Progress, Growth, and Solidarity - Team Shelby

Family and Friends -

Since our last point of contact to the outside world, so much has happened with the rag-tag group of college kids that started this journey together. We all shared experiences going out into the community of San Lucas and working to better the lives of the people who live here. The projects we worked on spanned from sorting locally produced coffee to constructing wooden homes for families, to picking and shoveling dirt for the building of a road. The work was undoubtedly hard, but rewarding for all involved. We were all able to see progress in the projects at hand, and that progress directly correlated to the improvement of lives here in this quaint Guatemalan city.

The projects we worked on and events we attended have brought about unprecedented personal growth for each team member. The group was able to visit the city graveyard and see the impressive and colorful tombs. By walking through the rows, we learned how death can truly be a celebration of life and hope for what is to come. The next morning, we climbed a nearby summit to watch the sun rise over lake Atitlan. Although the climb was a struggle for some, we all persevered to the top and experienced the breathtaking view together. Finally, we all gathered today after a long day of building to play soccer with the native workers that we toiled with all of the projects throughout the week. Our team showed that on every leg of the trip, we were moved and shaken to grow, even outside of our comfort zone.

Day in and day out, we have come closer to this community in solidarity. The Ash Wednesday service was a beautiful experience topped off by our small contingency of the Gannon family being warmly embraced by the local peoples. Additionally, playing soccer with our fellow workers showed  that even though language may divide us we can still interact with fellow workers in a simple game, even though we may have been much less experienced. By fully immersing ourselves with the people of San Lucas, we have come to know a new culture and outlook on life. Although this trip will soon be coming to an end, our shared experience in San Lucas will always be carried with us, even as we walk our own paths into the future.

Until next time San Lucas, 

Ryan 

Hola Amigos!!!

Today was our last day in San Lucas. Part of Brandon’s team got up early to hike Volcán de San Pedro. The journey started by waking up at 6am to catch a truck ride to a boat which took us to San Pedro where we got a Tuc-Tuc (took-took) to the Volcano. After carefully selecting our walking sticks our journey began. We started off strong, but very quickly we started to fatigue due to the high altitude. Our group was able to persevere with the help of many rest stops. There was a sort of silent unity felt within our group which kept us going. One of the highlights of our trek up the volcano was a tire swing at the “grand vista.” Here we were able to swing out with the beautiful view stretched out below us. When we reached the top, we were amazed by the view. At 9908 ft. above sea level the view was as if we were flying over Guatemala in an airplane. It was truly breath-taking; almost everyone of us at the top experienced something bigger than ourselves; a moment of serenity.

After enjoying the view, it was time to start our journey back down. There was some slipping and sliding, but we made it back together in one piece. After four hours, up and down the volcano, we walked a total of 22,000 steps and 424 flights of stairs (thanks to Sam’s fitbit). Our legs were shaking and we were exhausted but it didn’t take away for the beauty of the experience.

The other four members from team Brandon, who didn’t hike the volcano, accompanied Juan to help finish the wood houses. Deanna, Maggie, Alicia, and Alyssa mixed the cement substance and laid down the first layer of floor. After letting that dry, we did another layer of concrete on top that was a beautiful red color. The red color reminded us of the blood of Jesus and the love and sacrifice he gave so that we could help    serve others selflessly. While helping build the houses today for the family, there was a little 5-year-old boy who was sent to go get diapers for his little sister. Deanna noticed he was going alone and ended up accompanying him. He was smiling ear to ear and really touched Deanna's heart.

We are proud of the work that we accomplished today. This was what the whole trip was about. We completed a house and saw the process from start to finish. We not only left a physical infrastructure in Guatemala, but everlasting love that will be with us for always.

We were able to come together for dinner and reflection. At reflection we talked about our journey coming to an end, and how we are going to continue to serve back home through self-reflection, perseverance and joy.

Adiós,

Sam & Katie

Abrirse El Corazon

Queridos Amigos,

I am grateful to Shelby and Brandon for the opportunity to contribute to this blog.  Not being a member of either group, I had the privilege of spending the spring break getting out of the office and tagging along with the Guatemala groups.  To all of you who have been supporting your daughters and sons, your relatives and friends, our students, you have every right to be proud of them.  They came to San Lucas Toliman and allowed their eyes, ears, and, most of all, their hearts to be opened.  It was my privilege to be with them and to witness their generosity and faithfulness.

So many memorable moments and encounters but let me share two:

--On Ash Wednesday, Shelby and her team came with me to Mass in the community of Xejuyu.  That evening, they invited me to lead the evening reflection.  There was so much gratitude in them for the warm welcome we all received from the community.  What was also moving for me was their care for each other.  They all had each other's backs.  I already posted this photo from Xejuyu but here it is again. 

 

--Yesterday morning was the school Mass in San Lucas.  Our team leader Brandon, who is also a seminarian of the Diocese of Erie, assisted me.  After Mass, we were outside to greet the children as they were returning to school for their lessons.  The school children wildly and warmly greeted us with such joy and abandon that was moving.

Here is Brandon with a few new friends who wanted a picture with him:

 

 

 

I was well-assisted every day for Mass by some incredibly talented, efficient and faithful altar servers and sacristans.  Here is a pose with Carlos, Rodolfo and Pablo in the sacristy after Mass yesterday.  Gracias, amigos!  Que Dios bendiga a Ustedes!

 

 

 

Shelby and Brandon, you both outdid yourselves in leadership, generosity and sacrifice.  Know that you are both held with great appreciation and affection.  Fellow ABST travellers in both teams, thank you for letting me share this blessed week with you.  Know of my pride and encouragement.  May God bless you all.

 

 

Fr. Michael Kesicki

 

Thursday Update from Team Brandon

Hola! ☺

Today was the last full work day for Team Brandon! After breakfast, one half of the group assisted in cementing floors, while our half worked on a cinderblock house for a family of 12. We were given the task of using a pickaxe to break down a dirt wall. A few of the children were present at the worksite with us. We were able to talk to and play with them throughout the morning. They even insisted on helping us by filling and carrying buckets of dirt up the hill. We are proud to say that we successfully completed our task! Juan (“el jefe”) was proud of our hard work. After some difficult goodbyes, we stopped at a local dairy farm for ice cream. It was a perfect way to cool down after working all morning.

After lunch, we returned to the Women’s Shelter. This time, the women and men shared a little more about their culture with us. They played us a few songs on the marimba, then taught us how to make tortillas over a fire. Next, we washed one of our articles of clothing (my sweatshirt was in serious need of a wash) in a “pila”. It was hard work! Afterward, we attempted to carry the wet laundry in a bano on our heads, like the women here have to do every day. Only Kelsey M. and Sam were successful at this task. Santos then showed us how men carry firewood to their homes. A few of us tried it out for ourselves, realizing how strenuous this task is. We all had a great time learning more about their daily lives.




At reflection this evening, we focused on the topic of relationships. We discussed the importance of relationships in our lives, and the various types of relationships we experience. M.J. made a great point to reflect on as we near the end of our trip: that each relationship we build, no matter how long, shapes who we are and we will carry a piece of them with us throughout our lives. This trip has been exactly what MJ expressed.. the people we have met, the experiences that we have made together have been more than just life changing and we made a promise to each other that we will be true to ourselves and always serve and put God first.

 

 

Buenas
noches!

Alyssa &

Alicia

Road Warriors

Noah and Ryan at work with the rest of Team Shelby on the repair of the road near our hotel.

Miércoles de Ceniza -- Team Shelby

On Ash Wednesday, Team Shelby went to the afternoon Mass in the small community of Xejuyu about 15 minutes outside of San Lucas Toliman.  We were all moved by the fervor of the people and their generous welcome of us.  Our own Maggie R. got to assist with the distribution of ashes and as a Eucharistic minister. 

After Mass, we wanted a group picture and found a number of new friends who wanted to join us for the photo.  Their parents were happy to have them with us and gave us permission to use the picture for our blog post.  They even took some photos for themselves.  The warm welcome and the simplicity of the worship was a moment of great impression for all of us and was a significant point for our evening reflection.

Lent calls us to the challenge of disrupting our routine so that we may be open to a conversion of heart with an openness to our sisters and brothers.  This week has been an occasion to let our hearts be changed. 

Ash Wednesday -- Team Brandon

Hola Amigos!

This ABST experience so far has been nothing less than extraordinary to every single one of us; each activity there is something that moves our hearts and those of the people we are with.

    We are currently wrapping up our day at the moment and reflecting on todays activities. Today, we hopped into the bed of a truck, and traveled one hour away to another village to help build stoves for families in need. We spilt into three separate groups, and on top of working on the stoves, we got to spend time with the Guatemalan families in which we were building them for. We worked there for three hours mixing cement, soaking bricks, and then smoothing and laying bricks down evenly to make a working stove. On the journey there and back to San Lucas, we kept the spirit up by singing random songs together.

   

Now on to a more serious note; we enjoyed a beautiful Ash Wednesday mass at the Iglesias de San Lucas. The whole mass was in Spanish! Even though most of us couldn’t understand what exactly was being said, the experience in Spanish was a beautiful experience. It was truly moving to see that the whole community put so much of a focus on the importance of Ash Wednesday and took time out of their busy lives to spend over two hours at the church. There were so many people from the community we were in awe as folks lined up outside of the building and surrounding the church.

   

    As our time is now slightly past half-way, we are especially striving to live being present to all people and service works that we are involved in. The love that is experienced here is something that is unforgettable.

In our reflection tonight B talked to us about patience and we realized that it seemed to be our theme for the day. In our morning work we had to practice patience while bouncing back in forth with our broken Spanish trying to communicate and find out what we were to be doing, we had to practice our patience in waiting for cement to be smoothed and for us to move on to our next step in stove building, and we had to practice patience while waiting an extra 50 minutes (in the hot Guatemalan sun) for our driver to come back and pick us up.

We were THEN forced to be patient in realizing that we were not going to be able to make our 3PM mass service with our beloved Father Michael (staff from Gannon ☺) which we were all looking forward to. Tweaking our plans ended up giving us some extra time to shower, reflect, and prepare a new plan for our evening. We ended up attending our mass service at 6PM (after having not eaten since lunch) where we experienced 2 hours of untranslatable beauty.

As we write this at the end of the day, we realize that through the good and the challenging experiences of the day, maintaining a patient heart allows a person to have a capacity for loving more fully and freely.

Buenos Noches a todos!

Deanna & Maggie

Rend Your Hearts (Joel 2:13)

With these words from the prophet Joel, the Roman liturgy of Ash Wednesday introduces us into the season of Lent.  We hear the prophetic call to a journey of interior conversion, a conversion of heart.  The fruits of this conversion are an openess to God and to our sisters and brothers, especially those who are suffering.

Our students have been experiencing this journey of conversion before today in the desire to encounter the people of San Lucas, to learn from them and to be with them.  Yesterday's experiences involved building wooden houses in the nearby communities.  Our students marveled at the opportunity to make something new that will remain after they've departed.  At the same time, they are learning that something new also comes into being in their own hearts, a desire to live a live for others, to live a life that is not held but given away.

Today, Ash Wednesday, reminds us that it is possible to create something new within ourselves and in those around us, simply because God is faithful, always faithful.

Both Gannon groups will be joining the local community in Xejuyu for the Ash Wednesday Mass at 3:00pm.  With confidence in the power of Love and the capacity to grow in generous service let us be united on the way of conversion of heart.  A blessed beginning to Lent!

The end of Carneval

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the last day before Lent begins.  Many of us enjoyed being chased by children (and some grown-ups) in the streets of San Lucas pelted by confetti (and an occasional water balloon) marking the end of the carnival season.  It's a time of play as we prepare for the entrance into the journey of interior conversion which is Lent.  We celebrated with a cake after reflection last night.  Some of us acquired eggs filled with confetti to go after each other in the spirit of carnival.

In the town square, Brandon walked into a one-on-one basketball throw-around with one of the locals.  At the same time, there was a soccer game as well as pranksters running around to crack confetti-eggs on people's heads.

 Reforestation 



Today we visited the work of an amazing man named Toribio who directs the reforestation efforts. He does education in the schools to encourage families to recycle with a special view toward using products such as special plastic bags that can be reused for planting saplings and can decompose in less than 3 years. Toribio brings a deep spirituality along with a devotion to Guatemala, its people and the land, marked by a reverence for creation and a heart for sharing the good news with others.

Buenos días, la familia y amigos!

Yesterday concluded our second work day, and boy it a long (but rewarding) day! We started our morning with a breathing exercise and meditation down by the lake. It was a great way to take in the scene and sounds as we prepared for our day.

Team Shelby split into 2 groups to work on different projects based on the needs of the San Lucas community. Both groups worked on the structures of two different wood-framed houses. The day was sunny and hot but both groups finished the morning with some new skills,  memories, and sun burn. 

After lunch and showers, our group joined back together to visit the Women's Center today. We got to experience a Day-In-the-Life of a Guatemalan woman and man. Here we learned how make tortillas over an open fire, wash clothes without the luxury of a washing machine, and bundle and carry 50lbs of fire wood. This was an eye opening experience as we continue to see the vast amount of skills the people of Guatemala have. 

Team Shelby concluded the day with an amazing video on Fr. Greg and his creation of the mission. This video showed us the impact both Fr. Greg and the mission had on the community and people of San Lucas. Each of the projects that the mission nurtures was explained in this video. We had the opportunity to see some of the history of the mission, the influence of the Catholic religion, and the importance of the work we came to do. 

We are about to start our Ash Wednesday with some gardening in the morning. This afternoon we will be heading to a neighboring community to see our own, Fr. Michael conduct mass. Following, we will have the opportunity to join the community with a celebration of Ash Wednesday- San Lucas style. Please stay tuned to find out about our day today!

*To the moms and dads reading the blog enters this week; you can be very proud of your kids and the service they are doing for others. They have meshed well and are enjoying the newly forming relationships. They have directed their energies to serving and learning and are growing immensely as people. Thank you for guiding them to make the important decision of dedicating their spring break to serve and live in community with others. It is a good week.

- Ashley Faulkner; accompanier