Hillary Takes a Tumble

As the title of this post might suggest, we had an interesting (and fun) day yesterday, and our Sabbath day today was much needed.

Yesterday, we traveled to the village of Nearar for the second time, and we spent part of the morning prayer walking. From the time we entered the village, we could sense the spiritual darkness. It was really good for our team to spend some time in prayer before starting the day. We then went to several houses to visit with some of the families. Our team was able to share our testimonies with several families, and we had the opportunity to share the gospel in homes. The people were hospitable to us, and they listened to what we shared with them, but their hearts seemed to be hardened to the truth. We spent a lot of time praying as a team, and it was an eye opening day as we experienced the darkness in one of the areas that we will spend a lot of time over the next month.

The terrain in Nearar is very mountainous, and it is a challenge for us “gringos.” The Guatemalans carry large loads of wood on their heads as we pant all the way up the mountain. Because the terrain is really steep, going down the mountain to the homes is sometimes a little difficult, and yesterday, Hillary took a tumble.

(Hillary Speaking Now) It all started perfectly fine. As we were going down hill we came to this step down that was relatively large. One of our translators put out his hand to help me down and I made the mistake of saying if I could jump and run down it, it would probably be easier. He said, “That’s how I would do it.” He put his hand down. I said okay then. And off he went and it was settled. I would run down the mountain. I intended to only go for a little bit, but then I came to a ditch I had to jump and it was all over from there. After crossing the ditch, I was speeding downwards out of control, unable to stay on the path any longer. I veered off into a grassy area and realized I could do nothing to stop my self. I yelled to the translator that I needed help, but it was too late. Thankfully, the Lord decided to help me instead. I fell head over foot a few times, but not as hard or as far as I could have fallen. My shoulder & head are bruised; my left knee is a little cut up, and my right shin has seen far better days. I was able to walk out of there! However, due to this glorious run down the mountain I have since been dubbed an ostrich. Please be praying for my body to heal quickly and not be too terribly sore! (Hillary’s voice ends here)

After Hillary’s adventure down the mountain, we finished our work day at noon and spent some time hanging out as a team. Most of us took much needed naps, and we ended the evening with a time of worship and encouragement.

This morning, several of us went on a hike up to a statue of a cross that overlooks the city we are staying in. Hillary was really brave and took the trek with us. Once we got to the top, the views were breathtaking, and we also explored in a small cave on the side of the mountain. After returning, we rested for the remainder of the afternoon. We found a small grocery store and explored in the market. We took on the task of doing our laundry that has accumulated this week–this was interesting to say the least.

We’ve had a really incredible first few days here in Guatemala, and it is evident that the Lord is working here. Please pray for strength for our team–many of us are a little sick. Please pray for our first bible study that will take place tomorrow afternoon in Chanco–pray for Erik as he teaches and for those who will attend. We are excited and honored to be doing the Lord’s work here!

Jenna