Sunday in Guatemala

On Sunday morning we went to the service at Igelsia Bautista El Camino, the local church that was our host church for the trip. I was very excited to see the church family that was the core of the ongoing work at the preschool and the landfill. One of my favorite parts of the trip was working with other believers in a totally different part of the world. In spite of our many differences, we discovered many commonalities, mainly centered in our mutual love for Christ. It was so neat to discover that bond that crossed languages, cultures and oceans. And so, it was great fun to be a part of their Sunday service. My new friend Olivia provided translation throughout the service and I enjoyed seeing how my mental translation lined up with hers. 

Their service was not all that different from many I've experienced in the States and I even recognized a few of the songs. The people were so warm and welcoming that there was no awkwardness in being there. The biggest surprise came during communion (what a cool picture of the global body of Christ!) when I discovered that we were drinking purple Gatorade. I don't know if that is usual for them or if it was something they did for us because it was bottled (the water there tends to make Americans sick), but it worked! Overall, the best part was the realization that this was a small taste of heaven - believers of different nations and languages all praising the Lord together. 

After church, we traveled to do shortened versions of our VBS program at an orphanage and an AIDS hospital. It was a bit of a whirlwind working with so many different kids in such a short time. At the orphanage, I spent most of the time getting adjusted to my recently acquired gear and maxing out my limited Spanish with the kids. I found myself hopping from kid to kid because if I got too deep into a conversation, I would run out of Spanish words!

Finally, one of the older girls, 15 year-old Jessica, was willing to work with me when I couldn't find a word. She didn't speak English, but she would start listing off Spanish words until we found the one I needed to continue the conversation. When I found her sitting with one of the dogs and discovered that her favorite class in school was an art class (I just found out that it actually translates as visual arts), I knew I had found a kindred spirit. So, I asked her if she would like to take some photos with my camera. She said yes, and the photo you see to the right is one that she took of "Burro" the dog (Burro translates as donkey, by the way). I think she's a natural.

At the end of the day, I walked away with a new found experience of how God's love and kindness can cross barriers caused by differences and could not wait to try it again the next day.

More stories to come tomorrow...