Today was our last day of the Guatemala trip. We left Antigua early this morning to depart from Guatemala City airport. We had several delays in Atlanta airport, but happy to be back in the USA! We finally arrived home in Syracuse around seven at night. I’m feeling bittersweet about our trip ending; it was such an amazing experience words truly can’t describe. I’m so happy to have had this opportunity and learning experience, I will take it with me forever.
Another trip reflection, from Diana Froats of Onondage Community College!
This trip has been emotional to say the least. I can’t
imagine a person going to San Lucas with TJ and not being moved to tears, laughter, and concern
for the local people.
We started our day with the wonderful food made by the best
host and hostess one could want. Of all the things I will miss in Guatemala Felipe
and Marbila will top the list.
Next it was off to the Village of Pampojila to teach about
Malnutrition in the morning and Reproductive Health in the afternoon. We were greeted at
our host location by children eagerly awaiting someone to play with them. First with a hearty round
of Soccer that I am not sure who won, since us American students get more easily excitable, and the
ball ended up on a roof to be recovered a little later. Then with our own student Erica giving “Plane
rides” to each child that wanted one. The simplest things make them smile so much. I am pretty sure with all
the rides given that my legs would have been burning but she just lifted them over and over again to
fly in the air. Then we found it was down to business and the women included us in the activity of shelling
the soybeans. This is a long process when done by hand. We carefully skinned enough soybeans for the
ladies to make soy milk and soy burgers as well to go with the malnutrition teaching. (None for us since
we have sensitive American bellies though.) Still it was really cool to participate in the activity.
We gave out paper plates at the end of the teaching and had the moms and children draw the equivalent of a
my-plate outline. How wonderful to see that in spite of our differences in language and culture we were
effectively communicating.
Off to lunch up the hill; and once again our amazing host
family brought the food to us. I have never felt so grateful for a meal as then. They never
complained about having to prepare the meal and transport it to us wherever we may have been. Sometimes
that meant up a steep hill but the food always arrived for lunch and also always arrived at the
appropriate temperature. Fried chicken, potato salad and watermelon. It is like heaven on a plate. God
Bless Marbila and Felipe.
While my classmates taught the sensitive topic of
reproductive health me and a couple of other students sat in the shade and visited with
the local children. We made rubber-band bracelets for two little girls that stayed right close to us
and paper airplanes for the little boys. To be in a culture were such simple things brings such great joy is
incredible.
We headed back to San Lucas and finished out our day with a
teaching on how to make the tortillas that we have been blessed with at every meal.
Little did I know how hard it is to make those tasty treats till I tried to make them myself. Luckily my
mason’s wife Latisia is just as patient as her husband was in teaching. The first three I made each ended
up getting dropped at some point. Finally the fourth tortilla came out perfectly and stayed on my hands
until I cooked it on her stovetop much like the ones we had built earlier in the week. She explained the
whole process of cooking the corn the night before to make tortillas the next day and then needing to
take it elsewhere to have the Nixtamal or cooked corn refined in order to make the Masa or dough. It is a
good thing I am not required to make tortillas in the states to eat at each meal or I fear my children
would be very hungry. I guess some people are naturals at it though.
So I finish off my blog with many thanks to Felipe, Marbila,
Gloria, Latisia and Santiago who have all been the best examples of what mankind can
be. They truly showed me peace in the mist of turmoil patience with my slowness to learn and
kindness with a smile or laughter or as others have said “Esta Bien”.
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