Reflections on Vulnerability

As this trip is coming to a close, I can’t help but think about the challenges that have been faced, and the impact of our time here. A major thing that I have learned during this experience is the value of vulnerability. Although I have travelled quite a bit, I have never been on a service trip before, which has been a totally different experience for me. From the moment I have gotten here, I have felt vulnerable but in different ways. It isn’t the kind of vulnerability you feel when you’re a tourist in a new place, figuring out the ways of transportation and pushing yourself to speak the language, but rather the feeling you get when you’re standing in front of a huge audience waiting to give a speech. Here I feel vulnerable when I try to speak Spanish because I’m afraid I won’t seem to know what I’m talking about. I feel vulnerable that I can’t know exactly what the community is thinking about me. I feel vulnerable because I hate any kind of public speaking and teaching classes gives me a little anxiety. I feel vulnerable because I can’t relate to their culture, and have no idea how my presence will affect a community. Finally, I feel vulnerable because I don’t have all of the answers. When we leave here there is no telling what will happen to Chaquijyá, how it will develop and what its people will become. We leave here not really knowing if we did harm or good, and there’s really nothing that we can do about that. We can look back, like we did today, and come up with ways to create more sustainable and effective (successful) programs, but right now we are living in the present. What good can we do if we are just leaving like the rest of them?

 I think we challenged the people of Chaquijyá to be vulnerable too, which I hope was a good thing. When we came here they went out on a limb to introduce us to their communities, their schools, and their children. I might have felt vulnerable walking into a community that was foreign to me, but how vulnerable did they feel when they tried to communicate with me and let me teach their classes? They didn’t have to welcome us, but they did. We took a chance to come here and they to a chance to welcome us into their lives. Had the vulnerability not been reciprocated, Manna would have never been able to accomplish what it has in Chaquijyá. Being vulnerable and proceeding anyway is what makes service and development work and I’m glad to have pushed myself out of that comfort zone.

- Nicole, Visage student 

Back to Chaq: Programs thus far and personal reflections

After a month’s hiatus, MPI-Guatemala is back in action in Chaquijyá. For the first summer session, we have the good fortune to be hosting four interns, who will resume the site’s Healthy Living program, as well as English classes for teachers and primary school students in the community’s Cooperativa and Central neighborhoods. The interns arrived last Saturday on Guatemala’s national Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day). After a long, traffic-jam-filled journey to Sololá, the girls all settled in and have already made significant progress in lesson planning and enacting community projects. For example, this past week, the interns and I spent two days painting the whole playground at the Central primary school with the help of several local parents. I believe we are all still rocking paint on our clothes and bodies (for which we were told to just "bañarse" in paint thinner), but hey, its great to have a daily recuerdo of the groups’ collaboration and hard work.

The finished jungle gym!

This summer, Manna also has the unique opportunity to partner with Vanderbilt University’s Visage program. Through this program, undergraduate students pursue a semester-long class on issues related to health and development in Guatemala, which then culminates in a month of fieldwork and research in country. Having enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Vanderbilt, Manna is pumped to host four Visage students for the remainder of the first summer session. In addition to planning and leading our Healthy Living programs, each student will conduct mentored research in Chaquijyá on various health topics such as oral health, geriatric health, physical exercise, and social marketing on nutritional supplements. Both students and interns will live in the MPIG house, and participate in weekly discussions, errands, cooking, and field trips to partner organizations.

A public health student myself, I am stoked to work with these girls, and witness the results of their research. My name is Ginny Savage, and I am so lucky to be working as the Summer Intern Supervisor for the next month with Alli Eis. I first came to know Manna while working as a PD with the Guatemala site in 2010-2011, and I have to say, it is very surreal to be back in Sololá. On the one hand, many things remain exactly as I remember: the “twins” Maria Luisa buses still run to Pana frequently, Byron still instructs PE classes with clipboard and matching tracksuit at the ready, and Christian (aka “Lester”) is still the volunteer favorite. However, on the other hand, many things have changed throughout the past three years: Yessica is in second grade, Central has its own Básico, and the Sololá market is now located at the top of a impressively steep hill.

New Friends!

 I guess it is always a bit disconcerting to return to a foreign country where you have previously lived. When we live and travel abroad, we tend to form somewhat fixed impressions, mental snapshots of our host communities. Consequently, when we return to the communities, we often observe individual, geographic, and social changes that challenge these fixed images. However, though initially unsettling, it is important to realize that change is good. By definition, “community development” initiatives seek to foster growth: to enable communities to improve residents’ quality of life through desired, appropriate and feasible changes.

 In the past three years, Chaqijyá has certainly grown. Thanks to the joint efforts of community leaders, Manna volunteers, and other partner organizations, the Central neighborhood now has its own middle school, built from soda bottles and trash nonetheless. The aldea still operates a trash collection system, Cooperativa has a community garden, and teachers report more children actively speak English and practice healthy living. Such growth and development are the very reasons for why Manna operates in Chaquijyá. They are the factors that motivate 8 interns to dedicate their summer teaching English and health, and I hope that our efforts throughout the upcoming weeks will continue to bolster this growth. Regular English and Health programs will commence this Wednesday, and both interns and Visage students will post daily updates concerning the classes’ progress, field trips, Guatemala living, etc.

- Ginny

Sunday Snapshot: We Want YOU!

Except instead of the US Army, we want you to join our non-governmental organization that serves Latin American communities. 

...Close enough?

In all seriousness, Program Director applications are currently being accepted for the 2013-2014 year! If you are looking for the opportunity of a lifetime, you should definitely consider becoming a PD in Guatemala (the best site...), Ecuador, or Nicaragua. When else can you adopt a completely new culture, play with the cutest kids in the world, learn a new language (or two, if you come to Guate!), and gain non-profit experience, all while making a real impact in a Latin American community?

Let me let you in a little secret, this experience is hard to find anywhere else. Sure, there are a cornucopia of different orgs that will allow you to teach English in some far away country. (And yeah, they may even pay you.) But the experience I've had here in less than 3 months is worth so much more than any amount of money I could gain by teaching a language I already know.

While I do teach English here, that's not where my work ends. We are encouraged to build relationships with people in the community, attend extremely interesting cultural events like parades and celebrations, and make new programs/modify existing ones.

To me, that last part is the most exciting. I came here in July with the intention of creating new programs. While that is definitely in the process, it has also been very rewarding to be asked to assess the work that has already been done here. At training we discussed a little bit about what it means to be in international development/community development, and since then I have been observing how our work here fits in with that definition. We are all continually discussing what we can do better, what can change, what should remain the same. We are excited to create our own community survey to ask Chaquijyá what they see as their biggest needs we can/should address. We are talking with other local organizations about how we can partner with them and therefore make a bigger impact in the area.

This experience has certainly been challenging, but in a truly beautiful way. I am being challenged and in turn challenging our approach to the way we do things. I feel empowered to make a difference, and therefore I will be empowering others in various ways-- whether through teaching them how to better take care of their children, filter their water, how to respect the environment, how to start or run a business, etc. I can't think of anything more beautiful :) And I cannot wait to see where we all stand when my time here is through in August 2013.

Won't you help us continue the great work we're doing?

I hope you do. :)

-Nicole

Sunday Snapshot: Bottle School Day!

This past Wednesday we hosted an "Environmental/Health Day" in Chaquijyá Central! We started off with a workshop about the importance of hand-washing, had a bottle stuffing competition, played some fun games, and ended the day making an example of a real bottle school wall! All in all, it was a great day!

MPI Volunteers giving our healthy hands lecture

Passing around a glitter pen to show how germs are spread! Look at all the glitter!

Washing off the glitter and germs before a snack!

Stuff! Stuff! Stuff! Bottle competition!

And finally, our bottle wall example! The kids loved it!

Hide and Seek

"Let’s play hide and seek! Let’s play hide and seek!" A chorus of little girls voices rang through the Cooperativa school grounds. Six little girls grabbed onto me and Christina, another summer intern, holding our hands and pulling us to our feet. After ten minutes of girl talk and hand games with these adorable nine year olds, they were ready to play.

A wonderfully joyful little girl named Brenda continued to hug me and talk to us about our American lives back home. Then they taught us some words in Kaqchikel—how to count from one to nine—and after laughing at our attempts at their indigenous language, we all got up to play the universal game of hide and seek. But, here in Guate, one person counts while everyone runs and hides together, much more my style than hiding by one’s self. I have loved being silly and laughing with these girls while running from the seeker. They have so much fun playing these fun, silly, easy games. Their joy for life is so wonderful and makes me think twice about my own and what is important to me. It is amazing to see these kids who are so happy and lively despite their circumstances. They are resilient and strong. We then played an exciting game of pato, pato, ganzo (duck, duck, goose), and a Guatemalan game where the group circles around someone in the middle, who is eventually ready to eat and essentially chases everyone around. I am excited to report that I can actually understand and talk with these kids now. I am really happy that my Spanish has been improving. I can communicate and learn from my students, which I am doing. A lot. They have not only taught me their language, but about laughter and courage.

It’s moments like playing with these kids for an hour in recreo that I will remember and cherish. These cute girls, dressed in traje and smiles, were so eager and happy to play games with us. After being here for almost six weeks, these kids now recognized us, and more importantly, we recognize them. Their faces mean something. We know their names and care about their lives and their wellbeing. I’ll be sad to leave them in ten short days, but I know they will always hold a special place in my heart and will have changed who I am for the better.

--Andrea

Sunday Snapshot

This is real life, folks. MPI Guatemala is in its THIRD YEAR as of today. That's right 2 years have come and gone and I frankly cannot believe it. Even more fitting, today is Lori Scharffenberg's birthday, MPI's Executive Director, and the person that's made those three years possible. Happy birthday, Lori, we all send you big hugs from Guatemala! Thank you for all you've done for us! And now without further ado, I transition our blog into year THREE. (I can't not write that in bold). Stay tuned for the new PD introductions coming next week!

Cinnamon roll in front of La Merced right before picking up the newbies. We love each other.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LORI!!

Someone Pinch me, Please!

Since my last blog we have seen and done so much! Now that we have all been assigned to teach certain classes, and have been traveling and becoming comfortable with our housemates, time seems to be flying by! I have been assigned to the 7^th and 8^th grade classes along with fellow volunteer Christina.  Our 7^th grade class is very large with 44 students, and for the first few weeks they were a bit challenging. But now, Christina and I, or “The Dynamic Duo” seem to have a system down that works.

Our 8^th grade class is quite a bit smaller with a total of 11 kids, this makes one-on-one teaching easier, and makes for a teaching environment that is a little more personal.  It is an incredible feeling to be able to teach all of these kids, and to walk away knowing that not only have you changed their lives, but they have more importantly, changed your own. When you see kids improve in class, and see their eyes light up when they know the correct answer--that's what this program is all about.

Travel has been a big part of my time here, we have made trips to nearby town such as Xela, Pana, and others. A big trip for me was when we went to Tikal, which was probably one of the best trips that I have ever been on. We saw beautiful Mayan ruins, hiked in the park, and had an absolute blast! We were able to watch the sunset and sunrise on top of the tallest temple and it was great to experience the animal kingdom prepare for sleep at sunset, then experience the awakening of the jungle at sunrise! Just this past weekend we traveled to San Pedro, where we stayed the night, ate delicious food and went to a small carnival where we rode a ferris wheel that was a little sketchy but fortunately, we all live to tell the tale! On Saturday we went kayaking, which was a big deal for me because I am terrified of water! But thanks to Dana and her support, not to mention her beautiful singing, I was able to face a fear and do something that I never thought I could.  It was a very powerful feeling to know that I could, it was so great!

This weekend we are going to travel to Antigua, where we will meet the new PDs that will be here for the next 13 months- so excited! After the PDs arrive on Saturday, all of us will be helping to train them and show them the ropes. Then we leave it in their hands to continue our programs. Another up-and-coming activity is mini-camp! We're going to have various activities perhaps including dance, sports, crafts, and English classes! What fun! I am really excited for this! It seems that my time here is rapidly coming to a close and I cannot believe that we only have two and a half weeks left! Someone pinch me!

I plan on soaking up every last bit of awesomeness that these last two and a half weeks have to offer, and enjoying every last second!

-Kylie Mosley

“We all die, the goal is not to live forever but to create or do something that will.” - Chuck Palahniuk

Sunday Snapshot

Epic weekend of lakeside activities! MPIG goes kayaking and zip-lining! Turbo fun!

Guatemala does Amurica

Like any self respecting Southerner, the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Yup. I went there. Not the traditional fan favorites of Thanksgiving with the mountains of casseroles, or Christmas with its secret santa exchanges but the Heartland’s birthday. That being said, you can understand why I was more than a tad crestfallen upon the realization that I would not in fact be in the Land of the Free for the holiday.

Luckily, nearby Panajachel is home of the infamous Palapa, an ex-pat hot spot, who was hosting a Fourth of July cookout/pot luck! With spirits rejuvinated, I quickly occupied myself with constructing the perfect patriotic get-up with the limited resources at my disposal. Additionally, and nearly equally as important, was my contribution to the pot luck. After a cursory perusal of Pintrest, I stumbled upon what seemed the only doable option considering there isn’t exactly a Sololá Whole Foods. Andrea, a fellow Manna vol, and I agreed upon these adorable strawberries you dip in white chocolate and then blue sugar, creating a nice layering effect while incorporating the three colors of the day into a healthy(ish) dessert! While I soon realized that white chocolate was out of the question, we managed to throw together some blue sugar and white icing dipped strawberries which, while not exactly pin-worthy, were still delicious.

Well, the big day arrived and I blasted my “Cuatro de Julio” country playlist throughout the Manna manor. We readied ourselves (3 out of 5 wearing red, white, and blue plaid) for an Independence Day extravaganza at a local high school where we were to serve as the token Americans and thus guests of honor. Seated front and center, the children delighted us in their “English Day's” (the apostrophe is not a typo) shows depicting their thoughts on America. These lovely vingettes tackled controversial issues such as racism, abortion, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, cheating, bullying, etc. All clearly communicating their positive opinions of their friends to the North. All in all, despite (or perhaps due to) the unsettling content, it was positively hilarious.

Super spirited!

As far as the party outfit quandary, anyone who knows me knows that at twenty years of age I still shamelessly sport bows on the daily. So, with bows on the mind I stopped in an amazing ribbon shop and purchased 9 yards of bright red, navy blue, and shimmery silver ribbons only for 12Q (about $1.50). Anyways, after a group nail painting sesh, bow making, and primping, we were decked out and ready to take Pana by storm. After an initially awkward arrival (no one else dressed up), the night took off with many a sing along to “American Pie” and the like. While I was quite nostalgic for my classic Fourth of July festivities, the night was fantastic and singin’ the classics with other gringos felt, for a moment, like I was right back home in the US of A.

God Bless Los Estados Unidos,

Christina

Sunday Snapshot

Interns and PDs went to Tikal National Park this weekend! Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. A necessary addition to any bucket list!

Temple 6 is overwhelmingly impressive...

Too bad we couldn't climb it!

But, they said nothing about 'no jumping!'

Change Afoot

About two weeks ago I arrived in Guatemala, a beautiful mountainous country which has endured one of the most tragic histories in the world.  It is the place I will call my home for the next two years as MPI’s Country Director, replacing Dana Zichlin. I am amazed by the strength and unity of the people I have encountered here thus far.  The colorful handmade clothing worn by the Maya is a reminder of the strong indigenous presence which so few Latin American countries still have. 

The biggest highlight of my experience in Chaquijyá has been attending two PTA meetings at the school.  Around 60 parents gather monthly to discuss updates regarding recent happenings at the school and potential projects the community wishes to implement.  The meetings generally last around four hours, and everyone talks and listens to one another regarding the well-being of their community.  The slow pace and lack of urgency is a welcome change of pace from my past year of attending graduate school in the U.S.  People are not rushed to get to their next destination or do something “more important,” because community is what really matters.

After spending a year studying the complexities of international development work at The School for International Training in Vermont, I am left with many questions regarding how to carry out development work in the field while doing the least amount of harm possible.  I know there are no definitive answers to my questions, and throughout the next two years of working with MPI I will gradually learn what works and what doesn’t. Step by step. Day by day. 

I come here with a very different background from those I will be working with.  I grew up in the United States as a white, middle class female.  It is important for me to publish where I am coming from up front.  I have not grown up with the culture and history of the people of Guatemala.  I do not know what they want; and to begin to understand I must take the time to listen closely and carefully to what they have to say.

I come here inspired by a love for Latin America after having lived in Chile and Costa Rica, a passion for immersing myself in cultures foreign from my own, and most importantly, because despite the vast differences between my story and theirs, we are all affected by the same world history.  My hope is that side by side we can work to create long-term solutions to community identified issues, and that by collaborating with local partners we can bring our strengths together to create positive social change.  One day at a time.

-Jess

Sunday Snapshot

PDs and Interns took a trip to Xela this weekend. Here we are at the one and only XOCOMIL, Central America's largest water park!

Left to right: Christina, Andrea, Dana, Kylie, Lorena, Kayla, Jess

¿Hablas Español?

¡Hola! ¡Me llamo Andrea! Soy estudiante y trabajo con Manna. For all the non-Spanish speakers, that means, “Hello! My name is Andrea! I am a student and I work with Manna.” I work with Manna in Guatemala I might add—in a community where there are virtually no English speakers. In fact, most people here speak their native Mayan language, Kaqchikel, and then learn Spanish in school. In the past few days, I’ve actually mastered my first few words of Kaqchikel: otz awatch (what’s up), utz ipetik (welcome), and the most random of the three, kuk, which means squirrel.

Anyway, knowing Spanish is essential to surviving and navigating any type of communication here. Upon entering this beautiful land of Guatemala (which is amazing, full of mountains and volcanoes and lush landscapes, all of which elicit an audible “Wow!” from everyone the first time they lay their eyes on Lake Atitlan), I spoke a very, very minimal amount of Spanish. From living in the great state of Texas, I knew how to say a few words – hola, como estas, and how to count from uno to diez. That is it. So, I bought a book that would supposedly teach me Spanish in thirty days. Though I was skeptical, my enthusiasm for my summer trip got the best of me, and I got really excited about my new Spanish lessons, until it got really hard. So I was supposed to have allegedly finished my mastery of the Spanish language upon my arrival. But, on the day I left for Guatemala, I was stuck on day 8 of 30. Then, I was given hope when, as I landed in Guatemala City, a nice, older Guatemalan man on my flight wished me luck on my Spanish after watching me frantically study on the plane. He also pointed to a beautiful volcano and said, with a smile on his face, “Welcome to Guatemala!” At that moment, I felt a lot better entering this unknown place.

Now, twelve days after my arrival in Sololá, I am slowly but surely getting a mild grasp on the language. I can talk with my students in Cooperativa, a neighborhood in Chaquijyá. Though our conversations are not grammatically correct on my part, it is fun and makes me hopeful that I can learn more. I am learning new words by not only talking to my students, but teaching them. I have helped teach a few lessons so far, and I am proud to say that my kids know the vocabulary of clothing and accessories and directions in English, and I now know them in Spanish. With the help of all my supportive friends in the Manna house, I am also progressing. Every ten minutes, they answer my questions. “What does this mean? What about that?” Their support means a lot. Also, I began taking classes at Spanish school, and my teacher has also been very helpful.

So I guess I’m writing to say that though it is difficult, I am really enjoying this adventure. The journey of speaking a new language is and will be a long one, but I am eager and excited to continue down this road. One important thing I have learned about language that I have seen over and over again already is the ability to communicate with just a smile. Even if we have not had incredibly long or intelligent conversations, I already feel close to some of my students already.

They smile. I smile. We have a bond.

I saw this the second day I was teaching one of my classes. The previous class, the younger girls and I had barely said hola, albeit with some great, happy smiles. I walked in the second class, and all the little girls started grinning and shouting my name. They remembered me, and it made me so happy. Though it is hard, it is definitely worth it, and I cannot wait to learn even more.

Adios for now!

Andrea

Learning 101

The other day while I was administering an exam to the 8^th grade Basico class, I started reflecting on my own experiences as a student. Attending a Jesuit University, my professors would often share the wise words of Saint Ignatius: “Go forth and set the world on fire.” My response? “Well, I’m trying to set this world on fire, but I feel like I’m just burning down the house.”

Nick and I at Sister Pats Camp 2007

It took four years of college and three years of post-graduate experiences for me to figure out what my calling actually was. After deciding to apply to graduate school for Social Work, I carefully started to put together the infamous “Personal Statement.” When I finally thought I had perfected it, I called my good friend and best critic, Nick, to get his opinion. “Yeah, it’s really, really good, but remember it’s not an autobiography. Think why you want to go to grad school and learn about this stuff. You’re so close! You just have to sit down and start over.”

Start over? Is this some kind of cruel joke?

A high school English teacher once told me “writing is re-writing.” I’ve come to realize that at the end of the day, anything we are good at takes hard work and patience. About 20 hours and lots of coffee later, I stared into the bright light of my computer screen and saw my honest thoughts. Like I wrote in my essay, "when compelled to work hard for something you care about, knowledge is easily absorbed, whether from literature, dialogue, people, or moments. Learning can be intentional or subconscious, but when we bridge our education with our true interests, we reach the ultimate fulfillment."

While I looked around at the quiet, focused, Basico classroom, I considered the educational goals of these students. Here I am in Guatemala, living out my hopes and dreams, but what I really want to do is help them find theirs. Many of these kids have not had the chance to recognize their full potential and what they are truly able to accomplish. I know myself and every other volunteer who comes through this country looks in the faces of these individuals and sees this blinding beauty that we wish we could shine over all of Guatemala. Unfortunately, that’s not up to us. But what we can do is share our knowledge and resources to guide them towards continual education and learning.

The relationships I have built during my time in Guatemala have showed me that when placed in a position to give, I gain a greater understanding about myself and my values. But more importantly, I gain the understanding of how much I have to learn from those around me. Author and activist Shane Claiborne shares,

Just as “believers” are a dime a dozen in the church, so are "activists" in social justice circles nowadays. But lovers are hard to come by. And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of--lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about.

That being said, I’m hopeful we are on our way to being really great lovers.

--Lorena

Sunday Snapshot

PDs and interns help train Pencil of Promise health workers in the art of dental health! Wahoo collaboration! ALSO, we welcome Guatemala's new Country Director, Jessica Falla, to the main stage (pictured bottom right).

Take Only Pictures and Leave Only Footprints

Please welcome Kylie, one of our second-session Summer Interns, to the blogosphere. Much more to come, as they'll be with us until July 28th!
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Today is my third day in Guatemala and if I had to describe my experience so far I would say that it has been extraordinary. This country is not like any that I have ever seen, it is truly unique. The towns may not be the cleanest however it is easy to look past the mere lack of sanitation because the towns are surrounded by pristine natural beauty that is just breathtaking. Our house is by a beautiful lake, which is surrounded by three volcanoes, not to mention the vast amount of beautiful rolling hills blanketed in green trees and crops. The town’s people are friendly, and tend to take great interest in five or six “gringas” walking the streets. Most all the locals dress in very colorful and vibrant fabrics, and the streets are filled with people walking and cars driving crazily, and the buildings are all different colors and the town always seems to be buzzing.

We have been traveling to the schools in a nearby by town which is so much fun. The ride there is nothing short of interesting. We ride in what are called “micros” which are basically taxi vans that take people around town and to neighboring places. It is like a giant sardine can that is packed with people, and there is no such thing as personal space, if you can move, then there is room for more! When we got to the school I found that all of the children are great, and most seem eager to learn English and socialize with us Americans. Smiling is a universal language and can make all the difference, sometimes there may be a language barrier but as long as I try to have fun and I try my best I am sure that my Spanish skills will only improve. The Country Director, Dana, and a long term volunteer Lorena, along with another Intern that has been here the past month, Christina, are all teaching several English classes to various age groups. It is truly inspiring to see the true motivation and passion that all of these ladies have. Us new arrivals are truly lucky to have these awesome people to show us the ropes, and teach us about daily life in Guatemala. The daily life includes the way the house is run, and one thing that we learned on the first night was that when we use the restroom, it is important not to flush the toilet paper, and that old saying “If it’s yellow let it mellow and if it’s brown flush it down” certainly is practiced here.

One of my favorite things is learning about the culture here, and I feel like I am gaining so much from this experience and I’ve only been here for three days! I am concentrating on the present and looking forward to what this adventure has in store. As long as my trip continues to be this fantastic (even though it has been only three days!), I don’t thing I'll ever be able to leave!

---Kylie


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Sunday Snapshot

We can't believe Summer session 1 has already come to a close. Juliana, Rebecca, Karianne, Michelle, and Grace, you're all amazing individuals, we miss you already! Tomorrow we welcome our second session girls! Christina, here's to 7 more weeks of work and play in Chaquijyá!

Karianne, Rebecca, and our beginner's English class with their Old MacDonald face masks

Vandy kids represent on top of La Nariz del Indio

Rebecca, Juliana, and Karianne ready for the dress-up party at La Iguana

Adios for Now

Well, it looks like my time in Guatemala is coming to an end.  I can’t believe it - I don’t think any of us can.  Cliché as it may sound, it seems like just yesterday that we were wandering around the airport with no clue what to expect and piling into a van with five strangers (Emily too!), nonetheless. In less than a week, something strange happened: everything started to seem normal.  The nine strangers we were living with were no longer strangers but rather our temporary family.  Hopping on a chicken bus to find that it was more crowded than anything we had ever seen was no longer an ordeal, but rather a way of life. The kids in Central and Cooperativa (the schools we work in) were no longer meaningless faces on the street, but rather real people who we quickly began to care about and whose lives we thought we might actually be able to improve.

We have had the opportunity to do a bunch of cool things since we’ve been here: hike to the top of Tajumulco (the highest point in Central America), travel to Monterrico to enjoy Guatemala’s finest beaches, and even explore ancient Mayan ruins at Tikal.  As awesome as each of these experiences have been, I have to say that interacting with our students has undoubtedly been the COOLEST part of this trip. Whether they are giggling as we introduce ourselves with our Gringo names, running to hug us and screaming our names as we arrive at Cooperativa, focusing as they try to contort their mouths so they can pronounce a new English word, or challenging us to a game of basketball, these kids never fail to make life interesting and exciting.  More importantly, they never fail to teach me something new (and here I was thinking that I came to Guatemala to teach them).  Sometimes they were literally teaching me, as in how to say dog (Tze) in Kaqchikel, their native language, for example.  But most of the time, I just learned by watching.  I watched kids fall down or take a blow to the head from a soccer ball without shedding a tear, time and time again.  Surely, if we were in America, they would have been bawling.  I watched others screw around with their friends during school, seemingly as if they lacked any ability to focus, but managed to get down to business and work for their families when they got home.  Their culture is just so different from ours, and over the past month, I have found myself feeling surprised time and time again.

Considering the difference in our lifestyles, nothing has been more significant to me than the moments when we were able to put smiles on the childrens' faces.  Sometimes it was by letting them play with our cameras or letting them listen to our iPods.  At other times, kids were legitimately excited about what we were doing in class. Personally, my favorite was the time that we taught them Old McDonald while they were learning the animals--our students were ecstatic as they held up their animal mask and screamed out its name.  During mini camp, everyone was enthusiastic as Karianne and Grace led a group sing-along to Justin Bieber’s Baby and as they had the opportunity to bust a move to the Cha Cha Slide. 

I really do believe that we have made a difference here and, more importantly, that Manna will continue to do so in the future.  I feel great leaving MPI Guatemala in the hands of Dana, Lorena, and Christina (and the new interns who will be arriving on Sunday), and I can’t wait to hear about the great things that this organization does in the future.

--Michelle Weinman