Amazing Race!!!

My roommate Suzy is a Youth Group leader at Union Church--the English speaking church in Guatemala City. This past weekend they had their Uth Retreat in Antigua, and I had the privelage of participating in "The Amazing Race" and running around with these five kids for five hours. One of our first tasks was to get permission and a picture on a chicken bus...no problem!

We then had to run up to the cross that overlooks the city. It was about a fifteen minute run there, and then 333 steps up the mountain and back. We were a little winded by the end of this task!



















Breakin' in the gates of a church :) A few of the clues took us to different churches around the city, including the "tomb" of Peter. If anyone knows how he ended up in Guate, I would appreciate that info.














We had to spend exactly 18 Quetzales (about 2.50 US) at Pollo Campero--the most popular fast food with Guatemalan people. So, naturally, we went for the ice cream. Lilia is one of my freshmen at CAG.






Another task was to make an arch in front of the arch. Good work team! The cobblestone streets of Antigua weren't too nice for the knees of the people on the bottom!

















A pilgrimmage to the cross...

After about five hours of running around, we all finished the race. The time difference between the first place group and the last place group was SIX MINUTES!!! What a race! And if you're wondering, my group did take last. It was hard on my competitive spirit, but it's not all about winning, right? ;)

Even though I'm not regularly involved at Union Uth, it was a blessing to be able to run around, meet some new kids, and see kids from different schools forming friendships and making connections that otherwise would not have happened.

Grace and Peace Part II

I wrote a post earlier about a sermon I listened to based on Philippians 1 entitled "Grace and Peace." I wanted to update with a beautiful story about Grace and Peace that I've been blessed to be a part of down here. I teach a one on one English class with a student, and over the past weeks her story has been coming out with more details. She lived on the streets in Guatemala until she was 12 years old. Her only childhood memories are of starvation and abuse. She did not know God, but looking back can recognize his provision and protection over her. For the most part, she was with her sister; until, her sister was adopted. The family who adopted her sister found out about Felicita a couple years later and searched for her so they could adopt her as well.

For the past three years she has had love, family, and opportunities that never would have occurred if that family would not have pursued grace and peace. In three years she has gone from illiterate to about a high school level in both Spanish and English. This girl never quits and she is not afraid of failure which allows her to learn and grow every day.

One aspect of our class is working on her reading fluency. We were talking about how she hasn't really read the Bible because the language was pretty difficult for her to understand. So, we've been working through The Message which helps her with pronunciation, English idioms...and learning the word of God. Since this has been a big part of our class, I wanted to be able to give her a copy of The Message at the end of the year.

Enter Verne Kenney and Zondervan's. Verne is coming down for work and a through a question out if he had a copy he could bring and I could buy from him. Better than just a copy, he's bringing a Spanish/English parallel that I will be able to give to Felicita!

Grace and Peace.

Would you rather?

Would you rather experience an earthquake or a tornado?

After last night, my answer is TORNADO!

I am sending ALL my respect to friends/family who live in California. We had an earthquake last night with a magnitude of 6.1. No severe damage or injury was caused, but I was SCARED! Our entire house was shaking for over a minute, and it was just eery! I was clinging to the door frame and screaming (which made my roommates laugh).

All my childhood was spent in tornado drills...cover the head, go to a low area, ride the storm. It's a whole different ball game when the earth is trembling and and your house might fall on your head.

This morning in teacher devotions we sang "only you" One of the lines says, "only you can shake the mountains." After experiencing an earthquake, I understand God's magnitude and power in a whole new way. To create an earth that works how it does is truly awe inspiring.

I meant to post this right after Easter, but life got a little busy for a while. I wrote this as a devotional for my church, and wanted to share it. As I walked away from Easter this year, it struck me how quickly we forget. Our entire faith depends on a magnificent event that we only specifically celebrate one day a year. Why leave Easter on Easter Sunday? So, I wrote these reflections on the men walking away from Jerusalem after Christ's death. Hopefully they can provide a little challenge or encouragement or something!

An Emmaus Walk: Luke 24:13-35
I’m sitting in the bus terminal in Santa Elena, Guatemala, writing by candlelight due to the consistent on again, off again power in this country. Traveling home after a weekend in Belize, I can’t help but reflect on the travelers I’ve encountered: Len and Carrie B, retirees from GR; Drew, a recently dumped Canadian nomad; Mike, a dreadlocked backpacker from Seattle.
Why do these people, our conversations, their stories, float through my brain when I should be grading English tests? I think it is because their story is my story, is our story.
There once were two men walking the road to Emmaus, mourning the loss of his supposed Savior. They were blind--they could not see that their companion was the Savior for whom they yearned. They were so entrenched in the walk and talk that they missed the story unfolding around them.
There once was a man named Moses who was so hung up on his speech impediment that he almost missed his chance to lead the Israelite’s from Egypt.
There once was a man named Saul who was so convinced of his righteousness that he murdered those bearing the truth.
There once was a woman named Annette who was so scared that she almost missed her call to give up some time teaching to minister with Young Life in Hinsdale, Illinois.
The storyline permeates history, it permeates our history. Which leaves some questions: Where are you walking? Who are you walking with? What’s keeping you from seeing the story that is daily unfolding around you and the Savior that is walking with you?
Pray that God will rip away the calluses from your heart, the blind spots from your eyes, so that your hearts may burn with the presence of Christ’s words in your life.

Diving back in...

LOOK: Mom, Dad, Len, and Carrie at breakfast at the Quetzal reserve. This picture is especially for my favorite big brother Mark and all the crap he's been giving me!!!! ;)

School has proven to be somewhat of a "break" after the busyness of Semana Santa, but if you know me at all you know that I never have an abundance of the elusive free time. Here's an update on what's been happening both in and out of the classroom.

1) Freshmen English: I assigned "The Prince and the Pauper" over Semana Santa, and as an assessment I'm having the students write a comparison/contrast paper between the novel and the movie "Freaky Friday" which we watched in class. Mostly, I want the students to examine why the concept of switching roles/places is so rampant in media. One morning in class I started them thinking in this direction by telling my "life story." I told them I was born with a terrible blood disease that would lead straight to my death (insert lots of dramatic details here), but someone offered to give his blood in place of mine, to take my place and give me life. At this point, the students were upset that I lied to them...I never lied though, I was born with sin and without Christ's blood in place of mine, I'd be dead.

2) Middle School Basketball: This is my current greatest disappointment of my time here. I was/am so excited about coaching middle school girls' basketball, and the girls just aren't interested. We have a great group of 6th grade girls who are enthusiastic and hardworking, but we only have six people--four of whom are new to basketball. We're going ahead with it and teaching the girls as much as we can, but it's hard without the possiblity of scrimmaging. I'm learning to rework my expectations to match the reality of what's happened, but I have a really difficult time understanding people who don't LOVE basketball :)

3) Freshmen girls Bible Study: After many roadblocks and issues to work around, I finally have a Bible Study/discipleship group going for this quarter. Six of the ten girls are coming out, which is more than I was expecting! We're using the time to explore a little bit about how Jesus' teachings really play out in the day-to-day life of a freshmen girl. Let me tell you, after leading YL Bible Studies for the past four years, it's a whole different world jumping back into the Christian School Bible study scene. My prayer is that the girls will drop their inhibitions and be real with each other in their struggles, questions, and thoughts.

More to come soon--pictures of Middle School and High School banquet...but I didn't want to overwhelm anyone with too big of a post!