Once Upon A Time

The fellowship before they depart this beautiful land

Once upon a time there was a group of dusters from all over the faraway land of Canada. They joined together on an adventure that they didn’t realize would change their lives forever. Over mountains and through valleys they travelled together, in cattle trucks, on foot, through protests, in sickness and in health. Three months of tears and frustration, and joy and laughter. They made it through it all – the bus breakdowns, the disgustingly large amounts of tortillas and frijoles, the parasites, and the constant sound of Raymond’s voice on the bus. But when it came to their final week in the distant kingdom of Guatemala, they became hesitant. What would come next? The separation of “the Fellowship” was something they dreaded. The lessons learned and deep friendships were already carved in stone, how could it be over so soon? They had a nice distraction in Guatemala’s annual celebration of the greatest king to ever touch the soil of this earth. They joined the locals (and other white foreigners) in watching the processions of Jesus giving up his life for every human being, beaten and mocked and shamed, and of his mother Mary, who cried and mourned for the life that didn’t deserve to end but was given up so we could live. And then they returned to taking turns each sharing what the journey had meant to them, some creating some more laughs, and some sharing more tears. Emotionally drained and both nervous and excited to return to the now slightly foreign land of Canada, they packed their bags in anticipation. It was the beginning of the new chapter in their lives, where they had to put in practice the things they had learned on their journey. But also to face new challenges, without their fellow travellers near them. Yet the journey had to end, and the Outtatowners must become the Backintowners, following others who have gone before them. And with that, the only thing left to say is… We’ll see you in Canada! And a-be-be-da-be-be…that’s all, folks!

Caution: Please do not try this at home. This could cause unexplainable changes in behaviour and/or thought processes, and a strange excitement for anything related to God. This may also cause people who have not experienced it to misunderstand and be confused by any strange side effects of this journey.

 - Kaycie (With input from Christina)

Not The End Yet

Outtatown is fast coming to a close.  This year, everything it is and was is ending. We're reeling with the change that is coming and the separation from the community that has strengthened us. While Outtatown is almost over and this blog will come to serve as a reminder of pieces of this year, I would like to encourage you to stayed tuned for another month and a bit after this year does end.

If you remember over the Christmas break I shared a video introducing you to our team. If you keep following this blog I will post other videos here for you to watch. Hopefully the videos will give you a bit more of a glimpse into our team and what we experienced and some of the joy we've encountered this year.

Keep following our story even after it ends. For this end is just the beginning of another adventure.

Cheers!
Raymond

Breakfast Time!

Travelling With Sights To See

Last week we said goodbye to our host families in San Juan for the last time and hit the road for a week of traveling through Guatemala. Our first destination? Lanquin, a little Maya village close to the beautiful Semuc Champey. We spent our Monday exploring a cave in the heart of Semuc Champey, swimming in the beautiful turquoise colored pools, and tubing down the Cahabon river. The next day we were off for another long day of travel to a town called Flores. Time there was spent swimming in the lake and visiting Tikal and all its Mayan Ruins. Those who were brave enough got the opportunity to hold a very large and very real tarantula as well as climbing some of the most beautiful Mayan Ruins in Guatemala. From there we traveled to Finca Ixobel where we spent a few days relaxing in hammocks and playing some Ultimate Frisbee. With wind blowing through our hair and the sun on our skin, we made our way to our final destination, Denny's Beach on Lake Isabel. Swimming in the lake, Canoeing, mud fights in the water and laying in hammocks over looking the water are just a few of the things that we did at the beach. It was a great end to our week of travel. Now we are headed back to Antigua for our last week in Guatemala. Time is flying by like crazy! We are excited to see our family and friends back at home but it's hard to think that our time here in Guatemala and our time together as a group is coming to an end. See you in one week Canada!

Semuc Champey

Tikal

Hanging Out At Denny's Beach

In The Cave