My roommate, Kimberly, arrived!!!!! The Lord has showered me with blessings while I'm here, one of them being that she is my other half! It's only been a week and we are finishing each other's sentences. Although, that may be partially due to the carrot cake gene that apparently runs in both of us :)
A special thanks to all of you who have been in prayer for Kimberly and who have supported her. A few days after she arrived, she received a message saying that CAM was un-releasing her because all of her funds had not come in yet. But, she was already here, studying in language school and living with a family. For a while, we thought she might have to return to the States and then would not have sufficient funds to return. However, the Lord is faithful and answers prayer. Just yesterday, she sent me message saying that someone she doesn't know from her hometown and given her a gift of $800!!! She now has 100% of her support and was officially released as a CAM missionary! (Talk about our extraordinary GOD and His POWER!!!)
We spent a week together in Antigua, my last week at school and her first. She has three more weeks of schooling to finish and will then join me here at the Oasis!
Showing posts with label Antigua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antigua. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Coban
Well amigos, I am officially in San Lucas and just finished my second full day of work at the Oasis! However, I have neglected to inform you of the past 2 weeks of excitement. So, let me catch you up:
1)I passed my test for level D! And then I studied for two more weeks and passed Level E. As of Friday, I am an official graduate of Christian Spanish Academy of Antigua, Guatemala-- with a diploma and everything!
2)I made some awesome friends, Sam and Will, who are taking the next year to travel the world on only $10,000 each (that's $15/day after flight costs). They invited me to travel to Coban on a tour with them, so of course I went! Luckily for me (and for ya'll) they are computer/film geniuses and are filming all of their travels. So, you can have a full 12-minute HD experience of my trip to Coban at www.twoguysaroundtheworld.com . Simply click the "Episode 7: Semuc Champey" to see the footge of our trip.
First, however, I'll give you and overview narrative of the trip:
We left on Friday and drove 6 hours north to Lanquin, where we spent the night. The next morning I woke up to the sound of small waterfall outside my window (sweet!) We all piled into a truck and drove and hour into the mountains 'till we reached Semuc Champey. Upon arrival, we hiked up a mountain covered in mud (it's the middle of the rainy season here.) I am what many people would call a klutz--I had a very hard time explaining that word to the Guatemalans-- and the entire time up the mountain all I heard was "Cuidado, Becky" ("Careful, Becky") I sucessfully made it to the top without making any too-dangerous mistakes, but at thee lookout on top, missed a step and body slammed the person in front of me. "CUIDADO BECKY!!" Whoops.
The view, however, was so worth it. You'll see it in the footage--aquamarine pozas (natural pools,) waterfalls, and rapids, all in the middle of a jungle covered valley. We made our way (I pretty much just slid down the mountain) down to get a better look. And what's better than in the water itself!? Our guide took us on a swimming tour of Semuc Champey. We swam/climbed/sloshed our way to the top of waterfall where Jose (our guide) tied a very dodgey looking rope to a rock and then proceded to repel his way down the waterfall. YES!!! Scary, due to the sheer cliff beneath you and the raging white water beyond that, but how else am I supposed to get a thrill? So, of course, I followed--slowly. At the bottom of the waterfall was the entrance to a cave. During the dry season, it's possible to float through the cave, but the water was absolutely raging, and I'd had enough adrenline rushes for one day.
We ended our water-filled day by floating on tubes down a river. To avoid trees, you lean back and do a backwards butterfly stroke like there's no tomorrow. It works quite well.
The next day we left at 6 am and drove 2 hours into Bajal and Las Montanas de los Muertos (The Mountains of the Dead), where we watched the sunrise. Spectacular. It was like watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, except everything was green. You cannot experience beauty such as this and not believe in God and His awesome creativity.
Last stop was for breakfast in Coban and a hike into the hills to search for a Quetzal, the rare national bird of Guatemala and also the name of their money. We actually found one...sort of.
Check out Sam and Will's site! I promise it's more interesting than my descriptions.
1)I passed my test for level D! And then I studied for two more weeks and passed Level E. As of Friday, I am an official graduate of Christian Spanish Academy of Antigua, Guatemala-- with a diploma and everything!
2)I made some awesome friends, Sam and Will, who are taking the next year to travel the world on only $10,000 each (that's $15/day after flight costs). They invited me to travel to Coban on a tour with them, so of course I went! Luckily for me (and for ya'll) they are computer/film geniuses and are filming all of their travels. So, you can have a full 12-minute HD experience of my trip to Coban at www.twoguysaroundtheworld.com . Simply click the "Episode 7: Semuc Champey" to see the footge of our trip.
First, however, I'll give you and overview narrative of the trip:
We left on Friday and drove 6 hours north to Lanquin, where we spent the night. The next morning I woke up to the sound of small waterfall outside my window (sweet!) We all piled into a truck and drove and hour into the mountains 'till we reached Semuc Champey. Upon arrival, we hiked up a mountain covered in mud (it's the middle of the rainy season here.) I am what many people would call a klutz--I had a very hard time explaining that word to the Guatemalans-- and the entire time up the mountain all I heard was "Cuidado, Becky" ("Careful, Becky") I sucessfully made it to the top without making any too-dangerous mistakes, but at thee lookout on top, missed a step and body slammed the person in front of me. "CUIDADO BECKY!!" Whoops.
The view, however, was so worth it. You'll see it in the footage--aquamarine pozas (natural pools,) waterfalls, and rapids, all in the middle of a jungle covered valley. We made our way (I pretty much just slid down the mountain) down to get a better look. And what's better than in the water itself!? Our guide took us on a swimming tour of Semuc Champey. We swam/climbed/sloshed our way to the top of waterfall where Jose (our guide) tied a very dodgey looking rope to a rock and then proceded to repel his way down the waterfall. YES!!! Scary, due to the sheer cliff beneath you and the raging white water beyond that, but how else am I supposed to get a thrill? So, of course, I followed--slowly. At the bottom of the waterfall was the entrance to a cave. During the dry season, it's possible to float through the cave, but the water was absolutely raging, and I'd had enough adrenline rushes for one day.
We ended our water-filled day by floating on tubes down a river. To avoid trees, you lean back and do a backwards butterfly stroke like there's no tomorrow. It works quite well.
The next day we left at 6 am and drove 2 hours into Bajal and Las Montanas de los Muertos (The Mountains of the Dead), where we watched the sunrise. Spectacular. It was like watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, except everything was green. You cannot experience beauty such as this and not believe in God and His awesome creativity.
Last stop was for breakfast in Coban and a hike into the hills to search for a Quetzal, the rare national bird of Guatemala and also the name of their money. We actually found one...sort of.
Check out Sam and Will's site! I promise it's more interesting than my descriptions.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Oh, God and His sense of Humor
Ok, here´s part 2 in the epic that has been my last week:
School picked up again
this week, and I am planning on taking my test to see whether or not I can move up to the next level this coming Monday! Please be in prayer for me as I study hard this weekend! The test has approximately 6-7 components (fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, reading, lecture, conversation, writing a story, answering questions about an essay that´s read to me, etc.) Pray that God will give me a clear mind, energy, and lots of endurance!
Last week, I received wonderful news! Kimberly, my co-worker\ roommate at the Oasis has finally arrived in Guatemala!! Praise the Lord! God was so wonderful in providing her with her financial support, and she will be coming into Antigua after next week. Upon coming here, I had been assuming that Kimberly would be here with me. When I learned that she was unable to come at the beginning, I was very worried, wondering who I´d be with in the city. He provided though, as He always has, the most wonderful roommate for me at my host home. Mackenzie and I hit it off right away and spend most of every day together. Now, Kimberly will be coming to stay in Antigua on Monday--the day after Mackenzie leaves to continue her trip throughout Central America. God is so wonderful in His perfect timing! He likes to make me sweat a little, but I am learning that He always comes through.
Speaking of our amazing God, I was able to encounter another one of His workers on Thursday night. None other than Melanie, the intern director at the Oasis! She and I met for dinner and were able to talk all about The Oasis, the girls, and what my responsibilities there will be. I am SOO excited! She said, as I already knew, that when I arrive the girl´s will just be beginning their summer break. Because the schedule will be relaxed with the absence of classes during the summer, I am free to start up any activities, projects, games, classes, etc. that I am interested in! So, if any of you creative people out there have any ideas, I´d love to hear from you! She also told me that there will be a lot of preparation work for Christmas (several hundred gifts to wrap, and Christmas letters from their sponsors to translate). Once the school year starts I will be filling in any gaps in the teaching staff, or if there are none, helping the youngest girls to prepare for school (some have yet to learn their alphabet or numbers). Then, the afternoons are a time when the older girls can get tutoring help. I LOVE TO TUTOR!!! She said that they have 12 yr olds in first grade, and that every single one of the girls are behind (many came to the home without having ever gone to school). So, I´m sure I´ll have lots of wonderful girls to keep me busy over the next several months.
Melanie also invited me up to visit the Oasis today! It is visitation day, a day when the families who have court permission can come and visit their children. Many of the girls, however, do not have families to come and visit them. So, I´m going up to meet and hang out with them and look around the place where I´ll be living in just a few weeks!
In the last 2 weeks I have had a total of zero chips. happy?
School picked up again
this week, and I am planning on taking my test to see whether or not I can move up to the next level this coming Monday! Please be in prayer for me as I study hard this weekend! The test has approximately 6-7 components (fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, reading, lecture, conversation, writing a story, answering questions about an essay that´s read to me, etc.) Pray that God will give me a clear mind, energy, and lots of endurance!Last week, I received wonderful news! Kimberly, my co-worker\ roommate at the Oasis has finally arrived in Guatemala!! Praise the Lord! God was so wonderful in providing her with her financial support, and she will be coming into Antigua after next week. Upon coming here, I had been assuming that Kimberly would be here with me. When I learned that she was unable to come at the beginning, I was very worried, wondering who I´d be with in the city. He provided though, as He always has, the most wonderful roommate for me at my host home. Mackenzie and I hit it off right away and spend most of every day together. Now, Kimberly will be coming to stay in Antigua on Monday--the day after Mackenzie leaves to continue her trip throughout Central America. God is so wonderful in His perfect timing! He likes to make me sweat a little, but I am learning that He always comes through.
Speaking of our amazing God, I was able to encounter another one of His workers on Thursday night. None other than Melanie, the intern director at the Oasis! She and I met for dinner and were able to talk all about The Oasis, the girls, and what my responsibilities there will be. I am SOO excited! She said, as I already knew, that when I arrive the girl´s will just be beginning their summer break. Because the schedule will be relaxed with the absence of classes during the summer, I am free to start up any activities, projects, games, classes, etc. that I am interested in! So, if any of you creative people out there have any ideas, I´d love to hear from you! She also told me that there will be a lot of preparation work for Christmas (several hundred gifts to wrap, and Christmas letters from their sponsors to translate). Once the school year starts I will be filling in any gaps in the teaching staff, or if there are none, helping the youngest girls to prepare for school (some have yet to learn their alphabet or numbers). Then, the afternoons are a time when the older girls can get tutoring help. I LOVE TO TUTOR!!! She said that they have 12 yr olds in first grade, and that every single one of the girls are behind (many came to the home without having ever gone to school). So, I´m sure I´ll have lots of wonderful girls to keep me busy over the next several months.
Melanie also invited me up to visit the Oasis today! It is visitation day, a day when the families who have court permission can come and visit their children. Many of the girls, however, do not have families to come and visit them. So, I´m going up to meet and hang out with them and look around the place where I´ll be living in just a few weeks!
In the last 2 weeks I have had a total of zero chips. happy?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Aqui en Guatemala
Hola mis queridos!!!
I am here in Guatemala! Today is the first day that I´ve had access to a computer for more than a few minutes. Please excuse the many typing errors that are sure to occur, because the symbols on the keyboards here are in different places than in the States.
The flight here went beautifully. I ended up sitting next to one of the vocalists from the RNB group ¨The Spinners¨ and talking the whole way. They were on their way to a gig in Texas. He was very upset that I didn´t know who Donny Osman is. Yes, I know, sad.
I spent my first two days here in a house at a seminary in downtown Guat. City with Amy and Megan, two girls from Washington also with CAM. They will be working in Casita Benjamin, a center for young children in G.C. After two days there, we traveled to Antigua, where I am now taking lessons at a language school.
Antigua is wonderful. Here I am free to walk around as I please during the day, not afraid of being hurt or robbed. A typical day looks as such
- 6 30 am,
wake up - 7 30 breakfast with my host family
- 8 am language school
- 10 am break
- 10 30 am language school
- 1 pm lunch
- travel around the city as I please
- 7 30 pm dinner
- 8 homework
- 10 30 bed
Each day we review several gramatical subjects in Spanish and practice reading, writing, speaking, and understanding. By the end, my brain feels ready to explode. Yet, each day I feel myself speaking faster, with better grammar, and understanding more. It´s rather exciting.
My family is quite eclectic. As of now, I have a mom and a little brother who´s 10, along with an English gentleman, and Mackenzie, from Canada. It´s so funny to hear Spanish with an English accent!!!
Due to Antigua being a rather touristy town, there are dance classes EVERYWHERE!! I plan on starting salsa and merengue classes soon!
I apologize for this post being so dry, but I just wanted to get the facts down.
Sorry Dad!! Short enough for you?
More coming soon!
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