An Invitation - Come to the table

On Tuesday, we met at German and Karla's house to pray. The invitation was sent out to the kids we are getting to know on the street. "Come and join us for lunch". We started to get ready...we bought chicken, rice, tomatoes, onion, potatoes and garlic at the market. On our walk back to the house we ran into a woman walking her pig to the market to sell....too bad we already bought chicken!! All of us did our part as Karla directed us and we anxiously awaited the arrival of the kids. At last, after 3 hours of anticipation, one of the kids, Rene, arrived. We had hoped for a group of 6 or 8 but joyfully welcomed the one who came to dine at the table with us.

We don't know why the rest did not arrive - perhaps it was the need to work and make enough money for the day; perhaps it was the lack of money for the bus fare; perhaps it was because some decided to get high instead; perhaps......BUT we rejoice and give thanks for Rene and the opportunity to begin to get to know him.

Ya Llegamos!!

We finally arrived in Xela on Saturday after 13 hours in airports and on the plane and another 5 hours in a van --- we don't want to see the inside of a plane or car for a long time!! Although the ride was long, we were amazed by the beautiful volcanoes, mountains, blue skies and fluffy clouds. Guatemala is a beautiful country, both its landscape and people.

On Sunday we attended mass at the cathedral in the center of town. It was encouraging and impacting to see the cathedral packed with standing room only in the back. God is drawing many people to himself as he moves and transforms hearts and lives. Our prayer is that as we walk the streets and interact with people that we will see God at work and join what he is doing.

This week is all about orientation and visiting various ministries in Xela. Today we started with an orientation to Xela as a city as well as some safety and cultural tips as we dive into life in a new place. We visited an old folks home (see slide show), each one of us touched by the men we met. Upon entering the courtyard, we were greeted by Don Pedro. He is 101 years old and has gone blind due to catarats. As we greeted him, Pedro grabbed ahold of our arms, gently caressing each one. One by one, the men shared part of their stories eager to have visitors. Although each of them have been abandoned by family members, they are together in this house caring for one another and experiencing the love of God in the small things.

Ready, Orient, Go!

We've been in San Francisco this week for SummerXchange orientation. There are 6 teams going out this summer to South Africa, Guatemala, New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco and a travelling team up the west coast. We are getting to know each other, pray for each other and do some team building. Good stuff!!

Julio and I will be leading a team of 3 women -- Kelly from Colorado, Michelle from Los Angeles and Amelia from Laguna Beach, CA (check out the pic). We will be joining InnerCHANGE staff in Xela - German and Karla Avila (Julio's brother and sister in law) who will be leading alongside us.

A 40 Day Journey

We are very excited to go to Guatemala this summer. We will be taking God's truth and love to the streets of Xela, building on relationships the InnerChange team in Xela has with a group of shoe shine boys. We will do lots of hanging out on the streets, playing soccer, doing a photography project as well as other art projects. In addition, our time in Guatemala will include:

• Hands-on training and formation events
• On-site mentoring and supervision provided by InnerCHANGE staff and local leaders
• Neighborhood exploration
• Communal living with a Guatemala host family
• Regular team worship, prayer and reflection
• A mid-summer retreat for rest, renewal and evaluation