Beth Jones, International Speaker & Author

Blog, Business, Faith, prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Travel

Antigua’s beautiful ancient cathedrals

The old Antigua, Guatemala cathedral

Recently I traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, for the first time. Although I want to travel all around the world, Guatemala was never on my radar. But it was a “God thing.” I’m writing a Guatemala blog series to show you the beautiful pictures and to share about the amazing things God did there. This is Blog #3, Antigua’s beautiful ancient cathedrals. You can read my other blogs about Guatemala at the links below:

My trip to Antigua, Guatemala http://www.bethjones.net/my-trip-to-antigua-guatemala/

Travel requirements, the Guatemala grocery stores, and the street markets http://www.bethjones.net/travel-requirements-travel-requirements-grocery-stores-street-markets/

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Traveling is both exciting and can be scary. But this was not my first rodeo traveling abroad. I’ve been to other nations, such as Switzerland, France, Israel, the Bahamas, Canada, Kenya, and Ireland. Before traveling to Guatemala, I watched a lot of videos on YouTube about Antigua and Guatemala to prepare for it and plan to make the best use of my short (one week!) time there.

Me drinking cappucino at Parque Central

So I typed a tentative itinerary of what I planned to do and where to go while there, and emailed it to my Spanish instructor, Elvia Reyes, who was showing me around the first couple of days, and to my friend Kim Rogers, who lives there. Both are very knowledgeable about Antigua and gave me great tips and advice before I arrived.

Beautiful ladies. My friend Kim Rogers & my Spanish instructor, Elvia Reyes

But when I got there, all my plans went out the window! Almost NOTHING happened according to my itinerary. Kim laughed about this and said, “Welcome to life in Guatemala!” I hired Elvia’s driver Allan to take me around Antigua (instead of using a Tuk Tuk, a chicken bus, or an Uber). He and Elvia were so good to me, BUT…what about my itinerary?!!!

Because I was depending on someone else to drive me around, I needed to go by someone else’s schedule, not mine! I knew that the schedule would change when I got there, but didn’t know it would change that much!

This included when I would wake up every day. After Kim arrived there (the day after me), she would text me on What’s App at 6:30 a.m. Are you kidding me? I am SO not a morning person! But because this was KIM, I went with it! I was just excited to actually meet her in person (and her boyfriend Stan, their friends, and Elvia, and Allan) and get to know them.

Kim and me by La Merced church a couple of days later – the place where God told her to move there.

I prayed before the trip, asking God to order my steps each day, and boy, He did. This trip was all about FLEXIBLITY!

November 22, 2020 by Beth Jones

Blog, Faith, prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Travel

Travel requirements, the guatemala grocery stores, & the street markets

red flower in Guatemala

I just returned from traveling to Antigua, Guatemala. It was a “God thing” and I’m so thankful to Jesus for this great opportunity. I can’t post all the pics I took there, but wanted to blog with some of the beautiful pictures I took and share what happened while I was there. So I’m writing a Guatemala blog series here for you at BethJones.net.

God did amazing things there. You can read my first blog, My trip to Antigua, Guatemala, here.

This is Blog #2, The Guatemala grocery store and the street market. I share about the traveling requirements to enter Guatemala, how I got around there when I wasn’t walking, and how even shopping in a foreign country can be such an interesting, rich experience. Be sure to check back here for more blogs and pics of this incredible trip.

PCR test

The Coronavirus pandemic has tragically impacted our entire world, and has been frustrating for “world nomads.” For months this year, the USA’s and Guatemala’s borders were closed and began cautiously re-opening in fall 2020, but with restrictions for airlines, restaurants, stores, street markets, and more.

To travel to Guatemala, you don’t have to quarantine when you get there, but you must present a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test to show the airline employee (s). These requirements may change when you book your flight (or drive there or go by ship). I didn’t want to do the test, but that is what I had to do in order to travel there.

Presently, this test must have been done within the last 72 hours. I drove an hour to a medical clinic in Lamar, Missouri, to get a rapid results test done. They have the results within 15-20 minutes, giving you the piece of paper with your results to take with you. I didn’t want to chance taking the test and then not having the results in enough time, and not be able to go! (The regular lab test can take several days or longer.)

For my flight to Guatemala, as I showed my ticket and my test result, the airline’s employee at first told me, “This isn’t the right kind of paper.” After he consulted with several other staff, and I calmly waited (for once!) for God to move on my behalf, they finally decided it was fine, and stamped the red “okay” on my ticket!

November 19, 2020 by Beth Jones

Blog, Business, Faith, prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Travel

My trip to Antigua, Guatemala (“the place of many trees”)

Me by Santa Catalina arch, Antigua, Guatemala

My big dream is to travel all around the world to many nations. But Antigua, Guatemala was never on my radar, and yet I just returned from traveling there! It is what I call a “God thing.”

My friends Ron and Rhonda Hedrick, who are missionaries in Guatemala, had both invited me there to visit and to speak to women, but I sensed it was not the right time yet. They are doing a great work for God there, feeding hundreds of hungry people.

Kim Rogers
Founder, Heart for Guatemala

Then last year, I became Facebook friends with Kim Rogers, who heads the not-for-profit organization, Heart for Guatemala.

She inspired me with her posts and her beautiful pics of Antigua, Guatemala. I felt God stirring my heart to go there and began to pray.

First view of Guatemala from my plane

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”

I am not the type of person who needs 100 confirmations to make sure what I heard is really God! Jesus says His sheep hear His voice, and I am His lamb (a Christian believer). But since Guatemala is dangerous, I felt that I needed God to confirm that I had heard accurately and this was HIS idea, not just my own bright one. 🙂

As my sister Maria pointed out when I told her about the trip and one of my daughters had expressed concerns about me traveling there alone, I have been to other dangerous nations, including Haiti, the Bahamas, and Kenya, Africa!

View of volcano in the clouds from my plane

After getting to know Kim a little more on Facebook, she invited me to Antigua to visit her – and she even offered for me to stay in her home! When I shared with my friend Ron that I was thinking about going there, he too invited me there (again), offering for me to stay in his and Rhonda’s house for a week.

November 17, 2020 by Beth Jones

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I'm an international speaker, author of 21 books, traveler, wife to a hard-working paramedic Ray, and a blessed mom of 3 beautiful daughters, Heather, Eden, and Leah. I encourage women to use their gifts for God's glory, fulfilling their purpose, and living a life they love. The ocean is my place of peace and refilling. I love Jesus, chips and salsa, chocolate, walking in nature, music, art, seeing new things, and meeting new people. My husband Ray calls me an enigma: I love to laugh and cry a lot. What about you? Thanks for stopping by here. I pray you will find hope and the encouragement and motivation you need to become all God created you to be.