Week one complete!

It is hard to sum up the last few days at worksites. Observing your kids using their skills while operating cameras and editing the pictures (Ruby Koetsier, Ethan Boyle and Brian Fabrie) on the computer for the SI Guatemala Facebook page, engaged in their worksites while on home visits (Lizette Cisneros) and digging trenches for pipes (JR Roeloffs and Cooper Calvin) has been incredible for me. This team is a hard working one. Yet through all of the labor and the work, we pray to notice things that God sees, what breaks His heart, and breaks ours too. Hearts are being softened, for sure. I see kids more relaxed and appreciative.  Eager. Eager to serve. I love this about our team!
In devotions held in the morning, our study manual, The Character of the Kingdom, is taking us through the Beatitiudes. In Matthew 5:8 says "Blessed are the pure in heart." God desires purity at the very center of our being, front stage and back stage. Front stage mis who we are in public, who we are in church and how we represent ourselves on social media. Back stage is who we are at home, when we are alone, and  who we are on the inside. Pastor Mario talked this morning about our living out our faith and allowing God to use this experience during the trip to not only bridge two cultures, but allowing ourselves to become more humble because of what we experience here. "Blessed are the poor in spirit."
Last night we ate dinner at the Community Center again, as we did on Tuesday night and had group games. Last nights meal was a typical Guatemalan meal, and 5 of us dressed up in Guatemalan clothing! Afterwards we had a bit of Guatemalan culture and saw a short movie clip. We then played Bingo and learned there are 22 different indigenous languages in Guatemala alone!
Zip lining is on the agenda for tomorrow, as we go to Amtigua and then eat lunch there afterwards.
Sunday the plan is to attend church here in Magdalena, and have lunch at the Community Center. We have been having dinners there every other night as well.
Monday we begin again with worksites through Friday. Please pray for continued health for the team. It has been raining quite a bit today, so we pray for warmth and less wet weather- we see that it is incredibly hot in Visalia! Praying for all of you and missing you back home!