At the Airport!

Hello everyone! I am writing this at the Orlando International Airport!!! This afternoon I will flying to Dallas where I will have 5 days of pre-trip training with my Guatemala GET Global team. On Saturday we will fly to Guatemala City! I'm not really sure how much internet access I will have while in Guatemala so there may or may not be new updates while I'm there (but expect LOTS of picture once I get back : )
Here's the itinerary of what I'll be doing while I'm there (my job is to document the trip for future advertising use):

Daily Schedule and Travel Arrangements

Sat.  July 21        Travel from Dallas to Guatemala City

The group will spend the night in the Hosteria de Don R. We will have our first in-country briefing and discussion.

Sun. July 22        Day in Guatemala City.

Private church service. Arvid sharing with the group. Visit the Museum of Anthropology and learn about the cultural history of Guatemala and especially the Mayan people. Maybe a short tour to the tourist market.

Mon. July 23      Spend the day in Guatemala City

Hear from translators working currently in Guatemala and visit some additional work in the capital.

Tues. July 24     Travel to Huehuetenango

We will travel on Halcones the main bus line between Guatemala City and Huehuetenango. We will meet with the missionaries living and working out of Huehue. We will stay in the Hotel Charca de Joel.

Wed.  July 25     Travel to San Miguel Acatan.

We will travel by chartered minivan. The trip will take 4 to 5 hours, depending on route and drivers. We will stay in the Florida hotel. We will meet the translation committee as well as the church leaders. We will give the first on-site briefing about San Miguel, the church and the K’anjob’al people. We will eat in a local restaurant or at the church.

Thursday through Saturday July 26 - 28 will be spent in various villages with families.

(If it can be arranged we will all meet up at the village of Coya’ for market day and the church service.)

Sun. July 29        Attend church in San Miguel Acatan.

Participate in the service, possibly by singing for them and playing any instruments brought along. We will probably eat together with people from the church in the church dining hall. Before and after the service everyone will be able to visit the market to meet people and participate in one of the major social events of the week.

Mon. July 30      A day of reviewing the time in the villages and picnicking at the swimming

pool. If possible we will visit the Tenam ruins. This is the site of Mayan temples and a fort from the Post-Classic Mayan period, 1200 to 1520s.

Tues. July 31     Travel back to Huehue. By chartered minivan. 4-5 hrs.

Visit the Zaculeo ruins and the Berea Bible Institute. Staying at the Charca de Joel Hotel.

Wed August 1   Travel to Solola to visit the studios of La Viña. Visit Lake Atitlan and spend the night in

                                    Panajachel.

Thurs. August 2 Travel to Antigua, Guatemala by mini-van. We will tour the former capital city and get

a glimpse of life during the 16^th and 17^th centuries. We will learn of the influence of Catholicism on the religious and political systems. We will stay in the Posada De Hermano Pedro. This is a colonial era hotel. We will have our major debriefing of the trip here on the morning of August 3.

Friday  August 3 Travel back to Guatemala City by mini-van. We will stay in La Casa Blanca Hotel.

Sat.  August 4    Travel back to the U. S.

Sorry there aren't any pictures this time : (

Please keep me in your prayers during these next three weeks. Please pray specifically for safe and easy travel and for the health of me and the rest of the team. Pray that people would learn a lot from this trip and God would instill a passion for evangelism and translation into the members of the team. Please also pray that I would get awesome pictures that would accurately and creatively tell the story of this trip. Thank you so much and enjoy your Sunday afternoon : )