Guatemala Magazine Rachel Leckenbusch

MISSION » Looking for a Vacation?

•LAUREN PUPCHIK

Why she left everything behind to go serve

Meet the Guatemalan Picasso

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REASONS TO DROP EVERYTHING TO VISIT GUATEMALA

L AT E S T M OV I E

what’s inside...

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G U A T E M A L A N P I C A S S O 10

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LAUREN PUPCHIK

ANTIGUA

TOP 9 REASONS

The most beautiful Resort in the area

Port of San JosĂŠ , Escuintla, Guatemala C.A. 01000 Tel: 502-7774-1000 PBX: 502 - 2462-7777 ; 502 - 2462 - 7777

pacifico.hotelessoleilguatemala.com

THE WANDERING

May 2016

TOP 9 REASONS TO DROP EVERY

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Semuc Champey. Probably the most beautiful place on Earth you’ve never heard of, Semuc Champey is home to dozens of cascading turquoise and emerald lagoons.

And there’s as much to do as there is to look at, like cave swimming, bridge jumps, and cliff diving.

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Lago de Atitlan. If there’s a more gorgeous setting for a lake in this world, I haven’t seen it. Surrounded by three volcanoes– San Pedro, Toliman, and Atitlan– as well as emerald green hills, cornfields, and traditional Mayan towns, Lago de Atitlan might be the best spot in Guatemala to spend a week or two.

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Chichicastenango Market. A trip to Guatemala would not be complete

without spending a Thursday or Sunday in the town of Chichicastenango (“Chichi”) and checking out its magnificent market. Whether it’s fruit and vegetables, tapistries and carvings.

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Quetzaltenango (“Xela”). Sure, its Beauty-And-Charm Quotient (BACQ) can’t match Antigua’s, but Xela (pronounced “Shay-la”) more than makes up for this with its lower prices, its less tourist-jaded inhabitants, and its (as much as I hate this word) authenticity.

YTHING AND VISIT GUATEMALA

Tikal. Set among lush tropical rainforest, the views surrounding Ti-

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kal are just as impressive as the ruins themselves. Don’t miss climbing the ridiculously steep steps of Temple I and Temple V, Spend the night at the nearby Jaguar Inn to explore the ruins just after dawn, a time when the howler monkeys outnumber the tourists many times over.

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Volcan Santiaguito. The hike to this highly-active volcano,

which erupts about every 45 minutes, is easily the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.

Antigua. Is it one of the more expensive places in Guatemala?

Yes. But is it still worth visiting? Damn right it is.

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Volcan Pacaya. You can put your hand literally inches away from a river of glowing molten lava. Great for family-and-friend-impressing.

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The people. When a tourism slogan proclaims that “The best part are our people!” I roll my eyes. Not so with Guatemala. They are some of the most friendly people I have ever met.

LE VERNIS

ANTIGUA GUATEMALA

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ess than an hour away from the concrete sprawl of Guatemala City, Antigua feels like a portal to

another century. The nearly 500-year-old city is cradled by three volcanoes and filled with colonial-era mansions, churches and convents, many with orange and yellow facades. In the evening, residents gather in the jacaranda-lined plazas to listen to musicians tapping mallets on marimbas, or wander between lively night spots.

GUATEMALA CHANGED MY LIFE...

Lauren Pupchik

Lauren was called to serve in Guatemala at 18. She has been serving there for many years and now teaches Bible classes focused on the Father’s love and directs the Child Sponsorship Program at Wisdom and Grace Christian School (Colegio Cristiano Saber y Gracia) in the rural farming community of Santo Tomas Milpas Altas, about an hour outside of Guatemala City.

World Next Door: What was it that brought you to Guatemala initially?

Lauren Pupchik: I was 15 years old. I hated my first experience. I didn’t like the food, I didn’t understand the culture, and I didn’t speak the language, so it was a triple threat and I failed miserably. But God used that first experience to plant a seed in my heart for Guatemala. He would later lead me back to Guatemala and completely change my perspective on it. Each time I came back I stayed for longer and longer.

Each time I came back I stayed for longer and longer...

WND: Your friends and family back home must think you’re crazy for giving up everything.

LP: My family thinks I’m passionate. I’m very obedient, so when God gives me a direction, I might fight it at first but I will obey. I think my family realizes that God put a special calling on my life and I am trying to walk that out. I’m sure some people think I’m crazy, but I hope that more than that they see how passionate I am for God’s kingdom.

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O N S A S L A CA Efraín Enrique Recinos Valenzuela (May 15, M PI E 1928 – October 2, 2011) was a Guatemalan T contemporary architect, muralist, urbanist, painter and sculptor.

Recinos' works adorn the facades and interiors of many of Guatemala's landmark buildings, including the National Library of Guatemala.

However, he is best known as the architect of the Centro Cultural Miguel Ă ngel Asturias, which serves as the county's national theater and largest cultural complex, opened in 1978.

Recinos designed the large, white structure set on a hill to resemble a jaguar, using insipiration from more traditional Mayan motifs. The government considers the theater as a National Heritage site.

Get to Know the Editor I am a very out going and adventurous person. I have been on several missions trips in my life out of the country. I had gone to Guatemala back in 2013 and it was amazing. Seeing all the people and getting involved helping them and building down there was an awesome experience. I have gotten a lot of my inspiration from that trip for this magazine. I had met so many cool people and it is so beautiful there. God has giving me so many great opporunities in my life and this was just one of them. Waking up with a volcano in your back yard is definitely a cool experience.