This is our first out of country debrief, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it (so far)!
First things first: We’re no longer at the base we’ve stayed at since we first arrived in Guatemala. It was so sad to say goodbye (especially to Manuel), but the nice thing about Lemon Tree (the hostel we’re staying in) is that it’s in Antigua, so we are within walking distance for almost everything!
We wake up an hour later than normal for breakfast at 8:00, and usually a teaching follows at 9:00. Something else, either an activation of the lesson or asking questions of our leaders, will take up the time until lunch.
Lunch is the one meal we’re on our own for (but we’re still provided with money to purchase it), and then there’s team debrief! Each team takes turns being debriefed (an opportunity to process everything we’ve been through since last debrief) by our Coaches and Mentors.
If you’re not in a debrief, then you’re free until dinner! This is the time to get some last minute adventuring in, or spend time in a one on one with any of our leaders!
After dinner, there’s a time set aside to discuss the books we were required to read during our time in Guatemala. Since each team had a different book, we have to take turns, so if you’re not in a book club, you have free time for an hour.
Then there’s a full Squad activity (anything from a game to an encouragement circle) that’s always so fun! And since we’re all together at this time, we usually break into groups right afterwards to walk around Antigua again. To give you an idea of what we do during that time, several people are trying a different ice cream place every night.
A curfew at 11:00 means that most people stay out late, but, as you’ve probably guessed, I’ve never stayed out this late. The latest I’ve been out is 9:40, and it was so much fun!
Normally when we’re back at the hostel, there’s quiet conversation and games until people slowly break away to go to bed. This is usually the time when I play Euchre, a nightly tradition stemming from our first few weeks in Guatemala. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day!
And that’s debrief! Obviously, not every single day follows this schedule, but it’s much more consistent than Training Camp had been😁
Prayers that everyone would be healthy during our 4 day (at least) Travel Days would be so appreciated!
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