The final Mission Dispatch

This is the last entry into my journal from my Guatemala Mission and it is appropriate as planning is now well underway for the next mission team to go to VHII.  I won't be able to make this trip but I am hoping that at some point I can once again return to Guatemala or maybe another location for a mission.  I was thinking a great deal about my Mission trip here a couple of weeks ago as we were experiencing more than normal rainfall for this time of year and we had a great deal of flooding (http://whalenswanderings.blogspot.com/2010/11/high-water-high.html) and I was able to simply absorb it as it was really nothing compared to what I saw in Guatemala.  That being said a number of my neighbors had their houses severely flooded.  Now I have turned to thoughts of Christmas, and I was wondering how my friends in Guatemala celebrate. 

But I am rambling, this entry was written at LaGuardia airport and then at the hotel in Bangor. It was a long day of travel and I was truly glad to lay my head down, but really wished it was in my own bed.

June 4, 2010
Right now I'm sitting at gate C5 in LaGuardia airport in New York, New York.  Our flight has been postponed an hour so now we have a six hour wait here before flying to Bangor.

The rest of our flights today have been very smooth.  We had to rush to catch our connector to New York after landing in Houston.  I was rushing with Denise and Sarah T as we happen to get through immigration and baggage claims together.  We were rushing so much that both girls ran out of their flip flops which I found incredibly funny.  Sarah was continually saying "this is so intense" and I have to admit it truly felt a bit "Amazing Race"ish.

When we lifted off in Guatemala I felt a huge sigh of relief.  I was sure things would go smoothly, so at present I'm a bit frustrated that once again, we are being delayed.  I have faith though that God has a plan and that there is a reason and purpose for our delay, even if I never know what it is.

I will wait and finish this entry at Bangor, as we have decided to spend the night there and head back to Sussex in the morning.

It is after midnight as I try to sit quietly and finish this entry.  I am tired and I don't have a great deal to express.  I simply wanted to say that I am truly thankful that I made all my flights safely and thank God for that.  I can't wait to get home tomorrow and hug my wife and kids.

It is terrible but I don't make another journal entry after this one.  I have learned a great deal more about myself since returning and re-reading my journal but I have not put any more into it.  This will not be my last mission though and I will fill my book with lots more great stories of how God is working in my life.  I was super excited to see my kids and my wife looked so beautiful when we finally pulled into the ACC parking lot.  It was a happy reunion and everyone had lots of emotion to share.  God can use us all to do great things if we simply give ourselves to him and I am blessed to have been one of his tools.

Love you Mission team, you guys are awesome.

Rainy Days and Memories

I am reposting this picture to illustrate to those living in
Canada's Atlantic provinces that what we are going through
could be worse.  My prayers are with you in your struggle.

Over the past week it has been raining incredibly hard and consistent.  In some areas here they recieved over 300mm of rain.  That could likely be considered close to the yearly average for some places not too far from my part of the world.  Instead of letting the rain get me down I simply remembered what we went through in Guatemala.  There we survived a volcanoe and a tropical storm in much more rugged terrain, so this week here has been a breeze.  That being said I know there are people here in my town who were flooded out of their homes and will have to likely endure the pain of remodeling their basements and such and my prayers are with them.

Since I was thinking about Guatemala I figured it would be a good time to write another one of my entries from my journal.  It is great to see that the experience that I shared there was not lost and that it has allowed me to cope with some of life's challenges here more effectively.  My journal entries are shorter as we are preparing to leave Guatemala after a long, stressful wait for the airport to re-open and book our flights.  The weather has eased and became very warm in Antigua as I start to go into the familiar shell I retreat to when any of my adventures start to come to an end.



The streets all possessed stunning scenery and were very
walkable.  Everywhere God's creation was inspiring.



June 3, 2010

I took it easy today so I would be rested for our long travel day tomorrow.  We went to breakfast at Don Luisa again and once again I was enthralled with the atmosphere of this old restaurant.  Photos and pictures on the wall and the many small rooms filled to capacity, with people carrying on lively conversation (You wouldn't have know that the region was in complete chaos.)  The plants and the openess of the place really appealed to me.



We returned to the hotel afterwards and spent most of our time playing some cards.  It was hot, muggy day and a good day to do little.  Eventually I took some clothes to the laundry mat a block down the street before joining some others for a walk to the grocery store (should not be confused with the market, as they are nothing alike) even though I didn't really need anything.  It was a great day and I didn't want to waste it in the hotel.  We grabbed an icecream cone, two scoops for 10Q ($1.10) and sauntered along the very walkable streets watching the various people walk past or sitting in the shade.

Once again we went to Los Palmas for supper since they had treated us so well the night before.  Again tonight they provided incredible service and great food.  The mood was a bit more sombre tonight as we hoped yet were saddened to think that it was our last night in Guatemala.

After supper we returned to the hotel and packed our bags in preparation for our 3am departure time.  I had a hard time sleeping as I was worried about our flights being delayed.  I was also troubled by the fact that I didn't feel like I had helped the people in Guatemala enough.  I had hoped that earlier that day we could help out again at "Common Hope" or elsewhere but that opportunity never materialized.  I feel that we could have looked into that a bit harder, and worked harder to make it happen.  I was a bit disappointed in myself here, not anyone else.  I should have made my feelings known more emphatically, but I sat quietly and followed everyone else.  When I had the chance to lift my voice...when it could have counted for something...I didn't.  God please help me learn when to lift my voice to serve you.

Heading back to Antigua

I spent this afternoon playing some touch football with a bunch of people from church.  It was a great time filled with some laughs, excitement, and great exercise.  To continue to write this journal is exercise for me, and lately I have been not getting enough exercise of any kind.  If you had of seen me play touch football you would know exactly what I was saying.  I haven't been taking enough time for myself lately and it is starting to take a toll. 



So here is a small leap towards starting to make some of that time.  For this day in my journal I am feeling a bit dull, and I am anxious to serve more.  We are on the road again and I notice the heavily eroded rivers with flowing garbage and become frustrated with the global ignorance and apparent lack of rightous morality.  Why can we not all have enough to live a healthy and productive life.

June 2, 2010


All rivers seemed to have changed dramatically
overnight



I had a great sleep last night thanks to the hum of the air conditioner in this seedy hotel.  We walked to Saritas for breakfast and again like every meal there is no lack of conversation and good natured ribbing.  Domingo was the brunt of most jokes as he always seems to get us "almost there."  He took the teasing with good humor though and apologized for not showing us a better time.  Of course his apologies are completely unnecessary and it made me respect him a great deal for taking our jokes and feeling he had to apologize.

After breakfast we loaded the FH Van and headed back to Antigua and Los Bucaros.  Like the day before, the drive back was sombre and I enjoyed the scenery and changing topography back into Antigua.  Again it was hard to see the eroded rivers and the destruction the mudslides and flooding caused.  I pushed Domingo to see if we can help tomorrow with some of the clean up.  He said he'd see what he could do.



The garbage and amount of mud was unbelievable

for someone coming from the stable environment

I come from.



Once back in Antigua, Chris, Jordan, and I went to the market and I think Jordan is addicted to dickering.  He was good at getting his price and I got some great gifts for family and friends.  Again the Antigua Market is a great place to gain experience and people watch.  My little spanish is improving but language is a huge barrier.



Often this is what river crossings looked like. 
Lots of mud, no pavement, and who knows
what was underneath the van.



The team met at the square again and headed for supper.  Just before we met Jordan, Chris, and I stumbled upon a sports pub that was showing the hockey game.  We checked the score and then tried to convince the team it would be a good place to eat.  Unfortunately everyone had their stomach set on Italian, so Kara led us to Los Lamos which ended up being a great spot.  The service was great and the food was incredible.  I ate way more than I needed.  



After supper we all headed back to the hotel and many of us enjoyed playing catch phrase.  Before long we were tired out and headed to bed.

Another "Almost"

Taken from a van window this was a dramatic peak as we left the mountain
region for the Pacific Coast.

Many times in our lives we are all faced with uncertainty.  Recently, here in New Brunswick everyone was uncertain as to the path of Hurricane Earl, and we did what we could to prepare for the uncertain.  Usually the hardest part about that kind of situation is the mental preparation and not the physical sort.  Another funny thing about most of the uncertainty I typically face is that it is usually brought on by Mother Nature.  In Guatemala the team was faced with great deal of uncertainty and it was strongly influenced by Mother Nature.

The best thing we can do when facing uncertainty is simply put it in God's hands.  I have found that when I do this that I do not stress out as much and that I can more readily accept the end result, even if not a favorable result.  With Mother Nature throwing many things at us, I sought God's Wisdom to determine my next steps.  I believe he guided my mind not to thing to far ahead but rather focus on the moment.  That being said, I was still feeling the uncertainty. 

I have attached the link to the "Common Hope Hostel" in this entry and I encourage you to view that site and take note of some of the Agatha pictures.  They have some great photos that illustrate the devastation caused by tropical storm Agatha.  In comparison, tropical storm Earl paled in damage created.

June 1, 2010

My first time to the Pacific Coast.  A black sand beach with most of
the sand now missing.

Our day started with some confusion as we tried to figure out where we would be spending the next couple of nights.  After some long discussion with the staff at "Los Bucaros" we decided to keep one room there for our luggage and later head towards Monterreco and what is touted as the best beach in Guatemala.

We had breakfast at a McDonald's before heading to Common Hope.  This is the hostel we were to originally stay in while in Antigua.  They had been heavily impacted by mudslides and we were going to help them out.  When we arrived I was surprised to see the place was already very clean, so instead of mopping and shovelling floors we unloaded a truck of bagged water and packed rations for delivery to displaced families in outlying communities.  This was an awesome experience and a great way for us to continue to serve while here.  I think I could almost consider this our best service to date.  The staff at "Common Hope" were glad to have our help and I could have stayed there the rest of the trip helping out there but our plans were to help for the morning and then head to Monterreco.  We left at about 12:00 noon with a heavy but rewarded heart.

These are the first coconuts I have seen up close on a tree.  I think
they make a great picture.

We checked out of all but one room at Los Bucaros and headed towards the west coast in hopes of finding a beach and hotel to stay in.  The drive out of Antigua was very scenic.  We drove past volcanic peaks, raging and new, heavily eroded, rivers, devasted homes, and then the
scenery changed as we left the mountain region.  One last dramatic peak with extreme slopes and topography that fell into lying, flat, fields filled with sugar cane.  The river was now a boulder strewn channel that was ever widening on our left.  Suddenly a large mine or mill appeared on our right, then a refinery, and a shipping yard.  Despite all this industry the people seemed to be struggling as the homes are rudimentary.  Many by this point were flooded and residents were encamped along the walls of a resort.  It frustrated me to see the money that industry had and how little the country's people had.  I question the morals of the federal government and of industry to exist in such an unbalanced manner that keeps itself so safe and stable, while those around it and those who work to keep it struggle simply to live a meager life.

Shortly after the waves knocked me off my feet, I quickly
made my way back to the shoreline.  Sometimes my
foolishness gets the best of me.
 (Picture from L. McCullum files)

The storms had flooded the river and pushed water and waves at these people from both sides.  The river on the east and the waves from the west.  We crossed the river and onto an island in hopes of reaching Monterrecco but the roads here were heavily flooded in places along with many more homes.  We crossed a couple of watery holes but had to turn back with less than 10km to go to reach the beaches.  Once again we "almost" got there.  We did find a way to the ocean but it was not a public beach so we did not stay long.  The Pacific Ocean though literally and figuratively swept me off my feet.  The beach we visited had large waves pounding it and a great deal of sand had already been lost.  This, once again, illustrated the power of nature.  After some pictures, and play time, we headed out to find a place to stay for the night.

After checking out a couple of places,one of which would have created a great horror film back drop, we laid our heads in a seedy hotel in Escuintla, a modest size city with some modern day perks.  The hotel was not one of them though but thankfully it had air conditioning.  After checking my sheets for bugs and stains I crawled in.  I had spent nights in worse places, in fact I had an apartment that might be considered worse.  In any event I spent a more comfortable night than many in Guatemala.

I had a bottom note about singing country music during the driving time.  Music is one of those things that I can always turn too, to ease my mind and relieve stress.  Thanks Denise and Lauren for sharing the head set.

After a long day cooped up in a van, you tend to get a little silly.
Sara T and I were goofing it up before eating supper in Escuintla.
(Photo from files of L.McCullum)

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.