When you find yourself teary or speechless

I do not even know where to begin. I arrived in Guatemala yesterday (Tuesday) around 1:00 local time (2:00 central time). Instantly I could not believe the incredible hospitality of the people. A man in the airport told me I had just arrived in the best country in the world and I practically wanted to run out of the airport I was so excited. I hadn't even been in Guatemala for an hour and the new team of teachers sang me Happy Birthday (thanks to my Dad who e-mailed my boss, I thought I was going to get away with nobody knowing!). We then drove about five hours to our home city, Quetzaltenango (Xela for short, pronounced She-lah). We arrived at my host home and they had a small party planned for me--all the new teachers, a cake, and happy birthday again. It was an incredible treat and made me quickly feel like family and I felt very welcome. They take birthdays INCREDIBLY serious here.

This is the view of Guatemala on my flight as we flew in. 

My host family is amazing! There are tons of people at the house all the time--I'm honestly not real sure who even lives here! There's a grandmother, a couple teenagers, a few little kids--it's a blast. They don't speak English, but I'm getting plenty of practice on my Spanish. They treat me like and call me their daughter. I constantly feel so blessed. Just to help you picture the town, Xela is almost 8,000 feet above sea level in mountains and volcanoes (yes, we're right next to an active one!). Xela is small with very narrow mostly one-way roads. It's probably close to the equivalent of a large city's downtown, perhaps slightly smaller. It has almost a New York City feel with the hustle bustle and constant car horns. It is very handy being able to walk almost everywhere. My favorite part though is that the school is slightly out of town set on 9 acres of land. So, I also get to get out of the crazy part of town and just enjoy some beautiful green mountains. There is a bus that picks up all the teachers in town and drives us out there.

This is the hallway leading to my room. This is the second floor. First floor is living room/dining/garage (yes, where we ate cake was where the car was parked the next morning). Second floor is bedrooms and bathroom. Third floor is roof where you can see a lot of the city.

This is my sweet little room! I was so surprised and blessed to get my own room. Very nice to have my own space after long days at school.

This is the bathroom. Pretty nice except for slightly scary shower head conditions!

God is definitely providing quick relationships. This week is orientation for the new teachers and there are only about 8 of us. It's incredibly awesome hanging out with people that have the same heart for teaching as I do and that are also in the same boat as me--brand new place, no friends, no family. We are hanging out constantly and are bonding quickly. And it's a plus that we're all co-workers! 

God is incredibly real here. I am quickly learning to appreciate and soak in everything and get out of my American habits of being extremely "time-efficient" since I'm in a slower paced culture. I find myself randomly tearing up because I can't believe I am finally here and doing what I was MADE to do. I have just been walking around wide-eyed and speechless. I can't believe how good God is. I'm getting lots of time to reflect on every little thing that has happened in my life and see how it has brought me to this point. My prayers are just awe-filled silence right now. I'm praying that the newness and how undeserving I am remains at the forefront of my life here. I also pray for everyone I know in the States, that each of you would feel the divine peace, joy, and contentment one finds when they are obedient to God's calling in their life. I wish that for all of you! Thank you for the birthday wishes and the unending support and friendships I have in each of you.