Guatemala Wrap Up

 

The last few days of the trip were pretty hectic, so I failed to post about days 6 & 7, and our travel day home. So here is quick rundown. 

Thursday, July 6

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 

Galatians 6:9 CSB

The day started slow, as everyone seemed to be feeling the effects of the previous days of ministry, and the thoughts of leaving in the next couple of days. We finally got ready and loaded up on the bus. Thursday was originally to be a ministry day for us, but because we had finished and dedicated the houses, and the need for the short-handed ministry staff to prepare for the next teams coming in, we had a free day. 

First we headed to the large cross overlooking Antigua. Known as Cerro de la Cruz (The Hill of the Cross), the sight is one of the leading attractions in the area. Built and dedicated in 1930, the site offers beautiful views of the ancient city of Antigua, as well as a view of the surrounding volcanoes. The pic above is our group in front of the cross. 

After our visit to the cross, we headed to Pastores, a town outside of Antigua famous for their leatherworks, and then to Antigua for lunch and a little more exploring. We had lunch at Pollo Compero, kind of Guatemala's version of  KFC. After a few hours of exploring the Artisans Market and the city, we headed back to the mission house to pack for the next day. 

After supper, we met for our time of reflection. Ed Shaver led our devotions. He used the houses we built as an illustration for our lives. The concrete and block foundation is symbolic of God and His word that we are to build our lives on. The bolts that held the baseplate for the walls symbolized our connection with God through prayer and other ways we connect with Him. The rest of the house - wood frame, metal sides and roof were all connected to the foundation by the bolts and nuts through the baseplate. But what kept the bolts and nuts secure and in place, was a small metal washer - without it, the nuts would become loose, or pull through the wood. The washer was small but was essential to holding everything together and in place. 

Ed compared the small washer to our faith. He then quoted Jesus: "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt 17:20. Just like a small washer can hold a building together, a mustard seed faith can hold our lives together and with God. It was a great reminder of the importance of faith, and the value of small things. 

Friday, July 7

Lydia had pre-arranged and excursion for a group of six of us to hike to an observation area for the Pacaya Volcano. Six of us piled into an Uber at 5am and headed into Antigua to meet our guides who were friends of Lydia. Armando, Brayan's dad also joined our group. We then took a van to the National Park Station at Pacaya where we met our trail guide Julio. He led us on the 3 mile hike up to the observation area. It was a very steep trail and I was definitely the "pace car" for the group, but we finally made it. The views of Pacaya, the lava field and surrounding areas were amazing. The few pics below don't do it justice. Pacaya is an active volcano that last erupted in 2021. We were able to walk around the lava field, and Julio even warmed up some marshmallows in a heat vent in the lava field. It was a once-in-a-lifetime  experience. 

After making it back down the mountain, we met the rest of the group in San Antonio, Brayan's hometown. His sisters had prepared lunch for our group at his dad's house. We got to eat and visit some of Brayan's family and explore San Antonio a little. We also delivered some crocheted blankets that we had brought for Hope for Homes, a ministry to special needs orphans. 

We then headed back to the mission house to finish packing, eat supper and then head to the airport. Though it was pouring rain and traffic was heavy, we got to the airport early and said our good-byes to Vinicio, Mono, and Samuel (bus driver). These three men left a lasting impression on us and we hope to work with them again in the future. 

Our journey home was quite a challenge. We were all exhausted, sad and anxious at the same time. After a delay in Guatemala, we flew overnight to Dallas. After a few more delays and a gate change, we finally made it home to Knoxville late on Saturday afternoon. 

It's impossible to capture everything about our trip. I hope to flesh out more of our experiences in future blog posts. But for now, thank you reading these and for your thoughts and prayers for us on our Guatemala adventure. 

Our group at the observation point with Pacaya in the background

Driving through Antigua at 5:30am.

Pacaya and part of the lava field

JBob with our trail guide, Julio

A view from the observation point. The three volcanoes
in the picture are Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego (the one smoking).