We arrived in Guatemala on Wednesday, July 1st and then loaded vans for an hour drive to Antigua. We spent five days hanging out in the town for debrief with the squad and our coaches. This time was for rest, rejuvenation, and preparation for our last two months on the Race as well as to begin considering our expectations and thoughts for re-entry into the U.S.
I was asked to take the responsibility of feeding our squad for the week. This included runs to the outdoor market and supermarket, lots of peeling and chopping, organization and preparation of meals, as well as handing out tasks to those willing to help. Thankfully there was plenty of help for most of the week. Although there were a few frustrations along the way such as time restraints, I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to serve. I also learned more about myself. Such as, how I prefer to take on more instead of finding others to help out or feeling like I should be available and helping at every meal. By Monday I was ready for a break and a chance to get my own rest before heading out on Tuesday for our ministry location. I did love getting to organize and prepare meals, but I also need to find a balance in work and rest!!
On Friday, we had a few sessions and then several hours of awesome worship that evening.
Saturday morning, I joined seven others from our squad to “race” against the teams on the June 09 squad for their race day around Antigua. We had a list of places to go, things to do, and questions to answer. The first hour was painless as we acted out Bible stories in front of churches, sat on a “chicken” bus (public transportation), took pictures with people from five different countries, and one of us quickly consumed the largest combo meal at McDonalds! Then came the one task that would make or break the race, finding Dr. Pepper!! Such as a simple task, but not in Antigua, Guatemala!! After 40 minutes of searching and finally locating a can near the McDonalds (figures!), we jumped into a van for a ride to the bottom of a hill with stairs that led to our final destination! Another team had just arrived before us and the winners were questionable, but as experienced racers, we had accomplished the bonus tasks and came out with the prize of 300 Q or about $5 each!!
On Sunday, 77 of us, from both squads, loaded into a bus and a couple of vans at 6am to conquer an active volcano. After an hour of hiking or riding horses, we arrived at the start of the volcanic dirt, which we were then asked to run down in order to start up what turned out to be a questionable trail. Billions of volcanic rocks of all sizes dared us to continue, as every other step created a tiny avalanche behind us. Eventually, we arrived on freshly hardened rock with molten lava flowing nearby and crevices of ash and heat radiating around us. Pulling out marshmallows and cheese sandwiches, we roasted and grilled our treats in the pockets of smoldering rock.
