Guatemala en breve

I landed in Houston, Texas at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. With one hour to make my connecting flight to Austin I joined the long snaking line of people from absolutely everywhere who were waiting for a stamp of approval from a U.S. customs official. I passed through the first checkpoint with no problems, grabbed my bags from carousel number 7 and would have made it through with no incident except for a canine customs agent who thought my bag smelled interesting. His owner made me wait while the beagle sniffed around my bag. What did he smell? Three months' accumulation of Guatemalan fragrances...wood-fire stoves burning in the hillsides, the incense that filled the cathedral in Chichicastenango, the thick corn tortillas wrapped in colorful cloth and served warm at every meal. Satisfied, too hungry to care?, the dog let me go on to run for my flight. I made my connection to Austin, a short 32 minute flight from Houston. I left Guatemala at 12:45 p.m., scheduled to arrive in Austin at 6:30 p.m. With the time change, I had just under 7 hours of travel to transition from three months in Guatemala and prepare for life back in the U.S. As we began the descent into the Austin airport I wanted to slow the plane down, maybe circle around the city for a little while just to get used to the idea of being in Texas again.
The last week in Guatemala was packed with travels to new sights, reuniting with old friends, saying goodbye to new friends. I met my good friend Holly at the airport in the capital on Monday the 13th. Standing in the crowd of people waiting for arriving friends and family was Jacob Blickenov, a friend from Earlham who has been living in Xela for the past few months. More proof that Earlham produces awesome, adventurous people. I'm not biased.
The week with Holly was packed, beautiful, rainy, brilliantly sunny, all in all wonderful. We spent time in Antigua, had lunch with Jacob and his girlfriend, Kate, wandered around old cathedrals. Next stop was rainy Panajachel, the ride there from Antigua took two victims (Pedro from Portugal and Holly) by means of carsickness. They recovered after some hot tea and the three of us ate dinner by the lake shore. The thatched roof and beach motif seemed out of place as the rain continued to fall. Next day we got out of Pana and headed for Chichicastenango, arriving at dusk as the sun illuminated the enormous clouds over the town. Beautiful, white clouds and no sign of rain. The Thursday market was packed with crafts, weavings, eager vendors and European tourists. We left Chichi for Xela at 1 p.m. We arrived in Xela frighteningly quickly thanks to an expert chicken-bus driver.
Goodbyes...I haven't yet found the words to speak about the last nights spent with friends from Iglesia Emanuel. I left Xela feeling full, more full than I have ever felt in my life. Love, humbling and inspiring.
Where am I now? In culture shock, surrounded by friends in Austin, and more confused than ever about where to call home. I am searching for a way to express the past three months in Guatemala...en breve. How do I answer the question, "How was Guatemala?" How do I translate or interpret what I have seen? How do I adjust my life according to the need in this world? How much will I sacrifice?
Some simple questions to work over in my head as I enjoy the end of the summer before classes start. I am reading an incredible book that Holly passed on to me - "Mountains beyond Mountains" - about Dr. Paul Farmer. Inspirational and proves, once again, that 26 is not too early to start transforming the world...or at least some small piece of it.


The clouds above the cathedral in Chichicastenango.


Jacobo, Kate and I on a "chicken" bus, which, to be exact, held only human passengers and one large turkey.

A photo of Santiaguito, an active volcano near Xela, erupting. This photo proves that Holly and I climbed Volcan Santa Maria (altitude of 12,000 ft....we started at 8,000 ft) and watched Santiaguito erupt during a rare break in the cloud cover. This (sideways) photo also proves that my technological failings are not a symptom of travel in foreign countries...they are universal.


Mi amiga linda, Holly, on our last night in Antigua.

Los jovenes at the going away party. I miss them already...

El Angelito

Less than two weeks left and I am falling more deeply in love with everything here. That is always how it happens. I finished up my sermons - three in a row- and now I`m busy baking cookies and cakes and making little regalitos for the theological students. I have been spending more time with my neighbor Maribel´s son, Angel, who has suddenly warmed up to me. Yesterday we swept my room together. I swept and he used a kitchen utensil of some sort to pick up tissues and paper.
On Sunday we (Maribel and her children, Livni and Angel) went to the zoo. We saw monkeys, some parrots, a rare bird called "pigeon", and the new tiger that just arrived at the zoo. We arrived just as the zoo was closing so Angel had to run to beat the guard to the slides before he ushered everyone out. Fortunately? Unfortunately? the guard was distracted by several bolos, drunk men who had passed out near the horses. While they were dragged out yelling obscenities, Angel made the rounds on the slides, the swings, and other playground equipment. He didn`t even notice what had occupied the guard.
Monday afternoon I participated in a traje tipica photo shoot at Hermana Loyda´s house. Maya took hundreds of photos of Loyda in the traditional Quetzaltenango clothing. And then somehow we all ended up in corte (trad. skirt) and huipil (trad. shirt), photographer included. I will send photos soon. It was an honor to wear the traditional Mayan clothing, bearing the weight of tradition for a moment...the corte must weigh at least 7 pounds.
So many - too many - "last" things to do. My days are booked until I leave. This may be the last entry before I catch my breath in Austin to give the final report. I am already planning my return (to Guatemala). Email me if you`re interested...I`ll include you in the plan.

subiendo la muela...sacando las muelas

I finally made it to La Muela, an ancient volcano that I have admired from my bedroom window all these weeks. We left at 9:30 a.m. After an half hour break stocking up on chips and water for the "arduous" journey, we began the climb, stopping occassionally to try to catch lizards and take numerous photos. We ate most of our snacks about half way through the climb, resting in an open field near a charasmatic religious gathering. From where we sat we couldn`t see anyone but the wailing prayers echoed throughout the mountain. At 11 a.m. we arrived at one of the spiky summits of the mountain. Below us was the entire city of Xela - beautiful, seemingly small looking down from those heights. We sat for a long while, laughing, talking, eating the remaining food and then separating to our own spots to admire the mountains in silence. Dark clouds began to gathering and we, reluctantly, began our descent. Half way down the mountain and back on the paved path we hailed a pick-up which brought us back home. And so I climbed La Muela...por fin. Next in the plans is a camping trip...



The climbers (minus the photo-taker, Dina): Marcos, Victor, Sarita, Rolando, Carlos. We`re tough.

La vista...stunning. The strange white markings are an ancient Mayan design...or the outline of a new housing development. Pick your favorite story.


Speaking of muelas (molars), the next day I served as translator/assistant for a group of Irish dentists that set up a clinic in Fraternidad in the backyard of an evangelical church. Approximately 30 people were seen by the dentists and who knows how many teeth were pulled. My job was to ask the patients which teeth were bothering them, explain the anesthesia procedure, and convince them to look at the dentist and not at the enormous needle entering their mouth. I saw some pretty gruesome teeth, the results of Coca-Cola, fluoride-free water, and years of poor dental hygiene. It was a bloody morning - yanking out rotten teeth, digging for roots, and handing out many baggies of tylenol. Except for a few screaming children, the majority of patients were extraordinarily brave, some losing their last teeth. At noon the sun was scorching hot and I wondered for a moment if I might be the first to pass out...but I had no problems, even when one patient threw up a mouthful of blood right next to my foot. Despite my graphic descriptions, all the patients left pleased and ultimately in less pain than when they arrived. A group of children watched every minute over the adjoining fence. Occassionally the mother of a patient would look to them and say, This is why you should brush your teeth. I was convinced...


The rewards of being a dental assistant - thermal baths. The colder it got outside, the warmer the water felt. Precioso.

Algo breve...

I have my first Guatemalan cold...estoy muy constipada (congested). My favorite false cognate after embarazada (pregnant). I just finished baking in the sun in Parque CentroAmerica as a part of my healing process. Though my parents still don`t believe that it gets cold in Xela - they were here for a lovely warm spell - it has indeed been freezing during these past days. On Monday I walked home from el cuartito, my preferred cafe, with frozen nose and toes. The result: a "summer" cold and a quiet, tired mood. Just about a month until my good friend Holly arrives and we travel for a week, ending at the International airport in Guate City. I fly to Austin on August 20th. But I shouldn`t get ahead of myself. Between now and then I have three sermons to prepare, a long list to accomplish of "everything I ever wanted to do in Guatemala," fiestas de despididas, last visits to every cafe. I will leave with things undone and I will plan to return.
I`m moving through the Brothers Karamazov at a rapid pace...hoping my parents´ 1960 edition doesn`t fall apart before I finish. I just completed "The Grand Inquisitor" and wish I had a discussion group here. Instead I talk to myself and consider getting a Spanish version just to use quotes in sermons or studies at the church.

fotos!!...y motos

I`m sorely tempted by the cute red moto for sale that I walk past every day...I promise I would wear a helmet. Here are some pics from Antigua and Tikal. Enjoy!

Mis padres y yo on top of the Great Pyramid in Tikal National Park. What a climb and what a view.

Antigua at dusk...just look at those volcanoes.

El cocodrillo...on the way to Tikal park. It really does look like a crocodile. Though we never saw any live crocodiles in the park they were rumored to exist. Not quite convinced...

The mask of the god of rain. It was raining when I took this photo.

I did not hurt any animals but I did wrest some plants...I couldn`t help myself.

Temple V. The steepest climb of all but well worth it. Stunning.

Mr. Chocolate and the Luck of the Irish

On Thursday I returned to Xela after time with my parents in Antigua and a trip to the Mayan ruins at Tikal. Tikal National Park is located in the Peten, the hotter and more tropical area of Guatemala. It indeed was hot and humid, much to my mother`s dismay. Our "posh" Hotel Tikal inn had it`s own swimming pool and cold drinks...but no ice.
We flew in at 7 a.m. and went on the 9 a.m. tour of the park. The temples are incredibly huge, looming structures that have withstood the elements (including many earthquakes) for years and years. Some temples date back to hundreds of years BCE. The Mayan cities at Tikal were only recovered/uncovered in 1996 after the signing of the Peace Accords. The tourist industry is mostly directed at Europeans though an increasing number of North Americans are joining the crowds. Our tour guides were interesting...limited English but they had learned enough to please tourists and thereby feed and clothe their families. The great Mayan god Cacao was translated as Mr. Chocolate by both guides that led us through the park. Not quite an exact translation. Felt very Willie Wonka...I kept expecting a chocolate fountain to spring forth from a temple.
The most impressive time in the park was the early (4:30 a.m.!) tour. We left in the semi-dark and entered the woods amidst the cries of the howler monkeys. Very loud creatures and appropriately named. The "sunrise" we were guaranteed at the top of Temple V was more like a gradual brightening of the cloudy sky. Still it was a stunning moment, high above the tree line with a view of ancient temples that have watched over the forest for hundreds of years. The rest of the morning was spent wandering through the old cities. We were the first to arrive and all the sites were more impressive without the throngs of tourists that show up later in the day. As always occurs when traveling with my parents we met several interesting people and learned many personal details of their lives. Highlights: Karen from Colombia who works for a socially conscious oil company. It`s true...they exist. On the shuttle from the airport to our hotel in Guate we met Paul and Dee, two Irishmen who are working on building a church outside of Xela. I was privileged to get a ride back to Xela the next day with Ivan, a seminarian from Belfast. We had four hours to commiserate about the Presbyterians seminaries and their many rules and regulations. I hope to visit their work site later this week and work off my free ride home with some sweat equity.
Off to lunch...avocado!! Pictures are forthcoming. No cable here to connect my camera.

Mi amiga "La Ameba"

A strange strange two weeks since I last wrote. On Sunday the 24th I traveled to Guatemala City to meet a group from Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church where I will be doing my field ed internship next year and also where I worked last year. The bus ride to Guate was beautiful. I had the front seat on the bus and the best view of the volcanoes, deep green hills, and blue sky along the way. I met the group halfway through service at a Pentecostal church in zone 7. An interesting sermon emphasizing the huge divides between pentecostals and Catholics in Guatemala.
After church the group went to lunch at a nice restaurant with a marimba band. This is where I met my friend ameba, the reason for my weeks of absence from this blog. Not long after lunch my stomach was in revolt and the revolution has not yet ended.
So it is a rite of passage here. The doctor told me everyone has this problem in the winter (the rainy season). Not feeling well has made this last week harder than it should have been but still did not manage to ruin the visit from Watchung Ave. It was an amazing experience to share with friends and family a little of the reality of this country, parasites and amebas being a part of that reality.
I will write more about the visit and our travels as a group as I continue to reflect. To end - the group´s questions from last night as they prepared to leave this morning for New Jersey:
How can material things be better distributed?
Why do I enjoy speaking from the heart in a language that I don´t even speak very well?
Why were we born in the U.S.?
Why amongst all the different feelings was fear most prevalent in me during this trip?
What are the ties that bind my heart and soul to this place?
What will cause me to be more focused on how to use my gifts for good?
What am I willing to give up or let go of?
Some thoughts and reflections from a small and wonderful group of New Jerseyans (yes...I´m biased).

de la lluvia al diluvio

The rain fell so hard yesterday afternoon that I had to use a microphone in theology class in order to be heard over the sound of the water hitting the tin roof. We got into a heated discussion about the humanity/divinity of Christ...a well-amplified discussion thanks to the speaker system. As we were concluding the class, Rolando left to check the front door and confirmed that we had been flooded in to the church complex. The patio was completely filled with water and the front street looked more like a river. Everyone quickly placed all the furniture, the sound system, our bags, etc. onto the raised platform and just in time as muddy water came spilling in the front door and into the sanctuary. Maribel and her family returned home. Refrigerators were lifted on to tables, potted plants placed on benches. The water was cold and dirty but everyone rolled their pants up to their knees and got in. There was no other option.
A crazy first-time adventure for me...but it happens all the time here during the rainy season. All of Zone 2 in Xela floods, people lose furniture and household goods, and the city still does not respond with improved drainage systems. Pastor Moises announced in church this morning that he wrote an editorial to the local paper last night, hoping to provoke some action from the local government.
I still preached this morning. By 11 p.m. last night a group of deacons and families from the church had cleaned the entire church and patio. I think the bacteria in the water cured my pulga bites too. Last night was my first itch-free night. I preached on 2 Timothy 1:1-14, focusing on verse 7 which was quoted to me throughout my childhood. There is a spirit of love and of power in this church.
I am exhausted and looking forward to the Sunday paper and a nap. Between flea bites, floods, and lesson plans I didn´t sleep very well this week.
The photos are of the flooding and one from this morning´s service during refreshment hour. Hermana Loyda (far left) was the liturgist today and is a faithful friend to me and many others. The sun was intensely hot this morning but now it looks like it might rain again. I´m building a boat...no pulgas allowed.

La fogata

I spent two hours in Parque CentroAmerica finishing My Antonia by Willa Cather. I highly recommend the book though it was strange to read here. I would often look up from words describing the grandeur of the Nebraska prairie to respond to Catarina or Juana, Mayan women who ask me to buy their weavings every weekend - a jarring contrast between the two worlds. But maybe not really...it is still the story of pioneering women working to support their families.
After down-time in the park I prepared for the first "real" theology class. Last week was just the introduction. I was nervous, having never taught anything before let alone theology and in a second language. Class started late, five new students arrived clueless as to the reading, and only four students turned in their homework. A seemingly rough start. So I introduced "Clara" (me...but in a clever disguise with sunglasses). Clara is studying Spanish in Xela and her horoscope guided her to the theology class to teach the students her own version of Christian doctrines. There was laughter, some incredible questions from the students that I couldn´t possibly answer (but tried my best), a warm atmosphere, and great potential for participation and learning. Maybe they won´t ever turn in their homework...but maybe they will.
The class was followed up by a bonfire (fogata) and shared meal of tortillas, cheese, and coffee. I am overwhelmed by the commitment of the youth of Iglesia Emanuel - commitment to each other and to their extended community. We easily enter into serious discussions of race, class, religion - issues that they have thought about and wrestled with. They are not perfect but they are headed towards being strong leaders. The difficulty is keeping focus when many others discontinue studies or keeping hope when unemployment rates are ridiculously high.
This morning´s paper reported that 50 percent of Guatemalan children suffer from malnutrition. I haven´t read the full article yet but the subject of infant mortality is a major theme in the upcoming elections in September.
I am settling in to life here and as expected the three months that felt like an eternity that first week now seem like not nearly enough time. Next trip will be longer.

fotos

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OV78s1DUmR8xkv3-alcDmimnC76RJNfOUG-7ejawmikbECVkgJbsALYvruut91ROPzwIgohLU5-UNbUzoYgYntMKw_FGbh5jBdT-Rd8oO5_-bCPM0iq4nj1l5K3oJ_tZMxEP5Shj53zx/s1600-h/SEH+028.jpg">

I have no idea what those random numbers/signs are...sorry. I love Latin America because I am technologically inept and when the electricity goes out in the middle of the day or when no one has the right equipment to download photos it´s okay with me. So here are photos of the theology students, my living quarters and my market purchases. I´ll trust you will know which is which.

Continua la tradicion...

Chinese food for Sunday dinner. It´s not just a New Jersey tradition. After church Pastor Moises and his family treated the two Sarahs (there is, as always, another volunteer here named Sarah) to chinese food and strategic planning for the coming weeks. I´ve committed to preach three times during my stay here. Maybe I´ll post my sermons...in Spanish.
This week went by quickly. On Saturday I taught the first theology class for the youth group. Ten students came and we reviewed the syllabus. I tried to keep panic to a minimum but the reading is heavy and not easy by any means. I closed class with a poetry exercise. Kind of risky with a group of teenagers but I think they really enjoyed it. Each student wrote a line of a poem/prayer. The final product was read aloud by one of the older students. My hope is that the creative activities will make up for the dry spots in the text. We are using the Great Doctrines of the Bible by R.C. Sproul. Probably not the text I would have chosen (I´m very diplomatic in blog entries) but it certainly could be worse. The biggest problem is that it is very much directed at a U.S. context. He used a golfing example in the last chapter. Speaking of which, I´m going golfing tomorrow at the 18 hole course just down the street from the church. Mentirosa.
On Thursday I went with two elders from the church to visit Benjamin, a man who just lost his wife in a bus accident last week. A difficult visit to say the least. I wanted to claim my lack of Spanish skills as an excuse to keep quiet during the visit...but the language difficulties had nothing to do with Spanish. Benjamin described in bittersweet detail every loving thing his wife did in the house - fresh bread for the grandchildren, help in the fields, care for the livestock. Grief is universal. But what is not universal is the economic difficulties he will face without his wife to help with their fields. Though CAFTA was never directly mentioned it is the unspoken cause of the plummeting value of coffee in Guatemala and the increased demand for temporary workers on farms, two of Benjamin´s burdens. We left his house in the late afternoon. His grandchildren were washing banana leaves to make tamales. On our way up the steep incline that led back to the road, we walked past a dirt embankment that had washed away during the last rainfall. The rainy season is rough here.
This week is full. Tomorrow morning I will stock up on fruits and vegetables for the week, wash clothes, etc. I am settling in and falling in love with this town, the people, the mountains.
Happy Birthday Peter and Lucy, mis sobrinos queridos! Que los cumplen feliz.

La Lluvia

The rain has arrived. It was only a matter of time. Iglesia Emanuel is in a kind of valley and all the water seems to gravitate to the church patio...into the sanctuary...and into the home of Maribel and her family. Thus far the rain has only made it to the patio.
The mornings on the other hand have been beautiful and sunny. Once the sun burns off the fog the view of the mountains is incredible. Yesterday Dina and Sara from the youth group accompanied me to La Democracia market to buy food. Fruits and vegetables...everything I could have hoped to find. We returned to the church weighed down with oranges, broccolli, avocadoes, bananas, plantains, tomatoes, papaya, cucumber, and limes. I will be extremely well fed.
This week begins the bible study with the women of the church and the theology classes with the youth, both of which I will be leading. I met with Rafael Par, the coordinator of CERE seminary yesterday to go over details. I will also be teaching a writing seminar (a 1 hour class) for students in Xela and Huehuetenango. Thank you to all my teachers who drilled the 5-point essay into my head for years on end....
The idea of a blog is still strange to me and I feel odd publishing my more intimate thoughts on the nebulous internet but here is a taste: Loneliness - it is strange to live alone in a new country. I was locked out of my apartment one of the first nights and felt completely lost (for about five minutes). I feel extremely dependent on others - something that is true in the US as well but which I sometimes fail to recognize because I am busy being "independent." Fear - When I arrived in the capital I picked up the newspaper and the first article I read was about a governmental forum on the increasing violence in Guatemala. When I arrived in Xela I had dinner with a friend who told me he had watched a student of his bleed to death after being stabbed for his cell phone. In truth, it is probably no worse here than in parts of NYC but since this kind of random violence is relatively new to Guatemala there is great concern. Poverty is undoubtably one of the root causes. Peace - There is violence but the strength of community overwhelms fear and alleviates violence. Today I will attend cooking classes with the women of the church. This afternoon another volunteer is giving voice lessons to the youth group. The church is full of activity. Improvement is accomplished by communal efforts, time to talk and listen, and faith....great faith.

No victory for Xelaju

I arrived in Guatemala at an historic movement. For the first time in years the two futbol teams in the finals for the championship did not include a team from the capital. Quetzaltenango´s team ¨Xelaju¨went up against the team from San Marcos last night...and lost. I fell asleep during the game but there was no avoiding the news this morning. Xelaju will have a second chance on Saturday night but I will be sans television.
We arrived in Xela (Quetzaltenango) at 8 p.m. last night after 6 hours of driving from Guate city. Hurricane Stan wiped out much of the highway between the cities and repairs are not yet completed. Immediately after Stan the trip from Guate to Xela took over 8 hours so there has been significant improvement since then.
A wise friend of mine sent me the follwing G.K.Chesteron quote just before I left:
"the whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country and know it as a foreign land." True. There are many things about Guatemala, specifically Xela, that make this land feel less foreign than my own country. Hospitality is an art and a way of life here. When I was in Chile my Chilean friends used to joke about the U.S. version of hospitality...the offer of a glass of water, if you´re lucky. I am fortunate to have grown up in a home that emphasized hospitality but still there is much to learn.
Back to exploring the streets of Xela. The flowers are beautiful here and the rains haven´t even arrived yet. I am about to take a walk to my living quarters in Iglesia Emanuel in Zona 2. The map my friend Aury drew is based on city landmarks: MacDonalds, Dominoes, Pizza Hut. Some things are the same everywhere...I just wish they tasted better.