When I think of Guatemala, I think of Chicken Busses (explenation will follow later), colourful markets, language chaos due to lack of Spanish skills and the story of Ben, the pastor.
Let me give you a better idea of what I am talking about...
When travelling in Guatemala, your best and cheapest option will be to use what is called a "chicken bus". This is a bus that looks like a yellow school bus that is repainted in the most colourful colours that you can think of, and that NEVER has a maximum limit on passengers!! You will almost never sit only 2 on one seat, at least 4, and at every stop, people will walk into the bus and through it selling anything from ice cream to watches, and will then exit through the back door. All the luggage is also thrown onto the top of the bus and hopefully when you get off, you will get it back! It is truly hilarous and an experience that I will NEVER forget!
We stayed in Santiago for a few days, helping a church to clear some ground to build a new church. It was amazing to see that even with the language barries, how people can understand each other. The
people their have church services almost every night, and for 3 hours at the least!! We had a lot of fun there.
We then went to Panajachel, this is the main tourist city. It is truly a must see for all! Markets everywhere where you can buy the most amazing bead spreads etc! As I said in the beginning, when I think of Guatemala, I will always remember Ben. Now Ben is the pastor there whom God literally grabbed out of sin and darkness and into the light. When I get home I will definitely tell you the whole story of Ben, but all I can say is that nothing that you have done, how bad you may ever think it is, is too great for God to forgive. Ben did everything wrong and bad that you can think off in his life. Just to give you an idea, from the age of 10 he was involved in Satanism and occults and tried to commit suicide a couple of times before the age of 30. And then one day when he tried to commit suicide again, God sent a lady to talk to him and ask him to give God one
more chance. And God completely healed all his addictions and sicknesses caused by this addictions. Not only that, but God changed the hearts of his wife (which was also a slave to satanism) and his mother-in-law, without knowing about it at the time. It was really touching for me to see how he really is ssoo in love with God and how he just experiences God´s grace everyday since then. It makes me think how fortunate we, who grew up in "Christian homes", are and how thankfull we must be. But it also makes me sad to think how easily we can sometimes forget that "first-love" feeling towards God and take His grace for granted.
The only bad thing for me of Guatemala was the fact that I was sick for a few days and missed out on a lot, but even during that time, it was amazing for me to see how God took care of everyone and how they again took care of me.
It is amazing and exciting to see how God is working
in our lives and even in the lives of our family and friends back home!
Isaiah 64:4 "For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for Him!"
Blessings,
Karlien