It was another exciting day in Guatemala and a day of firsts because it was finally the weekend, so we did not go to the school. People had first experiences involving salt and smoke (for a hint). We had a great day, and we are so excited to tell you about it.
Micaela: Today was Noa’s 18th birthday which was so fun, and it was a day that started off with a bang! Mr. Sweet, one of our chaperones, had the amazing idea to buy some firecrackers at the local store and set them off at 6 a.m., so we could be ready to party! Noa was also quite surprised but still appreciated the surprise. After recovering, we enjoyed a breakfast of French toast and birthday wishes. Then we went on the bus for a 2-hour ride towards the coast where we would spend the rest of the day. The ride was very scenic and beautiful until I took air and hit my head off the ceiling of the bus. This is because we went too fast over one of 12 unmarked speed bumps and the speed bumps are very large in Guatemala. It was quite funny, and we got many laughs about it. We saw incredible volcanoes and even got to watch small eruptions from the safety of our bus. “Que chilero!” (Super cool in Spanish)
Peter: Upon arrival at the small church (a daughter church of the one we attended Wednesday, called La Gloria Que Impacta), the MCA group hosted a vacation Bible school which involved components from the VBS we are hosting at the Casa de Luz. First, we did some songs, followed by a Bible story (presented in English, Spanish and pantomime), and finally we split the kids into two groups. One group did crafts while the other learned the memory verse (John/Juan 14:6) in Spanish with actions. Then the groups switched places. The kids were given a snack and dismissed. The MCA community left the church and went to the Pacific coast. For many it was their first time touching the Pacific Ocean, for others it was their first time touching ocean at all. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go more than ankle deep due to the riptide in the area. For some people the waves didn’t agree with the whole “ankle deep” rule. After the beach, we went back to the church and were served a lunch of fish or chicken, rice and potato salad by the pastor’s family. Pastor Manuel and his wife then shared their testimony of how God called them to start this small church in Puerto San Jose.
Aida: After lunch at the church, we went to swim at the Agua Azul resort for the rest of the afternoon. Although it was the first time seeing a volcano for most of us, the most bizarre sight today was seeing a pool full of wet hats worn by the chaperones. During our swim time we played “worldwide volleyball,” had some synchronized swimming fun, formed a conga line, had some yummy snacks from the resort’s restaurant, then headed back to the casa for dinner. The bus ride back was almost as cool as the ride there. We got to see the volcano erupt even more and watch the beautiful scenery with the sun setting behind it all. Back at the casa, we had the best homemade pizza ever (sorry mom) and topped it off with two delicious cakes for Noa’s birthday. A great day full of fun, and after, the best part was celebrating Noa’s 18th with her and making it an unforgettable day.
