Greetings from Common Hope in Antigua!
We arrived at our home for the week at about 5 p.m. last night -- our flight arrival in Guatemala City was a little late due to thunderstorms, but it meant we got a couple extra views of the mountains from the air as we were waiting to land. The contrasts between rich and poor are evident even from several thousand feet over the capital, and the beauty of the land is stunning.
We were welcomed by CH staff, shown our rooms and ordered dinner in. The group was very tired but in great spirits. Our host Shelley reports that plans for our service and visit days are coming together very well.
Because Common Hope's security measures are quite stringent, we've been staying "at home" since arriving. We are discouraged from walking the road at any hour and forbidden from being out after dark, but fortunately there is plenty of space for us here to gather out of our rooms with a view of the mountains and the rooftops. Parents will be happy to hear that the group does very well "unplugged" -- there are lots of card games and plenty of laughter.
Vance and Andrew elected to sleep on the open-air porch last night, enjoying the birdsong. It rains off and on at pretty much any hour, but the temperature is very comfortable.
Today we'll have lunch with the CH community (staff, long-term volunteers and other Vision Team volunteers are also here on site), then taxi into town for a walking tour of Antigua, grocery shopping, and getting our bearings in both the geographic and cultural sense.
Watch for small group members to be trading off on future blog updates.
Pam
No comments:
Post a Comment