city streets at 1 in the afternoon, making spontaneous coffee dates, sleeping in until 9:30.." However, the moment I stepped back into a school setting, any of those lingering feelings of reservation were immediately ameliorated. :-) I'm going to be teaching 14 first graders-- 11 boys and 3 girls! I've always joked that I would love to have more sons than daughters one day, but THIS ratio of boys to girls is a litttttle outrageous. I can't wait to see how the dynamic plays out.. Without a doubt, there will be many funny stories to come! In addition to my 14 first graders, I also will be teaching a section of 5th grade math (which, ironically, is the exact subject and grade that I taught during Summer School through CCPS! I love when things work out like that! :-), as well as a section of Beginner ESL (English as a Second Language) for students in grades 5-8. As completely and utterly ECSTATIC as I am about getting to know all of my 1st grade monkeys and the rest of my kiddos, there are a few things that I've been thrown off a little by.. Teaching at a Guatemalan school, although its curriculum is based off the Common Core standards and California state standards, is definitely not 100% what the Curry School (or really, any of my respective education) has prepared me for.

1. Language Arts is scheduled for about 45 minutes each day.  .......(cricket)....... Yep, you heard me. Considering I'm teaching first grade, and literacy and writing are about as important as subjects come in this grade, my mind is boggled as to how I'm going to set up such a short Language Arts period. Forget about Guided Reading as we would normally think of it-- the school doesn't provide us with (and I surely didn't bring) multiple copies of leveled readers. And Word Study? Unless I want to make up my own word lists, you can forget that, too. Even independent reading is difficult! There's no way I could pack a small library of sorts in my already overflowing suit cases (seriously... I meant it when I say "overflowing"), and while CAS has a wonderful supply of books to offer, it doesn't have quiiiite enough to truly equip each room with it's own "library." It's actually all kind of humorous to me. I went to a great school, got an amazing degree, and now am starting virtually at the ground up, incorporating only tidbits of what I learned into my Language Arts block.. (Sorry, Smolkin!)
2. Because we all live in Antigua and teach in ciudad San Cristobal, which are about 30 minutes apart, all of the teachers arrive at and depart from CAS together. Don't get me wrong- I really enjoy taking in the scenery during the car rides to and from (or at least those that I manage to stay awake during..) and everyone's wonderful company! My only reservation is simply that I know myself and my inclination to arrive to school early and stay late to do work isn't really conducive to arriving at 715 (when the kids come at 730) and leaving at 345 (when the kids leave at 320). Maybe, though, this is a blessing in disguise preventing me from otherwise camping out at the school day in and day out......... which I sadly could see myself doing.
3. In general, resources are scarce. Like I said, there was just no feasible way to bring down many resources. Similarly, I am refusing to let myself (though I do feel slightly tempted to..) buy a bunch of stuff down here, that I know I won't be able to reuse in the future. I literally made everything in my class by hand (the calendar? yes. the name tags? yes. the behavior management plan? yes. ev-er-y-thing.) I don't say this to complain, but only because I worry that with the limited time I have at school, I won't always be able to, on a whim, craft by hand these items that I otherwise, in America, could go out and quickly purchase. Makes me so appreciative of these conveniences in the States!

On a positive note, there are so many things about teaching at CAS (or perhaps just in a private school in general) that I am LOVING! (I figured I'd start with the "low" notes and end with the "highs." :-)

1. Seriously never realized what I was missing out on (as both a student and a teacher) when I attended/taught at public schools. Obviously I received an incredible education in public schools and am a HUGE advocate of them, but man oh man... it is just so great to be able to talk about faith so openly and not have to worry about putting such an important part of your life on a "shelf" when you step into the workplace. We started off every teacher work day with a prayer, followed by a staff devotion. Some days, our Director (who interestingly enough attended Liberty University!) lead the devotion and other days a staff member lead it. Mona and I had the opportunity to share on Friday and I think I speak for both of us when I say it was a really great experience. Even as I decorated my classroom today, I was keenly aware of the fact that I was hanging things on my walls that otherwise wouldn't be acceptable in public schools. (For example- the sunshine that I have hanging in the front center of my room that reads, "Smile - Jesus loves you!" ... Somehow, I don't think that would fly...) Suffice it to say, I love, love, love that my faith can coexist so naturally in my workplace and am not taking a single second of it for granted. :-)
2. The people. Every single person I've met so far has been such a bright light. We've all been out after school a few times together, and the group just meshes so well together. Here's a few of the teachers from when we went out Tuesday night together to Mono Loco

Urian, Moriah, and Lanae 
Taken at Mono Loco (which, by the way is owned by a UVA grad!)

 The magically disappearing nachos we indulged in. Now you see them..

Now you don't. ;-)

andddd... one final gem from the back of our tuk-tuk escapade.. 
Erin (sorry for only getting half of your face!), me, Mona, and Julie

 Ms. Walker with sweet Abby and Dulce
(Side note: Don't our classrooms look like something pulled straight out of Little House on the Prairie? They are so fun!)

Mr. Smith getting settled into his 4th grade classroom. :-)


3. The FREEDOM from STANDARDIZED TESTING! (I hate to rub it in.. but I know I'll be back to the US in a year and will be right along side y'all!) It's so nice to use the state standards as a guide for instruction but not be absolutely wedded to them. Also, what a relief it is to know that my worth as an instructor at the end of the year is not going to be measured by the statistics of a single assessment. Was this what teaching used to be like?? Hard to believe that teaching used to exist beyond the pressures of testing... I pray that one that day the US will see something similar to this, because it really is so liberating!

I think that's it for now. I'll update more after school is underway to let y'all know how much 11:3 boy to girl ratio is working out. ;-) Also, Mona and I are hoping to add on salsa lessons to our Guate cultural events in the near future, so that should be a ton of fun. We are definitely not feeling "bored" any more- between Spanish lessons three times a week, church events, teaching every day, making time to actually socialize with new friends, and (hopefully!) soon salsa lessons- we really are trying to take advantage of everything possible! As always, thank you for supporting and encouraging me throughout this adventure-- it sounds cheesy, but hearing from y'all really does make my day. As much as I'm loving every second of this phase, I love just as much- if not more- knowing that life outside of this adventure still has a place for me. :-) This week, would you mind praying for Mona and I in the following ways: continued trust in the Lord that He has a great plan for us (despite constant little bumps in the road that often make us lament about our conditions.. ha), patience (as there are still many kinks to work out with planning, scheduling, and executing this upcoming week), and finally, through it all, to share His love with those with whom we're interacting (students, fellow teachers, new friends, strangers.. the list goes on. :-).

All my love!

Poco a poco.. (Little by little..)

Poco a poco is the theme of this post. :-) Allow me to explain the reasons why..

1.) Spanish lessons

It began with Mona and I starting Spanish lessons this week at a wonderful school, "La Academia Sevilla." We both hit it off incredibly well with our maestros; Jenri, my teacher, is the absolute sweetest-- so patient with all of my remedial Spanish errors and overall reluctance to confidently speak what Spanish I (should) know. He has taught at Sevilla for nearly 12 years, has worked with students from all over the world, and lives nearby with his wife and two children who are about my age. From what I've gathered, Jenri just seems like a very wise man with a genuinely wonderful heart. Tuesday was my first day of class with him and about half way through my lesson, he asked me what should have been a very simple question: "What exactly do you want to accomplish during your lessons with me?" I thought about this for a few moments. What did I want? I know all of the grammar forms; maybe I could use a review? I know enough vocabulary to thrive in the city; maybe I could benefit from a more specialized vocabulary? I even know some idioms- but maybe I should learn some more "lenguaje de la calle" (street Spanish)? None of these reasons seem to really hit the nail on the head. Why am I here? And then it came to me. It is so frustrating to me to have so many things I want to say but am unable to successfully convey. What I basically told Jenri is that I just want to be able to feel like myself. I want to be able to express myself, and I want to feel like I have a personality when I speak Spanish. I explained that I feel like my English identity is virtually nonexistent because the things I would normally say in my first language come out sounding simplified and immature in my second language. My "voice" isn't really conveyed, because although I can communicate sufficiently, I can't add the same expression that I otherwise would in English. Instead of being my normal chatty self, my Spanish self seems shy, reserved, and just generally watered down. Jenri just chuckled a little bit, smiled at me, and said (in Spanish, of course), "Come here.." Curiously, I leaned forward a bit across the table at which we were sitting, as though he was going to reveal to me the answer, the key, the resolution to my lack of voice and expression. He drew closer to me and whispered, "Poco a poco, Cristina.." (Side note: Nobody here can quite master "Kristen" so I have been officially dubbed "Cristina.") It struck me that he was right. I desperately want to accomplish so many things here in Antigua-- my Spanish skills being one of them-- and I've gotten very quickly discouraged with not seeing results quickly. It has been TWO weeks, I have reminded myself.. What kind of time schedule do I think I'm working on here?! Perhaps instead of talking so much, this is my opportunity to listen-- to hear others' hearts and simply respond with my actions rather than limited vocabulary. I'm still trying to figure it all out, but I can't help but wonder how much more I'll be able to hear when I'm not so busy trying to speak... It's interesting to me that it has taken learning a second language for me to realize that maybe there is a season for talking and a season for listening. I never had really considered this so literally in my first language (or ever metaphorically...), because I took having the opportunity to converse so easily for granted! Clearly, I need to take these early weeks in Guate as my opportunity to just listen.

La Academia Sevilla

(Next post, I will try to post a picture of Jenri and me!)

2.) Friendships

We started off in Antigua knowing nobody. And by nobody, I literally mean no-bo-dy. For two girls who are normally social butterflies, Mona and I felt like social outcasts for a while there. (Hence why we bought Cheeky.. we legitimately needed some form of companionship and were willing to settle on a chicken!) It has been so incredible to begin forming relationships with people in Antigua, poco a poco. Despite sometimes wondering why we came so early to Antigua before the start of the school year, Mona and I have really embraced it as an opportunity to get together with new friends each day-- we can't imagine trying to meet/make friends after the chaos of school has begun, so this time has truly been a blessing! We have made a concerted effort to follow up with virtually every person we've met (this is not a joke.. haha) and have spent the better part of this week going on coffee or dinner dates, getting to know people from Sevilla, Iglesia del Cristo, and other places around town that we frequent! At times, I still feel a bit lonely and miss my "people" back in the US, but I know there are so many wonderful people here who have already opened their hearts to us who deserve our love and energy in return. I can't wait to get to know them (and others!) more in the coming days, weeks, months.. year?! (Still is crazy to me that I'm here for a year.. haha.)

3.) Understanding the Lord's will for us here

While I'm perfectly fine with still not understanding how best to continue following Him, there have already been so many little things that the Lord has revealed to Mona and me that are so exciting and refreshing. Here are just a few that have been on our hearts and in our discussions the past week or so:

• He has shown us exactly those things that we need and those that we don't. 
• There are so many things that I've subconsciously thought were just  "part" of me that I already see as so dispensable. I feel like I've already been stripped of so many material things-- for safety reasons, I never wear jewelry anymore (in fact, I look sort of like a hippie with my multiple braided/ beaded bracelets that I now wear in place of my previously staple silvers and golds), my blonde hair is an afterthought as I'm now an au natural mousy brown, any "fashion" I used to pride myself in is sort of a joke now, as the goal here is definitely more to fit in rather to stand out (also for safety purposes). Even down to the food we're eating, we're getting just what we need and nothing more. (We actually had a PBJ the other day and Mona and I both swore it was the best PBJ we'd ever had in our lives, because we've just been living off of organic vegetables, fruits, toast, and the occasional coffee or dessert (!!!!) when we go out.) At Bible Study on Thursday night, our Pastor, Raul, discussed manna (very bland, plain bread that the Israelites lived off of while traveling to Egypt) and Mona and I quietly laughed to ourselves thinking about our modern day, manna-like diet, haha. Also for example, I mentioned earlier how I felt like my outgoing, bubbly nature was part of my identity .. Clearly, I was wrong because that can easily be taken away, too! It's crazy to me to think about all the things (and so many more than I didn't even mention) that I've felt like defined me that actually have nothing to do with my true identity. I actually feel so purified and refreshed without so many of these things that only a month ago I believed to simply be part of my life and part of who I was as a person. You think that your identity is in Christ until all of your "familiar stuff" is stripped away and you realize how much you previously relied on it, without even consciously knowing it. (That's, at least, how I've seen it. :-)) I've got to say... it's liberating to live beyond those confines.
• God is soo big.
• I know, I know.. you're thinking, "Well, of course He is..?" Seriously though, He spans all geographic borders, all cultural norms, all language barriers (thankfully for me :-)), all personality types, ev-er-y-thing. Mona and I are sitting in Bible Study last night, studying the similarities between Passover and and Christ's sacrifice (in Spanish, mind you), singing "La Sangre de Jesus" (sound familiar? It's "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.."), and it kind of just hit me.. God is the same everywhere. He is always working, everywhere, and people all over the world share in the same amazement and understanding of Him. Despite my sometimes getting lost or confused in everyday conversation, the messages at church have consistently been clear to me. Our pastor read a verse from Mateo (gotta love the Spanish-named books of the Bible, haha) tonight and even though I hadn't caught exactly what chapter or verse it was, I immediately recognized it to be about communion and could find comfort in the knowledge that I knew we all shared, despite it being presented differently than what I was used to. And listening to a group of people passionately sing hymns in another language? Pretty dang cool, I must say.
• He works on His time.
• I have heard this before many time, but really... I'm seeing this play out. He is working poco a poco on my heart and in my life.. and there is no beginning or end to His work. For no reason should I expect the Lord of Lords, Creator of all things in this world, the Author of Salvation to give me a play by play of what He is doing.. Clearly, He's got it all under control and I have the gift of sitting back and enjoying every season that He gives me (even my listening season), because I know He works for the good of those who love Him. :-)

So..

Mona and I both have agreed that there is no way that we are not going to grow- in every sense of the word- over this upcoming year. Our growth- linguistically, spiritually, physically, professionally and mentally- will not be overnight but rather poco a poco. 

What are you eager for that the Lord may be working on "poco a poco?"

I promise more pictures next time and less of a soap box! (I think I got a little carried away towards the end.. haha. Just things that have been on my mind!)

All my love!

Well, here I am.

First of all, I really have no idea how to "blog" and am sure that my page looks catastrophic to all you expert bloggers out there. I promise I'll give this page a more aesthetically pleasing feel when I have more time. :-) I just have too much to write and not enough time to decorate!

First thoughts upon arriving.. (There are so many, so hopefully I articulate this in a logical, comprehensible way..)

1. I want to hike the volcano.

First things first. On a silly note, I was set on hiking Volcan Pacaya with my dad while he was visiting with me. Despite Mona and I having to visit AND sign a contract for an apartment in the 3 days while both of our parents were here, I was determined that somewhere during his visit, we would make this hike happen. My father is a bit of a daredevil and always is up for a little bit of adventure, so I knew this hike up Pacaya would be the perfect last little hurrah before we said goodbye until December. We embarked on Saturday morning at 6am with Antigua Tours (side note: we almost got left behind because we forgot out ticket in our hotel-- this was in true Barnes-fashion, I must declare!) and rode by private bus for about an hour and a half to Pacaya. Upon arriving at the base of Pacaya and simply opening the sliding door of the van, we were INUNDATED (and I mean inundated!) by little Guate children who were about to jump in the van themselves to offer us hiking sticks. I have never seen so many little children at once (probably about 20-25 little ones) trying to sell sticks ("bastones"). Clearly I'm getting overwhelmed at the very sight of all these kids (how can I possibly pick which one to buy my stick from!??!) so Daddy very concretely points at "you" and "you" and pays them 5Q each for a walking stick. They all scatter away to the next van that's pulling in, and my blood pressure begins to return to normal.... Ohhh, they were so cute. Roni, our guide, leads us up Pacaya, which was a rigorous but do-able hike for the most part. The only challenging part was the dang backpack that Daddy and I decided to bring (for water, my camera, rainwear, all the essentials) that legitimately weighed as much as a small child. We tried to take turns carrying it, and the hike up was always much more enjoyable when your turn with the bag came to an end. The views were insane-- so breathtaking-- and I couldn't help but be amazed by all of God's beauty in this very unfamiliar place. You could see towns for miles and miles, mountains and other surrounding volcanoes, clouds slowly rolling in.. Roni even said you could even see the coastline to the east, but apparently my -5.00 vision wasn't quite up for that.. Literally the most stunning views ("vistas") you can imagine-- sorry Humpback Rock, this was in a whole new league! Daddy and I had lunch at the summit, roasted some marshmallows, took some pictures, and even  met some new friends from Tennessee (small world, right?). We were very glad that we opted for the 6am hike, because by 10:00 or so when we began our descent, clouds were already rolling in over the summit, obstructing the view for those who were just about to reach the highest point!

 Ready to go!

 Sweet Daddy offering me a hand, as we hiked through the volcanic rock! Also, note the backpack he was wearing-- that thing was no small feat!

The ultimate view of all Guatemala. We Made It!!!!

Clouds rolling in before my eyes c. 10:00! Very cool.

2. Am I really doing this? 

Despite having talked with friends about coming to Guatemala since April, graduating in May and publicly announcing my decision to come, and literally preparing everything (from medical vaccinations to bank accounts to footwear) all summer long, I somehow mentally did not prepare myself for the fact that I am living here for a year. I've told a few friends this already (sorry for repeating myself to those of you who I have already told), but I think I knew I would be overwhelmed by all the changes, I knew I'd be tired from the language barrier, I knew I'd be scared of this big, new place, I knew everything. I just didn't yet feel those things before I got here-- I suddenly feel emotionally and physically overwhelmed, I  feel exhausted from the language barrier (my Spanish major is only carrying me so far..), I feel unnerved when I walk through unfamiliar parts of town. So many feelings that I just did not (and perhaps could not) prepare myself for. I have to wonder if the Lord gave me a sort of shield leading up to my arrival that really alleviated all my worrying about this experience-- if you talked to me in the weeks leading up to coming, I was more worried about darkening my hair than I was moving to a new country! (Yes, yes.. those worries are almost comical now, I know.) I definitely still have lots of "Am I really doing this?" moments (some days I wake up and wonder, "Where am I?"), but through my prayers and lots of wonderful friends' prayers, I think some of the feelings of being overwhelmed and terrified have subsided a good bit. :-) Hopefully that just keeps getting better!

3. What do we do here until school starts?

Mona and I have said repeatedly, "Why on Earth did we come down here so early?" We came down with over 2 weeks to get acclimated to the area before school started. At the time, it was a great idea. We wanted to get our bearings and "explore" the area. In hindsight, I would maaaybe have waited a little bit longer to come down. It's definitely nice to not feel rushed before our Teacher Work Days start (9/3), but we're still desperately trying to get plugged in down here and make a group of friends. We really want to make some connections with local Guatemalans and not fall into the comforts of an English-speaking circle, but becoming real "friends" with people we don't see regularly has been a bit of a struggle. Fortunately, today we were able to attend a church service that we were invited to by a very sweet couple, Glenn and Neva, that we met in La Bodegona (the grocery store). We attended La Iglesia de Cristo (Church of Christ) and were so pleased with how welcoming and hospitable EVERYONE was. It really goes to show how much of a difference it can make when you go above and beyond to welcome newcomers to church! After the service was over, at least a dozen people came over to Mona and I to introduce themselves-- among them, I met a nice guy, Emilio, who recently became a Christian and just got baptized last week, who offered to introduce Mona and I to some of his friends. Yes, please!! Necesitamos unos amigos! We went to lunch at Sky Cafe after church with another friend, Jennifer, and Glenn and Neva. Mona and I have decided they might have to be our parents away from home- they really are that great. :-) So nice to know there are genuinely wonderful people out there in the world who will happily just take you under their wing, no questions asked.

Me, Neva, Jennifer (American, also!), Mona, and Glenn after church at Sky Cafe

On top of church, Mona and I are actively seeking out Spanish classes in hopes of a.) improving our Spanish (seriously, don't know how I survived the whole Spanish major and still get legitimately tongue-tied when trying to say a simple Spanish sentence!) and b.) meeting some new friends. Most of the Spanish schools down here offer cultural events, like Salsa lessons or walking tours of the city as part of their program. (Sign us up!) We really want to get entrenched in the culture and learn as much about the Guatemalan way of life as possible while we're here. It would be too easy to stay in an English-speaking, American bubble-- we're already feeling the axis draw us in!

Oh, one other thing that we've dedicated ourselves to-- a baby chick, "Cheeky," that we brought home from the market yesterday. I know, I know... We've lost our minds. You're probably right. But when a whole box of little furry chicks are peeping at you in hopes that they'll be one you select out of the masses, you can't say no. (This, at least, was my mentality.) Anyway, Cheeky provided us with a lot of entertainment last night, as we bathed her and blow dried her warm. We bought her a little home with corn meal for her to eat. So far, she's been a good pet, but her late night peeping is getting a little excessive... We'll re-evaluate her membership in our family in about a week... :-)

 Mona and Cheeky

Congraaaatulations on your new.. baby..  chick?

4. God, what do You want from me here?

I've found myself wondering a lot, "Why did You call me here?" So far, I feel relatively useless-- I can hardly communicate, I don't know many people, and my energy level to really get out and pursue people is low. (I got realllly sick the day my dad left, was unable to get out of bed for almost 4 days, and according to my Doctor from home, likely have a recurring (3rd time) case of mono. Awesome.) I don't want to let any of this stop me from following His plan (still figuring out exactly what that is...), but some days are disheartening when I don't feel like I've done anything at all to His glory! I'm trying to be diligent in prayer and just use this time to grow closer to Him, to trust Him, and not rely on what I do to define me but rather who I am. A lot easier said that done... Coming down to Guatemala was one of the biggest callings I've ever felt in my life and I can only pray that the Lord will continue to show me what exactly it is down here that He wants me to see/experience and how exactly He wants to use me. 

Will update more soon -- until then, would you mind praying for the Lord to continue comforting Mona and I during this big transition (specifically to alleviate some of the worries we still are feeling) and to give us direction as to how to continue serving him?? Thank you, as always, for your support through prayer-- means the world to me! :-)

All my love!