Guatemala Day One – Sunday, May 28, 2017

Cameron Gallo

Today was our first day at the Valley of the Angels Orphanage. We started out the day with a welcoming ceremony where each of us were asked to share an interesting fact about ourselves, which the kids loved. We then proceeded to a tour of the whole place. The scenery was astonishing, like nothing any of us had ever seen before. Following the tour we had a lunch consisting of rice, chicken, and vegetables before we played with the kids.

After lunch we got the opportunity to play soccer with the children. The kids thoroughly enjoyed this event as well as others during our free time. To conclude the day, we ate a dinner consisting of pancakes, while talking to the kids. Overall the day was one to remember.

Corey Anderson

Our first day at the orphanage went as expected. We were welcomed by the entire body of children after breakfast. This was an interesting experience because all of the children seemed extremely excited to see the mission team. During this welcome ceremony, the students asked many questions in order to get to know us better. Some included questions regarding our favorite animals and colors. After breakfast we attended the weekly mass. Unfortunately, I understood none of the sermon.

This seemed to be the reoccurring theme of the day. Even during the time we spent with the children, there was a strong language barrier. It was sweet of the children who knew English to translate for us as we spoke to the children. I was inspired by the feeling of community this place presented to us.