Taking the kids

This will be my 3rd trip to Guatemala, the last 2 years I went with only Jack and only my coworker, respectively. However, as I said in the last post I am taking 3 kids to Guatemala by myself this year! To a country where they don't speak the language and will not have many of the comforts of home that they have always had. It's crazy! And you're probably wondering why.
The initial thought to take them came from the boredom they complain about during a typical summer. We frequent the pool and parks, we have a huge yard to play in, we go to museums and zoos, etc and visit family but they still get bored and end up watching too much TV. The monotony gets to me as well, I like my job and am used to working and then one day it comes to an abrupt stop and the lack of routine affects me.
Then when I saw some little girls playing at a school in Guatemala 2 years ago I imagined my little June playing with them as well and I knew she would have loved to be there. My trip 2 years ago is when I officially decided to take my little kids to attend school in Guatemala for the summer. The plan was to do it last summer but I waited another year in the hopes that my big girls could come too, unfortunately that hasn't happened.

So here are some of my reasons to take the kids:
*to learn Spanish, there are 3 fluent speakers in their house already!!!!
*to have adventures, they will see volcanoes up close, ride horses, ride chicken buses, swim in beautiful rivers, and explore a new country
*to continue to go to school, not let their mind melt in the summer
*to get out of their comfort zone (food, beds, etc)
*to study the history of the Mayan people, we will visit ruins and museums
*to 'try out' missions possibilities for the future (far future, I can't leave my school babies)
*to visit 2 orphanages, new points of view
*to see what actual poverty looks like
*to give them opportunities to serve and love
*to make new friends, they all make friends easily
*to bond more together

So that's why I am taking the kiddos this time. I'm not scared, I'm excited. But I know it will be an adventure!