Boating and Baptisms
May 11
I was able to out of the hotel by around 5:30, as I wanted to explore and photograph Lake Atitlan in the early morning light. The sun hadn’t yet crested over the eastern mountain ridge, and the lightning was very soft. It was a great time to be outside taking pictures.
David and I had made plans to meet up at the hotel at 5:30 to go exploring together. I waited awhile but he didn’t show up, so I headed down to the lake.
The lake was definitely living up to its reputation. It was beautiful. There are mountain ranges surrounding the entire lake, with multiple ranges stacking up in the distance. Across the lake from Panajachel are two large volcanoes looming large over the lake.
There were a lot of small piers jutting out into the lake from the shoreline. One of my goals was to find a picturesque pier that pointed in the direction of the volcano on the other side of the lake.
A bit further down the shoreline, I ran into David. We spent some time exploring the shoreline together.
I could have spent a lot more time exploring and photographing the lake, but I had to cut my time there short so that I could get back to the hotel in time to have breakfast with Mary Beth.
David and I had made plans to meet up at the hotel at 5:30 to go exploring together. I waited awhile but he didn’t show up, so I headed down to the lake.
The lake was definitely living up to its reputation. It was beautiful. There are mountain ranges surrounding the entire lake, with multiple ranges stacking up in the distance. Across the lake from Panajachel are two large volcanoes looming large over the lake.
There were a lot of small piers jutting out into the lake from the shoreline. One of my goals was to find a picturesque pier that pointed in the direction of the volcano on the other side of the lake.
A bit further down the shoreline, I ran into David. We spent some time exploring the shoreline together.
I could have spent a lot more time exploring and photographing the lake, but I had to cut my time there short so that I could get back to the hotel in time to have breakfast with Mary Beth.
Lake Atitlan
The boat ride was easy-going, as the water was calm, and the captain of the boat wasn’t pushing the throttle too hard. It was a nice, relaxing cruise. One of the team, Emma, is a sophomore in high school and recently developed an interest in photography. During the cruise, David and I were able to provide some mini lessons in photography.
Once at San Juan La Laguna, we disembarked the boat and started a short hike to a women’s weaving cooperative. The cooperative endeavored to help provide an income to local women by having an outlet for selling clothing articles that the women make.
The main street through town is called Art Avenue. The street is lined by local vendors selling souvenirs to tourists. The street has an artistic flair through a colorful canopy of umbrellas overhead.
The main street through town is called Art Avenue. The street is lined by local vendors selling souvenirs to tourists. The street has an artistic flair through a colorful canopy of umbrellas overhead.
At the weaving cooperative, two local women explained how thread and yarn is made by hand, as well as how cloth is woven. After the presentations, the team was able to shop amongst the items created by the member women of the cooperative.
From San Juan La Laguna, we cruised over to another town on the lake for lunch. The restaurant has a private dock that allowed us to get off the boat and immediately walk to our tables. While at the restaurant we encountered a perfect example of what CoEd is trying to accomplish. The manager of the restaurant happened to be one of the first Rise scholarship recipients of CoEd. Through the scholarship he was able to graduate high school and to get an associate degree in college. Through his education, he has worked his way solidly into the middle class. He has two daughters, neither of which need any charitable assistance to attend school.
Back in Panajachel, we took a van ride to a nearby private beach. We started out with a short worship session, then started the baptisms. While we were singing the songs, I was hoping that the leader would use the song Take Me Deeper, as this had become a kind of theme song for me this week. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't sing the song before we started the baptisms. There were three of us taking the plunge today. After the baptisms, we sang a few more songs, and the first song after the baptisms was Take Me Deeper.
We had our last dinner together at the hotel to celebrate the successful conclusion of the trip. There was a slide show to highlight some of the key moments of the trip and some of the key trip leadership shared their thoughts with the rest of the team. To end on a positive note, each small group took turns lining up at the front of the room. The small group leader shared some encouragement and recognition to the second person in line. That person then turned to the third person shared some encouragement, and so on.
Several of us hung out on the patio after the dinner formally ended, before heading back to our rooms. We had to catch the shuttle at 6:30 in the morning, so I got everything packed before calling it a night.
THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
The day was a relaxing day with a slow boat cruise across the lake. It was a time for everyone to interact and have a fun time after the intense 3 days we had prior. It was neat to encounter God through the baptism. There wasn't an epiphany, and the skies didn't open up with a multitude of angels singing. On the surface it was a brief dunking in the water, less than a minute in length. But I am looking forward to what God has in store for me now that I said yes to Him.
Back in Panajachel, we took a van ride to a nearby private beach. We started out with a short worship session, then started the baptisms. While we were singing the songs, I was hoping that the leader would use the song Take Me Deeper, as this had become a kind of theme song for me this week. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't sing the song before we started the baptisms. There were three of us taking the plunge today. After the baptisms, we sang a few more songs, and the first song after the baptisms was Take Me Deeper.
We had our last dinner together at the hotel to celebrate the successful conclusion of the trip. There was a slide show to highlight some of the key moments of the trip and some of the key trip leadership shared their thoughts with the rest of the team. To end on a positive note, each small group took turns lining up at the front of the room. The small group leader shared some encouragement and recognition to the second person in line. That person then turned to the third person shared some encouragement, and so on.
Several of us hung out on the patio after the dinner formally ended, before heading back to our rooms. We had to catch the shuttle at 6:30 in the morning, so I got everything packed before calling it a night.
THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
The day was a relaxing day with a slow boat cruise across the lake. It was a time for everyone to interact and have a fun time after the intense 3 days we had prior. It was neat to encounter God through the baptism. There wasn't an epiphany, and the skies didn't open up with a multitude of angels singing. On the surface it was a brief dunking in the water, less than a minute in length. But I am looking forward to what God has in store for me now that I said yes to Him.