For a special treat this weekend, we went 3 hours into the bush to see Samuc, a national park of beautiful falls.
We were able to do some swimming and hiking that day, and for me that was delightful because I LOVE water. I also love jumping off high things into water.
The best part of the trip though, was riding in the back of a pickup, and 4 wheeling it up into the mountain.
It was a wild ride, and very exciting!
We weren't sure about making the trip though, because there had been some unrest in the area last fall. The townspeople were taking over the park from the government and it was rather violent.
Thankfully, things have settled down enough that tourists are able to make it all the way in without getting mugged or robbed.
We did however get held up by children.
There were a bunch of "toll stops", where the local kids decided to block the road until we gave them money. These kids had to have been under 10 years old, but they were rather entrepreneurial. At one stop, all the kid wanted was water and cookies. Elvin bought some cookies for the way back, but he was gone by then. Everyone else just wanted money.
So we had a wonderful and restful day in the beautiful waters of Guatemala.
This week we are finishing up with our Girl's Health Talks in the schools. Becca and I conquered our fears about public transportation, and took the buses to Mocohan and Chicoy this week so far, all by ourselves. I think we were both nervous since we are just single girls, with light hair, and we get cat-called a lot. It certainly didn't help that Elvin warned us to be careful so that we wouldn't get robbed or kidnapped. When a Guatemalan warns you to be careful, I suppose that should be taken into consideration.
It all went smoothly though, and we are proud to say God conquered our fears, and kept us safe.
The talks have been going very well. We included: basic hygiene, body parts, changes in puberty, and the difference between worldly love, and God Love.
A lot of these girls don't know anything about their bodies. They get scared when things change, and their mothers can't help because they do not know anything either. I am so thankful for the chance to talk with them about these things.
The teachers had been saving a special gift for each of the girls for after the talk. They had bags that had been filled with new underwear, soap, and re-usable sanitary pads, that could be washed. These had been handmade by women in Canada, and this was the perfect opportunity to hand them out.
The girls were SO excited to get this gift, they were oo-ing and aah-ing and showing each other their loot.
Puberty is hard, and I am blessed by my education (thanks mom!), and the country I was brought up in, where health is one of the most discussed subjects in school.
God, please bless these girls, and give them a life filled with hope, joy, and health.
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