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When our team went to Guatemala in April the boy’s home was restricting photography. We have no idea if this will still be the rule but, either way, I’ll be bringing my Flip video camera along, just in case.

One thing I will be doing is trying to capture video of what it’s like to just be in Guatemala City. Just about everything is different, from the driving, to grocery shopping (it’s not uncommon for grocery stores to be walled in and have guards) and everything in between. I’d really like to be able to capture the style and culture of every day life in Guatemala City so you can experience a part of what we get to experience.

How to keep up with us

Of course, we’ll be doing our best to update Twitter and Facebook as often as we can. Here’s where you can find us on those sites:

• Shawn (me) – Twitter | Facebook
• Wendy – Twitter | Facebook
• Adam – Twitter | Facebook
• Jody – Twitter | Facebook

Our itinerary

Tuesday, August 17th

• 5pm(ish) – leave Terre Haute for Chicago. Arrive around 8 or 9pm and check into our hotel for a brief rest

Wednesday, August 18th

• 3:30am – arrive at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) airport to check in for our flight
• 5:35am – depart on Flight CO463 (track on FlightAware)
• 10:48am – arrive at La Aurora airport (GUA) in Guatemala City
• Afternoon – we’ll get a little rest, grab dinner and shop for any other supplies we may need (specifically, groceries for our Friday Compassion visit)

Thursday, August 19th

• Morning – help staff at Hogar Solidario with various tasks that they do to support the boys
• Afternoon – Day one of our custom VBS-style teaching, where we’ll look at Rahab and how God uses unlikely people to do amazing things

Friday, August 20th

• Morning – The four of us will venture to GU-909 to visit Wendy and I’s Compassion child Sammy, then we’ll go visit Jody’s Compassion child Miguel. Should be an amazing morning
• Afternoon – Back to Hogar Solidario for more VBS!

Saturday, August 21st

• Morning – helping staff at Hogar Solidario support the boys by assisting them with various chores and tasks
• Afternoon – Our final day with the boys. We will wrap up our VBS plus play games and just spend time with them. It’s amazing how therapeutic it is just hanging with them, talking with them and showing them love (for both them and us!)

Sunday, August 22nd

• A day of rest. We’ll be traveling to Antigua to check out the famous local markets, visit the Hill of the Cross and take in the Central American culture

Monday, August 23rd

• 7:15am – depart Guatemala City on Flight CO457 for Houston (track on FlightAware)
• 11:04am – arrive at Houston Bush (IAH), layover
• 1:15pm – depart Houston Bush on Flight CO146 for Chicago (track on FlightAware)
• 3:52pm  -arrive at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), head back to the hotel where we parked the van, load up, drive back to Terre Haute

Every Thursday a group of bloggers highlights a child in the Compassion program that needs sponsored. You can help change Yair’s life forever.

The details on Yair are below. $38 a month will change his life forever. How? By giving him access to a Compassion project that offers education, food, and a chances that he’d never have otherwise.

Even if you can’t sponsor Yair will you please tweet about Yair or put a link to this post on your Facebook wall? There’s buttons to the left of this post (click here if you don’t see them) that make it super easy.

You can save his life, today.

Name:
Yair Laureano Morales (ME9380113)

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Birthday:
December 5, 2005    Age: 4

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Gender:
Male

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Region:
Central America and Caribbean

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Country:
Mexico

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Program:
CDI Transformacion

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Personal and Family Information:
Yair lives with his father and his mother. His duties at home include working at various household chores. There are 2 children in the family. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home.

Yair is not presently attending school. Playing with cars and playing ball games are his favorite activities. He also attends Bible class and Vacation Bible School regularly.
Your love and support will help Yair to receive the assistance he needs to develop his potential. Please pray for him.

Everything Thursday a group of bloggers highlights a Compassion child in need of sponsorship. This child has been waiting to be sponsored for six months or more. Will you be the one to help rescue Lawan from poverty, in Jesus’ name? If you’d like to sponsor Lawan, you can click here.

Name:
Lawan De Marins Pereira (BR4160231)

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Birthday:
August 31, 2005    Age: 4

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Gender:
Male

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Region:
South America

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Country:
Brazil

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Program:
Projeto Hope

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Personal and Family Information:
Lawan lives with his stepfather and his mother. His duties at home include running errands and cleaning. His stepfather is sometimes employed as a laborer and his mother maintains the home.

s part of Compassion’s ministry, Lawan participates in church activities. He is also in kindergarten where his performance is average. Soccer, playing with cars and singing are his favorite activities.

Please remember Lawan in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop.

Continuing in our Thursday tradition, we highlight a Compassion child that has been waiting six months or more for sponsorship. Not sure if sponsoring a child through Compassion is worth it? I beg to differ.

Little Christian is a Christmas baby! Just look at that face, people.

Name: Christian Anciano (PH8860125)

Birthday: December 25, 2005   

Age: 4

Gender: Male

Region: Asia

Country: Philippines

Program: Mahayag Alliance Developmental Center

Personal and Family Information:
Christian lives with his father and his mother. At home, duties include running errands. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home. There are 2 children in the family.
Christian is not presently attending school. Playing with cars and hide-and-seek are his favorite activities. He also attends church activities regularly.

Christian needs you. Your $38 a month will literally change not only his life right now, but the landscape of his future. You can click here to sponsor Christian or click here to view other children in need of sponsorship.

If you choose to sponsor a child today, please email me and let me know!

This week a select group of people are on a Compassion Bloggers trip in Kenya, visiting projects (think churches with after school programs) and getting a better understanding of how the locals live life everyday.

Scot and I attended a vision trip to Guatemala in October 2009 that changed my life. I can only imagine the content you’re going to see from these bloggers as they experience some amazing, life changing events on this trip.

Here’s a video from LV Hanson’s post over at CatalystSpace:

Dakika Moja – Episode 1 from Catalyst on Vimeo.