Salchichas y huevos

Last night Ericka and I had a good time making up great things to go with the "salchichas," which is a hot-dog-like sausage, that we've had a most meals...Salchichas and rice, salchichas and tortilla, salchichas and plantains, salchichas and cereal...haha. It was fun. :)

Today was day 2 of classes for us. At 8am every morning, all of us students meet at the school. We find our professor and each take our own corner in the school. For four and a half hours (with one half hour break...which I didn't take today, I decided to keep reading), we sit at a table with our prof and talk Spanish. Since I'm taking a literature class, I've been given a novel to read (La mujer habitada by Gioconda Belli, a Nicaraguan author), so our class has consisted of me reading aloud, and us talking about different literary devices used and words, concepts, and phrases that I don't understand. (Yesterday we talked about the difference between "peine" and "pene." Look it up if you're really curious.) I have learned so many new words already.

Today we also talked about my life back home. I told her about my brother Josh and his family, and she told me more about getting married in Guatemala. She found it very peculiar that my brother (who had no kids before marriage) married someone with two daughters. It was interesting. It was also interesting to tell her about my involvement in the church, because it's been widespread and when I told her I was "Christian," she insisted that I needed to be a more specific Christian, haha. I personally would rather just label myself a Christian at this point, but I told her that I was mostly involved with the Lutheran church. It was kinda weird talking about the ELCA's involvement in Latin America to a Guatemalan woman.

Overall my class is really good, and I'm already learning a lot. And my professor is very fun. :)

Please pray for my motivation as I read through this novel! It's quite a challenge to read in a different language. Pray for our continued adjustment to this culture. Also, please pray for Proyecto Linguistico Quetzalteco (PLQ), this school. It is a really great program, and just pray for its continued support and raising awareness for issues in past and present Guatemala.

For now, I gotta run! Vamos a un cafe de chocalate! :) Un abrazo.

Música!

(I wrote this last night. I just got the chance to post this online. This might happen frequently.)

The first thing I noticed when I entered the apartment of my host family was the music playing in the living room. I asked what it was and, sure enough, it was Christian music.(For those of you who don’t know, the music I mostly listen to is Christian rock.) About an hour later I heard a song I recognized, except in Spanish! It was great. And then a little while later I heard two other songs that I recognized, but in English! I asked my host mom if she understood the words, and she said no.I find it interesting that the radio station played both English and Spanish songs. I wonder how many people that listen to the station actually understand the English songs. Also, we went to an Arabic restaurant the other night with a live band, and they sang a few songs in English (including the song “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith). And just last night we visited a new restaurant/club that had a live band which played a couple songs in English. (It was a great folk band. We helped ourselves to some dancing, too. I discovered that I don´t have the ability to shimmy.) Many of the people there (including the band members) seemed to be of European descent, and I heard a few people speaking English. It seemed to be a popular place among international students and volunteers, or whoever all those light-skinned people were.

I absolutely love the city of Xela. It is the second largest city in Guatemala, but it doesn’t feel that big to me (until I climb a hill and see the whole city). Our school is near the central park, but the neighborhood feels safe and it’s strange to think that I am so near the hub of the city.  What I think I love most about Xela is that anywhere you look, you are surrounded by mountains/ large hills (I don’t know if they are all large enough to be called mountains, haha.) Today we decided to venture up one of those hills. Baúl caught our attention mostly because it’s right at the city limits and there is a small circular pavillion and cross near the top of it. So this afternoon, we headed east until we were headed out of the city, up the mountain. After about a half hour of climbing, we managed to stop a pickup and hop in the back of the truck and got a ride the rest of the way up (probably not very safe, but we found out that we had only walked about half way, and we were already exhausted). At the top we found a city park. It was so random, but so great. It had such a great view of the city.

I just had a great conversation with my host mom. We talked about my school, my involvement with ministries such as camp and church, and my family.  We also talked about her church and her work and her daughter’s school. Erica is the sweetest girl ever. Gloria and Erica live in an apartment about five blocks away from my school (it was fun hauling my 65-pound bag up three flights of stairs!) They also have a small dog named Blackie, who lives on the roof of the apartment building, and a 2-inch-in-diameter turtle named Luna (she’s so tiny!). They are both really great people, and I had a great time showing them some pictures on my computer.  I showed Gloria so many pictures—photos from concerts, my brother’s wedding, friends, and my trip to Haiti. It was so cool getting to share my life experiences with her through photos. I also played some songs for her off my iTunes. One of the first things that we discovered is our similar tastes in music (as noted above).  Erica came home as I was doing this, and I noticed that she was wearing a Jonas Brothers shirt. So I played a little JoBros for her. (I am proud to say that I have a lot of Jonas Brothers music in my iTunes.) Then I showed Erica some of the pictures and we talked about school.  Her favorite subject is English. She was looking at my books and noticed that I had a couple of Junie B. Jones books in Spanish, so she is borrowing one. It makes me happy because Junie B. Jones was my favorite thing to read back in second or third grade.

I keep being surprised at the amount of “American” influence there seems to be here. Many people speak English, and there are many signs in Spanish and English.  It isn’t an overwhelming amount, and now that I think about it, it could be compared to the US and the fact that many things are being presented in Spanish in addition to only English. Even my family’s choice of food is definitely similar to food in the states (today I had spaghetti, tonight some chopped up hotdogs mixed with eggs, and tomorrow morning I’ll probably have some Fruit Loops; and Erica’s favorite food is pizza…like most children in the states).  There are McDonald’s, Domino’s, Taco Bell’s, etc. The other day we found the “Walmart” of Guatemala (it was founded by Walmart even though it had a different name and none of the price tags or anything had the Walmart logo). I don’t know what you think of when you hear “Guatemala,” but in comparison to the US, I didn’t think it’d be so…similar. I didn’t expect McDonald’s or Fruit Loops. Of course, it is different.  There are just more similarities than I expected. This is the city, and I’m sure things will change once we head up to the villages this weekend and in a couple of weeks.

As I type this, I am sitting on my bed, listening to the sounds of the noisy street below me and Gloria and Erica in the next room working on some of Erica’s schoolwork. From tomorrow on, I will have schoolwork of my own.  We start classes tomorrow…!  I’ve been happy with the amount of Spanish I’ve been able to use with Gloria and Erica, and Gloria has even told me that my Spanish is advanced. So that has been encouraging as I am about to begin my class.  I am taking Latin American literature…I’m just hoping that my teacher speaks slowly and is patient with me! And that I don’t have too much reading to do each night…there are many parts of Xela that I have not experienced yet! ;)

Prayer requests: Gloria has an interview for a new job today (it’ll probably be over with when I finally get a chance to post this to my blog). Pray for guidance among the employers and within Gloria. Pray for us students as we begin classes! Also, pray for us students in our host families. I think everyone has been placed with some great families, but language is still a barrier for all of us, and many are struggling with homesickness. Pray for understanding (or at least appreciation) of this mixed, yet unique, culture. I am praying for you all back in the states—especially those beginning new semesters!

Please feel free to comment, and I welcome questions. Well, I am about to fall over—I am so tired from the climb. I hope to hear from you soon. Buenas noches!

Move-in Day Tomorrow!

On Facebook I've seen many of my friends with the status "Moving In!" or "Move-in Day!" Well, I'm not in a traditional university, but I guess you could call tomorrow my move-in day. Tomorrow we move in with our host families. I'll only be with a family until my Spanish study is done (the third week of September or so), but I'm very excited to stay with them! I have no idea what my family will be like. Tomorrow morning we will go to the language school and our families will come pick us up. I'm hoping my family is willing to answer my questions and help me improve my Spanish! I also hope they talk slowly. :)

Yesterday we visited the language school where we will be studying this month. It's a really sweet place. The building has a library, courtyard area, small kitchen, internet cafe, and many other table spaces. Each day we will spend about 4 and a half hours one-on-one with a professor. I'm taking a Latin American literature course. Every day the school also hosts other activities, such as movies and seminars. I really loved the space, and the people there seem very kind. I hope to spend a lot of time there. (I loved the library...however there was a "SILENCIO" sign...I guess I cannot be as loud as I usually am in the Augie library! Maybe I won't get "shh"-ed, but just dirty looks.)

I don't know if I've shared much about the history of Guatemala. The past few days I have learned so much about this country, its people, and what has happened in just the last 60 years. We watched an amazing and moving documentary yesterday called "Voz de la Montana" or "Voice of a Mountain." It really taught me not only a lot about the circumstances surrounding the civil war, but also what life was like for a Guatemalan village before, during, after the rebellion. I highly encourage you to check it out. You can watch the documentary on the website (www.voiceofamoutain.com) but it hasn't been working for me, but you can also find the documentary on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDvmG1k9T8). I'm learning that everything in Guatemalan needs to be examined within the context of its history (like everywhere else).  I am blown away by the fact that the violence--the genocide--occurred on these very streets just a few decades ago.

We've had more free time to explore Xela these past few days. It is such a great city. We did a socio-economic survey yesterday, where we were given the amount of money that a Guatemalan on minimum wage would earn in a day (50 quetzales...about $7 in the US). We divided ourselves into four groups, each taking a different aspect of what a Guatemalan would have to purchase--food, clothing, health care, and school supplies. I was with the school supply group (of course!). We visited a few librerias (Guatemalan style Office Max or Staples) and talked with the employees. We bought just the essential school supplies--a notebook, pen, pencil, eraser, and pencil sharpener. They only cost about 19Q, but the price of public school is 300Q a month and a school uniform costs at least 145Q.  Just the price for tuition would cost one-fifth of your monthly income. And school seemed reasonably cheap compared to health care. (Simple cold meds were reasonably priced, but I paid 371Q for my ear medications, and my doctor call cost 40Q...so depending on your illness, it can get pretty pricey.) I think my favorite part of the survey was talking with the employees. They were very helpful and seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm for office supplies. :) Also, when we were asking the prices of some backpacks, we asked about school uniforms and ended up talking with a young man who was either a current student or former student. It was cool to get the perspective of an actual student. It was also interesting that even after the shopkeepers realized we weren't going to buy anything (backpacks cost 40-60Q...too much for our budget), they were still very helpful and willing to answer our questions. They were very kind people. It was fun.

The food here has been SO good. We've been having breakfast at the hotel every morning, and it's been great mixtures of eggs, beans, fried plantains, and oatmeal. I also tried Indian food for the first time Thursday night! It was very tasty...a tad too spicy for me, but I enjoyed it and our group had a blast. Last night we tried Mediterranean food. That was good, too. Soon we are off to eat some lunch--Italian food today! :)

I'd appreciate some prayers as we begin our family stays. I'm kinda nervous about the language differences, but also excited to practice my Spanish. Also pray for us as we begin classes on Monday!

I gotta run! Thanks so much for reading! I will do my best to get some pictures up soon. Y a los estudiantes que estan empezando las clases--BUENA SUERTE! :)

"What happens to someone when they cannot say what they have lived?"

I don't know where to begin.

I've only been in Guatemala for two days, but I can already feel the pain and see the beauty of this country in ways I never expected. We haven't been able to "see" a whole lot of the cities, just what we've driven past. Except in Guatemala City...! We did see the national palace, the national cathedral, and the congress building, all of which were fascinating! Especially the cathedral--I always find it interesting to walk through a place of worship as though it were a museum. But there is so much history in just that small area of the city! And it was very interesting to hear about how Guatemala's government works. We had a 4-hour van ride from Antigua to Quetzaltenango (Xela) today that allowed us to see some of the BEAUTIFUL landscape here in Guatemala, along with things such as roads that have literally fallen off cliffs and rivers running through the streets (from constant rain).  We've been spending most of our time visiting with various people that work with different groups and who have informed us about their own experiences in a post-war society.

I shouldn't spend much time on here blogging (I have an ear infection I'm attempting to heal), but I want to focus on the time we spent with two of our speakers. Both men gave me a new way of looking at the role of religion and post-war society in general. A few things they said that I'd like to share:

..."Alcohol is so popular in Guatemala because of all the pain...it's kinda why there are so many churches, too." ...I'm learning that the term "Church" means something way different here in Guatemala than in the states...or does it? The two men shared with us their experiences with the church during a time of conflict, extreme violence, and loss. So many Guatemalans in their time of need got just what they needed to make the pain go away for a little while--someone to say "God will help you" or tell them Christ will take care of their crisis. But what good are these words if there is no heart, no action, no recognition of a person's BEING-ness? There was (and is) a lack of recognizing that every person is a human being. Is the church a place to come and find hope? Or a place to tell you that Christ will take care of your crisis and you'll be fine? Is the church a place in which to find acceptance? Or to tell someone "blessed are those who are poor..." and make them feel content about living in poverty when they are struggling to survive?

..."What happens to someone when they cannot say what they have lived?" ...Post-war symptoms are common among many people who have been involved in a war. The most prevalent in Guatemala (according to one of our speakers) seems to be the inability to simply share and talk about what they have experienced. A woman loses 6 children due to violence, but has no one to listen to her mourn. Politicians won't listen. Those against the government won't listen. If no one is listening, then how will things change?

...There are two parts to Guatemala's society: those who stand around and say nothing, and those who will shoot someone within two minutes.


Heavy stuff, huh? And I've only been here two days.

We are spending the next three nights here in Quetzaltenango. Since we had a 4-hour trip here, we students had the chance to get to know each other a bit more and just hang out and enjoy the Guatemalan scenery (and winding mountain) roads together. I think we are at about 7700 feet elevation right now. It's a bit chillier...we were all in jackets tonight at supper. The food has been great! I've been eating a lot of chicken. :) We had a great meeting tonight sharing our hopes for the group and ways to make this semester a great experience for us all. We formed what I would call a "covenant" (like at camp!)--a list of promises or goals that we will try our best to maintain throughout the semester. Then a group of us played five or six rockin' rounds of Mafia! So fun. :) I died...multiple times. I was the bad guy once and the townspeople detected me right away...so I was a pretty short-lived Mafia member. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll teach you how to play the game sometime. :)

I'm excited for when we will have a chance to explore Xela a bit more. It seems like a great city.

I ask you to keep in your prayers the speakers and other people who are willing to visit with us and for my understanding and exploration of what they have to share with us. As you can see from my ramblings above, I have a lot to digest already. I hope and pray that from these experiences that I continue to be fascinated, awed, dumbfounded, frustrated, moved, and even confused. Pray for our staff as they determine our host family placements (which begin next week!). Pray for our staff in general--SUPER great people. One of which hooked me up with a great doctor and helped me out at the pharmacy. :) Which leads me to...please pray for my ear infection. It is, in fact, an infection in my inner ear. It was pretty serious yesterday (I almost feel over at the congress building...no big deal. :P), but the pain has lessened and I haven't been dizzy much today. I have some meds, and I hope they heal me soon! Pray for our group as we continue to get to know each other and grow as a community.

Dios les bendigo a Uds.

Estoy AQUI!

For those of you non-Spanish speakers...I AM HERE!! I am safely in Guatemala City. Just thought I'd give a quick update. The flights were fine...only one delay (I was supposed to arrive here 2 hours before I actually did, haha...luckily I wasn't the only student with this program on the flight). Now I'm gonna hit the sack cus the flights are taking a toll on my body. :( I feel feverish, my stomach is upset, and my left ear is giving me pain and I cannot hear out of it. Soo...please pray for my health (and this all happened before I even got to Central America!) I'm so excited to begin tomorrow! I've met most of the other students (those not in bed yet, haha) and everyone seems great. Seems like a pretty outgoing group...which I'm excited for. :) Abrazos por todo.

In 24 hours I'll be in Guatemala City...!

I cannot begin to tell you how nervous I am right now! And I'm not the type to get anxious about traveling. Today has been a tad frustrating...found out that my flight back home in December is wrong (thank God it's not tomorrow's flight!), been trying to keep my suitcase at a carry-able weight since we'll be moving around so much (my mom says I'm gonna come back with oober buff arms from hauling my suitcase everywhere), and missing a few items that I swore I had when I started packing two weeks ago...and my ear has been giving me trouble all weekend. Wow, I'm complaining a lot. But besides those things, I'm feeling all right about leaving tomorrow. :P I am very excited! My goal as I begin this journey is to be open--in mind, heart, lifestyle, and with people. I can't wait to meet the other students that will be traveling with me during the program, and I'm excited to finally use my spanish a lot! I hope and pray that I am confident in my language skills and learn to use it more fluently.

One thing I want to make clear for whoever ends up reading this: my time in Central America is not a mission trip. At least not in the context that most people think of "mission trips"--I think "mission work" can and should be done anywhere you are, but my presence in Central America is not "to help," it is to learn. I hope that during my time there I can shine God's light to everyone I come across, and that is a mission for my life always. My role in CA is as a student. If what I learn inspires me to return to "help," that would be wonderful. For now, I am an eager US student willing and excited to learn about life and the people of Central America.

Tomorrow at 10:35am I will be flying out of Sioux Falls, on to Chicago, and then to Miami to Guatemala City. I'll meet up with the rest of the group at the Guatemala City airport. There are 13 (I think?) students total studying with this program this semester. Our group consists of college students from all over the US. The Center for Global Education has full-time staff down in Central America with whom we'll be studying. Our first couple of days will consist of orientation in Guatemala City, then we'll travel to Quetzaltenango to begin our Spanish language studies. Our academic focus in Guatemala will be learning Spanish and about the culture...in more of a general spectrum I believe.

So as I leave, I'm feeling very anxious...both in an excited and nervous way. I know I will miss everyone here very much, but I am so excited to meet new people and form new relationships with the other students, faculty, families, and everyone else that will be a part of this program. And besides, it's only three and a half months. ;) I have been told that by the time December rolls around, I will not want to leave CA. I'm hoping this is true.

Ways you can pray for me (I'll put this at the end of my blogs...but trust me, it's difficult for me to ask for prayer support for myself...haha): Peace of mind with being away from loved ones, safe travels, good dynamics as our group meets and forms, and confidence in myself and my Spanish.

Thanks for reading. I will post on here as often as I can. :)