Coming from Sean and Katie. On Monday we were given a history of Guatemala. We learned that Guatemala means the place of the forest. Guatemala has endured much suffering through from 1960-1996. More than 150,000 were killed, 400 villages destroyed, and 40,000 disappeared, 1 million internally displaced, 150,000 refugees, and 50,000 in resistance. Much of the destruction was due to the civil war between the people and the government.
Next we split into two groups: weaving and the Mayan sauna and alternative medicine. The weaving is an association for over 400 women who are victims of war. The women founded this group to come together and weave as a means to forget. We were able to practice on a traditional backstrap loom and afterward shop at the store to help support the women. The textiles were beautiful and well made. The whole group enjoyed themselves!
The other group visited a traditional Mayan temascal, or hot sauna, and learned more about natural medicine in Guatemala. We were introduced to these home remedies by Vanessa, an expert in the medicinal properties of native Guatemalan plants. Vanessa's family then treated us to homemade guacamole and herbal tea while we took turns in the hot sauna. We all felt very cleansed and refreshed by the experience, and we felt incredibly welcomed by Vanessa and her family!