Tuesday

Traffic here is crazy! We just finished our work for the day and are now driving to a coffee shop—only nine miles away—but with traffic this bad, it will take us an hour or more to get there.

This morning, I finally got smart and decided to bring my computer on the bus so I can use all this traffic time to write my posts. Waiting until we’re back just hasn’t worked out well.

I’ve been using a new video camera this week, but I haven’t taken the time to edit the videos yet. That said, I captured tons of footage today, though only a few pictures. I’ve included those for you, and hopefully, I can share the video once I find time to work on it.

I’ll use this time to share more details about our projects.

Morning Work: Building a Stone Wall

In the mornings, we’re working on a stone wall, hopefully finishing up a project that has been ongoing for over two years. Guatemala City is built on a plateau with ravines everywhere, many of which have neighborhoods built both on top and down their steep sides. During the rainy season, soil erosion threatens these homes.

In the neighborhood we’re serving, one house is at serious risk of collapsing. Unfortunately, if it goes, another 50 houses could follow. Engadi took on the task of building a rock wall to support the house and prevent a larger disaster. To reach the site, we have to wheelbarrow chunks of rock down steep walkways—it’s crazy! It’s also intense, exhausting work that most of us aren’t used to. But the team has come together and worked so hard. I’m not sure we’ll finish as we had hoped, but we’ve made a huge dent in the work.

Afternoon: VBS for the Children

In the afternoons, we’re running a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the children of this same neighborhood. We’ve come to know many of them, and we look forward to seeing them each day.

We run an hour-long VBS with three different age groups. We start with a Bible story for the whole group, then break into two smaller groups for crafts and games. The youngest group is my favorite, but I’ve gotten to know some of the older kids as well. Honestly, they’re all so kind and eager to learn.

It’s also been incredibly encouraging to see our students teaching Bible stories. Each day, three different students lead the lessons, and I’m learning so much about who they are. We have an amazing group of kids with us, and I’m grateful for this time to get to know them better.

So far, Guatemala 2025 has been amazing!