Well, I made it to Guatemala!  One week down, five more to go before we head to Honduras, not that I'm counting down or anything because I really do like it here.  I am living with a host family which is really just one woman and some other students that are visiting here, too.  She goes by the name of "Chiky" which is a kind of cookie I bought at the market the other day so I'm not really sure if there is a story behind that or if it's just a coincidence.  I'll try to find more out once I know enough Spanish to ask.

Every day, I get up, eat breakfast with my host family and go to school.  I sit with my teacher, Emilia, for four hours one on one and she teaches me Spanish mostly just by talking to me, asking me questions, and having me answer, or having me ask her questions.  I have already filled almost half my notebook with notes and I'm not exaggerating when I say I probably have at least 500 vocab words to study. The good news is I have plenty of time to practice and learn.  In the afternoons, we have been going to mass at the church near our school, studying in coffee shops, and just exploring the city.



Christopher, Ruthie, and Me at Cerro de La Cruz

Two other missionaries are here right now, with more to come.  The two here in Antigua are Christopher and Ruthie.  I have known them for exactly a week now, but it feels like more.  We do a lot of things as a group.  We've done some venturing out in Antigua.  On Sunday, we hiked up to Cerro de La Cruz (Hill of the Cross) where you have a great view of the city and of Volcano Agua, one of the three volcanoes in Antigua.



Beautiful view on our hike up Volcan Pacaya 

On Wednesday, we hiked a volcano about an hour and a half outside of  Antigua called Volcano Pacaya.  That was a much longer hike than I realized it would be, but it was worth it in the end.  We could see the volcano spitting up lava every once in a while from the peak where we were which was crazy! And then we roasted marshmallows over the heat from a vent in the volcano.  While we were at the top, it started raining really hard which made the hike down just more of an adventure.

Every day here gets better and better as I learn more, get to know my fellow missionaries (who I can't believe I have only known for a week), and take comfort in the knowledge that God has an incredible plan for me.  I am so full of joy and so thankful for the experiences and the people the Lord has put into my life, friends both old and new, family, and all the people who have made this possible.



"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him." Psalm 28:7