We Made It !

"We do not need people to come to Guatemala and build things or paint or fix things. We need relationships in Guatemala. We need friendships in Guatemala."

These words were spoken to us today (after being in Guatemala a mere two hours) quickly brought into perspective the amazing trip that was ahead of us.

Once arriving to Guatemala today around 12:30 (after being awake for already ten hours!), the group headed to a lunch. Briskly driving through the bustling city of Guatemala resulted in quite the culture shock for us Ukirkers who are used to the small town of Blacksburg, Virginia. As soon as our bus hit the crowded streets of Guatemala, the excitement we all felt for the week ahead was apparent. After our bellies were full after a deliciouso lunch, we headed over to CEDEPCA's main office. CEDEPCA stands for Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America and is the overall program we are doing our Cultural Encounters Mission Trip through.

This is when Emerson, an employee of CEDEPCA and last years trip leader, gave us the powerful statement above that I think summarized the mission of our trip: building relationships and friendships with the people in Guatemala.

After a quick orientation, a journalist that has created a reliable and accurate news source for the citizens of Guatemala came to give us a brief but jam-packed information session on the history of Guatemala and the current state the country is in. It was so powerful to see the passion he had for the country he loves and it was even more powerful to see him take this passion and create a career out of it that is helping thousands of people.

After this session we headed to the hotel we will be staying in for the next two nights and enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal.

Needless to say, the first twelve hours of our trip has already been so impactful. I really believe Emerson said it best we he declared that we are here to build relationships. The activities and events that are planned for the week ahead are ones that I belive will not only call us to build these relationships, but also encourage us to engage in difficult conversations, view a lifestyle different from our own and ultimately live out God's call for us to be here. As we explore through our daily reflections what it means to "hear Gods call" I am excited to see how the amazing people and places we are encountering in Guatemala will play into His plan.

That's it for today, but keep on the look out for two more blog posts each night as we have more Cultural Enounters!
Peace and blessins,
-Jessie Butler