I made it through the weekend alive. Here in Guatemala, the summer staff have a set of rules we know as the five d's: no drinking, no dating, no drugs, no driving and no, under any circumstances, dying. So naturally, we like to push these boundaries a tad. This weekend I had the pleasure of falling off a horse, which by the way fell first. It wasn't exactly a near death experience but it was certainly hillarious to watch. I got up covered in mud and bruise and yelled back IM GOOD. That was mainly true besides a large bruise on my bum. Needless to say, I walked the rest of the way. It's monday and the we are all heading off to our ministry sites and I'm excited to see what the day brings.
god bless,
Allie
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Out with the old and in with the new
I'm shedding my old skin..literally. Apparently no amount of sunscreen is enough and in peeling like a banana. I've taken to wearing hats and sleeves in the heat...apparently rainy season is a little slow on the draw this year, but I'm prepared with a whole
rain suit, pants and all(thanks Jess). It's been said that we may feel the sting of a few big storms this season. It's funny to me that i'm talking about the weather,but it's kind of worth mentioning here because it's so much more unpredictable, not like in canada "heard it's gunna snow" "yep." ...pretty much how it is. We are supposed to be going on "nature hike" tomorrow but I'm not convinced I can enjoy nature while climbing up a hill at an 87 degree angle..I may die. It's an hour and a half up and the best way to describe the shape I'm in is round...if you know what I mean. Anyways, today we spent most of our day sorting out the vitamins to give out to the schools. It will be good to know that the vitamins are going to provide better health to many kids here. The doctora gave us instructions to give out the teachers
and by the end of next week the kids should begin receiving their vitamins daily. It's chilly on the roof so I think I'll call it a night, but I'm enjoying sharing this journey.
rain suit, pants and all(thanks Jess). It's been said that we may feel the sting of a few big storms this season. It's funny to me that i'm talking about the weather,but it's kind of worth mentioning here because it's so much more unpredictable, not like in canada "heard it's gunna snow" "yep." ...pretty much how it is. We are supposed to be going on "nature hike" tomorrow but I'm not convinced I can enjoy nature while climbing up a hill at an 87 degree angle..I may die. It's an hour and a half up and the best way to describe the shape I'm in is round...if you know what I mean. Anyways, today we spent most of our day sorting out the vitamins to give out to the schools. It will be good to know that the vitamins are going to provide better health to many kids here. The doctora gave us instructions to give out the teachers
and by the end of next week the kids should begin receiving their vitamins daily. It's chilly on the roof so I think I'll call it a night, but I'm enjoying sharing this journey.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
One week and a day
It's funny how sometimes when you leave home time passes at a snails pace. It feels like I've been here forever and maybe that's because my brain is taking on so much new information everyday or maybe it's because my days are longer. Today we began eye exams on the childen at collegio monroy; we've seen 79 kids out of 179 and many of them
will need to see the doctor. Even though only 104 kids are sponsored, students international is testing all the children at both schools; they have also worked out a deal with the doctor so that if the children need to be seen, they can
and then If they need glasses, the glasses would only cost them
25q (less than five dollars American) instead of 250q. si is also now providing vitamins for all of the children, every day in both schools. So it's pretty amazing to be involved in everything that the child sponsorship prgram is bringing to these children. That said, I want to make sure to mention that although i am the missionary coming from my rich country to help here, the children and the people here give me far more in so many ways than I could ever bring to them. They may not have many material possessions but so many of their lives are richer in faith and love and joy than I have a ever seen. I am so incredibly blessed to be here and to be able to absorb some of the culture and the beauty here. Today Nic Bekeart, the social worker in el gorrion was speaking to us About world poverty and he shared an experience from last year: it was just after the storm agatha and the teAm and the staff had been working to try to bring some relief to San Miguel after it had been covered in devastating mudslides. So when nic went back to el gorrion two weeks after the storm a woman stopped him on the road and asked where he had been and he explained that he had been down in San Miguel trying to dig through some of the mud and she responded saying that she had heard about the disaster on the news and she asked him "is there anything I can do to help?" It'S hard to explain what that means but the people of el gorrion literally have nothing. That story went straight to my heart because that's the attitude here; to give and to take only what is needed and here what is needed doesn't mean the same thing as it does at home. I hope I'm giving you a piece of what I'm being blessed with every second. God is so alive here.
Allie
will need to see the doctor. Even though only 104 kids are sponsored, students international is testing all the children at both schools; they have also worked out a deal with the doctor so that if the children need to be seen, they can
and then If they need glasses, the glasses would only cost them
25q (less than five dollars American) instead of 250q. si is also now providing vitamins for all of the children, every day in both schools. So it's pretty amazing to be involved in everything that the child sponsorship prgram is bringing to these children. That said, I want to make sure to mention that although i am the missionary coming from my rich country to help here, the children and the people here give me far more in so many ways than I could ever bring to them. They may not have many material possessions but so many of their lives are richer in faith and love and joy than I have a ever seen. I am so incredibly blessed to be here and to be able to absorb some of the culture and the beauty here. Today Nic Bekeart, the social worker in el gorrion was speaking to us About world poverty and he shared an experience from last year: it was just after the storm agatha and the teAm and the staff had been working to try to bring some relief to San Miguel after it had been covered in devastating mudslides. So when nic went back to el gorrion two weeks after the storm a woman stopped him on the road and asked where he had been and he explained that he had been down in San Miguel trying to dig through some of the mud and she responded saying that she had heard about the disaster on the news and she asked him "is there anything I can do to help?" It'S hard to explain what that means but the people of el gorrion literally have nothing. That story went straight to my heart because that's the attitude here; to give and to take only what is needed and here what is needed doesn't mean the same thing as it does at home. I hope I'm giving you a piece of what I'm being blessed with every second. God is so alive here.
Allie
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Getting Started
Hey All,
Yesterday was our first day in the field and i got an idea of what ill be doing. Im working at the social work site in the child sponsorship program. The kids that are sponsored get medical care, birthday presents, school supplies, school fees paid, ect. SO my job is to help Nivia, the permanent staff member and my field supervisor, buy the gift and deliver them and get the kids to try them on and send a picture to the sponsor and to do a bunch of other stuff. One of the projects ill be working on is administering Eye exams to the kids in both schools in El gorrion and Magdalena and deciding if they need to see a doctor. The living conditions in El gorrion are not ideal; the floor, if there is on is usually concrete, the walls are just pieces of cloth and tin, theres no running water and they just have latrines. The first team gets here on monday and we will be bringing a couple of students along to do the work in the schools. Im very excited for monday to get here.
They've also built a community center in El gorrion; last year it was just a structure, but now theres running water, a clinic with a doctor, a kitchen and bathrooms...Its really beautiful and it provides a lot for the people of El gorrion. Pastor Mario is getting ready to start building a running water system in El Gorrion so the people can finally have sanitary bathrooms and clean water to drink. It's very exciting to see the amazing work here.
On a lighter note, we visited the market today and tried to figure our way around Antigua so that we can successfully guide the teams around the city when we have to. It was a lot of fun. A lady tried to sell me a head band but It was small and i tried to tell her that I had a big head, but instead I told her my beer is too big...so that was embarrassing and a source of amusement for my room mate, who was with me. I guess thats the nature of travel.
Keep Guatemala in your prayers, God is doing amazing things here.
Allie
Yesterday was our first day in the field and i got an idea of what ill be doing. Im working at the social work site in the child sponsorship program. The kids that are sponsored get medical care, birthday presents, school supplies, school fees paid, ect. SO my job is to help Nivia, the permanent staff member and my field supervisor, buy the gift and deliver them and get the kids to try them on and send a picture to the sponsor and to do a bunch of other stuff. One of the projects ill be working on is administering Eye exams to the kids in both schools in El gorrion and Magdalena and deciding if they need to see a doctor. The living conditions in El gorrion are not ideal; the floor, if there is on is usually concrete, the walls are just pieces of cloth and tin, theres no running water and they just have latrines. The first team gets here on monday and we will be bringing a couple of students along to do the work in the schools. Im very excited for monday to get here.
They've also built a community center in El gorrion; last year it was just a structure, but now theres running water, a clinic with a doctor, a kitchen and bathrooms...Its really beautiful and it provides a lot for the people of El gorrion. Pastor Mario is getting ready to start building a running water system in El Gorrion so the people can finally have sanitary bathrooms and clean water to drink. It's very exciting to see the amazing work here.
On a lighter note, we visited the market today and tried to figure our way around Antigua so that we can successfully guide the teams around the city when we have to. It was a lot of fun. A lady tried to sell me a head band but It was small and i tried to tell her that I had a big head, but instead I told her my beer is too big...so that was embarrassing and a source of amusement for my room mate, who was with me. I guess thats the nature of travel.
Keep Guatemala in your prayers, God is doing amazing things here.
Allie
Thursday, May 19, 2011
First day
Hey All,
I made it trough orientation without injury and only with the minor embarassment of having to ask where I could send something express post because I accidentally brought my dads car keys with me..oops. Anyways orientation was really nice, I feel very...oriented. Tomorrow we start on our ministry sites and I was lucky to receive a spot on the social work site for child sponsorship. Although I'm not a hundred percent sure of what I'll be doing, i was told I'll be spending time in the school Magdalena and in el gorrion. I'll most likely be looking after childen in the sponsorship program...helping out wherever I can. So I'm excited to see what each day will bring. It's amazing how when you step out of your comfort zone god challenges you in ways you wouldn't expect, here I think I'm doing pretty good, travelling alone to another country, embracing the culture...totally outside my comfort zone, bur this morning we were partnered up And asked to wash eAchothers feet and If you know me you would know that touching things that are unclean with my hands is something I happen to find unpleasant, to say the least...but oddly it was a beautiful experience, it was very powerfull to do that for somebody as Jesus did for his disciples in John 13. We shared our prayer requests to eachothers and served eachothers in a way that was unsettling, that stirred me to tears
The people here are wonderful, I am blessed. It's funny how I came here to serve, but this place certainly does more for me than I could ever give it.
Allie
I made it trough orientation without injury and only with the minor embarassment of having to ask where I could send something express post because I accidentally brought my dads car keys with me..oops. Anyways orientation was really nice, I feel very...oriented. Tomorrow we start on our ministry sites and I was lucky to receive a spot on the social work site for child sponsorship. Although I'm not a hundred percent sure of what I'll be doing, i was told I'll be spending time in the school Magdalena and in el gorrion. I'll most likely be looking after childen in the sponsorship program...helping out wherever I can. So I'm excited to see what each day will bring. It's amazing how when you step out of your comfort zone god challenges you in ways you wouldn't expect, here I think I'm doing pretty good, travelling alone to another country, embracing the culture...totally outside my comfort zone, bur this morning we were partnered up And asked to wash eAchothers feet and If you know me you would know that touching things that are unclean with my hands is something I happen to find unpleasant, to say the least...but oddly it was a beautiful experience, it was very powerfull to do that for somebody as Jesus did for his disciples in John 13. We shared our prayer requests to eachothers and served eachothers in a way that was unsettling, that stirred me to tears
The people here are wonderful, I am blessed. It's funny how I came here to serve, but this place certainly does more for me than I could ever give it.
Allie
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Finally here
Hey everyone,
I've arrived in guatemala and I'm doing great..curently I'm sitting on the roof looking at the beautiful view while getting the only wifi available. I've decided that I like planes but if they didn't have windows I would hAte them. Crunched up in a tiny little space with A guy behind me that gets upset if I do anything but sit up perfectly straight and a person in front of me who is about six years old and has no problem putting his seat back...meanwhile I'm sitting nex to a man who not only smells like A mix of poop and Bo, but also eating the biggest bag of peanuts that they sell. But one look out the window and gods magnificent creation takes my breath away. I'm here now and it's amazing. I very excited to start this journey.
Allie
I've arrived in guatemala and I'm doing great..curently I'm sitting on the roof looking at the beautiful view while getting the only wifi available. I've decided that I like planes but if they didn't have windows I would hAte them. Crunched up in a tiny little space with A guy behind me that gets upset if I do anything but sit up perfectly straight and a person in front of me who is about six years old and has no problem putting his seat back...meanwhile I'm sitting nex to a man who not only smells like A mix of poop and Bo, but also eating the biggest bag of peanuts that they sell. But one look out the window and gods magnificent creation takes my breath away. I'm here now and it's amazing. I very excited to start this journey.
Allie
Monday, May 16, 2011
Leaving tomorrow.
Holy smokes i'm leaving tomorrow. I'm super excited and a little nervous all at the same time. This will be my second trip out of North America and certainly the longest I've ever been away from my family. In case you didn't know, I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters, my mom, step dad, dad, step mom and pets (many pets). For the last 4 days I've been booked solid with going away dinners with friends and family and I have to say I've been feeling overwhelmed by how much love my friends, family and church have sent my way. I feel so incredibly blessed by all the people in my life, I cannot thank all of you enough for your support. I've received so many donations to give away when I arrive that i'm starting to gamble with essential clothing items "I can wear these undies twice, I'll just reverse them...One flip flop is enough...." kidding...sort of. But seriously, it's really amazing to know that at least 200 people are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers as I set out on my journey. Now just to get on the plane! I nearly packed my nail clippers in my carry on and knowing my luck I'd get the bag check guy again (happend last year, of course), "MAM, do you know what these are? Do you realize that these could be considered a weapon?" Oh, yeah I carry nail clippers in my bag in case I'm ever attacked, they're very practical for self defense. SO wish me luck, because I have a way of finding myself in these ridiculous situations.
Love,
Allie
Love,
Allie
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