Day 14, June 19th, 2009

During our time together, the children discovered my notebook and were quite interested in it. Since I didn't want to lose the memory of this day, and to have something special form each child to look back on, I allowed them to doodle in the back of my journal, and then wrote their names under the picture. I thank God for this idea, since without it, I would probably not have preserved such a fond memory so accurately.

Sam plays ball with the boys

Itercelia, smiling for the camera as she models her barely-visible new bracelet

Mikala poses with her new necklace. This picture has to be one of my all-time favorites that I've taken.

One of my personal faves

You can walk out your door or fly around the world: there's no denying it, boys will be boys.

Hannah with our newfound friends

Mas foto!

Itercelia (left) and Candelaria (right) braid my hair (I hope I got the names right :P!)

Tres ninas y un nino (yes, Itercelia has my Bible on her head)

From left- Candelaria, Anita, and Ana

Me, Ana, Candelaria, Itercelia, Mikala, Anita, and Hannah

The girls at the washing basin

We sit here in silence, save for Raymond's humming, each occupied in our own activities. Two little boysstand outside, playing and chatting occasionally. People are beginning to congregate in adn around the iglesia, awaiting the start of the service. In the kitchen next door, Ester and her friends are busily preparing a meal, talking away in K'anjob'al as a radio sings sweetly of the wonders of our Lord.

I must say the expression of devotion to God is the most beautiful language in the world. It's universal, a joy understood in the hearts of fellow believers. In a way, it comforts me that our hosts know this happiness- it's a grace we all share- a peaceful rejoicing we see in each other.

Church has begun now, and my ears resonate with many Mayan voices singing to God. To think just a few hundred years ago these were daily sacrificing other humans. And yet here are their descendants, praising the one and only God in their own tongue. It is a true miracle for which God is to be thanked and I am privileged enough to witness.

The little girls behind me are now singing in their sweet voices. A marvelous sound. As I listen to this, the verse in Revelation which speaks of all the nations singing to God at the foot of the throne. Oh, imagine, dear reader, how lovely that will sound- sonorous song in speech separated by tongue, but united by the praise of the King!

I am back in my room now, nearly surrounded by the shouts of children at cheerful play. For about three hours now, K'anjob'al kids have been running around the girls' room, giggling and clammering for a photograph. Literally, I probably have more pictures of kids than the landscape. I've never taken so many pictures at one time in my life. If you look in the back, you can see some memoranda of our time together.

It all began with my idea to build a bridge across the language ravine and take Ana, a girl standing at the courtyard gate, to our quarters to construct bracelets. However, as I marched up the steps, I saw that there was more than just Ana at the top of the stairwell. Many pairs of big, brown eyes stared curiously at me. When I showed them the beads, their hands darted from their sides.

"Para su ellas," I said, informing the overwhelming ratio of boys to girls that these were for girls only. Grabbing the hands of two little girls, I started down to our room. The boys followed us.

By the time we reached the room, Hannah and I had four little girls with us. Using the twine packaged in the bead kit, we measured out a bracelet tailored roughly to the size of each girl's wrist. Each created a masterful adornment unique to herself, and we fastened them on. Before we knes it, we had approximately fourteen children playing in and around the quarters, the boys wrestling each other, playing soccer, and constructing odd photo poses after I showed them the playback feature on my camera.

One interesting game they played was like the Limbo except one must jump over the rope instead of going under, and one must bring the stick higher after each round.

After they went home, Hannah, Sam, Raymond, and I talked and then joined Ester and her friends by the fire. Thank God for that stove- otherwise we'd all be here with hypothermia!

Ester and her friend taught us some new wonds and then we ate dinner. We ended the night with her and the pastor, learning a few more words. I am very pleased that God made it work for Ester to come to San Miguel with us tomorrow, for I wish to know more of this language which I have given the opportunity to learn.

Well, shaquila (good-bye!)!

In Christ,

Brittany N. Goodrich

Day 13, June 18th, 2009

Image from Ester's kitchen


A bit blurry, but this is Ester working at her hearth


The fire with the stove above it


A street in Coya


The outskirts in Coya


Above and below- pics of Stiquisislaj (sticky-see-slah), a village we dropped some of our group members off at.

Stuck in the mud!

My picture of Hannah taking a picture :)!

These roads- I survived! Lol, thank God!

This didn't exactly end up being such a steep drop...when we couldn't see the bottom of it, we were like "Uh-oh!" however.

Buenas tardes from Coya, Guatemala! As I speak, Hannah and I are sitting in our beds, talking and writing. We are lodged here in the iglesia, right across the courtyard from Raymond and Sam.

When we left San Miguel at about 8:45, we were told that it would only be an hour and fifteen minute drive in total, so we began to snake our way up into the mountains. Beautiful landscape once more surrounded us, rolling by with breathtaking grace. Windows open and cold air flooding in, we cut and swerved about the corners, perilously approaching the cliff many times. The vehicle rattled its complaint with every jostling bump. And, as we were maneuvering through some mud, we came to a stop.

A little boy hopped out and began to place rocks beneath our tires to induce traction. Miguel, our driver, shoved his foot upon the gas. We lurched, but then reversed into our original position.

After about ten minutes of stationary transportation, Miguel relayed through Arvid to get everyone out save those in the back. Thus, while the boy, Arvid, Xunic, and Miguel tried to sort out our situation, which happened to be that we were stuck in a puddle of mud. Meanwhile, we snapped photos and absorbed the opportunity of experiencing Guatemala firsthand.

Thankfully, the situation didn't last long. Soon enough, we were squished back into a cozy clump and took off at a moderate speed. A couple times we found oursleves having to back towards the cliff, but God delivered us safely to our villages, and we thank Him for it.

As soon as we arrived, we were taken down to the church and met a lady named Ester. She is our cook, and a wonderful one at that. Her kitchen is quite cute- old, white-washed walls with a stove heated by a fire, which resides beneath the stovetop. This fire is one of the only heaters in the place, and Ester was hospitable enough to let us warm oursleves by the newborn flames while she fixed our dinner.

Part of that dinner consisted of tortillas, which she makes by filling a bowl with ground corn, wetting it, and kneading it to form a paste. Then she picks up a clump of it in her hand rolls it into a ball. Turning it between her thumbs, she forms the circular shape before tossing it quickly back and forth betwixt her palms to flatten it. Lastly, she throws it on the stove, rinses her hands in water, and moves on to her next tortilla.

She allowed Hannah and I to help her make them, but we weren't nearly as dexterous at it as she is.

Fortunately for us, God has gifted her with a patient soul, and she sat with us for at least three hours today, teaching us her language and also a few songs to sing in church tomorrow.

Hannah, Sam, Raymond, and I are actually staying on the church grounds. The boys are across the courtyard and near the bathroom (which we are thankful for because it is not an outhouse!), while we are in what seems to be a storage room next to the kitchen. It is bare in here, save for a cluster of things up against the wall, a clothesline with some wash on it, and two beds standing on a concrete floor. Church is at ten tomorrow, and we, Lord willing, will meet up with some of our team for a day at church and the market, which also occurs upon the morrow.

In Christ,

Brittany N. Goodrich

Day 12, June 17th, 2009

There is plenty of agriculture such as this in Guatemala.


And of course it's raining.



Mayan sherpherdess, guiding her flock




Sheep!





Mountains garbed in the snow-white robe of the clouds






Moooo!!!







Another cloudy view.








Guatemala had lots of trees!

I have been graced with an amazing day! As I speak, I sit perched upon a bed in San Miguel Acata'n- K'anjob'al country!

The way here was beautiful, rolling hills smothered in the misty veil of the clouds. Mountains stooped into wild villeys cultivated by agriculture. Ladies in traditional Mayan dress bent their backs against the elements, caring for the family's crops. Some drove sheep along the sides of the narrow roadway, others sat guarding their flock. Even small children seemed to have tasks, their little arms already employed in gardening, water fetching, and the like.

And so we bumped along the rickety road, windows open and chilly, mountain air flowing in. I snuggled into my jacket , my legs nearly freezing. Yet when laura offered to close the window, both Hannah and I proclaimed our verdict. No. The teeth of the atmosphere was part of the Mayan experience, and we weren't about to lose a single second of it.

At long last, San Miguel Acata'n rolled into view. Pulling up in front of a hotel by the name of Estrella de Belen, we entered. A smell immediately flled my nostrils, and, although I couldn't place locate the source, it dind't conjure up pleasing thoughts. God, however, reminded me I was a missionary and therefore helped me to suppress my complaints.

After a lunch of chicken and chips, we gathered laundry and some gifts and headed over to the iglesia, wehre the K'anjob'al OldTestament translator, Xunic, met us. He told us a bit aobut his work by using Arvid as a translator. Then, we got to learn some phrases and worship songs, some of which they expect to hear from us in church on Sunday.

We were assigned villages, and our gifts were divded. I am going to Coya with Hannah, Sam, and Raymond, which also happens to be where Arvid and Nancy lived while translating the New Testament.

At the end of this procedure, we became aware of three tiny presences, two of which stared at us through the doorway. We began to play with these wide-eyed little girls, who spoke only K'anjob'al. Kris-Ann chased them outside, and then all the way to their home, which was a building on the church grouds. We met the family and, before I ever even reached the door, the eldest ran up to me and threw her arms around me.

"Mi amiga," I cooed to her in Spanish . She smiled back at me.

"Tzet ab'i?" I inquired, reverting back to K'anjob'al.

"Maria," she said softly.

Later, having found out the names of the two littler ones, Dorcas and Ana, respectively, we took them back inside the church and introduced them to everyone. It wasn't long, however, until we had to go.

This night, I went to Abby's room wondering if they knew where I could get pure water (drinking from the tap is hazardous to our health). Nobody knew, but they invited me to stay and so I did. Before I knew it, they were teaching me to dance Jamaican and laughing at how I perfomed it! Rachel then came up and told us that we were being too loud.

Well, g2g!

In Christ,

Brittany

Day 11, June 16th, 2009

Translated, this says we are supposed to dispose of our toilet paper into the little basket beneath the sign- something we had to do wherever we went in Guatemala because if we flushed it, the system would be messed up.


I love the contrast between the clouds and the landscape



Cowherds




Cows!



This flower was outside our hotel, and I couldn't resist adding my own personal touch to the natural beauty of God's creation!






Woman in traditional Mayan costume







Peddlers would flock to traffic jams in hopes of getting some good deals for there merchandise.

In Guatemala City- Bethany and Hannah had some tracts their Dad had written twenty years back in Spanish that they used to minister to people such as these.

Mount Agua (volcano)- it has a lake in it!

If you look in the middle of the background of this pic, you will encounter a puff of cloud. That's actually smoke coming out of the volcano that's lowly active!

Este buena? We added just about everything possible into that little plastic cup!

Coca Cola bottles!

Our hotel in Huehuetenango!

It is really difficult to believe that this trip is half over. In so many ways, it has only begun! Today, we bused over to Huehuetenango, which took us through a few topsy-turvy roads where we literally had to brace ourselves to remain in our seats. Some of us tried to sleep, but most could only closetheir eyes against the rolling.

We did see some pretty cool geographical features, however, including four or five volcanoes. One was always active at a minor level.

Although the roads were terribly curved, by the grace of God we all made it here to safety. After checking into our hotel and devouring our scrumptious lunch, arvid took a few of us and led us through a marketplace. This was interesting, especially because it was maintained upon a rough stone floor and was basically under a simple roof. We had to walk for at least five minutes through the outskirts of the building before we arrived in the market itself.

When we had traversed that completely and come back up to the hotel, Laura, Adrianna, Hannah, Abbygayle, Kris-Ann, Jodi, Raymond, and I went for an adventurous stroll down some streets and elicit from them whatever memory we could. Unfortunately, we didn't find much else interesting save for a stop sign with the Pepsi symbol on it and some women making tortillas by hand. They'd take some dough, pat it out in their hands, then lay it to cook.

As for yesterday, we had John and Diana (the two missionaries we met), and then pulled in Tim Carey (another missionary) to share with us about his time on the field. Arvid talked to us for about an hour and a half, and then we went to eat.

That's all for today!

In Christ,

Brittany N. Goodrich

Day 9, June 15th, 2009

The Eiffel from underneath!



The Eiffel Tower

The National Palace

To commence this entry, I will begin where left off yesterday since I didn't tell you what happened.

Well, first off, God granted me an introduction to a world of new experiences with a new experience- an earthquake! Nancy, Sam, and I were sitting peacefully in the dining area, me writing away in you, dear journal, and the two of them reading. Suddenly, a gentle rolick fo the floor roused my attention and at first my brain countered it with confusion. I looked at Nancy, and she read my perplexed expression. Then, just before she confirmed my thoughts, it clicked. We were in an earthquake!

"Stop shaking things down there!" Arvid yelled from upstairs, and we laughed.

Having only heard of the disastrous ones that take many lives, I never knew that an earthquake could be so, well, fun! It was just a gentle rock, back and forth, almost soothing. I actually have sort of prayed it would come back!

After a short service of worship and Arvid's talk, we ate and headed over to the museum for the afternoon. Unfortunately, it did not open until 1:30, so we went shopping for an hour and a half at a local tourist's market, where we bartered Quetzales for souvenirs. Annie was kind enough to lend me fifteen Quetzales because I had left my money at the hotel.

The museum was amazing- whole rooms dedicated to Mayan artifacts. There was everything from huge salt making bowls to ball game antiques and huge stone relief carvings. Arvid gase us a personal tour, partially because God has privileged him with the chance to live with Mayan people while translating, and partially because very seldom would ther be any description in English of what we were seeing. Eventually, however, we began to group off and go explore what we could.

After that our driver took us downtown to see some sites and Arvid translated the speech he gave us. Downtown, we witnessed firsthand the clebration of Corpus Christi, where people come to sell and shop wares.

Did you know that there's actually two Eiffel Towers in the world? That's right. One is in France and the other in Guatemala City- given to the Guatemalans by the French. We drove right under, shooting photos to our heart's content.

That night, we met up with two missionaries who had translated the New Testament into Chorti, the language spoken in a tribal Guatemalan group. They snag for us, since their side specialty is music, and, for singing old-fashioned tunes, they sounded great!

In Christ,

Brittany