Slowing Down to Serve God

Antigua was filled with old buildings like this one.  It was like walking through
a history lesson.

I am guilty of sometimes rushing through things without really taking care to pay attention to the small details.  I think we are all a bit guilty of this at times.  My journal for this day was very poorly written with many spelling and grammatical errors leading me to think one of two things; I was either very tired when I wrote it or; I hurried through it.  God sometimes gives us a lot all at once and we tend to prioritize things according to our own desires and somethings we simply rush through to get them off our list.  While the Mission Team was in VHII it was simple for me to find time and space to write in my journal, but being in a hotel in  the middle of a bustling city seemed to make it harder for me to make the needed time. 

Since returning from Guatemala I have tried not to load my plate quite so full, but alas, my professional life has stacked up and over the last little while my writing has taken a back seat.  I guess that is one of the things about writing that I enjoy...the paper is always there waiting and can wait until I feel inspired.  In Guatemala every thing was inspiring and I made time to write it down.  I have left in the spelling and grammatical errors for this entry and underlined them.  I hope that it will stand as a reminder that I need to slow down.  I need to make God my first priority even though he will always be there when I need him, he deserves that small sacrifice after all his son Jesus sacrificed for us.

May 31, 2010

The frustration of not being able to get home has subsided a bit this morning but I still wish we could get home sooner then Friday.  I was glad to be able to talk to Seth this morning and I hope it put his mind at ease.  Michelle was very grateful for the call as well and was very supportive after I confessed about being a bit guilty feeling for being here.  She told me to try and make the best of the situation and to keep on serving.

Visually stimulating reminders of the area's stong tie to faith
existed in every park and on every street corner.

While I talked to Seth the team members who were present started to cry.  I "cowboy'd up" and kept my emotions in check.  Seth was his cheerful self and told me a story about a new Dollar Store toy.  Then told me he loved me and missed me.  That is when the team got tear eyed.

Breakfast was late as J.D, L, and DM slept in this morning.  Ray, Chris, and Domingo went early to Guatemala City to check on flights.  So with Kara as our guide we went to "Pollo Campero" for a late brunch.  "Pollo Campero" is like our "KFC" but with a nicer atmosphere and a small desert menu.  We teased Wendy O as she constantly was on her I Pad while we ate chicken and fries.  Over the past two days I have ate alot an probably gained back any weight I lost in VHII.

This had to be one of the coolest places to grab an ice cream
or a cup of tea.  You could sit and people watch all day.

After lunch the team split up with the gals going to the spa while the guys toured the market again.  I picked up a few more things for Seth, Shaylee, & Michelle, and improved my dickering skills.  They still pale in comparison to JD however who Wendy used consistently to get her goods and good prices.

When we returned to the hotel Chris, Ray, and Domingo were back.  Ray had a sample of the ash with him.  It was more sand like than I expected it.  I figured it would be a soft, flake like, material.  I took time to send emails to work and send my regrets to Council for missing tomorrow nights council meeting.  It was a relief to learn that Chris and Megan still have plenty to do but I'm not looking foward to all the work I'll have to do when I return to work.  I'll owe a ton of time.

I loved the contrast that the old, crumbling, dirty, buildings had
created with the well manicured, clean, gardens and lawns.

Our insurance will be covering us for up to $700 for our expenses during our delayed stay.  The church has provided us with some cash to cover these expenses upfront and when our claim is returned we can pay the church back.  This is good because Michelle and I didn't really have any funds to allow me to comfortably stay here any longer.

Supper again was at the "Estancio" steak house and I had an "Incredible Cheeseburger" and it lived up to its name.  After supper I walk with Wendy and Bernadette to the bank as thier security.  They were getting a large amount of Quetzels for the team.  Later we played cards and chatted about our plans to help out "Common Hope Hostel" in the morning before going to the Pacific coast in the late afternoon.

Dickering on Faith and Discussing Faith

Jordan was a genious at bartering with the shop vendors.

It has been sometime since I was able to upload my journal entries from my Guatemala Mission Trip.  It isn't that I am losing interest in posting these updates but rather a case of getting extremely busy at my job.  I work as a Project Manager for a non-proift watershed committee and this is our busiest time of year and so my spare time is more sparse than spare.  It was partially my chosen career though that helped lead me to this Mission journey and the Mission has, I think, also allowed me to perform some of my job tasks with a greater clarity.  In my previous post I commented on the litter and trash that flowed down some of the rivers in the wake of Tropical Storm Agatha, well coming up at work, I will be organizing a shoreline clean-up, and though I have done this before I now have a great understanding of how important such a simple task can be.

As I wrote this journal entry we were safe and sound in a hotel in Antigua, but emotionally it was a stressful situation.  I wanted to be on the road home and yet I wanted to help those suffering around me.  It was a bit confusing with the uncertainty with our flights and such.  The day was still inspiring though as we explored the beautiful streets of this tourist city.

The cobble streets of Antigua along with the old style, colorful buildings
gave it an incredible charm.  I wanted to walk and explore every street.

March 30, 2010

We awoke to a nicer day today.  The tropical storm, Agatha, had dissipated much quicker than anticipated and thus the weather was actually nice.  This was the day we were supposed to visit the market and shop for souvenirs for friends and family, so that is what we did.  Before hitting the market though we had lunch at an amazing restaurant called Don Louisa.  The walk there was amazing as this City is very colorful in day light.  Old buildings, cobble streets, cozy shops, bright colors, and immense mountain back drops.  The most dominant mountain is actually a volcano and was impressive as it stood high over the City and was often shrouded by clouds.  It made me slightly uneasy given the events of the previous couple of days.

The view from the top of the Hotel we stayed at in Antigua.  This was one
of three very noticeable volcanos.

The restaurant was almost as impressive as the volcano, with many great photos of various genres decorating the walls.  Pictures of North America made me homesick.  The dining area was divided into many small areas but hardly any seats remained when we arrived.  We managed to find a small room in the back with enough seats to sit us all and I enjoyed traditional pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  I also decided to have a chocolate milkshake, as I have been craving ice cream.  The shake was so good, I had two.

After breakfast we returned tothe hotel to check on our flight status.  It was confirmed that we have flights booked for Fridaay.  Not really happy about the situation as I need to get home for work and I miss Michelle, Seth, and Shaylee like crazy, but there is nothing I can do about it.  We are truly in God's hands at this point and I pray that an earlier flight materializes.

The market was a wild experience, one I really enjoyed ironically.  Shopping is not my forte but interacting with the local vendors was really cool.  The dickering over prices was a learning experience that will not soon be forgotten.  To see this cultural practice and live it was awesome.  I was surprised, after I made my first transaction, how simple it was.  The vendors were very persistent, especially with the North American clientele, but it is their livelihood so you can't blame them.  I think I managed to get some good deals and I hope Michelle likes what I got for her.  I spent less than $150US and got presents for Michelle, Seth, Shaylee, Mom, Dad, Wendy, and Nancy.  The great thing about that is, I think I paid a fair market value for what I purchased.  That, we were told, is important as we do not want to increase market values for the vendors local clients.

After the market we went to the City Square.  this was similar to Saint John, NB's Kings Square, only larger, older, and much grander.  It possessed more character and many more people were moving about.  It was great to visit such a place and see the variety of people around.  Antigua is a great city with an economy based on tourism so it works to protect their historic feel and at keeping the City clean.  It is a contrast to what we saw in the rest of Guatemala and if I had to pick a place here to live it would definitely be here in Antigua.

Many times locals would come and push goods on you but we were encouraged not to purchase from these people.  It is hard to resist though as they are persistent and look so sad and needy.

We had supper at a steak house amd then spent the evening sorting out insurance and alternative flight options.  A few of us went for a short walk and enjoyed the evening while discussing youth journeys toward faith.  It was a great way to end the day as at this point some would have reason to doubt, but at moments like that, it is important to hold God even closer.
 

Changing Storms

Flooding in Wawa Tenago

Up to this point our Mission trip had been rather smooth with no real hitches or issues to deal with.  Everyone was getting along and had remained relatively healthy with the exception of some stomach problems.  This day, I think, would turn out to be a day that will become a defining moment for everyone on the team.  For me at least it was the first time I would witness first hand and experience the moments of angst, in a devasting natural disaster.  I was oddly in wonder of being there while also feeling helpless, frustrated, and worried for the people of Guatemala. 

In addition to Mount Pacaya erupting, the west coast was also starting to feel the effects of a pending tropical storm, and we ended up travelling through some of the hardest hit areas.  Severe flooding and mudslides were a common sight throughout this day.  No words could accurately describe how the day impacted me and this is likely a good thing because I had very little energy or drive left to write a great deal for this journal entry.  Most of this day was spent in a mini-van driving from Nebaj to Antigua.  What is normally a five hour drive, turned into a 13hour trudge in a crowded mini-van.  Incredibly, with a team of 10 people and one driver and all the potential stress factors around us, we all made our final exit out of the van in good spirits.

May 29, 2010
Rain was the norm for this day of travel and it would turn out to be a stressful day.  Our goal was to go to some hot springs but on our drive we passed numerous mud and rock slides.  We were approximately 1-2km away from the springs but a major slide blocked our path and we had to change our plans.  Now we headed to Antigua, but before we got to far an emergency vehicle passed with injured people in the back.  A sad reminder of what was happening around us and how devastating it was to the families living in this region of Guatemala.

A mudlside completely blocks one lane between Nebaj and Wawa Tenago
(photo from files of L. McCullum)

We continued towards Antigua and slowed a number of times for mudslides.  Every town and village we passed had rivers where roads used to be and some vehicles were completely submerged.  We stopped in Wawa Tenago for lunch and many roads here were running torrents.  Many shops and homes were being heavily flooded and in some cases materials were floating out the doors.  One thing I couldn't believe was the amount of garbage that was being carried down the stream, and in some cases this garbage was causing more issues, especially near culverts and bridges.

Some of us had Chinese for lunch, miraclously many restaurants were still open, while others ran to a nearby McDonalds for a taste more like home.  I chose to stay in the moment for the time being. 

After lunch we continued on to Antigua where we planned to stay in a hostel.  Again we were stopped from reaching our destination by Mother Nature as a bridge had been washed out less than 500m from the hostel.  Domingo, all though visibly worried, remained calm in the moment and made arrangements to put us up in a nearby hotel.  Bernadette could not hold her bladder long enough though and peed along the side of the road while some of the team provided some cover while the rest laughed with amusement and exhaustion.

Once settled in the hotel we all ate pizza and sent emails and phone calls home.  It was a long day and, despite being stuck for over 13hours in a mini-van, the team has been great to one another.  No one is being difficult and everyone is getting along incredibly well when you consider the situation.

God has showed us many blessing and his natural pwers.  We feel blessed to have been granted safe travel to this point and pray for things to work out as the week moves on.  At this point it is looking like we will be staying in Antigua at Los Casa de los Bucaros at least until Monday.  Our flight is being shown as cancelled due to the volcanic ash and a pending tropical storm.  God will keep us safe.