Oh the weather outside is...nothing-like-I'm-used-to-it-being-at-Christmas...

So…it’s 1:35am on December 20th and I am really tired and I can’t sleep. I have to say one of the worst combinations for me is being really tired and not being able to sleep. Thumbs down. A good combination however…Jill Scott and Mos Def. The song is called Love Rain. Check it out. Ha, wow! How quickly I got off track. :)

Anyway…as I am sure most of you have noticed, it has been a good month and a half since I last wrote on my blog. In fact it has been over a month and a half since I’ve written at all. I’m not sure of the explanation but after having written in my own personal journal daily and posting at least semi-regularly…the habit fell right off the map. Just like that; I stopped. Maybe I got to a place where I felt I didn’t need to write as much. Maybe I got to a place where listening to music was more appealing as bedtime ritual. Maybe it got to the point where absorbing other stories through reading became easier than writing out my own. Who knows?

My lack of written expression however, is certainly not an indication of lack of activity here in Guatemala. In fact I have had some of the most fun experiences yet. From co-leading a learning tour in and around Xela, to my first MCC Guatemala/El Salvador team meeting, flowing into a trip to the beach for Thanksgiving, then hosting Semana de Servicio here in Nebaj, life has been full of wonder and joy. ‘Tis the season. Along with this however has come deep struggle. First personally, being away from family and friends at this time of year (for the first time in my 24 years of life) has hit me harder than expected. Second, getting to know better some of the young adults I work with and hearing their stories has rocked me to the core. I don’t have words for Marcos* the 20 year old young man who tells me in pursuit of his educational dreams he was given room/board/tuition to study by a supposedly giving male community member, only to leave the experience having been sequestered and sexually abused by the very same man. What do I say to Magdalena* the 24 year old señorita who married at 16, only to find herself quickly pregnant and even more quickly abandoned by her husband for a “better” life in the United States. My heart aches for 25 year old Manuel* who pours his heart out through his original songs to mourn the death of one of his twin sons who would be turning two here shortly. It hurts. They hurt. I hurt. Ouch. But check this out…

So, I just got finished reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s a beautiful story. In the book there is a character named May. May, as it is explained, doesn’t know what to do with her emotions. Whether the root is in her own life or the witness of another’s situation, she just can’t handle them sometimes. So May with the help of her sisters, creates a wailing wall; a simple sanctuary made out of river stones…each crack providing a space in which she can find release. When overcome with tears, she goes to her wall and slides between the rocks little pieces of paper on which she has lyrically purged, graciously relocating the whelm of her feelings from her heart, out into the universe. And with this she finds resolve…she finds peace, even if just for the moment. Well dear readers…May made me realize something. While not hand constructed or full of brief hand written notes, my blog is my wailing wall. A place where I can express my emotions…joy, sorrow, disgust, elation, frustration, freedom…and release them into the universe. In this I find resolve…I find peace, even if just for the moment. Thank you for being a part of this. Thank you for being my river rocks.

Wow…yikes! That got a bit heavy but it needed to happen I suppose. To change the sentiment to a lighter one, it is the Christmas season and in that there is a lot of hope..amidst struggle. Many of us think of the birth of Jesus, which is right-on of course, but this year I have been thinking about the strength of Mary, and what it must have taken to be the woman that she was. And, to beat the dead horse just a little bit dead-er, or to make the alive horse come alive-er, in the aforementioned (love this word and love to use it!) novel there is a great section that discusses what Mary, the mother of Jesus, can represent for each of us. Although it is directed towards females, I think it’s appropriate for all. I encourage you, in your reading of it, to make it gender inclusive.

“When you are unsure of yourself, when you start pulling back into doubt and small living, she [Mary] is the one inside you saying ‘Get up from there and live like the glorious girl you are.’ She’s the power inside of you, understand? And whatever it is that keeps widening your heart, that’s Mary, too, not only the power inside of you but the love. And, when you get down on it, [insert your name here], that’s the only purpose grand enough for a human life. Not just to love- but to persist in love.”
- Sue Monk Kidd; The Secret Life of Bees

So this is where I leave you all. Just in case we don't communicate before...FELIZ NAVIDAD! May your holiday season persist in love.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals mentioned.

Gospel, Gratitude, and Glory.

Happy November 1st everyone! It is Sunday morning and I have taken to spending this time every week listening to all the Gospel music I have in my Itunes library for inspiration. It’s quite nice…the only thing that could make it better would be if it was live. Oh the sacrifices we SALTers make. Ha. Anyway, the song that really caught my attention this morning is from the Sister Act II soundtrack (one of my favorite movies, see it if you haven’t). “So you think you got the answers to all that lies ahead, well in my mind I thought the same one time. And I hear you spoutin’ much talk ‘bout how you ain’t bein’ lead, ain’t no one tellin you what to do. But attitude will catch up with you, and keep you from your destiny. If you wanna be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you’ve gotta wake up and pay attention. When the time is now or never, to make your dreams come true, you’ve gotta wake up and pay attention.” Here’s why. This morning I was supposed to accompany a group of youth to a workshop with another coworker but about an hour before hand she called to tell me we didn’t have to go; that our “boss” would arrange for someone else to accompany them. Fine, no biggie. Then I got a call from another coworker saying that the youth were calling her to tell her they were there, ready to go and angry that there was no body from the Association to chaperone them. Immediately I felt bad but didn’t really do anything about it because I was told I didn’t have to go. “Oh well,” I thought. “Isn’t my fault if things don’t go as planned.” So I stayed home. When my host mom got back from the market she asked why I hadn’t left and I told her why. Then she proceeded to encourage me to go anyway, on behalf of the youth, because they are the ones that really matter; who will suffer the consequences. Pom pom…nice little kick in the butt. Man, she is so right. I have been relying on my coworkers to do pretty much all of the leading, even when the youth aren’t their first interest. But as I have been here for about a month, I think this might just be the reminder that I am 25% of the work team and it is time I start taking more initiative; time to change my attitude. Amino. After all I am here for a reason and I won’t be around forever. When the time is now or never, to make your dreams come true, you’ve gotta wake up and pay attention.
With that being said, it has been an interesting line to walk; to let my coworkers do what they do and how they do it without wanting to take control and lead the way I prefer to work. I will admit that I have control-freak tendencies sometimes and have been fighting against the urge to just tell them what to do in some cases. However, MCC makes it very clear that we SALTers are not here to assume leadership positions, just to support those who have been working and will remain once we leave. In my opinion, they have it right on. We are not here to change things up but to better what already exists. As I have been trying to walk this very thin tight rope and flirting with the safety net below, I came across this quote in Henry Nouwen’s book Gracias. It encompasses precisely what I need to continue to work on and really what all volunteers around the world should strive for. Here goes, “Gratitude is the attitude which enables us to receive the hidden gifts of those we want to serve and to make these gifts visible to the community as a source of celebration.” Tortilla for thought.
Finally, this past marked the beginning of the town’s soccer tournament…which will last until just before la Navidad. I am playing on a team with one of my coworkers. Our team is called the Novices. Despite their name, they did quite well last year. They made it to the championship but lost by one goal and to boot, the goal differential was so close that this one goal determined there place as 3rd. Bummer. Anyway, we had our first game this past Tuesday and the whole day I had butterflies in my stomach like I used to in high school before soccer games. It was kind of a refreshing feeling and very nostalgic. I was so anxious that, and I’m totally serious, at lunch when I went home I tried on all my gear and when I went back to work I kept my sports bra on for good luck. Ha! So I showed up and all my team mates were in their cortes (traditional skirts) and heels. They changed before the game obviously but this is just another cultural difference that was obvious as I slide in and out of my oversized sweatpants and flip flops before and after the game. Good news, we won 5-0 and (I’m gonna brag a little) I scored 3 goals and assisted the other 2!  Anyway, it’s fun and a nice change in the routine. I’ll keep you updated on our standing…and if you have a baby blue shirt, where it tomorrow (Nov 2nd) at 6:30pm (Guate time) to show your support. We’re more than happy to have international fans to carry us to the championship this year. We are gunning for 1st place.
So we’ve come to the end. As always I hope that all who read this are doing so with happy hearts. And in true form, I’ll leave you with some song lyrics. This time they are from Sara Bareilles.
“I made up my mind when I was a young girl, I was given this one world…I won’t worry it away. Now and again I lose sight of the good life, I get stuck in a low light…then love comes in.” Sending love your way.

Peanut butter and the President

Hey all! It’s about time hey? Overall things have been on the upward climb. Although things at work move a lot slower and seemingly unplanned in my North American perspective, I am finding things to do that are not only occupying my time but hopefully giving back to the community as well. For example, as I have been hearing a lot about malnutrition and lack of work, I thought…I wonder if it would be possible to grow peanuts in the climate here and then teach the families to make peanut butter from them, for consumption but also to sell. Unfortunately my research revealed that the growing part won’t work here, and hot houses are really expensive. But that doesn’t mean we can’t buy peanuts in the market and make them into peanut butter for fun! So that’s exactly what we did. I went and bought two pounds of peanuts and my host mom and sister helped me make peanut butter. We first used the blender then the tool they use to grind corn into flour. It was fun…but the peanut butter was pretty gross. To get the blender to work we added oil. That was our mistake. But, we aren’t discouraged and we are going to try again sometime. It can’t be that hard right? Ha!
I have also started a story project where I’m interviewing community members and then writing their stories. Who knows what will come of it but in the meantime it’s helping me to get to know individuals as well as the larger picture of what it means to live here in the Ixil Triangle. It’s fun and kinda makes me feel like a journalist. I’m diggin’ it.
Speaking of feeling like a journalist, this past weekend was the inauguration of a government program called Escuelas Abiertas here in Nebaj. Brief summary of the program, it is providing extracurricular activities free of charge for young people to enjoy on Saturdays and Sundays. Examples of the activities are music, English, computation, soccer, hand crafts, dance, etc. The association that I work for (Q’Anil) helped to coordinate finding the teachers for the workshops so we were a part of the inauguration. Being the only one with a camera, since the associations is out of commission, I was asked to take pictures. I agreed…then was also informed that the president of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, would be coming to make a speech so I should be sure to get some “money shots.” No big deal. “Cool,” I thought…“I won’t be able to get anywhere near the man to shoot anything worthwhile…but I’ll play photographer.” Then before I knew it I was given free range to go anywhere and take pictures up close and personal; no security checks or anything of the sort; no official press pass; just my camera. At this point I really felt official. I think it would be fun to be a photographer…if only I knew how to actually use my camera beyond the automatic settings. I did get some good shots though. 
I’m not sure why, but recently I have also been thinking about what I want to be when I grow up…or maybe just what I want to do next. Sometimes I wonder if it is a defense mechanism that kicks in when I’m not feeling the best about being here, like an escape plan. Sometimes I feel like I just got here so it is silly to be thinking about my next steps. Sometimes I feel it’s timely considering grad school applications are usually due in January sometime. None the less, it has been something that has kept me up a couple nights these past few weeks. At this point I am not taking any serious steps but I have been throwing around some options. The problem is, none of the options seem any better than the other…and there are a lot of them. Oh boy…grad school or not? If so…grad school for social work? Public health? Teaching English as a foreign language? On the east coast or west coast? Big city or small town? Public university or private…or do I just want get some sweet waitressing job on the beach somewhere? Who knows? Any suggestions??? I’d be totally cool if the Big Man upstairs chimed in. I just got done reading Take This Bread by Sara Miles and it is a really cool story about this woman’s faith journey from non-believer to believer, through taking communion (in the broadest of terms). I was a little skeptical and thought it sounded a bit, shall I say “woo woo,” but what an extraordinary and honest story it was about being open to what’s next and taking steps that aren’t always expected, the easiest, or calculated and, not only keeping the faith all the while, but growing tremendously in it. This has been comforting for me as I have felt discouraged at times, like my time could be used better somewhere else, doing something else. It has also been a gentle reminder about how things just seem to happen in their own time…hmm. Patience is not my strong suit…but maybe it’s my challenge (or one of my challenges) for this year.
Anyway…I hope this oh-so-very-impersonal blog post somehow magically transmits personal hugs and cheek kisses to each and every one of you. Guatemala has been great but life just isn’t the same without human contact with the ones ya love. I’ll take what I can get though…and this will just have to do… Until next time queridos.

Get your tea/coffee and pull up a chair...it's a long one. ;)

As I don’t have as consistent access to the internet here in Nebaj, I have changed the form of my blog a bit. Now I am dating my entries and posting them when I get a chance. So…some entries might be old/late but there should always be a date to give you an idea of when things were going on. Hope this helps.

9/29/2009- Oh boy…here goes nothing! This is exactly how I am feeling right now. What a change Nebaj is from anywhere else I have ever lived! A big change is the presence of an indigenous language, Ixil (pronounced “ee-sheel”). Fortunately, my Spanish is good enough that I have been able to pretty much understand everything that is being said around me…up to this point. Here is a different story. When I’m walking down the street, in the market, with my coworkers…I can’t understand a thing. Now you must know that my coworkers speak Spanish as well, but they often slip into speaking Ixil. Yikes! Bit by bit I hope to learn Ixil. I do know one word, tan’tix (tan-tish), thank you. I guess I’m on my way right? I can only hope. I am starting to better understand how all the non-English speaking immigrants in the US must feel as they build their new lives in the States. To move to a more positive note…though language barriers can be frustrating, they can also provide a few laughs…get this…

…I went to the artisans market, where all the foreigners go to buy their typical crafts, and met a woman vendor who just so happened to be doing her weaving. We got to talking in Spanish, I expressed interest in her art form and after a while she told me that she spoke some English. “Wonderful!” I thought, and then asked her to say something. She proceeded to say “hello” and tell me where she is from in English. Her accent was incredible so I complimented her on it. Then she told me that although she could speak some English (and here’s the kicker) that sometimes she “f**k’s up.” Totally straight faced, totally serious. I had to hold my tongue and didn’t have the heart to tell her she had just said a bad word. Ha! None the less, I got in a good laugh. I’m sure I’ll go back to visit Maria, the unknowingly foul mouthed Ixil artisan.

9/30/2009- Today I got the chance to eat a typical dish called boxbol (pronounced bowsh-bowl). It’s corn masa wrapped in Whiskil leaves (whiskil is a cross between a potato and a squash) then boiled and served with hot chili sauce. It was very good and we got to eat it with our fingers! Woo hoo!

To tell you a bit more about my family and living situation, I have a mom Betty, a dad Alberto, and 3 host siblings Jimy, Hedy and Lis (ages 8, 4, and 2). They have a beautiful modest house with a tin roof, perfect for going to sleep to the sound of rain falling. I have my own room and with a bathroom off the side. I bucket bathe in scalding hot water which always feels good on a chilly morning. My mom is the cook of the house, makes her own tortillas and has promised to teach me. Yay! My mom and dad both work. My mom does accounting and runs groups for young girls at a local school and my dad as the coordinator for the leadership program for Food for the Hungry. Because Alberto is out of the house working all day and Betty in the afternoons, we have a house helper living with us, Juana. She attends to the kids and does some cooking/cleaning. She is a very shy but loves to smile.

10/1/2009- Today I had my first melt down, tears and all. While I was at work I just couldn’t fight them back. I was alone in the office, feeling totally uninformed and unable to do anything productive, and it brought back memories of when I did service in DC. Quick fill-in for those who don’t know anything about my year in DC…it was extremely hard due to my work situation, and although I wouldn’t take it back, it’s not something I would choose to repeat. Unfortunately from first impressions, I can’t say that much is different here. I don’t do well when I feel like my wheels are spinning and I’m not getting anywhere. As I am a busy body, this feeling is a worse for me than being overworked. I do acknowledge that this is just my first impression, and in the words of another volunteer first impressions can be dangerous, but none the less the cause of my first total freak-out. Meh.
Although I am feeling uncomfortable, frustrated and lonely at times, I also feel hopeful, rested and right were I’m supposed to be. I have great support here in Guate, both in Nebaj and in the City. When I came home crying my host mom here sat with me and assured me that, based on all the volunteers that she has hosted, all my emotions are common during this period of transition and not to worry, she is ready to care for me any way she can. Also, the other night I got a text from a new Guatemalan friend and a call from my first host mom both asking me how I was doing, telling me that they were thinking of me, and that if I need anything they are here for me. Oh man does this help! And whether I like it or not (at least in these first few days) I am here, I knew it would be a challenge, so…let the growth begin.

10/2/2009- I thought it was just allergies but low and behold…I’m sick. My head feels like it’s going to explode and my nose is running like a faucet. I got up and went to work today and then quickly told me to go back home; that it is better that I rest to heal than it is to suffer at work. I am really thankful for their insistence on health being more important than being at work. This is different for me. In prior job experiences, unless I was bleeding profusely or vomiting uncontrollably, I went to work…and felt guilty if I didn’t. But here…as I am sure that I will get sick again, I am comforted to know that If I need to stay home I can do so without feeling bad. So I slept pretty much all day. And a nice long phone call with Mom and Dad is always good medicine.  Plus, tonight after dinner, my host father sat with me and gave me a very effective pep talk. He works here with another NGO and he assured me that although I might feel at times like my presence here isn’t worth anything that people’s lives are changing, including my own, and for that we all should be grateful. He also told me that he would love to give me lessons in Ixil in exchange for English lessons…because in his opinion, speaking Ixil to the people in the aldeas is more valuable than any sort of “knowledge” I might be there to share. So…next week we are going to make a plan and hit the ground running. Man do I feel better, and all in a day’s work.

Just so you all know… all the positive vibrations/thoughts/prayers, whatever you want to call them, that are coming from all of you don’t go unnoticed. I’m soaking them all up. Thanks to everyone for keeping in touch! Lots of love.

This is about a week old...and my pictures wont load.

Transitions, transitions, transitions...

All I can say is that at this point, I feel like a pro at this whole transitioning thing. Friday we had our last Spanish class; transition #1. To wrap up my teacher and I shared a cup of coffee (French vanilla flavored; thanks Mom!), panito dulce, conversation and made friendship bracelets. We have been making friendship bracelets together over the past two weeks and while not intentional, doing this craft together really did bring us closer together, beyond the teacher/student dynamic. I really appreciated her willingness to be real and engage in genuine dialogue and quite honestly, all the Spanish we practiced during our conversations helped me way more than any workbook could ever have. Everything is just easier when there is real life application…and a little fun. I’m going to miss her for real.

I also had to pack up all my belongings and leave my host family; transition #2. Thursday I was up late packing up of course. The next morning, like most every other morning, my host dad and I sat at the table and ate breakfast together. While a little awkward at first, I really learned to appreciate our daily morning conversation. Whether about Spanish grammar, politics, cultural differences or religion, there was never a dull moment. That night, Paige and I went back for dinner (delicious minestrone soup, fettuccini alfredo, tomato and corn salad and baguette). The whole family was there and in true form we laughed and laughed and laughed. And although at times it feels like such a small thing, laughter really is a powerful thing. If you haven’t done it lately, I suggest you try it. Smile.


And transition #3 (and #4, #5, #6 and #7), we are off to our placements. This means 1) new tierra, 2) new families, 3) new jobs, 4) new culture… Yikes! Luke left early yesterday morning on a bus to Coban. Paige and I leave tomorrow. Anthony, our jefe (boss), will be accompanying us. We’ll drop Paige off first in Santiago Atitlan then head up into the mountains of Quiche to my new home in Nebaj by Tuesday. Since our arrival, we three SALTers have spent a lot of time together and it is going to be weird to not see each other on a daily basis. They have been such a great support; we’ve become our own little family. But once again we must move away from comfort into the unknown. This seems to be a common thread that is persistently weaving its way through our experiences so far as volunteers…hum. Tal vez asi es la vida? Saber.

And finally by “blogly” shout out to modern technology (blogly like weekly, hourly, monthly…yes I know I’m a dork for making up my own words but i love to do it. ha). Yesterday two friends got married and although I couldn’t be with them in person on their big day, I was able to make a phone call and congratulate the bride and groom voice to voice. And…I got to say hello’s to a handful of good friends who were all there celebrating together. Nothing like a little love from afar.
And this is where I’ll leave you. I’m not sure what my schedule will be like in the next week or so and when I’ll be able to access the internet again in that time. Hope this tides you over.

Love you all. Abrazos y besitos. Blog update from Nebaj to come.

lost and found; hot and cold.

Hello again all... Sorry it has been so long. I wrote the first half of this post about two weeks ago, then proceeded to lose (temporarily, ptl) my USB until today. As the amount of time that has lapsed has doubled, so has the length of this blog post. My apologies… :) Three big things happened that I thought were worth sharing. Number one: our first MCC retreat; two: Guatemala’s Independence Day; and three: a quick little trip to the beach!!! I’ll begin with the first.

Thursday (Sept 10) all of us MCCer’s in Guat met up took a bus down to El Salvador. It was a Greyhound type bus and was quite comfortable, AC and all. The ride was about 4 hours after all was said and done. Three hours in we crossed the border into El Salvador, requiring us to get off the bus to make our way through immigration. Once we were all back in the bus a flood of venders filled the isle, all yelling out what they had to offer. We shared some pupusas. I must say, they do taste better in their motherland. Yum. Before too long we were in Santa Ana and transferring from our “Greyhound” to a microbus. This is where we intercepted another MCCer who is working in El Salvador. And off we went to Cerro Verde. I don’t know all the details but what I can tell you is that Cerro Verde is a beautiful park, surrounded by volcanoes and lots of green. I also heard that it is in a cloud forest which made it absolutely gorgeous…and unexpectedly frigid! At times, due to the high altitude we were actually above the clouds, looking down onto a blanket of white. Quite surreal. At other times, it was so socked in we could hardly see past 20ft in front of us. And…we saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in a long time. And…we also saw one of the most perfectly cone-shaped volcanoes. Words, nor pictures, can really do justice to the beauty we were surrounded by, but just so you have an idea…

We spent our evenings chatting, singing, laughing and playing…our days defrosting, getting acquainted and down to business. To finish off the weekend, we got to visit the newest member of the MCC Guatemala/El Salvador team, just 13 days old, and his parents who are volunteers in Metapan, El Salvador. It is amazing how entertaining and therapeutic babies can be. Despite being human icicles, the weekend was great. I’m thrilled to be part of such a dynamic team of people.

On to Independence Day, September 15th. I took the following excerpt in quotes directly from my journal entry from the night before. “What a day. Today is the eve of the day of independence for Guatemala. As I write I can still hear the horns honking, the whistles blowing…the rhythm of a city that has come alive. We went down to the Obelisco to celebrate. As we drove down the Roosevelt to get there, we rode along side entorches, parades of people running with the person in front holding a torch, in celebration of their country. My host mom told me some of these people run all the way to Antigua (which is a 35 minute mountainous car ride, imagine that). Once we arrived we dove into the sea of people, shoulder to shoulder, all dawning their best Guate garb. As I was surrounded by such patriotism, I found myself feeling slightly uncomfortable. In all honesty, I tend to be skeptical of US Americans who are deeply patriotic, as I tend not to be. As I absorbed the energy, I was brought back to the feelings of pride that I had for my country when Obama won the presidential election. I’ll never forget how overwhelming it was to feel proud to be a US American for the 1st time ever. And with that, I joined in the celebration.” Just a thought.

As for the beach, we went to Monte Rico on the Pacific side. It was a quick trip yet very recharging. We left early Saturday morning and came back yesterday; just a little over 24hrs. Unfortunately the sun didn’t really shine at all the first day. We spent a good chunk of time sitting on a balcony overlooking the grandeur of the ocean and the black sand leading up to it, enjoying the breeze and chatting about life. The cool thing about the three of us was that we all have very different stories and are in different chapters of life. One woman is 35 and has two daughters ages 14 and 4. The other is about to turn 28, single, lived in Canada for a year about 5 years ago and is now settled into a work routine, and then there’s me. One thing is for certain, I love to hear people’s stories. We never know where someone has come from and what they can teach us about life. Sunday morning we woke up early to a shining sun, strolled around town, and floated in the pool. I often forget how comforting it is to be in the water. Sometimes I think I should just live at the beach. Why not, right?

And so begins our last week of Spanish classes. Although it is a bit nerve wracking to think about not having a personal Spanish tutor any longer, it feels like the right time for me to be pushed out of the nest. I’ll let you know how it goes. And next Monday, I’m off to Nebaj! It’s game time.

I’ll leave you with just a bit of miscellany:
*Shout out to modern technology. In two days I received two international phone calls, one from Germany and one from Korea. I love Skype.
*I have eaten more fried chicken in the last week or so than I’ve ever eaten before in my life. I never thought I liked it that much and am wondering now what the heck I was thinking! :)
*I’ve officially re-addicted myself to caffeine. It is nearly impossible to avoid drinking coffee here. Que lastima, verdad?
*Live soccer games in Guate are a total hoot. Fanaticism has officially been taken to a whole other level.

That’s all for now friends. I’d love to hear what is going on in your life. Quidense mucho!

It's about time, hey?

Here goes blog #2 from Guate. It’s been about 2 weeks since I last wrote so I am thinking this might be a long one. Enter in if you dare… :)

First of all, here is a picture of my host family, minus Martin whose picture you’ll see a bit later in the blog. From left to right: Caleb, Noel, Jimena and Norma. My mom makes professional style cakes. What she is holding she made for someone’s 90th birthday celebration.
Back to the weekend of the 28th of August. That Friday was my host brother Martin’s 35th birthday. After we hosted the monthly neighborhood block party, as a family we cleaned up and before we knew it the music was blaring and we were all in the living room dancing to music of all types. Salsa, hip hop, bachata, blues, punta, pop…in Spanish, English, Creole…and the list goes on! At one point someone was dancing on the coffee table in the living room. I’m going to leave it up to you to figure out who! :) Let’s just say we burned off all the yummy calories we had consumed that night. Then the next day we had a lovely birthday lunch of Marmaon (still not sure what it was but it was tasty) and Gallina (hen) which is a delicacy here. Check out the picture of Martin and his birthday food below. As a family we definitely bonded that weekend. Again, for these people I am very grateful.

I also got the chance to go visit my host sister’s from the time I spent here in 2007, Alva and Elvia. They are both beauticians so Paige (the other female SALTer here) and I went to La Brigada (my old neighborhood) to get our nails and toes done. What an afternoon we had! We laughed, joked, reminisced and talked about boys…the usual girl stuff. They are doing so well despite the fact that their father died just about a year ago, officially leaving them without any parents. So sad and yet they are such great role-models for the power of a positive attitude and the willingness to share their grief in order to heal. I was overwhelmed with nostalgia that afternoon and enjoyed every moment of it.
This last weekend my host Mom’s sister and brother-in-law came into town from Honduras and from the moment they stepped foot into our house…a good time was had by all! Apparently they only get to visit once a year and I was fortunate enough to be here to get to know them. Just a brief recap: Friday night we went to a restaurant/bar called Goody’s and listened to live music and danced. Saturday we had a big party in the evening to watch the Honduras soccer game (which didn’t turn out to be on tv, but the USA game was. GO USA!). My host sister and I dressed up as twins for the party from our shoes up to our banana clips (see photo to the right; and yes we were wearing banana clips which are in style here right now if you can believe it!). I ate fresh ceviche with soda crackers and, for the first time, totally enjoyed it! This night ended in dancing as well. One of their family friends is an incredible dancer. He has to be about 50ish and danced circles around the rest of us younger’s. To bring the weekend festivities to a close, we all went out for tapas and enjoyed a nice glass of red wine. The place, Tapas y Tintos, was so quaint and romantic and the food was incredible! “Champiñones al Ajillo” was the favored dish. Yum, yum and yum.

Odds and Ends:
*This past Sunday Michelle, Luke and I went to Antigua. It was drizzly and perfect. A day to just blend in, shop, sight see and enjoy speaking English.
*I have been watching a bunch of movies. Of the 8 I have watched, I recommend that everyone sees Australia, Sin Nombre and Ratatouille.
*My sister’s birthday was the 7th of Sept, officially marking the first of many missed important days that I won’t be able to spend with family and friends this year. Boo.
*I officially survived my first funk (meaning bad mood due to being out of my comfort zone). It wasn’t so bad, only lasted about 2 days, and to be honest it’s nice to have the first one out of the way.
*Things I am looking forward too: MCC retreat this weekend and going to the beach the next weekend with a group of girls my age. Details to follow.
*I haven’t really been able, or maybe rather willing, to take my camera with me anywhere due to the risk of someone seeing that I have it and mugging me! I miss taking pictures. However, I have been able to snap a few. Check them out.


I hope this finds each and every one of you in fall bliss. Please step on a crunchy leaf for me. Lots of love from Guatemala.

Guat city...

So…I have been here for a little over a week and things have been going great. I’ve had a lot of firsts, not in any particular order. My first pan dulce, my first cup of te negro (that’s for you michelle!), my first trip to the market with my host mom, my first pollo campero ice cream with chocolate and peanuts of course, my first Spanish class, my first bout with a sick stomach, my first bus ride alone (not as scary as I thought it would be), my first dinner with my host family (whom I totally adore), first trip to Antigua (baila, baila, baila!), first trip to the lake Atitlan, first meal with the other two SALTers Luke and Paige that we cooked together (see picture). I’m sure the list could go on and on but that’s how I’ll end it. I’m just trying to soak it all in as much as possible!
Some things that I still can’t believe: that I’m actually here, it feels so familiar yet still so new; a pound of bright red strawberries costs only 5 Quetzales, which is less than 50 cents in US currency; a dozen roses as beautiful as they get costs only 10Q, just over a dollar; that I have a cell phone and that incoming calls are free for me! (my number is 011-502-5775-9025, take the hint); and that my Spanish will get better (this whole language learning thing is harder than I remember).
Just a few more details about my host family. I have a host mom and dad. My mom runs a restaurant out of our house; it’s definitely a family affair and her food is SO delicious. She is a total hoot. I have two host brothers and a host sister. My younger brother is 22, working nearly full time and going to school to be a lawyer, the other is going-on 35, speaks 6 languages and gives private English classes when he isn’t helping out around the house, and my sister is 12 and a total diva. We often dance and sing together. There are always people coming and going and the house is full of music and laughter. I find my host family very similar to my own. This makes me feel right at home and I am super grateful for that.
In true form, I am writing this while procrastinating doing my Spanish homework so I should be going. But…thanks to you all for your time and attention. Oh…one last thing. If you want to send snail mail (another hint) my mailing address is as follows:
Comite Central Menonita
c/o Erin Murray
Apartido 1779
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala, C.A.

Take care peeps. Lots of love.

let the adventure begin!

so...i have been here in akron, pa orienting for the last week. to follow up on my last post...i did in fact fall in love with just about everyone here, all for different reasons. :) and let me tell you it has been incredible but not easy. when you are surrounded by 130 unique people, all with their own story, it takes a lot of energy not only to get to know them but to share your own story. i will admit, although there wasn't much sleep to be had, it was all energy well spent. we have been saying goodbye since last night and will continue to do so throughout the day. i leave here in 30 minutes. which brings me to the next thing...I WILL FINALLY BE IN GUATEMALA TONIGHT!!! and to say the least, i am excited! it feels as though i am at yet another new beginning and if you know me well you know i love newness and change (despite the packing that is implied. :)) for the next couple of days we will be living in an mcc apartment and orienting to the mcc guatemala team. i can't wait to finally meet the our country reps and the rest of the people serving for mcc in guate! after our official orientation is done we will begin language study for a month, move in with host families and hopefully do some weekend tripping to near by hot spots.

well, there you have it...the brief overview of my next month. hope all is well with you where ever you are. <3

getting oriented...

hey all!

just a quick update. i am writing from akron, pa where i am with numerous other people getting ready to do service either here in the north america or across seas. there are people here from africa, asia, middle east, latin america, cananda and the united states. what an incredible mix it is! we are living with one another, eating with one another, learning from one another, laughing with one another, singing with one another and before long i can safely say we will be loving one another. it is amazing the kind of connection that can be discovered between people that are getting ready to put themselves into very vulnerable positions... what i have learned about myself it that i love this kind of setting more than anything else. where real people come together to be in real relationship. added benefit...we will all be able to be of support to one another and to relate in ways that only people who are sharing the same experience can. for this a am already grateful.

that being said...i am ready to be in guate already! :)

cheers,
erin

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

Hey Y'all-

So I'm not so sure about this whole blogging thing but I figured I'd give it a whirl. Update... t-minus 3 days 'til go time...

Stay tuned...

with love,
Erin