Hola Amigos

Hey everyone!!! Here are some updated pics..sorry I dont have time to write captions and all I am dying to say but hopefully I can just write up a good blog of words on everything soon..if time allows.. I hope all is well!! I miss ya's!!
Love me!!

guatemalan homes/boot camp

Hey
This wont be long, its kind of just an update..letting you all know that I wont be updating for about 12 days. Tomorrow we head into our Guatemalan families homes for a week. I am very nervous, but I am sure it will go well...Hopefully they have kids that I can play with...and hopefully my spanish will strengthen itself with much practise of course. As soon as next Thursday comes we head off for down South, to go to Boot Camp!! I am so excited about that. It is going to be a great challenge, and I look forward to the experience it will bring with it...and then after the hard work we shall get spoiled as we are going to stay in a hotel for a night, and spend the day at the beach right on the pacific ocean..ohh baby! it will be so wonderful. We are so blessed.
I ask that you will keep our team in your prayers. We are doing a lot in these next few weeks..a lot of travelling too. So please remember our team. Thanks guys! And i am sure once I get back, I will have a ton of amazing pictures to post, and things to say!!!
Love you

update on my life here in Central America

Last night (Sunday)..we had worship time, as we do every Sunday..anyways last night Juan Carlos and his band came and we basically had the best concert ever in our yard...drums, electric guitar, acoustic, african drums..spanish songs, english songs...we had it all!!! from left to right we have Horhe (George in English), alex on guitar, and jonathon who is an awesome drummer, but currently is jumping up and down dancing!!

Last night was the most amazing sunset ever!! here you can see the sun setting in the clouds, behind the volcanos...ahhhh...can you believe this is from my backyard..how beautiful...God paints our skies.

So we took the most amazing trip to an Orphanage up in St. Lucas.. this orphanage was amazing!!!! They have over 400 children.. the pictures on here are just ones of toddlers..like 2-4 years old. They were so sweet, although many of them had wet pants, as they'd peed them..ha. Anyways this orphanage may be where i go on fridays for my ministry site. I loved it..they have children there from 0-18..and they teach them everything, bringing them up in a good Christian environment, and educating them, as well teaching them a trade..of carpentry, mechanics, electronics, construction, or electricity..and they kids build all the facilities there themselves..its so hard to explain..but God has richly blessed this place and its so ha, indescribible. Kim and I had the chance on Sunday to go into Antigua for lunch..we found this cute Mediterannean cafe..and so we had lunch there together..these are just some shots of us.

Back to all my cuties at the orphange.. These kids just want to be loved! They come running and just want you to pick them up. They cuddle like you wouldnt believe...and dont want to let go, or cry when you leave. They are a blast. I even got slapped across the face pretty hard twice, ha..little mongrels.
This little boy below is my guy..lol i call him my ninja turtle..anyways when we first got to the orphanage..this random little boy escaped somehow and came running up to our van..and just looked at it..he saw all of us and looked at us all...and all the sudden ran at me with arms wide open.. i instantly just fell in love with him. and when we came into the toddler place later, he just came running right back..and held on for life..telling me all the things in spanish..i couldnt even understand..adorable.

I am having such an experience here. I can not explain how much God is speaking to me, and to others of the team. We are having so much fun, and are growing together for sure. This week is the beginning of many challenges, and I ask for prayers in that...we head into Guatemalan homes for a week, and then head south for a boot camp..very challenging, but so exciting. Anyways i will leave you with this..Adios Amigos..te amo.

PICTURES

Hey Everyone!!!
Well here are the promised pictures...it took me a while, but I got it all set up!! Anyways I have only put on a few for today but enjoy them, and you can read all the captions I have written. Things are going great right now! Tomorrow we are headed to two ministry sites, so that will be keeping us very busy. We finished off a week of hardcore spanish school and well..I am picking up the language. This thursday we head into the Guatemalan homes for a week..should be very very interesting..Anyways im going to go..enjoy the pics!

Here are some of my girls standing on the roof..i took this right before we all took our salsa dancing lessons!

I took this picture tonight (Jan 13th)..as the sun was setting, Fuego was erupting.

These are some beautiful girls sitting while their mothers sell things on the street sides

Here are a few of us girls infront of the Anitgua Arch..the heart of antigua

A mountain view taken from on the volano Agua (water)

This church was built in 1672.

Here is some of the gorgeous nature that surrounds me on campus, our own little surreal world. The orange tree is right near our cabins (dorms) This is two volcanos in the sunset from my first night here! The one on the left is Fuego, which the College is named after, it is also very active.

Gorgeous Guatemala

Hey there friends!!
Wow, today was such a beautiful day. The weather here has been hot and sunny, and y'all know how much I dig that. Today of course in my free time i was tanning! wahoo..one of these days im sure i will get darker.
Anyways, I am having an amazing time here. I live in a valley of volcanos, its hot, and i have an orange and lemon tree right beside my cabin. I cant believe how gorgeous it is. Im amazed everyday.
Things are going well. I have been settling in a lot more. Antigua is feeling like home, and the chicken bus, has become such a fun experience. Let me tell you about the chicken bus.
Its basically a school bus, however its their "city transit". They are all painted colorful and they blare loud spanish music. What else...ha they SHOVE as many people as they possibly can. I mean nooooo room, your butt is touching someone, people are sitting on each others laps. People are hooked on the side, people are running after it lol..Its hilarious. Today was super fun, as we had to stand up lol..crazy guatemalans.
I dont feel so much like a tourist anymore, and I am getting accustomed to not putting toilet paper down the toilet, or using the water around here. Today was our first day of spanish school, we are goign to an academy for this week and we have our own personal tutors..ha im learning, and its amazing. Anyways i know this is shorrt too...but Im actually going to go study with my friend Kim..pictures will sometime soon be on their way. Love yahs!
Keep praying for our team, that we can unify with one another and do works of the Lord.
Amanda

and im here

here in guatemala!!!! things are good, i am having a great time thus far. I look forward to learning to speak fluent spanish..and better be able to blend in with the culture...i dont really feel like typing, as I have written a lot of emails..but i just wanted y'all to know im here safely...anyways i have taken a ton of pictures and will have to set them up and show them later..sorry.. ciao folks