On Monday we enjoyed a rest day as we were technically “working” on Sunday due to the Puerta family day. After a scrumptious breakfast, we spent the morning making, drawing and painting cards for each of the Puerta team in order to say thank you, and to encourage them. In addition to this we planned and practised a devotional that we would later do in the week. After lunch we went to a restaurant and watched the Austria vs France Euros match. That evening we had the great news that the shower had been changed to an electric one, meaning no more cold showers! The team got very excited about the hot showers and we were very grateful, as it has been colder with the more rain we have had.
Tuesday was Charlie F’s birthday and Ella H and Hannah (with some help from others) made a yummy fried breakfast. Then, as it would’ve been our last chance, we all got ready to go to Gerona. However, we got a message that school had been cancelled due to the rain. In the end, after a lot of waiting, and then traffic, we got to the centre at around 10 and four of us (Theo, Ella S and both Charlies) went to Gerona. It was a shame that we couldn’t all go to say goodbye, as we would all be at La Terminal on Thursday, but since there were hardly any kids, there was no need for all of us to go.
In the morning we helped the few kids that showed up with their homework, and then somehow started a water fight, which was great fun. At lunch Charlie was surprised with a birthday cake from the Puerta team, and we all enjoyed singing together, and eating it! Afterwards the boys kicked a football around, and managed to lose the ball, and also break one of the brooms as well! We then had to pop to the nearby shop to buy new ones.
At La Terminal there weren’t many kids but more arrived throughout the day. We were mostly printing out homework that had been sent from the schools, and Carrie and Petro went and handed them out all morning. Emily, Hannah and Ella H were busy printing, organising worksheets and also sitting and doing homework with the kids that were at the centre. We did spelling and maths, had fun with glitter while making a poster, and enjoyed doing and talking about sounds, including how you write them, which is different in Spanish (like animal noises). In the afternoon Charlotte went out to give homework and enjoyed the market – all the alleyways, people and smells were an attack on the senses. Then we played giant jenga and football when the kids were done with homework. The bus journey home was fun as we chatted to each other about our days in the two different places. That evening Charlie opened the presents the team had got for him and then we shared an ice cream cake with everyone, including the family that lives in the church. It was the end of their worship practice and the guitar player stayed and sang Happy Birthday for him. We finished the day by playing murder in the dark in the church, which was lots of fun.
On Wednesday Débora kindly made us a delicious breakfast of porridge with bananas. While the rest of the team went to La Terminal, Theo, Emily and Ella S waited at the church and went to the shops with Betzy (one of the Puerta team members), using the remaining money from the team fund to buy stuff for Puerta, such as games and stationery. It was really helpful that Puerta knew what they needed and gave us a list, instead of us just giving them the money, as it meant that what we gave them will have a bigger impact.
Meanwhile, at the centre, we were helping kids with homework and also helped to hand out breakfast (beans, boiled eggs and tortillas) and lunch (rice and chicken soup). With the little kids, we coloured blue cars, sang some songs and learnt the number three. During lunch we played football and basketball and the afternoon group arrived. In the afternoon Carrie, Charlie F and Charlotte went on street team. We visited the families at the rubbish dump, and played jenga, play dough and colouring with three kids who were siblings, spending quality time with them. It is particularly hard in rainy season as conditions at the rubbish dump are very wet. We also chatted and coloured in with a neighbour who was eleven years old and had never been to school. At the centre some people played chess and we tidied up. That evening we had some time to debrief with Maddie, reflecting on the project and what we have enjoyed and learnt.
On Thursday we painted the big blue gate at the centre, having sanded it the week before. Whilst working on it we also managed to watch the England-Denmark game. Then, at
lunch, the whole Puerta team arrived and we all ate together. We also celebrated the upcoming birthdays of their team with cakes. After chatting for a while we finished the gate and painted some tables whilst they had team training and meetings. That evening was our last prayer meeting at the church we have been staying in, and we sang three songs up at the front. Afterwards we all had paches – like tamales (potato things) and coffee. Then, that evening, we finished writing messages in the cards we had made on Monday and some of us went to bed quite late.
Friday was our last day of the project and being at Puerta. We led a devotional in the morning on David and Goliath, using our play that we did in the first project. The kids loved it! Afterwards we gave out all our cards and they gave us badges and lots of hugs. It was very emotional. Then we went out to have our last sports day with the kids, where Theo and Charlie P’s team won. It was very nice and sunny, and we all had a lot of fun, despite it being our last one. While they were out, Ella S sat in on the little kids and helped with washing up. They danced to songs, enjoyed some colouring and then did a meditation – or at least tried to!
During lunch we played and watched a lot of chess matches, as usual, and in the afternoon we did the devotional again, this time for the older kids. Afterwards the Puerta team made a few speeches, the kids gave us some thank you cards that they had made and we were also given official Puerta tops. It was very emotional as we hugged goodbye to everyone.
It was a reflective journey on the way back, made even more so with the insane traffic, making a normally 45-minute journey take practically two hours! That evening we started the big task of packing everything, since we would be quite busy the next day.
Saturday we went to an English centre in Zone 1 called God is First (GIF). They were very friendly, and it was so interesting to experience it, as staying there was one of the options for our second project. We joined an American group of missionaries and met all the students. We started by singing some songs and playing a game together, before we split into different stations. One station helping the students read the story of Little Red Riding Hood in English; one learning a tongue twister; one learning words to do with the kitchen; one about British culture; one pronouncing some of the harder-sounding states of America; and one where the students learnt a song. We thoroughly enjoyed chatting and getting to know the students, and were bombarded with photos at the end.
Then some of us went to the launderette, as the lack of sun this whole week has made it impossible to dry our clothes. In the afternoon we joined the Latin Link prayer meeting at Suzanne’s house after a delicious lunch (as always) with the rest of the Latin Link team. It was an encouraging devotional and a good prayer time, and we enjoyed chatting to everyone, although it was sad saying goodbye!
On Sunday, after a nice lie-in for us all, we joined the church breakfast, a typical Guatemalan selection of eggs, beans and tomato salsa, with sugary coffee as well. Profe Josue and Jomara, the Head of Puerta, came to our last church service, where we sang ‘Abre mis ojos’ (Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord) and said goodbye from the front. Then we made tostadas for everyone after the service, and said our goodbyes, with lots of photos as well. It was particularly hard saying goodbye to Débora and her family, as well as Rosa and the family we’ve been living with. We are so grateful for all their kindness and generosity, and feel so blessed to have met them.
It’s been a tough week as we’ve said goodbye to many people. Although we’ve only been here for two months, we’ve made so many strong relationships with so many people, and it’s been hard to say goodbye. But we are confident that God will continue the amazing work he’s doing at Puerta and at the church, and that distance will be no barrier to the great friendships we have made out here.
Answers to prayer/things we’ve been grateful for:
- The amazing opportunity to be a part of this project and the relationships that we’ve made
Prayer Requests:
- That God will continue to bless and guide everyone that we’ve met on this trip
- That God’s peace would be with us as we process all that has happened
- That we would have a good rest week
Thank you for everyone’s prayers and support!
- Emily, Theo, Carrie, Hannah, Ben, Ella H, Ella S, Charlie F, Charlie P, Charlotte
(Written by Charlotte and Ella S)
To read the previous report, click here.
