Church...

So I just want to take this Sunday afternoon to talk about the church experiences I have had in Guatemala so far...

Our DTS leaders decided that they would each take us to their churches for 6 weeks and then after that we would be free to choose which church we liked the best of all the churches we visited and continue attending that church during our time here.

The first church we went to was called Fraternidad Cristiana. This church was HUGE!!! It was like the size of an amphitheater with seating for 12,000 people inside. At first I thought I was going to be really turned off by the church because of the size, but as we entered I felt like it was one of those places that was huge but somehow still had the friendly, welcoming feel to it. As soon as our group walked in some ushers came and gave us welcome stickers. Later on during announcements they introduced our group in front of the whole church and we stood and waved to everyone like we were movie stars or something. The worship and message were really good as well and I was definitely impressed with the whole experience. One of the things that also amazed me was that they built the church not too long ago and when they did the pastor felt it was very important not to have loans or debts as they were building so they built this whole amphitheater debt-free!




The second week we were here we went to another church. The congregation was about 75 people and the worship was amazing. The worship leader actually wrote a song that is famous here in Latin America so it was cool to be able to worship in a church with such great leadership. There was also great passion during the worship and instead of passing out bulletins at the door they were passing out kleenex in the isles during worship. It was a little bit out the ordinary for me, but again it was good to experience the passion and love that the worshipers have for God.

Today we went to our third church. It was a Pentecostal church and from the second I walked in I knew I was in for a treat. First of all they don't pass out bulletins or even kleenex at this church, they passed out flags. Actually they didn't pass them out, they were just on a rack on the wall and people who wanted them went over and grabbed them. What happened next not only left me a little bit distracted but it also made it hard for me to keep a straight face at first. The people would wave the flags all around in the air, making it look like some sort of color guard show. I know that this is one way to worship, but it is not a way I have ever experienced before. Then the next thing you know a man is running around the isles waving his flag and blowing a whistle. At this point Janina (one of my classmates) and I looked at each other and couldn't hold it together. We laughed out loud at the sight of this show of worship.

So all this to say that I am definitely getting to experience the culture in a different way through the churches here. Let me just say that I have yet to find a Rosedale Bible Church, or anything close for that matter, but it is awesome to see how different people can worship in spirit and in truth.

September 21, 2009

Also an older post that I wrote before internet. Now we are finally updated...

We still do not have internet at the base, but somehow everyone is surviving… funny how that works that when you have something you become sooo dependant on it, but when it is taken away you find other ways to fill your time. We have definitely found those other ways to fill our time here…

This weekend we had Friday afternoon through Sunday off. We did not really have the time off though because we celebrated my 25th birthday all weekend! It was an amazing celebration with new friends and family. First on Friday night we all stayed up until 12 so that we could start my big day off right. We ate cake, sang, and danced until about 1:30 am. Then on Saturday I woke up and went to breakfast where I was served heart shaped pancakes. How do these people know the way to my heart already?! Then we went to the shopping mall that is right down the street and spent some time enjoying the food court there. I chose Taco Bell for lunch and we had ice cream for dessert! Then before we left the mall we walked by a band that was playing some jazzy music. Mario, one of my DTS classmates, told the band that it was my birthday and so the band played me happy birthday then wanted to take pictures with me. It was fun! Then when I though it was over they decided to give me a free CD!!! What a great birthday gift!

For dinner we had cheeseburgers here at the base and then everyone surprised me with a princess crown, a card, and my favorite Funfetti cake!!! They didn’t even know that was my favorite kind of cake but I was super excited when I saw the kind of cake it was.

Then everyone in our school plus a few extra people from the base went bowling after dinner. On the way a few people stopped at the flower stand and bought me some flowers… by this time I was feeling like a true princess!!!

We all had a blast bowling and then when we got back to the base they told us we had a meeting. We all walked over and… SURPRISE… there was a huge piñata for me!!! What a wonderful birthday I had here in Guatemala!!!

Hello, Guatemala

I wrote this when I first got here and am just now able to post it because we just got internet. The internet is really slow as well, so I will try to get pictures up soon!!!

Well I have arrived and actually had a great trip. I was worried that the start of my day might be not so good because of having to pay extra for my luggage, but thankfully I have a wonderful sister Becky and best friend Layne who are expert packers and they got me through the luggage check-in without having to pay an extra cent!!

I got on my first flight and was pleased with my window seat and had plans to sleep, read, and relax the whole way. God had other plans for me, though, and in fact my mission trip had begun…

A smiling girl, probably around my age, sat down right next to me and I was glad about that. We started small talk and I found out that she was from Palmdale but was living in Cancun doing missions. We kept talking and she revealed that she is actually a Jehovah’s Witness. Now when these people come to your house it is one thing because you can just say no thanks and kindly shut the door, but when they are seated next to you on a 4 hour flight it is kind of hard to ignore them. So we talked and it was actually really neat for me because I asked her about what she believed and got to share what I believed and although neither one of us came out converted I at least got some practice sharing the gospel and talking about what I believe and why.

After having a layover and going through customs in Mexico City I was on my second flight to Guatemala. I got off, got ALL my luggage and found the people from YWAM who were picking me up. Then we came to the “base” that is actually two houses very close to downtown Guatemala City. The houses are awesome and I am excited to be living here! I will be sharing a room with five other girls- two from Germany, one from Canada, one from the United States, and one from Mexico. We have ten people in our school altogether. Everything around this town seems to be alive with people, music and even a wake up call at 4 a.m. from a rooster down the street! I can’t wait to experience Guatemala to its fullest!!!

No internet... no bueno...

Well I am sorry it has taken so long for me to post but we have been at the base about a week now and without internet the whole time. They are hoping to have it up and running tomorrow but then again that is what they said yesterday and the day before...

So I am writing from an internet cafe and cannot post pictures, unfortunately. Tomorrow we are going on a retreat and we will be back Friday or Saturday and HOPEFULLY there will be internet by then.

Everything here has been awesome so far. I love the people and the culture and the city we live in. We are actually really close- about a 10 min walk- away from various shopping centers and malls, which is nice. The thing that has shocked me the most so far was that they have a Taco Bell here!!! Yes, its true. I do not really understand it either, but it is here. I will post proof soon!

The school is off to a great start. There are 10 of us in all- 3 people from the USA including me, 2 Germans, 1 Canadian, 1 Mexican, and 2 Guatemalans. It is an awesome mix of cutlures and personalities and I cannot wait to get to know them better.

Well, for now thats all I am going to have time to share. I hope to have more time to post pictures and share more stories soon! I miss everyone so much and can feel your prayers. Thank you so much!!!

Getting Close

The time is coming soon when I will be packing up (the actual event of packing will probably happen the night before I leave) and flying to Guatemala.


So many emotions are filling me right now- excitement, sadness, joy, peace, and lets be honest, it is a bit overwhelming. It has been so amazing, though, to see how many people are supporting me as I seek to do what God wants me to do with my life. God has really shown me that this is what He wants for me by the way he has provided through people. I am so thankful for everything- the prayers, the financial support, and the encouragement- that people have given me over the past few months. I am so looking forward to this adventure and am ready for it to begin!

Please pray that I will do what God wants me to do with my life.