Our Last Day in Guatemala || Ashleigh - August 17

Today we got to hike up a volcano which was pretty cool. The hike was exhausting but gorgeous all the same. During the few breaks we took getting to the top, we looked out and saw the jaw dropping world our God has created for us. There were mountains on every horizon, and the large fluffy clouds were perched lazily on top, moving slowly across the sky. Thankfully there was a nice breeze making it a very comfortable hike, not too hot and not too cold. At the top, however; it got quite chilly.After the hike up we were all hungry so we ate our lunches and fellowshipped for a bit. Eager to get in the lake I made my way towards it quickly. At first I was hesitant, the water was freezing and there were a few dead fish on the shore and a giant snail was floating in the water. Okay so the giant snail was pretty cool and I ended up showing it to everyone but the dead fish were pretty gross! Finally I managed my way into the water, which if I haven't already told you was freezing! We swam around for a while before it was time to start getting ready to leave. We quickly changed and trekked over to the look out where we took pictures and stared at God's beautiful creation.When we got back it was time to pack. This was quite a sad event for me because that was when it really occurred to me that we were leaving. We then watched the slide show put together by the photography team.God has taught me show much on this trip. He opened my eyes to the needs of others and showed me that there are people out there who don't even have a way to communicate or express themselves. He has shown me how blessed and utterly spoiled I am. I get hot showers every day, three big healthy meals, and a nice warm bed and an air-conditioned house. It has me humbled and grateful.  Guatemala was an eye opening experience for me and I am so thankful that  I got to go.