¡Hola!

Volcano update:
All students and therapist are safe and out of harms way. We did receive more information about the volcanic eruption. The latest news that we have received is the tragic information that there were a few fatalities among the locals who lived on the volcano. This volcano is called Fuego and is located in Alotenango, Sacatepequez, Guatemala. We will continue to update you all with any changes.

Students:

The students have arrived in Antigua! Here is what we did today. We woke up and many of us went to Mass at a Catholic church in Chichicastenango. This church was a very special church because it celebrates mass in both the Spanish language and in one of the Mayan languages, Tz'utujil. During this mass, twenty children were baptized and many prayer petitions were given by the people of the church. This was a very famous church because it has incorporated both the Mayan culture and language into Catholic practices. This was a very meaningful and special experience for our group.

After mass, we were able to attend the market. This was a very insightful experience for us. We were able to use our Spanish to barter. We were able to see all of the beautiful handmade crafts and clothes. This experience helped us to better understand the culture and interact with the people.

We then headed to Iximche. Iximche is a very powerful and meaningful place for the Mayan people. It is the capital of the Mayan empire. Here many Mayan rituals are performed. This was a very peaceful and reflective location for us. We felt very connected to the culture.

Next, we headed to Antigua to meet the therapists and start our next journey.

Therapists:

The practitioners had an interesting day in Antigua. A small group of us went to Catholic Mass in Spanish. Then, we met up with the others and walked to the Cerro de la Cruz. This is an elevated spot with a 1930s cross and sweeping views of Antigua, including an unobstructed view of Volcan Agua. We took pictures as a group.

Buenas Noches,

Megan, Emily, and Melissa