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Thursday July 26, 2018

All students who were supposed to arrive today have arrived! We are still waiting on 5 more students, 4 who arrive tomorrow and 1 who arrives on Saturday. We’ll try to post another group photo once our group is complete!

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today we went to Blue Hills community at 9. After a short 10 minute car ride we were all ready to work. I began by sorting out the good and the bad bottles and proceeded to cut some wires. After cutting the wires I painted one of the rooms yellow. Right before having lunch we played soccer with the locals and after a while I was sad to stop playing because it was so much fun. Everyone was very nice and we had a lot of fun together. For dinner we had noodles and then continued working soon after. I started putting bottles into the walls and talking with the locals. When we got back to the lodge we had a creole lesson which was very easy to understand as it is basically an informal version of French. For dinner we had chicken rice and beanssss!!!!

-Bautista C.

The day began at 7:30 a.m. with myriad of excitement and energetic kids. We spent the day working in a community called Blue Hills on a vocational school made made from recycled plastic bottles. Many, like me, couldn’t wait to play with the joyful kids. When we got there, a bond was created between us and the Haitian people. Both parties worked hand in hand to accomplish the same goal. Knowing our goal was to finish walls by 3:30 caused us to put our differences aside and cooperate. All in all, everyone had a great time and enjoyed the amazing life changing experience.

-Jake S.

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Today, we visited the Citadel, a famous fortress created by General Christof after the successful Haitian slave revolts of 1805. It is often referred to as one of the world’s untold wonders. After a precarious and bumpy drive up to the market place, we began our hike up to the fortress. The trek was completed quickly and efficiently, though it was quite tiring. On top of the Citadel, we enjoyed the breathtaking views and a delicious lunch of potato salad.

From this experience, we learned about how poverty and joblessness drive Haitians to resort to an extreme dependence on American tourism for income. Returning home, we enjoyed a soccer game between a local men’s team and our GLA boys. Concluding the night, we watched an informative documentary called Poverty, Inc. that goes into depth about the disparities between NGO aid and their devastating impacts on local communities.

Thursday August 2, 2018

Today was our last day- and we traveled to a Dr. Daytons Medical Clinic in downtown Cap Haitien. In order to accommodate all patients in the smaller space, the group was divided into two separate shifts at the clinic. While one group staffed the clinic, the other group went to a local market to purchase snacks and cold drinks. At the clinic we were able to see around 60 patients and provide routine checkups and consultation with Dr. Dayton. During the clinic the group staffed: Registration, Medical History, Vitals, Doctor Consult, and Pharmacy. The stations allowed us to interact with the locals in a positive way, as well as strengthen our own knowledge of how clinics are typically run. Following the clinic, we headed to the outskirts of Cap Haitien to observe a typical Haitian Voudou ritual- a ceremony that included singing and dancing. The ritual was the complete opposite of the Hollywood view of “voodoo” which has been portrayed as a pagan or occult practice, where in reality Voudou is a beautiful culturally rich practice that is focused on community and the preservation of Haitian heritage. After viewing part of the ceremony, we then returned to the lodge for dinner, our last night enjoying rice & beans. Following dinner we attended a presentation that primarily focused on the damage of Voulentourism.

Voulentourism is a multi-billion dollar industry that is unfortunately heavily influenced by the “white savior” complex- where westerners come to 3rd world countries with the mindset that they can save the native people with their superior intellect and material wealth. When attempting to provide aid in impoverished countries it is important to realize that the people are more similar to us than different, and to treat them as equals- without pity. In fact, strict material donation (ie. Clothing, food, toiletries etc) can unfortunately be more damaging to the people than helpful. Continuous material donation cripples the local economy, pushing many farmers & industry workers out of their need-sustained jobs. It is necessary to understand that the people in Haiti cannot be defined by their poverty, but by their incredible culture and sense of community. We look forward to sharing our newly learned knowledge with those at home, after our much anticipated beach day!

-Zach

More photos from throughout the session!

 

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Sunday June 24, 2018

The big day has finally arrived! We got up super early to catch our flights. We were all tired but once we arrived in Haiti, we all were so excited that we forgot we were ever tired! The people of Haiti were so welcoming, and we got a great taste of their culture — literally!

The food here is so fresh and delicious. Our dinner was the best! While we understand that this trip is a huge undertaking, we humble accept the challenge. We’re beyond excited to work with our fellow world-changers, ending the day with the “Chain of Empathy” exercise, we were able to feel and express each other’s stories in our own words, which led to a deeper understanding of our housemates. The first day of our 10-Day GLA trip was out of this world!

-Ryan + Taylor

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Today, we went to a community called Blue Hills to build a vocational school out of bottles. Children swarmed the car the minute we pulled up, full of interest and excitement, and, full of energy and excitements, they wanted to hold our hands, know our names, and touch our hair. We said hello, but we had to get to work. We split into three groups: bottling (puting bottles in the walls), cementing (mixing cement to put on the walls and floor), and rocks (shoveling rocks to even the floor).

We had plentiful of our own water bottles and water jugs. We worked diligently until the walls were filled with bottles and floors with cement. As this was our first day of working on the school, we will have more to report in the coming days, updating our progress on the school.

-Oona, Reese, and Chewy

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today, we woke up and ate some breakfast before heading over to the Plumpy Nut factory. We learned all about the manufacturing of Plumpy Nut, a peanut-based product developed to help combat malnutrition. We took a tour of the entire facility, and even got to taste some! After that, we visited and toured a local hospital, where we talked to the local physician partner, Dr. Dayton. After eating lunch, we played some soccer against the locals. After dinner, we stopped by a gas station to pick up snacks before ending the day with a documentary.

-Written by Mackenzie, Dmitri, and Emma

Thursday June 28, 2018

Everyday that we’ve spent in Haiti has been a new adventure. After breakfast we drove through the city to an area in the mountains of Cap-Haitien, as far as our bus would allow us to go. From there we embarked on a half hour, steep climb up the mountain, beneath the heat of the blazing Haitian sun. Although the climb was difficult, the view of Cap-Haitien and the ocean made it worth every drop of sweat. Once we reached the top we set up our first clinic in the school. We were each assigned a station: medical history, vitals, consultation, pharmacy, and of course served as trusty runners.

With the help of Dr.Dayton, Nurse Guerline, Jacques—our host, school personnel, and our amazing mentors, we were able to provide medical assistance to over 60 patients. Working with the community of Satama, people of all ages who suffered from different diseases, taught us the ins and outs of working in a clinic. After the medical brigade we ate dinner with our guests, the leaders of Blue Hills, and asked them questions about their community. They showed their appreciation for our contributions and were very open to any questions we had for them. And we were able to have a thought provoking and intimate conversation about our two cultures.

Milena, Lily, and Huy

Photos coming soon!

Friday June 29, 2018

Today we woke up to the honorable roosters and blazing heat. We piled on to the bus and headed back to the Blue Hill community to continue working on the bottle school. On our lunch break we played a pick-up soccer match with many of the Blue Hill community members. Departing with the community members was brutal. We hugged for awhile and made our way back to the bus holding hands. Dinner was exceptional per usual and following dinner was a lecture on social justice that was unlike anything we’d seen. After the lecture we got into mentor groups and went to bed.

Hailey, Rosie and Elliot

 

Tuesday June 12, 2018

All students arrived safely. The group is getting to know each other and all are super excited for the next 10 days in Haiti!

Wednesday June 13, 2018

Hey everyone,

Our first day in Haiti was eye opening to say the least. We got to see typical Haitian life driving through the city on our way to the citadel. Seeing Haitians on the sides of the roads and observing some of their living conditions was alarming. It’s difficult to deal with empathy we feel for them because there isn’t much you can do, and simply providing money is not a good (nor sustainable) solution.

On the way to the citadel, some of the local Haitian community members joined us for the hike. Many of them asked if they could be our tour guides; however we already received an official guide (named Sebastian) through the tourist office. Despite telling them this, maybe of them walked along side us and acted as impromptu tour guides, and after reaching the end of the hike, they all asked for money or a tip. They’re struggled and we want to help, but you cannot just hand out money. Though it’s difficult to say no, it will lead to more effective development.

Besides that, the citadel was beautiful and the views were out of this world. Sarah, Mark, and Sebastian all did an amazing job decaying us about its history and how it impacted/impacts Haiti and it’s culture.

Thursday June 14, 2018

Here is a photo from yesterday!

Friday June 15, 2018

*Blog post is about yesterday’s activities (Thursday June 14)

Today was the first day we traveled to Blue Hills. We worked at insulating the walls of a prospective vocational school with plastic bottles and received help from dozens of members of the community. Throughout the day we interacted with the youth of all ages; we even organized a soccer game with them after lunch. Children who were barely old enough to know their ABCs helped us sort plastic bottles and construct walls. After the bottle school, we had a lesson in Creole with a local teacher to help us learn the language and interact with the Haitian community. Today was super fun and we can’t wait to go back to Blue Hills to finish our section of the Bottle School!

By Lilly and Destiny

Friday June 15, 2018

We began our Friday morning with a tour of the PlumpyNut factory. PlumpyNut is a simple paste that tastes similar to peanut butter and is used to treat malnourished adults and children who don’t have access to an abundant nor nutritious supply of food. On the tour we learned about the history of the PlumpyNut products, saw the process of the peanuts being de-shelled by machines, and we even got to taste some of the PlumpyNut final product!

After our tour, we headed over to a local public primary hospital called Hospital Fort Saint Michel Health Center. Here, we were introduced to Dr. Dayton, and he showed us around the entire facility. We were shown all over the place, from the archives room with thousands of paper and files to the blood testing lab. Throughout our tour of the hospital, it was evident that the building was not very clean. We found it interesting to think that we were actually in one of the cleanest building in Cap Haitian, yet it was no where close to what a standard American would view as sanitary. Despite the lack of resources/material that this hospital had in comparison to those in the U.S., the stigma around HIV/AIDS was one in the same. Even with three rooms dedicated to HIV/AIDS, a high percentage of people continued not seeking medical help and continued to not report back to obtain more medication because they find it embarrassing or degrading to their reputation to come fourth and accept that they have this more than common disease.

A last of many observations we had was the “welcoming” community. Even with being beyond respectful, we were grateful to have had the experience to tour this hospital, and in touring the place, that also meant witnessing current patients being helped right in front of our eyes. It was interesting to think that these doctors were welcoming a group of strangers from another country into their hospital and allowing them to view their building and patients. We had a nice bus ride back to home-base to reflect on what we had just witnessed.

After our delicious lunch, we saw Dr. Dayton again for our medical brigade training. We learned how to check vitals and prepare (fake) pharmaceutical bags, and once we were finished with that, we had to prepare ourselves for the biggest soccer game of our lives, well sorta. What we though was going to be a pick-up game of street soccer with a local girls team turned into more like a world cup game! With the whole neighborhood watching, our stomachs became queasier and our heart rates sped up as game time approached us. As for the score, we fought hard, lets just say that. Even though we lost 3-1, we won in our hearts! It was such an amazing experience to play against the so-talented locals, and even being able to watch our new friends while making conversation with the children on the sidelines brought laughter amongst us all. As soon as the game-ending whistle was blown, it was time to hit the showers and clean up all of our cuts and bruises (** International director edit: only minor cuts and all of which were sanitized (: ).

After we cleaned up a bit, we headed over to a nearby gas station for some snacks to go with our movie night. The movie we saw was called An Island Divided and we found it fascinating once again that even with so many differences, Haiti and the U.S. share so many similarities such as racial issues, which was a focus in the documentary. We had a valuable discussion about the video and then it was time for bed so we can be well rested for our busy brigade day tomorrow.

Saturday June 16, 2018

Today, our group travelled to Blue Hills, a community outside Cap Haitien, to conduct a medical brigade in a local school. Through our experiences in Blue Hills, we realized how close and connected the community is compared to our neighborhoods back home. The community had to come together to elect fifty of its members to receive care. This surprised us because, in the US, getting the help you need is as easy as getting a car and driving to a doctor’s office. That these communities have to wait weeks for a doctor to be available to them, and that often the doctor has to prioritize severe cases over less threatening ones, represents the difficulty of proper health care in the developing world. The majority of the patients we saw were older, and many of them had been suffering for a long period of time. Talking with community members, it was interesting to hear that many patient’s medical issues, while considered in the US to be extreme, were seen by locals as every day problems. The protocol we follow for each patient included talking to them about their medical history, taking their vitals, providing consultation and treatment plans by a local doctor, and finally prescribing medication. Though supported by local translators and medical care professionals, each section was mainly led by us! We noticed while completing prescriptions that the directions for certain medications were often written in English, making it next to impossible for the majority of the community to follow their medication’s regimen without translation. Our experience in Blue Hills really opened our eyes to the differences in health care between the US and Haiti.

In the evening, Sarah gave an interesting presentation about social justice world wide. Her presentation included some discussion of social justice movements, the power of identity in determining one’s opportunities, and she even shared some personal experiences in the D.R. with racial discrimination. She told a heartfelt account of how racism can devastatingly impact the way people are treated in moments of crisis. Her work involved both success and heartbreak, and it was through the intersection of loss and hope that she became an even stronger advocate for underserved people. She left her presentation with a quote:

“There are two ways for your heart to break. The first is for it to break into shards of glass – dangerous to yourself and others. The second is for it to break open wider to hold a greater compassion for the world around you.”

By Jane and Chloe

​Sunday June 17, 2018

Today we want back to the Blue Hills community to continue working on our bottle school. Our mission of the day was to finish the insulation of one classroom and begin working on neighboring rooms. It was really amazing to see all of our collaboration and hard work at the end of the day and, even with so much work to do, we had time to play with local kids as well. After the bottle school we had an art class with a local painter and purchased some of his works to support his business. Finally, we divided into groups after dinner to discuss and brainstorm our capstone projects. It was a fun and engaging day, and we can’t wait to return to the bottle school!

More photos to come!

Ariel + Abby

Tuesday June 19, 2018

We started the day off with a medical brigade in a village called Limonade. We saw 30 patients with a wide variety of ages and medical issues. We even had a patient with a dog bite. After the brigade, we attended a voodoo ceremony. This ceremony included someone putting a torch on their head and multiple people being possessed by spirits. Once we got home, we had time to chill before dinner and our lecture on health issues in Haiti. We had an activity based on the lecture where we were split into groups and each researched a disease and how to combat it. We all ended up winning ice cream. We then ended the night with a fun game of charades. We are all looking forward to the beach day tomorrow! 

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Saturday July 21, 2018

Hola from Guatemala! Today our staff met students at the airport in Guatemala City to kick off our two-week adventure. Students that arrived in the morning had a chance to rest and explore a bit of Antigua, Guatemala’s old colonial capital. Our lunchtime arrivals ate at Pollo Campero ( a popular national fried chicken chain they really enjoyed!) then headed to Antigua to join our first group in resting and getting to know each other before heading to dinner in a restored colonial mansion.

Our group of nighttime arrivals came in a bit late, but we grabbed a quick dinner at Burger King (not the most culturally immersive experience, but one of the only places open late in Guatemala City!) and headed straight to Antigua for bed. Tomorrow we have an early start and will make our way to our program home base in Quetzaltenango, or Xela, in the western highlands.

Sadly we didn’t have time to snap a full group picture, but we will post one tomorrow!

Patrick Kennedy, Intl. Program Director

Sunday July 22, 2018

Hi friends and family,

Today we woke up Quinta Santa Lucia Hotel and got a beautiful look over Antigua Guatemala from its roof. After a breakfast of eggs and bean sauce, we left for our 3 hour drive to our home base in Xela (Quetzaltenango). Throughout the drive we took many interesting stops. The first of these was a store owned by 5 Mayan families in which a Mayan woman demonstrated a traditional Mayan wedding for us. She called up 4 volunteers to act as the bride, groom, and groom’s parents in the wedding. I was very excited to be dressed as the groom’s father for our little demonstration (pics below). Zoe acted as the groom’s mom, while Trevor and Conley acted as the two newly-weds.

We learned the Mayan traditional wedding dance and then walked to the back of the shop and made our own tortillas from scratch! We then boarded the buses and set off to our next site, which was the Mayan ruins of the city, Iximche (Ee-Shim-Chay). While there, we were given a tour by Balam, a very energetic tour guide who taught us about the history of the ruins. As we were walking through, Mayan religious ceremonies were taking place. After all the site-seeing we finally got in the bus for the last time and drove to the hotel in Xela (our “home-base). We had some sort of sandwich for dinner with lots of French fries and a flan!

-Blog and pictures by Sophie

Monday July 23, 2018

Today the group took a trip to “San Andres”, a A Guatemalan city whose centerpiece is a surreal catholic church adorned with immensely detailed and masterly crafted mystical designs such as angels playing lutes and a nameless “judge” of sorts who stands proudly and welcomingly at the very top. More interesting than the aesthetic appearance of the church itself is the process by which it was built and painted. A small group of only 13 men (a very prominent and important number in Guatemalan spirituality from what I’ve learned thus far) built the church in 29 days, during which they led an extremely ascetic life; eating very little and unvaried food, never showering or bathing, and sleeping only as absolutely required. This process is just as much a work of art as the final product.

The city itself is so bizarre and out of place in the modern world; many of the women spend their entire lives knitting a specific kind of attire, and pre-Catholic Mayan rituals are performed directly next to a catholic church (even integrating the cross as a symbol into the ancient mystical rituals). Personally, the most jarring and confusing fact about the city was the method by which justice is carried out. While San Andres does indeed have a police force (2 men strong in fact), most of the actual police work is carried out by citizens in a vigilante style. The community members take it upon themselves to capture and punish criminals – while this might seem distasteful to us, this open and known harsh tolerance of criminals helps to prevent crime in an area already so stricken with poverty.

-Blog and photos by Trevor

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Hi friends and family,

We started the day at the elementary school. Splitting in to groups, we taught our lesson plans and started our service projects around the school which included painting murals and cleaning up classrooms to prepare them to be painted. We also had the opportunity to play games with the kids during recess. After we left the school we had a conversation about responsible and ethical traveling. We then went to a Guatemalan chocolate factory and learned the process of making authentic chocolate with raw cacao from an authentically inspiring Guatemalan woman. Our favorite activity of the day was an in depth and thorough salsa class that left everyone sweating.

At home base we started planning our lessons for another day of teaching in the school. Tomorrow the theme of teaching is how people impact the environment and how we can better preserve our planet. To end the night we had a dinner with yummy tacos and delicious jello. Buen Provecho!

-Blog and photos by Zoe and Grace

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Hey everyone!

Today was one of the most jam packed days yet! We started off the morning completing our third, and messiest, day of service yet. My group and I started off our class with a review of our previous lesson, and then dove into the various biomes of our world. We covered climates and the animals that inhabit them in biomes like, desiertos, bosques, tundras, and bosque lluviosa. We followed that lesson with an art project and a quick game of “rain,” where the students slowly, but effectively, created “rain” with their piernas, manos, and pies. We really enjoyed today’s lesson and the enthusiasm the students and their teacher had for the game, something we hope they continue in the years to come. Teaching the students almost entirely in Spanish is a challenge, but it’s a challenge we’ve accepted with open arms and minds.

For our second part of service, we gave a fresh face to one and a half classrooms. Painting is a small thing that goes a long way, and it is also something the teachers really appreciate. Today was different than most days at the school because today the government had planned a program to get the children up and moving. Each child received a t-shirt, hamburger, and fruit, as well as the opportunity to participate in a fun set of games on the blacktop. We all found this very interesting because being active is not a challenge for Guatemalan children. They seemed very excited and happy to be given this fun day, but for us volunteers we were fascinated by the way the government chose to aid these rapidly growing schools.

After service, we returned to homebase for lunch and down time, and then we headed out for our afternoon activity. We drove for an hour through town, farms, and mountain roads to finally reach a haven deep within the clouds. We reached Fuentes Georginas and quickly jumped into the natural hot springs. Overall, today was fun, eye-opening, and very rewarding, and luckily for us we get to do it all again tomorrow!

-Blog and photos by Abby

Thursday July 26, 2018

Hola!

Today we woke up to the delicious smell of eggs, beans, and pastries. Community service was my favorite part of the day. I got to spend so much time with the kids and they were very happy to see me and sad when I had to go. My group and I taught two classes, which at first I thought would be nerve-wracking but the lessons went by pretty smoothly. Plus, I was the photographer today which was awesome because I loved seeing the beautiful children smile and I will always have these memories whenever I look through my phone. After service we stopped by home base to eat lunch and watch a very interesting but brutally honest documentary about the Guatemalan Civil War.

Afterwards, we put back on our shoes and headed to Walmart and grabbed a whole bunch of snacks, then to Magapaca which is a huge thrift store with many great selections, everyone probably spent most of their money on big T-shirts and sweaters, it was a lot of fun. When returning to home base we were visited by a speaker on Guatemala civil conflict, and finally ate green lasagna for dinner which at first seems questionable but turned out to be very good (director’s note – it was gluten-free chicken and chile lasagna made with tortillas instead of pasta!). I’d have to say today was pretty great, but I’m sure tomorrow will be even better!

Blog and photos by Grace

Friday July 27, 2018

Hi family and friends,

My name is Ava and I am the blogger for today. It has been a very exciting 6 days in Guatemala! Today GLA went ziplining across Guatemala’s beautiful forest. The view was absolutely breath taking I have never experienced something so exciting yet terrifying at the same time. There were nine separate ziplines that took your across the forest. One exciting part was all of us cramming into the back of a truck and driving all the way to the top of the mountains to start. We went over waterfalls and we also would look down and see many people farming and planting crops. After taking a little break after lunch we all headed over to the school for our community service. When we arrived there we heard Spanish music playing and we realized that the middle schoolers who were in school were having a promotion or homecoming dance.

It was very interesting how Guatemalans throw school dances compared to schools in America. While we were all painting we got the enjoyment of watching them dance and listening to their music on the loud speakers. Me Abby and Grace continued our mural painting on one of the schools walls of the food pyramid. Next to us Kenzie, Zoe and Ciara were working on another mural with the theme of sports. A couple feet away from them Dori, Caroline, Sophie, Maddie and Lindsay were starting their mural of a globe with beautiful detail. The rest of the group was down stairs working hard on painting one of the classrooms and making sure everything was dusted and taken off of the shelves so they would get every inch painted. Overall it was an amazing day that not many people can experience.

I was born in Guatemala but raised in the United States, but it was an eye-opener and an amazing opportunity to see where I came from and understand this culture. I look forward to the next couple days on learning many new things along this trip.

From Guatemala,
Ava

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today, we began our journey with a protein filled breakfast before we left for our weekend excursion in Panajachel. We drove an hour away to our destination of Lake Atitlan. Upon our arrival, we were split into our groups for the rooms at the Paradise Inn Hotel. We then took a rather rough 20 minute boat ride to the opposite side of the lake where we broke into two groups. Six students volunteered to join a hike with our director, Patrick; which lasted 30 minutes each way and went up to a viewpoint overlooking the lake and surrounding towns. The rest of the group was given time to roam and shop until taking the boat back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch the group shopped in Panajachel for several hours. Part of the group dispersed with Eunice, a mentor; to go to a local coffee shop and to visit a chocolate shop owned by an old friend of hers. Groups were able to split in groups of 3 or more before we met at a coffee shop in the town to walk back to the hotel. During our walk to the hotel we got to see the beauty of the lake as the sun set. Dinner was prepared by the hotel shortly after our return, thereafter we all got time to rest before another full day of shopping the following day.

blog and photos by Bela and Lexi

Sunday July 29, 2018

Hola Amigos! Today was a very relaxing and fun day in Guatemala. At around 5:45 this morning seven girls were taken on a hike to view a beautiful site at the top of a mountain. The girls took a vehicle up the mountain, and hiked 45 minutes back down. Followed by breakfast and a long car ride to Chichicastenango. Everybody shopped in the market for about two hours and found souvenirs and hand made gifts. We got to buy clothing items, jewelry, and table clothes. At 12:30 we met up and ate a delicious lunch at a very nice hotel and bonded with our peers. We rode back to home base and got free time to talk and hang out with our new friends. Around 5:30 we had mentor groups about where we want to be in the future, and learned new things about each other. Also about gender issues in Guatemala.

Blog and photos by Jaiden and Alyssa

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Hola family and friends!! Today was by far the most emotional and heart wrenching day of our trip so far. We started the day with a traditional Guatemalan breakfast of eggs, beans, and galletas. Even the last van ride to the school was bittersweet. Half of our group finished painting our three murals, while the others taught a final lesson of life skills to their classes. After putting the final touches on the murals, and saying goodbye to our classes as “seños” (the Guatemalan term for female teachers) we gave our last piggyback rides and played a final game of “tenta” (tag) with our elementary school friends.

Then we gathered as group to watch our farewell assembly. A kindergarten class performed a traditional Guatemalan dance and two of our students performed a song with fourth grade music students. As a token of their appreciation the school gave each of us an angel pen. After our final and tearful farewell, we took into account that statistically 1-2 students from each of our classes would attempt to migrate to the United States at some point in their lives. Once we returned to home base we had a delicious lunch of barbequed ribs, mashed potatoes, and watermelon.

After lunch, we embarked on an hour journey to Momostenango. There we had the opportunity to observe and learn from the family who owns and operates the family business of dying wool and making an array of rugs, blankets, clothes etc. We each had the opportunity to practice spinning thread and weaving parts of a blanket on a traditional wooden loom.

After a karaoke-filled van ride back to home base, we had time to rest before dinner. Since today was our friend Grace’s birthday, we had pizza from Domino’s and cake covered in chocolate and fruit. After dinner we had a surprise activity that turned out to be a piñata and dance party! Some of us thrived on the dance floor, while calmer souls went to their beds to read. Then we wrote this blog… it took us about 40 minutes and our international director Patrick is telling us to hurry up and sleep because of our volcano hike tomorrow, so bye!

Saludos,
Conley and Claire

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Hi family & friends,

Today was our last full day in Xela! After waking up and eating a yummy French toast breakfast, we headed out for a strenuous volcano hike about an hour away from home base. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the top and there was a great view of Lake Chicabal from above. We hiked down a long flight of stairs that led to the lake and we took part in a traditional Mayan ceremony. Each student recognized their Nahual during the ceremony by placing two candles in the fire when the Shaman announced it.

After hiking back down the volcano, we headed back to home base where we rested and packed until dinner. After a delicious tamales dinner, we wrapped up the trip with our final group leadership activity. We were placed in 4 groups and each group had to create a proposal that would be funded to help improve some of the social issues in Guatemala. This allowed us to apply our knowledge and observations from the past two weeks in a fun and educational activity! We’ve had such a fun two weeks with lots of new experiences and are super excited for tomorrow in Antigua! See everybody soon!

Blog and photos by Lindsay and Caroline

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Thursday July 5, 2018

Hola from Antigua Guatemala! Yesterday our staff team spent the day receiving students at the airport in Guatemala City – we were excited to see students in blue shirts coming out ready to start their Guatemalan cultural adventure! Students on the earlier flights had a chance to try Pollo Campero – a famous Guatemalan chicken franchise – for lunch before heading to our hotel in Antigua for some icebreakers and R&R.

They later had dinner at Doña Luisa, a restaurant serving American and Guatemalan food in a refurbished colonial mansion. Students who flew in later grabbed dinner (also Pollo Campero – we’re keeping that place in business!) in the city before riding to Antigua and heading to bed. This morning we’ve just finished our breakfast and are off for a full day of travel and exploration. More updates to come soon!

 

Friday July 6, 2018

Hey everyone! It’s day 2 and we’re loving every minute. We started off the day in a beautiful indoor/outdoor hotel. We then headed down to San Antonio to learn about the unique cultural practice of weaving. The women of San Antonio explained to us how the unique process has become industrialized and demonstrated their continued efforts to conserve weaving by hand. We then watched as our fellow group-mates participated in a traditional wedding ceremony that was complete with woven gifts and dropping white flower petals on the couple to wish them a happy (pretend) marriage based on the traditional Mayan wedding ceremony. To conclude our visit, we all got to try forming and eating a tortilla.

From there, we took a quick roadtrip to the beautiful coffee plantation, Azotea. We were led through the steps of crafting artisinal Guatemalan coffee while surrounded by amazing natural sights. After a four hour roadtrip to Xela, we arrived at our Home Base for the trip! We all bonded during our first dinner as a whole group. We heard about everything planned for the rest of the trip, and everyone is so excited! It’s going to be a blast!

Hasta Luego!

Madeleine & Olivia

Saturday July 7, 2018

DUCK! Don’t let the hanging plants touch you! Holding on in the back of an open-air truck, we make the trek to our first adventure of the day: Zip lining!

As we zoom among the treetops, we’re surrounded by the most expansive view of Guatemala we’ve seen so far. As we make our way through the nine lines, it’s easy to be distracted by the waterfall below us and steaming volcano above us when we should be preparing to stop. After a few rough landings, we got used to breaking and eventually made our way back to the Home Base.

Not nearly exhausted enough and taking full advantage of the beautiful weather, everyone decides to play soccer or start up a game of cards. This helped pass the time and bring us closer together as we waited for our guest speaker.

Arturo, our amazing guest speaker, shined a light on both past and present injustices in Guatemala’s society. From the sunlight of the late afternoon to the darkness of night, wee stayed fully engaged in the extensive information he presented to us. Thankful for his openness and ability to answer our questions, we headed in for a delicious dinner!

To broaden our understanding of this vibrant culture, we will now receive our nawals (Mentor Note: these are the Maya spiritual symbols/animal guides). These will be used tomorrow as we continue our journey! To find out about your nawal, visit http://mcd.gob.gt/calcular-nawal/.

Sarah & Sophie

Sunday July 8, 2018

Hola de Xela! Today was a very busy, but also a very exciting day. First off, we drove to Chikabal for an authentic Maya ceremony with a shaman. He spoke in Mayan dialect and led us through giving offerings to our Nawal spirits. We all found out our own Nawales based on our birth dates the night before. We even got to place candles into the fire as offerings when our specific Nawal was called. It was a a really once-in-a-lietime experience for all of us.

Ok, ok…now I have to back track. In order to get to the ceremony, we had to hike a dormant volcano. We split into two groups–fast and slow. Let’s just say everyone in the slow group was happy to be there. A lot of us weren’t used to hiking this steep, but we all pulled together and bonded an insane amount when finally reaching our destination. The views were amazing, and our constant dance parties and breaks on the hike were definitely highlights.

The way back down (about an hour each way) was insanely funny. We all kept laughing as we went down the steep path trying not to slip. When we made it back to the trucks, we were all happy and tired from our hike.

After lunch, we had about 3.5 hours to ourselves to rest. To sum it all up, we found our true laughs, played pickup games of soccer and handball, and basically just had a great time with each other. Next, we had a group discussion about safe and responsible travel. It was all about respecting the culture/people while making our hopefully long-lasting positive impact.

After an amazing dinner from our wonderful kitchen staff (of locals), we had our first mentor group meeting. There were three groups and we all had different activities to not only get to know each other, but what it meant to be leaders and more. Tomorrow is our first day of service with the kids and we all could not be more excited to meet them!

–by Merin

 

Monday July 9, 2018

Today was our first day of service! At the school, we watched an assembly that included dancing and fireworks. We then were part of a chaotic recess filled with games and piggyback rides. We spoke with kids from kindergarten to sixth grade. After our exciting half hour of introducing ourselves, we began our mural project. Some began to paint a classroom mural, and others scraped paint off of a wall outside.

When we returned from the school, we prepped for a mystery activity! We ended up at El Cementario General (general cemetery), and were told the story of Vanushka (Mentor Note: an old tale of a woman who died of a broken heart and gives blessings in areas of love for those who sign their name or give offerings at her grave). We broke into groups for a picture scavenger hung on our way to Central Park. After exploring, we took a break at a cafe for drinks. Then we took a brief walk through the second oldest church in Guatemala. When we returned to Home Base, we eagerly began planning our lessons for tomorrow’s visit to the school.

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hola! It’s Carolina and Bella.

This morning, we had the most amazing breakfast burritos to start our day off right. We previously had been separated into two groups, one teaching in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The group who was not teaching English to the kids, assisted in preparing and painting the mural. At recess, the kids crowded around us with hugs and we gave them piggy-back rides. All of us really bonded throughout the day. We wrapped everything up, said our goodbyes and headed back to Home Base for a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, and watermelon.

Soon after, we went on a very informative and tasty chocolate factory tour. After everyone purchased some authentic Guatemala chocolate, we drove to a super cool and fun salsa class. There, we learned new dance steps which we practiced with partners. When we got home, we had some free time and took advantage by watching a movie as a group. Later, after dinner we wrapped up with mentor groups before bed.

Wednesday July 11, 2018

So…it’s been a week now!!! Today was our second day of teaching at the elementary school. Just like yesterday, we were split into two groups; thirteen people taught the kids while thirteen worked on the mural, and vice versa. The theme of the lessons today was art, so we taught the kids English and fine motor skills through different craft projects, such as fortune tellers and self-portraits. As for the murals, we started by grid ding in the places we are going to paint. Recess was crazy as always, and it was great to see the volunteers interact with the students.

In the afternoon, we experienced the more rural side of Guatemala in the village of Momostenango. We saw how the families handmade different items, from making and dyeing the thread to weaving the pieces into pants, blankets, and more. We also got to try delicious tortillas and tea!

Back at our Home Base, we had time to rest, socialize, and plan lessons for tomorrow. We ended our day in our mentor groups with compliments and leadership activities. It was such a fun day, and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

-Katie D. and Stella

Thursday July 12, 2018

Today, we visited the school for the third time. We taught life skills in the classroom. Additionally, we worked on the murals and made great progress, but sadly it was the last day of teaching.

After we got back to the Home Base, we ate lunch and then went to the hot springs. We had an adventure getting stuck on a side road for half an hour (mentor note: due to road paving trucks passing by). When we got to the hot springs, we got in and hung out for a while. The ride back was not as bad as the ride there. We ate dinner and then watched a documentary on the Guatemalan civil war.

—Zane

Friday July 13, 2018

Today, we went to the school and worked on the murals all morning and made lots of progress. It’s all finally coming together!! We all were very excited to go to Walmart this afternoon and stock up on snacks. Next, we went to the Mega Paca (pretty much Goodwill of Guatemala) and made some quality purchases.

Afterward, we had a speaker, who was a military fighter in the Guatemalan Civil War come talk to us about his experiences. For dinner, we got to enjoy Domino’s Pizza and then closed out the night with a dance party, so it was a pretty successful day, I’d say.

-by Katie H.

 

Saturday July 14, 2018

Hello everyone!

We started the day with a deliciously nutritious breakfast before embarking on our journey to Panajachel. Upon arrival, we were settled into our rooms and then went on a boat ride. The water and scenery were absolutely beautiful! We took the boat to two different places, one of which was famous for its pottery.

In the other town, some opted to hike and see the beautiful scenery while others . hose to wander the whimsical streets. After exploring the two towns, we headed back to Panajachel on the boat and some of us were lucky enough to have the boat splash water on us.

Once we returned, we did something called a privilege walk as a group activity. In this, we were asked questions that we either have to step forward or backwards for. Those at the front of the line are considered to experience more privileges in life. It was eye-opening to see the end results, and despite our backgrounds we can still come together as a group.

Next, we went into the town of Panajachel. We had the opportunity to wander around and buy stuff. Afterwards, we went to the top of a restaurant for sunset yoga. The yoga was very relaxing, and the french fries and guacamole certainly topped it off.

After this, we walked home for a team activity and then went to bed in the hotel for the night. Overall, it was an awesome day filled with activity and adventure. It’s hard to believe we’re near the end of the trip. Much love from Guatemala to all our families across the world and we will talk again tomorrow when we go to Chichicastenango!

Miss you mom and dad,

Lilly & Margo

Monday July 16, 2018

It all started with an early sunrise with 20 students going by the lake to paint. Everyone had to wake up before our departure time, which was 5:50am. We were all sleepy and tired. When we were at our destination, we used watercolors and markers. It was relaxing, calm, and beautiful to see the lake. At the end, we all appreciated each-other’s masterpieces. We were told that we had to walk from our destination to the hotel. So, everyone walked as fast as they could, tired and sleepy. We had to pack and get ready to go to Chichicastenango, which consisted of sleeping and singing on our way there.

We drove to Chichicastenango and were given time to explore the market. Here we were able to walk around the town and market, while checking the TVs from time to time for the World Cup final. In the market we were able to use our newly acquired bargaining skills to bring down the price of the souvenirs on sale. After the market, we had lunch at a hotel in the town and then departed back to Xela. There we played cards and soccer while waiting for dinner. After dinner we watched a very eye opening documentary about migrants from Mexico and Central America trying to make their way to the US.

–Julissa & Vid

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Hi everyone, today proved to be bittersweet as we finished up our last day of service and spent our last night in home base.

In the morning, we completed the five murals that we had been working on for about a week and played with the kids during our last recess. Later during the school day, the kids presented each member of our group with crafts and heartfelt goodbyes. It was definitely hard saying “hasta pronto” to the kids we had grown to love in such a short amount of time. There were more than a few tears and group hugs all around.

In the afternoon, we made an excursion to San Andrés, Xec’ul. A town about 40 minutes away from home base known for its blending of Mayan and Catholic customs. Our guide, Don Miguel, gave us a tour of the town, including a church from the 16th century, a site used for religious rituals, and a demonstration of traditional Mayan embroidery and clothes making. Don Miguel was very kind after a long tour around his home town and invited us for hot chocolate and shecas (a traditional bread in Guatemala)!

We started our night with packing and preparation to leave for Antigua the next day. Dinner was delicious as always thanks to our amazing kitchen staff Fide, Pati, Maria Luisa, Irma, and Hilda. Obviously our stay at homebase wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t celebrate our time in Xela with a bumpin’ dance party.

NOTE: Big thanks from the students to the amazing local staff that took care of us at homebase, Don René, Orlando, Fide, Pati, Maria Luisa, Irma, and Hilda. Also to the van staff for keeping us safe on some of the toughest roads we had been on, Chepito, Walter, and Nayo! We have so much love for you all.

Thank you Xela, you were good to us!

Aubri and Eva <3

Wednesday July 18, 2018

To start, apologies for any teardrops on Tiffany’s keyboard that may disrupt the blog. Today was a day of goodbyes, starting with Home Base and all of the wonderful staff there. All of the meals they have cooked have been a saving grace for use (the energy difference before and after mealtime was consistently astounding).

After bidding Orlando and Princesa (the cat) adios and thanking them with a very American-accented gracias, we settled in with ur mentor groups for the final ride. Our four hours to Antigua were pleasantly interrupted twice with steps first at Iximche, a Mayan ruin, and then for lunch. our tour of the ruins was a welcome stroll for our cramped legs, which traced the footsteps of Mayan royalty as our eyes surveyed the 5 plazas of Iximche. Each one of us undoubtedly imagined it at its weight, a gem in one of the crowning civilizations of human history. Our second step was for a meal at the quaintest little place you could hope to imagine, a road-side restaurant complete with a picnic courtyard, a playground, and a rabbit arm. 33 satisfied students and staff later, we finished our trip.

In Antigua, we joined our mentor groups for the last afternoon, and our mentors took us to all their favorite restaurants, parks, and shops in Antigua. After meeting back up at the hotel, we ate an Italian dinner on a rooftop and said our final goodbyes, something we continued back at the hotel where we now sit, awaiting and dreading our departure tomorrow. We all feel a unique mix of emotions now, but one thing for certain is mutual. We will miss Guatemala and the people here. We have all become better people, and we could never hope to give back what we have gotten however hard we tried. Adios!