Becca and Andrew came to town!

Have you ever had an event that you're so excited for you just keep counting down the days thinking, "three more days of learning 200+ children's names (most of which are Jose and Karla) and then..." or "It will just be learning verses from 1 and 2 Kings and then..."?

Well, my guess is that you probably have had different scenarios in your countdown (I think a lot of my situations in my life right now are probably uniquely circumstantial to my living situation), but I have felt that way recently as I was counting down the days for Becca and Andrew to visit.

Becca is my friend from Seminary.  Beginning our second Intensive (after I decided that maybe she wasn't too cool for me and I would give her a chance), we became really close.  She flew from Minnesota to Washington to visit during the summer and when I was at school, I spent a lot of quality time with her (including when we skipped Chapel to go to McDonald's to buy ice cream for Molly and Becca failed to inform me that she was lactose intolerant until after she ate a whole melting cone and then was kinda sick). 

 She is also an amazing photographer.  And, if I ever decide to have/the stars align for my fantasy beach party wedding, she will, without a doubt, be my photographer.  Before that, she was working at a church and we were able to share and relate to many similar joys and struggles that come with ministry.  Before that, she was a missionary in Mozambique and now we have that level, living abroad and all the good, bad, and poopy (literally and figuratively) things that come with that.  Having her here was incredibly insightful.

Andrew is Becca's boyfriend.  I didn't actually know him before he came, but I'm glad he did.  He's pretty cool.  I give him a gold star of acceptance.

They were here for a week, and during that week, we did so much.  It was great.

Our fun times began in Antigua. Edgar the friendly taxi driver (not to be confused with Casper the Friendly Ghost) brought the poor, cold, Minnesotan refugees to the wonderful Black Cat Inn and in the morning we were greeted by gorgeous sunshine... a welcome relief from the "frigidity" of Xela and the "frigidisimo" of Minnesota.

We also got the beloved free breakfast:

We played in Antigua with Juli and Andrew and got to visit Laura for a bit as well.  Our playtime included one of my favorite walks up to the Antigua cross on the hill and some games of hide and seek in the ruins of the old cathedral (let's abstain from telling the nuns and priests about that one). 

On Friday, we got to go with Campus Crusades, Guatemala, to see where the food that Andrew's company, Feed My Starving Children, goes.  We went to some really cool places - an alternative/after school feeding and school helping program that works to get kids all at a healthy body weight, a really rural school (combined with an excellent back of the pickup truck ride), and a sweet elderly home in Antigua.  It was a really cool and thought-provoking trip.  It caused us to have some great conversations.


 After the City, we fled to the Lake.  I am learning more and more that cities are not for me.  I like to play outside and in the water.  I like to go to the water and see small towns, and for once feel as though I'm not a sex object or dollar sign.  This happens in San Juan.  And that makes me smile.

So, we went to San Juan La Laguna.  And we got to see Benedicto.  And chill out. And kayaking.  And, Becca climbed a tree. 

and then the tree broke.

But she was okay.

And we got to take a picture together!  In my favorite medium!

Check out that ghetto green kayak made out of hard Styrofoam painted green... it was real hard to paddle upwind.

 Then, after the happy land of Lake Atitlan, we went to Xela.  We met my host family and Tina joined us on a search for a search for Los Vahos, a sauna that is way more than the 30-45 minutes that we were told of. 

But, it was totally worth it. 

In the Guatemalan ghettotastical way.

We like to joke, not so jokingly, that we went to hell.  It was a really, really, really hot sauna.

And really fun.

Then, they came and experienced my crazy and awesome morning of teaching (it is SO NICE to have three teachers!).

After school, we hiked to El Baul.  It was my third time there, but I continue to be shocked by how ridiculous the slides are and how much fun it is.

Yay!
Thanks for coming, Becca and Andrew!
Hope all is going well :)