Day 5 - Mr. Werth

What a day!
11B was up early & had breakfast at 6:30 AM so that they could go to the sinkhole @ Chicoy. There is a great deal of significance to the sinkhole site in Mayan worship; to access the sinkhole one has to walk up a very steep hill & then descend down into the sinkhole. Visiting the sinkhole allows for worshiping the gods of the over-world in a high place & then the gods of the underworld in a low place. Two in one! Witchcraft & spirit worship are a big part of the Mayan religion, and the sinkhole has been used for centuries by witch doctors to cast spells and curses. But, the team learned, due to short-term mission teams entering into the sinkhole & worshiping the one true God, the sinkhole has lost its power! What a testament to the truth of Ephesians 6:12, the passage about our struggles not being between flesh & blood, but between powers and principalities.

While 11B was at the sinkhole, 11A visited Chi'xim. Chi'xim is a catholic church the sits up on a mountain side, overlooking Tactic (another high place). Chi'xim is named after the corn god in the Mayan religion. The lessons learned here by the team were about the syncretism that is evident throughout Central America; the blending of multiple religious beliefs into catholicism/christianity. The team observed a ritual burning of offerings to the many gods of the Mayan religion...right at the feet of the catholic church. During Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) worshipers can complete the one ritual of burnt offerings & then step into the church to complete other rituals. Again, two in one!

Following these visits, 11B went to Chamche to do their first childrens ministry & 11A went to Chijacorral to move dirt around on the work site. For the afternoon, roles were switched; 11B did work ministry & 11A did childrens ministry. The entire team was at Chijacorral for the afternoon.

Work ministry in Guatemala, due to Impact Ministries vision of building schools & medical clinics, is an opportunity to move dirt by digging down hills and filling up trenches. And there's a lot of dirt in Guatemala! Imagine 15-20 teenagers armed with pick-axes, shovels & wheelbarrows. What first comes to mind is chaos, injuries & lawsuits...but these teens quickly become an organized work "machine" that methodically levels ground for playing fields and school extension foundations! If the construction company for our Multi-Program Facility at BCS falls behind on their construction schedule, I know a few Gr. 11's who can step in & help out.

Childrens ministry preparation was a big part of February's activities for the Gr. 11's. Developing dramas, craft activities, practicing songs & learning how to organize games has paid off big time with our teens leading around 80 Guatemala children through 2.5 hours of FUN! What a blessing to see the big "kids" spending time with the "little" kids. Language differences were not a barrier in any way. All the parents back home would be proud of their daughters/sons with the way they interacted in such a caring way with the Guatemalan children. What a blessing!

11A had the opportunity to play soccer against what turned out to be a highly skilled team of Guatemala youths, and ended the evening with two very Guatemalan activities; churrascos (tasty beef strips in a tortilla with sauce) & firecrackers! We have heard firecrackers most mornings, bright & early, as Guatemalans celebrate birthdays. Now, it was our opportunity to participate in the popping, exploding, screaming & laughing that accompanies this activity. 11B will get their chance tomorrow, they can hardly wait!

Long day, but one worth writing home about (or blogging about)!