No worries

Don't worry all if you don't see me update for awhile or hear from me. I didn't fall of the face of the earth. It's just there's a lot of excitement coming up you see...
This weekend I'm going to the Carribbean...Saturday, Sunday, Monday. And then this next week is Semana Santa, or Holy Week and there's a lot going on in Antigua. I plan to post about my adventures and all, but eventually.

School went fine this week, but I'm definitely super excited for this next week.

Love you and miss you all!!!

Just a little bit about my life....

So after last weekend, this week is going to seem pretty boring...but it really wasn't.

So we had ministry sites again this week. This week was challenging in the sense that I was exhausted from Tikal and was running on a little amount of sleep. But in general, it was a good way to end the week and our last week of ministry sites. In the beginning of the week there was a group of students who came over from Guatemala City and had a pinata for the patients to hit and get candy from. A lot of the patients really enjoyed this. There was one lady who really got into it. They gave her the bat to hit the pinata with and then she gave it back and took off her sweater so she could hit it better. That was hilarious. It was fun to see some of the patients really get into it because some of them never seem to smile or enjoy anything that they have to do. So generally we worked with the special education school in the morning like usual and then at noon we would go to the cerebal palsay unit and feed the children their food. After that we would take a lunch break and then go back and play with the same kids until it was time for them to take a nap.

One morning this week we went and worked with the malnutritioned babies. A lot of these babies are super tiny and have some sort of other problem. However, they aren't able to get surgery until they weigh enough, so they are waiting in the room. A lot of these babies are also neglected, so they just need to be held. So that was a lot of what we did. I held a baby who was one year old, but it really looked about 2 months old. She was super tiny and very fragile and all she wanted was to be held and walked around. So I did that with her for a very long time. Ramon, our site leader told us that a lot of the parents that bring their children to the hospital are superstitious and think that their children have a curse or something along those lines. So there are various reasons as to why the children are at Hermano Pedro. But every once in a while, the parents do come to visit the kids. For example, the little baby that I was holding, the mother and her other children came to visit. That gave me some hope for some of the kids that are there.

And then yesterday, Friday, was another exciting week for the patients. Many of the patients from the special education school were able to attend a "velacion," which is a little difficult to define this. It's one of those words that doesn't really translate into english, so I'll do my best to describe it. Every Friday a different church has one and it's when they make a huge rug out of colored saw dust in the church and there's a whole bunch of fruit is surrounding it and there's a scene depicted in back from the Bible. Anyway, we took the patients, about 25 of them, in their wheelchairs on the uneven cobblestone about 10 or more blocks. It was an interesting time and thank God that we made it to and from the velacion safely. The patients all enjoyed themselves and they even were able to eat things like churros and cotton candy. So it was a special day for them but a tiring day for all of us as well as the nurses who came with. Overall, it was a fun time and I'm glad that I was able to take part in this.

Then last night, Friday night, I went over to the director of the program, Fernando, house and we were able to just relax with his children who are all girls more or less in their teens. So it was fun, we got to watch movies, eat popcorn, ice cream, and cinnamon roles. Some of these things I haven't done in over 2 months. So what may seem to you as boring was relaxing and fun for me. =)
We went to bed around 12, which is late here and then I woke up at 6:30 in the morning, I'm not sure why, but it was annoying. Plus I didn't sleep decent in the first place because I was on a couch. So overall, I didn't get much sleep, but that's ok, cause it was fun. And then this morning we made pancakes and then were brought back to our houses. So today we're just relaxing and I think that it's going to be the same way for tomorrow.

So that's kind of my week in a nut-shell. And on Monday...Language School....we have 4 weeks of that. But it's being broken up by one week of Spring Break, which is during holy week, or here "Semana Santa" And well, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to say this, but....I'm going to the Caribbean for Spring Break. Yep =) We're going to Rio Dulce and Livingstone for 3 days and 2 nights. So that should be amazing and awesome. I'm really looking forward to that and I'm pretty sure that's what is going to get me through this first week of language school. Rio Dulce and Livingstone are located on this map on the right side where the water from the Carribean starts to come in. Antigua is located more or less in the middle of the map. It shows it better on the second map. So we're going to have about a 5 hour drive, but that should be fun to see all the landscape and stuff.
So that's kind of been happening lately. Let me know how all of you are doing!
Miss you and love you all!!!

The Weekend...

So while you were all sitting in Minnesota either doing homework or work or just sitting, I was in the jungle exploring Mayan Ruins....
It was amazing, hot, tiring, and fun.
We took a small 20 passenger plane to Tikal and then we had to drive another hour from there to get to the ruins. We were lucky to be able to take a plane, which only took 1 hour to get there, where driving from Antigua would have taken 12 hours. It was an interesting ride because a lot of people thought that we were going to die because we were in this little, tiny, but we are clearly all still alive. The horrible part of this trip was that we left at yes, 4:00 in the morning. We were picked up from our houses at this ungodly hour. Kristin and I woke up at 3:30 thinking we had a half hour to finish getting our things together and what do we hear at 3:45? A horn honking and soon after that a knock on the door. Needless to say, we shoved things in our bags and left. Now you may ask, well, that's only 15 minutes early, why is that a big deal? Well, let me tell you, Guatemalans are always, and I mean always late for everything. So not only was he not late, he was super early. So that's how the day started out.

This is the plane that we flew in.

The jungle...

So when we arrived in Tikal, we drove for an hour and then we were in the jungle. We walked all day and climbed various temples that are located in the jungle. I'm not just talking a little bit of climbing, but a lot. The first temple we climbed was the the steepest. We weren't able to climb the actual stairs of the temple, but were able to climb some stairs that they had built on the side. The normal stairs were either falling apart, or too steep to be safe for anyone to climb.
This is the first temple that we climbed and you can see how steep the stairs are on the left side of the temple.

I think this is from the top of the ruin in the picture above.

This is a picture of a place where something like a maternity ward was located. There were some rooms where the women gave birth. A couple months or years, I don't remember which, the archeologists found a pair of twins and a mother. They thought that the twins were new-borns because they were quite small. So that was interesting to hear about.

We continued to walk around the jungle and see other ruins and temples that for the most part had been restored and repaired by people so that people could go to the top and see what the Mayans saw every day. We didn't find out anything about what the Mayans did in these places, if that was their houses or their place of worship or a place a sacrafice. What we did find out is that the places where we were at were only for the kings and not where the "normal, ordinary people" lived. We also learned that the Mayans had their own culture and a lot of different things had a lot of different meanings for them. There are some trees that had different meanings and also different plants and animals. A lot of what this culture is known for is their human sacrifices, as well as how many gods they had. Can you guess how many gods this culture had? Well, you probably guessed way too low. They had over 18,000 gods. It's interesting to try and grasp this concept, especially being a Christian and knowing that there is only one True God. If you're interested in this culture at all, Mel Gibson came out with a movie recently depicting the Mayan culture. I haven't seen it yet and of course this isn't all true, but to some extent, I think the movie is true, but I'm not entirely sure. The movie is called Apocalypto and is talked a lot about here and I eventually want to see it, especially while I'm here, living in a culture that has been affected by the Mayans and their traditions.

Here Kristin and I are standing on a ruin that was in an area where there were 5 or 6 other ruins in the same area.

All of the ruins were tall, and gorgeous. It's amazing to think that these people built each one of these ruins out of stone. And I think they told us that there were 38 that people had found so far, but there are still more to be discovered and renovated for people to look at.

So after we were done looking at the ruins, we had a lunch and then went to our hotel for the night. We were able to go shopping in the little shops that were all around and we were on our own to find supper at one of the many restuarants in the town. Then we also had till 3 o'clock on Sunday to wander around the town or hang out at the hotel or basically whatever we wanted to. A lot of people lounged around the hotel and the pool because we were all tired from climbing the ruins and from having to be up at an early hour in the morning on Saturday. But it was a nice little vacation and an experience that I won't forget. I took a couple of videos and I tried to put them on here, but that didn't work :( So pictures will have to do. This last picture is of the first really tall ruin that we climbed.
So other than this trip, nothing too exciting has happened. We're still at our ministry sites and we are there till the end of this week and then next week starts school again. It's amazing how fast this time is going and sooner than you and I know it, I'll be back in Minnesota for a little thing called summer break. It's funny because I'm basically going to have 7 months of summer. Oh the perks of being in Guatemala =)

Anyways, I love you and miss you all!!!

The Middle of the Week

This week has been exhausting in so many ways. During the weekend I was excited to go back to my ministry site to see some of the patients and see what other ways I would be able to help. And now, I'm back at Hermano Pedro with no real routinue yet. Things seem a lot different than last time, but I'm not able to put my finger on it as to why things seem different.

The patients are doing alright, basically the same as last time. The only difference is that there are some new patients, or patients that I've never seen before, so I have to work my way to getting to know them and interact with them, which is sometimes difficult because they don't speak or if they do, I can't understand some of them.

A lot of what I do in the mornings is working with the special ed school, doing the same thing that I did before. Helping them with tasks that 5 year-olds can easily accomplish. Also, some of them do a lot of crafts like painting or coloring or playing with playdough. So either I join in or I just sit and watch them and talk with them a little bit. It just depends who you're talking to or working with and how much interaction they need.

There have been some new things that I have learned at Hermano Pedro. I've been noticing how different their system for dealing with mentally handicapped people differs from that of the States. This is substantially different in that here, Guatemala is somewhat in an institution sort of stage where the patients live there and are given tasks to do and aren't seen as having much potential to accomplish much of anything in life. However, this system is beginning to change in Guatemala because of some of the people that work with these people. There are a couple people who I work with and are great with the patients and do see some sort of value in them. This is encouraging to me because I know that change is coming, just slower than the States. I also have learned that a lot of the patients there have a large mental capacity and for some reason that I'm not quite aware of, they are in the hospital. We have found out that one of the gentlemen there thinks that some of the tasks they have them do are boring and he would rather do something else. Another lady isn't able to speak but can comprehend fully what's going on. However, she doesn't have much of a form of communicating to the workers and nurses so she often doesn't get what she wants, which is a struggle for her.

Some afternoons we go to work in the cerebal palsy unit with the kids. This is a lot different than working with the adults in the morning. These kids just basically sit in their wheelchairs all day and when it's time to eat, they are fed and they get changed and they sleep and that's about all they do. So our role is to just hang out with them and try to have fun with them while they are sitting in their wheelchairs. Well, this is obviously difficult because they aren't able to talk and if they are it's just a few words. It's kind of frustrating because we haven't been really trained as to how to handle these children, so we're kind of just making things up as we go. What we really want to be able to do is take some of these kids out of their chairs and hold them because that's what they're lacking, human touch. So once we find out how to do this, we'll be good to go. Most times, the kids are just happy that they receive attention from someone and well, that's what we're there for, so that's what we do. This can be done through racing around the area with their wheelchairs or talking to them or playing a little ball with them. Basically anything to get a smile on their face is an accomplishment.

Today, I played with 2 kids who are capable of a lot more than what the nurses give them credit. For example they have this little game and one of the kids is able to sit by himself on the ground so there's a tiny tire that you wind up and then he pushes the button for it and then it goes rolling. Another kid goes to retrive the tire because his wheelchair is controlled by his head, so he's able to move where he wants. You have to go with him though because he's unable to pick the little tire up off the ground cause he's in his chair. But they have a lot of fun watching it role across the ground and then fetching it. The little boy who presses the button liked to hide the other little piece from me and then I'd have to find it. He thought this was so funny and he was one of the boys who knew how to talk a little bit so I'd ask him where it is and then he was say I don't know and then start giggling. It's so rewarding to see smiles on their faces.

So this week has been pretty exhausting and everyday that I come back I'm exhausted. This is emotionally draining because you put so much into helping these patients and then you don't really see any results from all the hard work you put forth. But I know that some of our work is really appreciated and some of it isn't, so I just have to make sure that I'm emphasizing the positive and not the negative. So that's kind of been my week so far. I can't really explain all that I'm feeling and experiencing because this is one of those things that you kind of need to experience for yourself.

Love you and miss you all!!!

Another week....

So I just finished my last week of language school for 2 more weeks. It's a good feeling because I don't think I could've taken another week of Spanish school. It was fun, but it was difficult and I'm excited to go back to our ministry sites. This last week was pretty difficult for me because I kind of just felt like I was hitting a brick wall and not really learning anything. However, I've been told just the contrary that I have been learning things and that my Spanish has improved a lot. So your call.
Overall, my class went well because I was learning a lot of the grammar. On the other hand, it was difficult for me because a lot of the other people had the same class and they were able to talk about what they were learning and be able to give each other hints and what not. But I was the only one taking my class and it was therefore difficult for my because I didn't have anyone to relate to. But the important thing is that I made it through. It was one of the most intense things that I think I've ever done. I'm really glad that I did it though and I feel that I have a little more confidence in my Spanish.

So on Monday we start our ministry sites again and I'm excited to go back and see the patients. This time is going to be somewhat different in the fact that we're supposed to plan activities for the patients. We haven't exactly planned any activities yet because we don't know what resources we have and what the rules are or what is against the rules. So it basically sounds like whatever we want to do, we're able to do.

Let's see...I can't really think of what else is new with me. There honestly hasn't been anything too exciting happening. Today I went to the market and bought 2 new shirts because I realized I brought more pants than shirts, which is pretty pathetic. I bought 2 shirts for 20 quetzales, which is less than $3. So I thought that was a pretty good deal. So now I just need to get them cleaned and I'm good to go =)

I keep getting little cards and things in the mail, so that's pretty exciting. From G&G Kuenzel and from Tom and Shirley I just got those today, Saturday. And tonight I'm going to a free jazz concert in Central Park, So that should be exciting. And tomorrow, probably the 2-hour long church service and then who knows after that. This weekend is a lot different because I don't have any homework for Monday so I'm at a loss of what to do. Yes, I realize that I"m in Guatemala, but a lot of things cost money to go do.

But I'm still loving it here and each day I think the temperature rises. So it gets a little hot during the day. But it's fun and awesome that I'm able to be here.

Love you and miss you all!!!

Nothing too new...

Hey all, so there's not too much that's going on with me. In fact, this week and the past week have been kinda boring. Nothing spectacular happening. I've been pretty exhausted lately with learning new things and making my brain think a lot. My body and my brain are just exhausted. Like last night, I went to bed at 9:30 and got up at 6:45 this morning, just in time for breakfast and then class at 8:00. And well, today, I'm still really tired, so it'll probably be another early night.

This week, in class, there hasn't been a lot to do. We finish with class really early. Like today we got done in 1 hour and a half. Super short compared to the 4 hours that we were supposed to take for class. So we have a break from 10-10:30 and then after that we went and explored this super nice hotel named Santo Domingo, which is a 5 star hotel and is super huge and nice. My teacher and I weren't sure if we were supposed to be in certain areas and she thought it was so funny that we were underneath the streets at one point.

The afternoons I generally spend doing my homework and reading or going over to the Students International office where there's free wireless. The only down side about the office is that it's a 30 minute walk from my house. But it's free internet and it isn't a horrible walk from my house. And each week my host family seems to be getting a little nicer, which always makes the stay a lot easier.

And I've got a final on Friday...
So I should probably start studying for that. And then next week, we start our ministry sites again. I'm really excited to go back to Hermano Pedro and see some of the patients. But right now, I need to start making my way back to my house for supper.

Love you and miss you all!!!

An update...

Hi everyone~

Just a little update this time....

As most of you know, I was pretty homesick on Tuesday, but I'm doing much better today. I think I was just overwhelmed with homework and school and not really understanding what I was doing. I think I have a better handle on things now. So thanks for all your prayers and love that you all sent me! It means a lot.

I'm just attaching some pictures that I took awhile ago, but it's just basically what I see everyday, which is pretty incredible that I'm able to see everyday. I mean, how many of you can say that you're able to see 2 volcanos every day?

This is a picture from a different roof, of the volcano, "Agua". This volcano is to the South of the city.
This is the same volcano, just from the roof of the house that I'm living in.

As far as my host family goes, it was a little weird at first. To start, when Kristin and I arrived there was just a guy there who showed us around the house. He basically told us that the house is our house since we're saying there for a couple months. Then the next day we met a lady named "Concepcion" and we were super confused. It turns out that the house is hers and that her nephew, the guy who showed us around, just works for her at the house. The food is always amazing. There hasn't been anything that I haven't liked. We have beans every night, but they're good. So basically, I just eat about anything. The lady is really nice and a good cook. It's taken her a little while to come around, but each day she seems to be coming around a little more. Also, the nephew, Jose, is a riot. He's hilarious, but doesn't live there. He's about 50 and has a wife and a family and lives elsewhere. It's been interesting seeing how our impressions of them have changed from the first day. I really like my house. The only let-down is that there aren't any kids, but I'm surviving.

There are three other students from Canada are staying in this house. To give you a picture of this house, as best I can... there are 8 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a roof that we can go up on. And here's a picture of the house when you first walk through the doors. Our room is off to the left through that iron gate thing.After the open roof there's the dining room and then the kitchen. Off of the kitchen there are stairs that go up to the roof where there are 2 rooms and a bathroom. So we like our house a lot.

And there's 2 parrots and a canary in the house. This is one of the parrots that stays up on the roof and doesn't fly away. I'm not sure why it doesn't fly away cause it's not closed in, but alas, it stays there. And one of the parrots talks, I'm not sure if this is the parrot or not.
So that's my little update for today. And I've officially been here for a month! How crazy. It seems longer, but it seems shorter at the same time, weird.
I love and miss you all!!!