I'm Baaaaack!!! :)

Our flight landed around 6:00 on Saturday evening but we didn't get home until around 11 pm! Then, I woke up on Sunday not feeling so great but thought I was just tired. Tim & I went to see Batman & I realized in the middle of the movie that I had a fever. I was able to hold out so we could watch the rest of the movie but I've been in bed since then. I am feeling better, now, so I'll be back at work tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers while I was gone!

I've decided to post entries from the journal I kept while in Guatemala. I'll be posting a couple of days in one post. It will probably take a few days to get through all week so keep checking back. I'm also going to incorporate some photos in the posts but will not be able to include all 200 something photos I took so I'll link to my flickr account as soon as I get the photos uploaded to flickr. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - Day 2

I was too tired to write last night so here is a recap:

Woke up at 4:15 and left for the church around 5:20. We arrived at the church around 5:40-ish and when I was getting out of car - I slammed my fingers in the car door! Luckily - my adrenaline was pumping because I was so excited so it didn't hurt too much. Here's a photo of my finger - not too bad, actually! :)

We put some ice in a ziploc & I held it on my finger until we arrived at the MARTA station. The MARTA ride was pretty uneventful - except for trying to get all of our luggage on & off the train. I had two suitcases & two carryons - it was tough! Luckily none of our bags weighed over the weight limit so we didn't have to pay extra! (thanks for the prayers!!). The flight was pretty uneventful as well (again, thanks for the prayers!). We were served lunch & I chose the cheese tortellini with pine nuts - it wasn't very good but it is airline food so I wasn't expecting it to be great. The movie on the plane was terrible - it was called Married Life. I only watched half of it then started doing my crossword puzzles. Another thing about the flight - the man who was sitting behind us fell asleep & started snoring LOUDLY... I started laughing so hard, I started crying! Then, I couldn't quit laughing. Michelle looked over & thought I was really crying about something!!! I had to make myself ignore him after that.

We finally arrived in Guatemala City (about 45 minutes late, we left ATL about an hour late!). We went through customs & had no problems whatsoever. The airport was very nice - I think they recently remodeled it. We walked out of the airport & there were people EVERYWHERE! Most were waiting on arriving flights - some were taxi drivers or rental car drivers. We found Brandon & Tina and started the adventure that is driving here.

The ministry rented a van for Tina to drive while we are here. The van is very nice & we are so blessed that we do not have to ride the bus! There are buses EVERYWHERE and they are packed! People probably sit 3 deep in the seats & then there are people standing in the aisles & hanging onto the side of the bus out the door. CRAZY! Here is a photo of one of the buses:

I think the red buses are owned by the government but the drivers are allowed to decorate the buses any way they want - hence, the paint job & "battle wing" on the back of this bus. :)

Even though there are SO many people on the buses, there are cars EVERYWHERE too. If all the people here had cars, no one would be able to get anywhere. The streets would be gridlocked constantly! There are also motorcycles & scooters everywhere mixed in with all of the cars & buses. The people who drive on or ride on motorcycles are definitely taking their life in their own hands - everyone here drives CRAZY! There are 2 - 3 lanes on the main roads & they make them into 4 - 6 lanes! Cars are constantly merging, cutting each other off, honking, etc. There is a speed limit but I don't think its really enforced. The stop signs & traffic signals are more suggestions than requirements. The stop signs are more like yield signs - same for red lights! Also - the green light blinks before it turns to yellow - I guess to warn you that its about to turn yellow. Really doesn't matter - drivers make LEFT turns on red here!!!

We stayed with a missionary named Tina for the week. Tina works for Hope for Guatemala & was very gracious in opening her home to us! When we arrived at Tina's house, a lady named Albertina was cooking for us. Albertina was a teacher at the language school that Tina, Brandon & Shanna (Stonecreek's missionaries to Guatemala) attended when they first arrived in Guatemala. The food smelled wonderful as soon as we walked through the door! Tina showed us around the house while Albertina was finishing dinner. Michelle & I are sharing a room. We have two bunk beds - I am sleeping on one bunk on the top & Michelle is sleeping on the other bunk on the bottom. After we were settled, we hung out & waited (salivating!) for dinner. Finally, it was time to eat - Carne Asada (grilled steak) with Chimichurri Sauce, fresh pico de gallo, fresh roasted salsa, corn on the cob, baked potatoes (with garlic butter), fresh guacamole, corn tortillas, & frijoles negroes (refried black beans). YUMMY! We also had fresh squeezed limonada (lemonade) made with limes - my new favorite drink! Everything was great! I knew at this moment that I was going to LOVE the food here!!!

OK - enough for now - I'll try to post more tomorrow.