Lazy Sunday

Today was a lazy day for me. There was not a lot going on and I even took a short nap which is unusual. This morning, Mary, a friend who lives here in Antigua went to worship with me. We met in the park and then walked as much as we could in the sun because the days have been cool and windy.

In class they are studying I, II and III John. The focus today was on the first chapter that tells us that God is Light and in Him there is no darkness. For us to have a relationship with God we must also walk in the light. We need to daily renew that relationship.........it is not just a one time commitment.

For lunch we stopped at one of our favorite restaurants for lunch, The Traveler's Menu. They have a really good vegetarian pasta dish.

OK, headed to Montellano at 0500 tomorrow morning. I will be there for one night and then back to Antigua for the last part of classes.

Sheri, are you REALLY studying???

Usually, Juliet my teacher is very strict and serious. I caught her in a different mood today as you can tell by the video below. She grabbed my glasses and wanted to wear them and then realized they were a little to strong for her.

She is not use to using cameras so as I reached to show her something, she surprised me by taking this photo.

As you can see from the video below she has a funny side.......not an action that she would want the director of the school to see her doing :)

I will study three days next week after I return from Montellano.......and yes, we really do study :)

Walk to the Cross

One of the tourist attractions in Antigua is the "Walk to the Cross." I had never been before and had an opportunity to go today with Mary. The tourist police accompany you because of unfortunate events that sometimes happen.

The sky and view was beautiful. We were told it was 200 steps but we did not count.

A view of Antigua.

A view of The Arch.

Mary and I at the base of the cross.

It was a good morning and then it was back to class for the afternoon.

Let the arguing begin!!

Last night I went to the memorial service that my teacher had for her husband. There were about 70 people in La Merced and I felt sadness for Juliet and her family. It has been very difficult for her and her children. She does not have any family support that you need during times like this.

I don't have much to tell you about except the arguing in the hotel last night. Apparently, we have some new visitors and they really ruffled the "regulars" in the hotel. A big shouting match broke out and the manager had to get involved.........I hope things are quieter tonight but I am not sure that will happen. I joke a lot about people who have lived in Guatemala for a long time............hmmmmmmm............

Yesterday, I realized my sock had a big black spot on it and was not sure what caused it..........maybe I have been in Guatemala toooooo long???? Anyway, I found a hole in the bottom of my shoe........

You know life has to be pretty boring here in Antigua when I resort to showing you a photo of my shoe......................................ok, I am going to go out and find some REAL news.......

Quiet Sunday in Antigua

As I have mentioned before, Antigua is usually full of events and activities. There was some type of dancing contest near the park today but it was difficult to see so I passed by. These gentlemen were performing in the street near my hotel.

This is the pila in the hotel where the maid still does all of the laundry by hand. She then hangs the towels and sheets over the railing in the sun to dry. She begins every morning around 0630 by filling the pila with water. This is usually the first thing I hear in the morning..................unless my neighbor is snoring :):):)

The house/ hotel is filled with statues, plants ..................you name it and you can find it here!

Even the cats were being lazy on Sunday as they enjoyed the sun.

Today I started studying in the afternoon instead of the morning. It will be a different schedule but I will get adjusted.

Tonight I am going to a memorial service with my teacher's family. Her husband died a year ago today and she invited me to meet them there. For those who are familiar with Antigua, the service will be in La Merced.

Article by Jala about Guatemala

I want to share this article written by Jala who recently visited Guatemala for the first time. When I took this photo of her and her dad in Chuchipaca, she had not written the article yet.



Guatemala
I have a vivid memory of my dad coming
home from a medical mission trip to
Guatemala when I was 5 years old and
wanting to someday be a part of that ministry.
In April, I graduated from OC with a
nursing degree and immediately made plans
to be a part of last week’s medical mission
trip to Guatemala. The MRCC team consisted
of Dr. Robert & Donna Lamb;
Jack & Wynonna Skaggs; Dr. Barry
Mitchell; Greg Holder RN; Cheryl Bode
RN; Pancho Hobbes; my dad, Dr. Mike
Herndon; and me. We joined the efforts of
several other healthcare workers, volunteers,
and missionaries from Health Talents
International.
I didn't know what to expect on my
first trip. I knew I would see a different culture,
but what I didn't realize was how my
heart would be changed. The contrast of
working in a modern ICU, to running a
mobile clinic in a small village with minimal
resources, was very eye opening. As
people lined up and received the care they
needed, you could see genuine gratefulness
on their faces. It was20challenging to see
the conditions the Guatemalans live in, and
yet it was inspiring to see how happy they
are with what little they have. In three days
we were able to serve the medical and dental
needs of over 800 people.
I would encourage anyone who h as a
similar passion and desire like mine to
come join this effort on our next trip. May
God bless our Guatemalan brothers and sisters
and the Lord's work being done there.
Jala Verner RN

A special dinner at Las Palmas

I want to introduce you to Jack and Winona. They are from Oklahoma and were down with the last group. After the clinic, they stayed in Guatemala for a few days visiting Tikal and Antigua. They called and invited me to dinner one evening when they were here. Winona showed me their hotel, Casa Concepcion, which we would highly recommend. It was a nice evening and I really enjoyed it. Thank you!

This photo was taken in Las Palmas, one of my favorite restaurants in Antigua.