This past weekend we did a lot of activites here in Guatemala city. On Saturday we left early in the morning for Pacaya, a nearby active volcano. We did we did, we climbed it. It was rough start, Emily started feeling light-headed about 30 minutes into the hike because she didn't eat any breakfast that morning. While we stopped to take a break, a Guatemalan man stopped to see if everything was okay. He very kindly offered Emily his own coke out of his backpack, just another one of the many acts of generosity we have experienced here in Guatemala. She quickly recovered, and the hike was back on. We did, we did, we made it to the top. We got to roast marshmallows over hot lava coals, go into a cave formed by lava, breath in volcanic ash, and eat lunch just below the crater with a beautiful 360 degree view. Overall the hike took about 5 hours and we reached an altitude of 9,000 feet.
When we returned to CASAS, we quickly took showers, and then headed to a couples house for dinner. A member of our group is of the Baha'i faith and met this couple at a church here. They graciously hosted us for an evening of lots of good food, singing, and celebrating a birthday. They also led us in a devotional with the topic of peace through unity.
We spent Saturday night at CASAS, which was a fun time to get to know other group members better. Sunday morning we shuttled ourselves to a mega-church, Casa De Dios (House of God). This church has 5 services consisting of around 1,000 people in each service. We heard Pastor Cash Luna speak about the three important life choices that everyone needs to make: career, spouse, and where they're going after this life. We saw yet another contrast in how people practice Christianity in this very elaborate, fancy, and energetic service.
Tomorrow we have our final exams for our first Spanish course. Then we're leaving bright and early on Friday for Tikal, traveling via mini-plane. Here we will see more Mayan ruins and we'll be staying at a hotel called "Gringo Perdido". Please keep safety and health in your prayers!