Don't Eat the Potato Salad & Photos

I learned a valuable lesson this week: don't eat the potato salad (in Guatemala). In fact, don't eat any type of salad made with mayonnaise. Why? you ask. It's simple. Refrigerators are not common here so oftentimes when food is made it sits for hours before being eaten. This is generally, not a huge problem, but does become problematic when things like mayo are involved.

This past week I was asked by my boss to go to a lunch at a local school. Even though I didn't really want to go I felt obligated. She couldn't go so she asked me to go in her place. I had the passing thought that maybe I should find a way out of it since my stomach is so dang sensitive, but I couldn't really think of a good reason (other than "hey, my stomach is really sensitive...") so I went. Oh how I wish she would've given me the above advice before I attended the lunch. Yes friends, I am sick once again. Did I mention that I just finished another round of Cipro (a very strong antibiotic) last weekend!?! To give you a little glimpse into my world I'd like to explain exactly what Dan and I do to stay healthy and avoid getting sick when it comes to food and beverages....

First off, we only drink filtered water. We have a water filter that we have to clean manually once a week. We received it from Mayan Families and it is awesome because it saves us a lot of money since the alternative is buying purified water. That can get very pricey. BUT when I am not at home I almost always drink purified water which luckily, we have at my office. There are times when I make an exception and drink filtered water, but only if I am at someone's home where I feel 100% confident that they clean their filter regularly and properly. There is a very specific way to clean it and just seeing that someone has a filter does not ensure that the water is safe to drink. At least not for me. 

Next, Dan and I sanitize all of our fruits, fresh herbs, and vegetables. What does this involve? It means that every time we go to the market we bring home everything and take turns putting it in a special sanitizing solution- filtered water plus disinfectant (a liquid solution we buy at the grocery store). It takes a while to clean every single thing we buy, but we do it. The only exceptions are things with peels like avocados and bananas. Even if we get something from the local grocery store that says it has been washed I sanitize it to be 100% sure.

On my 26th Bday w/ my FUNFETTI cake
{made by my wonderful husband}

Last, but not least, we are EXTREMELY careful about what and where we eat. This means absolutely NO eating on the street. There are tons of little food stands that sell tacos, french fries, ceviche, etc. Some people swear by them because they are so cheap, but honestly, most foreigners get sick anytime they eat from them. Even if the workers try to be clean there really is nowhere for them to wash their hands, dishes, or utensils so even if what you consume is delicious, it is almost certainly not sanitary.  

Each time I get sick I get more and more strict about what I will and will not eat. In the beginning I was a little more relaxed about it. I would buy snacks from the local woman who sells in front of our office. Oftentimes, people say "if it's cooked it's ok" with the idea that the germs/bacteria/etc. are cooked off. Well, I have news for you. That is not always true. I am at the point now where I really avoid eating things while I am out unless I am at one of the few restaurants where I am sure I will not get sick from their food. I don't buy homemade ice cream or chocofrut (fresh fruit covered in chocolate) for fear that the utensils used or the hands serving it are not clean. Even at bars I will not order a mixed drink like a mojito unless I am sure that they sanitize the mint that they use.

This all may sound a little extreme and maybe it is, but you have to understand that I have been extremely sick FOUR TIMES in less than 4 months! I have been to the doctor and taken extremely strong antibiotics four times. Sometimes when I tell people here (foreigners) that I don't want to eat something for fear of it making me sick I feel really judged. Whether they say it directly or indirectly it's something like "Oh come on. Lighten up!". I am at the point now where I figure everyone has their own prerogative. Everyone's body is different and some people are just fine drinking questionable water and food off the street. And if you want to do that it's fine with me. I am not going to criticize someone for their choices so I hope others will not criticize me. Trust me when I say I have a very sensitive stomach and that I have to be really, really careful about what I eat.

I didn't mean for this to be a venting session, but I guess that is what it became. I just wanted to explain why I am frustrated that I am sick yet again when I really try to take precautions against getting sick... I'd appreciate your prayers as we are traveling home 11 days from today and the last thing I want is to be ill while we are in the States. As my friend mentioned to me today it takes a while to get over these stomach issues- oftentimes a week or longer which is another reason why I am bummed out about being sick right now. Please keep me in your prayers and I will keep you posted!

On a happier note I was looking for a platform (other than Facebook) to share photos and I stumbled across Shutterfly's personal sites. I would like to start posting photos on there instead of Facebook because it is a bit more personalized and private. Please click this link if you want to check it out. You have to create a Shutterfly account (if you don't have one). Then, you have to send me a request to see the site. Once I approve you you'll be able to log in and see the photos. It all takes less than 5minutes so please check it out and let me know what you think! I have posted one album so far- my 26th Birthday.  :)

A sneak preview of photos from our new site!

Thanks for reading & have a great week! :) We look forward to seeing many of you so very soon!

Comparisions

 I wrote this on Sunday- Mother's Day. Hence, why it says "this weekend".

As I was browsing through Facebook this weekend I had a realization... this weekend is full of celebrations. Not only is it Mother's Day it's officially spring and the world is full of graduations, weddings, and other joyous events. As I scrolled through my newsfeed I saw former classmates graduating as doctors and lawyers,  others (young-ins) finishing their undergrad degrees, friends becoming parents,  and others becoming homeowners. It's exciting and a little bit terrifying. Now don't get me wrong, I am very happy with life these days. I really am. But, I suffer from a problem that I am gonna guess many others suffer from too- I compare. I compare myself to others. And to be 100% honest when I see friends having babies and buying houses I think "Oh God. Is that what we should be doing too?". Even though I know it's not. At least not now.

I am learning many things here in Guatemala and one of them is to be present. I feel like this saying has kind of become a cliche lately, but hey I am using it anyway. And I mean it. Dan and I are going home in less than 3 weeks. We haven't been home since we left for Bolivia in October... it has been nearly 7 months and yes, while in the grand scheme of things that isn't that long, it sure is long when you are newly married and in a completely new stage of life having your first long-term international experience together. So needless to say, I am looking forward to going home SO much! I even have a Word document listing things that I want to bring back from the U.S. {but don't worry I am MOST excited about seeing my family and friends. Although food is a close second ;-) } Anyways, I am counting down the days until we leave. It's something that's always in the back of my mind especially since May is a really full, busy month for us. I am realizing though that while it's fine to be excited I also need to focus on the now. I need to do my job and love the people around me and take it one day at a time.

This lesson about being in the here and now and not living in the future doesn't just apply to going home it is useful for the long-term too. People have already begun asking us what's next when our year here is up and although I like to dream about the answer sometimes, the honest truth is that we have no clue. And although I would love for the heavens to open up and give us a sign I would bet on not knowing until January 2013 gets a heck of a lot closer.

I have friends that are professionals, friends that are mothers and fathers, friends that are homeowners, friends that are travelers. There are those that have it all together (or at least seem to) and those that are still exploring and figuring things out. I have to remember, we have to remember, that for now God called us to Panajachel, Guatemala. He opened this door nice and wide and He has been providing for us in so many ways. We have to trust that He will continue to do so. I pray that God would continue to use us as we try to figure things out, but more importantly, as we rest in the peace of knowing we are where we are supposed to be. Even though at times we struggle to understand why we are in this unique, sometimes awesome and sometimes awful town we have to trust that this is the right place for us. At least for now...

Family Portrait {Lucia is wayyy bigger now!}

Our Casa

I realized recently that I took photos of our home forever ago, but I never posted them! So without further delay, here they are. :)

Our little sitting area

Our bedroom. I love the huipile!
(Got it at a local used market)

Where Dan cooks us delicious meals
(This is pre-haircut. He looks a lot less shaggy now!)

We are very lucky to have an oven. A lot of people here (and I am talking about foreigners) do not have that luxury. I always joke with my co-workers that if they want to bake cookies they should come on over! 

Where we share our meals
& store our clothes- the wardrobe in the back.

Lucia's little sleeping area & a huipile from Santiago

I don't know if you can really tell in these photos, but our house is one main room- the sitting area, kitchen, dining area, and Lucia's sleeping spot are all connected. Our bedroom, spare bedroom, & bathroom connect to the main room. It's pretty small, but big enough for us. :) 

Our spare bedroom. Guests are welcome anytime!  ;)

Our lil' patio area

View from our patio- the stream & the river

While I am on the subject of HOME, Dan and I want to say a very belated thank you to our parents (both the Schmitzs & Katyls) for sending us AWESOME care packages back in March. Both huge boxes arrived on the same day and it was pretty much like Christmas. We were shrieking with joy as we pulled items out one at a time. Thank you SO MUCH for your thoughtfulness! :) And yes, I think we have eaten almost everything you sent. Is that sad? Haha.

With all of our A-mazing goodies!

Almonds AND pistachios!?!

Flowers here are available for a fraction of what they would cost in the US. I am loving these flowers I got last week for less than $2! And my new tablecloth- it's material worn traditionally as a skirt (corte). It's so vibrant & peppy. The textiles here are truly beautiful & most of them are handmade- everything from dying the threads to the weaving to embroidery often completed by hand.

Hope you enjoyed this lil' "tour" of sorts! Dan sends greetings to everyone. He has been super busy teaching, working at the restaurant, and learning Spanish. PLUS, he is leading a small group/Bible study that we formed a few weeks ago and filling in for our pastor while he is in the States. You can say a prayer for him- he starts preaching tomorrow! Also, the school where he teaches is performing "Much Ado About Nothing" this weekend and guess who is a main character? Yes, that's right. My husband :) Pictures to follow!

This one time in the mountains of Guatemala...

Hi Friends! I wrote this right after our trip two weeks ago, but was a little slow in posting it. Enjoy!

Friday, April 20th 4:45 am
The alarm clock went off. The sun had yet to rise. With only a couple hours of sleep Daniel and I dragged ourselves out of bed. We quickly got ready brushing our teeth and grabbing our bags. Hey at 5 am you're not worrying so much about how you look! Our plan was to catch a 6:00 am bus, but at such an early hour there are no tuk-tuks (taxis). So there we were at 5:15 am trudging through our pueblo with our backpacks. Thankfully, the bus was there and left on time. (Here bus schedules are pretty sporadic.) After a 3 hour ride full of bumps and curves (thank God for Dramamine!) we arrived in Xela (aka Quetzaltenango). We jumped in a taxi and got breakfast with a new friend. It was lovely minus my intense cold. Unfortunately, I was super congested all weekend and had to make a roll of toilet paper my #1 accessory.

Another hour and a half bus ride and we arrived in San Marcos where we met up with my friend and our guide for the weekend, Nate. We also met a friend of Nate's, Ann, who would be joining us for the weekend. After grabbing a quick bite to eat we were off again. We took another bus ride (a little over an hour I think) to Malacatan. Then, we took a taxi to the border of Guatemala and Mexico. After passing through immigration on both sides we took a short micro (minivan) ride to Cacahoatan. Next was another micro ride to Union Juarez. At this point, I was officially exhausted and the micro ride was anything but smooth. (For those of you that don't know, bus rides here are notoriously awful. There is no way around it with such curvy roads full of potholes.) Little did I know what was coming up- a 45 minute hike in the dark to the town where we'd be staying! I do not jest. How I made it up the mountain I really do not know. Did I mention that we had been traveling for 12+ hours at this point, that I was drugged up on Dramamine, that I was not really wearing hiking clothes or shoes, and oh yeah, that we were carrying our bags!?! And you all know that I am not much of a light packer. Haha. Despite how horrible the journey sounds it was not that bad. Just exhausting. Needless to say I went to bed at 9 pm on Friday night.

With our fearless leader & good friend- Nate :)

Saturday was our HIKING day. Woohoo!!! I definitely had my hesitations considering my last Guatemalan hiking experience (commonly referred to in my storytelling as "The Hike from Hell") and I even considered bailing because I was pretty sick, but after my hubby and Nate encouraged me to go I decided I would. The advantage to this day was that we didn't have our packs with us. Nate warned me that the first part of the hike was "pretty steep". Uh yeah, UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR! I wish I had photos to show you the incline, but I was focusing on not keeling over. Let's suffice it to say that we were pretty much rock climbing up the mountain. Lol!

The steep part on the way down. Nate & Ann taking a rest.

Thankfully, that truly was the hardest part. Once we made it up that part we were hiking on a ridge that had some ups and downs, but nothing as crazy. We hiked for 4 hours or so until we got to a village. We randomly ran into a woman Nate knew while we were hiking (funny since we were in the middle of isolated mountains) and ended up going to her home for lunch. Nate has been working in the region for over four years with Mennonite Central Committee so it was fun meeting people through him. He is well loved by the community! By the time night was falling we made it back to Juan Pablo's- our host for the weekend. We received a serious treat- going into a temascal (traditional Mayan sauna). It was A-mazing for my tired muscles and congestion, BUT the intense heat almost made me pass out. Thankfully, our awesome host, Juan Pablo, was there when I was exiting and kept me from falling over. Lol! We truly enjoyed getting to know him and his sweet family especially his grandson, Freddy- one of the cutest children I have ever met. He was so lovable! They also had a newborn puppy that was precious. :) As I have been so many times before, I was amazed by the wonderful hospitality in this country!

Juan Pablo's granddaughter & adorable puppy

View from Juan Pablo's house. So GREEN!

Our gracious hosts- Juan Pablo & Nate

We wish we could have stayed longer, but on Sunday we had to complete the same journey as Friday, but in reverse! Poor Ann had the awful luck of sitting next to a little girl on our first micro who was throwing up the whole time :( But other than that things went smoothly. We even scored some NUTELLA at a Mexican grocery store! Woohoo! (Oh the little things in life. ;) ) Thankfully, going through immigration went smoothly.

The only bummer was that we were not able to get a direct bus from Xela to Pana so we had to take three buses instead. That makes 5 buses, 2 micros, 1 taxi, and 45 minutes of hiking just to get home! Haha.

A big THANK YOU to our wonderful host, Nate. It was a great trip and we truly enjoyed getting out of Pana and enjoying some of God's creation! :) Thanks for your prayers. We are glad to be back home safe and sound and to be with our puppy again! :)

Juan Pablo's home

Dan & Freddy acting silly

A Lil' Recap

Friends and fam, please forgive us for the lack of posting. We went away for Semana Santa (Holy Week) and it feels like ever since we returned life has been in fast forward. Our trip to Antigua was truly lovely. We saw lots of beautiful and intricate alfombras (carpets) and many processions. We were blessed with *free* accommodation and were able to splurge a little on some delicious meals. Overall, it was a restorative time and a nice change of pace. We made it back in time to enjoy an Easter meal on Sunday and to spend some time reflecting and resting.

One of many alfombras we got to see :)

SUSHI!?!?

An alfombra on Antigua's famous arch street

The past week or so has been busy with everyday life. Dan has been teaching and working at the restaurant, while I have been plugging away at Mayan Families. Nothing too exciting to report on my end, just doing a lot of office work lately. I have started hiking every Sunday with two friends I have made here. It's a really nice way to get to know them and get some exercise. Plus, the hike takes us up above the lake so we get amazing views!

Isabela, me, & Kathryn

Since we have tourist visas, Dan and I have to renew our visas every 90 days. This Friday we are headed to the department of San Marcos to visit a friend, an MCC worker that I met when I was first here in 2008. We will hang out with him, go hiking, and cross the border into Mexico. Please pray for our safe travel and that everything goes smoothly. I don't do so well on those curvy bus rides, and most of you know what happened the last time I went on a long hike in Guatemala.... haha :)

Last but not least, I want to lift up in prayer a couple friends of mine. An old friend from high school recently lost her husband very unexpectedly. Also, our friends here just got some awful news today that their friend and child died in a fatal car accident. I know you don't know their names, but God does so please just lift them and their families up. Thank you! 

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 

{image source}

A Few Things You May Not Know About Guatemala....

• It's common to drink pop (soda for all you non-Pittsburgh folks) from glass bottles. And almost everyone uses a straw when doing so. Also, the Coca-Cola here is made with sugar cane instead of high fructose corn syrup and I swear it really does taste better.

• Most of the major grocery stores are owned by Wal-Mart. Sad, but true. Our local grocery store (La Dispensa Familiar) is one of them. 
• Most homes and apartments do not have hot water except for what a friend described as "electric suicidal death showers" a.k.a. widow makers. These little contraptions warm the water as it passes through the device providing steamy showers. It takes a little tweaking to get the temperature and pressure just right, but once you do it's great. Just remember not to touch the widow maker while it's on and your hands are wet or you will get shocked! For all other things (washing dishes, washing your hands, face, etc.) it's all cold water.

What a widow-maker looks like

• Speaking of water, never EVER drink the tap water. We use filtered water for everything- cooking, drinking, even brushing our teeth. We also sanitize all of our fruits and veggies with a special solution. It took some getting used to, but it's not as bad as it sounds. 
• For most Guatemalans, their first language is an indigenous language. Here in Panajachel, most of the people speak Kaqchikel. There are over 20 different indigenous languages. You can see a map of the country and the different languages here. 
• A huge part of Guatemalan culture is wearing traditional clothing. Each region has a distinct style of dress that the women utlize. Although the colors and designs vary, all women wear a traje (skirt), huipile (blouse), and faja (belt). Often, the women make the clothes themselves and spend hours embroidering their blouses. The designs are truly beautiful. 

Naidelyn & Jocelyn two of students sponsored through
Mayan Families. Her blouse is hand embroidered!

• The land of volcanoes, Guatemala has 37! You can even climb some of them, which Dan and I did the last time we were here. 
• There are dogs everywhere. Street dogs are really common and sometimes it's very sad to see. Many of them are skin and bones and usually carry diseases. This is one reason we decided to adopt a puppy here- to save her from a horrible life on the street. I probably see 30 or more dogs a day just going to and from work. 
• Guatemala women are insanely strong. In fact, it seems like all Guatemalans have super human strength! Just today I watched little boys no older than 8 or 9 years old carry heavy bags of cement on their heads. Women commonly carry jugs of water, baskets, and even 100 pound bags of corn on their heads!

Anakleta carrying a bag of corn. She carried it
all the way up the mountain like it was no big deal!

• Guatemala has the lowest literacy rate in all of Central America. I have seen figures as low as 75% and as high as 88%. So far in my work with Mayan Families I have met many people (women especially) who are not able to read or write at all. 

A student at Mayan Families' San Jorge
Pre-school coloring & learning the alphabet.

Hope you enjoyed this {partial} list about the little things in life here in Guatemala! :)