Louisiana Baptist Children's Homes in GUATEMALA!

As I stepped out of the airport in Guatemala City last night, the first thing I noticed was the crispness of the night air. Having left Louisiana where temperatures were nearing the century mark, it was a welcomed change indeed. It was after 9:00 pm when the last of our team cleared customs and headed to the coasters (buses) that drove us nearly an hour to our hotel in Antigua. Even in the darkness, I could see that Guatemala is a beautiful country. After a late dinner at the hotel and a refreshing night of sleep, it was time for the entire team to assemble for the first time. Today was set aside to acclimate the team to Guatemalan culture and to allow us to enjoy the beauty of the country. Each team member could choose to spend the morning in one of three ways: zip lining, touring a coffee plantation, or visiting Mayan ruins. Those who visited the ruins told of witnessing religious rituals taking place on site there. They were a little frightened, but at the same time moved by the urgency of the mission to which God has called all of us as believers. Meanwhile, the teams who participated in zip lining or the coffee tour had lunch at a place you may have heard of...McDonald's! Yes, that's right, the good ol' golden arches. But although the food was familiar, the atmosphere at this McDonald's was nothing like any I've experienced before. The tables were located in a beautiful outdoor courtyard with views of the smoking volcano Fuego, one of three active volcanoes here in Guatemala. After lunch, we were able to enjoy shopping in the market before heading back to the hotel for worship and orientation. We received our team assignments, learned more about what to expect and began getting to know other team members. And with 60 of us, there are many to get to know! What a blessing it was to hear story after story of God's provision and testimonies of how God worked to bring various people here this week. How sweet it was to join our more than 60 voices together in a capella worship singing familiar songs, some we sang in English and others we learned to sing in Spanish as we'll be using those in our ministry at the Malnutrition Center this week. Tomorrow morning we will head to the Malnutrition Center for the first time. And while I don't know exactly what to expect, I am looking forward with great anticipation to what God is going to do this week in us and through us.