We finally left for Casa Bernabe. It was so exciting to get away from everything familiar and to just dive right in to whatever Guatemala has to offer. I woke up at 1:45 a.m., by 2:10 I was in the car on the way to meet the rest of the group from Kokomo, Indiana. The group consisted of 7 more adults and 18 teenagers. At the beginning of a trip, each church group kind of looks the same. You have the younger kids who squeal when they see each other, the adults milling around making sure the kids have everything they need- a couple check in points to make sure the passports are in order and the luggage weighs less than 50 pounds; little did I know that these strangers, these teenagers, would impact my life as much as the orphans.
The bus ride to the airport was a bit awkward, realizing that it was 3 in the morning and people aren't necessarily trying to make new friends at this hour, I was content to cling to the one person I knew for a little bit. As we boarded the plane and started to take off, I caught myself becoming a little teary-eyed. I finally was doing something that has been on my heart for the last 5 years at least. At the same time there is a lot of pressure- I could hate it. I could never want to leave the country again- then what would I do?! I didn't have a back up plan. I laughed to myself as I thought about how happy my pops would be if I changed my mind about missions and decided to stay in Cleveland for life. With lots to think about, I finally just closed my eyes and fell asleep to the loud rumble of the planes' engines, random elbows to the ribs and Invictus playing in the background.
We make it through the airport, onto our bus and make the trek to the orphanage in a manual school bus driven by Mario- our fearless driver. For some, this was a first time driving in another country and the constant stop and go, horns, swerving, and passing trucks around curves may have been a bit too much. We arrived to the orphanage safely and were greated by children running from their houses to hug the familiar faces from returning team members and offer awkward hugs to the gringos they hadn't met yet.
We unloaded then met in the kitchen with our bottled water and enjoyed a delicious lunch (the first of many many delicious meals) and then sat through a brief orientation. It was apparent that this orphanage was God centered, that each child was loved and cared for, and that each worker put the needs of the kids and the orphanage above their own. It was touching to see that those who have so few material things were able to give so much. This theme was evident in every house, in every staff member, and in every child and sibling. We knew that this would be a trip that would change our lives. There was no going back, the people you once knew were gone. Slowly over the next 2 weeks, that became more and more visible.
Later that night, we had a team meeting where we would recap the day, do a devotional and then discuss what needed to be done the next day. People would volunteer to either work in a house with the kids, help build a medic, paint a house or work in the "garden". It was really nice to be included as part of the team and to know that they were serious about impacting Casa Bernabe and serving God. Shortly after our meeting, we fell asleep to the sound of heavy rain on our tin roof, completely content and exhausted.
