tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87740730368679664742024-03-05T19:08:56.115-08:00guatemala 2012ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-25892308849353167662012-08-04T07:10:00.001-07:002012-08-04T07:10:19.563-07:00the last one.<div style="text-align: center;">
Well I guess now would be a good time to tell everyone that I've been back in the States for three days. ;) I'm experiencing a little bit of reentry culture shock so hot water coming out of faucets and police sirens are still a little surprising to me. </div>
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I have so many drafts for blog posts that I wanted to write but never had the time. This will probably be my last blog post and I am sad but also excited to start the next adventure of my life. This whole summer has been unbelievable and I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you readers. Thank you for your comments, encouraging words and most of all. your prayers. Dios te bendiga!! </div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-53243495875216924472012-07-28T17:04:00.000-07:002012-07-28T17:04:04.015-07:00//<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
just a few more pictures of some kiddos + i. can't even describe how precious these children are. </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-36983705131249920682012-07-28T16:36:00.000-07:002012-07-28T16:36:21.904-07:00one photo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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pc: taylor </div>
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<br />ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-36457850057078998412012-07-26T16:34:00.000-07:002012-07-26T16:34:17.399-07:00water fun.<div style="text-align: center;">
Today the kids didn't have school. Horror movie? Nope. Not when you have a slip and slide available.<br />
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The day started out with my kids watched the little boys from Casa Samuel enjoy their fun. I felt so bad for them, but they hadn't gotten the "okay" so I had to let them stand by. And I took pictures. And I got a huge soapy hug from someone (ahem Chris). That was fun.<br />
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Finally they were able to go in and enjoyed their time immensely. When you put together 35 kids, 10 adults, a huge hill, a tarp, water, shampoo, and dirt all together it becomes a crazy party. Enjoy these pictures but know that they don't do the immense amount of fun justice.<br />
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It was so messy but so awesome. </div>
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No more hugs please. </div>
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Another quick story, Lauren was going down with some girls and then a boy came down and crashed into all of them. It was actually really funny to watch. :) </div>
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She's my hug buddy. </div>
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Love these girls so much. :) </div>
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It was such a fun morning. What a cool way to entertain the kids... and the helpers. Haha. :) </div>
</div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-2732169023087966312012-07-26T15:57:00.001-07:002012-07-26T15:57:42.862-07:00why.<div style="text-align: center;">
I have 8 days left in Guatemala.<br />
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I don't even know what to say right now except that my heart is torn between two places. Here, with the precious children, the tons of rice, the mountains, the laughter, the crying, the emotions, and home. Home with it's comfortable lifestyle, amazing friends and family, Chik-fil-a, and cars that don't try to run over people as they cross the road.<br />
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I have learned more than I ever imagined I would learn here. I have been surrounded by the best team ever. Kids of all ages have loved on me these two months. I have had the opportunity to love and stretch my heart to places I never knew it could go. I'm sad I had to come to Guatemala to learn the lessons I did.<br />
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But I guess that's how God works. When we step out in faith and do what He's called us to do, He changes us. It's not like He CAN'T work in our hometowns, of course He does. I think it's special though, when we go out of our comfort zone and follow Him and only have Him to lean on. When we are without familiarity, we only have Him.<br />
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That's what I learned here in Guatemala. I have God always. In the good, the bad, the horrible, the uncomfortable, the ease, He's there. He's always carrying me and giving me strength for the next step even if I'm not thinking about Him.<br />
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I've been savoring these last moments with the kiddos I've grown to love so much. A few nights ago, the kids were NOT good for Taylor and I. After a long and exhausting night, I was giving them all kisses and rubbing their backs. Those seconds before they drifted off to sleep were precious. It didn't matter that the last two hours had practically been hell. I love these children with all of my heart. I didn't quite understand how much I loved them until that night, when I had seen them at their worst (and ahem they probably saw me at my worst...) and then when they fell asleep. These kids are special. I love them.<br />
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Yesterday was the birthday of a little boy in our house. He is so cute :) Of course, we had cake, ice-cream, pizza, everything. This little kid is one of the sweetest boys you will ever meet. He rarely gets in trouble, is kind to all of the kids, and has the cutest smile. It was a lot of fun to celebrate him.<br />
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Expect quite a few blog posts, I'm working on catching up. :) </div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-12138884134204194962012-07-19T14:42:00.001-07:002012-07-19T14:42:55.647-07:00what? blog?<div style="text-align: center;">
Yeah sorry about that. I guess I took a little break...? Moving on. </div>
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First order of business, we only have two weeks left here. FOURTEEN DAYS. What in the world? I'm not ready! But I am. But I'm not!! I can't believe I have to say goodbye to this place soon... okay not thinking about it. </div>
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Since I last posted, I've lived a lot of life. ;) Every day is pretty much the same: Get up at get to the house by 7, kids go to school, play with the four youngest until 11:45, pick up the other kiddos, play for an hour, have lunch, do dishes, put the kids down for a nap, get a two hour break, go back and play and eat and go to bed. Then we have downtime all evening. </div>
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Because every day is the same (obviously there are minor differences...) it can get tedious. Sometimes I'm like, "I am telling this kid to share for the twentieth time in the last five minutes... WHAT AM I DOING." Like today. I was trying to talk to someone and J and L came up to me and told me that M wasn't sharing. I tell them that L is after M and M has five more minutes (hopefully the initials are helping and not hurting this story haha). Two seconds later, "M es no conparti!!" I almost lost it. God is giving me so much grace though - to be gracious to these kids and love them even when they are so annoying. They are precious and special and God loves them a whole bunch. </div>
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My Spanish is definitely improving which I am grateful for. I had a small conversation with a kid from Nuevo Pacto - the oldest boys house and we could understand each other! It was like an encouragement from the Lord because one of the things I was worried about before coming here was the speaking Spanish part. And I've only spoken "toddler Spanish" for the last month and a half. He has been faithful. </div>
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God has been blessing my relationships with people on my team - specifically a few of the girls. I've loved getting to know them more because they are all crazy fun and amazing. I work with Taylor in the toddler house and we had a really cool conversation while we were washing dishes. It's those little moments that I am grateful - pieces of conversation and connection that get put into our lives. </div>
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I don't know what else to write - my days are pretty much all the same. There is much laughter, blessing, happiness, and fulfillment. At the same time there are definitely tears and difficult times, but God is here and He is good. Eighteen days until I see my family. Let the countdown begin. </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-82274363888159128512012-07-08T15:07:00.002-07:002012-07-08T15:08:59.766-07:00update on life in guat.<div style="text-align: center;">
So I have a couple posts about our recent team excursion to Lake Atitlan planned, but I wanted to give a quick update since I haven't posted in a little bit. :)</div>
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Friday was a crazy day. It was the first day back from the lake, and also the house parents in the toddler house are not here. They are in Costa Rica for a baseball tournament! Their son is on the Guatemala nation baseball team - pretty cool. Learning how to run a house of 14 toddlers without them is exhausting but definitely fun. ;) </div>
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I'm working this weekend so I got to the house yesterday at 7. It was a beautiful day outside so we spent a lot of it on the cancha and playing with "jugetes" and "bicicletas," toys and bicycles. I hear all day, and this is no joke, kids telling me that the other kids aren't sharing. They are so funny because they will give a toy to someone, and then turn around and tell me that the other kid isn't sharing! I have just started laughing. ;) Also, sometimes they will come up to me and start talking in rapid Spanish and then burst out crying and fall on the floor. They are all so dramatic. But I love them so much. </div>
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This morning we had church and it was a really fun service. A visiting worship group came and lead worship. They were loud, fun, and definitely loved the Lord. It was so fun to see all of the little kids jumping around and dancing. They were praising the Lord. </div>
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Something I have learned here is how precious children really are. Each and every kid at this orphanage is so special to me. God has given me His heart for them and for children in general. I want to go back to the States and view children differently. I'm excited to apply everything God is teaching me here in Guatemala to my life in the States.<br />
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Another thing I am grateful for is the ability to hang out with team members throughout the day. Sometimes many of the houses come outside and as the kids play, team members can have conversations. It's a nice break... and I can speak English. ;) </div>
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This afternoon was more playing on the cancha, eating lunch, and watching Ice Age. My break (their nap time) is almost done so I've got to wrap this up. Below is a video. Have I mentioned how much I love these children? </div>
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ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-58677155841942778112012-07-01T17:56:00.000-07:002012-07-01T18:14:12.757-07:00this weekend.<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, as I said earlier, this weekend is my weekend off. So far, it's been amazing.</div>
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I slept in until 8 yesterday. It was weird not hearing six alarms go off from 5:30-6:30, but I'm not complaining. ;) I spent the morning relaxing mostly, went out and visited my kids (can't stay away from them for tooooo long ;)) and got ready to go to the mall. Beka, Chris, Aaron, and I spent the afternoon at a absolutely wonderful mall about 20 minutes away from the orphanage. We split up originally, Beka and I got frozen yogurt and shopped around. Funny story #1: We walked into a book store with our frozen yogurt and the worker told us (in Spanish) that we couldn't have food in the store. I thought he was asking if we needed help (my Spanish is limited okay?) and so I said, "No gracias." He looked at me like I was completely an idiot. I realized what he had meant and said, "No comida en aqui?" (No food in here?) He nodded. We quickly got out of there and started laughing. You live and learn.</div>
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We went laser tagging. Holy guacamole it was so fun haha. Beka screamed, Chris became a sniper, and I just tried to not get hit. Aaron had it all down and was pretty legit. We all had fun. </div>
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We needed to walk over to Walmart. By the way, this whole experience is Funny Story #2. We knew it was raining but we had to make it because we thought we had to be back at 4:30. So we go outside and Beka and I start running across the road. I turn around and I see the boys back under the awning saying, "We don't want to do this!!" As soon as they decide to run, it starts pouring harder. So we are all running through the pouring rain, laughing our heads off, and we finally make it to Walmart. Greeted by strange looks and all. We went around, sopping wet, getting all of our groceries and trying out samples. </div>
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We spent the afternoon in Starbucks, waiting for our ride but it was fun. We got some bread nearby, some of us drank two drinks, and we laughed at how the baristas had spelled our names wrong. We didn't laugh at them... just the fact that Beka was "Veca" and my last name had turned into "Merry."<br />
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When we got home, we had a little meeting about our team excursion next week (so excited!!) and then Aaron, Tori, Beka, Chris, and I watched three episodes of Band of Brothers. It was quite good. Beka and I cried, I think, at the end of one. It made me think, I really enjoyed it. :)<br />
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Today is Sunday. I slept in until 8:30 and then we had church. It's visitor's sunday which was extremely hard. If any family of the kids wanted to visit, they could come for church and then a hang out time afterwards. I thought I had mentally prepared myself for it but it was extremely hard. I watched my toddlers look eagerly at the door just in case any of their family would come. Only two of them had visitors.<br />
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I want to protect these kids from any more hurt they could get. But the furthest I can go is to love them. God has his hands around these precious little children. As I watched them interact with their family members, it broke my heart. But God did really encourage me, reminding me that He cares for these children way more than I EVER could.<br />
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I slept all afternoon which was extremely disorienting haha. We had dinner and talked with the other team that came in today. They are super nice! Right now I am blogging right outside our room. Inside of our room is extremely warm and moist which sounds gross haha, but with 14 girls, it can get... yeah.<br />
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I'm so excited for the next week. Tomorrow we have one day of work, and then early early on Tuesday morning, we are off to our excursion. I think we are going to do a zipline through the Guatemalan forests. Don't quote me on that though ;)<br />
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fro yo! </div>
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running in the rain haha</div>
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shopping... soaking wet. </div>
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posing with their three liter bottle of coke. </div>
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Oh oh! New prayer requests on the sidebar. Thank you all for your support and love! :) </div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-57925342146529900642012-06-29T20:17:00.000-07:002012-06-29T20:17:09.255-07:00rain boots.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These little people make me happy. </div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-85665319654171342622012-06-29T15:15:00.001-07:002012-06-29T15:15:46.059-07:00it's just life.<div style="text-align: center;">
Well we have hit the 25dayawayfrommyfamily mark. I can't believe it has been three weeks since I left Maryland, and two weeks that I have been in Guatemala. This post is probably going to turn into a random assortment of memories and quotes because there are so many random awesome things that have happened. :) </div>
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A few nights ago, I took a walk on the cancha after dark and was just thinking and praying and randomly looking around so grateful for this place. Then I turned the corner and the motion-activated light turned on and I freaked out. Too many scary stories lately. Haha. </div>
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The house parents at the toddler house are absolutely amazing. Like so funny, encouraging, godly, and really really awesome. Billy, the house dad, has these one-liners that make Taylor and I laugh so hard I sometimes forget to breathe. Being with their family reminds me of God's faithfulness - I was worried about who I would be working with. But God has given me such great people and new friends to work with in the toddler house.</div>
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Speaking of working with people in the toddler house, there is a girl named Julia who is a junior in high school who is here for a month and a half. She is AMAZING. We have really gotten along well. She's so sweet. Again, so grateful to God.</div>
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We were out of cocoa puffs and frosted flakes and our team had a minor breakdown. We have since recovered the frosted flakes, but the cocoa puffs have yet to be bought. </div>
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The little kids are so precious. Lately, they have been calling me by my name (it took them a bit to learn it) and it comes out as "Eyye." I am also called "mi amiga" by many of the little ones. It's so sweet to be connecting with them, holding their hand across the cancha, and to have them trust me is one of the sweetest things in the world. I had doubts (again, unbelief in my faithful God) that these kids would trust me. But it seems that I have become a member of their family and for that I am grateful. </div>
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Well, Beka just found Nutella and I also found out that I am going to the mall with some of our team tomorrow. On that happy note, adios. :) </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-6165095252601192822012-06-24T15:10:00.005-07:002012-06-24T15:10:37.772-07:00antigua.<div style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday was possibly the best day of my life thus far. ;)<br />
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It started out at 5am, which wasn't exciting. I probably didn't get out of bed until 5:15, but I took a shower and got ready. We all loaded on to the bus at 6am, our team and a few others from Houston who were here for the week.<br />
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that yellow. </div>
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The 1.5 hour bus ride to Antigua was pretty quiet - everyone slept. We pulled into the bus terminal and the first thing I noticed was all of the color. The stores are all painted in bright colors and the market was filled with colorful fruit, garments, hammocks, you name it! It was so wonderful for this color loving girl. :) We split up in the square and want to different breakfast places. The one that my group was originally going to go to wasn't open yet, so we ventured to Luna de Miel, a French crepe place. Oh my stars. I got a Nutella and strawberry and it was possibly the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. We ate our crepes, drank our smoothies, and laughed about how Tori was totally going to drink at least five cups of coffee that day.<br />
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The upstairs of the building was open so the boys went up there to check it out. Tori, Heather and I soon followed. The view was amazing. The volcanos all around and the breeze blowing - yeah it was really cool. And of course we took pictures.<br />
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photobomb. </div>
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profile pic. </div>
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After breakfast, we headed around town. We visited churches, ruins, and walked a TON. Such good exercise haha. Again, the colors and architecture never ceased to impress me. They did good.<br />
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So after I got left behind (hehe inside joke) we had SALSA. I wasn't feeling well so I didn't participate in the first part, but I jumped in later and boy was it fun! Can I just say that I am so proud of the three guys on our team who danced? They didn't want to at first, but we convinced them otherwise. They did awesome. ;) The teacher was so fun and really got into it. We all want to keep salsa-ing now. :)<br />
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We stopped by the choco museum and some of the team got the makeyourown Mayan hot chocolate. They brought cayenne pepper, hot milk, chocolate, and honey to the table and you stirred it up. The guys didn't think they were putting enough cayenne pepper in so they kept dropping in more and more pinches. Then... they got to the bottom of the cup. Not all of it had dissolved. ;)<br />
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yum.<br />
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We grabbed a few loaves of bread from the amazingly wonderful smelling panaderia and headed towards where the shuttle would pick us up for the volcano hike. Yes, you did hear me right. We hiked a volcano.<br />
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It took another hour and a half and lots of car sickness (for me) to get to the base of the volcano. There is a small town right underneath it that was absolutely beautiful. When we got out of the shuttle, children came up to us asking if we wanted to buy walking sticks. We took a quick trip to the bathroom and started the trek. Out front was Ben, Chris, Tori, Aaron and I. It was a good hike - like seriously beautiful and definitely just a bit tiring ;) We took the wrong path for a little bit (Chris said he told us he thought we were not on the right path - I didn't hear him) but we made it back on the right one in no time. We started pulling away from the dirt trail and green bushes, and into the lava masses. There was sharp lava rock all around us and ash underneath our feet. The stillness was haunting. We came upon a lava jewelry store ( a tiny shack really) and bought some stuff. Definitely a cool souvenir ;)<br />
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When we got even further up, it began to get hot under our feet. Of course, the jokes about how the volcano could erupt any second or explode and blow us all to smithereens and how we would roll down the hill as fast as we could, abounded. That's why I love my team. Haha. We played hot potato with the extremely warm rocks, roasted marshmallows over the hot air rising from the cracks, and climbed. Oh how we climbed. We were like monkeys with no fear, scrambling over the rocks. Yes, we fell a couple of times. But I think it was worth it.<br />
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heather :D </div>
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boom. </div>
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toriii!!</div>
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awww. </div>
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taylor smiled. hehe. </div>
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Over and over again I couldn't believe that I was on top of a volcano, with some of my favorite people, enjoying God's creation, and laughing and having a wonderful time. It's like one of those things you don't even imagine doing. All of us kept saying, "How was this not on our bucket list?" I am so grateful for that opportunity.<br />
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The hike down was fun, trying not to slip on the ash and dirt on the super steep parts, taking the shortcuts the little boys found, and thinking about food. When we finally made it down, some of us changed out of our sweaty clothes (tmi hehe) and piled back into the bus. The driver turned up the music loud and we danced for half an hour haha. So epic. Then, people went to sleep. We are such a sleep oriented group. Back in Antigua, we headed to McDonalds for dinner where I had a chai tea latte and a yogurt parfait. Um, that latte was literally the best thing I have ever had. I was kind of skeptical of McDonalds... and lattes. But I was more than happy with it and enjoyed every sip. It took us forever to find the bus but once we did, we settled in and waited for the ride home to start.<br />
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Chris, Tori and I were in the back (where the naughty kids sit... apparently). Chris started telling scary stories and Tori and I were freaking out. The dark bus, outside being dark, and a tired mind do not go well together. ;)<br />
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Once we got home, we all settled into bed. It was a wonderful and amazing day. All of it. So grateful for the time to get away and explore Antigua with awesome people. :)<br />
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</div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-2695475826700973512012-06-19T21:40:00.005-07:002012-06-19T22:04:34.405-07:00back + better.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Col-3-1">If then you have been raised with Christ, seek <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29502B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>the things that are above, where Christ is, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29502C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>seated at the right hand of God.</span> <span class="text Col-3-2" id="en-ESV-29503"> <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29503D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.</span> <span class="text Col-3-3" id="en-ESV-29504"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;"> </sup>For <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29504E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Col-3-3" id="en-ESV-29504">Colossians 3:1-3</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Col-3-3" id="en-ESV-29504"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bless the Lord, O my soul<br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />O my soul<br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Worship His holy name<br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Sing like never before<br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />O my soul<br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />I'll worship Your holy name</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well I guess it's time for some sort of massive update. :) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For the past week, I have been on and off sick. It was pretty bad earlier in the week with much time spent... in the bathroom. Often, I was tempted to complain or question God's plan for me while I am here. Why would I travel all the way to Guatemala, giving up my time, and then get sick? Selfish thoughts obviously. God has a perfect plan for my life - here in Guatemala, and back at home. I didn't see it at first, but now that I am better, I realize that God was growing my complete trust in Him. I spent a lot of time praying during my sickness and asking God to renew my mind with truth and not let the lies seep in. God is faithful. He does answer prayer and He did give me much grace to not just endure sickness, but persevere through it. Plus, my team is amazing. They provided me with Sprite, Gatorade, lots and lots of rest, and constant prayers and asking "how are you doing?" So so grateful they are in my life. :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am in the toddler house!! I think I have mentioned it before, but it is quite exciting. Definitely physically (and sometimes mentally) exhausting. But worth every minute. This morning, I got there at 6 and left at 2, for their naps, and then back at 4 until 7. These are my days. Long but fun. It's rainy season here so we stayed inside and watched movies. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Spanish is improving which I am so grateful for. Something I prayed for a LOT before coming here was that I would be able to communicate. God is giving a lot of grace and He is humbling me through the toddlers as they point out my mistakes and correct me. It's good. :) Today, I was putting shoes on one of the girls and I kept saying, "ZApatos" with the accent on the first syllable. Another girl said, "No! No! ZaPAtos!!" She was so serious. I almost laughed. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These kids here are the sweetest. I am so grateful we get to be here for two months and form real and true friendships with them. The house parents at the toddler house are the best. They are from Boston, and have three kids of their own. I have gotten to know Amanda, the house mom, and she is super nice. It's wonderful because the house parents speak English (obviously) so I can learn Spanish, but also not be completely confused and lost when helping out. It's a win win situation. Again, so grateful for that blessing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We celebrated Ben's 20th birthday yesterday, complete with cake, balloons, and blowers. I really think our team is secretly a bunch of five year olds. We throw cereal at each other and just laugh and laugh and laugh. I sound like a broken record, I know. But these people keep me sane daily. I need that downtime in the evenings. :) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Friday we are going to Antigua for the day! I think we are planning on hiking a volcano. No big deal. I'll let you know how it goes. :) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PS. I'll have pictures later. They are taking wayyy too long to upload right now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adios. :)</span></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-36789504965684393992012-06-17T10:55:00.001-07:002012-06-17T10:56:31.403-07:00us.<div style="text-align: center;">
I'll do a wordy post soon but for now, here's a picture of our amazing team. They are my favorites. :) </div>
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(click to enlarge)</div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-66520292829211133432012-06-14T21:51:00.001-07:002012-06-14T21:51:50.528-07:00today.<div style="text-align: center;">
Tonight, I attempted to eat a chocolate covered banana, but my body reacted with an allergic reaction. So I took a Benadryl and I honestly feel like I am under anesthesia. So, bear with me. This post may be a bit incoherent or jumbled. ;)<br />
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By the grace of God, I can say I am over my 24 hour stomach bug. I feel completely better, which is a great thing because it was my first full day with the toddlers. I got up at 6:30 (after hearing about a dozen alarms go off at different times. haha living with 13 other girls is interesting ;)). I had breakfast and headed up to the house around 7:40. The morning seemed especially long because 10 of the 14 toddlers were in school. So, with the remaining four, we played outside a TON. Playdough, walks, playground, everything Julia, Taylor, and I could think of. The kiddos came home and we had lunch around 1. The break from 2-4 was honestly one of the best things all day. ;)<br />
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We went back to the toddler house around 4:15 after their nap, fed them their snack, and did an activity with the other missions team that is here for the week. It involved gluing pieces of paper and cotton balls to make a rainbow and clouds. It got messy.<br />
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Dinner was at 6. Team meeting at 8. These end of the day meetings are honestly my favorite. Being with my team is the best thing ever. We always share highs and lows from our day and it's neat to hear how everyone else's day went. We laugh so hard and long about everything. I think it's because we are so tired that we are almost delirious. ;)<br />
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A scripture that has been serving me lately is Romans 12:2. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transferred by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Lately, if I have been tempted to complain, I remind myself of truth and "renew my mind." This is so good for my soul. To complain is to not be thankful and to not be thankful is to doubt God's goodness in my life. I am so grateful for grace and people to support me in this. Thank you all again so much for your constant prayers. As Melissa said today, "Isn't it cool that we all know of people praying for our team?" It's very cool.<br />
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And for the record, I had my earphones in this whole time and no music was playing. That happens a lot. I'm off to bed.</div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-90284187428072845612012-06-13T14:38:00.003-07:002012-06-13T14:38:57.935-07:00:)<div style="text-align: center;">
So, on Monday, Kaley and Beka were delayed because their plane ran out of gas and they had to land in El Salvador instead of Guatemala City. While we were waiting for them, all of us were confused as to exactly what had happened. Aubrey said, "You can't just land someone in the wrong country!" It made me laugh super hard. Don't know why exactly, but yeah. We are pretty cool over here.<br />
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We got assigned to our houses! There are many houses at Casa Bernabe, each with a different age group and divided by gender except for the babies and toddlers. I got assigned to work with the toddlers and I am SO EXCITED. The house parents (people that are basically like parents to all of these kids) are amazing. The toddlers are adorable. I introduce myself as Eliza (pronounced Elisa) because it's easier for the kids to say, and a little boy shouted after me as I left, "Adios Eliza!" I melted. They are precious. All of the children are.<br />
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Yesterday, a local Christian middle-school came in and put on a game day for the kids complete with piƱatas. It was really special. I met a couple of the super super sweet middle-school girls and we talked and exchanged email addresses. They spoke English really well, I was impressed, and they helped me with my Spanish. For that I am grateful. :)<br />
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It was a beautiful day in Guatemala. Usually the weather each day is sun, rain around lunch-mid afternoon, and then sun again. Yesterday it was sunny and in the high 70s. It's technically their winter but I'm not complaining. I wish winters in Maryland would be like this. :) We have taken tons of walks and played with the kids outside a lot. I feel like I have been saying "ten cuidado" a lot which basically means be careful. Being around toddlers, well, they could do anything. :)<br />
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God is very present here. This campus is such a place of beauty and love for the Lord. The staff here is absolutely incredible. My team is ohmygracious wonderful. The kids, well, there aren't any words for how precious and sweet each child is. God loves them all and you can't help but adore them as well.<br />
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Right now I am eating some peanut butter crackers that Lauren kindly gave me and taking sips of water. Something didn't sit well with me and so I threw up last night and I am in the process of getting better. I slept until 12:45 so that definitely helped. I haven't been outside of our room so I don't know if the orphanage has collapsed around me but I assume everything is okay. ;)<br />
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I'm excited to get out and about again! You know me, I can't sit still for very long. ;)<br />
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-64462867229617886012012-06-11T11:03:00.000-07:002012-06-11T11:03:01.489-07:00so grateful.<div style="text-align: center;">
There's a song by Chris Tomlin called. "God of This City." I first heard it last year at Local Missions and fell in love with it. Some of the lyrics say:</div>
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You're the God of this City</div>
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You're the King of these people</div>
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You're the Lord of this nation</div>
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You are</div>
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You're the Light in this darkness</div>
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You're the Hope to the hopeless</div>
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You're the peace to the restless</div>
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You are</div>
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As I have been around here, I have seen that God has great plans for Casa Bernabe. I am so excited that He has chosen me to be a part of those wonderful and exciting things. Today, we woke up early + prepared everything for the Westmont kids! :) They arrived around 7:45 and trust me, they were properly welcomed. ;) We had breakfast together and got to know each other. Afterwards, Tori, Heather, and I gave everyone a tour of the place. Some people went to the baby house, some people went up to the fire pit and talked, and others went to run or take naps. Tori, Aubrey, Aaron and I went exploring with Juan Manuel, a house parent here. He took us through the woods on some cool paths and we came out by the beautiful garden they have. Tori, Aaron, and I weeded for a bit (it's actually quite relaxing! ;)) and Aubrey took pictures. I'm so excited that there are quite a few "obnoxious" photographers on our team, myself included! :)<br />
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We have been hanging out for the rest of the morning. I'm right outside our room - Tori and Heather are next to me eating granola and crocheting/friendship-bracelet-making, and Aaron is asleep on a chair across from me. Everyone else is resting, they had a long night! Lunch is in an hour - the food is amazing here. Like, what in the world.<br />
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God is so amazing. I have been learning to seek Him in a new and fresh way that I have never felt before. Prayer is becoming a more "normal" thing to do, which sounds horrible, but it is so refreshing to always be praying. A few nights ago, Heather and Brooke woke up to noises outside of the room and I felt sick. The only way I could be comfortable was on my back, and I have a hard time sleeping on my back. The next morning, we were talking about our night and found that we all (except Tori ;)) had had some sort of interesting experience. And then in an instant, we realized we hadn't prayed. I kinda figured that something along the lines of spiritual warfare was going on, but I didn't say anything until we talked about it. Last night we prayed, and everything went smoothly. It is so comforting to know that our God is bigger than any evil power in this world. He is stronger, more great, and so loving. He cares for His children. I am so grateful to be a part of this community that recognizes and celebrates that fact.<br />
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Thank you all for your continued prayers. We feel carried. We are excited to pray about our assignments tonight and start work tomorrow. This weekend has been filled with downtime while we waited for the rest of the team, and know that they are here, well we can't wait to get started!!<br />
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I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day/evening depending on where you are ;) Dios te bendiga! </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-2654357878232822852012-06-10T20:34:00.002-07:002012-06-10T20:35:14.758-07:00just pictures.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is my home for the next two months. You are allowed to be jealous. ;) </div>
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<br />ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-41024258037112269122012-06-08T21:05:00.000-07:002012-06-08T21:05:37.396-07:00casa bernabe.<div style="text-align: center;">
Right now, I am in the "courtyard" of Casa Bernabe, listening to the children upstairs playing loud games of musical chairs or whatever is similar. Their laughter is ringing throughout the house. What a joyous sound.<br />
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If you were to talk to any of us when we first woke up, we probably wouldn't have responded. It was 2:45am. And, yeah. We groggily took showers and ate granola bars. Slowly, we said our goodbyes to the staff and loaded up the car. The ride to the airport was quiet - people were sleeping and staring into space. Security went by quickly, and we found our gate. The first flight to Atlanta was only 40 minutes. We all slept... some more than others. ;)<br />
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Long layover at Atlanta. We found a Starbucks and I got a Chai Tea Latte. Tori and I watched a Psych episode, Heather took a nap, and Ben watched his own TV show. Pretty chill. We boarded the plane early and I fell asleep as soon as we got on the plane. We were all so. tired. today.<br />
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Let me just stop and say here that I wasn't prepared for the view that awaited us in Guatemala. The mountains are stunning. The houses are full of color and it is such a beautiful contrast to the green and lush trees. Customs went by really quickly which was a blessing. We were picked up by the sweetest people from Casa Bernabe, and we drove through Guatemala City and up into the mountains. On the car ride over, there was a seven year old girl with us. She mentioned a camera so I brought out mine. For the rest of the trip, she was fascinated with my camera. She took pictures as I said, "aqui (here) and que bueno (that's good!)" It was a fun little connection we shared despite the language barrier. ;)<br />
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The afternoon was filled with meeting some of the children, getting a tour of the beautiful campus (pictures coming!) and lots and lots of downtime. Heather gives really good back massages so she helped to work some of the knots out of my back from all of the carrying of the backpack. :)<br />
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After dinner, Tori, Heather, Ben and I went down the infamous 108 stairs to search out the garden. Apparently, Ben hadn't seen fireflies before. The conversation went something like this.<br />
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Ellie: Oh look fireflies!!<br />
Ben: I haven't seen fireflies before.<br />
Ellie: What in the world Ben!!<br />
Tori: Oh look! There is a butterfly! I mean firefly!!<br />
Ben: Whaat...? Oh my GOSH.<br />
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It was epic.<br />
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We have been spending our evening doing devotions and blogging. Our room has 14 bunks, so we can't wait for the rest of the team to show up and fill them! Right now it's 10pm, in Maryland it's midnight. So I'm slacking a bit. Off to bed I suppose.<br />
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Much love!<br />
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-35827081012870257922012-06-08T00:21:00.002-07:002012-06-08T00:21:52.806-07:00and we are off!<div style="text-align: center;">
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the staff and teams<br />
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our guatemala team minus the westmont folks :) </div>
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and our crazy amazing food we ate one night.<br />
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It is 3:07 in the morning. June 8th. My team will be off to Guatemala shortly.<br />
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I'd love to give an update on yesterday - our last day in the United States until August 2, but I have no time. ;) I am sitting in the living room surrounded by South Africa's luggage (sounds weird) and Brooke is in front of me doing some computer and last minute work. This home of mine for the past three days will be left behind soon and I will venture on to NEW adventures. Thank you for your continued prayers, and we covet them as we fly internationally to the place God has called each of us.<br />
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Much love to all, and I will see you in Guatemala.<br />
:)</div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-9466392830202903492012-06-06T19:36:00.001-07:002012-06-06T19:36:27.324-07:00day three. ;)<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey everyone! I wish I could come up with more interesting post titles. Something like "Fire Ants and Spanish Dramas" isn't appealing however. :)</div>
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Today was mentally tiring, to say the least. ;) I woke up at 7 (probably had something to do with it) and laid around in bed for a bit. Again, breakfast was informal so we all grabbed something and ate outside. We had devotions at 9 led by the South Africa team and buddied up with our prayer partner. We each have a partner from the other team, and we will be praying for them as we go across the globe! So cool. </div>
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Our team (Heather, Tori, Ben, and I) are explorers. We went and picked flowers and found trails and picked wild blackberries. We also blew on dandelions and looked over the mulch store near the headquarters. We like that kind of thing. "Meandering and frolicking" as Tori called it. ;) Fire ants can be a little bit of a problem so you have to be careful. Of course, they have been dealt with mostly, but the occasional ant can escape up your foot. Ouch. </div>
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We had a two hour lecture this morning on children in crisis and at risk situations. This is all new stuff for me to hear, so it is a whole new world of emotions. God has been teaching me compassion through all of this, and love for His children young and old. </div>
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We had lunch, and then watched the second part of the sermon we started yesterday. Henry Nouwan talked about the four characteristics of our lives. We are: chosen, blessed, broken, and given. We are chosen by God, precious and beloved. We are blessed by God, he sings a benediction over us. Our brokenness brings us to our knees but we remember to put it under the blessing and make it secondary to the fact that we are beloved. And finally, we are given. We give of ourselves to others. We show Christ's love to them. </div>
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Coffee break (our favorite around here) and then some more teaching on WEC (the organization over Rainbows of Hope) and practical stuff for the mission field. We had dinner, a Guatemalan dish actually, which was quite delicious. Dinner time is one of my favorite times - we all sit outside at the picnic tables and talk and talk and talk. We grow closer over dinner. And dessert, of course. ;)</div>
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We had 1.5 hours of language study tonight. Because we all have at least a basic foundation in Spanish, we go over the more cultural facts of Guatemala so that we can be informed of different ways to speak. It's quite interesting. Patty, our language instructor, makes us do dramas to drive home her point. Those are always entertaining. </div>
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I will say it again, I love the two teams and staff here at the ROH headquarters. We are becoming like family. The fun we share is amazing. Often, we can be laughing so hard that we take time to breathe and then try to talk again. If you all could pray for continued unity among us, that would be wonderful. We have been talking about how the devil loves to cause disunity on the field to make us discouraged or upset. </div>
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Another specific prayer request (for me ;)) is in my Spanish speaking. I'm not very good at formulating sentences and then ACTUALLY SAYING THEM. I can write them though. ;) I need God's peace and strength to get through that barrier. </div>
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I must be honest, I am a bit nervous about venturing to Guatemala. But I DO believe that it is the Lord's will for me. He has called me to go. I will not be discouraged. </div>
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I was just thinking, if you have any questions about anything feel free to leave a comment or email me (sidebar for info). I'd love to try to answer it. :) Thanks for reading and praying! </div>
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Dios te bendiga.</div>
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God bless you. </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-70672202499637165232012-06-05T19:49:00.000-07:002012-06-05T19:49:46.526-07:00lazy susans + language study.<div style="text-align: center;">
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south caroline sunset from last night </div>
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our team! minus the westmont people. from L to R: me, tori, brooke, heather, and ben. </div>
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tori put an empty watermelon rind on her head. normal stuff. ;)</div>
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Today was definitely a learning day.<br />
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Woke up at 7:15 and found that no one was in my room. Whoops. Haha. Brooke, Heather and Tori are the best roommates anyone could ask for. Ben is around the corner in his own room (only guy besides the staff here. Poor dude.) and the South Africa team is in the room down the hall. Just FYI. ;)<br />
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Had a bagel for breakfast and chatted with everyone around the table. We had devotions with Tom at 9, focusing on Hebrews 11 and faith. How things seen were created by things unseen. All of us shared our testimonies (half way through the roofers came in so we migrated to the living room where the magic happens.) Hearing how everyone got to that house, to eventually go to South Africa or Guatemala, was so. Cool. God used different means in each of our lives - to ultimately accomplish his purposes in our lives.<br />
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Phyllis Kilburn, the founder of Rainbows of Hope and the most dear and godly lady I have ever met came and spoke to us about some history of Rainbows of Hope and some wisdom pertaining to dealing with children in crisis. It was so helpful + uplifting.<br />
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We had lunch at 12:30. It was hilarious because our stomachs were growling during Phyllis' talk. We were all covering our stomachs and trying not to laugh. We ate outside on the picnic tables, it was warm and totally lovely. But the sun was bright. Ha. I love eating with the team and staff. We all have so much in common and we are all outgoing so it's a blast.<br />
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In the afternoon, we had two hours of watching a video (sermon) and discussion. We watched Part 1 of a sermon by Henry Nouwan on being beloved children of God. Oh. My. Gracious. It hit home. The fact that we are beloved children of God, and that what is said of Jesus, is said of us. We had a coffee break (for me it was a food break. I don't like coffee ;)) and then had another two hour lecture on Children in Crisis and at Risk. Good, informative stuff. I have never been presented with a situation similar to this at all, so it was good to hear how to approach these situations.<br />
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We had dinner outside on the picnic tables again. So wonderful. We did chores + then had language study from 7-9. Patty (our Spanish teacher) had us act out a small drama using the phrases we had learned. It was quite amusing.<br />
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These people that I have lived with for the last two days are already good friends. I'm going to miss the South Africa team so bad and I can't wait for August 2 when we come back and debrief together. But I am also extremely excited for the summer. God is going to do amazing and wonderful things. </div>
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We are also a funny bunch. There is a lazy susan in the middle of the long dining table and we were talking about how black eyed susans are Maryland's state flower and relating that to lazy susans. Tori (the outgoing, crazy one on our Guatemala team ;)) said, "So is it illegal to pick lazy susans? I mean BLACK EYED SUSANS." Of course, that is now an inside joke.<br />
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Our favorite drink is half and half. Not the cream, but half lemonade and half iced tea. When I get home, I'll probably ask for half and half and gross people out.<br />
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Thank you all for your promised (and delivered!) prayers. My team and I feel so supported here. We leave for Guatemala early early Friday morning. Some ways you can contact me, via Facebook, email (ellie.berry94[at]gmail[dot]com) or comments here. Prayer requests are going to go up on the sidebar so keep checking for updates.<br />
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God is amazing. He is going to do wonderful + great things this summer. Can't wait to keep y'all updated on this journey.<br />
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Buenas noches.<br />
<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-53476630907626330922012-06-04T19:19:00.000-07:002012-06-04T19:19:29.024-07:00south carolina - day one.<div style="text-align: center;">
Well I made it. Praise the Lord. :) </div>
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I left for BWI (Baltimore-Washington International) Airport this morning and after a small delay, we lifted off towards Charlotte, NC. Hour long flight, no big deal. They had pretzels. </div>
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I landed, and met Tom Harvey at the baggage claim. He's the Summer Teams Coordinator for Rainbows of Hope (the organization I am going to Guatemala with!). He's super nice. There were two girls there who are the South Africa team, so we got to meet each other.<br />
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After a 30 minute drive to Fort Mill, SC, we arrived at an old bed and breakfast turned office/training space for Rainbows of Hope. It's so beautiful. We unpacked, ate some snacks, and chatted with Brooke and Julia the two summer team leaders. Brooke is the leader for Guatemala and she is awesome. Love her already. :)<br />
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I went upstairs and read over the schedule for this week - orientation time. I wrote in my journal, and then laid back and slept for 2 hours. Yes, I woke up disorientated. ;) But it was so refreshing. Graduation weekend tired me out. Seriously.<br />
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We had dinner, welcomed some more students (and I met two more students on the Guatemala team!!) and then walked around the house with the teams. I love these people already and I'm seriously going to miss the South Africa team when they leave.<br />
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We played Apples to Apples for a few hours, and then talked about everything. It's been such a great day. So excited for the rest.<br />
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Every night, we will be given an international challenge to help prepare us for the mission field. For tonight, our challenge is to wear the same clothes tomorrow as we did today. So yeah, exciting. ;)<br />
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Prayer would be appreciated for the following things. :)<br />
- strength + rest for the team<br />
- protection<br />
- that we would bond together and grow in the Lord together even during this week. :)<br />
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thank you all!! </div>
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<br /></div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774073036867966474.post-64019777056618109882012-05-22T08:08:00.000-07:002012-05-22T08:08:03.545-07:00this story.<div style="text-align: center;">
It's crazy how God can work things out. I mean, He is God and therefore He is all-powerful. But when He uses His children to accomplish His purposes, and let's them watch them unfold, it's amazing. This is the story of how God called me to go to Guatemala. </div>
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In the summer of 2010, a friend of mine went to Guatemala with an organization called Rainbows of Hope. As I followed along with her blog, I remember being jealous, I suppose, that she got to go on a missions trip. It had been my desire for some time to do something like that. It seemed too far off, or too lofty a goal for me to reach. So I let it slide.<br />
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Fast forward to December of 2010. I think it was the night of December 30 when I had a dream. A dream that I was at Casa Bernabe, the orphanage in Guatemala where my friend had gone. It was so real, I was there with the kids, I was standing out in the rain, I was talking in Spanish to the people there. (Looking back I pictured the orphanage exactly like the pictures I have seen now. Even though I hadn't seen them before my dream.) I couldn't get it out of my head. For months, I prayed, asking God if this dream was a call to go. After no answer for about four months, I stopped. It seemed like it was a no, the dream was just a coincidence.<br />
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But I couldn't get it out of my mind. My mom encouraged me to keep praying, to faithfully seek God in this matter. So I started praying again. In the summer of 2011, some big changes came to my church and family. Hard changes. I had to lean on God more than ever. Which doesn't make any sense because I should have been leaning on God that much the WHOLE TIME. When I entrusted my future completely and fully to Him, He began to give answers. I felt a pull to go to Guatemala. I went online, downloaded the application form and started to fill it out. I figured if God didn't want me to go, He would close some door.<br />
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January 31, 2012. My application was in by the deadline. I still hadn't renewed my passport. I started to get anxious because as the month of February passed, I had heard no word about my application and I still hadn't been able to get to the post office about my passport. February 2012 was probably the month God used the most to help me trust in Him. I had to fully lean on Him because I honestly didn't know what was going to happen next. I had this great desire to go to Guatemala that I thought was from the Lord, but nothing was happening. So I waited. And prayed. And waited some more.<br />
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March came around and I decided to call the office, to see if anything had been decided about my application. I had some possible summer job openings and I needed to solidify my plans. Well long story short, turns out my application had been lost but then found again and they began working on it immediately. Let me pause here and say that the staff at Rainbows of Hope are seriously awesome people. Wow. I love them already.<br />
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A week later (the longest week of my life) I got an email saying that I had been accepted into the Guatemala summer program with Rainbows of Hope. I was in chemistry class, but I looked up at my friend and mouthed, "I am going to Guatemala." We both smiled so big. Happiest day. I ran out of class thanking God for His faithfulness.<br />
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I went to the post office and was able to get my passport in less than a week. A few weeks ago, I turned in my forms and now in two weeks I will be on a plane to North Carolina for an orientation.<br />
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I stand in awe of my Savior when I recount this story. The way He brought about everything is amazing, teaching and disciplining me in the process. He never wastes a single moment. He is gracious, and He is good.<br />
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I would love your prayers as I embark on this next journey. This blog will be updated frequently (let's hope) so check back for updates. Thank you thank you everyone. And to God be the glory. </div>ellie be http://www.blogger.com/profile/01167496149838324990noreply@blogger.com4