In Search of Step Projects

This time of year, I go in search of projects for the step teams who will visit in the following year. I really enjoy meeting churches and organisations who have a vision, and are reaching out to their community, who are working hard - and are keen to partner with others to complete their task. It´s those sort of churches or organisations who really benefit from receiving a Step team - but who are also really instrumental in caring for and discipling the team members that come.

 This time I was visiting a church with a very active after school programme for 250 children, as well as involvement in the local community with sustainable agriculture and reforestation projects. It´s in a village called Buena Vista (= Good view) - and it´s certainly well named!

 It was also a great chance for me to spend a couple of nights in San Pedro La Laguna - maybe my favourite place in Guatemala - and have a couple of swims in the lake.

It always amuses me to travel at this time of year as well. It´s more or less time for the maize to be harvested and from the bus window it often looks to me like there are shiny mirrors floating in a sea of maize -- it´s actually the aluminium roofs of houses which get dwarfed by the maize reaching the roof height.

15th Birthdays

As in most of Latin America, it´s traditional in Guatemala to celebrate your 15th birthday - especially for girls. Well recently I was invited to my friend Abi´s birthday celebration. 

But it´s not really like an equivalent 18th birthday celebration in the UK. Here, the birthday girl gets dressed up  - in a big way. Many of the Quinceñera dresses look more like wedding dresses than anything else - and the comparison with a wedding doesn´t stop there. (For the Chistians at least)  there´s a church service  - complete with a procession of the family (all dressed in matching/ complementary colours) and then the birthday girl. Worship and a sermon are then followed by asking the girl to make certain promises about her adult life. 

(Although talking to a few other people, the promises weren´t the normal part of things - and perhaps had more to do with the fact that Abi´s dad is also the pastor).

 Anyway it was definitely a family event, with each member of the family making a speech and giving a special gift.

On this occasion, it had a slightly 'Wimbledon' feel - as we started off outside in a beautiful garden - but then as the mist drew in, and umbrellas went up as the mist turned into rain, they eventually decided to relocate to the marquee prepared for the reception!

Hit the Ground Kneeling

Another great thing about Core Team meetings, is that Alan, (International Director of Latin Link) always manages to recommends some great books. This time it was Hit the Ground Running; Seeing Leadership differently, by Stephen Cottrell  - which I managed to read during the week that we were meeting together. It´s a great book -- small and easily digestable- making you question all the usual 'wisdom' that gets chucked around these days. He encourages you not to 'hit the ground running'  - but to take time to observe and listen and reflect, to reinvent some wheels, to count your chickens before the hatch  - and definitely not to develop a thick skin.
It was quite refreshing to hear something quite so counter-cultural in our world full of success-driven management speak and self help books.

Core Team in Ecuador

 

I´ve just come back from Ecuador, where I´ve been meeting with the Latin Link Core Team.

There´s been a couple of changes and additions to the Core Team recently so this was the first time the new team met together. It was great to get to know the new members better - and start to work together.

Core Team hard at work  -- or perhaps facebook!

 

 We were also meeting alongside the Latin Link Ecuador team for their annual conference - and celebrated a birthday with them.

 For me personally it was great to be back in the Andes again. I first fell in love with Latin America in La Paz, Bolivia - a city surrounded by mountains - making you feel like you´re not really in the city at all. In Ecuador we were staying in a beautiful Bible Seminary, outside of Quito - with fantastic views of snow -capped Cotopaxi in the distance. It has a really peaceful atmosphere  - in the still mountain air - so it was a great place to meet.

Step Tour Guide

I think one of the perks of the job of Short Term Coordinator is to organise the holiday time for the Step teams, and get to show them my favourite place in Guatemala.

 I never get tired of this view - and a swim in the lake is definitely the best way to start the day. I even managed to persuade a couple of people to join me.

 This time, I took 2 teams together to the Lake - watching them interact was quite entertaining!

 We celebrated David´s birthday altogether.

 The adventurous ones before their Cables Extremos (Zip wire) escapade!

My usual hostel. The downside is having to accompany so many people who want to buy souvenirs. In my opinion shopping is the most boring activity in the world! - but I took advantage of this - and managed to do all my Christmas shopping - and send it all home with one of the steppers who lives near my family! Bargain.

Amor del Niño Step Team

The final team to arrive, worked with the Amor del Niño (Love the Child) home. The home provides a temporary home for children (mostly babies) who have been abandoned, and are awaiting adoption. The team helped with the general running of the home - helping with the endless laundry (for 50 babies!), cooking and spring cleaning tasks.

 They also led some activites and games for the older children.

 They also did a mural on the garden wall. The castle was designed by one of the older girls in the home.

  

 This team lived in my house (and half of them in a friends house locally) so I got to see quite a bit of them.

 And of course the obligatory photo at lake Atitlan!

Zaragoza Step Team

 The Team in Zaragoza were working with Educando Para La Vida, an organisation focused on education for the whole community.

 The team got involved in the afterschool kids programmes, sharing Christian values alongside educational support.

 They also visited the local school, where Educando Para la Vida has very good links and taught the children English.

 Also at the school, they were able to repaint the walls with a mural.

 They also created and painted some dividers at the organisations centre, to be used when they have medical campaigns.