Thankfulness, a Few Days Late

My Thanksgiving was treated as a normal day. I didn't get more food. I didn't get time with family. I didn't get the day-off. But in fact, that actually taught me something about the Thanksgiving holiday. As great as the food and time with family is, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about giving thanks. And that should be an everyday thing.

We dedicate one day to giving thanks for all we have. As I treated my Thanksgiving as a normal day, I was reminded that I should always be giving thanks. The popular verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, says, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." As much as I missed my Thanksgiving, I'm even more grateful for the experience to not "celebrate" it.

So as I adventure through Guatemala, here are some things that I am thankful for every day:

Adventure- Guatemala is a totally different country than the United States, so that makes everything an adventure. I am so thankful for the chance to learn about new cultures, meet new people, and see the world. I love my opportunities to travel, learn, and see God's amazing creation.

One of my adventures: making Guatemalan food (with lots of help!)

Caring Families- My parents and family have been so encouraging throughout this whole experience. They were supportive from Day 1 and always challenge me to be my best self. Not only do I have a great family, but I have two. My Guatemalan family has been so caring and always looks out for me. I am thankful for their forgiveness with my terrible Spanish. I am thankful for all their love and joy, even though they have only known me for a month. Family is so important, and I am so glad I get to experience that wherever I am.

Supportive Friends- I am thankful for friends who are willing to talk when I just need an English conversation, both here and back home. I am thankful for people here in Guatemala who make sure I am doing alright and look out for me. I am thankful for a supportive church both here and afar. For friends back home, I am thankful for all the prayers, support, encouragement, and English conversations.

Trials- Although I am loving my time here in Guatemala, it is not always easy. I miss family and friends. It is difficult, but I am thankful for the difficulties. They have made me stronger, taught me more about our loving God, and taught me about myself. My trust in God is always strengthened when life isn't easy. Life in Guatemala can be scary, but it only increases my faith.

An Amazing God- Throughout all my life, only one thing is steady. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." So when everything changes, God still stays the same. I am so thankful for His saving grace and His everlasting love.

Not celebrating Thanksgiving was not necessarily my choice. But being thankful everyday can be. John 5:30 says, "By myself I can do nothing..." I cannot do anything on my own power, and that is why I am reminded to praise and thank our Lord.

Halfway There

I am already halfway through my time here: I arrived in Guatemala one month ago, and I leave Panajachel in a month. I thought I would catch you all up on what I have been doing (besides having deep thoughts about tough issues).

I have been attending class 25 hours a week, and it's extremely tiring. There really is no way to explain the difficulty of learning another language, except for the fact that you are always tired (no matter how much sleep you get) and your brain constantly hurts. Although school has been difficult, I have already learned so much. Putting it into practice is the hard part!

Between only yesterday and today, I have had tons of cultural experiences! Yesterday, I attended a high school graduation for one of the sons in my host family. Since the ceremony was in Sololá, I got to take a chicken bus up to the other town. If you are not aware of what a chicken bus is, it is a colorfully-painted school bus, always jam-packed with people. The drivers are known to be drunkards and they definitely drive faster than what most people would like, going around the curves in the mountains. However, the ride was not terrible, and I am glad I can say I did it now. The graduation was very different than an American graduation. Although I really did not understand anything, there were many traditional parts of it that I also did not understand. I was most definitely the only gringo in the room, and that is always an experience!

Afterwards, we got a taxi back to Panajachel, so unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not get to ride on the chicken bus again. I went with the whole family to a restaurant, which was by far the best food I have had here yet. I loved going along with the family, and becoming a bit more cultured!

Today, I went on a tour around Lake Atitlan. Besides Panajachel, there are eleven other towns around the lake, in which I visited four towns just today. I went to San Marcos, San Juan, San Pedro, and Santiago Atitlan. It was interesting to see the differences between each town, even though they are so close. The water was very choppy, which led to a boat ride that felt more like an amusement park water ride. By the time we arrived in Santiago Atitlan, we were soaked and tired from screaming and laughing. On the small boat, there was people from approximately five countries. It was really fun to go on a crazy boat ride with a whole bunch of strangers from around the world, and reminded me that we all have something in common. Even if it is just finding joy from a crazy boat ride!

The beautiful Volcano San Pedro, from Santiago Atitlan

This weekend has already tired me out (my Fitbit says I walked 10 miles today!), but I am loving this great adventure! Please continue to pray for my health, both physical and mental. I would also appreciate prayers just to continue soaking in everything I am learning, as I am going to need it next summer. I love all the support, and cannot wait to come back home--minus the snow, of course! As my Iowan family and friends are freezing, I will keep getting sunburnt. Thank you for all your prayers and support, please keep it coming!

Being the Outsider

I have been contemplating how to write about this tough issue our world faces. It's not easy to tackle this issue, as it is dear to many hearts. I am not trying to offend or start any arguments, just simply trying to share my experiences and thoughts in lieu of living in Guatemala, but also in lieu of this election.

This election has brought a lot of fear to both Americans and foreigners. And honestly, it's impossible to tackle the big issues of immigration, racism, and diversity in one small post. I just want to share my heart.

After Donald Trump won the election, I heard and saw many people scared for what will happen. People from Mexico, people from America grieving for people of Hispanic backgrounds, and of course, people from Guatemala. And this reminded me of all of our differences.

God created each one of us unique, and for some reason, it is our sinful nature to not accept this. We automatically look at others and see the differences, rather than the similarities. Growing up in predominantly white, conservative, northwest Iowa community, I never had to be an outsider. At least not by the way I looked. I never had to be looked at differently, called names, or deal with the fears of my outside differences. I never knew what this was like.

But then I came here, to Guatemala, and now I am the outsider. As I walk down the street, the people often stare at me. Guys whistle at me, or whistle at their friends about me. They nag me on the streets and try to talk to me, because they think of me as an object rather than a person. This is obviously very different from the way we treat differences in America. I agree, there is a race problem in America. There is a race problem even in small-town Iowa, and we need to acknowledge it. But it's not only in America. When you're a different ethnicity, whether it be of Hispanic, African, or Asian descent, in America, you may be treated differently. But if you're white in another country, you will be treated differently too. I never thought of this being a problem in other countries; I always thought of it being an "America" problem.

I am definitely not here to solve the world's problems (even though sometimes I wish I could). Spotting the differences in each other is our human nature. There is only one thing that can change this and solve this. It is not the president or the laws. There is no special formula. We need unity, but there is only one place we can find this. In Christ. Ephesians 2:13-22 says,

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Only through Christ can we be united. As we speak of diversity, let’s turn to Christ. We can have no similarities to others, but when it comes to Christ, we can unite and share everything together. In fact, God is the same sovereign God no matter where you are or what you are going through. My life has been turned upside down, but luckily God has stayed the same in everywhere I go, whether it be small town Iowa or Guatemala.

In Ephesians, there is a lot about unity. But there is also a lot about grace. I believe these two concepts go hand in hand. We were only saved because of God’s grace. We all have the sinful nature to pick out others’ differences, whether it be ethnicity, interests, or personalities. So when dealing with this issue, let’s have grace. It’s difficult when it’s happening you. It’s difficult when it’s happening to your child. It’s not easy. Honestly, most often I want to scream at the Guatemalan men that try to treat me like an object, as they whistle at me and try to charm me. I need grace upon grace upon grace, and so do they. Let’s treat each other with grace, and love one another’s differences. We can only unify under Christ. Seek Christ first, and the rest will follow. We no longer have to be strangers and aliens, but instead fellow citizens in the household of God.

The Election in the Eyes of a Foreigner

So this week was a big week for the states...the election! And when they say the whole world was watching, they weren't lying. My host family stayed up until 2 a.m. waiting for the election results, and it isn't even their country! Being in Guatemala for the election was eye-opening and fascinating. I had never really thought of how foreigners perceived America. Obviously, America is solely a dream for them. They will never get the chance to live or even see the United States.

Look who I found in their newspaper! Of all people, my representative (Steve King) and my senator (Chuck Grassley), were in the Guatemalan newspaper.

The whole world was especially watching this election, but only for one reason: Donald Trump. In America, everyone thought it was crazy because of Donald, but also because of Hillary. For Guatemalans, they get their international news from the TV. CNN, to be exact. Whether talking to some white missionaries that live here or Guatemalans, it was sad to hear what they thought. I had conversations with others explaining Benghazi, as they had never heard of it before. I explained Hillary's trial, as they didn't even know that it was happening. They simply assumed all Americans must be Hillary supporters, because that is how the media portrayed it for them.

Guatemalans did have a problem with Donald Trump. They could list off many horrible things he's done. According to them, he persecutes Christians, encourages discrimination, and will kick out any foreigner in America (legal or not). When it came to Hillary, there is nothing wrong with her in their eyes. In my opinion, I have never heard Clinton discuss religious liberty, so what makes Trump different for them? The media. Their opinion is only based off of that. After talking with some people, they realized that they might not understand the whole picture. Not all foreigners are going to be kicked out of America. If they are there legal, nothing will happen. If they are there illegally, there is a possibility, but we will never get ahold of the whole issue. I don't think Guatemalans even knew there was a difference between legal and illegal immigration.

So yes, the world is laughing at America. People claim we've joined their club: having a comedian for president. For me, this doesn't discourage me, but instead encourages me. Let's prove the world wrong. Let's prove that we can bring our country back. This does not depend on the President. This does not depend on the Supreme Court Justices. This depends on us. We were given these two choices based off of a reflection of our society and government. Let's change it.

13 Things

I have been here for thirteen full days, and in my short time here, I have learned so much about the Guatemalan culture and way of life. I thought I would share with you thirteen things I have learned thus far...

1. It is completely normal for small children to sell alcohol on the streets.
While I was at the Sumpango Kite Festival, kids were yelling "Corona! Corona! Es frio!" These are types of things you don't see in the states...

2. Big guns are normal too.
Banks have money, therefore, they guard them with armed men. Sometimes, it makes me a bit apprehensive, but they do not use their rights in a bad way. I am all about supporting gun rights, and I am happy to see that there are barely ever abuses of these rights. It is more of an intimidation factor, and for some reason, it seems to work.

Cemetery in Sumpango on Day of the Dead

3. Cemeteries are a place to celebrate, not to mourn.
Day of the Dead, on November 1, is a widely-celebrated holiday in Guatemala, and in other Spanish-speaking countries. There are many old beliefs connected to the day; however, the holiday had moved away from the beliefs and more to a tradition. They celebrate the lives of their loved ones in such a beautiful way.

4. As a "gringo" in Guatemala, I have learned to expect stares. All the time.
It is not the most comfortable situation to always be the different one. I look a little out of place here, especially because I don't spend my time in the touristic area. It is odd to feel watched, but now I can put myself in the shoes of many Guatemalans in America.

5. Fireworks are fun at all times of day and night, mainly because we apparently love noise.
For real, Guatemalans seem to love noise. Fireworks go off randomly, including at 4 a.m. My favorite type of alarm clock...

6. You don't have to be good at singing to praise God with your musical talents (or lack thereof).
There are a few churches near my house, and I can assure you, they try to make it sound good, but there just isn't a whole lot of talent. Luckily, God doesn't care if you're good at singing or not. I love hearing these people crying out to God with no cares in the world of who hears them.

7. Roosters do not crow at the crack of dawn like all the stories claim.
In every perfect fairytale, the rooster crows to wake you up. Not here. They like to crow when you're trying to go to sleep. Or in the middle of the night. Or pretty much anytime you don't want to hear them.

8. Rules are only suggestions, especially on the road.
I am sure there are laws in Guatemala, but I honestly doubt that many are enforced. Stop signs are merely a suggestion that no one cares about, and lanes: what are those? We just like to weave around whoever we want on the road here.

9. Sunburn can happen in November.
I forgot about sunburn. I always get sunburnt. However, not usually in November. Surprise, surprise! Zara is now a tomato after a long day at the kite festival.

10. Cold showers remind you of how blessed you are.
Seriously. The first week here, I did not have warm water. Even their warm water isn't very warm. Hot water is such a blessing.

11. American politics could be worse.
Guatemalans love to ask me about my political views and who I voted for, because they know it is quite the show this year. However, they shouldn't be talking. They have a comedian for a president.

12. Sometimes you just have to be adventurous.
Most things I do here are out of my comfort. Even just going for a walk to get food on Sunday night can be scary, but God is with me through this adventure. Also, I tried some street food (which I am not supposed to eat because of the risk of getting sick), and it was worth the adventure. The food was fantastic, and I didn't get sick! I'll call it an accomplishment.

13. When you struggle to speak the same language, complete simple tasks, and lack the feeling of home and safety, you trust God for everything.
You don't rely on yourself, and then turn to God. God becomes your #1 stronghold, just like He should be. God is with me on this crazy journey, and I am so glad He called me to this beautiful place (even with all the crazy things listed above). An adventure it is.