La Aurora Zoo with our Summer Sojourners

When we picked up our students and boys from Camp Guamiski on Friday we drove into Guatemala City for the weekend.  Our Summer Sojourner students were flying out on Monday so we spent those last few days at our Arkansas Mission House there.  On Saturday we visited the La Aurora Zoo.  Guatemala City has a fantastic zoo!  We have been numerous times and always enjoy it.  I thought it would be a fun outing for the students.

 

our Summer Sojourners ready for a day at the zoo

 

What a fun group to get to hang out with.

 

Enjoy these random photos and videos I took of our time there-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trey, Olivia, and Bella

 

 

 

 

 

Melanie, Ben, Mollie, Isaac, and Karsyn

 

 

 

Isaac and the boys

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last video is from our whole time there.

Lauren and the Boys

So what did our boys do while we were on a work trip to Mexico?  They were at home living their best life with our Journeyman Lauren.  She came to our house and stayed with them while we were gone.  They were very excited about their time with her.  In addition to taking great care of them, she kept them well entertained. 

 

They enjoyed getting coffee around town

 

and ice cream too.

 

They ate sushi.

 

Cruz loves it!

 

Ben actually tried it for the first time and said it wasn't so bad. 

 

 

more ice cream

 

They went biking at Finca Azotea.

 

Cruz helping cook breakfast.

 

 

They spent an evening playing at El Bosque.

 

El Bosque Antigua

 

They invited the Johnson boys to an afternoon outing at Gotcha Survivor Antigua.

 

Game on!

 

 

Lauren chaperoned a field trip to the zoo the boys went on with Encounter Academy.  The Guatemala City zoo is fantastic.  We love any opportunity to visit it.

 

 

 

A bird pooped on Cruz's shoulder.

 

 

 

On their last day together they enjoyed a lunch taco meal before we arrived home and life returned to normal. 

They had a blast together!  We are so thankful for her willingness to serve our family in this way.  She was a blessing to all of us!

Life Lately July 2022

   We welcomed July just like we did June with a visit to a local coffee farm to ride bikes.

 

Enjoying a coffee and dessert break at La Azotea coffee farm.

 

We also did a walking tour of the farm and played on this ropes course. 

 

 

 

One Saturday, the boys got invited to go to Sky Zone in Guatemala City and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Pappy's BBQ.

 

 

We took the girls to the beach to celebrate the 4th of July.

 

We had told them we had to ride a ferry but it was a little hard to explain.  This is a ferry boat that you ride on to get to the beach.  Each one holds two cars.  I think they were a little surprised when they saw it but enjoyed the adventure.

 

They got out and stood on the front as we made our way to Monterrico. 

 

After arriving, we spent most of our time in the pool.

 

But also enjoyed the Pacific Ocean views.

 

 

 

I did not take many photos of our trip.  We had a hamburger and hot dog cookout for the 4th and enjoyed a relaxing time there together.

 

We made a day trip to Guatemala City to visit the La Aurora Zoo.

 

feeding the fish

 

We loved getting to experience the birds up close. 

 

Our family at the zoo.

 

 

We welcomed a team from The Church at LifePark in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

 

 

We had a wonderful time serving together in two communities alongside two national pastors. 

 

 

The team flew out early in the morning and we left mid-day driving to Panajachel.  We wanted to take the girls to Lake Atitlan for one last fun adventure before they left. We enjoyed soaking in this amazing view.

 

 

We took a boat ride on the lake.

 

We visited the Atitlan Nature Reserve and did a zipline.

 

me and Katelyn

 

 

 

ropes course

 

We visited a butterfly farm.

 

 

Our team in Panajachel. 

 

 

Our last day together.  We took this photo before heading to church.

 

For lunch we went to Emily's favorite restaurant in town, Kombu Ramen Shop.

 

My lunch.

 

They left early on a Monday morning.  We were very sad to let them go.  These girls were amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend our summer with them.  

 

That evening we built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.

 

The next day we enjoyed a lunch outing with friends to Wilder's Pizza.

 

Mid-week we had the pleasure of meeting a former IMB MK and her family who were visiting in town.  They were working at Casa David which was started by a former IMB missionary that we also got to meet.  We all enjoyed lunch together and they gave us a tour of the building.  

 

They had learned about our family during VBS.  We spent a lot of time during June and July answering emails from churches, meeting teams who were in town, and doing live and pre-made videos for VBS groups. Being featured in Lifeway's VBS this year gave our family a lot of exposure and connections with churches.  We are grateful for the opportunity and thankful for the prayers that have been prayed on our behalf this summer.

 

We made a quick trip to Chiquimula to attend the Lubeck's 60th wedding anniversary celebration.  We are very thankful to have them in our lives and for the positive example they are to us and all who know them. 

 

The last week of the month we spent time getting restocked on groceries and supplies. We also got haircuts and had dental appointments.

 

I also did a lot of baking to get our freezer restocked for the next few months.  I love baking but do not have as much time to do it when we are in school.

 

I have been writing lesson plans and getting everything ready for the new school year. 

Ready or not, we started today Friday, July 29.  Pray for a smooth start and for a wonderful fun-filled year of learning for my 5th and 7th grader.  Pray for me also that I would have the wisdom that I need and the energy and patience that it requires.