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!
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