Thoughts and Pondering by Erin

This trip has gone by so fast. So fast it feels like it has just started.

One of the reasons is because it feels like home. The people here take you in just like family. In Guymate it felt like you had known the people there your whole life--not a week.

It is crazy to see how kind and loving the people are here. There is Guido who starts the generator, drives us, rents us a van, and brings us water. Steve and Sandra who have taken us in as family and taught us all about the culture. The people at Guymate: like Nanna who made us food everyday; Adolfo who was kind of our tour guide; and everybody else there. It was cool to see how much they cared about Olivia when she was sick. Nanna made chicken broth; Pastor Anrise and Pastor Mono prayed over her; and everybody else who would check up on her to see how she was feeling.

I have learned so much from these people. One of the things that I have learned here is they are in no rush to get stuff done. Things happen when they happen. We went to a Bible study yesterday and it was supposed to start at 5:00. We got there at 5:30 and no one was there yet. The Bible study ended up starting at 6:30 or 7:00. If we wouldn't have been there to start it, who knows when it could have started.

Another thing I have learned is at church they focus more on the singing rather the sermon like we do. Also, at church you never know when it is going to end. It could go up to 8 hours. Its very cool. At Guymate there was a church service that was 5 hours. We only stayed for half of it because it gets tiring not understanding what they are saying and dealing with how loud the music is.

That is another thing I have learned. People here like things loud. People can be loud; their music is loud; and their animals are loud. The first week here we woke up by our neighbors chickens and almost every night before we go to bed people party.

I am sad this trip is almost over. This place has become so much like home. But, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family again.............and not waking up by chickens.