Chichicastenango

 There is a baby (bebe) underneath all of those pretty colors.

These are my new friends Angelica, Sebastian, and Veronica. They started out following us through the Catholic church attempting to sell us some Guatemala goodies. I have to admit that I gave in and bought a pretty purple purse from Sebastian...he was pretty persuasive! They were good sports about listening to my southern-style Spanish, and I am happy to say that I got their names and ages. Also, Sebastian liked to pretend he was a cat (gato), and so I challenged him to become a dog (perro), cow (vaca), pig (cerdo), and I stumped him when I asked him to sound like a fish (pescado) :) They were sweet kids, but they were so poor and so lost. They made my heart happy, but then again heavy because of their lifestyle.

Raw meat in the open market...not appetizing at all.

 These people love American clothes.

Very impressive...

Sacrifices on the Catholic church steps.

 Extremely poor old man who followed us all the way through the church asking for money.

More sacrifices on the church steps.

Chichicastenango was a change of scenery from the places I have been in the past few days. It was a very crowded place, and things were less than sanitary. I think Mrs. Sarah looked up this place on the internet and the comment was made that tourists should never eat in Chichi. I can see why...

The amount of people that were surrounding the Catholic church was large, and the entire city revolved around it. When we walked into the church, we noticed a lady on her knees slowly walking towards the alter. We continued to watch her as she offered a personal sacrifice for her sins. We lost count but the number of times she would walk on her knees to the alter and walk backwards..still on her knees...was numerous. A national told Larry that she was simply paying for her failures...how sad is that? I wanted so badly to stop her and hug her and let her know that all she has to do is call on the name of the Lord. 

1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

We also met some Morman missionaries from Utah in Chichi, and it hit me that they are lost just like the people of Guatemala. The need for the Gospel is EVERYWHERE, and I cannot wait to go out with teams tomorrow! God is so GOOD, and I am so grateful to be here with all of these opportunities in front of me. 

My updates will be slower from now on because I won't be here in the capitol as much, but be patient...I promise they are coming! Thank you so much for your prayers...you have no idea how overwhelmed this 19 year old girl from Arkansas is to be serving our great God in Guatemala. I love ya'll so much!

Escipulas

We went on another trip today to visit another dark place in Guatemala. We drove 4 hours to Escipulas which is extremely close to the Honduras border. This place is where the Catholic people take a pilgrimage to during Holy Week. They are encouraged to go often to confess their sins to the priest and offer sacrifices to the Black Christ. The Black Christ is an idol in the huge church that the people worship. They speak to it and ask them to bless things, and when they leave they back down the ramp backwards.

These are called "piedras de compadres," or the companion rocks. Many people come here to make sacrifices to their gods.

This place was full of Catholic people who claim to be Christians, but in reality they serve major idols. These people put their faith in a statue and ask for forgiveness from a human that cannot offer it. They are clearly so lost, and it made me so thankful I can serve my God at any time and in any place without having to consult someone or go to a specific place. I just wish that those people could know the true love of Christ and know the feeling of true forgiveness.

San Simon

Today we picked up a missionary couple from Peru, and we headed to San Andres Itzapa to visit a very dark place in the country. I was not prepared for what I would see when we finally arrived. This village is home to San Simon, which is an idol that people worship. Driving up to this place, a heavy feeling was in my heart, and I could feel the evil in that place. We were greeted by 3 men who had clearly been drinking. When Larry asked one of them who they worshipped, they said, "We worship only the devil." Upon walking into the courtyard surrounding the temple, an overwhelming smell of smoke hit us. The ground in front of the temple was solid black from all of the sacrifices that had taken place there. We walked over to a lady who was supposed to be a witch doctor according to the red bandana she wore on her head. She had a lot of different colored candles and tobacco. When we tried to speak to her she never made eye contact with us. At this point, I was not looking forward to going into the temple, but we went anyway. There was a man there who was practicing a ritual, and he was yelling at San Simon and offering gifts to him. When he was finished he walked backwards down the steps so he wouldn't turn his back on San Simon.

This was the most humbling thing I have ever experienced...period. My heart is so burdened by the fact that these people are living in such deep darkness. They have no idea who Jesus Christ is, and they choose to turn to witch doctors and a silly idol with a cowboy hat for provision. Seeing this truly broke my heart. Being in the presence of such a place made me so thankful that God was watching over me. Despite the evil in that place, the presence of God was near to me today. I know that I needed to see that to be truly humbled and to realize the needs of Guatemala. If anything, this made me have an even greater desire to do God's work because I can't sit here and do nothing when there are children growing up in homes directly across from a devil worshiping place. They need Christ so badly.

This is a church that my team from Beech Street worked in last summer in the same town. It looked so nice, and it really gave me a sense of hope for San Andres Itzapa after seeing the dark place.

Scout Trip to San Bernadino & San Jose del Idolo

This is a picture that should go with the church dedication post, but I missed it...thank you mom for reminding me :) but this man in the middle, David, is paralyzed from the waist down. Our team last year met him in Los Pastores, and I thought it would be neat for them to see how far he has come. This is also the founding group of the new church.

Yesterday, I went on my first scouting trip with Larry and Sarah. After 3 hours of driving on very rough roads, we finally made it! The language barrier was difficult for me again today, but I can honestly say that I am picking up a little more each time I listen to conversations. 

This is a scene in San Jose del Idolo. I will work here with a team in the future.

The name of this church comes from Genesis 32:1-2- Mahanaim.

"This is God's camp."

This is a brand new church in San Bernadino. Pastor Jaime and his wife Suzana are sweet, sweet people who love the Lord so much. We met a man named Mario here, and he has a drinking problem. His wife is deaf, and it has been his job to minister to his wife through sign language. They have both accepted Christ and are members of the church, but pray for Mario and Lucia because life is definitely not easy for them. They also have a 6 year old son. This touched me because it reminded me of how my grandmother always signed to her brother. This need is one that is not met in Guatemala because not many people know sign language. 

This is the inside of the new church...very simple. No glass in the windows, no air conditioning...but they are so excited because the Lord has provided for them.

Here you see a lot of clothes amongst the people. This is called a paca. Tons of used American clothing is brought to the center of the villages and people dig through them and find things for very cheap.

We got these pineapples on the side of the road at a small stand. They are locally grown and they are soooooo good!

Yesterday was a long day, and we were definitely ready for rest, but it opened my eyes to the needs of the people in these two villages. They have nothing in many cases, and yet they still place their hope in the Lord. I know that working in these two places will challenge me, but I am ready. My devotional this morning was all about removing the worry from your life. It is a barrier to continually feeling God's presence. There have been things lately that I have worried about a lot, and this morning it dawned on me that worry is a sin. God commands us to cast our anxieties on Him BECAUSE HE CARES FOR US. He loves us so much, and his desire for us is to let Him love us and take care of our every need.

Please pray for me tomorrow...we are going to some of the dark places in Guatemala, and not worrying is definitely going to be a challenge.

Church Dedication in Los Pastores

Ohhhh what a wonderful day this has been! We visited a small new church in Los Pastores which is a small village near Antigua. Going to this place was so neat for me because I had the chance to work with these people on my last visit to Guatemala. Seeing faces that I recognized from my own pictures was such a blessing, and I loved every minute of it. This new church is in a small home, but today almost 50 people were in attendance. Many were children, and it was such a joy to be in that place. Even though I hardly understood any of the message that was preached, it was such a time of worship for me. We sang "Santo, Santo, Santo." In case you don't recognize it that is "Holy, Holy, Holy."

These children painted the wall behind them with their handprints, and they were being recognized for their contribution to the church.

 David, Ana, me, and Javier :)

(they really got tickled at my Spanish skills)

precious little girl--Jasmine

Pastor Larry and his wife and son, Larry and Sarah, and I after the service.

They were such sweet people.

Today brought me so much joy. I definitely need to work on my Spanish skills, but Larry says I'll catch on fast because I'm young (he said it isn't like teaching an old dog (like himself) new tricks). Even though communication is a little difficult, I'm still so excited to be here and I can't wait to reach out to these people with the love of Christ.

Walmart?-yes Walmart in Guatemala!

Today we set out to get some groceries and activate my phone for the weeks I will be out with teams. Our first stop was a mall, and inside the mall was none other than the Arkansas based corporation--Walmart! It was so weird/awesome to see that here. I was very surprised to see that I could get my favorite cereal and even Kraft macaroni and cheese. Many of the products were normal here in Guatemala, but to me a little different. 

...yes the prices are still low in Guatemala ;)

grandes bolsas de azucar (big bags of sugar)

another surprise in the mall...CARS!

After a day full of surprises, I got to thinking about how awesome it is that things from America are similar here. Even though these material things give me comfort, something greater gives me PEACE. The very same God I serve in America is the exact same God I serve here. There are no minor differences in the way He loves me or these beautiful people in Guatemala. Our God is never changing, and He is always seeking our full and undivided attention. His love has no boundaries--God is so great. He knew what it would take for me to realize that He is the same no matter what place on the globe I may be--a trip to Walmart.

Home Sweet Home

After a long morning of traveling, I finally made it to this beautiful place.The fact that I made it through my flights by myself absolutely amazes me--God was definitely holding my hand. The busy streets and cool weather welcomed me, and I already feel so at peace here. Larry and Sarah have provided me with a beautiful bedroom, and I feel so extremely blessed. Here is a picture of my new bedroom :)

 ...and the view from the balcony.

I have experienced almost every emotion you can imagine in the past few days, but nothing compares to the joy I feel in being here. Even though Guatemala City is a world away from little ole Gurdon, Arkansas, I feel at home. The Lord is going to work this summer--I can already feel His presence in this place. I cannot wait to go into the field and form relationships with these people and let God love through me.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers. I ask that you pray for humility in my heart and safety as we travel from place to place. I love and miss you all. Thank you for being senders.

"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, I give myself to you." --Psalms 143:8