My last days in Guatemala

Well the last week has been very eventful.  This is kinda scattered, but is a quick overview of my last week.  Last Wednesday I passed my level B test and am now studying level C.  I have been learning so much and am able to speak much more now.  On Thursday I went on a free tour through the school to a macadamia nut farm.  After that tour me and some friends when on a 75 cent tour of a museum and ruins at an old catholic church.  Saturday I took a 3 hour bus ride to Panajachel where I took a boat tour on lake Atitlan to San Marcos, San Pedro, Santiago and San Antonio.  They tours here are so cheap so I have been able to see a few sights.  Sunday I attended Vida Real Church for the last time.  After my first weekend there the pastor knew me by name, and the church is not small.  I only attended the church 4 times, but after the service the pastor pulled me aside and prayed for me in English.  When he finished the other pastor came over and prayed for me in Spanish.  He set me up with their churches adopt a missionary program where they will add me to their churches prayer list and pray for me throughout my whole trip.  He even offered his house as a place to stay if I ever come back to the country.

After only 5 weeks here I have seen God do amazing things.  He has allowed me to stay healthy and see different sights here in Guatemala.  He has allowed me to help out a medical team by translating and helping the people here.  I thought I would only be in school here and not doing any missions work.  He has also built and incredible relationship with a church and a pastor.  I told each of the pastors sunday that, "I now have a church in Guatemala."  I felt like I had been at that church for so long.  The people were welcoming and I had met so many of them.  I am sad to leave Guatemala but I am so excited to see what God has in store in the Dominican Republic.  Thank you all for your prayers and I will write you next from the DR.

Translating

Last Sunday I woke up in time to get some breakfast and head to church. I walked to the local coffee shop where I ran into three other students from the school that were going to the same church. When we arrived at the church some other students came over and mentioned that there was a medical missions team in town and needed translators. I expressed that I had only been here for two weeks and wouldn't be able to do it but they insisted that I go. When we arrived at the school where the team had set up their clinic, I was paired with a lady who was giving out glasses. I ended up translating for this lady and giving people glasses for 4 hours. I was blown away by some of the people and the joy that they had because they could now see clearly. There was one child that really touched my heart. We gave a pair of glasses to an 8 year old boy, and I asked if he could see or if it was still blurry. With the biggest smile on his face he told me in Spanish, "I can see the words!" He was so happy to be able to see clearly. Something as simple as giving him glasses has now changed his life, and something that may not have been possible without people from Georgia who wanted to make a difference in Antigua. I know that God is doing amazing things in the world through His church, and I am amazed at how I can be used in His plan. It is unreal what God is able to do when you open yourself up to His leading.

Exploring Guatemala

Week two is officially over.  I have a stack of 500 notecards with new vocab and verbs not counting the vocab written in my notebook.  It is a little frustrating trying to learn over 600 new words in 2 weeks along with new concepts, but I am slowly learning this language.  My teacher has continued to push me hard, almost to the point of complete frustration and giving up, but I have made it through.  Now I have the weekend to explore a bit of Guatemala with the little time that I have left here.

Last Sunday was my first day exploring.  A friend at the school suggested a church to attend and it was great.  It was completely in Spanish, but I was able to understand the songs and a bit of the message.  After the service, the pastor suggested a local restaurant to try.  I had to go to the hotel by the church and they would bus me up the mountain to this restaurant.  The restaurant was named El Tenedor del Cerro (The Fork of the Hill).  It was an amazing restaurant that overlooked the town of Antigua.  Along with the restaurant there was a small art gallery, sculptures, bird cage and some other sights.  When I got back to the town, I walked to the hill on the other side of town and hiked up that hill.  That hill is called Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross).  There is a huge cross on the side of the hill over looking the city.  It was absolutely beautiful.

Now after another week of studying it is time to explore some more.  Tomorrow morning I am going to hike up Volcano Pacaya.  It is an active volcano about an hour outside of Antigua.  It only costs $16 for round trip bus ride, a guide and entrance to the volcano.  People say that you can roast marshmallows over the lava and that there is a cave at the top.  Volcano Pacaya is a big tourist attraction and I guess is a must see for anyone visiting Antigua.  Next weekend me and some friends are going to some lake town that is about 3 hours away and staying the night.  All of the students go there at some point and say that is also a must see.  However, I don't really know what is there that is so cool, but it should be a great weekend.

This town is wonderful and the people I live with are amazing.  It seems like we are all laughing so hard at every meal.  They only speak Spanish yet that hasn't been a barrier for conversation.  My body finally had enough of the different food and trying to fight off any germs, and I finally got sick this week.  Thanks to God it only lasted 2 days.  Some people are affected for a week or more from the food.  Thank you for you prayers.  I ask for continued prayers for safety, health, and the ability to learn this language.  I miss you all back home, but I know that God is going to do amazing things here and in the DR.

I'll go where you want me to go

Hymn: I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go
By Mary Brown

It may not be on the mountain's hight,
Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle's front
My Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice he calls
To paths I do not know,
I'll answer dear Lord with my hand in thine,
I'll go where you want me to go.

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or plain or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord.
I'll be what you want me to be.

Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may now, in the paths of sin,
Some wanderer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my Guide,
Tho' dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet,
I'll say what you want me to say.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth's harvest fields so wide,
Where I may labor thro life's short day
For Jesus the Crucified.
So, trusting my all unto thy care,
I know thou lovest me!
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere,
I'll be what you want me to be.

I open my devotional to the week of June 26th and it is titled "The Cost of Servanthood." I read the hymn that goes with the week and thought that it couldn't be more fitting for my first week of missions.  I want to make that my prayer during my time in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic as well as the rest of my life.

On a lighter note, I absolutely love it here in Antigua.  I am living with a host family while at the school that is awesome.  There is the grandma, her son, two grand-daughters and two maids.  There is also one other student that lives at the house.  At the house I have my own room, and it is so big!  I have a table for my homework, a couch, two big chairs, two beds and a full bath.  They have electrical wires that go to the shower head to heat the water so you don't want to put your arms up while in the shower, that could be bad news.  Brent, you know what I'm talking about.

So during the week the days are pretty much identical.  I wake up at 6:30am.  Breakfast is at 7:15 sharp every morning.  I have school from 8-12 then head home. Lunch at 1pm and school again from 2-4. The only place I have internet is at the school, so I stay here till about 5 to talk to people and get stuff done (I am on skype weekdays between 4-5ish Mountain time.  If you want to talk then add me at rpauly2006).  I head home to study and dinner is at 7:15, then I study till about 10 and time for bed.  They are very particular about when they eat their meals and they are always within 5 min of those times.  Every meal is provided throughout the week except for Sunday.  It is sunday that I get to experience some of the restaurants and hope that I don't get sick.  The food at the house is absolutely amazing.  They eat black beans with bread at every meal.  Example: for breakfast we have scrambled eggs with tomatoes, beans, bread and papaya juice or cereal, beans and bread.  It is awesome!

I am learning so much at the school.  My teacher is pushing me so hard, but it is what I need.  After 1 week I have over 300 verbs and vocabulary that need to be memorized by Monday.  I have also completed about 40 pages of worksheets.  I didn't know that it was possible to learn a new language so fast.  Rosetta Stone has nothing on CSA!  I also get as much coffee that I can drink and it is so good.

I thank you all so much for your prayers and your support.  This first week has been so much better than I expected.  I love it down here.  I could use prayers for patience and health.  I have not gotten sick yet from the food but I know it will happen soon.  There are also times that I get so frustrated with not being able to understand a concept, and it doesn't help that my teacher can only explain it in spanish.  If I can't understand what she is saying then I will never understand the concept.  It has caused me to become frustrated and I need patience when learning this language.  God is so good and I thank him every day for this opportunity.  Dios te bendiga ("God bless you" for all of you non spanish speakers haha).