Our last days in Guatemala

HEy y'all. So yesterday we went to central park and did our drama 3x. It was tiring but amazing because we got to talk to so many people and a ton of people came to know christ. We prayed over an alcoholic that wanted to know God and stop drinking. It was sweet.

After we finished our dramas we got a tour of the palace of Guatemala adn we met the first lady. It was pretty sweet, even though we were all exhausted.

Today we spent the whole day shopping at the market. Jordyn and i shopped with Caleb, one of our amazing LIT's, and Jorge, one of our incredible translators. They are the most awesome poeple to shop with ever. Heather and Jordyn and I were in a shop trying on dresses and shirts and Caleb was right there beside us holding our bags and telling us what he thought about the clothes we tried on. THey are both amazing guys they aren't afraid to tell you how it is. It's awesome. WE went into a store and Jorge said " what do you think about this? it's nasty" lol he is so funny. I wish i could go shopping with them every day.

Now we are back at the hotel. WE just got done with team time. We just talked as a team sayin our last words to the whole team. It was sad. ANd Jordyn and i said bye to Jorge :-(. I'm so sad. I wish i could just take my whole team home with me.

WEll i will see y'all soon.

July 9th in Guatemala

I´m so sad. We only have one more ministry day left. I don´t want to leave.
Today we were on our way to a school to do the drama and everyday we have around an hour drive. So we were driving to this school and we hit a guy with a cart of pineapples. I woke up to the bus driver screaming something in spanish then the bus stopped. I looked out the window and there was a bunch of people surrounding the bus and a police officer writing the bus driver a ticket. lol. Everyone was laughing and saying ´'we hit a pineapple cart!´ lol So i guess the ticket got canceled or something but it was pretty funny. Then we got to the school a couple minutes later and they told us we couldn´t to the drama anymore. It was a crazy day. then we got off the bus at a park down the road from the school. WE wre going to do the drama there when we got word the school changed their mind again so we walked to the school and did it there. lol. then we did it in the park. Then we did it in another park.
So last night we were getting tucked in and our whole room was complaining that we didn´t feel like we were reaching people with the drama and we didnt´feel very productive. So this mornign i was getting ready to leave the room to get on the bus and i saw my book Starving JEsus and i thought maybe i should take it with me but then i was like no i won´t read it on the bus then i was like whatever i´ll take it so i put it in my purse. We had a little time before we left the parking lot so i opened the book and right whre i left off was a bible verse it was Galations 6:9 and 10 i think. It talked about not being weary for doing good because in His time God will reward you. I thought it was awesome that God gave me just what we all needed then.
Well as i told you i love all of our translators and i´ll have to tell you some hilarious stories when i get home.

July 7th & 8th in Guatemala

Today we went to an orphanage. we did our drama 2x. The first crowd was around 200 kids adn the second time we had 600 kids!! they are adorable and i wanted to take them all home with me.

We also went to the market again. It is so much fun. Everything here is made with so many colors. I love it!!

I didn't write yesterday so... Yesterday we went to a school and did our drama 2x. The first time for little kids adn the second time for high schoolers. after the first time performing we played with the little kids. They are so cute!! we got a came of futball going. These little 8yr old boys were better than us. lol. One of them did a bicycle kick!! and we were playing on pavement. it was amazing.

our translators are so funny. It is so much fun getting to know them. THey all live here in Guatemala. Jorge, Hamlet, Jose, Elizabeth, and Alex.

Love you guys.

monday july 6 in guatemala

Today we went on a 2 1/2 hr drive to an island. Which after we drove we had a 45min boat ride. There were volcanoes we saw and it as absolutely beautiful. we did our drama for the people there. They were all catholic but we did get to pray with some of them. We ate on the boat ride on the way back. I got some pictures of the island and the volcanoes and mountains but the pictures dont' nearly do them justice. They are so amazing.

THis morning when we got on the bus to leave for ministry they handed out 6ft pieces of twine that we had to tie to our wrists and leave on til tonight. Tonight the service was about the demon possesed man that Jesus cast into the pigs. He was living in a graveyard because he was cast out by society. And they told us we need to cast off our burdens and stop living in a graveyard becasue we belong to the kingdom of God. After the message we split up into our groups. WE have become family on this trip. It's crazy how close you get to your group when you've only known them for a week. Anyway, while we were in our group time we got up in front of the group and said what we were casting off and what the shackle on our wrist represented. Then one of the leaders would cut of the twine, symbolizing God taking away your burdens, and they would pray for you. It was an intense but it was a great thing. Well it's almost curfew so i love you guys and i'll write tomorrow.

Sunday in Guatemala

Today we got to sleep in!!! it was great. We had our day of rest so we didn´t go out today. We ate breakfast at 8a.m. then had a morning FUAGNEM as our Sunday service. After a.m. FUAGNEM we ate lunch and then had free time until 4p.m. After we ate lunch we went to the market. It was sweet! we are going back all day Saturday. I bought and awesome purse. At 4p.m. we had a seminar. We could choose from like 11 of them. Then we ate dinner. And at 6p.m. we have FUAGNEM or another seminar i don´t know in what order.

I am having so much fun and missing all yáll at home. Love ya.

Van

4th of July in Guatemala!!

Today has been and AmaZing day. my group went to an orphanage\school and painted, cleaned up, then did our drama. THere were three little boys living at the orphanage and the rest of the kids just came for school. It was so much fun playing with the kids. i was just standing outside one time and a little girl just came up and hugged me. It was so cute!
Tonight at FUAGNEM someone from another group was sharing what happened at their site today. There was this kid there who was in a wheelchair because he didnt have a knee so he couldnt walk. He was also almost deaf and he was mute. So after they performed their drama they went up to talk to this boy the best they could. he would sign to them and they would try to sign back. Well they were all praying over him and when they were done he had a knee cap and they helped him get up and walk!! he was praising God and gave his life to the Lord today.
Today there were two girls in another group that bought a prostitute and told her about God and she got saved.
There are so many things God is doing right now. It is AMazing to be here with all these christian teens and to be in the presence of God with them. At THe worship service tonight many people got up and gave up bad habits and decided to let God fill the void and nothing else. This has really been an awesome trip to far and i know it is just going to get better and better.
Oh! and another sweet thing. So on the way over here the director of Big World Ventures rode on a plane with like the head of homeland security of Guatemala. ANd they were talking and he told the security guy about what we were doing here and he thought it was so awesome that he sent out like national security people. THe top security here to go with us where ever we go while we are in GUatemala! we have 12 groups i think adn every group has a bus and for every bus there is a vehicle of national security that goes with us. God is truly watching over us.
It has been a great 4th of July spent with my new friends. I love all of you at home. And mom and dad dont worry we are safe with our national security guys. Its pretty awesome what God can do.... ANYTHING :-)

Guatemala Friday July 3

so just to start out, today was absolutely amazing!!
My team went to a church and painted all day.They were so greatful and it was so much fun. we got to be on a T.V. show that aired all over Guatemala. It is run by a couple whos goal is to make a christian television station here in GUatemala. It was sweet. and they need new equipment so they had us talk about what we are doing here and how God will bless you if you give your time or whatever you have to give to Him.
then tonight at FUAGNEM Susie talked about making your relationship with God platinum. meaning platinum is better than gold because it is time consuming and takes a lot of work to make, and most of us have a gold relationship which is special and good but the best is a platinum relationship and that is what we all should be striving for. It was an AWeSomE service.
oh yeah and there are some amazing stories that i have heard here that i have to tell you all when i get home.
I am having a blast here even though i am missing you all.
p.s. mom and dad there is a letter for each of you on my night stand. i love you!!

Day 1 in Guatemala

this morning we woke up at 2:30 and were in the lobby at 3 to leave for the airport. we arrived at the Miami airport around 3:45 and sat there for a couple hours because the counter wasn´t open. When we finally got to get in line to check our luggage we had to wait there for another hour until they started checking us in. We found out that our plane was leaving at 8:30 instead of 7:30 like it was supposed to. we eventually got everyone checked in and through security and had some time to spare before we had to board our plane to panama.
we boarded the plane and we were off to panama. i slept basically the whole 3hrs. we got off the plane in panama and went to our gate to board our plane to guatemala. The flight to guatemala was around 2hrs. and after a little turbulence when we thought the plane was going to fall out of the sky, we saw Guatemala from the plane it was absolutely beautiful. There are mountains and it is very green. we were so excited when we landed we couldn´t wait to get to our hotel. After our hour and a half bus ride to our hotel we were here and got checked in and were able to rest.
It hasn´t stopped raining since we got here, but i love the rain so that isn´t a problem. The hotel is really cool but it is taking us a little while to find our way around. It´s a little confusing. All in all it´s been a good day but a long day. We are all so hungry because it is like 8p.m. at home and it´s only 6p.m. WE are going to eat dinner at 6:30
lol and it is really hard to figure out this computer because the keyboard symbols are all mixed up because it is a spanish keyboard and the words on the computer are all spanish so we are having fun trying to figure out what everything says and how to use these keyboards. lol :-)
ttyl have a great time on Mackinac mom, dad, nae, and hunt i love yáll
And Alyssa i´m sorry that i couldn´t make haikus with you this year

Training Days

we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale for training on Monday. we signed in and met our room mates and then went to our first FUAGNEM (fired up and going nuts every minute). FUAGNEM are the services at night. After FUAGNEM we split up into our groups and got cast in the play. I am a mime.
On Tuesday we started drama training. Drama training is SO exhausting!! we train for 8 hrs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday we learned the drama then Wednesday we perfected it. Tuesday was so exhausting because of everything we had to learn, but today when we finally say the play perfected and ready to take to Guatemala it was AMAZING :-)
every morning we get up eat breakfast, have team time then go to drama training. WE have to be ready in the lobby tomorrow at 3am!! it will be a very short night but i am so excited to go to Guatemala. I'll talk to you all later. I Love you!!!!