In this post I am going to write more of an overview of what we did while we were out there, and I hope to write a second post about what God has been teaching us while we were away and about the incredible provision He has blessed us with on our return.
We flew from Manchester to Guatemala City via Atlanta airport and were picked up by Luke, Sophie and Juancho and taken back to Sophie and Juancho's house in San Lucas, about a 30 minute drive (without traffic!) further up in the mountains. We were so blessed with amazing hospitality by the Humphries family while we were out there, but particularly Juancho and Sophie who made us feel so at home. They also have two dogs, Harry and Wills, who we quickly fell in love with!
The Humphries work in a town called Santiago, an indigenous just a 10 minute drive from their home. You can find more about the work they do here: http://www.missionguatemala.co.uk/ or on their Facebook page. They have been in Guatemala for over 10 years and they run a school for over 170 children who would otherwise not receive an education. Santiago is a dangerous place, dominated by violent gangs and witchcraft. God's work in calling the Humphries to this place so forgotten by anybody else is truly a miracle.
In the mornings the pre-school uses the building 'El Refugio', or The Refuge' and in the afternoon it is the older classes. We spent Monday to Friday with one or the other, and we fell in love with the precious children. Before we came out we both talked about how we wanted to help the family however we could, and we asked God to show us ways we could help.
One of those ways turned out to be photocopying. We did a LOT of photocopying! We genuinely really enjoyed it and loved that we were able to help in a really practical way. The family work so hard teaching large classes, so being able to help them make up text books for the kids was fantastic, and it is so awesome for us to know that these books we made will be used for years to come.
We only speak very basic Spanish but we found we were able to communicate fairly well with the kids. I did some marking and handed out books to the kids, and Roy did the register, the kids found his pronunciation SO funny! Roy also set up a football league for the kids in their P.E lessons which they absolutely loved, and we also choreographed a dance based on the Watoto Children's Choir videos and taught it to the kids, which they really enjoyed. Dancing is not part of their culture and so it was fun to see them enjoying moving and laughing with their friends. 
We also really enjoyed being part of the church the Humphries run, and so many of the families have a special place in our hearts. We loved helping run the youth group, playing games with the teenagers and listening to the word Luke gave. We also really enjoyed the weekly bible study where Linda was teaching on the Church being the Body and the danger of division.
We were able to meet Roy's sponsor child Juan Josue and Roy's mums sponsor child Iris, who I am with the in the photo. Unfortunately the girl I sponsored for 5 years, Brenda, didn't come back to school this year. She is about 13 now and her parents will want her to work full time and bring in a wage. Some of the families have little respect for education, which sadly limits the opportunities the child has in the future. Many of the children have jobs in the mornings before they come to school. It is a hard life for the people of Santiago.
We also had the opportunity to do some house visits, which was a memory that will stick with us forever. We saw the home of a woman in the church which was truly awful, and thankfully the Mission hope to build her a better home for herself and her three sons. I wrote about this experience on the latest newsletter, which you can find on the Mission Guatemala website.
Guatemala is a stunningly beautiful country and we had the opportunity to see some of it while we were away. From the volcanoes in the distance to the gorgeous town of Antigua, we were blown away by God's creation, which is so different in Guatemala to the rolling hills of Cumbria!
One exciting thing that happened while we were away was the birth of baby Henry! Luke and Stephanie's second child was born on the 23rd March weighing 8lb1ounce. The circumstances of his birth were miraculous, with a last minute doctor change just the day before. It had God's fingerprints all over it, and was such an answer to prayer. It was so special to go and meet this precious little newborn, a little brother for Theodore.
Also while we were away we got the opportunity to visit Xela, a town about three hours away from San Lucas. Juancho has family there and we had an amazing time being shown around the beautiful city. Like Antigua, Xela is very safe and so it was nice to be able to walk around and feel secure and comfortable. We visited an art gallery, ate in some amazing places, tried sushi and Guatemalan hot chocolate and visited a cool bookstore.
By far one of the most amazing experiences we had though was a visit to the Fuentes Georginas, pools fed by hot sulphur springs straight from a volcano! The drive up through indigenous farm land was stunning, but we were even more blown away by how beautiful the hot springs were, surrounded by steep walls covered in tropical vines, ferns and flowers. We felt like we had stepped into the Jungle Book!
It was a world away from Santiago, but so fun to rest and enjoy being with Juancho and Sophie and their family.
I hope this gives a little bit of a sense of our trip! It's hard to put into words the incredible, life changing experience we have had. Guatemala is a place of extremes, from the extraordinary beauty, to the daily threat of danger. It has made me so thankful for the safety we experience in the UK and for the complete submission the Humphries have to God's will. Please pray for them if you think of them, the work they do is priceless. They educate so many children, giving them a chance at a better life for themselves and their families, but more importantly, they share the love of Christ with a people who have no other hope. They are truly changing lives.
