The Return

Well, I'm finally writing about the last week we spent in the beautiful Xela, Guatemala. Sorry for the wait!

We were sad to leave Zacapa because of all the amazing people and what they had taught us, but Adrienne and I were especially excited to get back to Xela. It had become like our new home the first 2 weeks we were there, and we were going to be able to return to our family.

On the way, we had to stop at the airport to pick up one member of the team and drop another off. Luckily, some of the family from Xela came and met us there. We were so excited to see them, and it was like we were back where we belonged. We got all situated in the cars, sadly with a little bit of conflict, but then we were on our way.

Some people in the group wanted to go to Antigua on the way, which lengthened the drive by about two hours, but also split it up. Antigua is the tourist center of Guatemala, and it is absolutely beautiful. Antigua in Spanish means "old" or "antique", and the town definitely lives up to its name. There are old buildings everywhere. Because it's so touristy, there are also shops everywhere, but they are filled with the most beautiful fabrics and colors I've ever seen. Adrienne and I weren't too interested in the shopping. We decided to stay and walk around with the family, which meant we got the natives' tour of the city. They knew where all the best views and landmarks were, and I was honored to go around with them. While we were there I was able to talk on the phone with Vicky, our honorary mom in Xela, who made sure to tell me there was banana bread on the table waiting for Adrienne and I. =)
After about an hour or so it was time to finish the trip to Xela. It was probably one of the longest car rides I've ever been on. There were landslides all over the roads, and the group hadn't experienced the curves of the Guatemalan roads yet, so it was definitely an adventure. But when we finally got there we knew we were home. All of the kids were standing outside with flowers, fireworks, and open arms. I think that was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip. All of the hugs and excitement for seeing everyone again was almost worth the leaving for a week. And Vicky wasn't lying..there was plenty of banana bread there for us!

The last week in Xela was one of the best and the hardest weeks of my life. We spent a whole lot of time with the family, but not as much time with the kids as we would have liked. When we walked back into el Hogar for the first time, all the kids ran over and gave us the biggest hugs ever. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. We were able to just hang out with them for a while, play guitar, and sing "Jesus Loves Me". All I can say about those kids is they are the strongest, most amazing kids I've ever met. Their stories are so sad..and we were able to learn more that last week and grow even closer to them. We spent a couple days with them that week, just hanging out at the park and playing with them. At church that Sunday we had all the kids there for the first time. They sang and gave a few testimonies in front of church, and it was very emotional for some of them.

Three kids, siblings, had just gotten to the home a few months before. They were Christians before they got to the home, but they were put into it because their mom had died and their dad was a drunk. They weren't even able to go to their mom's funeral because they were already in the government home. It explained so much when we heard that. Just the joy that radiates from them, despite their situations, is super humbling. They were Christians before, and they never lost faith. They can have peace because of the hope they have in Jesus.

We also had the privelege of giving our testimonies at church together. It was nice for the church to hear our stories after knowing us for a little while. They also learned our ages, which helped people a lot. At lunch with all the kids Adrienne was talking to the boys, and they were all making fun of one of them because he had a crush on me. (It was only me because I was younger.) Adrienne asked him how old he was and he was like..20. Probably one of the cutest kids alive. He became my special friend throughout the week. =)

When we weren't spending time with the kids, we were hanging out with the family. It was great having the experience of living with them for 2 weeks already, because when we got back it was like we were really family. Adrienne and I both connected with the kids more than we ever had, especially with the oldest boy, Pablo. He was pretty quiet the first 2 weeks we were there, especially when he didn't know us very well. However, when we were back for the last week, he was totally comfortable around us and didn't hold anything back. We joked a lot with eachother. One of the most fun parts of the whole week was when he taught us how to drive a stick shift. Adrienne had already driven a stick once, but for me it was the first time. For those of you who think it's hard to learn a stick, try learning it in Spanish on the roads in Guatemala. Plus the 18-year-old Pablo was way too confident that we could drive well, so he took us out on the roads right away. I went first. Let me restate that it was my FIRST time EVER driving a stick, and although I can hold a conversation in Spanish, my brain doesn't process it fluently, especially under pressure. He drove down the road a little, and then just said "your turn". I was honestly terrified that not everyone in that car would survive the night. So I drove for a little bit, and was finally getting the hang of it, when he said "ok now turn around." I thought I had misunderstood, but unfortunately he was serious. My heart started beating a million miles a minute, and I was trying to stay calm and understand what he was trying to tell me. It took me about 10 tries to finally get the car turned around. Luckily everyone was laughing the whole time, or it could have been a very ugly situation. Adrienne then took over the drivers seat and drove home perfectly...show off. When we got back upstairs with everyone Pablo proceeded to tell everyone about my driving and how there were 8 cars backed up just waiting for me to finish turning around. (He lied..there were only 3.) I don't think I'll ever live that one down..but he did let me drive again.

The Wednesday before we left the church went out for a special night of volleyball, as a kind of farewell game. Adrienne and I were of course stoked to go play one last time, and the night was great. The people in the church were so supportive and loving. I know that we will never forget them. Saying goodbye was hard, but I couldn't stay sad for long because Pablo let me drive home. I got us back without stalling..but of course I heard "I'm so glad we're still alive! Do you have all your fingers?" and such when we got back. Those boys became some of our best friends, and you can't have friends without having atleast some teasing.

Some other highlights of the week were Lake Atitlan and the government waterpark, Xocomil. I would love to tell you all about it..but this blog is already long enough. However, ask me in person, and the stories will come out. =)

The end of the week came way too quickly. We had to say goodbye to all the kids in the home and the family. They were some of the hardest goodbyes I've ever made. With the kids, I don't know if I'll ever see some of them again. Even if we were to go back to Guatemala, some of them might be in new homes or back with their families. I know Adrienne will agree with me that they are never far from our minds, and if you ever think about it, they need your prayers. Saying goodbye to the family was just as difficult. They truly have become our family, and I can only hope that we will be able to visit them again soon. Luckily we have been able to stay in contact with some of them, but it's more difficult with the language barrier.

Thank you all so much for supporting us through this trip. It was, hands down, the best experience of my life. There were definitely days I wanted to just go home, but those were the times I learned the most. The people we met changed me forever. I learned just how important God needs to be in my life, I learned how important relationships are, and I learned what love really is. God has become #1, family #2, other relationships #3, and everything else comes later. I know that the month we spent in Guatemala would not have been possible without all your support and prayers. I only hope that someday we can find a way to repay you.

Zacapa

For those who have been waiting for me to update this blog, I'm sorry it has taken so long. I've started writing many times and haven't been able to finish. There's so much that happened in the last 2 weeks in Guatemala, and coming home has been one of the most overwhelming things I've ever experienced. But I will do my best to explain how the last 2 weeks in Guatemala were, and I hope it's been worth the wait!

The Tuesday after we wrote last the family took us out for the morning to see Xela in a new light. They took us up to a mountain that overlooked the whole city. The view was absolutely incredible, and we felt honored to have been taken there with our new family. We then went to the city park and walked around while the family pointed everything out to us. It was a lot of fun just to get out and enjoy the city, but soon it was time to work. That afternoon we went with Josias back to his house for the girls' after school program. We learned that a lot of times he picks the kids up from school and brings them back to his house for some cool down time before they have to go back to the government home to do their homework. It was good to be able to relax and play games with them before we had to say goodbye for the week. But eventually the goodbyes came, because we would be meeting up with the group on Wednesday and going to Zacapa, a town about 8 hours to the North.

If you're looking for a place in Guatemala to vacation, I have one piece of advice: don't go to Zacapa. The weather is how I imagine hell to be. It was the hottest place I've ever been, not because of the heat, but because of the humidity. I've decided it's better to be in Phoenix than in Zacapa. To make things worse, the mosquitoes and other bugs never leave you alone. But not everything about Zacapa is terrible. The people there taught me more than I've ever learned in such a short amount of time.

We stayed at the home of Pastor Orlando, who, sadly, we didn't get to know very well. The program in the government home there is very similar to the one in Xela, with Josias and Pastor German's brother Jacobo behind it all. The home itself is a little bigger, and there are more kids with more room to run around. Our week with them was spent eating lots of pizza and ice cream, going to the zoo, and swimming in Jacobo's little pool.

For us the work was a little repetitive, but for the kids that came with us every day it was an exciting adventure. One thing that I was surprised with was how attached I got to these kids after only one week. I didn't think I would become all that close to the Zacapa kids because I had already spent 2 weeks with the ones in Xela. One kid in particular, Yeifer, was Adrienne and I's little miracle boy. He was 10 years old, now has turned 11 since we've been home, and is the little nerdy boy with glasses that gets picked on by all the big boys. But, his look was deceiving. On the inside, he is one of the strongest little boys I've ever met, with an extremely sad story. He doesn't have parents, and all his siblings are living in a house without him. He was their caretaker, the oldest, and I have a feeling he was doing everything he could to earn money to support them. This led him to getting involved with drug smuggling. He told me that one day he was walking with his "friend" when the police stopped them, put both of them in handcuffs, and asked Yeifer why he was walking with this guy. They found drugs in one of their pants, I didn't understand whether they were in Yeifer's or the other guy's. Either way, the police brought Yeifer to the government home, away from his younger siblings and the only family he had left.

I thought that since Yeifer had been through so much, he had all the excuses in the world not to love anyone. He could understandably be a bitter, angry, violent little boy. But he wasn't. The first day that Adrienne and I met him, he was drawn to our guitars. It didn't matter what song we were playing, he just wanted to listen to the music. Throughout the week we grew very attached. The day we left was one of the hardest goodbyes I've made in my life thus far.

I'm not sure where Yeifer is right now. He was going to be moved to an all boys home. This home would be more violent, and a lot harder for him. There were tears forming in his eyes as he told me that he wouldn't be there next year if and when we came again. Please pray for Yeifer and all the rest of the kids of Zacapa. They all taught me a lot about unconditional love and what that means in my life.

The other person in Zacapa that taught me about love was Jacobo. There was a night that we all sat down to do a devotional, and it turned into a tear fest. Jacobo, Josias, and German's mother had died just a few short months before we came, and this night Jacobo broke down talking about it. Immediately almost everyone around was in tears, and Adrienne and I were especially teary thinking about our uncle.

Jacobo then went on to talk about his dad. When they were little, his dad was a very angry, bitter man. They were very poor, and his dad sometimes took his stress out on the kids. Not physically, but verbally. He wasn't a very loving dad. But that didn't stop Jacobo from loving his dad. Today, his dad is a very changed man. We were able to spend a lot of time with him in Xela, and grew to love the little old deaf man. Jacobo taught us a lesson about unconditional love that night. He taught us the importance of loving our family, no matter what they may have done. For me, it was an eye-opening, life changing night.

Although it was hard to leave Xela and hard to be in Zacapa, I am very thankful for the week we spent there. I don't think I would have learned as much from staying in Xela. I personally needed to meet Yeifer and Jacobo. I needed to learn about unconditional love to everyone around me, especially my family. God has truly blessed me, and He blessed the week we had with these amazing people.

Our last week in Xela will be coming...I think this is long enough already. =)