Beauty Within and Around (Team 1)

Today was filled with fun adventure and exploring the culture of the Guatemalan people. We woke up, had a short reflection before our breakfast at 8, took our turn doing dishes, and then we were on our way! The first thing on our agenda was our boat tour. We boarded our boat, Crystal, and were given a breathtaking tour around the lake. We saw various styles of houses, limitless mountains, and even a volcano. Our first stop, was at the town of San Antonio. While admiring the town for its beauty, we were all given a tour of a ceramic and pottery factory. They taught us how they make their pottery from scratch and we got to see many of their works after. We then were brought to a weaving store, where we were taught how they gather natural materials to make their products and how much time and effort goes into what they do. They showed us how they pick the seeds out of the cotton plant, separate the material, and dye it. All the dye is made from natural materials. The cotton only needs to be dyed for a maximum of twenty minutes and the color can be made deeper based on the temperature of the water. After that, we boarded the Crystal again to be brought next to the town of Santiago. Father Kesicki gave us some information on the town and the religious importance of one of the churches that we got to visit. A priest, originally from Oklahoma, was assassinated in this city years ago. The priest, Fr. Stanley Rother, has a relic of his heart contained in a church in the town. While exploring the town, we were truly immersed in the culture. We shopped til we dropped and got to taste some yummy food (especially the guacamole) at a local restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we boarded our boat and were back to San Lucas in about fifteen minutes. Shortly after, we got to attend mass in which Father Kesicki was the celebrant. It was so powerful and uplifting to see how much faith the Guatemalan people have. The church was filled and people were literally out the door and on the streets. Once mass concluded, the local priest took over and transferred into adoration. Adoration following mass was a special occasion that only occurs the Sunday before lent. The priest walked down the isle with the monstrance and people would walk out from their seats to throw flowers on it, touch it, or kiss it. After mass and adoration, we had a delicious dinner and then we were off to our reflection! We talked about the importance of knowing the true effect of our work, entering into a spirit of solidarity, and injustices in poverty. Today was such an amazing day, we just cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings us!