Outtatown Site 1 Guatemala: Jungle Hike

Here are some more pictures of the jungle trek and here is an article written by Kendra Matheson.

It was unlike anything we had ever done before. No one knew exactly what to expect when told we would be embarking on a Jungle Trek. A major clue should have been the requirement of rubber boots (I have never been so thankful for rubber boots, as it turns out). Yes, excitement ran high for me at the thought of a three day hike in two groups; mine was soon dubbed “Man Trek”…apparently our manhood was soon to be tested? Leaving any unnecessary items in Semesche, we began walking Tuesday morning. The first night we slept in a church in Sequixpur after handing out saplings to start a project (It is a “pass it on” sort of community project where each family receives the beginnings of the project which will raise rabbits to provide valuable fertilizer for their fields, and they eventually must give three of the offspring to three more families). The next morning we started off on the hardest day, where we would reach a mountain summit. Again, my rubber boots came in handy…although I almost lost them to the mud several times. It was a long day, rationing our fire-tasting water and eating lollipops for good taste. I was constantly in awe of the Creator of our surroundings. After finally reaching the summit, our guide, Rob Cahill, described our lodging for the second night of Man Trek, a description which I believe kept us going. Exhausted, hungry, out of fire-water and lollipops, and getting blisters from our boots (not to mention a growing need for any sort of shower and/or flush toilet), you can imagine our immense pleasure upon entering the Swiss Lodge. A man from Switzerland had sold his belongings in Europe and bought five hundred acres of cloud forest in Guatemala. He built a beautiful house and currently hosts groups there. Yes, it was definitely paradise, as there were beds with mattresses, HOT SHOWERS, flush toilets, and may I repeat HOT SHOWERS! God is good. We went to sleep that night full, thankful, and completely content. We continued hiking the next morning through villages where many times we were the first large group of white people they had ever seen. What an amazing experience! That night we lodged in San Francisco, where the road had only been constructed two years earlier and clearly they had had few visitors. The major plus to the San Francisco experience was a fantastic waterfall, which we promptly swam and washed off under. The family there was immensely generous to us. They did not speak our language, and fifteen or so of us just piled into their home, yet they offered us everything they had, more than we needed. I won’t tell you it was a comfortable night, but I will tell you that it was humbling. For once, we North Americans weren’t walking into the situation with our hands ready to help and give aid. We arrived needing a place to sit down and rest, protection, and food. We couldn’t expect anything because there is no reason we deserve it. We came with hands open to receive what they could give us. And they were more than happy to oblige. Their hospitality was very humbling. We met up with the other group to finish our hike together, walking through the last leg of our jungle trek. All in all, we as a group are so glad for Man Trek. Sometimes things are even better in retrospect; not everything was necessarily fun or easy. But we got to feel a part of creation that few get to partake in; we received genuine hospitality; we were challenged physically, emotionally, and even spiritually, as we try to find our place in this broken world. And we were all amazed at the lack of complaining – we all really enjoyed each other’s company. I can’t think of a better group to do a jungle trek with! I can’t really explain much of what I saw or experienced beyond the surface facts, because I don’t think that I’ve fully articulated it all. But I don’t think I will forget it any time soon…we agree it was an all-around great experience.