Cooking and Caves

What a wonderful honeymoon we've had!

I think of the scorpion attack though, as a good way to bring Brady and I back to reality :) Couldn't have happened at a better time (you can read all about it, in my last blog). After a month long stay in our house by the lake, with no trouble at all, the scorpions invaded our home, leaving us no choice but to abandon our dwelling place. This all happened on the night before we were to move out. I keep telling Brady, if this happened anytime sooner, I would have insisted we find another place for the remainder of our stay! I only feel sorry for the unlucky couple who will move into the house after us. Who knows if the French landlord will warn them of these stalking pestilences!

The Lord has provided us with a beautiful Casa to live in for the week. We moved into Panajachel, on Sunday, when my in-laws arrived. Brady and I have been their tour-guides, taking them to all our favorite spots around the lake. One day, we experienced a "Spanish cooking class". While on top of a roof, we were taught how to make Tostados and Paches. Each of us got our hands dirty and tried padding tortillas out. Our teachers, two Guatemalan women, skillfully took the dough in their hands and made perfectly round tortillas. Then they let us give it a try...failure...it's so much harder than it looks. The dough was sticking to our palms and turning into all sorts of shapes, but not circles. These ladies learn from a young age how to make hundreds of these corn tortillas in a day, and they have greatly acquired this skill. For three hours, we cooked and then ate the authentic Spanish food together. This was probably one of my most favorite of days in Guatemala, because we were able to have conversation with these Guatemalan ladies. Slowly but surely, we are picking up more and more Spanish. I love being able to talk with the people here!

Our Spanish Cooking Class 

Paches wrapped in banana leaves to steam.

Our stuffed Tostados

The next day, we went on a hike to see an old Mayan cave. How excited we all were, not knowing what to expect. We all hopped on a "chicken bus" and took a 15 min. ride up the winding mountain road, till we were high above the lake. What a spectacular view! Then we hiked down the trail, till we reached the mouth of the cave, on the side of the mountain. As we stepped inside, you immediately got the feeling that this place is very spiritually involved. 

The hike to the caves

Inside the Mayan Cave

All the cave was blackened with soot from the sacrifices of many people. As you walked around the cave, their were 15 or so different piles of coal, still smoking. Our tour guide, who was a young, Guatemalan lady (probably only 18 years old), told us the history of this Mayan cave, and the current use of it. The stories she told of the dark legends, and the scary curses that people place on their enemies, in the darkness of this cave, made us all shudder! It reminded us of the spiritual warfare that is going on here, the battle of light vs. darkness, good vs. evil. But, God is at work in Guatemala and Jesus name is still saving souls! I am excited for whatever part I get to play in this work.

We are just about done being tourists! We are itching to travel up to the orphanage/school in Huehuetenago. Just a few more days, and my internship there starts! Everything for the internship has fallen into place perfectly. I had no reason to doubt that God would provide for all our needs. But, to be completely transparent, I have been doubting my abilities to "teach".

"Lies scream at me, in the quiet of the night, warning me that I am insufficient. True! I am so lost, so nothing without my Lord standing by me. There's not a single thing of good in me, but I am a vessel, broken, ready to be used, despite of the broken cracks in my shell. Pick me up, and use me as You wish!"  Feb. 9

Despite how I've been feeling, the Lord opened my eyes to the beautiful scripture that says, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Cor. 4:7) I am reminded that the whole purpose of this journey on earth is to show off the glory and power that belongs to our God. And how incredibly amazing it is that God chooses humans, such as myself, to do His work!

That's all for now. Buenos Nochas!