So we looked and realized that it's been five days since we updated the blog. It has been quite routine, but we did have a few activities that has allowed us enough material to post an update. On Sunday, prior to mass at Iglesia de San Francisco (San Francisco Church), we went to a small park about three blocks away to play with some of the Guatemalan children. There was about five children there and Lily managed to play with and around them for about an hour. It's amazing how the playing with each other transcends language barriers.
This girl is 10 years old, and stays with her grand parents during the day while her mother works in town. She was over at the playground by herself, and was really interested in getting to know us when she discovered we could speak Spanish. She was really sweet, and couldn't help but to ask if she could hold Eve for a while.
Once it was getting close to Mass time, we headed toward the main street to get a Tuk Tuk, which for those that don't know, is like a little go cart that they use as taxi cabs down here. As we were approaching the main street we looked ahead about 20 feet to see that lily got one on her own! The picture below is her wearing mom's sunglasses because now that she can get her own Tuk Tuk, she is all grown up I guess!
We then rode down to the Church of San Francisco to visit one of the biggest religious draws in Central America. It is the tomb of Saint Hermano Pedro. He is the only Guatemalan saint, and was the first saint from Central America. They have a beautiful courtyard with a nativity scene set up and then a path leading inside to his tomb.
We then took a minute to say a prayer to Saint Hermano Pedro to ask for the safety of our family and friends, and the loved ones that they have as well.
As a prayer devotion we lit a candle to place among the many candles that people have lit at his tomb. We even bought a special candle that directly connects us from Minnesota.
We selected a snow man to represent that even so far as the coldest regions in the world, we are connected together in the same family through Jesus.
We then proceeded into the church to attend Mass, which is quite difficult since they speak Spanish really fast, and we can only make out words and phrases here and there.
The picture below is of the outside of the church. Most of the churches here were build hundreds of years ago, and have been through man earthquakes and other major events and disasters. They are simply stunning to look at, and make the city very beautiful to walk around in.
With it being playoff football Sunday, we then proceeded to go to the Monoloco or Crazy Monkey. It's a place much like that of Applebee's or Chili's in the US. They had the packer game on, and we got to watch the green and gold lose much to my delight! I bleed purple, and so does Eve! She's my football buddy!
We also had the opportunity to help make a Guatemalan lunch at school this week. Here is a picture of Lori and Lily making tortillas. They helped make them and then turned them over to a Guatemalan woman to bake on a stone plate grill. Lily keeps asking when we can do it again!
Yesterday we went to a coffee plantation to see how coffee is made. As part of the plantation they also have a music museum showing how the instruments were developed and are still used even today! Lily was so interested she was always front and center.
We then took a tour of the coffee operation and Lily always seems to find the strangest places to climb and ask for a picture to be taken.
Last night we went out to a more Guatemalan restaurant called La Pena de Sol. They have amazing food, and below is a picture of one of the best cheese tortillas I have ever had. I wished I had ordered one after I got to taste of of Lily's!
Lily wanted to go up on the stage so bad, so we let her take a picture on the steps leading up there. You can see by the look on her face that she wished she could go on the stage!
Tonight we will be hanging out and playing our new dice game Farkle thanks to my mother-in-law, and preparing for our weekend journey to San Lucan Tolimon and the mission. We can hardly wait to get over there and use our much improved Spanish to talk to our friends and see how things are going in the community. We will update once we are settled there tomorrow. Thanks again for reading!
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