May 25, 2019

Day Seven Update:

This morning was our last in Quetzaltenango. We said goodbye to our sweet host families and loaded the buses. We drove about an hour and a half to Santa Lucia Utatlan, where we were able to experience and participate in a Mayan ceremony. The ceremony was to honor our ancestors and establish a sense of balance with renewed energy for the week ahead working with the OTs. The ceremony was led by a man and a woman who welcomed us into their home. The man helped us honor our ancestors by placing a candle in the fire while saying each of our last names. We each gave thanks for our own natural resources that we appreciated such as lakes, rivers, canyons, or mountains. Then, we each placed a piece of special wood in the fire. Finally, we were able to receive energy from the warm fire by holding our hands out to it.

The ceremony was very interesting for us to experience that part of Mayan culture. One interesting point that we took away from it was the mention of the Mayan calendar and the significance of the year 2012. We had been told that the world was going to end, remember? Actually, we were told that one cycle was simply ending while another began. The cycle that was ending was the one of fear, he said, and the one beginning was the one of life. We were very glad to learn that; not only is it a better way to think of things, but it is actually accurate and taken from a proper source rather than hearing a rumor.

Then, we drove another hour to the Widow's Cooperative in the indigenous community of Chontalá. We ate lunch there and listened to the history of the Methodist Project. Pastor Diego Chicoj Ramos shared his story of how his village was controlled by the army and Civil Defense Patrol. Social gatherings were illegal in the community, so Diego went to receive permission for people to gather and worship. Without a church to worship in (their church had been bombed in the war), people collected pieces of tin to form a shelter that eventually became a new church. People of the  community were still struggling and many mothers were widowed. To provide these mothers with a way to provide for their families, they were given thread to weave and sell their work in the market, hence forming the weaving cooperative that still exists today. We greatly enjoyed hearing about the cooperative and had the chance to buy items that the women we met wove themselves.

Now, we are in our hotel in Chichicastenango for the night and we will head to Antigua tomorrow. On Monday we begin our work there with the therapists!



Hasta mañana,

Abby and Gina

May 24, 2019

Day Six Update

Hola familia y amigos;

       We started our day listening to a talk from a local Spanish teacher about health care systems in Guatemala. We learned about the major differences between private and public hospitals here. For example, 80% of those living in Guatemala use the public hospitals because entry there is free. On the other hand, only 9% visit private hospitals. These people include government officials, doctors and other individuals who are able to afford the often extensive costs of health care services. It was interesting to note how the lack of nutritional education has influenced the common illnesses seen in Xela, such as diabetes and hypertension. 

      We were able to put a visual representation to these facts when we visited both a private and a public hospital. We first visited a private hospital called Las Rosas. Although this was a small hospital, each of the 3-4 patients had their own room and a significant amount of care from the 8 specified doctors on staff. Next, we traveled to a public hospital called Regional de Occidente. Before even entering the hospital, it was obvious that there were an enormous amount of people seeking help. The rooms were very crowded, with at least 6 people per room; there was a lack of security in the hospital; and patients had to purchase their own medical supplies. Although there was a significant lack of resources here, it was obvious that the hospital staff was doing their best to provide the best care with what they had. Despite the conditions, the friendly spirits of the Guatemalan culture were seen as the patients smiled and said hello to our group as we passed. 

      We returned to the local school to listen to a man speak about his electric accident which resulted in the amputation of both of his arms, elbow down. He showed us different adaptations he has come up with to strengthen his upper body as well as teaching us to remain positive no matter the barriers we face. 

      We ended the day learning how to salsa dance and walked to get ice cream with the entire group. We’re sad to have to say goodbye to our host families tomorrow morning, but we’re excited to see what our travels hold in Chichicastenango. 

Caroline and Jane

May 23, 2019

Day Five Update

Hola familía y amigos!

     Today was day 5 of our trip, but day 4 in Xela. We traveled to Santa Anita to learn about organic coffee production. We took a two hour hike through the coffee fields, down a very, very steep mountain to some beautiful waterfalls, and back up the very steep mountain. The views were absolutely AMAZING and we can't wait to share them with you! Following the hike, we had lunch at the farm and learned about the history of Santa Anita. Like we've been hearing from most other testimonials, their history has been influenced and shaped majorly by the Guatemalan Civil War. The Santa Anita farming cooperative has existed for 21 years! It took a lot of hard work to cultivate the land, learn about organic coffee production, develop water, electric and sewer systems and create a school and childcare center. We were also able to visit their museum, learning about the tragic experiences of different people faced during the Civil War.

    Following the museum, we drove back to Xela for our reflection. One topic of reflection was things that we've seen here that we often take for granted in the United States. One thing that was mentioned was that the Santa Anita community has only been able to access drinkable, purified water since 2010. It made us realize how grateful we are to be able to access drinking water at almost any instant and also how much water we waste, without thinking twice about it. Secondly, we talked about the societal importance of education. Due to the circumstances surrounding the Guatemalan Civil War, Jose, our farm guide, only completed a third grade education. An education isn't something that has been historically important in Guatemala, as so many individuals have been fighting just to survive. For example, the community needing to focus on getting clean water and growing the coffee beans. In the United States, a higher education and a future life plan is something that is simply expected of each other. Today, and this week, has really helped us put into perspective how fortunate we are and just how much we take for granted. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity to continue to  immerse ourselves in this culture.

Tomorrow is our last fully day with our host families. This week is flying by! Hope all is well at home.

Aminah y Laney

May 22, 2019

Day Four Update:

Hola familia y amigos!
       Day 3 in Xela! To start the day, we went to another school for student with disabilities. After a tour of the school, we were able to spend time working with the students in the classrooms and then sang songs in the courtyard with all of the students. It was so moving to sing songs with the kids and see how something so little as singing children’s songs can go such a long way. All of the kids were smiling and dancing with us and loved every moment.
      After the school, we went to Santo Hermano Pedro, which is a home for children and adults with disabilities. We were amazed at how beautiful and big the home was. Students and professors from the University of Rafael Landivar were perfoming physical and occupational therapy with some of the children, and were so kind to teach us and allow us to learn from them. The surroundings of the home are beautiful, with so many trees and spaces to pray and be outside. The founders wanted to create a peaceful space for the sick, and we were able to feel so much peace from our short time there.
       We were also able to learn so much from the directors of therapy at Rafeal Landivar, which has a program that combines physical and occupational therapy, and it is also a Jesuit University. We ate lunch at the university and were given a tour. We were able to share our Jesuit values and find similarities between our universities and ourselves.
      We finished the day by the groups switching afternoon activities, with one group going to the Temaskal for the hot sauna and the other group learning to weave at the Trama Cooperative. We are just constantly overcome by how welcoming the people of Guatemala have been to us. For example, we learned about the importance of the temaskal in Mayan culture, and they even let us experience such a meaningful ritual. It is absolutely incredible to be so welcomed into the daily lives of these people and so humbling.
       So far, we’ve come to realize that it’s one thing to learn about the culture of another country by reading books or watching documentaries, but it’s a completely transformative experience to be living in another culture. We are so grateful to have this experience and meet these amazing people who have such rich traditions and culture.

Signing off for now!
Olivia and Molly

May 21, 2019

Day Three Update:

Hola familia y amigos!

Today was a culture-filled day here in Guatemala. This morning we visited Fundabiem, which provides multiple types of therapy to children and adults with disabilities. We toured the school and were able to observe a PT and OT sessions and see the sensory room, which is quite similar to what is found in the U.S. After our tour were were able to experience a Guatemalan market and try to find food, clothing, health services and educational necessities spending only 50 quetzals (about $6.50) per topic. This was quite a humbling experience and opened our eyes to how little resources Guatemalans have to provide for their families. This exercise showed us that it is not just possible for a family to live comfortably when their basic needs are unable to be met with the resources available to them.

Later in the day, half of the group went to a weaving cooperative to learn how to weave from Mayan women. They were impressed by the women's dedication to weaving and love of teaching others to continue the tradition. The other half of the group went to a traditional Mayan Temaskal, which is a sauna used for healing and relaxation. While each of these two experiences were different, we were all able to find a deeper appreciation and understanding of Guatemalan culture.

We concluded our day with a reflection on the past two days and what has stood out to us the most. The group noted the immense friendliness of the people of Guatemala, everyone is quick to say hello and our host families are taking great care of us! We also reflected on Willy's talk (yesterday) regarding Guatemalan migration to the United States and the impact it has on each country. We are coming to a deeper understanding of a perpetual cycle leading to "forced migration", as Willy shared.

We are learning so much and enjoying our time here so far! We hope all is well at home.

Ellie y Nora

May 20, 2019

Day Two Update:

Hola amigos y familia!
Today we had a pretty long day, beginning with breakfast in a restaurant in Antigua. We then loaded up into two vans and embarked on a journey to Quetzaltenango (or Xela, for short). We were moving at a steady pace until we ran into a protest that was beginning and blocking the street. So, we got to take the scenic route to Xela, taking us about four hours! Once we arrived in Xela, we had lunch at Cafe RED and heard a presentation from Willy Barreno, who migrated to the United States to work, and has now returned to Guatemala. He focuses his time on re-integrating migrants who have been deported back to Guatemala, as well as educating kids in practical life skills, such as cooking or carpentry. We then met our host families and followed them back to their homes, where we will be staying all week! Tomorrow we have a busy day, with going to the market in the morning and then half the group will spend the afternoon at a weaving cooperative while the other half will be at a medical sauna. Hope all is well at home!!

Cara and Elizabeth

First Day! May 19, 2019

Hey friends and family!

Today was a long day for us. We all had very early flights. Thankfully, we ended up on the same flight from Atlanta to Guatemala, which made our lives so much easier! We landed around 12pm Guatemalan time. We drove from the capital y to Antigua, where we got situated in a very beautiful hotel. We learned about our hosts and about the incredible history of Guatemala. Afterwards, we had dinner at a local restaurant with some of our telecollaboration partners from Rafael Landívar. Tomorrow, we will be heading to Xela to learn more about the culture and meet our host families.


Laney and Caroline