Being Los Padrinos

I started writing this and then life happened! This was from the beginning of December 2012. The school year here culminates the end of November/beginning of December. Although it’s late I still think it is worth sharing about this experience…

A couple weeks ago on a Friday night I ran into my Guatemalan boss, Sandra, in the Dispensa Familiar’s (the Guatemalan equivalent of Walmart) parking lot. She said there was something she had been meaning to talk to me about and please forgive her for talking to me here- in the parking lot, but… I was thinking “Oh my gosh! Am I being fired or something? In the parking lot of the Dispensa!?”. Haha. Sometimes Guatemalans crack me up. She ended up asking me if Dan and I would be willing to be the padrinos for an upcoming graduation ceremony.

At Mayan Families we use the words padrino (for a man) and madrina (for a woman) to refer to the children’s sponsors. Literally, the words translate as godfather and godmother (the plural los padrinos means godparents). The goal is for each student to have a padrino or madrina so they can continue studying year after year. Some very lucky students get the chance to meet their sponsor if s/he comes to visit, but it’s oftentimes luck of the draw.

Although Dan and I work full time in the Education/Student Sponsorship Program we are not sponsors so I was a little confused as to exactly why Sandra was asking us. Even though I didn’t fully get it I figured that it was an honor to be asked so I immediately said yes (without even checking with Dan. Whoops!). The following Monday I discovered that each of Mayan Families’ seven Preschool Nutritional Centers would be having a graduation ceremony for the students moving on from Preschool to Kindergarten in 2013 (as mentioned above the school year here runs January- November). Now if you don’t already know this you should know that Guatemalans love parties! They love parades and really any reason to celebrate so it should have not surprised me that they would have an incredibly formal graduation ceremony for preschoolers.

All the kiddos waiting for their diplomas

Dan and I were asked to be the padrinos for the Mayan Families Preschool graduation here in Panajachel- the town where we live and where Mayan Families is located. We were asked to dress in our finest attire and arrive around 8:30 am to the preschool. On the day of the graduation we walked in and I quickly observed that all of the little ones were decked out in full caps and gowns. And wait, what was that? A wall covered in cut out metallic letters SPELLING OUT OUR NAMES! Lol. Here is a pic in case you don’t believe me! ;)

The backdrop of the graduation ceremony- HANDMADE by the teachers!

I eventually figured out that even though we are not officially sponsors we were acting as representatives for all of the sponsors who for obvious reasons could not be there. We had a pretty big role in the ceremony. We had to walk in with the students in a procession then we sat on opposite ends of the stage until it was time to give out the diplomas. We did that together hugging each student, congratulating him/her, then taking a bunch of photos with him/her. (My cheeks hurt so bad afterwards from smiling so much!!!) We also gave each student a present which included a stuffed animal and big piece of candy- another photo opp. So many photos! Also included in the ceremony was listening to the Guatemalan anthem (twice! It is the longest anthem ever. See here if you don’t believe me), said the Guatemalan pledge of allegiance (well Dan and I listened) and my favorite part- gave our awesome commencement speeches. Yes, we had to give speeches in Spanish in front of all the students, parents, teachers, and other Mayan Families representatives (the director, our Guatemalan boss, etc.)! Too bad I don’t have a video of it. ;) I thought they were pretty inspiring until I heard the Guatemalans’ speeches which were way better. I think we did pretty well though for being extranjeros!

After the ceremony we took some more photos and were served a delicious typical lunch. Oh and I cannot forget that we were thanked during the ceremony and given really sweet presents of traditional fabric woven on a back strap loom!

After the ceremony with our presents

All in all, it was a special, memorable experience and even though I had to chuckle a few times at the formality of it all, it was really sweet of them to ask us to be the sponsors. I hope this is the beginning of a lifetime of learning for all of the students that graduated! :)

If you’re interested in sponsoring a student please see here. I am particularly working hard on trying to find sponsors for University students. If we do not find sponsors for these students in the next week or so they will not be able to study this year. For more info please email me at rachel[at]mayanfamilies[dot]org or my personal email address. Thanks!

A Heavy Heart

First of all, we have been in contact with most of our loved ones, but I just want to let everyone know that we arrived back in Guatemala safely. Everything went smoothly, but it was very difficult to say goodbye to our friends and especially our family. Maybe at a later date we will share more about our trip home and how it was wonderful, but also difficult. For now, I just want to say thank you so very much for your prayers! We are safe and sound back in our home here in Pana AND reunited with our adorable puppy! :-)

The past couple weeks Dan and I have been trying to adjust back to life in Guatemala. I have to say that for me it has been kind of tough. While I am grateful to have a job and to live in a beautiful place I am seeing more and more the challenges of life here. There are many frustrations within the organization I work for and coming back into them has been hard. The co-worker I am closest with and also the only other Christian in my office is leaving at the end of July. I know it will be hard without her. One of the biggest challenges of returning and going back to my job has been the heaviness of each day. On any given day I interact with many different people- not only my co-workers (foreigners and indigenous Guatemalans), but also indigenous Guatemalan women, children, and families. Everyday my co-workers and I hear stories of families without food and shelter, stories of death, abuse, and oppression. It can be a lot to handle and coming back into this environment after spending two weeks relaxing, having fun, and eating delicious food has been a culture shock of sorts.

While I was home a couple friends asked about Dominga- a 50 year old woman who was dying of cancer and came to our office asking for help. In May I sent an email out to my whole network of family and friends asking for donations and support through prayer. I am happy to report that Dominga had the much-needed surgery we were fundraising for. You can read about it here. (If you didn't get my email and want to read the original story please go here.)

Dominga after her life-saving surgery 

I rejoice that Dominga got the surgery and is recovering, but there are so many other people in need that it's hard not to be overwhelmed. Just this week I visited an extremely poor family during a sponsor visit. I was struggling to hold back tears as I informed the sponsor that the dark, cold, 10 X 7 foot room was the family's home. For this single mother with three young children this small space was her kitchen, her bedroom, and her storage. It was hard for me to not sob as I translated to the sponsor that the woman and her children sleep every night on the cold mud floor and that when it rains water enters the house. (We are now in the rainy season so it rains daily.)

This week I also learned that my Guatemalan co-worker's uncle is dying. I won't go into great detail, but you can read my friend, Jenny's, blog post about it here. It is tragic when anyone dies, but it is especially difficult when someone dies from something preventable and treatable. Please pray for Rodrigo, his family and for my co-worker, Elisa. We sit right next to each other and she is one of the few Guatemalans I have been able to form some sort of friendship with here. If you are able to support her family during this extremely difficult time I know they would be grateful. As the blog post says Rodrigo is extremely concerned about his family and specifically asked Jenny for food for them- it was his last request.

All this to say that my heart is heavy. It is hard feeling useless in the face of such extreme poverty. I want to have care and concern for these families. I want to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. But I also struggle to find balance. I realize that when I come home I need to relax and disengage, but I can't help but think of the family with nothing to eat sleeping on the ground while I lounge on my cushy bed eating popcorn and surfing the Internet. The differences between their lives and mine are oh so great. I think those of you who have done work among the poor whether in the US or abroad will relate with what I am saying- the differences, the heaviness, etc. Hopefully it makes some sense. I welcome your thoughts and would also appreciate your prayers as Dan and I process our time here and begin to think, dream and pray about what's next.

Thank you for reading!

Gearing up for Holy Week!

Here in Guatemala Semana Santa- Holy Week is a HUGE holiday. It's even bigger than Christmas. Most people (Guatemalans and foreigners alike) have off the entire week and use the time to travel, visit family, etc. Hordes of people go to the town of Antigua because it is famous for its processions and alfombras- carpets made on the street of flowers, plants, and colored saw dust. They are absolutely beautiful! Dan and I are hoping to go see some later this week. I think it's worth facing the crowds because they are truly beautiful.

An alfombra illustrating Mayan culture

Word on the street is that many people come to Pana since it is a popular vacation spot. I hear it's like a week long party so I am bracing myself for loads of drunk people on the streets. Kind of sad since it's suppossed to be a week reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice, but at least it's good business for the restaurants and all the street vendors.

This week will probably be crazy for us at Mayan Families. We are handing out over 500 Easter baskets to our clients which have been donated by various donors. This will be my first time distributing baskets (they also give Christmas and Mother's Day baskets), but I hear it is CRAZY! Please pray that things go smoothly and safely.

The past two weeks I have spent a lot of time outside of the office working with groups of short-term volunteers (usually a week or two). First, it was a group of high school students from St. Louis. Last week it was a group of adults from a church in Southern Indiana. Although being with groups can be exhausting (translating, answering 2 million questions, coordinating transportation), I truly enjoy helping them learn about Guatemala and being a type of bridge- connecting them and the local people. I participated in building some fuel efficient stoves with the first group. The group from Indiana visited some of Mayan Families' pre-schools and sang songs with the kids. All of the pre-school students are adorable! Also, they visited our Elderly Feeding Program. Here are some pics below. Also, I am working on creating a separate site that will be exclusively for sharing our photos with family and friends. Stay tuned!

Happy Semana Santa! May you find time to reflect on this special season and on Jesus' ultimate sacrifice- He died so that we may live. Amen.

Erika- one of our sponsored students & one of my favorites :)

The St. Louis group brought coloring books for all of the kids.

What a cutie!

Singing a song with kids in our San Jorge Pre-school

The little boy in front is named Mariceo & is so cuddly.
He's adorable!

One of the elderly women in our feeding program.
This is Doña Gregoria.

Waiting to sing some songs w/ the gringos. 

Pure joy 

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Holding on to Faith

God’s been teaching me a lot about faith lately. I have been trying to have faith and to trust, but as you may know all too well it’s easier said than done. I have been trying to have faith that God will provide a job for me. That I have skills and knowledge to offer the development world (after a ton of interviews followed by rejection emails one starts doubting this). That coming to Bolivia was a good decision even though it has been filled with a lot of unanticipated challenges. I have been trying to have faith that God has a plan for Daniel and me. That even though some days we feel discouraged, something will work out. In true God fashion God really pushed me to my waiting and trusting limits recently. In the last week or so I found myself struggling to hold onto faith, hope and trust. During these difficult days I found myself clinging to Psalm 46 and taking comfort in it. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble… There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God… God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. –Psalm 46:1, 4, 5. I also found comfort in knowing that lots of people were lifting Dan and I up in prayer and from encouraging emails from friends. Thank you for that.

So, after weeks of searching, applying for jobs, completing interviews, and most of all, waiting, we have some exciting news to share. I have accepted a job with Mayan Families, an NGO working in Panajachel, Guatemala. As you may recall, in 2008-2009 I lived in Guatemala and worked as a volunteer with Mennonite Central Committee. I lived in Santiago Atitlan which is located on majestic Lake Atitlan. Panajachel is very close to Santiago, situated on the opposite side of the lake. It takes about 20 minutes to cross the lake via lancha (small motor boat). Needless to say, I am thrilled about returning to the Lake Atitlan region. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, the people and culture hold a special place in my heart. Since Dan came to visit me twice which I was living in Guatemala, he is familiar with the area too and very excited to be returning. I will be working as the Education Coordinator overseeing Mayan Families’ child school sponsorship program. They have almost 2,000 children sponsored so I am sure there will a ton for me to do. I will be working alongside another woman who I think is American. We spoke via Skype and she seems really nice. Most of the other employees at Mayan Families are indigenous, Guatemalan people- mainly women. I have committed to a one year contract with them. Dan hopes to attend language school (if it is financially feasible) and to find work either part-time or full-time. There is certainly a lot that still needs to fall into place (finding an affordable place to live, Dan finding work, etc.), but we are hopeful that things will come together after we arrive. We feel sure that living in Guatemala will be a better fit for us and believe it will be a better situation for us financially and emotionally. We feel peaceful about the change and it feels great to be returning to a country we know and love.

The hard part of this exciting news is that we will be moving directly to Guatemala. Although we planned on coming back to the States for a short visit, it didn’t work out the way we had hoped. While I was so excited to see familiar faces and indulge in all the things I have been missing (sushi, Greek yogurt, and a washing machine to name a few), we have to accept that it just didn’t work out. We were initially filled with a ton of sadness regarding this, but as the days have gone on we have started to feel better about it. Thankfully, our friends and family have been really understanding. And hey, this is just one more reason to have visitors, right? :) We hope to make a trip back to the U.S. at the end of May/beginning of June for some important family and friend events. We will try to make the rounds and see everyone then. For now, we’d appreciate your prayers as we begin to pack up and prepare for our new adventure in Guatemala. 

Thank you and much love to you all.

-Rachel & Daniel 

A shot of beautiful Lake Atitlan