July 8, 2017

Estamos en Guatemala!! We’re all here and excited for our new adventure. We went for a walk in the beautiful city of Antigua today and are looking forward to participating in a Mayan wedding and visiting some Mayan ruins tomorrow.

July 11, 2017

Hola familias! It is the end of day 4. We’ve had an action-packed couple of days filled with endless fun and adventure! Yesterday we met the children that we are going to be working with for the remainder of the program. We really enjoyed getting to know them and playing with them at recess. It’s safe to say our Spanish is rapidly improving! Then we were able to visit a chocolate factory and enjoy some Guatemalan chocolate with locals. Muy delicioso!

We were also fully immersed in the culture through witnessing a faux-Guatemalan wedding, exploring ancient ruins, getting a lesson in chocolate-making, and listening to a fantastic guest speaker on the history of Guatemala. As you can see, your kids are busy, busy, busy!

One of our top cultural shocks has been the food. We have had a wide variety of Guatemalan meals, which consist of rice, chicken, and some of the most delicious fruit! Tuesday morning, we woke up bright and early to enjoy a few hours with the children. After lunch, we hopped into the van and headed for San Andres, which is a beautiful city surrounding multiple mountains. Although the winding paths had us traveling up many hills, the views were worth the aching calves. Back at the GLA home base, the GLA kids are getting ready for a well-deserved rest.

Enjoy the photos! Love, Lexi and Kate

July 13, 2017

Yesterday, we all headed out on an hour drive to the forested area of Guatemala. After a bumpy ride on the back of a pickup truck, we reached the ziplining platform. We ziplined through the clouds high above the ground. Later in the day we visited the mall with Walmart and McDonald’s and got wifi for the first time since Antigua!

Today we went to service and worked on painting a school and teaching English. After lunch we went to the hot springs. The drive was scary with many curves in offroads as we traveled up a mountain to arrive at the hot springs. Once we got there, we got to swim in naturally heated water that had a green tint to it. After that, we headed back to Home Base and tried traditional tamales for dinner.

After dinner, we took part in an interesting activity regarding our personality and leadership type. Individuals were categorized into 1 of 4 quadrants. These quadrants consisted of relationship masters, architects & analysis, spontaneous motivators, and drivers. For example, while spontaneous motivators were characterized as energetic and headstrong, architects & analysis individuals were viewed as wise and thoughtful. After discovering that I was an architect, I realized how the actions I did during the day coincided with my personality quadrant. This activity truly exemplified how well rounded this trip, in general, is. We have taught others to learn, but also discover crucial, thought provoking traits about ourselves.

– Aryaa, Anna, Jolie

July 14, 2017

July 7, 2017

Today, we had a breakfast of beans, eggs, and fried plantains on the roof of our hotel in Antigua. We played a game of get-to-know-you bingo before loading the vans and departing for a Mayan wedding demonstration. After watching a Mayan woman describe the traditional weaving techniques, Diego gave it a try. We experienced a traditional wedding ceremony firsthand, where Molly “married” Sam, and Emma and Greg watched over as the parents-in-law. When the “wedding” was over, everyone got a chance to cook tortillas, try handmade bread, and buy different Mayan crafts.
From the wedding, we took the GLA vans to a coffee farm, where we were led through the coffee-making process and walked through a museum describing Mayan culture. At the end of the tour, we had an opportunity to try medium-roasted coffee and buy coffee and chocolate to take home for our family and friends. We drove to lunch and met up with a group of students that had just arrived from a delayed flight. For dessert we had ice cream, and then got back in the vans for a four-hour ride to our Home Base. We stopped half-way through the ride at a gas station, where we all stocked up on “American” food (chips, candy, and Gatorade) and struggled to conserve our limited supply of toilet paper.When we arrived at the Home Base, it was raining, and we all went inside to unpack and rest. We ate a dinner of tamalitos and went over house rules. Now, we’re all preparing for bed and tomorrow’s a new adventure.

July 8, 2017

Blog by Mizuki

Today, we had a rather adventurous day where we enjoyed a nice zipline through the jungle. Although many of us were nervous at the beginning, we all ended up having a great time. The view whilst we were ziplining was absolutely mesmerizing and a great experience overall. Even during the short moments where we were waiting, it allowed us to bond with one another and learn more about each other’s lives. On the other hand, despite being told to spray bug repellent and to cover up the ankles, I decided to see what would happen out of mere curiosity. Unfortunately, my curiosity got the best of me and my bug-covered legs proved the legitimacy of the mentor’s recommendations…

After ziplining, we came back to home base and ate a lunch which consisted of rice, corn, and other miscellaneous foods. The food was great and it was nice to have the rice although the bean paste has been an exotic food to taste. In addition to this, we went to the school in the afternoon and were introduced to the gist of what we would be teaching at the school. The introduction gave us a nice opportunity to not only see the place where we would be for the next two weeks but it portrayed a vast difference between the two worlds in which we are used to and the life in Guatemala.

Despite living in this home base for only a day, we are already becoming a close-knit community and creating countless memories. Hopefully we will continue to create these connections with one another and cherish the memories from this 2 week experience.

July 9-10

Blog by Molly Ellner

We all left Saturday morning to explore the huge market called Chichicastenango. We all split into our small groups and went into the overwhelming market filled with tourists, venders, and locals. A little girl, named Marta, followed my group around the market for what seemed to be hours. She was probably around 10 years old and was trying to sell products to support her family’s business. I have never met such an amazing saleswoman. She managed to get money out of all of us! As time went by we all learned how to barter our way to receive the prices and products we wanted. It was an awesome way to practice my Spanish as well. After spending a few hours shopping and touring the market we all grouped together and ate lunch at a hotel next to the market. We all shared our stories and showed each other all the cool things we bought. After lunch we took a short bus ride to Panajacahel, where we spent the night. The hotel was beautiful and the views of the mountains and lake were insane. The most eventful part of my night was having to trap/kill a cockroach before going to bed. One of my friends was awesome and went full on “Hulk” to kill the bug. Afterwards we calmed down and went to bed shortly after. The next morning we had breakfast then got ready for our boat ride on Lake Atitlan. The boat ride was amazing. The water was so clear and the scenery was beautiful. We stopped at San Juan and walked around the area. They had many shops there but had a completely different vibe than Chichicastenango. The vendors talked to us and told us their stories which I really liked. I walked around and bought many things for my family and friends. Some friends and I walked to the top of the hilly road and found this beautiful church overlooking the lake. It was so pretty and different than other churches I’ve seen. (Which isn’t many because I’m Jewish, but still it was cool). The boat ride back was so bumpy but also super fun. After going back we left to go to another market in Panajacahel. We walked around and me and my “husband” (from the first blog) got matching turtle henna tattoos. Don’t worry mom, henna is temporary. Right after, we went to the vans and drove back to the home base. After we got settled in, ate dinner, and watched the movie Ted, I led a workshop for everyone to get to know each other better. I felt like everyone enjoyed talking and sharing. It felt like as a whole group we all connected and formed a stronger bond. Now everyone is settling down and getting ready for bed.

July 11

Blog by Molly Ellner

Today was the first day we got to go to the school and start our service work. We walked through the school gates into the courtyard and were greeted by many students of all ages. Some of the kids ran up to us and gave us hugs. We went around meeting the kids who were outside. Some of us went to play soccer or basketball while others talked to the kids and tried getting to know them. Once school started we spilt into our three groups, teaching, painting, and construction. I was in the teaching group today. My group walked into our classroom thinking that we had everything planned out but it was initially crazy. The teacher wasn’t there and the class was very loud and distracted. It took a while to get everyone settled down and to listen to the lesson we were teaching. But once we got the hang of it, it was so much fun. The kids seemed to really understand what we were teaching which made my group feel accomplished. After our first class we went to recess. Children excitedly ran to all of the volunteers ready to play. A group of five year old girls crowded me and my friend Jazmin. They all wanted to be picked up and go on our backs. We raced and played games with the kids for a long time. After recess we taught another class with different students. This class was so perfect. They were more engaged and participated during the entire lesson. We all left to go to a chocolate workshop after leaving the school. We ate and drank the samples they gave us. It was a really cool and tasty experience. We were supposed to go to a salsa dancing class after but that got rescheduled so we ended up going to a mall. We spent a couple hours walking around and exploring the different stores. Me and some other girls went to a 5D movie. Other people ate and shopped at the mall. Not much went on there. After, we all went back to the home base and cleaned up for dinner. Then we planned our lessons for tomorrow’s class lessons.

July 13th, 2017

Blog by Megan R

We started off the day with a breakfast of french toast and fruit. I think that most of us have been hoping for some food that is more common in the United States, so french toast was perfect. After breakfast, we headed over to the school to continue our service projects. Some of us continued to paint and plaster while others went on to teach English to a few of the classes. I was in one of the teaching groups. As a member of this group, I helped to teach three classes. The first class was composed of younger students. We went over colors, fruits, and numbers with them for fifteen minutes. My group then proceeded to teach one of the classes that we have been regularly teaching for the past three days. In this class, we reviewed previously taught material with a game of human bingo that we all created the night before. The end of this class marked the beginning of recess. At recess, we all stopped plastering, painting, and teaching to play with the students. Recess usually consists of carrying the kids around, giving them piggyback rides, and playing tag. After recess, we all continued our service projects. For my group, this meant teaching our second regular class of the day. Once the class was over and everyone had wrapped up their service projects for the day, we all headed back to home base for lunch. Lunch included a beef and lentil stew, rice, and fruit. After a delicious lunch, we proceeded to the town of San Andres. While touring the town, we had the opportunity to see a church that exercises a combination of the Mayan and Catholic religions. We also had the chance to see a Mayan shrine, the outdoor facilities where the townspeople are able to do their laundry, a person performing a traditional dance, and the home of the tour guide. At the tour guide’s house, we were offered drinking chocolate and bread, both of which were delicious. Once the tour was over, we returned to home base to listen to a veteran of the Guatemalan armed forces. Through his talk, we were able to gain a new and different perspective on the political and military history of Guatemala, the Cold War, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The talk was extremely informative and interesting. Once the talk was over, we ate dinner, which consisted of chicken wings, coleslaw, and jello. We then proceeded outside for reflection. At reflection, we were told to take notes as an article was read aloud to us. It was revealed at the end that the article was about American culture and some of its customs. However, the language in which the article was written had completely altered our perspective of the culture being described to us. We then mimicked the language used in the article to describe American customs of our choice. This activity helped us to fully understand the impact of language and diction and served to enrich the idea that a single story can greatly affect the opinions that people gain of a culture. Once reflection was over, we called it a day and went to bed. We can’t wait for the adventures that lie ahead!

July 14th, 2017

By: Liam Kingsbury 

Today was our last day with the kids at the school, and the final day of us teaching them. The service was just like the other days, and those of us who were teachers wrapped up our lessons with the students. Since it was our last recess with the kids it was the craziest and we made the most out of it. As the school day started to wind down, the students started to set up a farewell ceremony for us. The students did cultural dances for us and then gifted us handmade dolls with the words ‘thank you’ written on them. The farewell was a very emotional time for all of us because we were saying goodbye to these kids that we had bonded with for 5 days. We knew that even if we never saw them again, they would go on to do good things in their lives because of our positive impact on them. After the school we ate lunch and went to a marimba workshop where we watched a teacher and his students play an array of pieces from cultural Guatemalan songs, to a song by Paul McCartney. Then 8 of us were invited up to practice and play a riff from the song Heart and Soul. They then invited up 8 more of us and we had to teach the rhythm to each other. After Marimba, we headed to a salsa class. The salsa workshop was fun whether or not you could dance. We had an instructor teaching us step by step different moves for the salsa. There were some naturals on the dance floor like Diego, CiCi, and Patricia. And some that couldn’t dance like me, but it was a fun time overall. Shout out to Talia for being my dance partner. After salsa we visited the 8th wonder of the world once again, Walmart. At Walmart everyone stuffed their bags with snacks for the remaining days and the plane rides home. We also got food and ice cream at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants in the mall. After an hour in the mall we headed home for dinner which was tacos. Even with everyone eating at McDonalds, we still had room for tacos. After dinner, just like the night before, we had a speaker talk to us. It was another veteran of the war but instead of being a soldier for Guatemala, this man was a Guerilla. He talked to us about his experiences in the war and what we heard was very different from the soldier. But, unlike the soldier, this Guerilla had proof and documents to back up the tragedies that he told us the Guatemalan Army committed. After the speaker finished we reflected on what he said and ultimately passed out in our beds that night.  

July 17th, 2017

Blog by Emma

The day started off with a nice scenic drive through the Mountainous views of Guatemala to a dormant volcano where we would later sacrifice our lungs and legs to get to the top. We reached our destination at promptly 9:00 AM. This day was unlike any other because of the fact that we met up with the other group attending the GLA service trip in Guatemala. It was quite the experience meeting all the other kids within the other session and see how they interacted with each other on the trip versus how we interact with each other and seeing new faces in general. The hike was quite the climb but the view was great. Once we got down to the lagoon in the volcano we were able to open up our snack packs that our mentors had given us for the hike. Inside were many wondrous things such as some frito type chips, an apple, and some granola cookies. The lagoon was a sacred Mayan place where rituals and ceremonies are performed. We got to witness one of the ceremonies and contribute to it. We were able to make a prayer or wish while placing a candle into the “fire of desire” as I like to call it. It was really interesting to actually be able to sit and see one of the ceremonies instead of just seeing an alter. After the treacherous hike back which several of us almost perished on (because of the rain and mud mix) we went back to the vans to head to home base. Later on in the night we had a reflection on our time here and what it meant to be on a service learning trip. We watched a video in which several people’s differing opinions on service learning trips were shared. Its interesting to hear both sides and all the different opinions on whether or not service learning trips are important. I believe it’s important to go abroad and serve even if what comes of the trip is your acknowledgement of our privilege in America. After our reflection some of the girls put together a “last night at home base” talent show. It’s very bittersweet knowing this is our last night here and the talent show was a perfect way to end this unforgettable trip. Thank you to everyone for all the memories, I am excited to see how many more we’re able to make in the very last days.

-Emma

(aka AJ)

June 20 2017 by Allison Hagler

Today we finally arrived in Guatemala! From the plane, the beautiful mountains proved you were getting close. After speeding through customs and baggage claim, we were ready to meet the rest of the group. It was so nice to put a face to the people we had been texting. From arriving in Guatemala city, we were greeted by friendly locals and a welcoming staff. We came to find out, driving through the bustling city was much different than in the states. We had a filling lunch of fried chicken and met more arriving students. For an hour we drove through the beautiful towns becoming more acquainted with guatemala. The stunning hotel in Antigua was where we unloaded for the night. The afternoon was filled with “get to know you” games and a trip to the market across the street. We decided to immerse ourselves a little more by trying an exotic fruit called “leeche”. The night ended with a walk to dinner. We shared our first Guatemalan dinner together, although we all became distracted by the smell of fresh bread baking across the street. As the night came to a close, we trudged through the rain back to our hotel for a heavily needed sleep.

Not included in photos and arriving tonight and tomorrow:  Maura W, Catherine R, Olivia H, Sarah S, Summer A, Lena B, Maria R

Blog written on June 21st by Allison Hagler

This morning the sunrise woke us to start our early day in Antigua. Breakfast of eggs and beans was served in the hotel. Our suitcases packed on the roof of the vans, we headed out for the first activity, A traditional wedding ceremony. After a small drive, we piled into a small room and gazed at the beautiful clothes and bags surrounding us. Two indigenous women welcomed us and told us about the customs of the mayans. They told us that because of modern innovations, the locals were straying further away from traditions. It was moving to see the passion and dedication the women had for their beliefs. After reenacting a typical mayan wedding, we shopped to support their movement of cultural preservation. We then drove to La Azotea for a tour of the coffee plantation. Our tour guide informed us that Guatemala has the 3rd best quality of coffee in the world. While Brazil wins in quantity, Guatemala is the only country that produces the coffee by hand. As demonstrated by the mayan women, we saw how locals take pride in their traditions and history. From La Azotea we drove to a local restaurant for a Guatemalan lunch. Prolonging our time in Antigua, we shopped at a market in town. Finally, we met up with the last arrivals to the group and left for xela. Filled with anticipation and dramamine we twisted around the mountains for approximately five hours until we reached the destination. Instantly it felt like home with welcoming staff and a home cooked dinner. Still full from the delicious tamales, we showered and drifted to sleep excited for the service project in the coming days.

June 22nd

Blog written by Allison Hagler

This morning started a little rocky. Literally. Mother Earth decided to give us a wake-up call with a small earthquake. Luckily our staff had prepared us for emergencies like this one. We ate a filling breakfast of french toast and fresh fruit and packed our bags for the first day of service. As we arrived at the school, we were instantly surrounded by the smiling children. We watched as the students performed a Son, or a traditional dance. They also performed a skit for us that showed the importance of education. In the end, we were gifted a homemade craft by some of the younger children. As recess began, the children were running and playing games with the volunteers. Afterwards, we were given a tour of the small school. A teacher informed us that the government does not pay enough money for the upkeep and daily necessities of the school and children. It was eye-opening to see the kitchen intended to feed 600+ students to only be the size of an average bedroom. Teachers face the problem of underpayment combined with limited supplies required to teach. As we are more aware of the government struggles, we begin to see graffiti saying ¨we want more” or ẅe demand equality”. On the way home, our van groups became better friends with each other and we all decided to have a dance party in the living room at home base. To end the night we watched a documentary about the history of guatemala. As Cate put it, “even though it was dated, it gave very important insight into the history of guatemala.” With somber hearts, we head to bed with new perspectives and ideas about the country we are visiting.

June 22, 2017

The morning of the 22nd of June started as any morning would for me as International Director. I woke up at 5:30am, jumped in the shower, listened to a few songs, and began to dress myself for the day. Just as I was putting on my undershirt, I felt the ground massaging my feet. Oh the familiar thrills and marvels of a free and 100% natural foot massage! Most of staff was awake and immediately jumped into action waking all those that were still sleeping. We quickly evacuated the building with a mob of sleep-walking teenagers, meaning that the evacuation was in complete silence. Wow! Less than two minutes later the chatter and jokes began to flow. The volunteers began to reflect on ac experience that can be frightening but also exciting to someone who has never experienced an earthquake. After waiting outside 10 minutes for the aftershocks to pass, everyone entered into the house, but this time wide awake and ready to start their day. Activities for the day proceeded as normal and staff is continuing to follow all emergency prevention procedures. The day’s activities included the volunteers meeting and playing with the kids at the school, learning about the history of chocolate making in Xela and Guatemala at a  family owned chocolate factory, and  learning the history of the Guatemalan civil conflict. Everyone is safe and enjoying their time in the ¨Land of Eternal Spring.¨

The earthquake with the epicenter near the coast of Port of San Jose, Escuintla. Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela, is a 4 hour drive from the warm and small beach town San Jose. The majority of damage in the country of Guatemala occurred in areas where the buildings are composed of materials such as adobe, which are not the best for withstanding earthquakes. Luckily, GLA believes in providing the best facilities for its programs to operate in and no damage was done to GLA Guatemala’s facilities.

June 23

This morning we woke up to a breakfast of eggs and fresh bread. After the meal, we had our first reflections with our groups. We talked through any questions we had regarding the children or the different culture. We left for the school shortly after and split into stations of construction, painting, or teacher planning. Construction groups learned how to smooth a cinder block wall and plaster cement onto it. Teacher planning made  posters in English so that the next GLA group would be able to teach the children. Painting groups painted the unfinished kitchen and painted desks. Although we were not able to spend as much time with the kids as we were expecting, I think we all agree that the hard work was just as rewarding.

From the school, we came back for western lunch of chicken and mashed potatoes. We drove about an hour outside of xela to go to a small family farm. The family farm produced natural wool creations. We were able to have a tour while the family demonstrated how to weave. At the end of the tour, we were fed fresh corn tortillas with salsa and guacamole. We drove back to home base afterwards, to finish the day with a dinner of enchiladas and chicken.

June 24

We woke up early this morning to have breakfast of cereal and fruit before we left for our weekend excursion. It was about a 2 hour drive outside of xela until we finally arrived at lake atitlan. We got on a boat and went from one side of the lake to a small market on the other side. The mountains surrounding the lake were stunning. We spent a little bit shopping and walking around before we got back in the boat to go back to the lakeside hotel in Panajachel for lunch of mashed potatoes and beef soup. From there, we unpacked with our new room assignments while most of us then took a nap. We had a choice then to stay at the hotel or walk around the town. Dinner was a buffet of chicken and corn tortillas. After dinner we had a group reflection on our feelings with seeing children on the streets. Today was mostly a day of travel and time to relax from the busy schedule at home base.

June 25

Today we woke up excited for the day at chichicastenango market. We learned that it is the largest market on the western hemisphere. After a crash course on pick-pocketing safety and procedures, we crammed into the buses and left for the market. It was a windy two hour drive up and down the mountain to our destination. We unloaded the bus at a hotel near the market. Immediately we saw people trying to sell items to us. No matter how many times the staff could tell us about the market, we never really knew how overwhelming it was until we were right in the middle of it. We separated into small groups to complete our shopping. For about three hours we wandered the streets shopping and observing. Armfuls of bags, we met up at the hotel at 1pm to have lunch. We had a choice of chicken, beef, or fish. It was fun to talk about our purchases and how we haggled for lower prices. Because it was raining, we had a small delay of departure, but in no time we were back on the vans going back to xela. When we arrived, everyone was really tired, but we made it through dinner before a quick nap time. Then we all watched a TED talk regarding stereotypes and the dangers of a single story. It was a good time to reflect on what we thought of Guatemala before and after traveling here and how we need to be careful before a we judge a different place or nationality. That night we also popped some popcorn for the group and gathered around for the movie ¨step up revolution” before heading off to bed.

June 26th Written by Allison Hagler

Today we woke up to a hot breakfast of watermelon and scrambled eggs. We packed our bags and headed to the school for another long day of service. This time we switched the groups up in order to work with different people. We are making lots of progress with our projects. We are almost finished with putting cement on the walls, the kitchen looks completely different with fresh paint, and many desks have been repainted and sanded covering any scratches or writing. From speaking with locals and the staff, our spanish has definitely improved and we are now able to communicate with more confidence. Satisfied with our work, we headed back to base for lunch of spaghetti and pineapple (upon olivia’s request). From lunch, we drove an hour away to a small church. The bright yellow walls definitely stood out in the otherwise quiet town. The tour guide told us about the symbolism of the statues on the front and how the history of the mayan-catholic people plays into the architecture. One tradition we learned was that during a festival, a rope was strung from the top of the church to a large pole about 100 yards away. Volunteers dressed as monkeys would then walk from one side to the other lacking a safety net or harnesses. Once they reached the middle of the rope (halfway from the earth to the sky), they would find themselves. After a steep climb, we went inside a house where we sat in a circle. This was the home of a man who practices the tradition. The man came out remaining anonymous dressed as a monkey and welcomed us with a traditional dance. It was really interesting to see how this town preserved their history and culture. Another steep climb led us to a woman´s house. This woman is one of the ten families who continue to hand-make traditional dress. We walk in to see her sewing on a beautiful pattern around the neckline of a shirt. We learned that the clothes she makes is for the festival. Because it takes about three months to make each one, people typically only own one for the festivals. Some of us were able to try on the hand-made outfits and help her weave the patterns on. One last steep hike led us to the tour guides house where we were given fresh bread and hot chocolate to thank us for growing the tourism in the area. Finally, a brisk walk down the mountain led us back to the vans. Today was the day that we have been looking forward to from the beginning. We piled out of the vans to the mall containing the most amazing store. Walmart. Although we love the local food, it was nice to have some American snacks again. From walmart, we went back home to a dinner of pasta and pesto before we crashed in bed from an exhausting day.

Blog by Allison Hagler

June 28th

Today was the second and last day at the daycare so we woke up excited to see the kids. Breakfast of eggs and ham before loading into the bus. We finished up the mural and created closer bonds with the kids. The night before we had created a lesson plan to teach the different groups of kids. While the younger groups played games including english, the older ones were given a more complex lesson. It was hard to say goodbye because we all fell in love with their hugs and laughter. From the daycare, we had lunch back home of ribs and mashed potatoes. We loaded back into the bus shortly after and went to a small restaurant where we would have a salsa dancing lesson. It was a lot of fun to try the traditional dance. Afterwards, we had french fries and soda from the restaurant. We went back to home base and was greeted by a dinner of tamales with salsa. We had a workshop tonight where we were given an anthropological viewpoint of the united states culture. It felt weird to see how other people see what we consider normal. It taught us to describe guatemala as if we were talking about the States to avoid ¨the fishbowl effect of ¨us”and ẗhem”. We headed off to bed to rest for another busy day.

June 29th 

We all woke up excited from the smell of pancakes cooking. Because rain cancelled zip lining earlier in the trip, it was rescheduled for today. We piled into the vans for another long drive up the mountain. We geared up and went into another truck that would take us to the first spot to zip from. The views were breathtaking as we flew over the mountains. We also however, encountered a new type of mosquito which is smaller and more discrete. It was sad when we reached the last zip line where we saw the truck waiting to take us back down. We went back to home base for lunch of cooked vegetables and rice. We were told that we were then going to the shelter for girls that have been sexually abused mostly by someone in their own family. It was heartbreaking yet inspiring to walk through the doors to see all of the girls. The house was large with lots of bright colors and butterflies. We were told that the government had created this safe place and oversee the progress. While it was great to see the safe place for these girls, we also learned that this was one of the only women’s shelter in the entire country. Our hearts were touched when we walked through the room for the girls with babies. The other room was for ¨princesses” whose abuse did not result in bearing a child. With somber hearts we left the shelter to have a reflection back at base. We talked through our feelings about the shelter while processing what we saw. Dinner of hamburgers were the uplift that we needed. We headed to bed thinking of what games we can play tomorrow with the girls.

June 30th

This morning’s breakfast of eggs and plantains woke us up for another trip to the shelter. From the reflection the night before, we were able to process our feelings with the group. We were pleasantly surprised when the girls welcomed us with open arms. While some of us made friendship bracelets with them, the other half of us played soccer with them outside. We were inspired by the amount of strength they portrayed. Reminiscing on our time spent at the school, daycare, and shelter, it was surprising how much we grew as leaders and individuals.  Although we are here to serve others, I know we all feel that the children changed us. A tearful goodbye as we headed back home, and then one last stop at the school to clean up our projects for the next group. Lunch back home was watermelon and seasoned beef with potato salad. After lunch, we were given a cooking lesson by the cooking staff here at base. We made our dinner of tamales. A couple of us convinced Orlando to allow us to order pizza as well. Waiting for our tamales to cook, we got to listen to an ex-guerrilla tell his story of Guatemala’s history. It was shocking to see the United States’ part in the massacre of thousands of locals. It was also a wake-up call to see that the States does not always tell the other side of the story in order to cover up the wrong we committed. We found out that the speaker is still dedicated and active for human rights in Guatemala. Dinner of pizza and homemade tamales was a fantastic ending to the day.

July 1, 2017 Written by Allison Hagler

This morning we woke up and had a breakfast of french toast. It was strange to not go to service. But we headed out for a hike up a volcano. It took about an hour to drive to a small town where three trucks waited to take us to the beginning of the hike. After piling in, we went up a bumpy path. From there, we began hiking up the volcano. For some if us it was easier because they had been acclimated to the altitude from back home in the states, while for the rest of us it was a struggle. It was all worth it in the end when we could see the lake sitting in the middle of the volcano. The views were stunning. When we reached the lake, we were able to participate in a traditional religious ceremony. I speak for all of us when I say it is something we will never forget. The hike down was less grueling and we had snacks to hold us over. The trucks then took us back down to the vans where we headed back to homebase. At home, we had our last lunch at the base of chicken with fresh fruit. It was a sad time packing because we knew we only had a small amount of time left with the people we have got so close to. After our last homemade dinner of chicken fried rice, we gathered in the living room. We watched part of a documentary about the challenge with service trips like ours and finding the balance between helping and imposing on different cultures. We all had a group discussion on how we felt about the trip and how much we grew. This trip was genuinely life changing and I know that we are all so grateful for the wonderful staff that helped us through our experience.

We have begun our 2 week fun filled action packed experience of service with the children of Odumase-Krobo.

Stay tuned for our student written Blog updates in the very near future.

In the meantime – please know that everyone is healthy, happy and well rested!!

Good evening from Odumase-Krobo!!

Our group has been quite busy for the past two days getting settled, playing with the children of Asitey, shopping at the local market, dancing in the rain ………..

We have now gotten down to business and selected our Leadership Roles as well as our Service Responsibilities at the Elementary and Nursery schools.

Each GLA student has chosen a Leadership Responsibility which they will manage for the rest of the trip.
Below are the roles which will now lie in the hands of the following students:

Bloggers: Anna, Kaycie
Time Keepers: Natalia, Maeve
Game Leaders: Olivia, Luke
Agenda: Ada, Zoe
Site Leaders: Liz, Alexa
Head Counters: Lucy, Frances
Clean Space Reminders: Amanda, Elinor
Health Reminders: Dom, Rebecca
Thank You’s: Quillan, Khair

Please check back tomorrow for a Blog by Anna and Kaycie!!

August 6, 2017

August 8, 2017

First day of brickmaking

Teaching P1 and P2

Teaching grade 5/6

Teaching grade 3/4

7/18/2017

Just a quick note to let you know that all students (and their luggage) arrived safely and we are currently driving to Home Base.

Group photo to come tomorrow!

Greetings friends and families from Children of Africa, Krobo
Our program has been in full swing for 2 days now and we are going to be blogging by tomorrow!!

The following Leadership Positions have been chosen by the GLA CoA Krobo students to facilitate and manage throughout the entire session:

Bloggers – Erin and Soumya
Time Keepers – Shanna and Natalia
Game Leaders – Gigi and Alex
Daily Agenda – Katie and Megan
Site Leads – Ally M and Quinn
Head Counters – Willa and Amanda
Clean Space Reminders – Annie and Sarah
Health Reminders – Ali C and Ella
Thank You’s – Nicole and Bianca

Stay tuned for MORE from our student bloggers Erin and Soumya …………

Weaving our way through the local market on our way to purchase our fabric. 

Shopping for fabric 

July 23, 2017

GLA students teaching at Edmon Nursery School.

GLA students teaching the grade 4, 5 and 6 students of Asitey Elementary School

Last day of brick making!

Some Class 4 students (and Class 2 students as well) on their first day of vacation!

A few students from Class 5 on their first day of vacation.

Some of the Class 6 students showing up to school on the first day of their vacation.