Wednesday - A really good day

Today was quite a day. I'll try to highlight some of the major events, but many things happened and this will just be a cursory list.

We left the house at a reasonable time and headed south again toward the town of Escuintla. However, instead of going to San Antonio Buena Vista, this time we went to a fairly nice school just outside of town. The children were playing in the yard and awaiting our visit. This was a public school, but they had no problem allowing us to come and sing songs, share testimonies, and talk about God's love for them.

Two funny things happened as we were leaving the school. First, a woman asked Chelsea if she liked coconuts. Chelsea, of course, said "Yes, I like them." Little did she know, she was agreeing to receive a large bunch of fresh coconuts, right out of the tree!! A man climbed the palm tree in the middle of the yard, hacked at the coconuts with a machete, and then gave us a bundle of about 7 to take home with us! While this was going on, Roger (the missionary leader of our group) was working out a deal with one of the kids to purchase a parrot. Roger loves birds, and he is hoping to get one that will sing and talk very well. The village kids had caught a young parrot and it was very beautiful. Roger agreed to buy it on the spot for about 350Q (less than $50), but that meant we had to carry it with us the rest of the day! So while in the van, Sam was holding the bird and singing to it. While at lunch, we had to pay a couple on the street to watch the bird while we ate. And on and on for the rest of the day!

After finishing at the school, we went to my favorite restaurant in Guatemala - Pollo Campero! This is a fast food restaurant that is as common as McDonald's in the U.S. The food is really tasty - fried chicken, cole slaw and french fries. Roger was kind enough to drive us straight to the coast after lunch. For some students this was their first time seeing the Pacific Ocean. We only had five minutes, but we got some great pictures and some students even put their feet in the water.

We quickly traveled to the church for the afternoon. This church was located on a road next to a sugar cane field. The pastor had arranged the children outside, and there were already about 75 kids sitting and waiting for us. As the day went on, more and more children and families walked by on the road, saw us outside, and stuck around to see what was happening. This was great because we ended up with a big crowd to interact with and share with, but unfortunately we had very few gift bags and craft bags prepared. We did our best to split up the items and give to as many kids as possible.

The drive home was tedious and tiring. There was much traffic on the road due to the rains. At one point, we passed a field that looked like the grass was on fire. But actually it was steam rising from the rain. As it hit the ground, the heat from the volcano nearby turned the water into steam. Really amazing to see!

After a wonderful dinner of pork chops and rice, the students said they wanted to go to the local store to buy some gifts. One woman whom we met in La Primavera on Monday was particularly on their mind. They bought her some new plates and cups, a new apron and hot pads, and some other small gifts. We also picked up some house warming gifts for Alicia (including a new blender and sheets for a new bed).

I can't stress enough how giving and generous this team is. They are giving their time, their efforts, and their money to bless other people, and it's incredible to witness. I have been so changed by their generosity, and I know the people here in Guatemala have as well.