Patrice's Post

I have been talking about traveling out of the country to do mission work for at least the past five years, and I couldn't be more blessed to finally have this opportunity. 

                

Saturday night we had the privelage of learning about Fr. Rother, a modern day martyr. He was a symbol of peace and hope to the people of Guatemala. Fr. Rother was murdered in his rectory because of the work he did. When we visted SanTiago on Sunday my most prominent memory will always be visitng the church where Padre preached and worked and where he was eventually killed. The room where he was shot has been turned into a chapel, and you can actaully see the bullet hole in the ground and the blood stains around it.

The volunteer coordinator here at the mission is an inspriring woman and I am greatful for every chance I get to chat with her. She started coming to San Lucas when she was 15 with her dad and helped with eye surgeries. She became a registered nurse and entered a religious order (I can't remember which one though, sorry!). She was in the order for 7 years and loved her time there. She left this past May and started as the Volunteer Coordinator in January. She talked about how she doesn't know what she's supposed to do, but she knows that her heart belongs to God. She knows that she is consecrated to Him and that He is calling her to do great things, which is terrifying but also wonderful. As we all stive to uderstand our own vocations, my prayer for our group, and all those on this journey with us, is that we may all one day find where we are being called to and that our work become so empowering and life changing that it becomes worth dying for. 

"Vocation is where our greatest passion meets the world's greatest need."        

Thank you all for your prayers!! And Happy Belated 16th Birthday to my not so little brother James!! :)   

         

A Personal Reflection from Heather

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT SARCASTIC HEATHER. THIS IS COMPLETELY SERIOUS. (No, that wasn't sarcasm).

I've been in Guatemala for less than two days and the list of things I take for granted in the United States is growing exponentially by the minute. TAP WATER THAT IS SAFE TO DRINK, warm showers, flushing toilet paper down the toilet, street lights, refuse collection, and understanding what people are trying to say to me: being the utmost. My twitter, instagram, Netflix account, and iPad have yet to pop into my mind once (until now that is). I don't want to forget the way I'm feeling right now. Humbled, blessed, and privileged don't even come close to it.

And that's exactly the problem. The first two days of this service trip have made me reflect to the nth degree upon what I've learned about myself. I don't want that. I don't want to count my blessings solely because I've been slightly exposed to poverty. I read an article tonight entitled "The Cost of Short-Term Missions" by JoAnn Van Engen, a missionary in Honduras. Her point of view is what I want to change mine to for not only the rest of my time in Guatemala, but also for the rest of my life.

Van Engen said, "What is the purpose of the trip? Are we going through the motions of helping the poor so we can congratulate oursevles afterwards? Or are we seeking to understand the lives of third world people to recognize and support their strengths and to try to understand the problems they face and our role in them? Are we ethnocentrically treating the people of the third world as tragic objects to be rescued- or as equals to walk with and learn from?"

As aforementioned in an early post, I wish so badly that I knew Spanish fluently. I don't regret taking eight years of a dead language because Latin definitely helped me with my SATs and human anatomy & physiology classes, but I just get so frustrated because I want to talk to the nationals and fully understand their culture and their stuggles. (Shoutout to Kaitlyn for being an awesome translater though!) I don't want to learn about myself and see how fortunate I am. I want to learn about them and their needs and what I can do to help. Van Engen said, "Learning from the people of the country you visit will give you understanding of the country that a foreigner cannot give."

Thankfully, I have NEVER been someone to let a personal struggle get in the way of what I am determined to do. I will not be conquered by a language barrier. 17 years of education taught me better than that (Thank you, Mom!) There are other ways to learn than through conversing. I can observe, I can play games with children, and I can indeed communicate without words. It is alright to get frustrated, but nothing good ever comes out of dwelling on the negatives in life.

I hope everyone reading this had a great day. Spread the word about our blog; You, too, can help us fight injustice and poverty!

-Heather Monroe :)

The Four Pillars of an ABST

When one agrees to go on an ABST, Alternative Break Service Trip, one agress to live by the four pillars that are at the foundation of the trip: simplicity, community, service, and reflection.  Before embarking on this amazing experience, each group creates a contract outlining how the members will live by these four pillars during their time abroad.  We wanted to share an over view of the contract we created and signed to give you a look at the type of life we hope to live out during our time in Guatemala.

SIMPLICITY:

During our time in Guatemala, we are striving to live a simple live style and really immerse ourselves into the culture.  To do this, we agreed to limited technology use.  Besides for cameras and the iPad for blogging purposes, we agreed to leave cell phones and iPods for travel use and really focus on the Guatemalan people along with fellow group memebers.  We also encourage others to try new food and appreciate the food that is prepared for us.  Girls agreed to wear limited makeup during our time here and we plan to spend our free time together as a group getting to know each other more deeply.  Finally for this pillar, each membered packed one carry-on suitcase for the week.  As a group, we checked one bag that held our liquids and other necessary items.

COMMUNITY:

We have one assigned photographer for the group while we are here, Heather.  She has graciously brought her awesome camera and has been capturing our Kodak moments.  At the end of the trip, all pictures will be posted to a website so that all group members have access.  We also have two group members who are overseeing this blog, Beth and Char.  They are encouraging all group members to contribute to the blog at least once and are ensuring that at least one post gets out a day.  We are also immerging ourselves into the Guatemalan community.  While the language barrier is challenging for many of our members, we are aware and trying our best to communicate with the locals.  We are here this week to serve them and are doing our best to put them first.

SERVICE:

We have a heart of service for this week and this started on day one.  For meals, groups take turns prepping for the meal and cleanup afterwards.  We had breakfast yesterday, breakfast today and then lunch on Thursday.  This is a great bonding experience as a group and is a small way that we can help the mission that is so graciously hosting us.  We also vowed to keep an open heart and mind during this aspect of our week.  We still aren't quite sure how exactly we will be serving this week but get to find out more about that today!

REFLECTION:

At the end of each day, we reflect as a group.  These reflections are lead by Patice and have been amazing so far! We have also been encouraged to reflect individually as well.  These reflections are key to being able to digest what we are experiencing.  We have an amazing group and have bonded quickly. It is great to be sharing this experience with like minded individuals.  The support we have from each other is already strong and will continue to grow as the week progresses.  

Around Lake Atilan

Today we got to take a boat tour around the nearing cities in Guatemala!

The first city we stopped in was San Antonio, Guatemala.  During our time on this island, we visited a women's cooperative where we had the oppurtunity to purchase textiles and woven goods.  After this, we visted a ceramic shop.  The ceramics were beautiful and unique. Handmade creations filled the shelves!  This was a small, quiet town filled with friendly locals. 

San Antonio, Guatemala

Our next stop was Santiago, Guatemala.  This city was completely different from San Antonio.  This was a bigger city and shops lined the streets.  We got to visit the church where Father Stan began the mission of San Lucas.  We had the oppurtunity to meditate and got to see the room where Father Stan was martyred.  We enjoyed lunch at a local restuarant before we returned to the boat to head back to San Lucas Mission.

The group on the church's steps in Santiago, Guatemala.

We had a short break and then attended the local mass at the mission.  Father Michael co-celebrated the mass and did a fabulous job! He claims his spanish is rusty, but we aren't too sure we believe it!  We eat our meals at the mission with the four other volunteer groups staying at the mission.  We are all take turns prepping for the meals and washing the dishes after.  

Our first whole day in Guatemala has been more than amazing! We are beyond excited for this week and cannot wait to find out more about the service we will be participating in! 

"I'm seriously going to have a hard time coming back to the bland colors of the states! The rich, lively color here is absolutely beautiful. The land has been touched with a lot of different emotion and I absolutely adore the perserverence of these people. Love to everyone in the cold. - Raven"

"My favorite part of the day was the boat ride and seeing the view of the mountains. It was seriously incredible and definately something you can't see everyday." - Charlene

"Seeing other group members conversing fluently in Spanish with the natives here had me searching through every awful Pitbul song for phrases that I might be able to use." - Heather

"Today has been such an amazing experience. Taking a boat ride around to the different cities helped me to rediscover the free spirit that has been buried under the hustle and bustle of life.... and the cold." -Rachael

"I really enjoyed talking with the Guatemalan people and finding out their stories. Also, I have a lot of experience with Chilean culture and I was not sure what I was expecting from Guatemala, but it is completely different from Chilean culture. I cannot wait to keep delving into the complexity and beauty of the Guatemalan culture and people." -Katelyn

 

We are here!

We made it to Guatemala safely yesterday! It was a very long day of travel: 2 hour bus ride to Cleveland, 2 hour flight to Atlanta, 3 hour flight to Guatemala City and a final three hour van ride to San Lucas Mission! This view though makes it all worth it! We are on the second floor of our hotel and get to take in this beauty every day we walk outside our doors.

We get to take a boat ride today to take a tour of the lake and stop in two other Guatemalan cities to take in th sites, culture and do a little shopping! Check back tonight to read more! 

ON OUR WAY!

Our group at th Cleveland airport getting ready to board!! 

Research

In preparation for the trip, each member received a topic related to Guatemala to research and share with the other members.  This research helps us understand the culture will be entering and we want to share it with you!

Antigua, Guatemala:

• 34,685 inhabitants
• Antigua Guatemala means "Ancient Guatemala" and was the third capital of Guatemala.
• Antigua is noted for its very elaborate religious celebrations during Lent (Cuaresma), leading up to Holy Week
• Historically, the area was considered to be one of the finest agriculturally in Guatemala. 
• Tourism is the main driver of the economy. Antigua is also a coffee and grain producing region
• Destination for people who want to learn Spanish through immersion
• Antigua GFC football club has played in the Guatemala top division for several years but have been playing in the second division lately.
• Three large volcanoes dominate the horizon around Antigua.
• Volcan de Aqua or "Volcano of Water"
• Acatenango
• Volcan de Fuego  

Architecture:

• Distinctive characteristics include the use of decorative stucco for interior and exterior ornamentation, main facades with a central window niche and often a deeply-carved tympanum, a triangular space above a door.
• The countries massive buildings and low bell towers have been designed to withstand the region's frequent earthquakes.
• Significant historical buildings:
• The Palace of the Captain General, the Casa de la Moneda, the Cathedral, the Universidad de San Carlos, Las Capuchinas, La Merced, Santa Clara
• Many of the important buildings are built 1,500 m above sea level in hopes to avoid flooding

Historical Buildings:

• Palacio de los Capitanes Generales:
• For 200 years, this was the home of the Spanish viceroy, making it the seat of power for all of Central America. The original building, modified many times over the centuries, was constructed in the late 1500s and held the court of law, provincial offices, post office, treasury, royal office, servants' quarters, and horse stables within its more than 20,000 sq. m (215,000 sq. ft.). The current two-story structure, with its traditional facade of arches, is currently closed to the public and undergoing massive repairs and restoration. When restoration work is complete, it will be reopened as a cultural center. 

• Palacio del Noble Ayuntamiento:
• This 1743 structure was designed by Luis Diez de Navarro, Juan de Dios Aristondo, and Diego de Porras. Its impressive two-story facade is constructed of a double layer of stone archways supported by columns. The eastern wall has one of the few carved stone exteriors surviving from the 18th century. Originally the seat of the Spanish colonial government and a jail, it now houses the municipalidad, or city government, the Museo del Libro Antiguo, and the Museo de Santiago.

• Catedral San José
• Vowing to learn from the destruction of the cathedral during the earthquakes of 1583, the city (then called Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala) began construction of a new, more complex, and supposedly stronger cathedral in 1669. The structure, completed in 1680, contained seven entrances, five naves, 78 arches, 18 chapels, a main sacristy, and a main chamber. Unfortunately, seismology tends to repeat itself, and that cathedral was leveled in the great earthquake of 1773. You can visit the ruins from the south gate on 5a Calle Oeste. The entire structure was rebuilt in the 19th century (the sacrarium is the only piece used from the original). Embedded in the facade are several figures: the Virgen de la Asunción (Virgin of Assumption), Santiago Apóstol (Protector of the City), Padre Eterno (Eternal Father), the Doce Apóstoles (Twelve Apostles), and the four Padres de la Iglesia (Church Fathers), as well as the Protectoral Coat of Arms and a shell crossed by swords (a symbol of the Holy Protector). The interior is less impressive but houses a statue of Christ carved by Quirio Cataño, famous for carving the Black Christ of Esquipulas.

Jade:

• It was originally thought that there were only 3 colors, but today it is known that there are over 50 color combinations.
• Jade was originally only a specialty for Guatemalan Royals and was not to be handled by lower classes.
• There are many tiers in which the worth of Jade follows: some of the top ones include Empire, Jaguar, and Princess Jade.
• Colors vary all the way from purples to greens.
• It can be used to make many different pottery, jewlery, and other household items.

Religion:

• About 60% of Guatemala is Catholic
• There are processionals during Lent and other religious holidays
• Catholicism is very important and influential to the culture.
• We will be in Guatemala on Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday and may get the opportunity to participate in carnival!

Coffee:

• Coffee is Guatemala's largest export.
• Their coffee production peaked at the beginning of the 2000s when it reached around 5,000,000 quintales. 
• Unfortunately in 2004, it dropped to only 345,000 quintales.  This is 1/3 productivity in only a few years because of coffee prices drastically dropping.
• The decline in coffee's price and production increased the already difficult conditions for Guatemala's peasant farmers.

Guatemalan Civil War:

           Understanding the Guatemalan Civil War, which ran from 1960 to 1996, is critical to understanding contemporary politics and social justice movements in Guatemala. The war centered upon a clash between government forces and various leftist rebel groups, but the majority of those killed were civilians. During the conflict, over 200,000 Guatemalans were killed or forcibly disappeared (a UN sponsored report said 83% were indigenous Maya and 93% of the human rights violations were carried out by government forces). The war has roots in violence and ethnic exclusion dating back over 500 years. However, the C.I.A. backed coup d'état in June 1954, which installed a right-wing military dictator, substantially contributed to the outbreak of political violence.

            Two truth commissions examined human rights abuses committed during the civil war and discovered unequivocal evidence that the government had perpetrated genocide against the Mayan people. Despite the efforts of the truth commissions, an ambitious reparations program, and several landmark judgments from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, prosecutions for past (and present) crimes have been obstructed by the lingering influence of former officials implicated in human rights abuses and by the intimidation and corruption of the domestic legal system.

Rigoberta Menchu:
          She was born in north central Guatemala in El Quiche on January 5, 1959 and is currently 55 years old. Rigoberta received a primary education in Catholic schools.  She quit schooling to become an activist who campaigned against human right violations committed by the Guatemalan armed forces during the country's civil war (1960-1969).  Rigoberta has spent her life attempting to have members of the Guatemalan political and military establishment tried in Spain.  It is almost impossible to have these individuals tried in Guatemala because the current government supports the civil war and the actions that were taken during the war. 
          She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and was recognized again for her work in 1998 by receiving the Prince Asturias Award.  Rigoberta has started many initiative to aid in access to basic civil rights to all. She has become president of the Indian pharmaceutical company Salud para Todos ("Health for All") whose goal is to make low-cost generic medicine available to all.  She is also one of the founders of Nobel Women's Initiative whose goal is to help strengthen work being done around the world for women's rights.  Rigoberta is also a member of Peace Jam whose goal is to empower young leaders.  
          Rigoberta still has a very strong presence in Guatemalan and has have an everlasting impact on the native Mayans lifes.  She has helped formed two new political parties and has participated in the presidential race twice without success.