Hey everyone, it is Wednesday and we have had so much fun today. It was our last day at Casa Shalom and we finished our little fence and wall project and had a little soccer tournament: girls vs girls and boys vs boys...un torneo de futbol. It was fun. We handed out all the gifts and hats to the boys...we gave the girls their things last night after shopping with them and taking them to Pollo Campero, the Guatemalan version of KFC. It has been so fun to watch them play and laugh and ask all of us gringos questions about our lives and stuff. The kids from Casa Shalom are great, we absolutely love them. Tomorrow we go with Dave to a rural village to visit a pastor that he works with. We have a list of things they need, so we are going to buy what supplies we can and bring them with us. We still have a ton of donated hats left over, so we'll probably bring those too. Friday we fly to Tikal.

For all who know Reece, make sure you ask him the story of his most embarrasing moment...it's been the source of much laughter for us. Tuck and roll.

We're having trouble uploading photos today, I've got about 15 minutes left at the internet cafe to make it work.

We love you and miss you all.

hanging out at Casa Shalom
Joe, Susan and one of the ninos doing some shopping

Good news: Internet cafes are everywhere Bad news: They all are lame. Rarely do they have service and when they do they are very slow. It is hard for me to know the posts are working because it doesn't show it to be updated. Hopefully, you are all able to keep up to date with us. Sorry if there is duplicate stuff, it's due to me retrying the posts. We have one more day at Casa Shalom, then we're going out to a rural village Thursday. Friday and Saturday we are in Tikal, then home Sunday. We'll update you when we can.

buying shoes
the chicas from Casa Shalom shopping on Tuesday afternoon
working on the wall and fence of the soccer and basketball court
Betsy, Hailey, Julie, and Kathy

Lining up for a game of soccer

Hey everyone! We're having an incredible time and had a great day Monday with the ninos from Casa Shalom. Aside from a slight challenge to our intestinal fortitude, we're all healthy and happy. Casa Shalom is a children's home about 30 mins away from where we live in Guatemala City. It houses 60 kids ranging from infant to 20 yrs old. The kids are awesome! We're doing a small work project putting up fencing and repairing a wall around their soccer/basketball court, intermixed with some jugar de futbol. Yesterday afternoon, we took 22 boys into Guate. City to shop for new shoes and clothes...it was so cool to see how excited they were to get to leave the grounds, much less get whatever clothes they wanted. Each of us had a nino or two with us and we helped them get their stuff...afterwards we went to Polla Campero (like KFC guatemalan style) and had a huge meal and played on the play structure...They acted like they were at Disneyland! It was so awesome to see their faces and feel their joy! Today we do it all again with 24 little girls...we're like Santa Clauses, there's not a thing we could be doing with them that would be more satisfying.

Thanks for your prayers and support...oh, and don't ever buy a Kia Van. Oh, my diesel.

Love, GVC Team

Group at Las Capuchinas Convent (we played a good game of sardines here)

Antigua cathedral

Saturday was a day of travel, first to Houston then to Guatemala City. We arrived 10 pm local time. (We´re 2 hrs ahead).

Everyone´s luggage arrived and we went straight to the mission house with Dave Osborn. The house is great; guys in one room, girls in another.

Today (Sun.) we´ve been in the beautiful city of Antigua...it´s an old city with ruins (many cathedrals and monasteries and convents were destroyed in 1773. It´s beautiful, situated at the foot of a volcano. We went to church here and had a great lunch and have been sightseeing and shopping all afternoon. Tomorrow we go to Casa Shalom children´s home. Love to all our families and friends.
(Geoff)

Top: At the airport and then Pieter, Matt, Tomas, and Reece in Antiqua
Group shot in Antigua


Andrew, Peter, and Hailey

Everybody ready?

We leave Saturday AM. Let's pray for safety, humility, and that God would be active in and through each member of our team.

Don't forget your itinerary and your passport.

Hopefully, we can get through customs...

Tikal
Antigua

Pictures of Tikal and Antigua

Team Members:
Julie Romero, Tomas Romero, Kathy Horn, Joe Collette, Kate Elwell, Reece Yee, Hailey Miller, Lauren Hui, Betsy Clark, Andrew Flood, Peter Benito, Pieter Baker , Matt Porcelli, Susan Dubensky, and Geoff Horn

Follow our mission trip to Guatemala, June 24-July 2nd. We'll update from Guatemala with pictures and descriptions of our experiences.