in a rather large nutshell. . .

I realize it's been quite a while since I've updated this but I am back by popular demand. Please accept this longer-than-average post as compensation.


First things first. I am just realizing that while I have previously given random tidbits about Guatemala, I haven't actually said anything about my life here.





This is the group with which I am down here. We live, study, travel, work and play together. At first glance you'll likely notice that there is a definite minority of males: two to be exact. There are plenty of hypotheses as to why this is a recurring trend in this program every year. My personal theory is that they haven't yet figured out that a low percentage of guys means a very high percentage of girls... they'll catch on eventually.
States/Provinces represented are: Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Washington, Oregon, and North Carolina.





I don't really know how to explain our campus here. This building is the main common area, which I endearingly refer to as "the house". It has a nice little lounge area in that corner with the bay windows, the kitchen, computer room, mini library, and a couple bedrooms. The covered area on the right is our "dining room". To the left and above this shot there is a quaint little tower room which the program director and his wife have called home for the past 6 years. If I were to swing far to the right there is a small (3 bedroom) building which serves as the boys' dorm. Directly behind where this picture was taken from is our half-enclosed classroom connected to extra dorm rooms for other groups who visit. Continuing down that path takes you to the corner of campus where the girls' dorm room sits. Imagine this: 11 girls split into two adjacent rooms, neither much bigger than the average bedroom. It's quite an experience at times. . .





As part of our cultural experience, we were placed with Guatemalan families with whom we will be staying periodically throughout our time here. We've done our first week, and what a week it was. This is my host mom plucking the chicken which she had just killed. Apparently she does this every Sunday. You can't see it too well but she is doing this in the "pila", which is pretty much an all-purpose washing area. Dishes. . .clothes . . . chickens- it all goes to the same place.
My accomplishment of the week was learning how to wash clothes in this area. It's a lot harder than it looks, and quite a workout. My next goal is learning how to make the tortillas. Maybe by the time I'm done here I'll have worked up to killing a chicken of my own. . . we shall see.

This was a challenging time for the group in that it brought the first wave of intense sickness. This isn't much of a surprise considering the conditions I just described, but it was tough nonetheless. I was thankful to make it out of that week without a problem. It would catch up to me, however. . . more on that later.




Our first real trip away from the Antigua area was to San Juan Tecuaco, a pretty remote area of Guatemala. Our job while we were there was to help tear down one room of a family's two-room mud house, which was in dangerously bad condition, and get it as close to ready as we could to be rebuilt. This included carrying some supplies the two and a half miles from the missionaries' house where we were staying to the job site. This was a huge challenge in that the hike itself, down an extremely steep hillside, across the river, and back up the hill on the other side, was quite exhausting. On top of that, we were caring heavy and awkward steel rebar. And oh yeah... I don't think it ever dropped below 90 degrees after 10 AM.
Although it may sound like I'm trying to get some pity for all that we endured (which I am), I was more just trying to give you a glimpse of these people's lives. Although they probably don't often carry rebar up and down the hills, they do carry huge bundles of wood, food, or an occasional fatigued child. Everything they need to buy or sell at the market has to make this trek.
[In case you're wondering, we didn't get all dressed up for a day of work. In this culture, women don't wear pants so we worked in skirts. For those of you who know me well, this was a challenge for me in itself.]





After our working adventure we were treated to a night on the Pacific Coast. For all of you Oregonians, this is not the Pacific coast which immediately comes to mind; it is very pleasantly warm. We spent some time on boogey boards, watching the amazing sunset, playing in the sand, stargazing and just overall relaxation. Although this was a pretty short stop, it was definitely an enjoyable and refreshing time.



Now for an update on my health:
After a month of bragging about my "digestive system of steel" as most of the others in the group fell victim to Guatemalan germs, I too have been invaded. Unfortunately, it has come at the same time as the return of last year's eternal cold/disgusting cough. Not surprisingly, the two combined have taken a lot out of me (literally), so I've basically been within a 30 yard radius of the bedroom/bathroom for the past few days.
I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my health as well as that of the rest of the group. To date, three from the group have gone to the doctor-- two diagnosed with parasites and the other with a failing digestive system. Thankfully, both problems should be solved with medication and a modified diet. I will probably making my own visit to the doctor soon. I'll do my best to keep y'all updated.