The moment you ve been waiting for... The thoughts of Mrs. Donna Boss on her recent visit to Guatemala!!!!

So, today I reread my journal from our trip to Guatemala and all the memories and images came flooding back. It is nearly impossible to use mere words to describe our experience but I will try(not as eloquently as Sam or Bob!) to share with you my visions of Guatemala...

*The joy of seeing Sam as we exited the airport...it had been 11 months since we embraced!

*Entering Antigua...our first stop...bumpy streets of pieced rocks/stones, people everywhere out and about

*Hotel Aurora...women selling their goods at the entrance...beautiful courtyard, lovely room with flatscreen TV(we don't even have this at home!), yet no toilet paper can be flushed down the toilets

*Antigua central park...breasts of life fountain...children selling candy, jewelry, weavings and all sorts of items...one little boy, a bit disheveled with sad eyes selling woven bracelets

*Many people with disabilities and old men and women with cup for begging...one man with no legs or arms...only able to look up at the sky..so much I take for granted, so much I've been given Lord

*Vibrant colors of woven clothing everywhere

*Warm greetings of "Buenos Dias"!!

*Shops of all kinds...Dona Luisa bakery...giant chocolate crinkle cookies!!

Onto Xela, Almolonga and Zunil... Sams "hood"

*No straight roads...hairpin curves, climbing mountains, decending mountains...no thought of wearing seatbelts!

*Boulders or tree limbs instead of orange barrels

*Meeting the family Sam lives with at Albamar Fried Chicken Restaurant...Jose, Maria and Elysa...Warm, kind and attempting to communicate thru Sam's translation(amazed by her fluency in Spanish)

*Unfortunately stomach issues begin to plague us...Bob is pretty sick but thankfully the worst of it is over in 2 hours

*Taking our first chicken bus to Almolonga(no chickens!)...

*Almolonga...concrete built homes with rusted roofs on the side of mountains...valley filled with vegetables growing, meticulously tended...streets with a foot of dirt, ruts, and more looking like dry river beds than roads

*Children calling out, "Samantha"...she is clearly known and cared about

*Watching Maria make tortillas...such tiny skillful hands

*Seeing the church of Jesus Christ gather to worship...alive and well

Santa Maria...volcano that overlooks Zunil...women side by side washing clothes in the river

*a ferris wheel and rides set up for Feria or Fair

*trash strewn everywhere..in the towns, streets and even in the fields

*Chicken bus nationwide strike...buses parked to block anything but local transportation in the whole country, thankfully only one day!

*Sam's big surprise for us on our last evening in Xela...private salsa lessons with Antonio...private is relative term...dance area is half the room...the other half is full of people on treadmills and other workout equipment...they even took pictures of us!

Loved the lessons and learning some new steps with my hubbie.

Onto Lake Atitlan..."the vacation"

*Arrive into Panajackel...after 4 hour shuttle...steep mountains.. section of one lane road because of rain washout in Oct.

*Incredible views of this huge crater lake with 3 massive volcanos, Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro

*Bustling little town...get Bob and all our luggage onto a ferry boat to go to Santa Cruz la Laguna, village where our house rental is

*Sam and I take a tuk-tuk(scooter like vehicle that has back passenger seat for max. 3 adults) to grocery store to buy supplies... we even find a can of whipped cream for our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie!!!(I have brought with me stuffing, canned pumpkin and evaporated milk)

*Walk up to our house...actually more of a climb...at least 50 steps but well worth each step...beautiful home...glassed in veranda with striking views..flowers everywhere, hummingbirds and butterflies...all the amenities of home...well, except for the large wall spiders and scorpion living behind the bathroom mirror(which Bob and Sam didn't tell me about until the morning we were leaving!)

*5 wonderful days together...talking, sharing, kayaking, playing cards, reading, praising and praying, resting, eating, visiting other lakeshore villages, shopping, collecting the floating rocks of Lake Atitlan, and having a Thanksgiving day of giving thanks for this time together and His provision for it all

Our time comes to a close as we travel back to Antigua for our final night in Guatemala...we were excited to finish our time by seeing Laura and husband Hugo...we had the priveledge to have Laura stay in our home several years ago when she traveled to Cleveland as a soccer coach with Ambassadors in Sports, conducting a soccer camp at our church...a sweet time of fellowship and encouragement to end our 10 days in Guatemala and an amazing blessing to see them in their homeland!

I am truly thankful to have had this opportunity, first to see Sam and the life she is living and those she is seeking to help in Guatemala as well as those dear people who have befriended her...and experience in a small way the kind people and beautiful country and sights of Guatelmala. May He continue to build His church and kingdom in Guatemala and bless this nation...

-Donna (mamasita as Sam calls me!)