photos from the long ride home

Sometimes sleep is more important than food

Flight delayed until near midnight:  Some play cards

Others nap

volcano

Today we woke up around 5:30 to go hike on an active volcano.  We could not approach the caldera, as it produces poisonous gasses, and launches basketball sized rocks that can be seen flying through the air from nearly a mile away.  The wonder of what God has created is endless.  We returned to Escuela Integrada in time for a few more home visits, and food deliveries to students families.  We ended up with a final dinner meeting with leaders from Escuela Integrada, and a prayer service.  The team is tired, but excited and hopeful.  Tomorrow, we will check out of our hotel in the morning, and and tour Antigua before a late flight home.  I don't know if/when we will have internet access again, but please keep reading the blog.  We there are stories yet to tell, and it may take a few more days before we can share them.

Approaching the lava fields

Seeing Creation

The caldera, as seen from a safe distance

Steep climb at 8,000 feet.  Breath.  Breath. Breath

A clear winged moth

drawing bilingually

I’ve heard people talk about their experiences on mission trips before, and one thing that many people have said is that God calls them in unexpected ways. I don’t think I realized how truly unexpected one’s calling can be until I realized mine was giving tattoos to small children.

Everything started at church on Sunday morning. We attended a bilingual church, so things were presented both in Spanish and in English. When time came for the sermon, three people got up on stage. The first introduced himself and said he would be giving the sermon in English, then he introduced the translator who would be doing the Spanish, and then he got to the last woman, who he said would be drawing bilingually.

While the pastor preached about bearing fruit in English and it was translated to Spanish, she stood in the background drawing with her pastels. She started in the outer corners with three disconnected leaves, and as the sermon progressed, she worked inward, drawing the vine and finishing in the center with a bunch of grapes.

The drawing in particular struck me. I don’t know much Spanish, but art is something I can understand. I was reminded that there are more ways than just words to communicate, and the language barrier didn’t need to stop me. Not to mention, I got to see a wonderful drawing being made.

Fast forward to Tuesday. It was our second day at the school, and a group of us were working on setting up an activity for later that evening. Things were winding down, so a few of us were just sitting around, waiting while the others labeled pie pans with students’ names. As one of the ones sitting around, I did what I do whenever I’m sitting around doing nothing: I picked up a sharpie and starting doodling on the nearest available surface, which in this case happened to be my brother. I just drew this swirly pattern the side of his leg without much thought. It was just a pattern I draw when I’m bored. Surprisingly to me, Darby asked me if I could draw the same pattern on her, and after I did that, she gave me free reign to draw on her arm. I resorted to another one of my fallback doodles and drew and octopus around her wrist.

Later that day, we were interacting with the students again, and the kids starting noticing the drawings on Darby and Connor. Before long, I was surrounded by kids who wanted me to draw on them as well. It was a little overwhelming at first, especially because my Spanish is so shaky, but I figured out how to communicate with the kids, and picked up a couple new words, including pulpo (octopus). I was so busy, I began to joke that I should just stay in Guatemala and become a tattoo artist.

Over the past few days, I’ve spent a good amount of my time around the kids drawing octopi, swirls, hearts, and other doodles, along with the help of a couple other girls on our team. It reminded me of that drawing that I liked so much, but didn’t think would carry over into my week so much. Even though I didn’t speak the same language as these children, I could still communicate with them in a way that didn’t require many words, a way I could understand. Drawing has never been something I shared with a lot of people intentionally, and I never put too much thought into what other people thought of my random doodles, but that skill turned out to be very useful here. Before we got here, I didn’t really know how I’d fit in on this trip. I don’t know much Spanish, and I’m not that great at soccer, but God found a way for 


Hannah

bilingual painting from church

the original "swirls"

wondrous sights

view from a home we visited

The volcano from downtown Antigua

From a garden in a home we visited. 

A sphinx moth or "humming bird moth" in the hotel garden at night

More on the house...

Today we delivered a cooking stove to several houses, including the house we helped Carlos and Jose build the week.  The stoves were sat on a base of 12 concrete blocks.  Fifty-odd pound concrete and brick furnace sits atop the base.  An two even heavier concrete piece sit atop that.  One creates a space for convention, and on creates two work surfaces, and balances the convection space.  other pieces include a cast iron cooking surface, a cast iron exhaust port, enough aluminum pipe to reach the roof, and a chimney cap on the on the pipe.

The stove were developed by a local group, with assistance form the University of Oregon.  Many local families cook over open fires.  The stoves are a low cost fix to three problems with the open fire:

1. Heath and safety.  Since cooking is done indoors, smoke can lead to health issues, and burns are very common.



2. Economics.  The stove uses one third as much wood as the open fire.  Stove owners spend one third of the money for wood, or one third of the amount of time gathering wood from the forests.

3. Environmental stress.  Cutting the use of wood by one third decrease the rate of cutting in local forests, preserving the environmental integrity of the country.

Before our trip, Bethel purchased six stoves for donation to local families.  (Thank you all for your generosity!)   Today, two teams from Bethel installed five stoves.  The recipients are asked to pay a token price to insure that they stoves go to families who are really interested, and are committed to learning how to use them.   Installing the involves a little knowledge, and a lot of lifting.

We we arrived at Maria-Jose and Mario's home we saw a fantastic transformation.  The interior had neatly made beds, a large well made wooden hutch for storage, and was well swept and ordered compared to the construction site we had left.  A swing for 2-year old Alex hung between to roof supports.

It was great to see that the building had become a home, with some level of comfort and pride.  It was great to add a little more support to our previous efforts.

Throughout this processes all the young people have been graceful, generous, hard-working, patient, and offered blessing to everyone they meet.

Be proud of your young Missionaries, Bethel!

Powell gets some help building a base

Using ash to seal the cooking surface

Making connections

Maria-Jose with her new stove in her new home

Conversations with the Students

So here’s the thing.  I’ve been known to raise an eyebrow when reading letters supposedly dictated by kids to their caregivers, for the purpose of thanking those who provide financial support.  Sure, doesn’t every child thank God for his school and teachers and count the minutes until the next Bible study? 

Today I asked 18 children from 5 to 17, some questions about themselves.  We spoke in Spanish (thank you, Google translate) in the atrium outside of their classrooms.  Sometimes I made use of “Como-se-dice-Jessica” (our helpful bilingual guide from Texas) to help me to understand the children’s answers.  I offered my journal and some colored markers and the offer to “debujar” (draw) while we chatted.  Stefanie, age 10, is an only child with 1 cat and 3 dogs. She likes to make crafts, eat fried chicken, and hopes to graduate and become a secretary.  “Stefanie, cual es su recuerdo favorito?” (What is your favorite memory?) “When my dad gave me a hug.” Turns out that Stefanie’s dad left a while back.  This isn’t really all that unusual, in Guatemala or the US, for that matter.  But Stefanie answered this without pause or tears, no drama, just a memory that she shared, followed by a big smile when I complemented her artistic talent.  “Felipe, que quieres ser cuando seas grande?”  (What do you want to be when you grow up?) Felipe, age 5, (favorite class, lunch) answered, “I want to work so that I can buy a house for my mama.”  I look at this baby. His nose is not growing. He looks me softly and openly in the eye.  He is not looking for praise. OK, this is this boy’s biggest dream.  “Deysi, (age 15, likes music and wants to be a doctor) cuales son sus suenos para su vida?” (What are your dreams for your life?) Deysi thinks a moment and answers calmly and clearly, “to be a good person in life.” 

Cynicism falls. The heart falls open. Something real and honest and true has happened, and keeps happening all day long.  Remember this.

Julie

Deysi, her Mom, and youngest sister at home

Stefani and her Mom