Hello everybody! I am going to apologize in advance, as this particular blog entry is going to be really long, but stick with it! There are lots of interesting things to see!
We had a really full day. First, we said farewell to Nury’s family and our translator Norman, as they were headed home from their holiday here. We had a wonderful breakfast served by our host and headed out.
Our first stop was to head up into the mountains and view the lava rivers created in 2018 by Volcán del Fuego. This eruption decimated the area and many homes and lives were lost. We crossed over by bridge and saw where the lava had overtaken an existing river.
Next, we visited a park named Cerro de la Cruz with a large cross that overlooks Antigua. It was spectacular!
We did some shopping and could also see one of the weavers at work in the shop. We were able to try our hand at haggling, but I’m pretty sure we still paid a lot more than we should have. We like to think we are helping these folks feed their families:)
Next, we went to a coffee plantation. It is one of the primary resources for the country and it was really interesting to see the berries before they are picked and roasted. There were other plants growing along side, such as bananas and bergamot, the substance used to make Earl Grey tea.
The plantation is named Finca Colombia and our host and her husband used to live on the property many years ago, so she has a close relationship with this locations and was able to give us the tour herself.
Of course, most of us bought as much coffee as we could fit into our luggage. This particular location has won flavor awards, and we found out that it was the coffee that our host was serving during our stay.
Next was the National Museum of Art of Guatemala. It was amazing that this museum used to be a colonial Spanish Palace! It was also completely free to the public. There were so many interesting and valuable pieces of the Guatemalan, Mayan and Spanish history that it was kind of overwhelming, but in a good way.
Some of us took a short break in the town square of Antigua and had some snow cones, while others walked around and did some shopping.
We also visited a jade store and factory and got a short lecture on the finding, identifying and producing of jade products in the area. Jade was historically used to make masks for the royalty before the entry of the Spanish.
And, of course, many of us did more shopping at this location!
We walked over to the large historical Catholic Church and did a tour. It was beautiful and definitely Spanish designed. The inside of the sanctuary was beautiful with all sorts of statues and stations. The backdrop behind the main altar was so ornate!
We ended our evening in Antigua with a celebratory dinner and had some really cool food items. The chef is Swiss, so there was an interesting assortment of food options.
Gabe and I shared the gigante beef on a stick and it did not disappoint. It was gigantic, indeed!
Dave and Paul got “Mickey Mouse” fruit punch. It was cute!
Betty got a raclette appetizer and it was very cool to watch the cook preparing it.
We were stuffed and completely exhausted when we got back to the guesthouse, but we still had our final meeting and everyone had the opportunity to share a God moment. It was very emotional and uplifting. We were blessed with so many opportunities to share God’s word and His love with others and each other.
We got ready and packed afterward as we were told that we would be leaving no later than 5 am for the airport because there would be road closures and heavy traffic due to a scheduled protest planned for Guatemala City.
Thank you, Lord for keeping us and those we served safe during this clinic. Amen!
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