Old Friends and New Memories

Last weekend, an old friend of mine came to visit.  We were exchange students together in Argentina when we were sixteen, but hadn’t seen each other in nearly seven years.  Nonetheless, my friend stepped out of the international airport last Friday morning, and the first thing he exclaimed upon seeing me was, “you haven’t changed at all!”

For old friends, reunions can go one of two ways.  They can either feel as though not a day has passed, or they can be abundantly filled with conversations of moments passed, simply because there is nothing else to talk about.  Lucky for me, my weekend was the former.  It was as though we were sixteen again, getting into trouble and having the time of our lives in Argentina, only this time we’re twenty-two and the mischief was in Guatemala.  The weekend was a whirlwind of old stories, new adventures, and a coming together of my past and present.  Sunday night, my friend left, but not before a somber goodbye.  Amidst "nice to meet you"s and "call you when I'm in Houston"s, I felt comforted by the convenience of travel in the United States, that this would not likely be our last encounter.  Yet as I stood in the doorway, I couldn’t help but imagine what it will be like to leave to Guatemala.

Throughout the last nine months, my emotions have changed like the seasons, going from enchanted by the thrill of the journey before me in July, to painfully homesick in September, back to deciding never to leave this country in December.  These changes of heart are implicit challenges that come with committing oneself to living in a dramatically different culture, but in spite of the difficulty, it is precisely these moments that define this experience.  It is during these bittersweet flashes of time that one’s character, strength, and heart become visible.

Lately, I’ve found myself counting the days.  The days ‘til I pack up my room and hop back on the plane to the States to whatever new and exciting city I choose.  The days ‘til I’m reunited with my family, my best friends, and my love.  The days ‘til my life begins.  But as I stood there, departing from one friend and an entire country at the same time, I was overwhelmed with emotion.  I stopped and realized that this is life at its peak.

Perhaps it was seeing Guatemala through a fresh pair of eyes, or maybe it was reliving Argentina for a brief moment that made me realize how quickly these experiences slip away.  Before we have even stopped to see the beauty, all that’s left is a photograph.

I don’t know what will happen when I leave Guatemala.  I don’t know if I will be remembered by the families I met; if Carmen, the landlady, will miss waving at us from her courtyard while we wash our dishes; or if ever there will come a day when I can’t recall the man’s name who stood on the street corner and yelled “Buenos días, Katy!” every morning as I passed by.  But this weekend, I was able to see the beauty while it was still in front of me.

Sunday Snapshot III

Credit: Karen Baker

Update from Ecuador!

Readers, we're thrilled with the chance to give an update from the Manna site in Ecuador this afternoon.  Our work is part of a larger vision to be leaders in creative solutions to development and mentors for college students that want to learn more about serving internationally.  Our other international sites are key in making that a reality.  Here's the update.

   Hi! My name is Hannah Palin and I am a Program Director for MPI – Ecuador. I am very excited to be writing a blog post for Manna’s newest site and to share a little about Manna’s influence in another part of the world.

   Manna Project Ecuador started four years ago and has grown substantially since its original work with apoyo escolar (after school homework help) in a local community building. We currently run our programs out of our own Centro in the community of Rumiloma. We have a library, a teen center and a third floor space that houses all our health programs. In the past few months we have concentrated greatly on increasing attendance in our library and making the space more like a traditional biblioteca.

  

   With that in mind, the PDs of MPI- Ecuador decided to start having monthly community celebrations. We started with a small party for Dia de los Difuntos (our Halloween) and had such success that we have since had a Christmas party and a New Year celebration that brought close to 200 people to our space. Since then the library has been overflowing with kids eager to have a safe space to play and learn after school.

   The rest of our programs have been thriving as well; English classes are full and women’s exercise has had to request more equipment to keep up with growing classes (now five times a week!). Microfinance and agriculture have been busy with new initiatives hoping to promote good business practices within the community. Children’s art is so popular that we cannot collect art supplies fast enough to keep up with the growing demand.

   Although this year has been full of changes – a move to a new house in a different community closer to Rumiloma and the loss of some of our space within the Centro, it has been a productive year focused on building upon the work of the past. The work that Guatemala has been doing and the confianza that they have gained within their community is a reminder of the solid foundation upon which MPI Ecuador was also built.

 

  I want to thank Guatemala for allowing us to share the work that we are doing in South America. Please check out our blog if you would like to find out more information about MPI – Ecuador.

Until then,

Besos chao chao

Hannah

Sunday Snapshot II

Credit: Karen Baker

Sunday Snapshot

Friends and Family,

  We've decided the beauty here's too good to pass up.  From now on, each Sunday we'll give you another glimpse of what we love so much about about Guatemala.  To start, we have one of Karen's photos.  Hope you enjoy.

Credit: Karen Baker

Think Fast

Approximately 1 billion people currently experience hunger. According to World Vision International, about 1 in 4 of the world’s children suffer from malnourishment, and about 5 million children will die this year from hunger-related causes.  

This year, in order to further our understanding of global hunger, the Program Directors at all three MPI sites participated in the 30-hour fast organized by World Vision International. Though allowed to consume fruit juice, we were highly encouraged not to consume solid foods or coffee (eek!).  In addition to the fast, PD’s also participated in service activities organized through their respective sites, and related developmental discussions. In Guatemala, we began our fast with an hour of service at a local feeding program and then conducted dialogues in house and with the Ecuador PDs via Skype. The fast was both physically and emotionally taxing, but we all persevered.

To be honest, when I first learned about the fast, I was not crazy about it for numerous reasons. Primarily, any given day, I probably spend more time eating than not, and I was not sold on the idea of forgoing food for an entire 30 hours. Additionally, I felt several moral qualms on the matter. Who were we to expect that a mere day-long fast would allow us to empathize with the suffering and turmoil of hunger victims? Watching movies on laptops, drinking clean water, and cozily sitting in our warm beds, we would be surrounded by luxuries and in case of emergency, we would have a kitchen stocked with food. Not to mention, we would begin the fast knowing that in 30 hours we would consume copious amounts of food thus, never suffering through the anxiety of wondering the source of our next meal.

The fast also did not touch me initially on a personal level, as our physical experience of hunger would not resemble the experiences of the hungry in Chaquijyá, where many residents do suffer from chronic hunger. While many of them may only eat one meal a day, they do eat. Our experience would more closely resemble the hunger of victims of natural disasters or war, whose food sources are cut off very suddenly. Like I said, there were numerous reasons, so I was hesitant to believe that the fast would affect my perspectives on working in Chaquijyá.

Having successfully completed the fast, I cannot say if the experience will affect how I make my lesson plans or teach my classes, but I can say that the fast did prove to be more enlightening than I had expected. Namely, even if the fast did not radically change my thoughts on world hunger, the experience did make me think. Though the fast was not “authentic” per say, hunger dominated my thoughts for 30 hours and compelled me to ask more profound questions about myself and the larger issue. I realized that it is impossible for me to fathom the experience of chronic hunger. This realization excited in me both a rush of gratitude for the numerous blessings I am fortunate to enjoy, and also a larger appreciation for the resilience of people suffering from hunger. All over the world, people survive on minimal food and still work, struggling to support their families. 

I am so grateful for the smack-in-face, out-of-the-comfort-zone experience that was the fast. Sometimes I need a shock to my system to make me open my eyes and see the world around me more clearly.

Peace, Ginny