Guess who's packed!

It feels surreal but I'm packed for my trip! In a little over 72 hours I will be boarding a plane to Texas which will then take me to Guatemala. As the days swiftly approach my excitement and anxiety bubble. I tell people about my trip and only hear two things: 1, "You're going to have such an amazing time!" and 2, "Are you ready?" As I contemplate the statement and question I am forced to look introspectively. My excitement certainly stems from the curiosity of an unknown becoming known. The statement is thus easy to deal with, the question on the other hand is a little more difficult.

Am I ready?

That's a hard question. A compex question. Am I ready to be on a plane for over 7 hours -haven't decided yet. Am I ready to be away from my family for that long -I go away to college, same thing. Am I ready to be in another country for the first time in my life (Puerto Rico kind of counts) -I think I'm ready for that. Am I ready to not only encounter but be completely immersed in a new culture -I think so. Am I ready to do a kind of work and a kind of learning that I've never done before -I'd certainly say so, I love learning! So what am I not ready for -I'm not sure. As with any new experience excitement has to develop alongside anxiety, if it doesn't you're doing it wrong! Engaging in an experience like this one expands one's horizon, as a result one has to become uncomfortable and anxious -amidst excitement- because one's entire self is being reoriented and developed. But the beauty of this somewhat paradoxical anxious excitement is that one can develop as an individual. These are the life experiences that shape one for the better and I know that on my trip I will learn things about myself that I never knew before!

So am I excited -absolutely!

Am I ready -well, are you ever really ready?

 

Almost done!

And today I bought my camera! Well, my mom bought my camera for my birthday!

While I'm on my trip one of the things I want to do is visually capture my experience so that when I explain the things I see people can actually see them. One of the things I'm most interested in capturing is the difference between the city and mountains. I'm really excited, only a few more days to go but good thing I have a camera that take pretty good pictures if I do say so myself.

 

Starting to Pack

It's hard to believe that I'm already leaving in a little over a week! I'm going off and starting to buy things, setting up my ipad so that it can function as a computer, looking at cameras, back packs, journals and more. I'm pretty excited!

 

10 Days until departure!

 

A Guatemala Me Voy!

Hello all, I'm Jorge Juan Rodriguez V.

The photo on the right depicts my family and I.  I'm going to miss them very much this summer while I'm in Guatemala.

That's the reason I'm starting this blog! From May 29-August 11 I will be serving in Guatemala City and Quichè with an organization called AGAPE. This organization seeks to fortify communities through leadership development and I have the blessing of helping them in their mission through teaching theology. Honestly though, I consider myself a student of this community which I will humbly enter. I'm going to learn from this culture, its people, systems, environment and context -helping when I can but certainly going with a posture of humility understanding that I am a guest.

That said, I'm excited to go! When possible, I will try and update this blog with pictures and stories about what I'm doing and how everything is going. While I'm there I'd ask for your prayers: that my contact (Pastor Rick Carey) and I may have safe travels, that the community down there and this organization may continue to be blessed, that I may be safe and healthy, that I may be open to humbly take and give from this community and prayer for my family here in the States -especially my parents- that they may be comforted in this time of separation.

Thank you all and God Bless! Email me if you need anything: jorge.rodriguez@gordon.edu