Finishing up the year

Howdy everyone! The quick arrival of May is making me realize all that is very soon coming to an end--my first year of teaching, my first year after college graduation, and my first year living and teaching in Guatemala is coming to a close. I am about to say good-bye to my first class and it has been making me think about the many ways the Lord has blessed me and my ministry here. I am so grateful and so excited to have the opportunity to continue it for another year.

We have had a very blessed and busy spring. Two of our fellow teachers got married in the last month, so we've gotten the privilege to travel to Pana and Antigua to be attend their weddings.

In Antigua, at Amy and Allan's wedding.

Instead of Spring Break, Guatemalans take a week off in the spring to celebrate Easter. So, we had a week off the last week of March and got to travel all the way to Rio Dulce for a few days' vacation. Rio Dulce is the river in eastern Guatemala that flows into the Caribbean Sea. We stayed in a nice hotel right on the river, that could only be accessed by boat. Our room was what we can only describe as a treehouse. We got to swim in the river, read, relax, eat a lot, and sleep to the sound of rain on the river. One of the days we paid to take a two hour boat ride out to Livingston, the town that is on the mouth of the river into the Caribbean. We even got to go a little bit further to a private beach and relax and swim there. On our way back to the town of Rio Dulce we saw about 6-7 dolphins swimming in the Caribbean around our boat! It was an extremely exciting experience. AND got to scratch swimming in the Caribbean off the bucket list :)

This is our treehouse in Rio Dulce, that blue thing up there is literally my bed!

On a hill overlooking Antigua during Semana Santa.

Liz and I on Playa Blanca, a private island in the Caribbean.

Our stop in Livingston.

On our way back from Rio Dulce we spent a day and a night in Antigua, which is a popular area during the Easter week. There are several processions and alfombras in the roads. Alfombras are huge designs that people make in the streets on the paths of the processions. They dye sawdust, woodchips, or just use pine needles and flowers and make huge, beautiful, colorful designs right in the streets. They were really pretty and it was really neat seeing the people celebrate the Resurrection of Christ here.

Some people working on an alfombra.

I was extremely blessed to have my parents visit me here in Guatemala a couple weeks ago. They got to experience some typical life in Xela from shopping in the market, traveling, and walking in the crazy streets here. They came to school with me one day and spent some time in my classroom with my students. My Dad spoke at chapel for the middle school and high school students, and Mom showed my third graders some of their pictures from their travels to Africa and some childhood pictures of Miss Ellsworth, which my kids thoroughly enjoyed.

Mom in Guatemala!

 Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we finish up our last month of school. We finish at the end of May and I will return to the States for the summer in early June. Things have been really crazy the last few months and I don't foresee things slowing down this last month. Here are some things I could use prayer in...
--sanity and peace as we wrap up units and grades and make sure to get the rest of the material covered
--peace for my students and me as they finish up third grade and prepare for fourth
--focus since the school year is not yet over!
--that everything will miraculously get done
--most importantly that I wouldn't forget why I am here and Who I am here for

Just thought I should share some quotes I have been collecting from my students. Bear in mind that English is not their first language :)

"Are there a lot of juvies (juvenile centers) in the States?"

"Miss Ellsworth, I like the way you got dressed today."

Miss E: "In English, it is polite to say 'Yes ma'am."
Student: "Can I just say 'Yes Woman?'

(disfrutar is "to enjoy" in Spanish)
Miss E: "Please hurry up."
Student:  "I'm just disfruting the water."

Miss E: "Fold your paper hamburger style."
Student: "Could I fold it gangnam style?"

(loco is "crazy" in Spanish)
Miss E: "Who can remind me what local government means?"
Student: "Crazy government?"

Miss E: "Please contain yourself."
Student: "But, Miss Ellsworth, I don't have a container that big!"