August 7

Today I woke up, got dressed, and packed/organized my things for the return trip home.  I grabbed a quick bite to eat with a protein bar and finished filling out my evaluation of Desi and Ashley.  After I finished with everything from the guest house, I went down to House 5 to see Carlos, Lester, and Neyali plus the other young babies to spend a little amount of quality time before I headed North.  After I took some last pictures I headed to House 6 to visit the older orphans to take photos and see them as well.  I wandered outside and was asked by one of the Special Moms to get a few playground balls for the little ones, and I headed down the road to a nearby cul-de-sac to play with the young kids.  I helped them with snack time and then Neyali, who is very temperamental, warmed to me and we spent our last time together by me holding her, looking at/paying with leaves on a tree, spinning, and laughing all the way.  By this time, the other team members and all of kids from Dorie's Promise joined us on the empty street.  One special moment was when I would whisper and tell Neyali I'd miss her in English, she would collapse into my arms and give me the best hugs . . . it was quite endearing.  Finally it was time to say our last goodbyes and to hold back tears.  The kids could tell this was goodbye for good and there were many hugs and kisses on the cheek.  In an instant we were in the van and whisked away to the airport by our faithful Abel.  

 

Carlos

Carolina

Baby Max

Cul-de-sac where we spent our last hour with the children

Classic Lester look!!

Alex

Neyali

Miguel

Johnathan

Desi, Neyali, & Me . . . my last goodbye to Neyali :(

Amanda's goodbye to Marlon

Mis amigo siempre!!

Once we were in the airport, we got through security and customs very quickly.  The plane to Houston was on time and we landed safely stateside with luggage in hand.  We had no problems going through customs or security again for our last leg home.  It was perfect timing in Houston to grab a bit to eat right up to boarding the plane.  We’re now back in Indianapolis, and it has felt like the longest and shortest week of my life all at the same time.  It's hard to imagine it all being over.

The clouds as we descend back into the United States

August 6

One of my last statements for tonight was, "I don't want to go to sleep, because I don't want the week to end."  It's hard to imagine that we're already headed home from Guatemala tomorrow.  It’s not that I don't miss my family and friends, but I’ve been so impacted by the power of this experience . . . Each day has brought new challenges and yet hopefully there is a lot of future left for me to take action and to participate in God's work! 

Today was our sightseeing day and we drove a little over an hour up and down the mountain to the city of Antigua, Guatemala's former capital and a city that is over 600 years old.  There was so much history and beauty in this city that it was almost difficult to comprehend places such as resort vs. the city dump all encased in a single country . . . quite a large disparity. 

Antigua

We strolled through a 5-star hotel which cost around 250 a night USD that was quite beautiful and scenic with an active volcano in the backdrop. Following the hotel we visited some areas that had been damaged by earthquakes and a volcanic eruption a few years ago.  It was incredible to see the depth and the detail created that many hundreds of years ago.  The list of incredible sights included everything from the extremely thick doors to an active and massive catholic church with intricate details from top to bottom.  

5-star hotel (if you look closely, you can see the initial year is 1547)

Some entertainment/attraction at the resort

I'm amazed at the architecture from this Mayan city!

Pool at the resort

A view of the volcano interrupted by some clouds (also tribute to the Chronicles of Narnia!)

The streets in the entire city were made of cobblestone

"We're not in Kansas anymore . . ."

Intricate archway in Antigua

Ruins from an 8.6 earthquake AND volcano eruption yet still partially standing

View of the outside of the church

Looking inside . . .

Different angle on the church

After touring some of these sights, we grabbed lunch in an outdoor cafe and then we hit the market.  After being quite hesitant about the bartering aspect, I got quite comfortable quickly and talked them down to find some good sales!!  My favorite was talking down a store owner for a ceramic Mayan chess set from $50 to $35 US, then walking around and finding a guy who would offer me a chess set and a ceramic frog for 30 to which I took my bargain back to the original owner and sealed up the chess set I originally wanted along with a more detailed frog for that same $30.  It was a lot of fun to hear the different pitches and I'm excited to bring home some Guatemalan memorabilia.  You may or may not know this about me but I'm a big fan of various trinkets and collectibles so I had a great time shopping around today!

Black market selling top shelf quality goods :)

Shop where I bartered for my chess set

A view into the marketplace

Nick helping Amanda barter for some soccer jerseys

After the drive back from Antigua, we had a decent amount of down time before a party with the kids and a celebration of my favorite Neyali's birthday (which is August 8th but they celebrate on a weekday when all staff is present).  Desi, our team leader at Dorie's Promise, and I took Neyali to the store about 3 minutes away to let her pick out a gift that we bought for her.  Desi and I have been play fighting about who gets to keep Neyali and who the rightful parent is . . . Neyali is definitely a heart stealer! When we returned home it was time for dinner with the kids and also for us to serve dinner to the Special Moms.  The adults had Pizza Hut and we also helped watch the kids and served them drinks after their dinner was over.  It was a nice gesture to the Special Moms for all the work/effort they put in!  Following dinner we had two piñatas, one for the girls and one for the boys.  Each child took turns swinging trying to unleash the candy and when the candy shot out the children descended on the candy faster than I've ever seen before . . . even faster than kids during parades here in the United States!  It was a lot of fun to celebrate the conclusion of a special week in all of our team’s lives. 

Guatemalan T.O.A. on the drive home

Neyali and me just before going to pick out her birthday present

What's a birthday celebration without some pinatas?!?!

Neyali getting first swings at it!

Yerali came out quite victorious in the candy roundup

Bob, Amanda, and I showcasing some of our souvenirs from Guatemala

The night concluded with a long debrief and mutual gratitude between our team and our fearless leaders Desi and Ashley.  It was a nice to spend some time with these two and join in their fight for justice for the forgotten of Guatemala.  We also got to spend some time joking around and playing the card game Mafia, which has been played on multiple nights of this trip.  It's an absolute blast for large groups of 8 or more people!  Tonight was no different with many heated battles of the game and much laughter was had by all.  As I come to the conclusion of my time in Guatemala, I am amazed at the events and experiences God has shown me and how this trip has been everything I've ever imagined and more.  The mission team has been very supportive of each other and I couldn't ask for a better group of travelers (well, maybe with the exception of adding Lisa!) for my first time out of the United States!  I'm excited about continuing my efforts both in Guatemala and in the United States when I get home and seeing what God has in store for me in the future.

A fitting billboard on the way back to Dorie's Promise

August 5

I woke up today with an upset stomach, something I had been dealing with since yesterday around lunch time, and my teammate Tyler did as well.  I've been warned about this being a distinct possibility, and it had already struck Nick.  Thankfully, I was able to take some medication and participate for most of the activities.  Today's devotions were from Romans 12:14-16 which says: 

⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

The challenge today was to discuss how we felt about being willing to associate ourselves with people of low position in our own communities.  I must confess, I rarely interact and definitely do not go out of my way to associate with others in this way.  In all honesty, as sad as this sounds, I have a tendency to avoid such situations.  It's been a great week to challenge me in this area, and I look forward to returning home to applying some of these experiences to Muncie. 

Today we headed to another typical orphanage named Mama Carmen's, home to about 60ish orphans.  Abel took two van loads of children to a park about 10 blocks away and we spent all morning playing soccer.  Others played on the various playground equipment, shot hoops, and other physical activities.  Due to not feeling well, I played goalie for the gringos vs. as many orphans as possible.  There were a lot of 10-12 year old boys playing, and it was a lot of fun.  We finished in a 2-2 tie and it was good times.  Towards the end of our time with the orphans, some random men stopped in and wanted to play some of us in a basketball game.  Two of the four new English, well, let me rephrase, one of the guys named Douglas, grew up in LA and works at a call center and spoke very good English and other spoke decent English but was VERY proficient at cursing . . . We played 4 on 4 with Tyler, Ashley, Nick and myself representing Team Revolution.  They got up to an 8-5 lead but we were able to rush back to win 11-8.  It was a lot of fun to play and the children enjoyed watching while playing their own games on the other side of the court. 

Erin with one of the orphans from Mama Carmen's

Ann entertaining some little ones at the park!

Time for a little "futball"

Nick just missing a header for the adults team

Time for a sport I'm a little more comfortable with . . . ! :)

Ashley with the shot at the elbow!

Group photo following our come-from-behind victory!!

When we drove back to the orphanage, I took a look around the lack of space for the children.  There is a decently-sized room the size of a 2 car garage, a small kitchen off to the side, and bedrooms in the back.  The entire place was covered in tile, which is good for cleaning but is not very inviting or welcoming for children.  The children were very wound up but they had a lot of fun with us.  I took pictures with a lot of the guys I played soccer with and even gave my shirt to one of them who scored a soccer goal on me!  I'm not sure if it will ever fit him, but he really enjoyed it! 

Some group shots at Mama Carmen's

Soccer phenom!

Reward for scoring a goal on me!!

I wasn't very hungry and still felt ill around lunch time but I managed to have a bowl of Special K and some more medicine to try to calm my stomach.  We had a little down time before we took the younger kids out for a day trip, so I was able to relax on the couch which was quite helpful.  Around 3 we loaded up two vehicles of our team, 15 of the younger children, and the special moms to head to the Oakland Mall, a very fancy mall that is equivalent to nicer malls in the United States, to a restaurant that had an aquarium inside!  We got to hold the kids and let them see all the fish, sting rays, and the two sharks.  They were very excited to see everything, and they also enjoyed the play place in the back of the restaurant.  After the sightseeing, we got everyone an ice cream bowl, and it was a blast helping/watching the kids eat and get all messy.  Many pictures were taken, as the kids were as cute as ever!  When they were finished, we all helped wipe off faces and take the kids to the bathroom to wash hands.  When we rallied up the 15 children, we headed back to Dorie's Promise. 

Lester is telling us what we already know . . . he is the World's Cutest Baby!!

Neyali is making her case though . . .

A view from the Oakland Mall . . . 5 minutes away from Dorie's Promise

Tyler helping Lester see the sights

Erin doing the same

Amanda and her little man Marlon

Tribute to Shark Week while we were in Guatemala

Bob lending a hand as well

Neyali waiting for her ice cream with a little salt . . . Lisa would be proud!!

Play time while the children wait!

The fancy ice cream treats . . . perhaps not the best dish for our 1-3 year-olds!!

Marlon wasting no time polishing his ice cream with Amanda assisting!

Neyali finishing her ice cream in style!

After we dropped off the kids, the team took off to a nice Mexican restaurant to go out to eat.  Even though my stomach didn't feel the best, I couldn't turn down some true local food!  The meal was very delicious, and we all enjoyed our time together with our new friends Ashley, Desi, Gigi, and, of course, Abel!  There was a church service near the ghetto but not at the location we were supposed to attend Wednesday (the church in the ghetto laid cement and the service was unfortunately canceled).  None of the people we met on Sunday's ghetto trip would be there and with my stomach up in the air, I passed on this event.  Tomorrow we head to Antigua for a day trip and I want to be in a position where I'm able to function without being out of commission all day.  Today felt a lot like the 2nd women's prison we visited where we could take some time and provide enjoyment and laughter with the orphans at Mama Carmen's.  But today was definitely not as heavy as Wednesday, which I think is a good thing.  We could also see progress being made in the different zones of the city.  Not all is lost, not all is in despair, which bodes well for the future of this beautiful country.  I'm already making plans of when I can come back to this special place!

View outside the Mexican restaurant

Abel showcasing his "Reserved for Abel" assigned seat

Bob showcasing his ability to sip some pink lemonade!!