Student stuff

I've just come back from Costa Rica, where I was visiting a couple of projects and organising stride placements for September.
But I also got the chance to go to Enfol for the day. Enfol is a conference of the Christian student groups in Central America, Mexico and Panama. It was great to see a large group of student leaders get together and seek God and his direction as they reach out to their fellow students in creative and innovative ways.




There was also some amazing views from the plane on the way there too!

Core Team in Curitiba (Brazil)

I've just come back from Curitiba, in Brazil. Actually the word 'just' gives the impression that the journey was quick -- it wasn't -- 4 flights and 27 hours after leaving Curitiba, I got back to Guatemala!
But it was a good time. I went for a week long meeting of the Latin Link Core Team (which was meeting alongside the Latin Link Brazil team annual conference). We talked and prayed alot - about the different teams, about needs and concerns, and about future plans. (We also ate chocolate from Peru, England, Guatemala and Argentina!). We also managed to escape for a bit and explore the city of Curitiba.

Curitiba is famous in Brazil for it's bus system, construction regulations and everything being environmentally friendly. It was such a weird (and good) feeling to be in a place that actually takes recycling seriously! (Does that make me a geek!?? probably!)





Then I meet the Brazilian football team at the airport!! (And no I have no idea who they all are - but I guessed they were famous!

Curitiba has an iron opera house!
(just so you know!)


























And a replica of crystal palace in England.

And some funny birds on a stick at the 'Eye Museum' (apparently it's named after the shape rather than being full of old eyes!)

Step farewell service

This weekend I went to see the Step team for the last time in their second project. We had a debrief- hearing about all that they have learnt through this experience.
On Saturday the church held a farewell service for the team and had put in so much effort in decorating the church with English and Guatemalan flags and colours.
The church gave each of the team a gift as a reminder of their time there.
Josh and the youth group had been practicing a song with pan pipes.
The step team performed a few songs and a drama and several of them explained what they had learnt from being there and from the friendships that they have made.
Each group within the church (Children's choir, adolescent group, youth group, women's group etc) had prepared a song and thanked the team for their involvement in the life of the church.


It's always really interesting how perceptions are different. During the debrief with the team, some of them had expressed frustration that they hadn't had enough work to do and had felt that they hadn't contributed very much. But it was very clear from the presentations during the service that they had contributed much more than they realised. On top of the work that they did on the building site, people were touched that Josh and the boys had played football with the young people every afternoon or that Lucy and Abi had entertained the kids who turned up at the church every day, or that Bekah and Dave had gone to the local school and taught the children to count to 10 in English. All of this and more; just the normal stuff of getting to know people, is special and really significant in mission.
And I know that the Step team come away from this experience having received and learnt much more than they ever expected too. They have learnt from the churches faith in stepping out in the work that God has called them to do, regardless of the lack of resources, they've been impressed with the churches response to the disasters and tragedies that happened so close. The way the church has welcomed the team into their community, how they have sacrificed in order to make them comfortable, and gone out of their way to look out for them. During Storm Agatha, when the power had gone out, many church members turned up at the church in the pitch black and pouring rain, to give the team candles, to help them move stuff away from leaking roofs -and just generally make sure they were safe and OK. It touched their hearts.
And that is Step.