Day Six: Black Sands

Mar.25.2013

9:45 p.m.

What a day!! We went to the beach. Only the surprise was it was at a water park which also had…water slides. It was a great time riding the huge waves!! I had two ice creams! Whee!! I’m pretty sun-burnt. ow.

This whole mission trip, I guess, can be described as a surprise. First, it was a surprise that it was pushed up to March. Then there were many unexpected things we had to flow with as we ran the VBS and worked. And then there’s the beach. I have not seen black sands before in my life. Over here the beaches are filled with volcanic sand….As a result, they melted our feet off. 😛 You would have to wear flip-flops or run for life across the hot sands. For the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed the sea. Normally, I rather disliked the sea (partially because I’m not a good swimmer) and was rather nervous about going in it. But casting every fear and doubt aside, I jumped in, got used to the water (which was a little cold), and then constantly got wiped out by the waves. Being small, I very easily could be washed back to the beach. But it was one of the greatest fun on the trip. Then there was the water park. Four big slides. Fun! After playing in the sea for quite some time, we showered off and headed for the pools. There was a wave pool in the park which we all agreed was nothing compared to what was out there. Why do I mention two ice creams? Because I normally don’t eat so much. The only problem with it was that it was so hot that it was hard trying to eat it slowly.

Finally we had some lunch and took a break. Reapplying sunscreen (or so I thought) we hopped back into the waves. I will never know for sure, but I think that I must have missed my shoulders. When we were done and back home, my shoulders were just burning. Many others were pretty burnt as well. So yeah, I had problems sleeping that night.

It was a good day and a good time to recover a little more and relax.

#JesusIsGreater

Colossians 3:12-17, 23-24

Colossians 3:12-17, 23-24 — We should live holy lives in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We should forgive others. Then we should also do things as if we were doing it for Christ. Everything! No exceptions, no excuses. Everything we do should be as for Christ.

I think that if we honestly think about this, we will say that we all struggle one way or another in this. But then I’m reminded that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In essence, I can’t live for Christ by my own strength. I need Him.

On this mission trip, we were reminded to strive to do our tasks for Christ, whether it was building the house, painting the church, or even doing the dishes! Do it for Christ.

#JesusIsGreater

Day Five: Palm Sunday

Mar.24.2013

7:40 a.m.

Breakfast at 9, leaving for downtown at 10.

Palm Sunday! Woo! Today is kinda a relaxing day for us where we recover a little from the hectic week so far. How do we do that? Visiting downtown Guatemala…

Back from downtown, from Easter play. We originally intended to visit the palace but it was close due to [it being] Palm Sunday. So we watched the Easter procession.

Along the way we visited a cathedral. It was very huge and I took plenty of pictures. As we made our way through the streets, we spotted plenty of people selling stuff. Reminds me a little of Malaysia. Then there was the procession. People carried statues of Jesus and the twelve disciples. It was quite a sight!

The cathedral

Later we [relaxed] at the house until we left for the Easter play at a HUGE church. It had 12, 000 seats and it was virtually full. It wasn’t bad play…

Fraternidad Cristiana de Guatemala

Just huge….almost like an arena. Anyways, again my Spanish came in handy as I helped figure out what one of the CH people was trying to say. (It turned out we were supposed to take a shower before church. And I understood it!! Yes! Thank you God!) The play was very showy and full of effects, especially light. I rather liked it though it was difficult to understand even with the translation-device-thingy. But I think it was pretty accurate.

It was quite a day. But we would anticipate tomorrow a lot….

#JesusIsGreater

Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15-23 — Jesus is greater. He is God, by whom all things were created, for whom all things were created. He, God, came to reconcile us by dying on the cross so that now we are free.

This has been the passage our youth group had gone through and obtain our theme “Jesus is Greater.” This is the theme that we brought down with us to Guatemala. He is greater than everything. To me, it’s a good reminder when life’s not going too well. Jesus is still greater than all my problems, and I should look to Him.

#JesusIsGreater

Day Four: Sin Chair

Okay. You’ll see what I mean by the title.

March.23.2013

11:15 p.m.

Today was great but hectic. We were late to get to the worksite because of a huge factory fire. I have never seen so much smoke in my life. Traffic was bad and so we had to work faster to try to get some work done. Painted the church again. Then went up to help paint the house. Window and roof is up. For such a hasty morning, we managed to work well and still interact with the people almost as if as normal.

The kids’ T-shirts hanging out to dry after drawing on them!

When we finished painting the church, we decided to go up to see if the other group needed help. We the reinforcements helped paint the house a nice yellow color.

VBS camp went great, (a little “boring-er” than usual). Had a little skit called “Sin Chair.”

I don’t know, I think it’s just me. But I was just tired to the day as a whole. Anyways, I just thought that the skit was very interesting. The story is basically a person walks by a chair marked “sin.” The person decides to “explore” it and touches it. To that person’s dismay and horror, he (or in our case, she) can’t remove his hand. Stuck in sin, she tries to free herself and a group of friends also come to help. Eventually, they leave her because they are not strong enough to free her. Then another friend walks in and explains Jesus to her and how He could free her. As he says a prayer, “Jesus” walks in and takes away the chair. As extra emphasis, He sits in it. (In another time, He also rips the sign in half.) I just thought that the skit sent out a really good message of what Jesus did to help us.

Food….

Rushed back to get ready for dinner. Authentic Guatemalan food!! It was delicious!! Ended the night going (0-for-10) in Dutch blitz.

We went out to Alfredo’s and, boy, it rocked! Plus, ice cream later!! My very first Guatemalan ice cream was a mistake. I ordered chocolate mint, not knowing what the Spanish word was! (I love chocolate, but I strongly dislike mint. So there you go.) But it turned out all right, and I rather enjoyed it. And yes, I lost ten straight games of Dutch blitz.

#JesusIsGreater

Matthew 19:16-30, Luke 9:23-27, John 12:25-26

Wahey!

Matthew 19:16-30, Luke 9:23-27, John 12:25-26–Jesus tells us that following [Him] is not easy and has a cost. For example, the rich man found it difficult to sell his possession and follow God. I think that in today’s world, really, it applies. Money is such an issue today. But wealthy people are often dissatisfied and want more, more, more; therefore making it difficult [for them] to “enter heaven” because they continually pursue money over God. But, as we learnt, Jesus is greater tan money. But at the same time, it is not true that we have to be homeless and poor to follow Jesus. We just have to make sure that we always place Jesus first on top of everything.

You can’t serve both God and money. But at the same time, there are people at the other extreme end saying that we have to have nothing to follow Jesus. So be on guard!

#JesusIsGreater

Day Three: Round Three

Mar. 22. 2013

11:10 p.m.

I don’t know where to start. Construction went well; I had the cool opportunity to climb to the roof to nail some stuff.

(Had an accident on the way to VBS camp, bus driver backed into a scooter. No one was hurt, thank God.)

I say “cool opportunity because, technically we weren’t supposed to go on the roof….but (not because I’m better or anything) I had the chance to climb on the frame and nail some supports down. And then the accident. The driver (he was a different driver from our usual)  missed the turning and reversed to try to get back. We all saw two ladies on a scooter pop up behind us. We all yelled “STOP! STOP!” but whoops. Of all the words we knew in Spanish, we knew how to say that one…so figure out how the brain works.

VBS camp went great. Did crafts…Had a great dinner: rice and chicken! Had youth night! Played soccer…(Did not tally, pity. 🙂 )

As you can see, I’m not much of a journal-er. Short and to the point… It honestly was kinda a great time just trying my best to communicate to the kids what they were supposed to do and all that. Pointing things out and saying whatever I know….Perhaps today was particularly trying on my nerves. But I quote a friend who simply told me, “Pray for patience.” I also am thankful for another friend who patted me on the back just to try to encourage me.

Man! I thank God for the friends I have.

#JesusIsGreater

Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 — Don’t conform to the world!! We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God; holy and pleasing to Him.

This actually means a lot. I think that many times I find myself trying to live like how the world does. We got to catch ourselves and remind ourselves that we are to live as living sacrifices to God. We are to live holy lives that please Him. We live in this world, but we are not to be of it!

#JesusIsGreater

Day Two: God Continues His Awesomeness

March.21.2013

10:50 pm

It was a great day! A great many things continued to go well. VBS, construction. I did painting this time and I guess picked up some good tips [about painting]. We played soccer with some kids losing 6-4 which is a rather respectable score, so I think :). Roof of the house will probably go up tomorrow.

Hey, Guatemalans are good at soccer. 6-4 is a good score to lose, especially since I tallied one in the effort 🙂 .

VBS was great; I did games….What I liked best was the end where as some kids were lining up to leave, Phil, [two other team members], and myself [amused the children by doing] a random mime…”show”.

We simply made faces behind Phil’s back as he tried to “figure out” why the kids were laughing. Good fun.

Kids playing with a parachute

Later that night, we were supposed to have some Guatemalan youths join us, but due to rain, not many showed up. But it was still good fun, hanging out with some of our peers. The next night we would have another youth night.

God is good! and A-WE-SOME!! I was never much of a “kid” person but I think that God opened myself a little to the children He so dearly loved and loves.

Spanish continues to improve(praise God!).

#JesusIsGreater

Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11 — Humility. Wow, that’s just a concept I struggle so heavily in.

Nuff said, really. Think about it, human pride is something that I think everybody struggles in. But here we see Paul telling us to be humble and basically consider others better than ourselves. Just like Christ “who, being in very natureGod, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (v. 6-8).

#JesusIsGreater