During my time in Guatemala, I certainly have felt the presence of God. I feel so vulnerable living in a large city where I don’t know the language,  and living in a country that has more violence and danger than I knew before coming. Yet God has given me a sense of peace and protection, and as I ride the public bus daily, I am able to relax and pray. The 2 buses I ride are old US school buses- sometimes they even have the old license plate mounted inside. Why were these buses not good enough for US schoolchildren anymore, but they’re fine for the Guatemalan public bus system? I’m glad the buses are being used, but maybe we’re used to things too nice in the United States.

Another reason I need God’s presence so much here is the confusion the language barrier creates. I feel like a stupid child when I speak to my host family, and I just wish they knew that I was the valedictorian in high school and I’m a gifted writer. The experience really gives you an identity crisis, and you get used to feeling awkward and not knowing “why” when something happens.

-Anna Engle