The first and last days of our 8-day trip were spent in Antigua. Our accomodations were at the Lutheran Center. Under the direction of Nury de Milian, the Lutheran Center has become a wonderful, welcoming place to stay. It is in a great location in the town of Antigua, which is located about 45 minutes from Guatemala City. It is the former capital of Guatemala, but because it is very earthquake prone, the capital was switched to Guatemala City. The nearby volcanoes are beautiful. It is a very, very popular place with tourists, and there are many Americans there due to the numerous language schools that are there. Many Americans who are adopting Guatemalan babies spend time in Antigua bonding and getting to know the babies. We saw several Americans walking along with strollers and talked to one lady who was going through the adoption process. Nury is a former tour guide whose specialty is archeology. We were very blessed to have her serve as our liaison, make our arrangements, and give us a short tour in Antigua. The ladies you see here weaving are selling their wares in the Lutheran Center. They are Christian ladies who are allowed to come and sell during the weekends. As you can see, they had many colorful items for sale. We bought a stole for our pastor that had the Luther rose on it. It was beautiful!
The rooms at the Lutheran Center are built around a courtyard, and Nury is working her magic and upgrading everything. The history of the Lutheran Center is very interesting, and you can find out more about it by going to http://www.lutheransonline.com/ and typing in Lutheran Center Guatemala in the search box.
