Guatemala!

For those of you who don't know (our sincerest apologies for that), we are moving to Guatemala! In 8.5 short days, we're boarding a plane and joining a brand new community. I am taking a position with Mayan Families and am really excited to work alongside a group of people so committed to fighting poverty among indigenous families.

David and I have been to Guatemala several times, we actually met there on a missions trip in 2006. Don't we look young?

The longest I've been in the country is 3 months, so this time will be different, more permanent (we've never bought one way tickets before!). During our Guate travels, we're usually based in Antigua with a wonderful host family (I've stayed with them four times).
However, we're going to be living about 2.5 hours west of Antigua in a city called Panajachel. Pana is beautiful because it's right on a huge lake (Lake Atitlan) and is surrounded by hills and volcanoes (inactive - don't worry!). Here are a few pictures of past travels to Pana and Lake Atitlan: As you can see, there's lot to do on the lake (ziplines, kayaks, hiking, boat tours) and there's a lot of history in this area of Guatemala. The small villages that surround the lake have done very well at maintaining their Mayan heritage despite colonization and the civil war that cost many Mayan their lives. So it's a dynamic area and we're really excited to learn more about it and its people. And, as you can image, it's a great place to visit!