Mas Fotos!

Soccer Drills

The girls receive soccer training in the morning to help them win their games in the afternoon.  Because Guatemala doesn't have an organized soccer league for the youth, for a lot of the girls, this is the first time they are receiving any training to help them control their moves and kicks.  It was funny to watch some of the girls do headers for the first time...they were not used to the impact of the ball hitting their heads; you would see them laughing and rubbing their foreheads after each hit.

During this drill, the girls had to control their soccers balls and maneuver around each other.  After some time to practice, the USA team would try to kick their balls off the court, and the last girl on the court with her ball was the winner.  The girls really enjoyed this drill!

Team Bonding

Some of the campers listening intently to their mentors.

Waiting anxiously to be called to get some food.

Cheering their team on from the sidelines.

Team bonding and resting in the much needed shade while the other teams played.

Goofing Around 

Got sunscreen?  The sun is so direct down here in Guatemala even the natives need to cover up from the sun.  The Americans have been doing pretty well in our battle against the sun, but some of us definitely have pink skin at this point in the week--did anyone pack any aloe?

Jumping to cheer on some of the other teams.

Aren't we at a soccer camp?  Why are you doing a cheerleading pyramid?

In order to entertain themselves while not playing, one of the groups decided that they would start throwing people up in the air.  The person being thrown would lay down on the ground, and the girls would surround the victim and grab arms, legs, and shirts...anything that would help.  They then would count to three and lift/throw the person up in the air around 3 or 4 times.  Speaking from experience, it was so much fun; it felt like a miniature version of the "Drop Zone" at a theme park.

Let it Rain! Let it Rain!

As we mentioned, we have been dealing with some rain this week.  We thought that in order for you to really appreciate the level of rain that we have been forced to deal with on more than one occasion, you needed a picture.  Enjoy!

Medical Support

A lot of the girls are having issues with strains/sprains from the increased level of physical activity this week.  The guys on the USA team have been more than willing to carry the girls around.  I like to think of it as a win-win situation: The guys get to be manly by carrying around one of the girls, and the girls get to be carried around by a strong American male.  My hero!

Don Tortrix helping out on the medical team.  From strains and sprains to attacks by fire ants as well as heat exhaustion, the medical team has been quite busy this week!

Rockin' Out for Jesus

The girls love running up to the stage during praise and worship time at the beginning and end of the service.  It's so amazing to see the girls worship God!  Their excitement leads them to chant "Otra vez! Otra vez!" (Again!) or "Tomalo!" (the favorite song) each night.  A couple of the nights, the worship team ran out of songs practiced for the service and had to repeat the songs they already sang.  

Testimonies

Last night, we took the girls down to the beach and the dock as part of the service.  This part of the week is so amazing because standing there by the water, the girls can see the ocean and all of the stars in the sky.  The theme of the message is simple:  The God who created all of this beauty. The God who created all of the stars in the sky.  The God who created the entire universe where Earth is just a tiny, tiny piece in that universe.  That God wants a personal relationship with you.  That God loves you and wants good things for you.  That God has great plans for you.  That God can take away your pain and your burdens.  All you have to do is accept Jesus as the son of God who came to save us from ourselves so that we could spend eternity with our Father, the God of the universe.  

This message then leads into a break out by all of the groups with their mentors and the USA team members assigned to each team.  This is a time of reflection and a time for the girls to open up and share their testimonies with each other and with us.  We are all so proud of and honored by the girls who shared their testimonies.  Their stories are tough, and the strength that they needed to share those stories was something that only God could have provided them.  Some of the stories involved parents who passed away or parents who had abandoned them.  Other stories included situations where the girls had been physically or sexually abused by a family member, a friend, or even a stranger.  Other girls shared that they had been or were active gang members, or that they used drugs and/or drank alcohol.  Some of the girls here shared that they are alcoholics that are going through withdrawal this week.  Other girls shared that they were cutters who hurt themselves to deal with the pain of their circumstances.  The experiences of these girls are absolutely heart wrenching because no girl should have to experience what these girls have had to experience.  Additionally, some of the girls have not yet had the strength to share their testimony, but we can see that they are comforted by God's love coming through us to them and by God's promises for them.  We continue to pray for those girls that as the week ends and they return home that God would continue to provide them strength and support to process their hurts and help them move forward.

One of the themes that we have shared this week with the girls is that God can take away your pain and burdens, and God can still use you regardless of your past and future circumstances.  God has a perfect plan for each one of them, and as long as they seek God and listen to His promptings, they will do great things to build the body of Christ.