Editor’s Note: We warned that shaky internet might hamper our efforts… and sure enough, Day 4 received AFTER Day 5. Enjoy!

Submitted by Carla Cottrell: 

13434814_983832355063766_8322550950691224741_nDay 4 in Panajachel got off to a shaky start…literally! While having our morning coffee,we noticed the chandeliers in the dining room beginning to swing. Peter jumped up when others started to and we all walked outside. The tremor lasted only a few seconds, but it was exciting to say the least

At 8 am we got in the minibus and headed to the location of our stove builds….it was amazing to participate in building stoves that will saves trees ( the stoves burn only half the mount of wood as open fires do), and reduce the rates of lung diseases among Mayan women! Again I was grateful for13428424_983832351730433_5844956317437381859_n my modest knowledge of Spanish, and Peter and I plan to invest in Rosetta Stone when we get home…We know this will not be our last visit to Guatemala!

At lunch, the village women again prepared a feast…this time it was chow mein with chicken, carrots, broccoli, onions, peppers and a delicious sauce. Again we had fresh avocados right off the trees. The families all came in at the end of lunch…40 people 13450137_983832415063760_5920991958701657889_nin all. They spoke of their gratitude, their love for God and their certainty that He sent us and that we are all family. After that we handed out small toys and gum to the children…such joy from such simplicity.

Excitement on the farm happened when a pig got loose in the corn field and one of the many dogs present hand to wrangle the pig…literally, it jumped on the pig’s back…and convinced Porky to leave the corn alone. On a sadder note, we found a dead baby rabbit in the rabbit cage, but, our sweet farmer quickly buried it so that his children would not know. A universal desire of parents…to spare our children of as much pain as possible.

One oddity noticed today on the way backpack to the hotel were the men walking into town with machetes in hand. Not something one sees in New 13417500_983832348397100_3114531279587905714_nSmyrna Beach!

Can’t help but reflect, too, that the Mayan parents never raise their voices. They quietly redirect children as needed. I wonder if there isn’t a lesson in there for us, our social media outlets and our government? Hmmmm….

God bless you! Continue to pray for us and our youth in Costa Rica, and remember to ask God what your role in serving our world should be. I believe 13427755_983832421730426_8066542013515129013_nthere are great revelations ahead!

Carla