Puebla

And here we are in Puebla, on the second leg of our journey. For the next month we will be studying, and living in the beautiful country of Mexico. Mornings consist of a two hour culture class, two hour one on one conversation and going home for the evening with our host families.

During this time I have been aware of the 'thin places' all around. A thin place, as defined by Eric Weiner in his New York Times article " Where Heaven and Earth come closer" explains a thin place to be a location where we become our more essential selfs. Where one is able to loosen their grip on life and breathe. Where heaven and earth seem to come closer. A few thin places I have experienced in Mexico include...

Drinking a cup of coffee on the bustling streets downtown.

Worshiping with others at my host parents church.

Basking in awe of the beautiful boys choir as its melodies sailed through the Cathedral of Mexico City.

As we near the end of our journey, I find my self relating to Kierkegaard when he explained that "travel, like life, is best understood backward but must be experienced forward". Though I may find my self worn, tired, and filled with information- it does not mean that God has revealed everything I need to have learned. As I type this, I am trying to remind myself that by experiencing the forward motion of travel we may better understand the upside down kingdom of God.

Free Travel

And we are back from our week of FREE TRAVEL! Here is a little review of the adventures of Emily and Rose....

Day 1: Travel to Rio Dulce

Our current state of being after 5 hours of a Guatemalan style traffic jam.

Early Thursday morning, Emily Hedrick and I headed off on our bus ride to the city Rio Dulce. Little did we know, a crash along our trip would leave us in a 7 hour trafic jam with 6 kms of back up both directions. What a way to start off! :) Nonetheless, we got to our hotel safe and sound and were ready for the adventure ahead.

Day 2: Relaxation in Rio Dulce



View of the port by our hotel.

Our day in Rio Dulce consisted of reading, relaxing, swinging in our hamock, watching the boats on Lake Isabal, swimming in the pool and reflecting on our time thus far in Guatemala.



One highlight of our trip was trying yummy foods during our travels. Some of our favorite dishes included the typical Guatemalan breakfast, Coconut bread, Tapdo (a typical coconut milk seafood soup dish filled with shrimp, crab, fish and clams), and authentic Italian pasta.


Day 3: Livingston



Beautiful view of Rio Dulce during our two hour boat ride.

The next morning, we headed to Livingston, a Caribbean town on the coast of Guatemala famous for its unique Garifuna culture. One of the only ways to reach Livingston is by boat on the Rio Dulce. Due to heavy rains the night before, the ride was a wet one and by the end we were happy to make it to dry land.

Day 4: Adventures in Livingston



Getting ready to take a traditional dug out boat to our next destination on the tour- the beach.

We were lucky to find a steal of a tour for a free day in Livingston that took us on a walk through town, a hike through the jungle, a canoe ride, beach side stroll, swimming at Los Siete Altares (seven beautiful waterfalls) AND a packed lunch. What a blessings it was to get such an adventure packed day of fun in Livingston!




A panoramic view of one of the swimming holes at Los Siete Altares.

Day 5: Travel to Semuc Champey

For a planner like me, this was a difficult travel day. :) We spent the whole day heading back down Rio Dulce, waiting for our shuttle to our next destination in Semuc Champey, and traveling the bumpy, muddy roads for six to our remote hotel. The craziness of the day´s travels was well worth it when we made it to...

Day 6: Semuc Champey



A birds eye view of one section of the falls at Semuc Champey.

Day six of our free travel, Emily and I devoted to our time exploring the park of Semuc Champey. As we visited the pools, waterfalls, and natural beauty surrounding Semuc, I felt blessed to have the opportunity to be awe struck once again by God and his power.

Though this post does not give a complete view of our experience, it does give a taste. I am thankful for the opportunity to connect to Christ through the backwards learning that travel has to offer.

¨Travel, like life, is best understood backward but must be experienced forward¨ -Kierkegaard

A Review of Guatemala

It is hard to believe that our time here in Guatemala is almost over. Here is a little review of my favorite memories from Guatemala. :)

The times of peace and insight during our travels.

Visiting awesome sights filled with history.

Getting to know and respsect our two leaders, Don and Ester Clymer.

Having the opportunity to pass time with one of my best friends, Peyton Erb.

Soaking up the stunning natural beauty of Guatemala.

Getting to know my host family and in particular my host brother, Juan Carlos.

Spending some awesome times with our group.

The blessing of community support on my birthday.

I am so grateful for these experiences thus far. As we head into free travel, I hope to take the time and reflect on these once in a life time opportunities.

My Best Friend in Guatemala

About a week after I arrived in Guatemala my host family hired a new auydante (or house help) named Epep. Epep is a 25 year old mother of two from the province of San Marcos (about five hours away from the capital). She left her two daughters and family to come to the city for work, which is not an unusual thing for someone from the countryside to do. From the beginning, Epep was a bubbly friend and wonderful company.

Over time we spent many moments talking over hot cups of incaparina and pan dulce. Epep and I share a strong desire to seek and serve God in our communities, which has made conversation with her very easy and life giving. I am so thankful to have someone here with whom I can discuss life. Not only that, but Epep reminds me daily the importance of relying on God for daily strength.

One of my fondest memories with Epep so far was the day I came back from the local landfill with CASAS. My mind that afternoon was filled with thoughts on inequality of the world, which I shared with her. After listening to my disjointed thought process, she reminded me that despite how unfair or unjust our situations here on earth, we are all given the same choice to follow Christ. That someday we will all be given the same judgment and opportunity to be with God. What a testimony Epep showed to me that day, as she exhaled the glory of Christ within the hardships and difficulties of her own life.

Epep and I passing time together in the kitchen.

A Stranger Within the Familiar

This weekend our group went to visit Tikal National Park in the region of Petén, Guatemala. After a day traveling and visiting Tikal´s Mayan Ruins we headed to our hotel for the night, Gringo Perdido (or lost gringo). This rustic lake side hotel gave our group the opportunity to relax, reconnect with one another, and overall have a fun time.

I was suprised to find myself actually feeling like a stranger in this Westernized hotel. While there, I felt diconnected from the local culture, people and spirit. I felt out of place and unable to engage in conversation with the locals. Here the hotel workers were use to keeping disconnected from the visitors. I on the other hand wanted to engage in conversation with the people working in the kitchen as I heard them sharing jokes together. I think the biggest reason I felt the desire to join in the conversation was because of my previous experiences in Paraguay. Why coulden´t I connect with those around me in the same way that I engaged in conversation there? In this moment I felt on the outside within a ¨gringo¨culture, trapped between two worlds and unsure where to go.

Reading for my EMU class thus far has been very helpful as I work through feelings of being a stranger within the familiar. Henri Nouwen states that we must remember not to derive knowledge from the center of who we are, but from the center of who God is and find life from the Divine Life. David Smith in his book ¨Learning from the Stranger¨ has reminded me that ¨to be a Christian is to hope, trust, and participate in this work of renewal and reconciliation and to seek, with God´s help and continuing forgiveness, to order our own lives in its light¨(p. 57). So as I come to points on this journey where my own self feels out of place or disconnected, I hope to continue deeply participating in seeking God´s grace, order and divine life. That within the sense of unfamiliar I may continue to learn and grow.

Lakeside view of our hotel, Gringo Perdido.

Lesson of Generosity

This weekend out group climbed the active volcano called Pacaega. Not everyday you can say that you climbed a volcano! It was amazing. Sights like this remind me of how awesome a God we serve.

But what impacted me the most was what happened when we finished our climb. When I was walking to the bus, a 12 year old girl named Melissa started walking beside me trying to sell me a walking stick for 5 quetzales. I started to engage in conversation and during this time I told her that I thought the bracelet she was wearing was beautiful. She smiled a beautiful grin at me and took that same bracelet off her wrist and placed it on my own wrist. I was shocked. How can she be giving me this bracelet so freely and generously? I searched my bag for something to give her in return, but all I had was my empty lunch bag, a water bottle and my camera. It seemed like such an ironic situation, that she was able to give so freely and I was not able to give her anything. And not only that, but that she did not want anything in return. When I returned to the van I remembered the walking sticks she was selling and quickly called her over to buy one. As our van drove away I called out to my new friend "Adios Melissa!!" and was left with the image of her big brown eyed smile.

Melissa taught me an important and priceless lesson that day. Generosity is a sign that God is at work. I am so thankful for the example Melissa served today for me. The gift of generosity is a priceless treasure that I too want to live out in my life.

The bracelet Melissa gave me and the stick I bought from her.

Pictures from Life

Me and my classmate Louise eating our lunch at a Mayan Ruins site.



Some classmates showing off their host family bio at CASAS.



My host parents and I at Atitlan on our way to San Marcos (sorry it is so dark!).