St. Michael's Lutheran School
Yesterday we flew into Guatemala City around 3:00 p.m. We went through customs and proceeded to baggage claim. Everyone found everything alright except for one boy whose bag could not be found. We went together out of the airport to two buses that were waiting for us. Howie, our guide, greeted us and told us where to place our luggage. Two men took our luggage to one of the buses, which would deliver our things to our hotel. Everyone boarded the other bus. As a meal, we went to McDonalds, and we ate our food on the bus. After gathering energy from the food, we went zip-lining at the coffee plantation. Some of the more calm adults took a tour of the plantation instead. We took a truck up a mountain to reach a small pavilion. Workers hooked us all up with harnesses, helmets, and gloves. We hiked to the first line. Laughs filled the air as we listened to some scream, and cheers were given to those who smiled and waved. After making it past the first zip-line, we went higher to the second one. The second one was steeper. Eventually everyone went through both zip-lines.
We were all back on the bus and ready to go to our hotel. A short ride took us to our destination. As we approached the hotel, the air was filled with electricity as memories from last year were silently shared. We received our room numbers and cards, and everyone was soon settled in. The boy who lost his luggage, fortunately, received at the hotel when it was delivered. Dinner was eaten later in the night, and Howie told us we were lucky to have come at pasta night. After dinner, we went through assignments and retired for the night afterward.
Today, we rose for a breakfast of eggs, fruit, cereal, juice, and coffee. Howie reminded us of what the day would look like, and that made us excited. Everyone retrieved what they would need for the day from their rooms and went to the lobby. From there we hopped on the bus, ready to see the children at the Malnutrition Center! It was a ride filled with the buzz of conversation. After about an hour, we arrived. Everyone got off the bus and lined up for a picture. A dog kept trying to get in the picture. We were all inside taking a tour soon afterward. After the tour, the moment we were waiting for had come. We went to our rooms. Some of us recognized kids we had seen last year, and some of us noticed that kids had left. It is a bitter-sweet thing for a kid to leave the center because you know they are healthy now, but you miss them. Our attitude could not compare to the children of the center. They were smiling, laughing, hugging us, and holding our hands in joy. Their joy placed joy in our hearts. We played with them and held them until they moved on to the next team member.
Snack time came. Team members and nannies were feeding kids while others were watching the older children feed themselves. After snack time, it was bathroom time. There was more playing after everyone was out of the bathroom. Many of the team members were a little tired by then, but we all agreed that it was definitely worth it.
Playtime continued until lunch. The routine of feeding the children went the same as snack time. After lunch, there was more bathroom time. The next job was to put the kids in their beds for naps. Some went unwillingly, not wanting to go to sleep quite yet while others were ready. Children waved to us as we left for lunch. Lunch was prepared wonderfully. Delicious soup, croissants, quesadillas, and fruit were waiting for us. After lunch, we took a power nap, talked about our afternoon tasks, and left the lunch room to begin our work.
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