The wall we built the trench for 4 years ago!!!
So exciting to see the finished wall and all of the other progress in person!

Busy does not even begin to describe life lately! But at the same time, fun does not even begin to describe life right now too! The first group from the U.S. got here on Tuesday so the time has been filled with either school, house visits (during which I team interpreted with Marta), or any other activity the group may have scheduled to do. But whether I am helping in the kitchen, teaching in the school, or attempting to interpret for the team, the Lord never ceases to surprise me!

Me with some of the boys in one first grade class

My Spanish still needs quite a bit of work, but I finally am feeling comfortable enough with it to carry on conversations that go deeper than "What is your name" and "How old are you," which has been such a blessing! Things at the school are going great. I have learned that our God loves to throw curve-balls in our direction every-so-often, just to make sure we are fully relying on Him. This past week I got quite a few at the school. I had the opportunity to have a few of the women from the team help me teach, which was amazing, so I planned out each day with activities they could help with. Little did I know half of my teachers were gone Wednesday and Thursday so I didn't have those classes, and Friday there were parent-teacher conferences during the morning so those classes were put behind schedule. Needless to say it was a little hectic switching which classes/grades I worked with and when, but I think God just wanted to remind me that He is always there so I might as well give up trying to control everything and just trust in Him :)

As we prepared for the teams we had to go and buy 3 weeks worth of food for over 50 people!
We kept Emily busy during the long shopping day with lots of photos :)

Chocobananos!!! So delicious!

The most common question I have gotten from the team members here working is what has touched my heart the most so far. I've thought about this question a lot, and still have not come up with an answer. If I could, I would say everything. The children, the youth, the adults, the school, the streets, everything. We just have such a loving God and through my time here He has been showing me that love. My prayer is that all of you who are in my life and sharing this experience with me will see that love too. It is something that is so easy to miss out on, but is something that is so life-changing we cannot afford to miss it. God loves us so much that "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Don't miss that! Don't miss that love! The people and children I have met here may not have the designer clothes that we have, and they may not have the beautiful houses we do, and they may not even have the three meals a day that we have, but what they do have is worth so much more than all of that put together. It is the freedom of knowing that this is not our home, that Christ loves us and is preparing a much better home with Him in heaven. This knowledge is what keeps the followers of Christ so joyful and loving here in Guatemala, and this joy and love I have been blessed enough to experience daily during my time here.

The teachers I have been going to El Yahlu with. Can you believe how tall I have gotten ;)

One of the best ways I utilized the helpers from the groups from the
US was by having them snap a few photos for me!

So as another week comes to an end and another week shortly begins I sleep well knowing that the love of out Creator surrounds me and that His Spirit lives within me. Never forget how loved you are! Just look at this picture and think that the Creator of all of this loves you! :)