The second chapter of my Guatemalan journey...

So its just been over two weeks now since I moved from the city of Antigua to the city of San Cristobal in order to (finally!) start the project I came to work in!
It was sad to say goodbye to Antigua, which I find ironic due to my initial struggle with living there... but after 2 months I had finally got to know the roads, the way 'blocks' work, had established my favourite coffee shops to chill in, and mostly, had made some really good friendships with some 'super' cool Americans. What was initially totally new and unknown became known - home. And then I'm faced with the challenge of doing the same thing again - leaving the known for the unknown of a new family, a new daily routine, a new church, a new life! Its fair to say I was scared about the change, especially as that leaving day loomed. But looking back I have no idea what I had to be scared about! I'm loving every minute of this next chapter of my time here.

Last night in Antigua - with some of my favourite American friends :)

Leaving day - saying farewell to my Guatemalan family of the last 2 months!

I'm gonna structure this post a little differently - splitting it into different topics, just so its a little easier to follow as otherwise Id literally be rambling on forever, giving you details about every single day so far... and no one wants that now do they? ;)


Family Life

So my new fam are lovely. They are a little old couple, both retired, but still very much full of life and fun. Their names are Victor Hugo and Dina. They have three sons, David, Ivan and Andrés, who is the youngest and only one to still live at home. They live in a really nice house containing a ridiculous number of pianos (they sell them eventually) with a beautiful front garden in San Cristobal. They own a (big!) dog called Bosco, a siamese cat called Mischa, a cheeky parrot and numerous other little birds which are constantly filling the house with little melodies. They are very protective of me and so like to take me everywhere by car, despite the fact I am now rather well experienced with Guatemalan buses. They have also made their wishes known for wanting me to marry a nice Guatemalan man... but seriously, they mention it every other day or so! Getting a little worried, haha ;) They are also very keen to make me part of the family and so I have been to lots of gatherings, meals and other events with them... this includes a graduation party (where I basically got to meet every possible extension of Victor Hugos family) and a wedding (sooo muuuchhh fooood). I'm very happy to say that communication with the family is generally fine, it is only Dina who I struggle understanding sometimes as she talks quite unclearly... but Victor Hugo is brilliant, he speaks in a very understandable way, is constantly joking with me, always introduces me as his adoptive daughter, and he's always trying to teach me new vocabulary (this can sometimes get funny as he always gets me to tell him the English word too, but his pronunciation isn't great... so for example the other day i was trying to teach him 'speed bump' but he could only say 'sped boom', bless him ;)). So all in all - love my family and definitely feel a part of the family this time... although I can feel the tension rise over the fact that their (along with every other Guatemalans) main food love - tomales, are the one Guatemalan food I really cant stand!


Church Life

I was pretty nervous about my new church, as if I didn't like it, Id have to stick with it anyway, as its the church my family attend. That's why I'm incredibly thankful to say I really love the church so far. I write this post on a Sunday so have so far attended 3 morning services. Each has followed the same structure of worship, notices, greet everyone around you, sermon, more worship, response time and then everyone leaves to either go to an age appropriate 'class' or goes to purchase a Guatemalan style refreshment such as a fried plantain or a tostada with guacamole and frijoles. My understanding of the sermons has been varied as it totally depends on whos preaching as to whether they are clear enough and of a reasonable talking pace to follow. I'm glad for what I have been able to understand but I've also remembered some of the things I learnt at Orientation in the summer, such as having a bible study to do so that if you're really not following the sermon so you can still benefit from that time in some way.

Aside from Sunday mornings I have attended the prayer group with my Guatemalan parents twice which has been good to take part in as it has allowed me to meet more people in the church and learn about what situations are current with the congregation. In addition there have been lots of 'reunions' within the church at different peoples houses, which again, have been great to get to know people, but have also been fun in regards to trying more traditional Guatemalan food - hoping my stomach can deal with it all!
I've also done some fun stuff with the youth group! This has to be my main area of thanks to God as he has literally been so awesome in answer to prayer! On my first Sunday in the church I was taken to a youth group for 12-18 year olds which meant I was the oldest. I wouldn't have minded if there were other 18 year olds, or even 17 year olds... but the next oldest to me was a 15 year old. So it was fair to say I was a little down trodden as I had really been hoping to make some great friendships in the youth group and get involved in outings and activities etc. This was an obvious prayer point for my next mentor session with Suzanne, so we prayed about it, and God answered! That evening! It was after the church prayer meeting that I got approached by a 36 year old member of the other youth group (you remain a youth until married here) who was really friendly and ended up inviting me to their meeting on Saturday night. Amazing!! :D Saturday night came, I was picked up by an American called Jeff in a retro, veeery old, but cool beetle, and was taken to someones house in which about 20 youth members crowded into the kitchen of. We had a bit of time of acoustic worship, then a message from the youth leader from Luke, and then spent the rest of the evening chilling, chatting and eating tomales (although I stuck to fruit cause as mentioned previously, I'm not a big fan!). It truly was great and I went home a very happy Elle :) Even more so because, now having met people I have been invited to other activities, so far including an intense 3 hour game of Frisbee the next day (on a huge football pitch, with point keeping and rules and everything, crazy!), as well as an evening in Jeffs house where we drank really spicy soup and played an epic game of 'Settlers of Catan' - extra confusing when trying to follow everyone bartering for grain, brick, sheep, stone and wood in spanish!


Project Life

So, the biggy - my project! Fair to say I'm in love with it really. Every day is totally different and holds a new adventure. For my first few days I was in a bit of a mix of emotion, at times wondering how I'll ever be able to do this every day for 6 months, but after 2 weeks, I feel a lot more settled in. I have got to know a few of the women a little, and am excited for how our friendships will develop and the more about them I will get to know.
Two of the women especially have really touched me. One I offered to help in what she was doing with the jewellery on one of my first days. She was really surprised I was willing to help and carefully showed me what to do. We sat for about 2 hours working together fixing clasps onto about 80 necklaces. We didn't talk loads, just the basics about each other. But the next day and since then, she has greeted me with a big hug every morning, and will often link arms with me randomly during the day, she constantly beams at me and was eager to add me on Facebook. The other lady is similar, in the sense that after a few days of seeing me playing with her son and seeing that I'm just here to be a friend and to help, started to be really open to me, will hug me randomly throughout the day and when we went to the market together, spent the whole time holding my hand. Its things like these that I know Ill treasure for a long time :)
So more specifically what have I been up to in the refuge? LOTS! A lot of what I expected to do, such as playing with the kids (who are absolute treasures by the way, so great), sitting in on devotionals and helping with the cooking, but also lots of other stuff... One thing they're really eager for me to do, having heard I'm creative, is design new jewellery for them to make... for example - only my second day and I had a bag of beads shoved at me with the question 'what can you make with these'. Pressure. But since, at a more relaxed pace I have come up with some ideas and prototypes, which they're generally loving and are really excited about, so that's encouraging. Just praying God will keep me filled with creativity and new ideas now! :P I've also been taken on many excursions - from taking the kids to bible holiday school, to going to a major big market to restock on fruit and vegetables, to bus-ing it into the city to track down new fabrics and beads to make new products with.

Some cheeky photos with 2 year old Anjel and 3 year old Gaby. Such cuties! <3








Well that's probably enough of an update for you now, so I shall leave it there!

I've said it before but I'll say it again - thank you so much for the continued prayer support from you all. It means more to me than you know when I'm told that people are praying and thinking of me, or when I generally receive messages of encouragement, so thank you! Really <3

One request I have is directed to people of SBC mainly, but you can all feel free to respond if its appropriate ;) - I miss you all soooo much! (its unreal, seriously) I get so excited hearing the odd thing on Facebook or from someone on Skype about what Gods doing back in little Shirley, but I want to know more!!! So pretty please, comment, email or Facebook me with what Gods doing in SBC, in your lives, in bible study groups, etc. I may be in Guatemala but I'm still interested in all of you and still want to encourage you all, as well as be encouraged by all your amazing stories, no matter how small! ;)

So, until next time, farewell!
I hope you all enjoy Decemberyness and Christmas. Will aim to post again soon :)


For those who pray:
Things to be thankful for:

• That I have settled in well with my new family, that communication is good, that they involve me in lots of activities and that I generally feel happy and at home with them.
• That my project has been just as amazing as Id hoped and that God is blessing me in so many ways though it.
• That God is so amazing and faithful in answer to prayer! Thanks for the way that I have been able to get involved with the youth of the church.

Things to be praying for:

• That I would continue to feel useful in the refuge and that God would be using every situation to teach me new things about him, myself and life.
• One of the women got burnt quite badly on Friday whilst making tortillas and had to go to hospital - please pray that she would make a good recovery from her burns and that the event wouldn't have affected her mentally in any way (baring in mind her mental sensitivity after traumatic experiences in the  past - which may have included burning for all we know - as I have noticed many of the women have a lot of marks and scars left from the various types of abuse they received).
• That I would continue to fit into the church and youth groups and that God would bless me with some great friendships, especially with girls around my age (as the majority of the youth group is male - about 7:1 ratio!)
• Please pray for me over the Christmas period, as whilst I have a lot of exciting things to look forward to, and am eager to experience Christmas in another culture, it is of course a time that focuses heavily on family, as well as a time I'd usually spend a lot of time in Church with all my friends and Christian family, so prayer that I wouldn't miss home too much would be great.
• Please pray for my energy levels as I'm finding I'm gradually getting more and more shattered from all the new things I'm experiencing, which are great, but tiring!