Day 6 - Eagle's Nest, Solala

Friday began with an early wake-up call to leave Xela and head down to Lake Atitlan. The drive, as usual, was full of great scenery and many twists and turns. Once we arrived at the Eagle's Nest children's home, we met up with Pedro and Larry, the managers of the home, and collected a tentative schedule and various assignments for us to work on throughout the day. When we first pulled up to the main office there was a very large pile of sandy gravel placed next to the parking lot. After speaking with Larry, he mentioned that the entire pile needed to be moved into place so that they could begin a new phase of construction on the children's home. Also, he pointed out that the entire pile had to be moved by hand by the worker's at the facility. After a quick evaluation of the schedule and our manpower, I told Larry that our guys would be happy to help lend a hand to get this pile moved more efficiently from point A to point B. Our guys worked for the better part of the next two hours shoveling, dumping and piling up gravel in the hopes of getting the mound moved for the Eagle's Nest crew. Though the entire lump of gravel was not completely moved, the guys worked diligently together and made great progress in aiding our hosts' efforts.





After a quick lunch and recovery time, we headed over to start working with the kids at multiple venues throughout the complex. One group ran a short basketball clinic and game time at the outdoor courts. The kids had a great time running relays, shooting layups, dancing, and interacting with our guys. Towards the end of the clinic, Josh and Coach Horner gave a short encouragement to the kids about keeping the positive fun-loving attitude that they consistently exhibit and the God is pleased when His children take joy in the gifts and talents He has given them. Another group played on the playground with a group of younger kids for the better part of an hour and half. The guys later recalled how this was not only an immensely enjoyable time but also gave them a great opportunity to practice their Spanish and actually see how their presence at a place could be an encouragement to a child in need.




After all the afternoon activities began to wind down, we began preparing for the night game in Solala. Though this is a small mountain city, Solala is the home to the only team that was able to beat us last year on our Guatemala trip. Our guys played hard, even though they had a long day, and were able to come away with a debatable 12 point victory (not sure it wasn't 20 points). The game proved to be a springboard for the rest of the evening. A great meal of steak and vegetables awaited us at the Eagle's Nest when we returned and team was able to relax and reminisce about the day they had just experienced.

After dinner and showers, the team met up one last time for a group meeting to discuss the trip up to this point and perhaps, more importantly, what has this trip taught us about our team going forward? We had a long talk about our goals, vision for the upcoming season, and the best ways to make sure we are in a position to achieve the goals we have set. A simpler day logistically than most up to this point but perhaps the most profitable when experiences are discussed by the group.

Eagle's Nest is a beautiful place and the staff here are doing an amazing work for people in need in and around this community. They are consistently a light to those who need it most and place of refuge for children in need. Pray that God continues to grow their ministry and strengthens their vision for the future of the children's home and other ministries that may develop.

Adios