tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35886939649923767872024-03-21T22:18:33.089-06:00Un año de esperanza A chronicle of my experiences in Guatemala as a Young Adult VolunteerRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-89230958204337858262013-07-02T17:55:00.000-06:002013-07-02T17:55:39.928-06:00Lessons Learned in the Guat: Part 4<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The end of my time as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala is rapidly approaching and I haven't kept up with my blog, but before I forget I'd like to share a few more of the lessons I've learned </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">during my time here.</span><br /> </h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Lesson 13: A SIMPLE</strong> <strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>perd</em>ó<em>n</em></span> WILL SUFFICE</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Anyone who's been around me for more than five minutes will tell you that I'm an accident-prone person. I can't get through a meal without spilling something and I'm always tripping. Because my little blunders often involve others, apologizing is a part of my daily life. Say, for example, I'm walking down the street not looking straight ahead and I run right into another pedestrian; in the U.S. I would stop and apologize (profusely if my victim looked mad or hurt). Here in Guatemala, however, the more I apologize, the angrier/more afraid my victims get. At first I thought it was because I'm a gringa, but after talking to quite a few Guatemalans about it, I realized that most Guatemalans aren't used to having people stop what they're doing and apologize for their blunders. I've observed many Guatemalan-on-Guatemalan accidents, and even the painful and/or messy mixups result with the guilty party muttering, "<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>perdón</em></span>" and going about their day. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">When you accidently clothesline a tiny elderly woman in the bus, "<em><span style="font-family: Times;">perdón</span></em>." When you trip and spill half of your large blackberry smoothie on a businessman in the park, "<em><span style="font-family: Times;">perdón</span></em>." When you smack into another cyclist, causing him to go careening head-first into the pavement, "<em><span style="font-family: Times;">perdón</span></em>." When your child full-on smashes a dripping ice cream cone into the hair of the woman sitting in front of you on the bus, "<em><span style="font-family: Times;">perdón</span></em>." </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Based on my observations, the accidents I've been a victim of, and the innumerable blunders I've caused, I've learned: It's better for everyone if you just mutter, "<em><span style="font-family: Times;">perdón</span></em>" and keep walking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Lesson 14: AMOEBAS ARE MEAN</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Before amoebas had four huge fiestas in my body, I heard the term "amoeba" and thought of the tiny little specks, only barely visible when held under a microscope, that I had to draw in my high school biology class. If I had experienced amoebas back then I would have known to draw horns and fangs instead of smiles on their horrible little blobby faces. Amoebas are not my <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">amigas</span></em>. Amoebas are not harmless little specks. No Sir. Amoebas are evil spirits. I'm serious. They hide inside of mangos and other delicious food and, just when you least expect it, they possess you. I don't know how they do it, but they settle their barely-visible blobby little selves in and turn the life of their host into hell on earth. Dante would have done well to include amoebas as a punishment for the dwellers of the ninth circle, the very center of the inferno. They're that treacherous. I won't get into the nitty-gritty details, but you can rest assured that you want to avoid the little devils at all costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Lesson 15: CERTAIN FOODS AND DRINKS ARE COLD(independent of their physical temperatures)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For the first few months I was here I was understandably in a perpetual state of confusion because I didn't get much outside of the bounds of simple conversation. However, when it came to conversations about food--a topic I had plenty of practice with--the more Spanish I understood, the more confused I became. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">One night Dora asked me if I wanted some <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">pan dulce</span></em> (sweet bread). We eat <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">pan dulce</span></em> almost every night with our coffee and I was in the mood for something different, so I brought out our leftover <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">fresas con crema</span></em> (strawberries with cream) instead. Now I thought my suggestion was perfectly acceptable, so you can imagine my surprise when Dora--who I should add is a very calm and soft-spoken woman--leaped up from the table, grabbed the bowl out of my hands, and yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOO." It was like one of those slow motion scenes out of an overly dramatic movie. When I asked her why we couldn't have the strawberries, she looked at me like I had three heads and replied in an exasperated voice, "<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>iAy, Raquel! Ya sabes que la fresa es fria. Es MALISIMO comer comidas frias en la noche</em>."</span> (Oh, Rachel! You know that strawberry is cold. It's HORRIBLE to eat cold food at night.) At the time the urge to laugh was bubbling in my throat and I had to bite my lip to hold it in. "What in the world is she talking about? This woman gone crazy" I thought to myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here are a few <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">comidas frias</span></em> that shouldn't be eaten at night (no matter their physical temperature):</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">strawberry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">avacado</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">mango</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">pork</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">red beans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">cow's milk</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The good news is there are several <em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">comidas calientes</span> </em>that are especially safe to eat any time of the day or night (hot or cold):</span><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">cacao (chocolate)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>rosa de jamica</em></span> (hibiscus flower used for tea and juice)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">camomile tea</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">goat's milk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">grilled meat (aside from pork)</span> </li>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">While the strawberry debacle seemed crazy at the time, it kind of makes sense to me now. Maybe it's because I ate a mango, a few nights later and was up all night with a terrible stomachache. </span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-44339445430686147922013-05-04T17:26:00.000-06:002013-05-04T17:26:25.639-06:00Zompopos, Don Pablino, and A TYPICAL DAY IN MY GUAT LIFE<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This entry is taken directly from my journal to give you an idea of the shenanigans I get in to on a dailiy basis.<br /><br /><b>Friday May 3, 2013</b></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> I love even the seemingly uneventful days here. Today Dora and I got up to carry water like we do every other day at 5:15am. [We used to have running water in our house for an hour every other day, but it stopped coming about two months ago and now we go to Dora's sister Mimi's (a little ways up the street) to get our water. We each carry a five gallon bucket, fill it up, walk back to our house, dump the bucket in the pila, and repeat. Sometimes Mimi lets us receive water for the whole hour, but sometimes we only get 30 minutes. I have mixed emotions about the 30 minute days: one the one hand, I'm glad for the extra sleep, but, 30 minutes of 'water time' isn't enough to get us through two days comfortably, on those days the dirty dishes and clothes pile up, and sometimes we don't have enough water to fill up the big bucket we use to bathe.] <br />Mimi let us have the whole hour today, so our pila is about 3/4 full! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> After breakfast Dora went to buy some thread and I heated up some water to bathe. It was already hot at 9am, but I heated up the water anyways [Dora thinks I'll die or something if I shower with cold water]. I had just put shampoo in my hair and was in the process of lathering when I heard someone knocking loudly on our front door. 'It's probably Willy or Julissa,' I thought, and continued shampooing. The knocking, however, got progressively louder, and I had no choice but to pull back the curtain, wrap up in my tiny towel, and answer the door. People always seem come by and urgently knock on the door when I'm home alone and naked. Typical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> I was ready to give my little Guatemalan cousins a piece of my mind so I fully flung the door open. You can imagine my surprise when I found myself standing nose-to-nose with Don Pablino, a man with a pick-up who sometimes gives us a ride when Joni [aka 'el muchacho' our usual tuc-tuc driver] doesn't answer his phone. Today Don Pablino had a truck-full of firewood that Dora had apparently ordered. I let him in and fled to dry off and put some clothes on. My hair was still soapy, but today was windy and I didn't want to give Don Pablino a free show. [When it's windy the curtain flys up, frequently and completely exposing the person behind it.] I came out of my room, after speed drying and putting on the first shirt and skirt in sight, to find this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> I don't know how he did it, but Don Pablino filled up the entire entryway in under five minutes. My first instinct was to laugh, I mean, this random guy just showed up, barracaded me inside the house with firewood, and acted like it was a totally normal thing to do. As I stood there laughing, Dora showed up. Luckily Dora got him to move some of the wood so that we could at least shut the door [as you see in the photo above] and ordered him to help her climb over the mountain of wood. The look on her face when she saw me in my half-clean state was priceless, yet, being used to my awkwardness, all she said was, 'Ay Raquel.' After waving goodbye to Don Pablino, we proceeded to haul and organize the wood. We really didn't have any choice because it's not like we could leave the house without figuring out the wood situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> By the time we finished it was almost lunch time. Dora told me that she had a special surprise food for lunch. I was thinking it was maybe cheese to go with our tortillas, but no. It was giant ants. That's right, I ate giant ants today and they were delicious. Zompopos, as Dora told me, are giant ants that only come out once a year, after the first big rainstorm. People hunt/capture them after the storm and they are kind of like a delicacy for some of the people here. Apparently you can buy them in the market, but they´re expensive because catching them is tricky business. One of my uncles brought us some because he said that I just had to try them...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Dora trying the first fried Zompopo while Letty adds lime.</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Of course I tried one.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b> Ok, I ate half the bowl... </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>I couldn't help it. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>They tasted like peanutbutter.</b></span></div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-28580550205113994892013-04-23T15:35:00.001-06:002013-04-23T15:35:06.448-06:00Belize<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">We went to Belize for our February retreat because it was time to renew our visas. And although getting there was a little tiring, we were glad to have a couple of days to talk, laugh, and cry together in a tranquil beach town called Placencia. </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">It certainly didn't take long for us to make ourselves right at home in Belize.</span> </span></h2>
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<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=aN1BxXF2XSkERM&tbnid=7CnBxbHlHDuBMM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coppolaresorts.com%2Fturtleinn%2Flocation&ei=WG5BUbLINYzC0AHBtYGQDA&bvm=bv.43287494,d.dmg&psig=AFQjCNE0N3c1KAFYuOsrDdcJpxd-Ax18ZA&ust=1363328902366845" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://ffcp.s3.amazonaws.com/coppolaresorts/contact/belize-map.png" height="390" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 22px;" width="637" /></a></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here's a play-by-play of our day-long journey from Antigua, Guatemala to Placencia, Belize:</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">4:45am...Shuttle from Antigua to Greyhound station Guatemala City </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">6:30am...........Greyhound to Puerto Barrios</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">11:45am......Taxi to immigration office in Puerto Barrios</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">12:15pm...Ferry to Punta Gorda, Belize (passports stamped here) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">3pm........Bus to Independence </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">5pm.................Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">5:45pm............Arrival at Julia's Guesthouse in Placencia, BZ</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Here we are about to hop on the ferry in Puerto Barrios.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: small;"> Beautiful hibiscus flowers smiled and danced in breezy Belize.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">From right: Jensen, Annie, Rachel (Me), and Kate enjoying a beautiful beach. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">About two minutes after this was taken we all jumped up screaming because tiny translucent sand insects were biting our ankles and butts.</span> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Eating delicious cinnamon rolls before our snorkling excursion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">This picture is memorable because I ate on a boat and didn't vomit</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After six months of wearing shoes 24/7 it was amazing to pad around the immaculate sidewalks and beaches of Belize sans shoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">As much as I enjoyed Belize, Guatemala still has my heart...</span></strong> </span><br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-71197397202398737322013-04-13T19:33:00.001-06:002013-04-13T19:41:22.754-06:00JAN/FEB UPDATE<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>I haven’t updated my blog in forever and it’s a bit
overwhelming to think about filling in the gaps between the beginning of
January and now, but I’ll do my best to give you a few highlights from January and the first half of February:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>Tortuga</em></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (Turtle).<img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="719" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/19111_10151372427400742_570508119_n.jpg" style="height: 574px; width: 766px;" width="960" /></span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With <em>Siempre</em> in Monterrico, Guatemala</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">We went to Monterrico for our
January YAV retreat and there we had the unique and wonderful opportunity to hold the
teeniest most adorable baby sea turtles ever! Over a hundred hatchlings were
released along with my little guy, who I named <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Siempre </i>(Always).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 4.5
seconds after I sent him on his way, Siempre did a summersault over one of his
siblings. His fate looked pretty bleak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, eventually, the little guy mustered up a giant’s courage and managed
to make it to the very edge of the shoreline just in time to be swept away by a
gentle wave. To be sure, watching my newborn <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tortugita</i> make his way through the canyons and sinkholes of sand was
an unforgettable experience.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">... </span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em></em></span></span></strong> </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em></em></span></span></strong> </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em>Tortillando </em></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">(Making tortillas)</span></strong></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wBYE3oaLlOfVTxny0GincG1ItWylGsCHXzlxqWM4RMcl2XLu1MUwcaQJIN3i78CvsdameOJLn10AsBTPWJQtYMCmwm6JCQh7i2C3UWmdxxbvZt4a-BpCiAQFST8r0vf7WbTFGwk9cd9A/s1600/086+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wBYE3oaLlOfVTxny0GincG1ItWylGsCHXzlxqWM4RMcl2XLu1MUwcaQJIN3i78CvsdameOJLn10AsBTPWJQtYMCmwm6JCQh7i2C3UWmdxxbvZt4a-BpCiAQFST8r0vf7WbTFGwk9cd9A/s1600/086+(2).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dora <em>tortiallando</em> with her niece, Lupita. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">One thing Guatemalans often ask, when they
find out I live here, is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Puedes
tortillar?”</i> (Can you make tortillas?) Thanks to my Guatemalan mom, Dora, I
now smile and reply, <em>“<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">¡</span>Por
supesto que si, puedo tortillar!”</em> (Of course I can make tortillas!) I can’t
exactly explain it, but when someone here finds out that I can make tortillas,
they almost immediately warm up to me. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tortillando</i> has played an integral part
in me becoming part of a community here.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>D<span lang="ES-GT" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-GT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">í</span>a del Cari<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ñ</span>o</em></span></span> (Day of affection/love/care)</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Valentine’s Day, as many celebrate it in
the U.S., is a day of: chocolate, flowers,
disappointments, engagements, teddy bears, tears, kisses, and the list could go
on for pages. Thank the Lord, February 14<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> is celebrated very differently
here in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for chocolate and
flowers, but the power that one commercialized day has—over the emotions of a
good portion of otherwise happy and intelligent single members of our society—is
seriously out of control. That’s a topic
for another blog. </span></span><br />
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February 14 2013 was a delightful day, despite the fact that I had amebas and unfortunately
spent the greater part of the day hobbling from my bed to the bathroom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was inundated with hugs, kisses, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sauldos</i> (well wishes) from my Guatemalan
family, calls and texts from several Guatemalan friends, and thoughtful cards,
calls, and messages from friends and family at home. The amebas certainly didn’t
show me any love, in fact, they wrecked holy havoc on my digestive system, but
even they couldn’t ruin my day. I hate to sound cheesy, but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it really was a day of <em>Cari<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ñ</span>o</em>.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU2xyIERJo_YgwA130O3-xwMQb8lDswDS551RiSXDicchMp-zO_v-DycQ4BXbgEEMpzUjiS_jtqwPBH23P4vxW677-Pw8krCLjy8-c0uCHwy077U6lqcv-Z_AkhEFZLLpWCaGsQA2k7qK/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU2xyIERJo_YgwA130O3-xwMQb8lDswDS551RiSXDicchMp-zO_v-DycQ4BXbgEEMpzUjiS_jtqwPBH23P4vxW677-Pw8krCLjy8-c0uCHwy077U6lqcv-Z_AkhEFZLLpWCaGsQA2k7qK/s1600/043.JPG" height="356" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julissa, one of my cousins, checking up on me that day. :) </td></tr>
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<strong> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pica-Pica!</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShI2g38UESKQLAd9l9Ddi8a0BQ9jCYn6hZcEAqQ3Y4VL9xNZMhfmfUotLNXaHxPWSZnfhRaRYgVLeGn0VsVHM5r25OQcyeYt70vYnNrT1SyaAxg5I3YQi2_fB66X3tqsKhyphenhyphenfF6HKYt87Q/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShI2g38UESKQLAd9l9Ddi8a0BQ9jCYn6hZcEAqQ3Y4VL9xNZMhfmfUotLNXaHxPWSZnfhRaRYgVLeGn0VsVHM5r25OQcyeYt70vYnNrT1SyaAxg5I3YQi2_fB66X3tqsKhyphenhyphenfF6HKYt87Q/s1600/018.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I snuck this picture of my family in the midst of a pica-pica battle<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can’t believe I wrote
about <span style="font-family: Courier; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><em>Día del Cari<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ñ</span>o</em></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Courier;"><span style="font-size: small;"> and almost forgot
to tell you about a Guatemalan tradition referred to, in Chimlatenango, as
pica-pica! I’m told that the week of Feb. 14</span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;">is always a bit crazy
because you never know when someone is going to crack an egg on your head,
seriously. For the most part, people smash painted eggshells filled with
glitter and little pieces of colorful paper on the heads of unsuspecting passersby,
but some people use actual eggs followed by flower or other powders. Because I
didn’t leave the house that day, I was lucky enough to only have the glitter
and paper-filled egg shells cracked on my head.</span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-large;">(more to come soon!)...</span></strong></div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-56069486362992225412013-03-08T19:08:00.002-07:002013-03-08T19:22:43.882-07:00Two Gifts<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The day after Christmas I was blessed with a visit from my sister and parents. I hadn’t seen them in four months and I began to tear up when I saw them making their way through the throngs of people outside the airport in Guatemala City. I had eagerly anticipated their visit for weeks, but was unprepared for the strong wave of emotions that washed over me when I saw their familiar faces and tall frames emerge from the crowd. <br />We spent our first few hours sharing stories that were too long to tell over the phone and I found myself laughing harder than I had in months. It meant so much to be able to communicate with them and not have to worry about the minutes on my phone running out, letters being lost in the mail, or dysfunctional Skype connections. Though the trip was mostly centered on spending time catching up, the Lee fam had its fair share of Guatemalan adventures.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's family Chirstmas photo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our first full day together we went to visit my Guatemalan family in
Chimaltenango. We had all been looking forward to this day for weeks and it was
quite a day. One of my Guatemalan aunts and her husband picked us up in Antigua
and I couldn’t help but laugh as I tried to translate amidst the noise and
unpredictability of Guatemalan traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we arrived at my house in Chimal nearly the entire family was there
to greet us. Though my two families are from completely different cultures and
don’t share a common language, they bonded right away.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/541989_10200423329492292_648448160_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" border="0" class="spotlight" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/541989_10200423329492292_648448160_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and my Guatemalan cousins were instant friends</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I did spend a good part of our time together translating, I was touched to see my families using what little they knew of the others’ language to communicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Dora prepared a delicious meal for us to share and after a few delightful hours at the house, most of us piled into the back of a pickup and headed down to see the firework booths where Dora and many other members of the family work during the month of December. We rode a chicken bus back to Antigua. I don't think the Lees will forget that ride anytime soon... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Having both of my families in one place was an experience I will never forget. Thinking back on our day together reminds me of a quote by Desmond Tutu: </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"><strong><em>You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"></span></em></strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-large;"><strong><br /></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">God blessed me with two families, two gifts, I wouldn't trade for the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-37354170696095634612013-01-05T22:22:00.000-07:002013-02-18T14:51:57.616-07:00Feliz Cumpleanos/Navidad/Ano Nuevo<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know I haven’t been the best about updating my blog
lately, but it’s definitely not for lack of activity in my life here in
Guatemala.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>A Birthday to Remeber</strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIv0LdBRbDRIJShqBWUJOU4QbmR559AuJ6gPFonUf8mUOflhijXoKmBPKEGI458wBKR5HD6Tbr4Rs-zhGQpO9d_q9pf7mkuGQspaeFpFvn0iStLBMRpDZNHmgX6rQxjnN6Vt0C5MkkjmW/s1600/468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIv0LdBRbDRIJShqBWUJOU4QbmR559AuJ6gPFonUf8mUOflhijXoKmBPKEGI458wBKR5HD6Tbr4Rs-zhGQpO9d_q9pf7mkuGQspaeFpFvn0iStLBMRpDZNHmgX6rQxjnN6Vt0C5MkkjmW/s1600/468.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine waking up at 5:30am to the hushed whispers of your
entire family outside your door on the morning of your birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the morning of December 14, that is
exactly what I woke up to. My mom, Dora, her sisters, their husbands, and their
children threw me an amazing surprise birthday party at 6 o’clock in the
morning. The women in the family began the celebration by presenting me with a
beautiful traditional outfit, which they helped me put on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might have been embarrassing to have them
all see me in just my ropa interior (underwear), but after all of the
embarrassing things I’ve said and done here, something as minor as having all
of the women in my Guatemalan family see me basically naked didn’t even redden
my cheeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, I was too excited
about my beautiful new outfit to be embarrassed! After I was all dressed
everyone who was there (about 30 people) gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek
and wished me a Feliz Cumpleanos. After that, we all sat down to a delicious
breakfast of my favorite Guatemalan dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, just when I felt like the belt cinched tightly around my
waist might give way, they rolled out a huge cake. <br />
My Guatemalan family knew that I would be feeling homesick on my birthday but
they all also had to work that day, so they found a way to show me their love
and unbelievable generosity by throwing me a birthday party I will never
forget. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>13 Bak’tun</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m sure many of you heard that a cycle of the Mayan
calendar came to an end on December 21; however, it seems that there is some
misinformation floating around about what the end of the cycle on the calendar
actually signifies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am by no means an
expert on Mayan spirituality, but I’ve had the privilege of speaking with a
several people who are, so I thought I’d share a bit of their knowledge with
you. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
According to the Popol Vuh, the sacred text of theMayans, the cycle that ended
on December 21, 2012 began on August 11, 3114 B.C.E. In other words, 5,125
years of the corn age were completed on December 21; ushering in a new era of
renewal and change in human society. This new era, known as the 13 Bak’tun, is
the era of peace, knowledge, reconciliation, and positive change; not the end
of the world, just the end of a cycle. The 13 Bak’tun does not bring about the
apocalypse, but the polar opposite. According to the Maya philosophy, we will
come to be one with each other, one with the earth, and one with the universe
in this new cycle of peace. Take that, Nostradamus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Feliz Navidad</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Picture your church on Christmas; it’s full, right? I didn’t
even know what a full church really looked like until I came to Guatemala.
Sure, my church boasts standing room only on Christmas and Easter, and its pews
are relatively full on an average Sunday, but I never worry about having a
seat. Here in Guatemala, the churches get so packed that people are literally
standing outside the church doors, on an average Sunday. Many people even bring
their own chairs in anticipation of a full house. Basically, what I’m trying to
say is that every Sunday feels like Christmas in the Guat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
During the month of December my family sells fireworks in Chimaltenango’s
central park. For the past eight years, my mom, Dora, has spent morning, noon,
and night with her firework booth during the month of December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Christmas Eve I decided to don my
beautiful traditional outfit and spend the day in the park with my family.
During the day hundreds of people passed by our booths to buy fireworks, but
once it got dark, it seemed as though there were thousands milling about the
park, in hopes of buying fireworks to set off at midnight. I guess I thought
that we would take a break to go to Christmas Eve mass, but that would have
been impossible. I arrived at the booth at about 2 in the afternoon, and we did
not leave until well after 2 in the morning. At that point I was so tired I
worried I might fall asleep in the bed of the pickup truck which drove about 25
members of my family to Dora’s house. No one really explained why we were all
going to Dora’s, but I just planned on getting into bed and slipping into a
coma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I walked into the
house and prepared to go directly to bed, I noticed the familiar smell of
tamales and was inundated with hugs and kisses from my aunts, uncles, cousins,
and mom, all wishing me a Feliz Navidad. Everyone was crying and talking about
how thankful they were for all of the blessings God had bestowed upon them; Dora
told me I was her greatest blessing. After everyone had been wished a Feliz
Navidad we set out blankets on the floor in Dora’s room and ate tamales and
drank Coke; keep in mind that it was about 3am at this point. The tamales were
delicious and I’m always in the mood for Coke, but after the meal I felt
sleepier than ever. As I thanked everyone for the meal and the beautiful day I
could think of nothing but climbing into my bed in the next room. I got up to
make my exit for the night, barely noticing that all of the kids followed me. I
was beginning to pull back my blankets when they stared at me and asked me
incredulously, “Que estas haciendo?” (What are you doing?) When I told them
that I planned on sleeping, they all started to laugh. “iNo te puedes! Vamos a
kemar nuestros cuetes!” (No you can’t! We’re going to set off our fireworks!) It
is impossible for me to say no to one Guatemalan child, let alone twelve. We
set off fireworks until the sun began to glimmer in the horizon and sleep
finally claimed me at 6am on Christmas day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEW5Xw4lhBo86A8VcRWWLe030UiKjhMikdwovO73wog4o37LvWrKk-XBUsY9LOljswh02QvF6VGVY3hR0QMkvkCBDjsdSOnL3bMCBEGuN4vbnewOUVOpQhV90gdPbE2mZyJg7YVNAR3iA/s1600/486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEW5Xw4lhBo86A8VcRWWLe030UiKjhMikdwovO73wog4o37LvWrKk-XBUsY9LOljswh02QvF6VGVY3hR0QMkvkCBDjsdSOnL3bMCBEGuN4vbnewOUVOpQhV90gdPbE2mZyJg7YVNAR3iA/s1600/486.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My life in the Guat is unpredictable to say the least, but
one thing I can always look forward to here is adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em><strong> </strong></em></span><em><strong>I’ve found happiness in the most unlikely
places here and am falling in love with this crazy, funny, simple Guatemalan
life.</strong></em> I can’t wait to tell you all about the Lee family’s visit to the Guat,
but that will have to wait until next time because I can’t stare at this screen any longer. You are all in my thoughts and prayers! Thanks for reading!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-77254246246813160652012-12-04T10:40:00.001-07:002012-12-04T12:45:53.790-07:00Settling InI love my new life in Chimaltenango. I absolutely adore Dora, my host mom. She and I can talk for hours, which is rather remarkable, considering that I only have 2 months of experience speaking Spanish. The fact that I love to talk to people and hear their stories has made the learning process rather easy. Of course, I still have daily moments of <i>verguenza</i> (embarrassment), but those moments are often wonderfully <i>chistoso</i> (funny). The past two weeks I worked with the children of the women in the Corazon de Mujer group. Working with the two to six-year-olds was a humbling experience, let me tell you. I have never been known for <i>paciencia</i> (patience). I had the expectation that I would be teaching them English songs and games and we would all hold hands and skip afterwards, needless to say, this did not occur. I had babies running here and there, biting each other, crying, and doing everything but listening to the Gringa (me). After a day of complete and utter chaos I decided to try a new approach: do anything to keep the kids from eating one another and/or crying. We played with play-doh, drew pictures, and read stories. Only two kids cried the second day and only one got bitten. I used art as the vehicle to teach the kids words in English and they really seemed to like this approach. And while we had very few supplies to work with, my kids were definitely not lacking in the imagination department. For several of the days I also had the opportunity to work with the older kids, ages 6-13, and that was a blast! I really connected with them and they were extremely eager to learn (<i>aprender</i>) English; we played games and sang songs, though we never got around to the holding hands and skipping bit. <br />
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Another exciting bit of news: I learned to weave. No joke. I spent 13 hours weaving a scarf (pictures of the process will be in the next post). I think Dora was a little nervous to teach me, because it's actually pretty hard to learn, but I caught on quickly. :) It was actually kind of funny because when her friends and sisters came over she brought them into the room where I was weaving and bragged to them that I was better at weaving than most Guatemalans. Of course this caused me to blush furiously and fumble with my weaving (I've never been very comfortable with an audience). Although her praise made me embarrassed, it also made me feel like she is starting to think of me like a daughter (<i>hija</i>). I feel so lucky to have her as one of my Guatemalan moms, because she is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I'd love to tell you all about her amazing story, but I need to ask her permission first. I'll post again soon! Thanks so much for reading and please keep my Guatemalan family and me in your prayers! :) Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-77517313591593700352012-11-04T14:19:00.001-07:002012-11-04T14:19:14.986-07:00Turning Over A New LeafI am so excited to tell you all that I will now be living in Chimaltenango and working with a women's co-operative called <i>Corazon de Mujeres</i> (the heart of the women). Chimaltenango is about 45 minutes from Antigua by bus and it is one of the biggest cities in Guatemala. The women in the <i>Corazon de Mujeres</i> group weave hand-made scarves, purses, clothing, etc., to help support their families. These women are hard-working, welcoming, and brave. Each of these women suffered from the violence that happened during the war in Guatemala and a part of what they do is share their stories with groups that come to visit them.<br />
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Over the next nine months, I will be living and working with the women of the <i>Corazon de Mujeres</i>. I will be teaching the women English, and tutoring the children after school, but I am certain that I will learn more from them than I could possibly teach. I hope to record their stories and translate them for CEDEPCA, another organization that I will be working with. CEDEPCA stands for Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America (Evangelical Center of Pastoral Studies in Central America). Cedepca is a training center that provides safe, accepting, creative
spaces where women and men from many different Christian traditions can
deepen their faith while they strengthen their ability to confront the
key issues facing their communities.Cedepca seeks to form thoughtful, compassionate disciples of Jesus
Christ whose world is big enough to include all God’s children and who
care for all of God’s creation.Cedepca offers people the tools to eradicate violence and injustice in their world, especially violence against women and children. </div>
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This past week, I was lucky enough to spend time learning about Cedepca in Guatemala City and I can't wait to spend one week out of every month in Guatemala City working with Cedepca. The people who work for Cedepca are people I really look up to and hope to be like some day. They are making such a difference here in Guatemala and in other Central American countries and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work and learn with them. </div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-34148978999981782262012-11-04T13:58:00.000-07:002012-11-04T13:59:30.381-07:00Lessons Learned in the Guat: Part 3<b>Lesson 10: Everyone Poops</b><br />
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I used to be the type of person who gets rather embarrassed when the topic of bodily functions comes up. However, I've learned to get over it. The bathroom at my new host family's house has a sheet over the door and the toilet doesn't flush (think outhouse). When the wind is blowing, it's not uncommon to catch a glimpse of a person in the bathroom doing his or her business. Two months ago this would have mortified me, but today I am just glad we have a toilet. I still find it a bit embarrassing that everyone in the house can hear the goings-on in the bathroom, but I'm pretty much over it. After all, everyone poops right? I don't know why it took coming to Guatemala for me to realize that, but it's an important lesson, especially now that I'm bound to be caught in the act. <br />
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<b>Lesson 11: Lesbiana is not the Spanish word for Lesbian(at least not in the Guat)</b><br />
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"Hola, me llamo Lesbiana,"(Hi, my name is Lesbiana) is something I hear on a pretty regular basis, believe it or not. The first time someone introduced herself as Lesbiana I almost burst out laughing. I thought I had heard her wrong, but after asking for her name again I was certain that Lesbiana was, in fact, her name. Lesbia is also a popular name for girls here, in case you were wondering. <br />
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<b>Lesson 12: It's O.K. To Ask For Help</b><br />
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As some of you know, I am now living with a new host family and have a new placement. I lived in Comalapa for three weeks and was miserable the entire time. At first my host family seemed to be making an effort to get to know me, but after the first couple of days they seemed to lose interest. I would try to spend time with them and they would suggest that I spend time in my room until the next meal. I was shadowing at the school, which was great, but my actual job description kept changing and that really stressed me out. One day I was told I would be teaching two times a week, and the next I was told I would be teaching six times for week for 8 hours per day. At first I was told I would have one class, and later I was told that I would have three or four classes. I really wouldn't have minded spending most of my time teaching, but my start date kept being pushed back and I really hated being in the dark about my job. I ate one meal a day with my host dad (if I was lucky) and I ate the rest of my meals alone in silence. I love alone time, but having only alone time for three weeks straight made me feel extremely lonely and sad. I'm not going to go into detail recounting everything my host family did to isolate me, but I will say that at times I felt like they did it on purpose. One day, after eating at a table outside while the rest of the family ate together in the kitchen, I realized that I needed a change. I called Marcia, the director of the YAV program in Guatemala, and told her what had been going on. To my immense relief, she promised to find me a new host family as soon as possible, and within two days I moved out. <br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-2163843030913706782012-09-26T16:36:00.001-06:002012-09-26T16:38:21.040-06:00Lessons Learned in the Guat: Part 2<strong>Lesson 7: Discard your personal bubble prior to entering a Chicken Bus.</strong><br />
When on a Chicken Bus, be aware that you do not have a right to your own space. You might think that you have a right to your space, however, you don´t. You might think that bus seats are meant for two people. They´re not. Bus seats are meant for as many people as is humanly possible. Even if there isn´t room for another person in your seat, someone is bound to find just the right amount of space. In fact, many people, including large men, will take your lap into account. Just the other day I was sitting on a Chicken Bus next to an older gentleman, minding my own business, when a significantly larger older gentleman decided to sit with us. Now, I did not think there would be room for this man, but there was. This older gentleman found ample space. On my lap. It´s a damn good thing I remembered to get rid of my bubble, because if I hadn´t, that man would have burst it.<br />
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<strong>Lesson 8: Brace Yourself.</strong><br />
Prior to taking a shower it is important to prepare yourself. This shower is going to be frigid. In fact, this shower is going to make your teeth chatter and cause every hair on your body stand on end. I have never in my life worried about taking a shower as much as I dred showering in the Guat. To be honest, I don´t shower as frequently because I find it utterly unpleasant. I don´t shower when it´s raining, because I´ll be impossibly cold. As the water cascades down on my head, I try to think about the fact that my hair is growing, but that doesn´t help very much. Sometimes in the morning, I forget to brace myself before hopping in the shower. This is very bad. When I forget to brace myself I shout out in surprise, because I am so shocked by how freezing the water is. I read in a magazine that cold water is good for your hair. I hope that´s true. I hate cold showers now, and it´s only September. I can´t imagine how cold it´ll be in December.<br />
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Lesson 9: Watch your step.<br />
The ground here is almost never even. Most of the streets are cobblestone, however, the stones are haphazardly placed and all happen to be different sizes. For a klutz like me, Guatemalan streets are a huge accident waiting to happen. It doesn´t help that pedestrians do not have the right of way here. The sidewalks here are very narrow and there are a lot of protruding window things that are waiting to bash your head. So actually, the lesson is really to watch out. Beware. The streets of Guatemala are dangerous, but not for the reasons you might think. I have yet to witness a pickpocketing. I haven´t seen any crazed drug dealers on the loose. What I have seen is my face coming dangerously close to the ground countless times, becuase I can´t help but trip all over the place. Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-11797129920506693062012-09-23T14:56:00.000-06:002012-09-23T14:56:06.951-06:00Lessons Learned in the Guat: Part 1<b>Lesson 1: Never go anywhere without a rainjacket.</b><br />
The rainy season here in Guatemala is from May to November and in that time it rains quite frequently. The rain here is pretty sneaky and can appear out of nowhere to soak you completely. Also, the streets here in Antigua don´t have a drainage system so it´s best to wear sandals. I always thought I loved the rain, but there is a little too much rain here for my liking. However, I guess, if it weren´t for all of this lluvia (rain) there wouldn´t be so much delicious fruit to eat. I eat piña (pineapple), sandia (watermelon), and papaya pretty much every day and it´s amazing!<br />
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<b>Lesson 2: Go to bed early, becuase you won´t be able to sleep in</b>.<br />
The roosters here don´t really have a sense of the appropriate time to crow. Sometimes they crow at 2 in the morning, and if the roosters aren´t crowing, someone is probably setting off fireworks. I´m all for fireworks, but not when they´re set off at 6 in the morning. In my town there is also a truck that drives up and down the street advertising gas starting at 5:30 am. The truck has a recorded advertisement and the first few times I heard it I thought it was saying "Geeeeeeeeeet Uuuuuuup!" but what it´s actually saying is "Zeeeeeeeta Gaaaaaaaas!!!!" The roosters, the fireworks, and the Z Gas truck are bad, but the worst is when Raul, the family parrot, repeats the Z Gas advertisement. Raul enjoys repeating just about anything that might annoy the rest of the family. Needless to say, sleeping in is not an option. <br />
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<b>Lesson 3: Mango is more than just a fruit. </b><br />Yes, mango is a delicious fruit and it´s in season from May to August here in Guatemala. However, the word "Mango" is also used to describe an attractive man. For example, if a group of girls is walking down the street and one of them sees a good looking guy, she might say, "¡Que Mango!" or if he´s very attractive she might say, "¡Que Mangazo!" I hear girls saying this quite often, and when I finally asked what it was, I burst out laughing.<br />
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<b>Lesson 4: It doesn´t matter how conservatively you dress...</b><br />
Men will holler at you like you´re dressed for a scandalous night out on the town.<br />
Maybe it´s because I´m a gringa, but I´ve never had so much male attention in my life. I usually wear floor-length skirts and conservative shirts, yet that doesn´t seem to deter men from yelling (what I assume are pick up lines) at me. At first I was terrified, but now I just find it hilarious. The other day, while walking in the market, one many yelled at Kate and I that we were good-looking pastors (or something like that). Haha.<br />
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<b>Lesson 5: Make jokes.</b><br />
When I first moved in with my host family, I found it difficult to interact with them and I felt very out of place, however, when I started making jokes, they really loostened up around me. I make jokes that I´m sure sound like they were made up by a 7 year old, yet they laugh as though I´ve just said the most hilarious thing they´ve ever heard. One night there was a funny looking bug in the kitchen. It was bouncing off the wall in time with the marimba music on the radio. I pointed to the bug and joked that it was dancing to the music. My host dad thought it was so funny; I thought he was going to fall out of his chair. I think he really appreciated that I was making an effort with my Spanish, and the bug really did look like he was dancing. :)<br />
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<b>Lesson 6: Don´t pet Chuchos.</b><br />
Chuchos (street dogs) are pretty much everywhere and most of them are cute. I have a hard time not petting dogs, but after I got fleas, I decided to abstain from petting the Chuchos. Fleas tend to bite you around your waistband and your wrists and ankles. Flea bites are REALLY really itchy. Don´t pet the Chuchos. <br />
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<br /> Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-45265367178945484432012-09-08T15:08:00.000-06:002012-09-08T15:08:01.068-06:00A few photos of Antigua<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jensen, Annie, Kate, and I in front of the fountain in Antigua´s City Park.</div>
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Our new friendship bracelets!</div>
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The view from my window in San Juan del Obispo!</div>
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The famed arch in Antigua!</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-22996753712284138482012-09-01T14:43:00.000-06:002012-09-01T14:43:45.234-06:00iEstoy feliz como un lombriz!<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Ayer estoy feliz como un lombriz! </i>(<b>Right now I am as happy as a worm!</b>) Guatemala is everything I hoped it would be and more. Annie, Kate, Jensen, and I spent our first three nights in an adorable little hotel in Antigua. We explored the city and learned more about one another. On Thursday morning, after a breakfast of <i>mosh</i> (similar to oatmeal) and<i> huevos y frijoles</i> (eggs and beans) we took a taxi to San Juan del Obispo. San Juan is a small town outside of Antigua with a beautiful view of the volcano and surrounding mountains. Each of us had a host family waiting to welcome us into their home. My host mom, Dolores, carried my duffle bag on her head as we trekked up the cobblestone hill to her two story<i> casa</i> (house). We were greeted by Toffe, a gregarious <i>perrito</i> (puppy), and <i>el loro</i> (a parrot)<i> se llama Raul</i> (named Raul). Dolores lives with her husband Julio and spends most week days watching her<i> nieta</i> (granddaughter) Camilla. <i>Despues de almuerzo delicioso</i> (after a delicious lunch) we walked a few blocks to our language school. Each of us has our own <i>maestra</i> (teacher),<i> mi maestra se llama Beatriz</i> (my teacher is named Beatriz). I have only had two lessons so far, but I can already tell that I am improving. Next week I will have classes in the morning and outings in the afternoon. I am so excited to continue getting to know Guatemala and her <i>cultura bonita</i> (beautiful culture). </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I found out today that my family will be coming to visit me on the 26th of December! I am eager to see my mom, dad, and sister, and I cannot wait to show them the country that I am growing to love. I will end this post with a quote from Douglas Wood, </span><br /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b>And maybe it is only on the trail to nowhere-in-particular that you find the most important thing of all. Yourself. </b></span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-36306131151187260202012-08-25T19:31:00.000-06:002012-08-25T19:31:23.775-06:00This past week I've heard horror stories about living in Guatemala, everything from giant spiders, to unwelcoming host families, and a myriad of other downright terrifying situations. While these stories left me feeling a bit unsettled about the upcoming year, they also served to amplify my desire to live and work in Guatemala. As an optimist, I am able to make the best of pretty much any situation and I am confident that this will carry over into my year of service. Mother Theresa said it best when she said,<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is beauty, admire it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a dream, realize it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a challenge, meet it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a duty, complete it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a game, play it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a promise, fulfill it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is sorrow, overcome it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a song, sing it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a struggle, accept it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is a tragedy, confront it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is an adventure, dare it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is luck, make it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is too precious, do not destroy it.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Life is life, fight for it.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">In the coming year, I know I will encounter life in all of the above manifestations and more. Spiders as big as my face may run across my floor, it might be difficult to get to know my host family, and I will certainly encounter bumps along the way, but I am ready to take those challenges head on. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Here at orientation, I've come to realize that I have an amazing community of YAV's, family, and friends supporting me and I'm excited to share my triumphs and my struggles with you all. My first struggle will be getting up on Monday morning at 1:30 am to leave for the airport. Our flight is at 5:30 am and we will land in Houston sometime in the late morning. After a short layover, we will board our plane to Guatemala city!!!! I've heard that the atmosphere at the airport in Guatemala city is pretty intense, but I'll have Jensen, Kate, and Annie (my fellow YAVs) by my side. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Please continue to pray for me in the coming weeks and months! I love you all! <3</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3588693964992376787.post-18123060216128883032012-08-21T19:34:00.001-06:002012-08-21T19:34:54.464-06:00FIRST POST!!!Today is the second day of the Young Adult Volunteer program orientation in Stony Point, New York. I have to admit, I am slightly disoriented. Leaving my home (Golden, Colorado) yesterday was much harder than I expected it to be and, according to my countdown, I have a mere five days and approximately 16 hours until I arrive in Guatemala. I will spend 5 weeks in Antigua, Guatemala taking Spanish classes. I will then move in with my host family in Comalapa. As of right now, I know very few details and, until this morning, I was consumed by fear of the unknown. My fear evaporated because of my experience at today's morning worship service. During today's service, we reflected on a passage from Psalm 139, in which the psalmist writes, <div>
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<b>Where can I go from Your spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.</b> </div>
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In reflecting on Psalm 139 I feel at peace. This might sound silly, but I now feel certain that God will be with me in Guatemala. Most of you are probably thinking, "Well, duh, Rachel!" I know, I know. God is everywhere, and it seems only natural that God be with me in Guatemala, but the past few days I've been worrying myself sick about packing, traveling, and other logistics, and in worrying so much, I unintentionally took God out of the equation. </div>
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I am happy to report that I am no longer fixating on unnecessary worries and I couldn't be more excited to see what God has in store for me in Guatemala. After all, I can't go anywhere or do anything without God, and that alone is enough to quell all of my fears about this upcoming year. </div>
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Look for another update later this week! Thanks for reading and may Christ's peace be with you all! :) </div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630788904180267678noreply@blogger.com1