So we've all heard the saying "there's a time for everything," in fact, it's a quote from the Bible. Unfortunately this is something I struggle with...
I seem to be unable to detach myself from certain circumstances I've done and experiences I've had. Why do I become so involved in such experiences to find them ripped away from me when these are experiences that have shaped me so much?
Now, this goes back further than GT, although this is one of the things I'm struggling with to let go. Or to not define my current and present actions...uh, I'm not quite sure how to articulate this. These experiences, I let them get in my current way of living by comparing my present circumstances to my past experiences. Obviously things were great when I was in Guate, and working at Central, and just hanging out with the girls, and not having to worry about the life and future that is staring me directly in the face and comparing it to others' circumstances. Obviously this isn't a time for me to be doing such things...but I can't get away from it.
I was slowly making a difference, one person at a time through helping with homework, listening to a stressful day, watching someone color paint, or draw, listening to a story, interpreting actions, or just being and living in a positive and loving environment and just loving and pouring my heart into the kids. How can everything I once held so dear and was able to minister at the same time be taken from me. I was satisfied with changing the world one person at a time, with doing little tasks and serving others in the smallest details in life. Now, all I can focus on is how I don't have this anymore...or at least not the same exact circumstances. Those were where I was able to pour my heart and soul into. I was able to step outside myself and my current mood/circumstances and simply exist to make someone else's life better through my actions and words. I was loving with my all; nothing I've ever experienced before. It was great; I'd love to relive every moment possible. I would love to go back to these kids and people and know I was making a positive difference in their lives.
I'm torn because of this...my heart is in a different place than my current circumstances. When I am able to tap into these past experiences every once in awhile, I experience an outpouring of joy. How can I not reminisce and focus on these experiences? These were the things that defined me, that not only changed the people around me but molded me into who I am today. I live for these kids, for those patients, for anyone who affected me great or small. If I could only continue growing and learning with them, then life would be just dandy right?
Unfortunately I believe that God calls each of us to certain tasks and places at particular times in our lives. I believe these times for me have passed and a new time/era has dawned. But how am I able to leave such people that have meant the world to me? I loved these people with all of me. I took care of them more than I took care of myself at times.
Tonight Shane Claiborne spoke as well as other panelists and they discussed how we can begin changing the world with just one person at a time. Just by loving the people around us we can show the love of God. We don't need to go to a foreign country or the other side of the planet to do ministry. We can do ministry by being true Christians, not the hypocritical, judgmental ones, but the true, genuine Christians which is Biblically rooted and founded by Christ and his perfect example of ministry.
So here I am...sitting and pondering what this all means to me and how this will affect my daily life. I can show Jesus to people here through my actions, which are not to be hypocritical or judgmental, but just by loving who they are in any manner. By getting to know them and their issues and allowing myself to be changed by them instead of me trying to change them. Bueno. But what if I feel as if I don't have these opportunities? Granted I do, but not like I did in the past. So how do I allow my current situation to change me in drastic measures? And how am I able to apply my past experiences and learnings to my current circumstances? And how do I not let happenings around me and attitudes around me influence my attitude or willingness to complete the task of loving those who are around me? How can I minimize my wants and focus on God's demands for my life? I'm not asking to solve any worldwide epidemic or problem, even though that would be pretty awesome, I'm just asking for the realization of how I am able to live this out daily as it is my sole desire right now.
The times have changed, the winds have shifted and now it's time to move on with life; however, I refuse to leave my experiences behind and act like they haven't affected me. They shape me. I now turn to a new way to see how I am able to pour myself into new relationships. Love God. Love people. Love self. Love makes the world a better place. I'm going to make the world a better place through the love I can show. Big or small. I'm walking down this unknown, twisty road with lots of ups and downs. Regardless of my questions...I know this is my call. (These questions will continue to exist for me to ponder.) There's an up to every down...I'm determined to find the up on this one while continuing to love everyone and everything that's shaped me.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
And what does this all mean...
So I've been pondering for a long time...something I seem to forget to do.
My latest ponder is about who I am and what does this all mean for me and those around me and my future and everything else.
Foremost, I've been drastically changed through G-term. Nothing has impacted my life more than that wonderful experience. I don't have words to describe it. I was exposed to so many things while there that I didn't and don't know what to do with myself. I never dreamed of such a stellar experience and that I was privileged enough to have this experience is beyond me. Who would have thought that I could survive in another country on my own, completely out of my comfort zone. Well, let me tell you, this became my comfort and I long to go back and relieve those awesome experiences. When this became a home to me, I was ripped out of it and put back into my real home. Talk about a traumatic experience. Not being back home with my family or anything, but being placed back somewhere I did not feel comfortable anymore. Everything had changed. I was surrounded by the people I loved the most and I didn't know what to do with myself. So what does a person do with that? Of course, think about how they relate to their current circumstances and when I found that I had problems relating...well then what did I do? Struggle through it, persevere, the only thing I could do.
Then I was ripped out of the home and hands of the people I loved most and placed in an entirely new environment. Now don't get me wrong...I love Bethel and my friends, who have become like family, here. Nothing can take that feeling and knowledge away from me. But it was a bit of a shock and I suddenly felt as if I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing or how I was to cope with another drastic change.
These were some of the most difficult experiences I've had, with very few people who could relate to me and the trouble I was having adjusting to many new things.
So I believe I'm just starting to scratch the surface through the processing of such events. The result is the question: "Who am I? Where is my identity rooted in and how does this affect my daily life and actions?"
Of course, the good Christian answer would be, well of course, I'm rooted in the Father's love who will continue to love me unconditionally no matter my circumstances or actions.
Yes, I know this and it's all good and fine, but what does this all really mean? How does this really affect my life or am I just being idealistic saying that it does affect my life?
I do believe that God is watching over my everyday events and loves me unconditionally. But how does this define me? Is my identity truly rooted in this? I DO believe it, but sometimes just don't understand it. God is supposed to be the source for my identity...OK...check. How?
Furthermore, if this is the case, how does this affect my relationships with my friends/family?
How will this affect my future and my hopes and aspirations? This is supposed to define me. My identity is found in Christ.
Additionally, how have my past experiences and encounters affected how I view who I am and my purpose here? These are experiences I can't and won't let go of. These are critical to who I am and how I view life and the world surrounding me. These make a difference in how I now view the world and the injustice within it. My experiences are why I am who I am and define my actions. Now, some of that past is something I am trying to break free from. Ridding myself of stereotypes, prejudgments, and thinking patterns.
I've come a long way...but there's a longer road ahead of me. I don't want to go on basing my life on something that I don't believe or don't agree with. I want my identity founded on the basic principles of God. However, I struggle to see and know what this means for me. I'm trying...this counts. I'm not giving up hope because I know my identity can rest in God and his plan for my life, which I believe is why I am struggling with this.
There will be more rants to come...guaranteed.
My latest ponder is about who I am and what does this all mean for me and those around me and my future and everything else.
Foremost, I've been drastically changed through G-term. Nothing has impacted my life more than that wonderful experience. I don't have words to describe it. I was exposed to so many things while there that I didn't and don't know what to do with myself. I never dreamed of such a stellar experience and that I was privileged enough to have this experience is beyond me. Who would have thought that I could survive in another country on my own, completely out of my comfort zone. Well, let me tell you, this became my comfort and I long to go back and relieve those awesome experiences. When this became a home to me, I was ripped out of it and put back into my real home. Talk about a traumatic experience. Not being back home with my family or anything, but being placed back somewhere I did not feel comfortable anymore. Everything had changed. I was surrounded by the people I loved the most and I didn't know what to do with myself. So what does a person do with that? Of course, think about how they relate to their current circumstances and when I found that I had problems relating...well then what did I do? Struggle through it, persevere, the only thing I could do.
Then I was ripped out of the home and hands of the people I loved most and placed in an entirely new environment. Now don't get me wrong...I love Bethel and my friends, who have become like family, here. Nothing can take that feeling and knowledge away from me. But it was a bit of a shock and I suddenly felt as if I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing or how I was to cope with another drastic change.
These were some of the most difficult experiences I've had, with very few people who could relate to me and the trouble I was having adjusting to many new things.
So I believe I'm just starting to scratch the surface through the processing of such events. The result is the question: "Who am I? Where is my identity rooted in and how does this affect my daily life and actions?"
Of course, the good Christian answer would be, well of course, I'm rooted in the Father's love who will continue to love me unconditionally no matter my circumstances or actions.
Yes, I know this and it's all good and fine, but what does this all really mean? How does this really affect my life or am I just being idealistic saying that it does affect my life?
I do believe that God is watching over my everyday events and loves me unconditionally. But how does this define me? Is my identity truly rooted in this? I DO believe it, but sometimes just don't understand it. God is supposed to be the source for my identity...OK...check. How?
Furthermore, if this is the case, how does this affect my relationships with my friends/family?
How will this affect my future and my hopes and aspirations? This is supposed to define me. My identity is found in Christ.
Additionally, how have my past experiences and encounters affected how I view who I am and my purpose here? These are experiences I can't and won't let go of. These are critical to who I am and how I view life and the world surrounding me. These make a difference in how I now view the world and the injustice within it. My experiences are why I am who I am and define my actions. Now, some of that past is something I am trying to break free from. Ridding myself of stereotypes, prejudgments, and thinking patterns.
I've come a long way...but there's a longer road ahead of me. I don't want to go on basing my life on something that I don't believe or don't agree with. I want my identity founded on the basic principles of God. However, I struggle to see and know what this means for me. I'm trying...this counts. I'm not giving up hope because I know my identity can rest in God and his plan for my life, which I believe is why I am struggling with this.
There will be more rants to come...guaranteed.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Home...
And here I am, safely at my house 2 days later suffering through some culture shock. But it is super nice to have some things that are somewhat familiar. Thanks for all your prayers and support through the last 4 months. Hopefully I will be able to see you all soon!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
One week!!!
So there’s less than 7 days left now...and the countdown for many has already begun.
It’s definitely a bitter-sweet ending. I’m looking forward to coming home and seeing all of you, but I’m going to be sad to leave this beautiful country and the people that I’ve gotten to know here, in Guatemala. I know that God has begun a good work here in this country as well as in me.
As I look back on the trip and see all that I’ve accomplish and all the ups and downs that this trip has brought, I can say that this is one life experience that I will never forget. I’ve seen suffering, poverty, as well as happiness and joy and a sense of hope. This country is broken and has been broken since their civil war. However, there are positive changes being made. Sometimes I think the changes are difficult to see, but they are there if you just look a little harder. However, this country still has its problems as any other country does. For example, instead of doing something about the poverty in the country, the government decided to work on the main road from Guatemala City to Antigua.
But I see the positive changes occurring every day in my ministry site with the patients and the nurses that I work with. One thing I’ve learned is that things are a lot different than they appear. When we first received a tour of the hospital, where I work, I only saw hopelessness and a sense of despair. However, after working there for nearly 6 weeks, I can see the hope that this hospital does have. Many of the nurses are so good with the patients. I have seen the nurses be able to understand those patients who aren’t able to talk and also help the patients laugh. This is one thing that makes things seem worthwhile: being able to see the patients laugh, smile and have a good time. Sometimes this seems like an impossible thing to do, but generally all they need is someone to talk to, to sit with, or to color with. I’ve been taken back to elementary school with all the coloring and painting I’ve done these past weeks, but hey, I figure that’s not a bad thing. I’ve also acquired the ability to guess or understand what some of the patients want, when they can’t necessarily express to me what they want. A lot of it is asking yes and no questions, but at least they can be happy and enjoy themselves. One thing I learned, especially today is patience. In the afternoons we go to the Cerebral Palsy Unit to feed the children lunch. Some days you get the easy kids who like to eat and eat really fast, but other days you get the hard kids who don’t want to eat or eat really slow. Well, today I got the second. Diego is the name, he loves to smile but he doesn’t like to eat or he just takes his time. He was the only child that I feed today and he didn’t even finish his lunch. And after that, one of other girls in our group asked me if I could try feeding another boy named Alex because she wasn’t having any success. Let me tell you how small Alex is: if you put your pointer finger to your thumb and make a circle, his legs are probably half of that size. He is the tiniest child I’ve ever seen and he is probably around 7 years old. Well, he doesn’t like to eat either and I probably tried to feed him his bottle for 15 minutes and he didn’t eat anything. But his smile is the cutest and most precious smile I’ve ever seen.
Oh and now you might be asking, why are all these children at the hospital? Well, a lot of the children are sons or daughters of the indigenous families that live in the mountains and don’t have to resources to take care of their children with cerebral palsy or other disabilities, so they bring them to Hermano Pedro, where the children live. Their life is somewhat sad. They sit in their wheelchairs all day doing pretty much nothing unless volunteers, like ourselves come and play with them. It is great when we get a smile out of them or a laugh or any response. They all love the attention. For a long while I was just very sad for these “abandoned” kids. But soon I saw, with my own eyes, that their parents do still love and care for them. Some of their parents came and visited them, feed them lunch and then played with them. This brought lots of joy and hope to my heart. It encourages me that they have parents and family who love and care for them.
I won’t lie, this has been a struggle for me. I’ve had to look past a lot of stereotypes that I’ve had about people with disabilities. It’s been hard, but I’m so glad that I’ve been able to work with these patients and learn so much. I never ever thought that I would be working with people of this type, but I couldn’t be happier to be put in the position that I was. It was a lot of stretching in ways that I never thought of, but the end result is the best result. And I’m even more excited to see what I have to learn when I return back home. Thanks for all the prayers that you all have lifted up on behalf of the group as well as myself. Oh and as far as I know, I’m now more or less healthy. And we’re all finishing out our last days in Magdalena strong. Oh and I’m going to a quincenera on Saturday, which is a fifteenth birthday and is a really big deal here. And on Friday we have kind of a closing banquet with the staff that we’ve been working with. Sunday we move to Guatemala City for 3 days of debriefing and then Wednesday we leave at about 12 from the airport or something like that and then around 10 on Wednesday night I’ll be in the Minnesota airport! So I’ll see you all soon!!!
Love you!!!
It’s definitely a bitter-sweet ending. I’m looking forward to coming home and seeing all of you, but I’m going to be sad to leave this beautiful country and the people that I’ve gotten to know here, in Guatemala. I know that God has begun a good work here in this country as well as in me.
As I look back on the trip and see all that I’ve accomplish and all the ups and downs that this trip has brought, I can say that this is one life experience that I will never forget. I’ve seen suffering, poverty, as well as happiness and joy and a sense of hope. This country is broken and has been broken since their civil war. However, there are positive changes being made. Sometimes I think the changes are difficult to see, but they are there if you just look a little harder. However, this country still has its problems as any other country does. For example, instead of doing something about the poverty in the country, the government decided to work on the main road from Guatemala City to Antigua.
But I see the positive changes occurring every day in my ministry site with the patients and the nurses that I work with. One thing I’ve learned is that things are a lot different than they appear. When we first received a tour of the hospital, where I work, I only saw hopelessness and a sense of despair. However, after working there for nearly 6 weeks, I can see the hope that this hospital does have. Many of the nurses are so good with the patients. I have seen the nurses be able to understand those patients who aren’t able to talk and also help the patients laugh. This is one thing that makes things seem worthwhile: being able to see the patients laugh, smile and have a good time. Sometimes this seems like an impossible thing to do, but generally all they need is someone to talk to, to sit with, or to color with. I’ve been taken back to elementary school with all the coloring and painting I’ve done these past weeks, but hey, I figure that’s not a bad thing. I’ve also acquired the ability to guess or understand what some of the patients want, when they can’t necessarily express to me what they want. A lot of it is asking yes and no questions, but at least they can be happy and enjoy themselves. One thing I learned, especially today is patience. In the afternoons we go to the Cerebral Palsy Unit to feed the children lunch. Some days you get the easy kids who like to eat and eat really fast, but other days you get the hard kids who don’t want to eat or eat really slow. Well, today I got the second. Diego is the name, he loves to smile but he doesn’t like to eat or he just takes his time. He was the only child that I feed today and he didn’t even finish his lunch. And after that, one of other girls in our group asked me if I could try feeding another boy named Alex because she wasn’t having any success. Let me tell you how small Alex is: if you put your pointer finger to your thumb and make a circle, his legs are probably half of that size. He is the tiniest child I’ve ever seen and he is probably around 7 years old. Well, he doesn’t like to eat either and I probably tried to feed him his bottle for 15 minutes and he didn’t eat anything. But his smile is the cutest and most precious smile I’ve ever seen.
Oh and now you might be asking, why are all these children at the hospital? Well, a lot of the children are sons or daughters of the indigenous families that live in the mountains and don’t have to resources to take care of their children with cerebral palsy or other disabilities, so they bring them to Hermano Pedro, where the children live. Their life is somewhat sad. They sit in their wheelchairs all day doing pretty much nothing unless volunteers, like ourselves come and play with them. It is great when we get a smile out of them or a laugh or any response. They all love the attention. For a long while I was just very sad for these “abandoned” kids. But soon I saw, with my own eyes, that their parents do still love and care for them. Some of their parents came and visited them, feed them lunch and then played with them. This brought lots of joy and hope to my heart. It encourages me that they have parents and family who love and care for them.
I won’t lie, this has been a struggle for me. I’ve had to look past a lot of stereotypes that I’ve had about people with disabilities. It’s been hard, but I’m so glad that I’ve been able to work with these patients and learn so much. I never ever thought that I would be working with people of this type, but I couldn’t be happier to be put in the position that I was. It was a lot of stretching in ways that I never thought of, but the end result is the best result. And I’m even more excited to see what I have to learn when I return back home. Thanks for all the prayers that you all have lifted up on behalf of the group as well as myself. Oh and as far as I know, I’m now more or less healthy. And we’re all finishing out our last days in Magdalena strong. Oh and I’m going to a quincenera on Saturday, which is a fifteenth birthday and is a really big deal here. And on Friday we have kind of a closing banquet with the staff that we’ve been working with. Sunday we move to Guatemala City for 3 days of debriefing and then Wednesday we leave at about 12 from the airport or something like that and then around 10 on Wednesday night I’ll be in the Minnesota airport! So I’ll see you all soon!!!
Love you!!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
And the results are in...
Hello everyone, it's been awhile since I last updated this thing, so I figured I would do it now. So what is new in my life...
Well, I'm still in school and we only have 3 more days left!!! It's so crazy how time is just flying by and I'm not even sure as to where the time has went. It's been fun and I really like my teacher. She seems to be more challenging than my previous teacher from last session and she's getting me to talk more, which is better for my Spanish.
But the results that are in is that I have 3 things wrong with me inside my body...
The first being that I have an intestinal infection, which is basically just a lot of bad bacteria inside of my intestine.
The second being that I have gerardia, (I think that's how it's spelled) which is basically another bacteria inside of me that is caused by eating something that isn't cooked well or drinking some water from here. I haven't really done either, so I'm not really sure where these infections came from. But nonetheless, I have them.
And the third and final thing that is wrong inside of me is that I have anemia, which means that I just have low iron in my blood. I'm not sure where this came from because I've been taking vitamins. But I still have it.
Yep, I'm falling apart ;)
So I found all of this out by giving a sample of blood yesterday and then getting the results and then after that we went to Doctora Miara in Jojotenango, where she read my results and listened to my "symptoms" and diagnosed me with these things. So now I have 2 pills to take 2 times a day and then after I finish these pills, one is for 3 days and the other is for 5 days. Then I have some powder to mix with water to build my immune system back up because these pills are going to kill both the good bacteria and the bad bacteria in my stomach. And then after I finish this, I have anemia pills to take for 1 month. How fun, right?
So this is the new news that's going on with me. And my teacher informed me today that I've been tired lately because when a person has low iron in their blood, they are often more tired. So I don't have a lot of energy, but eventually it'll get better and don't worry all of you because my teacher is constantly asking me what I've had to eat...she seems to be taking care of me :)
So other than that, I'm buried in homework and dreading a final on Friday. But I'm looking forward to moving back to Magdalena, which we are doing on Sunday at about 3:00 in the afternoon. So I think that covers it all.
Drop me a line and let me know how all of you are doing!!
Love you and miss you all!!!
Well, I'm still in school and we only have 3 more days left!!! It's so crazy how time is just flying by and I'm not even sure as to where the time has went. It's been fun and I really like my teacher. She seems to be more challenging than my previous teacher from last session and she's getting me to talk more, which is better for my Spanish.
But the results that are in is that I have 3 things wrong with me inside my body...
The first being that I have an intestinal infection, which is basically just a lot of bad bacteria inside of my intestine.
The second being that I have gerardia, (I think that's how it's spelled) which is basically another bacteria inside of me that is caused by eating something that isn't cooked well or drinking some water from here. I haven't really done either, so I'm not really sure where these infections came from. But nonetheless, I have them.
And the third and final thing that is wrong inside of me is that I have anemia, which means that I just have low iron in my blood. I'm not sure where this came from because I've been taking vitamins. But I still have it.
Yep, I'm falling apart ;)
So I found all of this out by giving a sample of blood yesterday and then getting the results and then after that we went to Doctora Miara in Jojotenango, where she read my results and listened to my "symptoms" and diagnosed me with these things. So now I have 2 pills to take 2 times a day and then after I finish these pills, one is for 3 days and the other is for 5 days. Then I have some powder to mix with water to build my immune system back up because these pills are going to kill both the good bacteria and the bad bacteria in my stomach. And then after I finish this, I have anemia pills to take for 1 month. How fun, right?
So this is the new news that's going on with me. And my teacher informed me today that I've been tired lately because when a person has low iron in their blood, they are often more tired. So I don't have a lot of energy, but eventually it'll get better and don't worry all of you because my teacher is constantly asking me what I've had to eat...she seems to be taking care of me :)
So other than that, I'm buried in homework and dreading a final on Friday. But I'm looking forward to moving back to Magdalena, which we are doing on Sunday at about 3:00 in the afternoon. So I think that covers it all.
Drop me a line and let me know how all of you are doing!!
Love you and miss you all!!!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Eventful day number, well, I forgot how many eventful days since I’ve been here, but this one I definitely won’t forget this one...
Saturday we woke up really early...why you may ask...
Well, let me tell you
We were to meet in Central Park at 6:30 for an hour or more bus ride to a volcano. Once we were at the bottom, or more like a part of the way up, we piled out of the van and started climbing with 2 trusty guides. The first part wasn’t too bad because we were able to climb in a path that had some what been made for us. However, it was all uphill, so that was a bit challenging for me and also because we were changing altitudes relatively quick. So breathing was a little difficult as well.
Soon we started exiting out of the trees and grassy area and we began to run into volcanic rock, that was once lava but had dried over into black, lava rock. Then we began to climb into total volcanic rock/sand. About 5 years or more, Pacaya, the volcano, had erupted and had deposited a whole bunch of lava further down the volcano. So we began choosing our footsteps very carefully because some of the hard lava would shift underneath your feet. The amazing thing was that the lava rock was still hot or warm. In spots our guide started a fire by moving a branch around in some rocks. I never thought that that lava would still be hot enough to start a fire, but it was. We climbed over those rocks for probably 30 minutes and then we encountered....
Yes, believe it or not, real, live, moving lava.
We were probably within 5 feet of that lava!! It was amazing, but it was also really hot! And it was somewhat windy, so the wind blew the hot air towards us, which made it even hotter. Let me tell you, my feet were so warm. Oh and you’ll never guess what the boys from our group brought....that’s right, marshmallows. We ate marshmallows that were roasted over lava. It was amazing! After about 10 or 20 minutes near the lava, we began to make our way back down the volcano.
This was a new challenge in itself because you were moving downwards and had to still choose your footsteps carefully. There were about 5 people, if not more, who ended up cutting their ankles on the rocks because they were sharp. Me, well, I thought I was going to fall to my death a couple times, but nope, I survived with just a blister on my ankle that ended up bleeding a lot. But I’m fine.
So we managed to get off the rock and went to find some shade where we could eat our lunches. After lunch we climbed back down the path to the bottom, which was really quite nasty at this point because they had horses that could take someone a distance if they couldn’t make it up the first part. Well, the horses left their trademark on the path. So not only did you have to control yourself from running down the hill, but you also had to watch out for the presents from the horses. I won’t lie, I experienced a close encounter with one of those presents. I almost fell once and it was almost into one of those lovely surprises, but luckily I caught myself...
Well, we all reached the bottom in one piece, with just some scratches, nothing horrible. And then we made the hour or hour and a half trek back to Antigua. We all fell asleep on the way back because we were so tired.
When we got back to our houses, we all found lovely surprises on our ankles and toes...lots and lots of dirt. Overall, it was a really unique and fun experience that I’ll never forget.
Oh and then Sunday night we were able to go to Fernando’s house, our leader, and eat pizza. There was a group of us who went over to his house before and help make the pizzas. Now you may be thinking, pizza big deal? Well, actually yes, I don’t remember the last time I ate pizza. It’s not too common here. And it was amazing pizza and it was fun to help make the pizzas also. So it was a full weekend, but enjoyable also. I think that just about covers all of it.
I have language school for this week and then next week and then we move to Magdalena again for 3 weeks and then 3 days in Guatemala City and then home...it’s gonna go fast. So now it’s time to focus on making the most out of everyday that I’m here.
Love you and miss you all!!!
Saturday we woke up really early...why you may ask...
Well, let me tell you
We were to meet in Central Park at 6:30 for an hour or more bus ride to a volcano. Once we were at the bottom, or more like a part of the way up, we piled out of the van and started climbing with 2 trusty guides. The first part wasn’t too bad because we were able to climb in a path that had some what been made for us. However, it was all uphill, so that was a bit challenging for me and also because we were changing altitudes relatively quick. So breathing was a little difficult as well.
Soon we started exiting out of the trees and grassy area and we began to run into volcanic rock, that was once lava but had dried over into black, lava rock. Then we began to climb into total volcanic rock/sand. About 5 years or more, Pacaya, the volcano, had erupted and had deposited a whole bunch of lava further down the volcano. So we began choosing our footsteps very carefully because some of the hard lava would shift underneath your feet. The amazing thing was that the lava rock was still hot or warm. In spots our guide started a fire by moving a branch around in some rocks. I never thought that that lava would still be hot enough to start a fire, but it was. We climbed over those rocks for probably 30 minutes and then we encountered....
Yes, believe it or not, real, live, moving lava.
We were probably within 5 feet of that lava!! It was amazing, but it was also really hot! And it was somewhat windy, so the wind blew the hot air towards us, which made it even hotter. Let me tell you, my feet were so warm. Oh and you’ll never guess what the boys from our group brought....that’s right, marshmallows. We ate marshmallows that were roasted over lava. It was amazing! After about 10 or 20 minutes near the lava, we began to make our way back down the volcano.
This was a new challenge in itself because you were moving downwards and had to still choose your footsteps carefully. There were about 5 people, if not more, who ended up cutting their ankles on the rocks because they were sharp. Me, well, I thought I was going to fall to my death a couple times, but nope, I survived with just a blister on my ankle that ended up bleeding a lot. But I’m fine.So we managed to get off the rock and went to find some shade where we could eat our lunches. After lunch we climbed back down the path to the bottom, which was really quite nasty at this point because they had horses that could take someone a distance if they couldn’t make it up the first part. Well, the horses left their trademark on the path. So not only did you have to control yourself from running down the hill, but you also had to watch out for the presents from the horses. I won’t lie, I experienced a close encounter with one of those presents. I almost fell once and it was almost into one of those lovely surprises, but luckily I caught myself...
Well, we all reached the bottom in one piece, with just some scratches, nothing horrible. And then we made the hour or hour and a half trek back to Antigua. We all fell asleep on the way back because we were so tired.
When we got back to our houses, we all found lovely surprises on our ankles and toes...lots and lots of dirt. Overall, it was a really unique and fun experience that I’ll never forget.
Oh and then Sunday night we were able to go to Fernando’s house, our leader, and eat pizza. There was a group of us who went over to his house before and help make the pizzas. Now you may be thinking, pizza big deal? Well, actually yes, I don’t remember the last time I ate pizza. It’s not too common here. And it was amazing pizza and it was fun to help make the pizzas also. So it was a full weekend, but enjoyable also. I think that just about covers all of it.
I have language school for this week and then next week and then we move to Magdalena again for 3 weeks and then 3 days in Guatemala City and then home...it’s gonna go fast. So now it’s time to focus on making the most out of everyday that I’m here.
Love you and miss you all!!!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
So last week, well, there’s a lot to talk about since then and some of it is a little complicated to explain, but I shall try...
Well, I came back from my trip on Monday, last Monday that is. And I was really tired, so I didn’t do anything that night. So for me, Tuesday started the processions and all that “Semana Santa” or “Holy Week” entails.
Since Guatemala is mainly a Catholic region, they have a lot of traditions that come with it. One tradition that is common in Antigua is to have processions, which are like parades, only with out the candy and the floats and all that. People go to the church and pay for a spot to walk in the procession. They pay more or less Q40 which is about $5 to be able to carry in the procession. Everyone has a turn and a certain number as to when they will be able to carry. The people carry an “anda,” which is basically another word for a float, more or less. I don’t think it really translates into English. The andas have different figurines on top of the life of Jesus, especially the last week that he was living. So the processions leave from either a church in Antigua or from a pueblo outside of Antigua and they then come to Antigua carrying the anda on their shoulders. They then walk around Antigua with the anda and there is one anda for the men and the other is for the women. The anda that the women carry has the Virgin Mary on it as a figurine. Each time they have a procession the scene of Mary and of Jesus changed. Many of the processions were for adults but they also had one for kids or teenagers, who were also able to then participate in the carrying. The majority of the time, the men wore purple robes and the women wore black clothing. However, on Good Friday, the men and women wore black symbolizing the death of Jesus. I’m not quite sure where this tradition of carrying a heavy thing one their shoulders started from and what it symbolizes, but I think that it symbolizes the weight of their sins, and it is part of their duty to feel somewhat of what Jesus felt when he went to the cross. I’m not sure if this is the exact symbolism, but this is what I make it out to be. Following the anda is a band playing music and then the anda of the Virgin Mary follows that.
Another tradition that goes along with this is building “alfombras” or carpets or rugs. At the beginning of the week it was more common to see people building alfombras out of flowers, vegetables or fruits. But near the end of the week it was more common to see alfombras made out of dyed saw dust. They would build the alfombras for the people carrying the anda to walk over. So to me, it sort of resembled Palm Sunday when people laid down their coats or palm branches for Jesus to walk over. People put hours of work into these alfombras only for them to be walked over a ruined within minutes. The ones made out of flowers, fruit or verduras were easier to make and often done by free hand. However, the ones made out of the colored saw dust was a different story. People would cut molds out of card board, like flowers or other things and then they fill the holes in with different colors of saw dust. Ah, this is somewhat confusing to explain, so I’m trying my best...
The carpets turn out to be these magnificent pieces of work that you would’ve never thought would be possible to make out of saw dust. Ashley and Becky, 2 people in my group, were invited by their family to help make an alfombra Thursday night into Friday, which is a big deal because it’s mainly a family sort of tradition. They started working about 9:30 or 10 at night and finished the next morning at about 6 or 6:30, just before the procession arrived in front of their house. The end result was beautiful.
I only obtained about 4 hours of sleep Thursday night into Friday because we were walking around, watching all the alfombras being made and then I woke up early and went to watch the procession at Becky and Ashley’s house. After the procession went by I went back to sleep for a couple hours and then got a message that I was able to go help Becky and Ashley’s family build another, smaller alfombra at their house because there was going to be another procession going by their house. So Kristin, Alicia (my professor who was staying at my house), and a granddaughter of my host mom went over to their house to help build the alfombra. It was interesting to watch the whole process and then actually help with it. It was kind of sad to see our work to be walked over and trampled in less than 2 minutes, but it was an experience I won’t forget.
By Friday I had made friends with some of the grandchildren of my host mom because they were there all week. Thanks to Alicia, we had a game to play, Uno. It turned out that some of the grandsons and their fathers, as well as Jose, who works in the house, were going to be in the procession. So Alicia and I found out where this procession was going through and we went to find them. We were doubtful because there were a lot of people in that procession and they would have been walking for many hours...however, we had success. We ended up seeing them and trying to take pictures of them walking in their robes. However, it was really dark, so my pictures didn’t turn out to well. But luckily we were able to get a picture of some of them before they left the house. So that was exciting to see people that we knew walking in the procession.
By the end of the week, I had probably seen over 75% of the processions, which is a lot, because there were usually 2 or more everyday. With that came the smell of incense that people walk in front of the andas with. They wave incense in front of the andas to more or less “consecrate” the area that the procession will walk through. Sometimes it wasn’t bad, but on Good Friday, it was really bad. There were a lot of people with incense and you could hardly see across the street because it was so thick. So by the end of the week, I was ready to be done smelling it.
Saturday was just a chilaxin’ day. But there was another procession that I ended up going to. I saw it go by the Catedral, which is right in front of Central Park. This was interesting to see because there was lots of incense and was just for the Virgin Mary and over 75% of the people were holding candles, so it was like a vigil. It was gorgeous to see, and sadly enough, I can say that my camera didn’t take very decent pictures of this :( But it’ll be a memory that I won’t forget.
Then came Easter Sunday or “Pascua.” This isn’t celebrated that much here in Guatemala. A lot of the people focus more on the suffering of Jesus. However, there was a procession on Sunday that started from Hermano Pedro, the hospital/church that I volunteer at. This was exciting, even though I didn’t see it leave the church. It was exciting that such a joyous and happy procession was leaving one of the most hopeless places of Antigua. To me this says something about the ministry of Hermano Pedro. To me, it means that some of the people that work with the patients and the church do have hope and there is a chance for the patients of Hermano Pedro. This procession had happy music, men and women were carrying the same anda and no one was in any sort of specific robes or clothing. It was a happy and alegre festival, which was fun to watch.
So I think this somewhat covers what I had witnessed last week, or at least I hope it explains Semana Santa. I’m not sure if I hit it all or if I explained it really well. It’s something that one has to experience for themselves. So I hope the pictures fill it in a little more too. There were definitely more people here than I ever thought could fit into one city, so life was crazy, but fun. I was able to spend more time with people from my group because we didn’t have school or anything, so it was a nice break.
Well, I came back from my trip on Monday, last Monday that is. And I was really tired, so I didn’t do anything that night. So for me, Tuesday started the processions and all that “Semana Santa” or “Holy Week” entails.
Since Guatemala is mainly a Catholic region, they have a lot of traditions that come with it. One tradition that is common in Antigua is to have processions, which are like parades, only with out the candy and the floats and all that. People go to the church and pay for a spot to walk in the procession. They pay more or less Q40 which is about $5 to be able to carry in the procession. Everyone has a turn and a certain number as to when they will be able to carry. The people carry an “anda,” which is basically another word for a float, more or less. I don’t think it really translates into English. The andas have different figurines on top of the life of Jesus, especially the last week that he was living. So the processions leave from either a church in Antigua or from a pueblo outside of Antigua and they then come to Antigua carrying the anda on their shoulders. They then walk around Antigua with the anda and there is one anda for the men and the other is for the women. The anda that the women carry has the Virgin Mary on it as a figurine. Each time they have a procession the scene of Mary and of Jesus changed. Many of the processions were for adults but they also had one for kids or teenagers, who were also able to then participate in the carrying. The majority of the time, the men wore purple robes and the women wore black clothing. However, on Good Friday, the men and women wore black symbolizing the death of Jesus. I’m not quite sure where this tradition of carrying a heavy thing one their shoulders started from and what it symbolizes, but I think that it symbolizes the weight of their sins, and it is part of their duty to feel somewhat of what Jesus felt when he went to the cross. I’m not sure if this is the exact symbolism, but this is what I make it out to be. Following the anda is a band playing music and then the anda of the Virgin Mary follows that.
Another tradition that goes along with this is building “alfombras” or carpets or rugs. At the beginning of the week it was more common to see people building alfombras out of flowers, vegetables or fruits. But near the end of the week it was more common to see alfombras made out of dyed saw dust. They would build the alfombras for the people carrying the anda to walk over. So to me, it sort of resembled Palm Sunday when people laid down their coats or palm branches for Jesus to walk over. People put hours of work into these alfombras only for them to be walked over a ruined within minutes. The ones made out of flowers, fruit or verduras were easier to make and often done by free hand. However, the ones made out of the colored saw dust was a different story. People would cut molds out of card board, like flowers or other things and then they fill the holes in with different colors of saw dust. Ah, this is somewhat confusing to explain, so I’m trying my best...
The carpets turn out to be these magnificent pieces of work that you would’ve never thought would be possible to make out of saw dust. Ashley and Becky, 2 people in my group, were invited by their family to help make an alfombra Thursday night into Friday, which is a big deal because it’s mainly a family sort of tradition. They started working about 9:30 or 10 at night and finished the next morning at about 6 or 6:30, just before the procession arrived in front of their house. The end result was beautiful.
I only obtained about 4 hours of sleep Thursday night into Friday because we were walking around, watching all the alfombras being made and then I woke up early and went to watch the procession at Becky and Ashley’s house. After the procession went by I went back to sleep for a couple hours and then got a message that I was able to go help Becky and Ashley’s family build another, smaller alfombra at their house because there was going to be another procession going by their house. So Kristin, Alicia (my professor who was staying at my house), and a granddaughter of my host mom went over to their house to help build the alfombra. It was interesting to watch the whole process and then actually help with it. It was kind of sad to see our work to be walked over and trampled in less than 2 minutes, but it was an experience I won’t forget.
This is just another alfombra that I really liked.
By Friday I had made friends with some of the grandchildren of my host mom because they were there all week. Thanks to Alicia, we had a game to play, Uno. It turned out that some of the grandsons and their fathers, as well as Jose, who works in the house, were going to be in the procession. So Alicia and I found out where this procession was going through and we went to find them. We were doubtful because there were a lot of people in that procession and they would have been walking for many hours...however, we had success. We ended up seeing them and trying to take pictures of them walking in their robes. However, it was really dark, so my pictures didn’t turn out to well. But luckily we were able to get a picture of some of them before they left the house. So that was exciting to see people that we knew walking in the procession.
By the end of the week, I had probably seen over 75% of the processions, which is a lot, because there were usually 2 or more everyday. With that came the smell of incense that people walk in front of the andas with. They wave incense in front of the andas to more or less “consecrate” the area that the procession will walk through. Sometimes it wasn’t bad, but on Good Friday, it was really bad. There were a lot of people with incense and you could hardly see across the street because it was so thick. So by the end of the week, I was ready to be done smelling it.
Saturday was just a chilaxin’ day. But there was another procession that I ended up going to. I saw it go by the Catedral, which is right in front of Central Park. This was interesting to see because there was lots of incense and was just for the Virgin Mary and over 75% of the people were holding candles, so it was like a vigil. It was gorgeous to see, and sadly enough, I can say that my camera didn’t take very decent pictures of this :( But it’ll be a memory that I won’t forget.
Then came Easter Sunday or “Pascua.” This isn’t celebrated that much here in Guatemala. A lot of the people focus more on the suffering of Jesus. However, there was a procession on Sunday that started from Hermano Pedro, the hospital/church that I volunteer at. This was exciting, even though I didn’t see it leave the church. It was exciting that such a joyous and happy procession was leaving one of the most hopeless places of Antigua. To me this says something about the ministry of Hermano Pedro. To me, it means that some of the people that work with the patients and the church do have hope and there is a chance for the patients of Hermano Pedro. This procession had happy music, men and women were carrying the same anda and no one was in any sort of specific robes or clothing. It was a happy and alegre festival, which was fun to watch.
So I think this somewhat covers what I had witnessed last week, or at least I hope it explains Semana Santa. I’m not sure if I hit it all or if I explained it really well. It’s something that one has to experience for themselves. So I hope the pictures fill it in a little more too. There were definitely more people here than I ever thought could fit into one city, so life was crazy, but fun. I was able to spend more time with people from my group because we didn’t have school or anything, so it was a nice break.
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