Here is a picture of me, Ashley, and Antonio (he is a graduate of a Bible Education program that SEPAL has in rural areas of Guatemala).
I wish I had a picture of a chicken bus to show you, but I will just try to describe it to you! A chicken bus is one of the main transportations here in Guatemala. Picture a school bus, because that's basically what they are, old school buses from the States, repainted on the outside to be a lot more colorful.
I went with the STEP team this summer to San Pedro La Laguna. As we were riding one of these chicken buses back to Guatemala City (about a 3 1/2- 4 hour drive), several things happened that I had never seen before!I have been on chicken buses not a lot, but several times. This time when I was on the bus it was the most full I have ever seen a chicken bus! The motto for buses here in Guatemala is, "there is always room for one more!" As I was on this bus, I thought there is no way we can fit anyone else on this bus. The seats are like a school bus, where 2 kids can fit on a seat and 3 can squish, but they aren't that comfortable, well every seat on this bus had, 4 people to a seat! No joke! And there were people standing in the aisle, with no room to move, or breathe (well that may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea)! Even with the bus this full, the bus driver kept stopping for people, and I kept thinking how is this person going to fit, and how is the bus attendant able to keep track of who has paid? How is he even going to be able to collect the money? You don't pay when get on the bus, the bus attendant comes through the aisle and asks for money. As each new person got on the bus, the attendant kept asking everyone to get closer and move back, but I look back and there really isn't anywhere to go!
So, my question of how the bus attendant was going to collect money was soon answered! He opened a few windows (I wasn't sure why he did this, but I later found out why), and he started climbing on all the seats. It's a good thing he was a little guy, because if he was any bigger I think he would have been hitting his head! Yes, he literally climbed on top the seats and like Spiderman (that's what some Guatemalan's were calling him on the bus), he crawled through the whole bus collecting money and trying to place people so he could make more room! He got to the back of the bus, so I couldn't see him anymore, but a few minutes later he appeared back up front through the front door! No, we didn't stop so he could move up front, he went out the back door, climbed on top of the bus and then used the windows he opened to climb back to the front door. I was amazed! He was like a little Spiderman, climbing all around a moving bus, and doing it like it was nothing! These are things that can be a normal occurrence here in Guatemala!
Whew!! Sorry that was a long explanation! So...If you are still reading this, there is more to my bus experience!! As we got closer and closer to Guatemala City, many people exited off the bus, the bus was still full, but there was definitely a lot more room, only 3 to a seat instead of 4! For about 30 min. of the bus ride I was just sharing my seat with one of the STEP girls (Erin), but then we stopped in a town called Chimaltenango, which is about 45 min- 1 hour outside of Guatemala City.
When we stopped in this town a girl (Alejandra) sat down in the seat with Erin and me. She started talking to us, asking us questions about why we were in Guatemala, if we liked Guatemala, etc... She was taking the bus in to the City, because she studies at the public university there. Alejandra seemed really interested in why we were in Guatemala, and interested in getting to know us better. The STEP girls and I were about to get off the bus, when she asked for my cell phone number, and we made tentative plans to hang out when the STEP group had left. So, we exchanged phone numbers, and as soon as I got off the bus she text messaged me. Saying that she was glad to meet us and looks forward to hanging out!
What struck me most about what happened on the bus with Alejandra, is a prayer that I have prayed off and on. For the last 6 years or so I have sometimes felt like I am in a "Christian bubble." I would pray and ask God to bring someone in my life who doesn't have a relationship Jesus. Someone who I can build a friendship with, and through my loving them, hopefully they will see the love of Jesus and I will have opportunities to share about the love of Jesus! I am pretty sure Alejandra does not have a relationship with Jesus, and when I least expected it God brought someone into my life. She sat right next to me on the bus!
We have been text messaging back in forth for the past month. We still don't have plans to hang out, but she called me a week ago and left me a message, saying she would still like to hang out and to give her a call. So, I am going to call her!! I am excited to see what might develop through this friendship. She lives about 45 min. away from me, but everyday she studies at the University that is only about 5 min. away from the SEPAL office, so there is no reason why I can't hang out with her! God answered my prayer, when I least expected it!
When you think about it can you pray for Alejandra? Pray that this friendship can continue to develop. I will keep you updated about what happens!
Thanks for all your prayers!!
