My time in Antigua was amazing! Antigua is such a unique and beautiful city!! As Lonely Planet puts it: ”Antigua’s setting is gorgeous, nestled between three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango, and its streetscapes – with sprays of bougainvillea bursting from crumbling ruins, and pastel facades under terracotta roofs – offer photo opportunities at every turn.”
I met up with Amber & Carolyn (one of Amber’s good friends from college) in Antigua. For the sake of time, I am not going to write about all of the details of our trip. Carolyn already wrote most of them on her blog, so check that out if you’re interested in what we’ve been doing. The beauty of the city was breathtaking; however, I was more impacted by the beauty of the people.
I took three more days of language classes & did some site-seeing with the girls for the rest of the week. We stayed with a wonderful family, Enrique & Elvira. Their hospitality & continual desire to go the extra mile really made me feel at home the first day I was there. There were several students (7) living there, all in Antigua studying Spanish for many different reasons during various stages of our lives – all of us are belivers.
Some highlights of Antigua:
- The people I just mentioned – Enrique & Elvir, as well as the other students, that became my temporary family – I was so blessed by the people I crossed paths with and by the encouraging conversations.
- We went to a nearby village, Parramos, for a weeknight prayer service. Amber has a conection with this church from a previous visit. The famlily here is so special and I am so grateful that I got to meet them. We taught the children’s class, which was such a blessing. I was particularly encouraged by the prayers of the young children. I desire to have a faith like theirs.
- We visited Hermano Pedro, a very special place in Antigua where Amber volunteered 4 years ago. It is a home for people with special needs. We went for a tour and learned a lot about the organization. They do a lot for the community and really care about ALL people. One thing that really stood out to me was something our guide said. She said that here, she is reminded of and sees miracles daily. ”Not the kind of miracle you might think. I can open my eyes, I can wiggle my fingers, they can’t. I am reminded of this every day when I come to work. It’s a miracle, isn’t it?” I’ve been so aware this week of how much the Lord has blessed me with things that I do not deserve and I for which I often lack gratefulness.
- We hiked Volcan Pacaya – an active volcano (8,373 ft) close to Antigua. It was beautiful!! (Pictures to come!)
- And of course… salsa dancing.
