Since my last post, I’ve had quite a few people ask me how the Mission is doing, if we’re surviving, if we’re worried. Although these are all valid curiosities, the truth is, things here have been pretty a-okay. Yes people have lost their jobs, yes it is a sad situation in general, and yes I wish I could change the situation. However, if there’s anything November has taught me, it’s the resilience of the Guatemalan people.
Last weekend, Heather and I returned to Xela and gave Rachel the grand tour. Simply put, that weekend left my heart full and happy. It’s always a treat to return to a place you’ve considered your home and our weekend spent gallivanting about Xela was no different. |
We started our journey on Friday afternoon. With full backpacks and excitement for the adventures to come, we boarded our chicken bus. As we slowly made our way to the back, I had to wait for an intoxicated man to move out of the aisle. Only about a half hour later, the bus slowed to a stop and the drunk man was physically removed from the bus. As I watched the commotion from my seat, I noticed his wife and 3 children following after him out of the backdoor. Their fear and sadness was plainly visible and a painful display of how alcoholism affects entire families. As they made their way after their drunk father, one passenger asked the wife where they needed to go and offered to pay her bus fare. By US standards, a majority of the Guatemalan population is poor, yet they are constantly surprising me by their generosity.
As we sat in the park in Xela, a few people came and asked us for money. Even though a few Quetzals are less than a dollar, all three of us were hesitant. As we watched, the majority of money given to beggars came from other Guatemalans. People who have a remarkable amount less than foreigners, are giving money to help their own people. The community here continues to inspire me daily.
We spent the weekend eating at our favorite restaurants and introducing Rachel to our host family. I couldn’t believe how happy I was to be back. We ate lunch with them and then later returned for a movie night. The girls have already grown up so much since we were there in early September. Mi hermanitas are still the cutest children in all of Guatemala. We already have plans to go back in February if we have time. |
The past few weeks, I have been applying to graduate programs for social work. Although I’m thankful to have had this time in November to dedicate to this process, I’ve done my fair share of complaining about it. One day, I was up at the Mission working, and a man who’s been guarding the offices this month came over to ask me what I was doing. I explained I wanted to go to school for social work so I was researching and applying to different programs. I told him it’s a lot of work and writing. His simple response was, “I can’t.” Here I am, applying to higher education opportunities, whining about the process to a man who can’t read or write. You can imagine how I felt after that. So from here on out, I’m doing my best to not complain and certainly trying to not take my literacy for granted. It’s a privilege to read and write. A privilege that we have grown up with, become accustomed to, and taken for granted for probably a majority of our lives. So I’m writing about this to make you take a second to think and appreciate the education you have received. If you’re reading this, you’re already a major step ahead of too many people in developing countries. Education is more empowering than we can ever imagine.
All is not lost though for the guard who couldn’t read or write though. Rachel took it upon herself to teach him the alphabet. As it turns out, he can actually write the names of his 6 kids (how cute is that??). Anyway, Rachel wants to be a teacher so this was right up her alley. She went over to the offices and worked with him for an hour or two every day for a while. She was so excited to teach him and he was equally excited to learn, such a cool experience for both of them and a happy ending as well.
Although Guatemalans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we sure did. We all helped make our feast which included: chicken (turkey is hard to come by in Guatemala), cranberry jelly, stovetop stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp. It wasn't Aunt Dawn's but it was pretty dang wonderful.
Lastly, I’ve been here in Guatemala during the entirety of the Darren Wilson Michael Brown case. I’ve read multiple articles, contemplated different arguments, and had several conversations about it. There is no easy solution or fix. My heart goes out to everyone who has been and continues to be affected by the tragedies in Ferguson. The only way we can work to rebuild community is through a mutual respect and support of each other. Juntos podemos.
peace friends,
Alex
Alex