Post for Thursday, June 26, 2014

One thing that we have failed to mention is that each morning begins with a daily prayer and reflection called Lectio Divina (“praying the scripture”)  This provides us with time to reflect on our experiences here in Guatemala and how these experiences relate to scripture verses in a personal way.  It is a great way to begin the day.  The passage today way from Luke 8: 22-25, Jesus Calms a Storm.  This was such an appropriate scripture reading for this morning after being out on the boat yesterday.

Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, black beans, yucca pancakes, cookies and juice.  Just kidding from the previous post.  We didn’t return to the school work site today but took the opportunity to tour a coffee co-op in the village of Tzampetey - San Antonio, Palopo.  The co-op means that several families from this specific region join together and bring their beans to this central location to be processed.   Our guide was very informative.  The co-op began informally in 1983 with 18 families participating.  It began as a formal co-op in 1993 with 38 families.  Currently there are 124 families who participate.  Individually, the families wouldn’t be able to sell their own beans, so they all cooperate together.  They must be members in order to use the co-op and they share all expenses.  Their mission is “to grow and market high quality coffee respecting the environment and contributing to achieve sustainability, social and economic development of its member communities. “Café Tzampetey handout”

Four varieties of coffee plants are grown here at an altitude of 1830 meters above sea level and are shade grown.  That means that the beans must be grown with 60% shade and 40% sunshine.    The taste of coffee is determined by the properties of the region. and the properties that are brought out from the beans in this region include lemon, cashew, cantaloupe, and bitter chocolate.  A little tidbit I picked up is that really good coffee should feel great across your tongue.   (Who knew?) The coffee plants take 3 years for the beans to mature.  Processing the coffee beans involves 71 activities from the planting to the drying and roasting.  There are 85 workers involved in all these steps.  Just one of the things that they are very proud of is the tile floors that are used for the drying of the beans rather than concrete.  Because of the tile, the drying time takes about 6 days rather than 8.

This co-op is involved in “direct trade” rather than “fair trade”.  Fair trade has too many rules and regulations and profits are taken away from the families, which is their livelihood and income.  Just one of the regulations is that the children must be of a certain age to work.  However, it is the culture of this region for the families to work together so that would prohibit from this happening.

We are very fortunate and excited that Rolling Hills Church is going to begin a partnership with the co-op in this region and we will be serving it at our church and also have it available for sale possibly by the end of July.  On our return trip from the co-op, we stopped at one of the most beautiful views I have even seen.  We were overlooking Lake Atitlan with a view of the mountains and volcanoes, a village, and just more of God’s grandeur than can be described.

We returned to a delicious rice soup with potatoes, carrots, and corn. Marbila also cooked our two chickens that were presented to us Tuesday evening at the church service.  She said they took 4 hours to get tender. Not only did we have the basic chicken parts, she also cooked the feet and head.  She asked for takers and Linda and Will actually tried to eat them.  Several people expressed that they felt guilty eating the chicken that we had killed, but Geraldo said that to feel guilty is to have bad “ju ju”, so we quickly forgot that!

We spent the afternoon sorting our donations that were brought with us to give to the families at the dedication on Saturday.  Wow.  That was quite a process!  Our evening activity was going to the home of a family that makes beautiful wooden spoons.  They use 4 different kinds of wood to produce these.  They demonstrated how they make their spoons and even let us try it.  It really was fascinating and of course we had to bring some home.  When we got back to the hotel, Marbila had prepared us a delicious spaghetti dinner with garlic bread, and then is was off to bed!

 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 (Part 2)

We rode on a boat today to tour three different towns on Lake Atitlan.  Just a brief note about Lake Atitlan.  What a gorgeous lake with beautiful lake houses like we actually might have at home and such a different scene than we have been having for the past 3 days.  Each town had its own personality and specialty.  At the first stop we pretty much just shopped the street vendors.  The 2^nd stop was for lunch, and the restaurant that Candace took us to was outstanding!!  Huge proportions and delicious food.  We did a little more shopping before getting back on the boat to our 3^rd stop.  This little village had weavers and ceramics makers, but many of the shops were closed.  We came back with purchases of scarves, shoes, shirts, purses, backpacks, belts, table runners, pictures, etc.  (After all, you have to come back with some souvenirs, right?)

Several of us helped Marbila prepare our dinner tonight of Chile Rellenos.  She had us chopping vegetables, roasting red peppers, whipping egg whites and then cooking them.  It was like having a private cooking lesson – and from Marbila, that is worth a lot!

After dinner, Marbila had a HUGE pot of water boiling and told us she was about to prepare our “gift” from the previous night.  (meaning our 2 chickens.)  Of course this involved several stages.  Marbila demonstrated the first chicken and then had some of us help with the next.  OMG.  Will was the first participant who slit the throat while Marbila held it.  (He stopped participating after that.)  Then the chicken was dropped into the pot of boiling water to loosen the feathers.  Both Gabe and Aaron helped get the feathers off the chicken.  Gabe was a pro at this being a pheasant hunter, but it was the first time for Aaron and he did great!  When it came time to gut the chicken, I watched for about a minute and left for my room before I got sick.  J  It was the job of Candace and myself to just stand there and laugh and take pictures.  It really was a fun evening.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Upon our return yesterday to San Gregorio, we had a meeting  with the local cocode, a committee in the community to address any concerns and answer any questions we might have about the school.  Several members spoke to us and first always thanked God for our being there and thanking us for our presence.  The main speaker was a father, and a teacher in the town next to San Gregorio.  (Interesting to note: he lives in a one room wooden house with a metal roof and an outhouse - and is a teacher.) We talked about what role the government plays in supporting the school and getting it ready for students.  Their hope is that they will start with two teachers for the four classrooms with mixed grade levels.  Teachers in Guatemala have to have a specific degree in teaching elementary education.  The school does not yet have desks and they are unsure of how those will be financed.  It is technically the government’s responsibility but the government is slow to respond to needs of communities.  The leaders expressed how they had really not anticipated the vastness of this project and that they did not know what they were getting into because they had never built a school before.  We expressed the same sentiment in that we did not know what we were getting into either!   We both took a leap of faith and together a school has been built.  One of the many wonderful things about this project has been the cooperation between members of Rolling Hills and the members of the San Gregorio community.  None of us were skilled builders, however we have all given our time, talents and learned so much from each other.  Through this relationships have formed that cross borders of all kinds. After our meeting we shook hands, gave thanks, gave hugs and left to attend their church service.

There are just some things that are almost impossible to put into words and that was the case at this church service.  We walked to the church and were greeted as if we were visiting dignitaries.  The women of the church had lined the aisle with grasses for us to walk on and everyone clapped and cheered when we entered.  There were flowers everywhere and welcome banners in both Spanish and English.   The pastor welcomed us all by name and expressed his heartfelt gratitude for us attending their little church.  Children were everywhere!!!!  We were given a schedule of service which began with three of their youth singing along with guitar and keyboard accompaniment.  (I will interject that we were sitting in the front row about 12 inches from gigantic speakers.  Still trying to recover my hearing today J.)  While they were singing, down the aisle strutted a chicken!  After a few minutes of the chicken walking around the front of the church, one of the men picked it up to great squawking and indignation.  All the while the kids just kept singing.  After a couple of joyous songs where we all clapped along, there were prayers, scripture readings, more singing and then the highlight of the evening a sermon from Pastor Ted.  Our guide, Candace, translated Ted’s sermon, which moved everyone.  (No surprise there.) 

When Ted finished his sermon, the pastor said they had one more act they would like to share.  At this time women of the church came down the aisle to give us all drinks and crackers.  They had soft drinks as well as bottled water.  Finally, they presented us our gifts.  Wow.  Our jaws dropped as they walked out with baskets laden with food.  It looked like the three wisemen carrying their gifts – from a community that does not have anything to spare.  They gave one basked to Rolling Hills and a smaller basket to the head mason who was also with us.  After the presentation of the baskets, they came with a carefully wrapped box which seemed to be moving.  The look of anticipation on their faces was evident and you could just tell they were so excited for Ted to open the box.  Ted passed the honors to Will to open this wrapped box with holes.  In this box were TWO roosters.  Oh the joy on their faces when Ted and Will picked up the animals with feet tied and held them in the air for all to see.  That is just one of those things that none of us will never forget.  This was one of their most valued assets and they were so proud.  They gave us TWO and I say this because it would have been incredible to receive even one.  We were all laughing and cheering and just so full of joy.  Ted expressed how humbled he was to receive this precious gift and that we would have a relationship with this church.  Through his tears, the pastor said how never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would have visitors from the United States and he was just so honored to have us there.  After every one of the adults in attendance came and shook our hands and hugged us it was time for us to leave.  They lined the way to our truck where we climbed in and headed home in the rain (in the open truck).  We arrived back at our hotel wet but thrilled, knowing that the experience we had all just lived through was one that no one had ever had and can ever forget.

Due to the length of the above recount which was totally necessary because of the beauty of the event (and still cannot totally be imagined), I will tell the details of today in one short, succinct sentence.  We had an amazingly beautiful day riding on Lake Atitlan, visiting wonderful towns and shopping our hearts out.  Good night!