I have been living in Guatemala for about 5 weeks now and I love it! I am currently living in a town 40 minutes up the mountains from Guatemala City called Chimaltanango. The orphanage I’m living in is currently housing 16 beautiful Guatemalan kids including 6 adorable babies. They range in ages from 3 months to 14 years, each having their own special talents and personalities. I came with an organization called HELP International with my roommate Mary. She is awesome and I could not have been more blessed with a more awesome roommate! 
The orphanage here in called Clara Fantasia, or more commonly called Niños de Guatemala, and is run by a LDS man named Giarllmo. He worked at an orphanage a few years back and saw how bad it was for the kids there so he made his own. He works completely by the Proclamation to the Family, trying to get the kids back with their own families and gives them a safe place to live. He listens to the Spirit to know if the families are ready to have their kids back, or to know if they have changed. A lot of these kids have been abused and abandoned so he had an important job and has to know that the kids are going to be safe.
Things are pretty organized here and we have been following a relatively new schedule so things go smoother. My typical day would be something like:
Wake up at 6ish
Clean and help the kids get ready including bathing the babies
Eat at 9
Classes start at 10 for the older kids so I take care of the babies
Lunch at 2
Free time
I teach a science class at 5
Dinner at 7
Go to bed at 8ish
(There is a lot of fights that go on here so lots of our time is spent trying to make sure that everyone is happy, it’s very difficult)
The kids here are amazing, they are strong and brave beyond belief. They are loving and kind, they have changed my life. I’m very blessed to be here and I know that God sent the kids to me just as much as I was sent here for them.
Along with tons and tons of work, I have had a little bit of time to play. There is a volunteer that is working at a school about 20 minutes away from here that was going to Honduras with a friend for the weekend and invited the volunteers here. At the time there were three of us, and we could not say no. We all packed up a backpack and headed for Honduras. We had a great time horseback riding through the rainforest and checking out the Mayan ruins. I have also been to a cool city called Antegua a few times, and also the “Water’s of Mormon” in Panajachel. This part of the world is beautiful and I’m so blessed to be here!
Things are pretty organized here and we have been following a relatively new schedule so things go smoother. My typical day would be something like:
Wake up at 6ish
Clean and help the kids get ready including bathing the babies
Eat at 9
Classes start at 10 for the older kids so I take care of the babies
Lunch at 2
Free time
I teach a science class at 5
Dinner at 7
Go to bed at 8ish
(There is a lot of fights that go on here so lots of our time is spent trying to make sure that everyone is happy, it’s very difficult)
The kids here are amazing, they are strong and brave beyond belief. They are loving and kind, they have changed my life. I’m very blessed to be here and I know that God sent the kids to me just as much as I was sent here for them.
Along with tons and tons of work, I have had a little bit of time to play. There is a volunteer that is working at a school about 20 minutes away from here that was going to Honduras with a friend for the weekend and invited the volunteers here. At the time there were three of us, and we could not say no. We all packed up a backpack and headed for Honduras. We had a great time horseback riding through the rainforest and checking out the Mayan ruins. I have also been to a cool city called Antegua a few times, and also the “Water’s of Mormon” in Panajachel. This part of the world is beautiful and I’m so blessed to be here!
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