Twister

     Although I am home from Guatemala, I am still traveling! Tonight my family and I are leaving for Missouri to help with tornado relief. Here's some of the story.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13518005

The Dragon

     They could be any old piles of soil, but these mounts are alive. With a sigh, a puff of smoke escapes from the lips of Fuego. It’s easy to forget that the pastel hills in the distance are the mouth of the fire-breathing dragon, Earth. My goal before I leave here is to see the glow of flowing lava. Every night, I check. Every night, I see nothing but the blackness of the heavy fog that veils the beast. Finally, on one of my last nights, way off in the distance, the liquid fire rises and falls amid a shower of sparks. I smile. 

Rest easy, Earth.

Photo courtesy of Greta :)

Speechless

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

     There are some things in life that there are no words for. The rules of language confine emotions to a rhythm of sounds that desperately grasp at and slip away from the power of the true message of your soul. 

     Today I was speechless for the second time in one week. 

     Last Thursday, I witnessed life filled to overflowing. Like the tears that rolled down the cheeks of the young woman bringing her child into the world, life could not contained. The joy that transformed the tired face of the woman when we brought her new son to her for the first time cannot be put into words. Holding the hand of a complete stranger in her most personal moments and wiping the sweat off her face as she struggled through contractions bridges the gap of culture. Even being a small part of the experience of this woman left me sinking in a sea of inadequate expression when we congratulated her on her perfect baby girl.

     Today, I held a woman as she mourned the loss of her son-in-law. No language barrier was needed to leave my mind blank when it came to expressing my sorrow for her. I was there next to the car as she stepped out after returning from the hospital where her son-in-law lost his battle with cancer, leaving behind a wife and three children under ten including a forty day old baby. Family and friends had gathered, but in that moment it was just her and I and memories. There is no time or language that restrains that kind of emotion. She wept as I embraced her; my shoulder was hot and wet with tears. I smoothed her hair away from her face as she turned to face reality.

     The soul is capable of communicating love in its own language. Hold your tongue and let it speak.

Survival Skills

     I was reflecting back on my time here and thinking about how much I have learned. Obviously, I have learned a lot of Spanish as well as other things in my Economics class and Internship in the Clinic, but there is something else I have learned that does not fall into a class. I'll put these things in the Survival Skills category. 

     How to live in Guatemala is something that I didn't realize I was learning so much about until my family came to visit and I remembered what it was like during my first weeks here. I remember going to the market wanting to hold our group leader's hand! I was sure I'd get lost in Antigua and eventually die of hunger or wander into El Salvador. But slowly, things became easier. 

     I had to relearn some of the simple everyday life things I didn't even have to think about before. Here I learned how to go shopping at the grocery store and market, how to barter and not be totally ripped off, how to add minutes onto a phone, how to order food at a restaurant and not get sick (usually), how to go to the bank and exchange money, how to use the bus system and not get lost (mostly), how to cross the street and not get hit, how to get medicine at a Pharmacy, how to wash clothes, and how to shower without being electrocuted (by experience), and how to use the toilet without clogging it (paper in the trash). 

     Life is easier when you can take care of yourself. The longer I was here, the more confidence I gained. It is funny to think back to the girl who was almost being hit by tuktuk, zapping herself in the shower, and staring blankly at the cashier in the grocery store when asked about a "factura". Ah yes, the memories are sweet. 

     What have you learned about living in a new place? 

Myself and Two of the Three lovely ladies I had the pleasure of guiding around Guatemala for a week using my Survival Skills :) The other lovely lady was my Grandma who took this picture for us. Thanks!

Images of Semana Santa

     Semana Santa is past but here are some of the striking images of the celebration! The colorful carpets are representative of the palm branches and coats people laid down to cushion the road as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. These alfombras (carpets) are made with colored sawdust, flowers, or other creative materials. They cushion the road as Jesus passes by in processions. 

The beginnings of a large alfombra

Sprinkling the colored sawdust

Adding a border

There is no peace without justice. There is no justice without pardon.

A unique use of color

It was for love.

A beautiful use of flowers

Morning light

This horse doesn't seem too happy to be in the procession.

Precious

 

Good Friday morning procession

Good Friday afternoon procession

A radish and bouquet!

A fruit and veggie island display!

Detailed!

A Noah's Ark alfombra with play-doh animals kids made! The cutest alfombra around.

This picture just about sums up Semana Santa. The people! Jesus! Mary! Antigua!

The End