Roller Coasters

The last time I posted I thought I'd be writing again later that weekend... my bad. I'm learning that being here is a lot like a roller coaster. One day will be going great and the next will be really tough. That's an obvious statement, yes, but when you're somewhere new & unfamiliar it's amplified. I'm getting used to it though, and I think that's just the way life is when you're not in control. The girls are wonderful, but are human & can be challenging sometimes. I am learning to love when it's hard to love. This is exciting! I think communication is and will be my biggest frustration. Sometimes I just feel like and idiot because all I can get out is, "lo siento, no comprendo" (I'm sorry, I don't understand). It's cool though, I'm being humbled and slowly but surely I'm learning spanish!! Like I said, there are good days and hard days. God is faithful!

I am also learning to like black beans... a lot! I already liked them, I'd say they're my favorite of all the beans, but I didn't know how to like them for dinner and then breakfast the next morning. I'm not complaining though, it really was good!! They eat smaller breakfasts (desayuno) and dinners (cena) and a big lunch (almuerzo). They eat fruit almost everyday, and the pineapple is the best I've ever had! There's also this rice drink called atol (I don't know how to spell it) but I finally tried it the other night & it's good!! Ok, enough about food...

Yesterday was a blast! I went to Antigua with two of the girls on staff and we had lunch & walked around that beautiful city all afternoon. It was so wonderful to be there, and I strongly encourage anyone to visit if you're ever in Guatemala! God is really funny- listen to this: I was sitting in a coffee shop waiting on Julia and in walked my friend Kelly who I went to Samford with!! I'm pretty sure we made a scene because it's just so crazy to run into a friend in a foreign country! I had no idea that she was down here. I just happened to be in Antigua yesterday & was in that coffee shop at the time when she came in... weird weird. The Lord is cool like that! After that, Julia and I went to the artisans' market and looked around. I got to go back in September with Johnny & Maria Coker & had so much fun, so I was really excited about going back! The culture is fascinating and it's such a colorful place. I like Guatemala more everyday! 

Then the real fun began- I had my first experience with Guatemalan mass transportation!! A.K.A. The Chicken Bus!

I like to call them Crazy Buses, because you have to be a little crazy to get on. There is no such thing as a maximum capacity, and there is no speed limit, so you just hang on!!!! It was seriously so much fun! Julia is a pro, and has done some real traveling on these things so I felt good getting on one with her. We got on & found a seat (because it was only full by American standards, pshhh). We stopped a few more times on the way out of Antigua & large crowds of people piled on, squeezing in wherever there was "room." As we turned out of the city the driver floored it and off we went! The other important person on the bus (other than the driver) is the money guy, who takes your money once the bus is flying down the road. There is no time for paying as you get on, you just get on and hang on. So money dude took my 4Q and squeezed by as I gripped the hold-on-tight bar in front of me. I was trying not to laugh (and doing a bad job of it) because I was next to the aisle and a man was on the window side, so if Driver turned right I slid into my window seat buddy & if Driver turned to the left then I was sliding off the seat and into the aisle. Maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious and fun and a lot like a roller coaster! We made a few other stops where other large crowds of people crammed on. It was sort of fun to see how they'd fit... imagine loading the dishwasher when it's already full, but you have those few cups & you just know you can make it fit. Haha, I'm really hoping to take my Mom on a Crazy Bus ride when she comes in March. Haha, I'll be sure to take pictures if this happens!! Here's one more picture of a Crazy/Chicken Bus from back in September. Here you'll see the bus getting ready to plow over an unsuspecting crowd of people:

Just kidding! It's a torch run, and the Crazy Bus is there for their protection. It's a tradition for Guatemala's Independence Day. 

Well, one more roller coaster-ish thing happened today. School was wrapping up at 1 p.m. and Jenny (the director here at the Oasis) came in to tell us that Sharon (one of our girls, I think she's 11) was leaving today. We knew that it was probably coming because her Mom had been working towards getting her back, but you can't prepare for this. It is probably a good thing, but it was still so hard to see her go. I've only known her and the other girls for 3 weeks but I already love them so much. We all gathered around her and prayed for her, and I just cried like a baby. It's scary when I think what could happen to her now that she's outside of these walls, but the Lord reminded me that none of us are truly safe outside of His hands. The Lord is our true Protector, Provider, and Father. Sharon is safe with God, and He will never abandon her. Please pray for Sharon, and for her family who are not Christians. Please pray for the other girls, too. They are beautiful creations, made in God's image. He has made them for great purposes and knows their lives from beginning to end. He knows what He's doing!

To God be the glory, great things He has done!