Chisec, Day 1

Buenas dias! After spending the morning driving from Guatemala City we now have one day of service under our belts and the students have had a chance to put all they have learned into practice. We are in Chisec, Guatemala, up in the central highlands rainforest. It is quite warm and humid here - 'sauna-like'may not do it justice!

The students and staff were very excited to finally get to perform and get the medical clinic up and running. The clinic was set up in the church and will be there for the next two days as well. The church is a space about the size of 2 basketball courts, surrounded by brick walls and covered with a high tin roof. They are still finishing the building so the windows and doors are still just nicely shaped holes in the walls and the floor is dirt. We have the doctor see patients in a room in the pastor's house which is adjacent to the church and the dentists (4 graduate students and a supervising dentist) work on the covered patio. The team adapted their system to the facility and language challenges (most people here speak Kechi rather than Spanish so we need 2-step translations) and were running very efficiently. We'll get a count of the number of patients seen in the next update.

Mime and childrens went to a nearby park and performed for and played with a group of about 150 children of various ages. Even with the language difference the interaction has been very good. Last night both teams also did their program during a service at the church. Also at the service 2 of the students were able to give their testimony and Jeremy provided the message. It was a great way to end the first 'real' day of the trip.

Service team had a wonderful day of carrying things here and there and helping the local workers paint the walls of the church. They had an entertaining time with the handmade ladder and paint roller extension handles (long boards taped to the paint rollers).

All of the students and staff have the opportunity to stay with families here. As you might expect the accomodations are a little different than you would probably find at home. But they are having a good experience interacting with the host families and seeing what 'normal' life is like here.

Prayer requests:
1. Health: its hot and everyone needs to be drinking more water than they ever imagined. So far people are doing great and everyone is holding up well. Please pray that we are able to avoid any serious illness.
2. Energy: its hot and the sleeping conditions are not always ideal. Please pray that everyone will be able to get the rest they need to stay healthy and able to stay positively engaged in the trip activities.
3. Connections: we have and will be seeing lots of different people in lots of different circumstances. Please pray that God will touch their hearts so they are open to His message that we bring and also that we will be sensitive to their needs. Also please pray that we can communicate - the interpreters are great and many of the students are doing well with their Spanish but it is always a challenge, so please pray that God gives us the wisdom and ability to present the right message at the right time.
4. Team unity: Everyone is getting along very well, but as days go by and people get tired this may become more of challenge. Please pray that relationships between the team members stay positive and that those who may not be as strongly connected forge some strong connections.
5. Leadership: Our team leaders are doing wonderfully with the "flexible" scheduling. Please pray that they will be able to effectively manage their teams and not forget to take care of themselves.

Thanks for all your support!