Day 6 and 7: Ziplines, Antigua, National Gym and Travel Home

Yesterday morning we said good bye to the Eagles Nest and headed down to do a little zip lining before we headed to do a little more shopping in Antigua. 

After Antigua, we headed back to The National Gym to take on the Under 17 National Team again. We played much better and won the game. The guys played hard and was a great way to end the trip. 

After the game we had a great steak dinner and headed to the hostel in Guatemala City where we spent the night. When we arrived at the hostel Jaime told us how thankful he was for is making the trip to Guatemala and helping his ministry. Then it was a few hours of sleep and a 4:30am wake up call to head to the airport. 

We made it to the airport, and through customs and on to our flight with no problems. We made it in to Dallas and through customs and are Aboutnto board the last leg of our trip back to Jackson. See you soon!

Day 5: Xela and San Francisco

Yesterday was another great day. We woke up early and left the Eagles Nest and headed for the city of Xela (Guatemala's 2nd largest city). It took us a couple of hours to get to the school where we were putting on a clinic. The school was called "The Beehive" and it had a really fun atmosphere and had kids of all ages. When we got there the kids were all getting out of class for a break or  lunch and there was a big courtyard by the basketball court so it made it very conducive for us to get to hang out with the kids and do our clinic/exhibition. When we finished the clinic Paul was able to share his story with the kids and he did a great job in front of a really big group of kids. 

We left the school and headed to a mall in Xela for lunch where it is always fun to see the looks we get and the adventure that it is to try to order food in a food court!

Next, we headed towards the small town of San Francisco to put on a clinic and play a game but the weather was not looking very good. By the time we got there it was raining and we weren't able to do any basketball because their court was an outdoor court. But to see the kids faces light up and and chase after the bus as we pulled in to town we knew our time there was not in vain. We got to spend a little time hanging out with the kids and while we were there Jackson and Healy were able to share their testimonies with the group of kids and onlookers. 

We headed back to the Eagles Nest for dinner and after dinner Pedro and his kids and a couple of older boys from the Eagles Nest shared their stories and encouragements for us. It is really funny sometimes when the people and places you come to serve end up having more of an impact on you and our time with Pedro and his "family" was definitely that way!

We are up this morning packing for a day of zip-lining and shopping before a game this evening back in Guatemala City and then a team dinner. And then tomorrow we head back home. 

It is always hard to leave this view...

Day 4: The Eagles Nest

We woke up early this morning and hit the road for Solola and the Eagles Nest. It was about a 3 hour drive winding up into the mountains. 

The view here is breathtaking no matter how many times you see it or experience it. Today's pictures don't do it justice because it was a bit cloudy and rainy. 

We arrived around lunchtime so we got settled in and ate some lunch. After lunch we had a couple of work projects to take care of. Don't worry this work was documented I just don't have any pictures on my phone! We had a rain delay during our work project so we had a little team devotional time and then were able to get back out and finish our project. After that we had some time to play with the kids who live here at the Eagles Nest and that was definitely a highlight for the guys. 

Tomorrow we have a busy day with several clinics and games planned. 

That is all for now, we will have another update tomorrow evening. 

Day 3: Antigua and Chimaltenago

Today we woke up and hit the road early for Chimaltenago to host a clinic for some local kids. When we arrived we were reminded that we were on "Guatemala time" whereiof folks arrived 30 minutes late they actually were still early! We went to the school and we played some knockout to pass the time until the kids arrived. When the kids arrived we taught them some drills and then scrimmaged together with them. In the middle of our time with the kids, Jake was able to share his story with the kids and their families and it was very well received. 

Next we loaded up and headed for Antigua for lunch and some shopping. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen more soccer jerseys purchased by a team! We all had fun bargaining with the locals for things that we wanted to buy. 

After spending the afternoon in Antigua we went back to Chimaltenago for a game against the local U-23 team. They guys played their best game since we have been here. We came up a bit short against a much older team. During halftime, Grant shared his testimony with the other team and all of the people that had come to watch the game. He did a great job speaking to a pretty large crowd. 

Tomorrow we hit the road early for the Eagle's Nest which is a few hours away. 

Check back tomorrow for more highlights. 

Day 2: National Gym and Circulo Deportivo

After a great nights sleep we woke up this morning and had a great breakfast at Telma's house. After that Coach Mitchell led us in a devotional time looking at John chapter 3. 

Next, we headed out to play a game in Guatemala's National Gym against a team competing in the Under 17 National Tourney in the next few weeks. The result wasn't what we had hoped but the guys fought hard and we will have another chance to play them next week. After the game Graham did a great job sharing his testimony with they guys from both teams as well as several other onlookers.

Next, we piled back in the bus and headed towards our next location. We made a lunch stop at Pollo Campero for some chicken. Then we were ready to head to The La Florida Zona in Guatemala City to play against a local youth team on an outdoor court called Circulo Deprtivo. It was a really fun atmosphere with lots of people from the neighborhood coming out to watch and surrounding the court. We played much better this afternoon and were able to come away with the victory. At halftime Mitch shared his testimony with the teams and all of the folks who had come out to watch. He did a very good job sharing his story with such a large group. 

After the game we headed back to Telma's house for showers and dinner. 

Tomorrow we are waking up early to head to a town about an hour away to conduct a clinic and play another game. 

Internet is not the greatest here and I am trying to upload pictures but keep

Checking back if they don't upload and in will upload when I have better connection in the next few days

 

Day 1: Jackson, MS to Guatemala City

We have made it safely from Jackson to Guatemala City. Today's flights were on time and travel and passing through customs went off with out a hitch. Jaime met us at the airport and we piled up in a bus and headed towards Telma's house. We arrived at Telma's where we will be staying for the next few days and they greeted us with a delicious warm dinner! We are getting settled in now and are excited to hit the ground running tomorrow with games in two different places around the city. Check back tomorrow for more pictures and updates.

Day 6 - Ziplines, Shopping and alarm clocks

Today has been a fun-filled day and has been one of anticipation and relaxation. We are all excited about coming home but have thoroughly enjoyed the times by the lake, playing with the kids and walking around Antigua. It is often a mixed feeling on the last day. You begin to feel comfortable in your surroundings and begin to truly appreciate the pace of life here but even still you miss things from your home. 

Today's activities have sent us off the right way back to the States. We began the day with a final time studying scripture and looking at truth from Romans 3,5,6. Coach Mitchell has really shined in the times he has led our studies and has communicated the truth of scripture with a simplicity and passion that has challenged and encouraged everyone. 

After finishing our group study, we headed down to the elementary school at  Eagles' Nest to listen to their devotional and have them pray for us before we left. 

We were able to tell them bye and let them know how blessed we were by them and how evident it was to see God 's blessing in their lives through the growth of Eagles' Nest. After the devotional, we headed down the mountain to the lakeside zipline course. 

The zipline did not disappoint and the guys had a great time hanging out and seeing all of the amazing sites while going through the zipline course.

After the zipline, we headed back up to Eagles' Nest for the final time to collect our bags and head down to Antigua. Pedro and Felis were great hosts, as always and we were glad to help them with the few projects we had a hand in. This has become a valuable partnership for both of our groups as we spend time working diligently but enjoying all of the surrounding landscapes and getting to focus on our team off the court. I hope we can continue to go back frequently and rejoice with the Patlans as their ministry grows in new ways. 

After leaving Eagles' Nest, we then rode the 2 hours down from the lake to Antigua and completed our final journey of the trip that doesn't involve an airport. Once in Antigua, the guys took to the streets to find bargains in the markets and a quick lunch. Of course, after they returned they were eager to show off the soccer jerseys and other merchandise they had bought and compare negotiation notes. 

For the final act of our Guatemalan adventure, we were able to sit down for a nice dinner and enjoy our last night in Antigua. The food was delicious and our guide, Carlos, has been invaluable with suggestions and ideas while in his hometown of Antigua. The guys are mostly in bed already because we have a 3:30 am wake up call to be at the airport no later than 4:45-5:00am tomorrow morning. This has been a great trip filled with many memories. Our team has grown through so many different experiences and encounters and I hope we have encouraged and served the people of Guatemala that we have come into contact with this week.

We are all sad to leave such an amazing place with such great people but we are also eager to get home. We should arrive in Jackson around 5:00pm tomorrow and it will make for a long day but we are excited about seeing our families and friends.

Adios Guatemala 

Viva Mississippi