Kids, Coffee, and Community

Hey everyone! We’re now three weeks into our time in Guatemala, and what a week it’s been! This week, we got to celebrate Children’s Day, a special day dedicated to celebrating kids! We spent the day with the children at Hope, the ministry we’re serving with, and it was honestly one of the highlights of our trip so far.

We kicked off the celebration with singing and dancing all together. For the older kids, we set up a treasure hunt,  with buried candy and clues hidden all over the garden. Watching them race around to find the prize was just as much fun for us. For the younger kids, we created nature bingo cards. They had to find leaves, sticks, bugs, and more from their list.

Next came the balloon stomp game, balloons tied to our ankles, and the goal was to pop everyone else’s while protecting your own. Let’s just say… these kids did not take it easy on us! We wrapped up the celebration with hot dogs and cake. It was such a special day to pour into these kids, laugh with them, and remind them how deeply loved they are. Even though we don’t speak the same language fluently, the love of Jesus truly brings us together.

As we’ve settled in, our weekly rhythm has started to take shape. Even though each day can look different, there’s a flow to our week that we’re starting to really enjoy.

• Mondays are our Sabbath, and honestly, we love them! I usually head into town, grab a coffee, and take the morning to post blog updates and schedule social media for myself and the squad. Others spend the day differently, some rest at home, some explore. The day ends with a small group prayer set, which has been such a sweet way to ease back into the week.
• Tuesdays kick off early with Bible study in the garden, followed by home visits. After lunch, we regroup for VBS with the kids.
• Wednesdays start with a prayer set at our house. In the afternoon, our group splits, half head to a women’s Bible study, and the rest go to teach English to the kids.
• Thursdays are probably our favorite day. It’s a day we like to dress up a bit and feel a little more put together. We start with a morning prayer set, have our team meeting, and then have free time in the afternoon before heading to the worship room in the evening. It’s such a life-giving space, and we often see familiar faces, other teams and friends we’ve made here.
• Saturdays vary week by week. One Saturday we went to cheer on a local soccer game, another week we helped with a children’s prayer set, and this week we had a guest come in and give us a fresh perspective on ministry through a training session.
• Sundays are our ATL days (Ask The Lord)—we leave space open for whatever the Lord might lead us into that day, whether it’s serving, resting, adventuring, or connecting with someone new.

This week we had a late-night hangout with some of the friends we’ve made here. We hosted a coffee & pancake night(yes, coffee at night… not our smartest move). Four shots of espresso before bed? Probably not our best idea but worth it. We made different “flights” of pancakes and coffee, and it turned into such a fun, cozy night full of laughter and community.

We’re constantly in awe of how God shows up in new ways here, through the kids, our team, the locals, and the quiet moments. Every week has been so different, but so full of purpose. We’re learning to slow down, lean in, and love big.