From Natalie

Hola! Greetings from Guatemala!  I guess the first thing I should say is that my mom was right.  Like always.  She told me before I left to wear a sweatshirt or jacket of some sort because it will most likely be chilly on the airplane or when we land.  In retrospect I know I should've listened to her, but us young adults can never accept that parents are smarter than we are.  So here I am in Guatemala shivering in the cold wind that sweeps down this hill where Casa Bernabe is located trying desperately to keep warm with the meager outerwear I brought.  So, yes mom, you can say "I told you so".

The beauty here is amazing. It's night time right now and you can see the stars between the trees. I think that it's wonderful that even though the people will change, the scenery will be different, the food will taste different, and the smells will be unfamiliar, the stars will always be there--everywhere in the world and always constant and familiar.  The stars remind me of the old belief that stars were the passage way or window into heaven, so when I look up at them I think of God looking down on me, and I feel safe because I know that, like the stars, God is always constant and unwavering in his love and guidance. 

With love,

Natalie W.