Jesus, Quiche, Pana, and Move

I know that every post oozes with the excitement of my life here.  This post is no different.

Teaching is going well.  However, I am feeling the effects of Guatemala's lack of an efficient education system and the 36 year long war that ended in 1996.  The people here are not only learning English from me, but they are learning how to learn.  Me cuesta a ensenar a ellos a veces. Necesito much paciencia. Pero se cuesta mas a ellos.

After writing about the privilege of being single, I had even more opportunities to share.  I had a captive audience last week and got to exhort the police officers to treasure their spouses.  I've gotten to exhort the believers here to read their Bibles, to attend church, to walk in discipline.  I live for these daily conversations!

While being a missionary here, I also have the privilege of being a tourist.

Friday, the tourism police took me to nearby Quiche to explore the city. As we crossed the bridge leading to the city, I looked down and could see the river underneath me due to monstrous cracks in the pavement.  Later that day, the bridge fell. 

After they ran some errands in the city, we went to visit some Mayan ruins.  I wish I could remember all the names of everything.  But these ruins were once the seat of a great civilization.  The Mayans fought with the Spaniards and built caves to hide in.  I got to explore 2 of them.  (I borrowed a camera for these pictures.)

The park was beautiful!

My teacher and I standing on the top of a reconstructed stadium.

This mound is really old.

The black spot on the left is where Mayans sacrificed humans.  Today, sacrifices of tobacco, fruit and other things are still offered there.

I was a little nervous to explore the caves.  I was glad the police officers went ahead of me!

I was a lot more relaxed afterwards!

The entrance to one of the caves

Sacrifices are still offered in these caves.  Here, I am at the end of a capped-off tunnel where someone recently left flowers and burnt offerings.

Because the bridge was out, we had to take a different way back.  The road was one of the worst I have ever traveled on.  It was pouring down rain, the driver couldn't see, and there was the threat of landslides.  The dirt road was through the switchbacks of the mountains and we were following a tanker truck.  I often stopped our conversation to pray out loud for the driver and for our safety.  The best part of the drive back was when the two officers who where also passengers with me pulled out their guns, removed the safety and were ready to defend me in case any robbers tried to take advantage of the perilous situation.  It was awesome! (No robbers were there, though.)

Saturday, I went to Panajachel, Santiago, and San Pedro.  To get to Santiago and San Pedro, you have to take a boat.  Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places in the world!  I didn't want to leave! Below is un demaciado de fotos (a lot of pictures).

I'm not sure where this was taken, but it was beautiful!

Lake Atitlan and a volcano

We boarded the little boat to take us to Santiago. Similar boats carried us to the other locations.

Native fisherman

My favorite picture of the whole day. I love the tension of the water and the clouds!

The market in Santiago. All the markets in all the cities are similar.

The packaging for food. I don't remember what it was called.  Some native dish...

Yes, that is a fish inside a tortilla.

Yes, I ate the head.

This little girl serenaded us on one of the boat trips. She was SO CUTE!

San Pedro Parque (Saint Peter Park)

A native woman on a boat ride

Avacados ready for export

The sun setting over the lake

I love my life.  Not a day goes by without gratitude for being here.  The opportunities for discipleship of the people are endless.

BTW, I am staying with a different family from ASELSI now.  They have three kids and a beautiful house.  I have a KING SIZED bed to stay in! =)  So much more than the material things, it is awesome to be building these relationships and doing life with people here.

I have only a few days of teaching left this week, then it's on to relaxing and having some vacation time. I will finish well. :-)