Tuesday, April 8

Wow! What a day!

We arrived in Antigua last night, after having driven through a downpour in Guatemala City. I mean, the rain was coming down so hard that the streets were like rivers! We could see the lightning in the sky long before we got to Guatemala City, and as soon as we drove in, the rain began.

We got through Guatemala City in about 45 minutes, just at the beginning of rush hour. Les was very pleased with the speed we made through the city.

Once in Antigua, we unloaded at our hotel, "Los Bucaros" and the boys thought they had hit a 5 star hotel. Big rooms, hot showers and a bathroom in their room! The hotel has various outdoor courtyards with comfy chairs scattered about to just sit and visit.

We did a quick jaunt through Antigua; saw some cathedrals from the outside & heard about how Antigua was the 3rd capital city of Central America following its conquest by the Spaniards. After dinner, we split into two groups & hit the town for ice cream. It was hot and humid, so the cool "cream" was great.

Back at the hotel, we met with Les for devotions. Each team member had the opportunity to share a high point from the week, or a challenge that they experienced. It was a great way to review the last 8 days. Then Les challenged the team to determine what God was asking them to personally change in their lives as result of this trip. We would share these at the next evening's devotions.

When we awoke this morning, Antigua was surrounded in cloud. Most of the volcanoes weren't visible, but we could see the smoke from one volcano that was erupting! Les told us that it is a fairly active volcano, and that often you can hear the rumbling it makes as it erupts. But today, it's belchings were inaudible...but visible above the clouds no less.

We had opportunity this morning to tour some ruins in Antigua; the city has been destroyed numerous times by earthquakes. Guatemala experiences a "big" quake every 50 years, and the last one was in the '70's. The destruction of those quakes was evident everywhere, as lots of buildings lie in ruin. Our tour guide mentioned that we could visit a different ruin each day for a month. Most of the ruins are cathedrals, monastaries or nunneries. All this in an 11 by 11 block square! At one time, this was the spiritual heart of Central America.

In the afternoon, the team visited two markets and had the opportunity to barter for the treasures they hoped to buy. It was fun to compare stories as to who made the best deal, and who did not.

We ended the evening in devotions and had the opportunity to hear each other be vulnerable and share changes in their lives that they feel God urging them to make. Being open and honest, each team member shared. Some shared in tears, but all desiring to be stronger with their faith. What a blessing to see the work of God in our young people's lives.

Now, it's time to sleep for a few hours. We will driving to Guatemala City @ 4:00 AM for our 8:00 flight. Pray for our safety!

Most of us want to stay in Guatemala, but as with all good things, they must come to an end. However, God's work will continue and we may have the opportunity to return again...very soon!