Guatemala Trip - Day 1 & 2

So the day begins at 3:00 in the morning.  I drove to Nashville last night to stay with Jonny and Lorie Richard. So I am leaving their home about 3:15.  After parking my car, taking the shuttle to the Airport, I carry my 2 bags, guitar and back pack into the airport terminal to check in.  It is then I realize something drastic...  I have forgotten my passport in my office - over 2 hours drive away, and it is 3:45.  The flight is at 6!  Needless to say, I was not bound to take that flight.  Brooke and Josh drove to my office - met Pete Lafakis there -  got my passport - and drove to Nashville.  That's right, at 4:00 in the morning they are heading to Nashville.  Needless to say, they did not make it by 6, I did not make my flight, but all worked out thanks to Kris the American Airlines Representative.  Long story short - I spent the better part of the day in Dallas - arriving in Guatemala around 9:30 PM.  It was a long day - finally got to bed around 11.

Tuesday morning I met the team.  9 people, 5 ladies and 4 men (+ me makes 10).  We had breakfast, started our study in Ephesians, and then went to Verbana for a tour of the main campus.  The team loved meeting the people there - those that were on the team last year renewed relationships with the workers.  We challenged them to Futbol on Thursday again.  They were very excited.  After the tour we went to Las Vistas - where we will be spending most of the week.  We had some "sponsor visits" for the people that sponsor children in Las Vistas.  I was able to see Ludsvin, and for the first time, he really warmed up to me.  Since he is still only 6, I don't expect too much response, but we had a great time looking at family pictures and giving him the presents my family sent.

After the "visit", we went to Ludsvin's home.  It was a larger home for the area - about a 20 X 20 room - with 4 beds and a crib.  8 people live in that room.  Ludsvin has 1 dog as a pet (also very rare) and 4 birds.  Harrison would have loved to be here - hopefully some day he can go to Ludsvin's home. We prayed with him and his grandmother, and then had to leave to go to work.

Finally we returned to the center and began an afternoon of painting.  We started 4 rooms, and got the first coat of the yellow paint done.  The team did real well.  PTL.

After finishing, we returned to Thelmas for dinner and an evening of rest.  We recapped the day, talked, laughed, and just enjoyed our time together.  Jen Wilson brought her 4 youngest and we had fun watching their kids carry on.  We ended the evening with a few attempts at singing songs, but realized that we were getting tired and it was time to go to bed.

Tomorrow...  another day of painting - and you know how much I LOVE painting!!!  :-)