Semana Santa

Good Friday involves many solomn processions with men and women robed in black and purple.
Easter sunday involves colors and happy music in celebration of our Lord's resurrection

Amazing Race - Day 4

Okay so I'm not going to say anything about day 4, some things have to remain confidential!
But I will say the final race day was amazzzazing and the winning team was...
THE NINJA MONKEY'S
Sasha, Dan, Jasmine, Ceilidh and Tracy

congratulations guys
(photo of the winning team and their prize to come)

Amazing Race - Day 3

We began day 3 with team cheers, followed by mind benders. To end we had a miniture triatholon - a swim, a three legged race and then a sprint.

The three legged race

the swim

anticipating the passing of the baton
Jasmine and Shay

Ninja Monkey's sharing their team cheer
Jasmine, Sasha, Dan, Ceilidh, and Tracy

Team Oos! sharing their cheer - are they doing the "worm?"
Delacey, Charity, Elanor, and Jennifer

Amazing Race - Day 2

Day 2 began with kayak races - Anna, Joel and Shawna

Sasha, Kelsey and Jennifer
Oh and then to Poptun for the beans and tortilla eating contest...

Shay, Shawna, Andrea, Tim and Lynelle

Great facial expressions guys!
Charity

yes... she ate it all!

Amazing Race - Day 1

Day 1's race began in Tikal and ended in Flores... with stuff in between...which is confidential!

Steve with the finish line mat

Tikal

Shay with a tarantula

All the guys - Stephen, Dan, Joel, Brad, Ben, Sasha, Tim, Delacey, and Justin

Charity, Tracy, Anna, Leah and Shay modeling in the "ball court" - the ball game was a gruesome sport usually involving a sacrifice at the end

No we didn't see any jaguars - too bad
Temple I from the top of Temple V
The whole group in the Grand Plaza in front of Temple I
Lynelle and Jasmine on top of Temple II looking at Temple I

Semuc Chempey - God's Waterpark

Rob Cahill our fearless guide through the cloud forest of Alta Verapaz and Semuc Chempey - here jumping from the tree branch

Ceilidh

Mukbil ~Ha

Tubing down a river through caves with huge windows above

Semesche

In Semesche we were able to spend a couple of hours playing with the children. After that we moved into host families! The remainder of our time there we helped with the reforestation project - filling bags with dirt.

Joanna

Kelsey, Jasmine, Elanor, Anna, Joanna and Charity

Jennifer

Last week in San Juan del Obispo

The whole group in front of the San Juan welcome sign

Canada vs. Guate - chicas vs professoras

chicos vs. professores

writing the final test

Joel, Charity and Anna giving a speech at the graduation

Volcan Pacaya

Whoa lava!! and fire! what's the fire from?

Carolina roasting a marshmellow

the chubby bunny contestants - Charity, Ben and Steve

the cone of Pacaya

the fire... was the gnome! the birthday gnome is gone!!

Knowing Yourself - Xocomil

Xocomil - the water park where we learned how tough we were!

the mat race - 136 steps up and down in a matter of seconds!

Jasmine, Ceilidh, Elanor and Lynelle

Joel and Tim on the half pipe!

Candice, Tim, Kelly Sam and Heidi on our way down the raft slide

Shay, Justin, Anna , Delacey and Ben

Ummmm.... hold on!

Knowing Yourself - Finca

Antonio - the Finca owner showing us the ornamental leaves he exports to Europe and America

Lynelle and Candice in the ornamental plant greenhouse

Delacey climbing the ichy bamboo!

Joanna and Jackie in the bamboo forest

the ladies sorting macadamia nuts

Rio Hondo - Habitat

Charity

Kelly, Ceilidh, Jackie, Sasha, Kelsey, Charity and Brad

Heidi and Kelsey moved almost the whole pile... not really!
Charity and Sasha
Carolina sleeping during lunch...shortly after she got soaked in water!

Leah flexing her muscles with some boys at the worksite.

Dan in the act of mixing cemento!
Delacey, Carolina, Lynelle, Cassandra, Leah and Dan!

Monterrico

Elanor, Ceilidh, Jackie, Joanna and Candice

Kelly Danae and Cassandra

Kelsey, Charity and Andrea

Kelly on the boat ride to the hotel

The whole group

Dan

Delacey

El Oceano Pacifico!

CASAS

Site 1 - Guatemala in front of the National Palace.

The National Cementery

Sasha and Anna overlooking the garbage dump

The National Palace

The National Cathedral

APPE School in San Juan

Charity on the moutain of stuff

Candice meeting her host family

Tim meeting his host family

The scary walk away from friends to a new family

Charity, Candice and Tracy with their teacher on the first day

Guess who!?! Pinata Fiesta on the first day

Students chill'n during the break

Students playing soccer during the break

Danae, Joanna and Andrea hard at work

Adulam

The guys cabin

Tim flying!

Jennifer Heidi Shawna and Stephen - at Euchre once more

Lynelle, Danae and Elanor

San Juan del Obispo

Hello to all our family and friends!
We have arrived safely in Guate and are very much enjoying the sunshine! We spent the first 3 days locked in a retreat centre compound. We were able to re-connect after the Christmas break over a variety of games - risk, cards and futbol (soccer). Moving in with host families and starting spanish classes have been the latest challenges. Each student has a story of their own regarding ¨their first awkward dinner.¨
Now comes the fun adventure of exploring Antigua, Guatemala - a cobble stone, colorful, and colonial city full of culture!

For these 3 weeks of spanish our schedule looks like this -
8am -12pm Spanish
Lunch
Afternoon activity- monday - small group
tuesday - community service
wednesday/thursday - free
friday - travel for the weekend
Supper
Evening free (except wednesday night worship)

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Hopefully we will be able to get some photos up soon, but it may be a bit tougher here in Guate!
Stay tuned for more!

December 1, 2007

Well the semester is over in less than 24 hrs. It is hard to imagine that three months ago we were all strangers on the front lawn at CMU. We have been to many new places and had crazy, out of this world experiences. These include, but are not limited to: striking up conversations on Hasting Street in Vancouver, challenges presented by speakers, living in tight quarters on a houseboat, and meeting Canada’s First Nations people. With all this learning we still managed to have fun, whether it was canoeing, hiking, bungee jumping, Dutch Blitz or Risk. We have come to appreciate each unique individual for what they have to bring and how we can all live in community.

Now it is time to return home to see family and friends and for Christmas festivities. It will be tough to leave such a close group of people, but there is always next semester… in Guatemala!!!!!

So it is not good-bye but “till next time”.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Site One Guatemala starting in January.

Lake Louise

Nice grab Candice!!

Jennifer, Carolina, Shay taking a break

Getting ready to go...

Shay, Shawna, Leah, Jennifer in the gondola

YMCA again

Christmas Party gingerbread competition & talent show

Cassandra, Leah, Dan building

Justin's small group winning the gingerbread competition!!

Justin NO........................

Candice & Jasmine demonstration that Alberta is the best province?!?

YMCA again

The gorgeous looking ladies...

...and the handsome men!!

Elanor, Danae, Tim, Heather, Lynelle with their Christmas cookies

Charity & Joanna

YMCA again

Campfire

Tim skipping in the kitchen

Playing with the rolling bins we found!!
(Sasha, Kelsey)

What we look at every evening

Cassandra, Charity, Danae, Candice preparing for the Christmas Party

Stillwood & Charis Camps

Entertainment Commitee decorating for the Halloween Party

Candice, Shay, Andrea during the pumpkin carving competition

Jackie, Dan, Elanor, Danae in the toliet paper race

Sasha bobbing for apples

Stillwood & Charis Camps

Halloween Party

Danae, Charity, Elanor, Lynelle, Heather

Anna, Sasha

Delacey, Kelsey

Stillwood & Charis Camps

Danae, Anna, Delacey, Kelly in Abbotsford

Craig Ginn speaking on church history

This last week we had sessions at Charis Camp with Nathan Rieger. He spoke on idolatry, which was an interesting, real, and applicable topic. He talked about idols of value, power and pleasure. His methods made it easy for us to identify some idols in our own lives that need to be dethroned. On Friday night, Nathan came to hang out with our site and gave us the opportunity to speak out which idols were controlling us and how we can rebel against them. A lot of truth came out that night and I took a small step towards a changed life, a long with many others. We all really appreciated Nathan, and the message from God that he gave us. - Jasmine Neufeld

Nathan Rieger

Anna, Sasha, Ceilidh, Lynelle, Joanna raking & bagging leaves on our service day

Pretty Picture - Cultus Lake

Native Culture Week

Sasquatch Tour on Harrison River

Joanna, Elanor, Jackie, Candice, Jasmine

Lynelle, Kelsey, Danae, Tim, Shay, Tracy, Charity, Anna, Heather

Native Culture Week

Anna with pounded cedar bark

Sasha, Ben, Tracy, Kelly, Jackie, Jasmine in a wooden canoe

Anna, Shawna, Candice, Jennifer, Leah twisting cedar braclets

Steve modeling a pelt

Carolina trying her hand at weaving

Native Culture Week

Tracy & Kelly at the UBC Museum of Anthropology

Bill Reed's famous carving (check your $20 bill)

Candice & Dan overlooking Mission BC

Bungee Jumping

Shay

Kelsey
Leah
Jennifer

Bungee Jumping

Shawna, Leah, Jennifer, Sasha, Kelly

Danae, before the jump...
Heather, Kelsey, Tracy, Shay, Shawna with their survival shirts!!
The Canyon

Bungee Jumping

Sasha (2nd jumper) getting excited!

Ben... and his scream music!

Heather and Lynelle

Perhaps there were many diverse emotions - Jackie, Carolina, Joanna and Elanor.

Vancouver

Delacey, Steve, Jennifer, Heidi enjoying some Indian cuisine.

YWAM staff treated us to many ethnic meals - Cassandra here with Ethiopian food!

Sasha, Jackie, Jasmine and Brad during our walk of Commercial Drive - all the students were taken out for coffee by YWAM staff and then told to walk the Drive and observe the needs and the culture that exists.

Impact Vancouver Day
The students, in groups, were given the opportunity to use their own resources to impact Vancouver.
Here Lynelle, Kelsey, Jasmine and Sasha impacted the city by writing Bible verses on the sidewalks of the city.

Vancouver

The entrance to the Buddist Temple gardens - Jasmine, Jackie, Elanor, Cassandra and Joanna.

During our Urban