And Back Again!

Hmmm, how do I properly wrap up my summer? The word that has been coming to mind when people ask me how my summer was is ‘awesome!’ Although, one of the things I have learned this summer is that I use that word far too often! I have learned so much this summer and grown incredibly. 

I want to use this outlet to share as much as possible but I also have no desire to put highly personal information online. What I can share here is the extent to which God showed me love. I gained a deeper understanding of what it is and the power and potential it holds. One of the thoughts that has been following me this summer is this and I propose it to you as well. On some fateful day you will die and be brought to the gates of heaven, what happens if there is some sort of test, nothing too intense, but you are asked “Why should you be let in?” What would you say? Because you believe? But do you really? How would you sum up in one sentence saying you have done as much as you could for God and you believe completely in Him? I have puzzled how to sum up living out the kingdom of God and while it is far from perfect, I would say ‘Because I have loved’. If we live a life loving one another and loving God, we are living the kingdom of God. It is so easy yet rarely done in our world. Our society has poisoned and diluted love. I feel I cannot talk about this subject without having to add a clause saying this is merely platonic love. We as North Americans do not truly understand that concept. We have the love that Hollywood gives us, and love for families, and love for cake. There is no longer this idea of a brotherly love mentioned so much in the New Testament.

If I talk without love, who would want to listen? If I have insights of wisdom but no love for people, what good is it? If I give away everything, but not out of love, I am no better than the one that keeps it all.

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. (I Corinthians 13:4-7 The Message)

Are you love? Are you loving? Are you living the kingdom of God?

I’m sorry, I did not mean for this to get preachy but you can hardly expect me to summarize my summer without talking about God! Along with learning a lot from God, we also did some work! As I believe I mentioned earlier we worked with a school in Tizate and ran an ESL class for pre-school to grade one. We also painted some classrooms which was a good time although being stuck inside for the last two/three weeks meant a real detriment to my tan! I would attempt to put more photos here but it really did not seem to work so well last time so I have put them on facebook and you can follow the link below, with or without an account.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150808256665078.747513.904620077&l=c028ad14c8&type=1

Thanks for stopping by! And just to give a heads up, please stay tuned for my China adventures on this blog come January!

Remember Me?

I know, I know! My last blog update was in May and it's currently August! Thankfully, I'm pretty sure the only ones who will notice are my parents! This has been a crazy past two months though. We have been here in Tizate, Guatemala for five weeks-ish and it has been incredible. I don't quite know how to put all this down in words so I have included a few pics. While here in Guatemala our team has taken on several tasks including building a house, running as ESL camp for kids, VBS, ESL for adults, and random projects around the school. The school is absolutely amazing and the kids are so adorable. Nothing is better than starting the day worshiping with children only to be flooded by hugs when its all over! So much has happened I don't know quite how to fill you all in, so in short, I have planted Guacamole trees on the side of a mountain, set a new personal record for speed traveled while on a kitchen chair, wandered through a giant cave lit only by candlelight, watched a Mayan ritual in Mayan ruins, achieved adequacy at a childrens toy and read 12 books!

View from the old school, Tizate and Pastores

 One Sunday we went to a place called Iximche which is an old ruin site of the first capital of Guatemala. While many of the buildings were no longer standing it was a beautiful area with probably more grass than the rest of Guatemala combined. Near the rear of this ruin site was an area still used today my many Mayans and during our visit there was such a ceremony taking place. Thanks to Kat we were able to get a full understanding of what was going down. Every twenty days Mayans gather to re-offer their spirits to their Gods in a ritual involving fire and smoke. While this seems a little crazy it is not really that different from communion. It was quite a spectacle.

Me at Mayan ruins!!!

Mayan Ruins!

So purrrrdy!

Antigua itself also has some beautiful ruins. Having a history of earthquakes, fires, and volcanoes many older buildings have now become ruins which dot the city.

Church Ruins in Antigua

Well, I think that's about all I got in me today. There are a lot more stories and pictures to be shared but we just might have to make conversation regarding those! Thanks for stopping by!

and..GO!

This week has been insane! It feels like it's been months! We got to get out of nowhere for a bit this week and we headed down to Niagra Falls! I haven't been there since I was a wee lad. I have to say I've started to grow a fondness for Ontario (except for the air in Hamilton!). The best part had to be camping in a vinyard just outside Niagra-on-the-lake, sleeping under the stars and looking out across Lake Ontario and seeing the night-lights of Toronto! As well, probaby the best part of the week was going to St Jacobs market and buying heaps of KNVB gear! Got the whole kit, shirt and shorts as well as a scarf! Pretty stoked about that! Following out trip we came back to the annoucement that the asparagus had started to grow and it was go time! Both Friday and Saturday we working from 7 in the morning to 9 at night! My job in the process involves lifting a 28lb box of asparagus, deciding what size category it fits into and placing on that pallet. It's not a bad job and its a great work out, those two days equal about me lifting 20 000 lbs of asparagus! Six weeks of that and I'll be able to lift a baby hippo! I am absolutley loving every minute of this adventure! We'll see if I say the same as the work continues! The asparagus is growing faster than they can cut it resulting in the field across from us being full of about 2-3 foot asparagus, which works well to ambush people with! Well, I start work at 7 tomorrow and i'm sure it will be a long week!
Thanks for stoping by!

One Down, Many More To Go

Well, the first of many more weeks is done! It's been quite the ride so far! The group is all here and they are all fantastic people whom I greatly look forward to getting to know better. This past week we have had a pastor from Guatemala come talk to us and give us discipleship 101. It was incredible to see the cultural differences and it excited me so much more for Guatemala. So far we have only actually worked one day! Today was suppose to be a work day but thanks to the rain, which seems to have followed from Vancouver, work was cancelled. We are not actually working in the barns yet as there has not been enough sun for the little asparagus  to grow! Iinstead we have been doing all those jobs on a farm that the farmer never has quite enough time to do.

It's so weird being in the middle of nowhere, we currently have no internet in the place we are staying which adds to the feeling of isolation. If you're wondering how I am writing this, then you think to much! But to answer your question, we found a cafe about 30 minutes away from where we are staying which as free wifi! Score! There are a few cute, quaint towns around which are pretty sweet to visit on a sunny day (which are few and far between at the moment). Well, I'm borrowing a friends computer and he's giving me dirty looks so I better hurry up! Hope this message finds everyone well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Facebook

Hello to all of you who got here following the Facebook page. I had much more of an ordeal putting that up than I care to admit! Groups these days are pretty retarded and the events thing require commitment and then it appears in your side bar thing the whole time and I thought the pages would work! All you have to do is like it! and in our society people like everything! Anyway, this blog is still fairly bland but I hope you understand seeing as I'm still stuck in school with impending finals! I begin my journey in Ontario on the 25th of this month and hopefully I will have some stories or such to share! Until then, thanks for stopping by, stay classy!

The Facebook group can be found by searching "Colin Going to Guatemala"

Second Post!

Hello again! This message is a bit of an appology. I recently sent support letters and claimed I included a donation sheet. I did not. Woops! So I thought I would post it here!

UDPATE: This is just for me to say I'm really excited about this whole thing! I recently filled out a bio about myself and should be received the bios of the rest of the group soon! Summer seems like a far way off but is approaching far too fast! Final exams seem to block all the happy thoughts about what is to come after!

Intro!

Hello Everybody!

Thanks for taking a gander at my blog. I've never done anything like this before so I don't know how it's going to turn out but that's all part of the fun! (I guess that goes for the blog and the Global Shore program!) So as I assume you know, by the fact you are here, I have the opportunity to take part in the Global Shore Student Program this summer. It's an absolutely fantastic program which I would love to ramble on about but instead I made a nice pretty document for you to read which explains almost all of it! Along with the program there is a requirement to raise $2000, all of which goes directly to the foundation in Guatemala, and I would like your help. If you feel led to donate please let me know and I will send you a form to be filled out (address and such for tax receipts). And if you don't feel led, please continue to follow this blog as I will update it throughout the trip with what I'm doing, what God's doing, and fun facts! If you have any questions or words of encouragement I would love to hear from you at colin_buschman@hotmail.com

Thanks for stopping by!
~Colin Buschman