This article was imported from our previous website, which many have broken some of the content. We apologize in advance for any strange formatting or broken links you may find.
Hola! We wanted to update you as to how our time here in Magdalena has been. The first week went by in a blur! Orientation, meeting our site leaders, and spending 3 days at our sites kept us really busy, but we are loving every minute of it!
We spent 3 days at our sites last week getting accustomed to what we would be doing, meeting the people we would interact with daily, and getting into a routine. For some of us this was difficult as we were exposed to levels of poverty we didn't know existed. It has been heartbreaking seeing the conditions some people are in and we have been able to spend time processing this as a team. We are reminded that God is sovereign in every situation and He has His hand in every single person's life. Despite the hard things we have seen, we are so encouraged by the people and their joy! They are never complaining and have welcomed us into their homes. Some people on our team have been able to sit and hear people's testimonies and they have been blown away by the stories of God's grace and provision in their lives. We might not understand why these people have gone through such hard times but the fact that God is bigger than all the suffering is so refreshing and we are daily reminding ourselves of this. We have all agreed that we have fallen in love with this country and the people in it.
On Saturday we were able to go on an excursion to Lake Atitlan and see some of the country and towns around it. We spent time shopping in the markets and trying out our bargaining skills at the shops. Personally, I was terrible at this! But it was fun to try and get an item to a price both the vendor and I could agree on. It was filling and refreshing to spend time together as a team and explore some of God's amazing creation. On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed a typical Guatemalan church service. Even though it was almost two and a half hours long it was fun to see the sense of community the church has together and the way they all love and care for each other. It was one woman's birthday and the entire church lined up to hug her and wish her a Felíz Cumpleanos. The music was my favorite part. The worship style is so different, but it's so cool that we sing to the same God as they do. My eyes have definitely been opened to the infinite power of God and His love for all the nations of the world.
As we start another week we would love prayer for health! A couple people have been under the weather and we all want to be able to be at our sites every day. We are also battling fatigue and would love prayer for deep sleep and rest at the end of the day. We so appreciate your support and prayers!