First Baptist Academy Missions trip to Guatemala 2015

Transcription

1 First Baptist Academy Missions trip to Guatemala 2015 Erin Bates: (11 th grade) I took part in a one week trip to a Children s Home named Agua Viva in the beautiful country of Guatemala. This home houses about 80 boys and girls and also offers a Christian education. Fifteen students from my school and I left on Saturday, January 3rd and stayed there for a week. During my stay, I saw what life was like for children who are much less fortunate than I am. I built relationships with the kids there, and I grew to love them dearly. Before going on this trip, I asked God to show me if my future job would involve children; through this trip, I believe God showed me that my love and passion for kids will be used in my future job. On this trip, I saw the love of God shine in all of the kids eyes, and I realized how much I have to be thankful for. This home and the children in it hold a dear place in my heart, and I plan on going back to this home for another week next year. My favorite experience of the trip was definitely getting to spend time with all the kids. Playing with them on the playground was so much fun! One experience I remember was when one of the boys (I can t remember his name, except that he was Oscar s brother), asked me to play soccer with him and his friend. He saw that I was wearing boots, which were very old and worn. He took off his right shoe and gave it to me to play soccer. I will remember that moment forever because even though his tennis shoes were old and worn as well, he was willing to give it to me to allow me to play soccer with him, and it showed me how generous and loving all the kids there are. Ashley Steiner (11 th grade) I had the experience of a lifetime in Guatemala! While growing up, I opportunity to attend children s camps and I knew that God was me to be involved with children. During this trip, God definitely me caring for kids and loving on them will be in my future. One of my parts of the trip is when we got to play with the kids in the afternoon. though it was hard to communicate with them because of the language barrier, I was able to learn a lot by watching them interact other kids! had the leading showed favorite Even with

2 Matt Powers (9 th grade) Our trip to Guatemala was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The bonds of friendship that I made with the children there and with the people in our own group will last forever. I would like to officially announce that my days of painting on unsteady ladders and breathing in paint thinner are over. I have two favorite memories from this trip. One is when we rode a bus into the city on Wednesday, explored the different markets, and then went zip lining. Just driving around the city taught me that we need to be grateful for what we have and that the people there have way less than we do, but they are more satisfied. My second favorite memory was playing soccer with the kids. All of them have an incredible talent and love of the sport; watching was fun, but being able to get in on the action made it much better. I learned that I need to be grateful for what I have and not focus on me and what I want. I hope to go back to Agua Viva sometime in my life and see how the kids have grown. Maggie Williams (12 th grade) I really enjoyed our missions trip to Guatemala. Playing with all the kids was my favorite part. They were all so sweet and just stole my heart. Mrs. Maloney and I sat with the same girls at meals for most of the days. All of the girls were adorable but one little girl, Ruth, was the trouble maker of the group. The whole week I thought that Ruth did not really like us and she would rather us not be there. On Thursday night, during an evening activity, Ruth came up, sat in my lap, and kissed my cheek. I almost cried because it was so sweet. That night I realized that all of these kids have lost something big, and they are living with just the necessities of life but they're still so sweet and so full of love. Having gone on this missions trip makes me realize how much I love working with kids and how I want to continue going on trips like this in the future. Rachel Caprio (10 th grade) While in Guatemala, I learned many things about life and circumstances. This trip was fun, and it was a great way to form relationships with my classmates and the children in Agua Viva. The kids were so amazing, and I loved being around them. They had so little, but they were eternally grateful for everything. The group painted the kids houses while we were there. One of my favorite memories was playing soccer with the older kids and zip lining in Antigua. I learned to be grateful and appreciative for everything I have from clean water to new clothes. I will never forget these kids and the amazing memories I made. I cannot wait to go back.

3 Nina Karterouliotis (10 th grade) Two years prior to my -Jterm mission trip I was blessed with the opportunity to minister to the people of Belize with my eighth grade class. On the second to last day, I re-accepted Christ into my heart, and from that point on I knew that I wanted to do mission work. This is the reason why I signed up for the Guatemala mission trip. With that said, this trip was absolutely amazing! Guatemala has taught me three things: to be content with what I have, to always smile, and mission work WILL be a part of my life. Thank you for this unforgettable opportunity. Julie Beam (10 th grade) Guatemala was a great experience. Bonding with the children of Agua Viva was one of the most memorable things I have done. The way the home provides God s love to the children is amazing. Most of the children have come from difficult backgrounds. However, God s love is shown through the smiles on their faces and their helping hearts. Even though they don t have fancy iphones or their very own room and the many luxuries we have, they are some of the most content people I have seen. It was truly a touching experience. Ellie Merrill (10th grade) Going on the J-Term mission trip to Guatemala was not only fun, but it was a life changing experience. I saw God work in amazing ways as He pointed out the flaws in my life that needed to change. I had the amazing opportunity of making new friends and new memories. One of my favorite memories from the trip was when I had an allergic reaction to something I ate, and I got hives all up and down my legs. Ashley Steiner was rubbing five different ointments on my legs while I was lying on the floor. Another one of my favorite memories is on the last night when we were outside worshipping for at least an hour. During this amazing trip, I learned that God has placed us here in America for a reason, and He has equipped us for His plan for us.

4 Kristen Price (10 th grade) It s not every day that you get the opportunity to go out of the country and visit a new place, venture out of your comfort zone, and experience a different culture than the one you live in. I would say this trip was especially humbling and impacting for me because of the level of poverty that these people live in and their joy despite it. In America, we constantly want more and seldom give more of ourselves and our possessions. Jesus said to take care of the least of these and let the little children come to Him, and I really got a picture of what that was like when we were there. The children at Agua Viva were all so kind and precious to be around. I was especially attached to the younger ones, but I was able to talk and play with some of the older kids as well. We had a lot of fun getting to know them and playing with them each day. It was also fun to be able to help by painting some of their rooms. I don t think I ll ever forget all of the amazing kids with difficult family circumstances and little possessions that were so full of joy and touched my heart. Andrew Rose (9 th grade) In Guatemala, I learned how to say run in Spanish. I learned how to paint walls on unstable platforms, usually a ladder. In Guatemala, I actually sang for once. I painted the top of a lot of walls on rickety old makeshift ladders. While there, I saw how the native people were content with their living situations and their lives. They all appeared to be much more content and happier than Americans. In conclusion, while I was in Guatemala I played a lot of soccer, painted on fun ladders, and saw how I need to be more content with the many blessings I have. Dani Bradley (9 th grade) My trip to Guatemala was a blast! We played with all of the kids, helped them, and made new friends from OH State - another group that was there the same week that we were. We worked hard throughout the week, but we did get breaks which were nice. This experience made me realize how blessed I am to live where I do. Clean water, electricity, and a nice shelter is normal for us, but not for them. I am so happy for this experience, and how grateful it made me. I hope to go again soon.

5 Christin Reed (9 th grade) The Guatemala Mission trip for J-term was an amazing experience. One thing that really stood out to me about the kids in Guatemala was that they are so thankful even though they have so much less than we do. Agua Viva was so cool because they give the children exactly what they need. One of my favorite experiences form Guatemala was going into the city and bartering for the best price. I learned to appreciate what I have because God gave us what we have for a reason, and we should use it accordingly. I really hope I get to go on this trip again. Katie Gilchrist (9 th grade) Before I went on the trip to Guatemala I was unsure of what I would come across while I was there. The night before the trip I was especially anxious because I was worried the trip would not have a strong effect on me like I had hoped. After being on the trip I can say that was definitely not the case. Being in Agua Viva was a wonderful experience that enabled God to speak to me through several beautiful children I met. I had doubted that I would make strong relationships with these kids due to the language barrier, but a day hasn t passed without me happily reminiscing on all the experiences I had with the kids. My heart was softened on this trip, and I hope to sponsor a child there and return to Agua Viva very soon. Jessica Seymour (11 th grade) What I loved about Guatemala was spending time with the kids and learning more about them. Being able to speak a little Spanish and knowing that we understood one another put such a joy in my heart. My favorite moment was waking up to see the sunrise with Kristen, Maggie, Mrs. Radcliffe, and Mrs. Maloney, while listening to Oceans. Seeing the sunrise made me realize that God was truly creating masterpieces in us and out in the world.

6 Nannette Gilbert (9 th grade) In Guatemala, I learned to appreciate my parents and the things I have. While there, I saw the children do their own laundry and dishes by hand. I will be more involved with doing dishes and laundry as well as other chores at my own house. I learned to appreciate what I have and not to beg for more. The food was good. I felt accomplished when we left and felt that I made a difference. We had great bonding time with each other and with the children. Mrs. Radcliffe For me, the greatest joy on this trip came from watching our students hearts expand with Christ s love for the little children of Agua Viva. Having been to third world countries in the past, I knew how just seeing a little corner of the world could change a whole life s perspective. My prayers had been for the hearts of my students that God would use this trip to touch each heart in a meaningful way, to expand their view of Him and His world. God always answers prayers beyond our expectations, and I watched as each heart opened, some loudly and with abandon, some more reserved and with just a gentle touch shared. I watched students step beyond their comfort zones to talk to children who speak very little English. I watched students, after painting for six hours, change their shoes and run to the playground so they could love on a lonely little heart. I watched students make bracelets with, and for, sweet little girls and boys. I watched our boys get completely beaten playing soccer with children who loved beating the Americans. The students gave until it was uncomfortable. They worked until exhausted, and then they were asked to give even more. Each one did this with a willingness and love that truly reflected God s spirit within them. I pray now that the lessons they ve learned and the heart change they ve felt will continue and they will use these lessons for His kingdom.