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.