Culture Shock

The opportunity to travel and meet people from other cultures and see other parts of the world has changed me. It has made me who I am today. When I was 12 my family spent 3 months in Brazil. I returned a completely different person. I remember flying home just a few days before I was going to start middle school. I was a little nervous, but more excited. Then I got home and saw some of my friends and immediately felt insecure about my clothes and shoes. After spending the entire summer in Brazil, I left a lot of my things there and returned home with only 3 pairs of shoes. I was fine with that until I was reunited with my friends and all of a sudden the thought of beginning  middle school with only 3 pairs of shoes was unacceptable and I had to buy more. My experiences in Brazil stayed with me, but I slowly re-immersed in American culture. I hate it that I lost touch with many dear friends in Brazil, but my life in America over-powered my desire to stay united with our Brazilian friends and experiences.

Throughout college I traveled a lot, mostly short trips here and there, but they always challenged me and shaped me. In 2007, I traveled to Guatemala from May to August to study Spanish. I had a rough first month; I missed familiarity. But by the end of my trip, I had fallen in love with Guatemala and its people and its culture. For the first time in my life, I felt proficient in another language and could communicate with a population I never could before. I was more relaxed, more content, and I enjoyed the little things like walking to class in the mornings or sitting on a curb with a child selling bracelets. I felt like I was able to really be present in each moment and had the freedom and joy to really invest in the people around me. I became friends with a lot of families who couldn't afford things we consider necessities in America. For the first time in my life, poverty had a face and a name and I encountered it every single day.

In the middle of my summer in Antigua, I lived for a short time with my Spanish teacher. We became good friends and spent most of our evenings sitting at her kitchen table talking. One Saturday she had a commitment so I had most of the day free to myself. I sat at her kitchen table, opened my Bible to Matthew 1, and read straight through for about 4-5 hours. I was shocked, humbled, and frightened by the multitude of verses regarding poverty, equality, and God's will for us who have more regarding those who have less. I think reading those verses, while experiencing and seeing so much poverty every day, completely changed my life.

I saw that God holds us to a very high standard when it comes to how we treat those who have less. We are called to give out of our plenty. Our love is measured by our actions toward the poor. And perhaps most awakening is that He puts Himself on the side of the poor and sees Himself as one of them. These verses spoke to the depth of my heart.

When I flew home, I had a connection in the Miami airport. The different "feel" in Miami was shocking. Everyone was rushing, no one seemed to look at anyone, eyes were glued to plastic screens, and don't even get me started on the price for a slice of pizza. I was in shock. I missed the familiarity and simplicity of Guatemala and I felt like I didn't belong in this culture. I called my mom and sobbed on the phone. I honestly didn't know how I was going to readjust. After I got off the phone with my mom, I called a friend and cried again with her. I sat at my terminal and cried for probably 35 minutes. I don't think a single other person around me even noticed.

Thus began my culture shock and readjustment to life in the US. The next few months were hard. I was in a crisis. I didn't know who I was: how could I have lived so easily and comfortably with so much excess before? And I didn't know who I wanted to be: should I just conform and fit in? Should I fight it? How will I ever be accepted? I had a lot of trouble with the excess that I saw around me everywhere. I wouldn't enter a mall. I shunned Starbucks. I even remember crying at a Panera because a salad was so expensive. There was this massive tension that I could not come to peace with and I didn't know how to respond.

Eventually I leveled out a bit, but I have never been able to return to the same person I was before that time. I drink Starbucks today and I do go to a mall from time to time, but I still have trouble with purchasing new things or seeing excess. Just last year I cried in a Kohl's parking lot over a pair of black boots. The tension remains.

It has alwasy been extremely difficult for me to verbalize these experiences. Let's be honest, we all have past histories that have shaped us in ways that other people just can't understand. The idea of living a child like faith that allows me to simply trust in God for everything often scares me. I often fail. But my heart is most alive when I am being challenged to get out of my comfort zone and serve the least of these. The foundaiton of it all is the greatest challenge of my life, which is to see and serve God all around me.

I'm still dealing with the tension. I still don't really think I fit into typical American culture. I accept the fact that I have been exposed to very different worlds and they do not fit well together. And my attempt to fit into both has been difficult. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle, trying to accept my privilege and not feel guilty for it and trying to always remain aware of the poverty and needs around me. I will always live with this tension, but I'm learning to be okay with that. I guess it's part of life. It's part of living in a world we are not made for.

All that to say, I'm a little worried about returning to US culture. I'm going to try to avoid connections in Miami. ( : I'm praying for God to prepare my heart and my mind and to allow me to focus on the important things. I plan on going for long runs and journaling a lot. As always, your prayers are more than appreciated. May God show us all how we can best LOVE and serve Him in the cultures and communities we reside. Amen.

Rollercoaster / Q of D

I flipped through an old journal, and read what I once wrote, "life is a rollercoaster.  Rollercoasters can break down, but they can also be fixed.  So ride the rollercoaster [of life] to get fixed!"

My surroundings in Guatemala teach me a lot about life.  The simplicity and nature of it [life] seem to be different than what we tend to think of it as...because it's most common for us to think of life, I think, in terms of achievements, accomplishments, belongings, i.e. essentially the things we can do in life.  Guatemala teaches me about the basics of life.  It helps me to understand a passage, like Matthew 6, which refers to dealing with worries and anxiousness, or the lack thereof.

Culturally, I cannot relate to the passage...it talks about not worrying about having enough food to eat or clothes to wear (I've never had to worry about that).  However, it does help me reflect on many of the worries, or roller coasters, I find myself dealing with, which are often caused by me doing things other than the basics.  It helps me understand the power of being able to do without our own understandings, because we can be strengthened by our dependence on God.  If he cares for the 'lilies of the field' and the birds, certainly he will provide our needs.

But here's the thing.  We often struggle in wanting to be healed or provided with what/how we want.  We have these expectations of how God should help us.  The passage doesn't promise anything other than the basics, the minimum for a life of survival, to be cared for.  No wonder we find ourselves at a life low when we neglect that in our attempts to go beyond...

A Once in a Lifetime Easter Experience

The hype about the cultural traditions during Holy Week leading up to Easter turned out to be accurate!  We spent two nights in the popular city of Antigua, where literally millions of people travel to during the week to partake in the festivities and cultural traditions.

What are the traditions exactly?  Imagine a processional (parade-like) of thousands of men, women and children walking in lines throughout the streets, wearing all purple (and in some processionals all black), walking in these lines for sometimes up to 12 or 14 hours.  Processionals were scheduled throughout all hours of the day, one for each Catholic church in town, some starting at 4am, others not ending until 6am.  Along with the processionals themselves were 'alfombras', or carpets made of colored sawdust, flowers, fruit or pine needles.  Why do people do this?  It's a sacrifice, it's sacred, and it's inspiring.

 

There were thousands of church members walking in front of the large Jesus and Mary processional statues, but they did not walk in the center of the street but rather along the sides of the roads.  Then those (between 90 and 100 people) carrying the large float portraying Christ and other Saints walked over and through the alfombra carpets, literally destroying hours of intricate work...then followers would pick up the flowers or fruit to keep because the items were 'blessed'.

Before the processional:


After the processional:


To be an onlooker was interesting.  I was tired just walking to the streets where the processional was going to pass by, and I didn't have a huge statue resting on my shoulders.  Look at this picture in particular capturing the agony this young boy was going through while participating in the processional:

Notice the man on the corner is supporting the statue on his shoulder AND holding his baby son!

It was really cool being able to see the festivities in phases, because people building the alfombras would start during all hours of the day, too.  So we got to watch how it all happens.

Stencils were used to make intricate designs with the sawdust!

It was absolutely incredible to watch the masterpieces being created, step by step.

They watered down the alfombras to prevent wind from blowing pieces away.

WATCH this video of the processional happening right in front of us!!!

 And at the end of our time in Antigua, our host family made their own carpet, which we were able to help assist in the formation of!!!

 

 The end of our Easter week was spent with the family from Parramos, whose young girl recently passed away.  We stayed the night at their extended family's home, and I practiced making tortillas (last time it was Jenny that did it, now it was my turn!).

 It was a really nice time, there were many kids to play with.  Some of the youngest girls even sang us a song.  Listen in...

We are very grateful to have had these experiences and to be able to take in the Guatemalan culture.  And of course we were very pleased to be able to share in it with our 'extended Guatemalan family'.  We hope you can get a good glimpse at it too!

Semana Santa!

Jenny and I have today (Thursday) and tomorrow off for Holy Week holiday festivities!  We will be traveling to Antigua today and spend time there learning more about the rich history of tradition in Guatemala.  Holy Week, leading up to Easter, is huge here.  The whole week is considered a holiday in many venues.  Students don't go to school, and many businesses are closed, and the tourists come piling in.

Antigua specifically is known as the most popular site for Easter activities in all of Central America, if not of the whole western world.  We are very excited to make memories with the opportunity to be there during this time of the year.

Some of what to expect...
1) large processionals with members carrying huge statues of Christ and decorated floats
2) alfombras: carpets made in the streets, made out of colored saw dust, fruits and flowers
- The processionals walk over these 'carpets' (in effect destroying them), then people walking behind the processional can pick up and keep the fruits...so I hear, anyway (now it's time to experience it myself)!

It's hard to imagine, right?  Well, here's an alfombra:

Then on Saturday we'll be spending time in Parramos with Bernabe and Nirma and family.  We're excited to see them again, though it will certainly be different without baby Mirari around...

LEATHER SHOES

Jenny starting a weaving class a few weeks ago with one of the women from a fair trade organization.  We travel across the lake to do the class in her home.  While spending time in her town, we discovered a wonderful leather craftsman, who makes custom shoes and bags among other things.  Leather thrills me.  It takes me back to my lofty dreams of being an Indian, a lifestyle like "Sully" from Dr Quinn Medicine Woman.

So I have successfully taken a step closer to that dream!

There is a lot to do before we make our flight back home to the States, but I can't help but think and get excited to the day where I can dress up in my traditional Mayan clothing and leather shoes on the plane as I arrive back in good ole Indiana...the idea of stepping off the plane, completely un-mainstream is very intriguing to me!

David's Miss-List

Last week we were relaxing and catching up from busy schedules and we came to a point of reflection thinking about the "things we miss" back home (other than family and friends).

So here's my list of "what I miss":
1) Rally's french fries
2) Paved streets
3) Not seeing stray dogs
4) Being able to shop without being "begged" to buy something
5) Convenient drinking and teeth brushing water
6) an oven and microwave for cooking (we only have a gas stove top)
7) People being on time, informally (when you say 7pm, then that likely means the person will leave to come at 7, rather than arrive at 7)

Here's my list of "what I do not miss":
1) Constant advertisements
2) Driving: I like walking and riding my bike between places, or taking a tuk-tuk
3) Cold weather
4) Humidity
5) Smart-phones (I'm coming from the perspective that they are addictive and consuming of time...I've only used a Blackberry for one year prior to moving here...I even enjoy not having the quick access to text, because it helps rely on other, more natural communication)
6) the "staples" (i.e. Milk and Gas). Since we've lived here, we've paid $0 on gas and $6 on milk!  In five months, we've bought powdered milk 3 times (we only use it for cooking and cereal, though, no drinking)
7) Traffic, construction and stop-lights (our town does not have one stop-light...everything is common sense yielding or right of way, controlled by several patrol persons on different corners throughout town).

Not that that is my list of pros and cons of living here, but it is enlightening to become aware of cultural lifestyles and weigh the options of what is actually necessary as a way of creating personal or communal change.

It was very nice to be able to watch the Superbowl last weekend, however extra difficult to see all the special landscapes of Indianapolis. It looks like it was a very well hosted event, and made me miss the old-stomping ground quite a bit.

Come to Senses

I like things to make sense.  I can talk about my plans or my dreams, and I make them make sense, because if they did not make sense then I would not know where to begin in obtaining those dreams.  As a reader, you probably already know where this is going...God does not always make sense.  Yes, I agree.  But God makes it clear, in many ways, that He is not going to make sense.  One example, for me, is through the story of the man who wanted to follow Jesus but decided he did not want to give up all that he owned materially (Matthew 19:20-22).  Does that make sense?  Why, with God being so powerful and mighty, would God need someone else's things, or ask someone to give up those possessions?

These are my thoughts.  God does not need them; God wants to be acknowledged as the prize, or the all you need in life.  We are not to live the day to day life to gather up more things, in fact, in the Old Testament it speaks of the forbidding to simply gather up tomorrow's food today (Exodus 16:15-21, 23-31)  I can not imagine having to live each day as it comes in our culture today. I mean, in some cases, we buy food a year before it gets eaten, what would we do if we were given an instruction like that in Exodus?  We buy meals that come in boxes and take less than 5 minutes to both prepare and eat...take the box out of the freezer at noon and be out the door for work at 12:05.

So how are we to live in today's material world?  I believe the biggest issue within our society today is that we lose sight of God when we consume, not because consuming is a sin, but because when was the last time we had to "rely" on God, ask Him for our daily bread, or seek Him as a Grand-Prize.  When was the last time we intertwined God the spirit with God the physical?  When we consume, we begin to live upon our own understanding, our own abilities, and our own things.  We have instant access to our phones, entertainment, transportation, you name it, but we struggle as a whole to uplift and glorify the Almighty with prayer, loving our enemies, helping the homeless, etc.  We gather up our things, stalk up on food, and still worry about the next day, or complain about how busy our lives are and make it seem impossible to eat a nice meal with our families.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

Do we have so much that we forget to lean not on our own understanding.  Maybe we were not given the freedom to make things make sense.

Household Name?

The world is indeed a big place.  And within big places live many different types of lives.  Por ejemplo, a world event can happen and receive headline news status, yet not quite reach the ears of the whole world.  And how does that happen?  Well, some people live life without the luxuries of technology, without the luxury of breaks in their day's schedule to relax and watch the news, or without the basic ability to read.  So, is there such as thing as a household name?  I'm brought to this questions based on my reflection of listening to a sport commentator communicating the significance of a star athlete's performance.  Most recently, I can recall a commentator saying, "Dirk Nowitski is a household name, folks.  Around the world people are sitting in their kitchen saying his name".

When I was studying Spanish for a month and learning to talk in casual conversations with my teacher, the subject of entertainment and fame came up.  In my Spanish book, I translated questions from English to Spanish, questions that used real life scenarios such as people's names.  Newsflash: my teacher did not know who Oprah was.  He did not even know who Elvis was.  I couldn't believe it, especially since my teacher wasn't even Mayan, he was Guatemalan but Ladino, meaning not of traditional descent so he has lived with having a television his whole life, having gone to school, and he occasionally visits an internet cafe to connect to the web.

What's the lesson here?  I don't know if there is one.  I just hope we don't live our lives in ignorance thinking there is equality in the world or that just because we've obtained the 'luxuries' means we are 'better' in comparison.  Some communities here may be ignorant of 'what the world has to offer', in terms of luxuries, but they certainly still comprehend how to live and live it respectfully.  They know how to live with what they have, which is something not often found in the States.

Travel Tips for Coming to Guatemala

This post is meant to be used as a guide for international traveling, specifically laying out details for Guatemala.  Information can be taken as advice for travelers, or could simply be read to become further informed of the culture in which we live.

First Advice:
-pack light, but bring layers (the day hours are nice 70's, but mornings and evening get chilly).  Some people wear scarves or winter hats, but usually a sweatshirt is enough.  Keep in mind that you'll likely want to buy some of the textiles sold on the street (sweaters, shirts).
-bring Cipro (which you get from your doctor's prescription to be taken when stomach sick from food virus)
-bring bug repellant

Is it safe there?
Panajachel has a very low crime rate.  Calle Santander is the main, heavily traveled street by tourists during both the day and night.  It is wise to practice standard prevention techniques by being cautious and aware of your surroundings, but there is no danger of being mugged or confronted in any form.  Community policing is very common, meaning that people look out for each other on the street, in terms of preventing theft.

How do I get to Panajachel from Guatemala City/the airport?
Panajachel is a 3 hour drive from the airport.  A van shuttle is recommended; both private and public options are available and both are arranged through tourist agencies and are safe, secure, and comfortable.  Per person for a private shuttle averages about $20 (one way) for the 3 hr drive.

Will I have email access?
Many hotels provide free wifi access, however not all.  Many cafes also have wifi and it is very accessible. Quality of equipment and speed of service is not equivalent to that experienced in the States.

Are the local buses, known as chicken buses, safe to ride?
Chicken buses are very common for the locals.  The buses are old school buses used in the States.  In fact, many of them still have the "Blue Bird Midwest" plaque and model information and stickers, such as "keeping your children safe is our business".  I rode a chicken bus last week to an outside village about an hour away and the bus plaque actually said it was made in 1979!!!  Now, most of the buses are from the 90's, but you never know what to expect.  The plaques also list the capacity information (i.e. 47), however Guatemalans have no concept of maximum capacity.  When in Xela, Jenny and I rode a public 12 passenger van to get to the movie theater, and they put 27 people in there, literally (only 3 young kids).  The chicken buses are great for short distances, and is a worthy cultural experience, but not to be considered for long-term or long-distance needs.

Do shops and restaurants accept U.S. dollars?
The exchange rate is about 7.5, so for every $1 you get 7.5 Q...so things are pretty cheap here.  An average  meal at a restaurant would be about 30 Q, or $4.  When you are shopping on the street from vendors, dollars are often accepted, but change is given back in Q.  More official stores, like the grocery, only accept Q.  Credit/Debit cards are also usually accepted, however not recommended because each charge comes with an international fee.  There are several secure ATM's.  We'd recommend bringing a good amount of dollars when leaving the States, but be sure to carry it securely (such as in a hidden pants wallet).

Is the food safe to eat?
Tourists are very common, so the local restaurants do very good at catering to the needs and desires of foreigners.  Eating salads and vegetables that are washed with tap water will make you sick, so typically meals like french fries, rice, beans, and meats are safest, but there are plenty of safe restaurants where you don't have to worry about how it was prepared.  Eating from street vendors is always at your own risk of getting sick, but over time your body would adapt.

How much are hotels?
You should be able to find a very nice hotel (hot water, breakfast, wifi) ranging from $30-50 per night.  Some get higher than that, but if you are on a budget then you can be within that range, possibly less.

What should I do there?
In Panajachel there are many day trip possibilities to neighboring villages across the lake.  You can hike a volcano, do an adventurous zip-line through a forest of trees, shop at the cultural market, take a class to learn how to weave textiles, volunteer at a local orphanage or NGO, learn how to make tortillas, visit with us, or just relax (find a hammock, walk on the shoreline).  Throughout the country you can take a coffee plantation tour, visit Mayan ruins, hike, tour caves (underwater), go to the ocean beach, and more, plus just relax.

If you have additionally questions then just comment and we can repost with new answers!

Full Immersion

As many of you may know, there is a Guatemalan family that Jenny and I have been connected to for several years now that has been of special interest to ours.  In the past year, especially, given the nature of their year-old daughter who suffers from severe dietary restraints and is now considered a 'miracle' surviver.  Anyway, we don't live close in proximity to the family, but we visited with them last weekend in their hometown and stayed the night at their parent's home...meaning we finally fully immersed!

It was great to visit with the family and see the baby:

We brought some games and played Phase 10, dice-style:

I got to practice my Spanish.  The visiting turned out to be quite the family reunion because most all of their  relatives live in the same area.  It was very comforting to be around multiple generations...there will never be any replacement of our own family, but it was very nice to be welcomed in and treated so nicely by this family:

Jenny learned how to make tortillas from scratch, which is the custom here for all the women:

And notice how we simply put a chair in front of the open flame oven to prevent the baby from approaching it!

This is a picture of the group gathered around the table in the kitchen.  It was fun to teach some of the adults some English words. The moms particularly asked us how to say "she is sleeping", because the daughter was sleeping on her mother's lap.  The food was filling, but not provided with the typical table manners as what would be expected in the States.  For instance, there was a jar of salt in the middle of the table and people would lick their fingers and dip them into the jar to consume the salt with their food (fyi keep in mind that for many impoverished families living in this part of the world, a typical meal is made up of only tortillas and salt).

The homes are most commonly built with cement blocks, so no insulation, etc.  Here's an image from above the homes.

The terrain is very mountainous and beautiful.  We went for a walk with the family to their old house.  Along the way we got to play with the younger kids and listen to the stories of the adults when they were kids.  When the family left their old home they abandoned it (didn't try to sell it or anything).  So when we stopped by it, they went in and, much to our surprise, there was still a lot of stuff inside!  The family actually took out some clothes to take to their current home.

The girls were just so cute!

  

We miss you all very much, and hope all is well with your current endeavors.  The first few months so far have been full of many great experiences and humble challenges.  We are thankful for the interactions we have here and are so glad we're able to stay connected to you all even when we're not close in proximity.

Technology: Everythings Amazing, Nobodys Happy

Check out this funny clip of a comedian's take on technology.

I love his humor, but his message can actually be taken very 'deep'.  What does make us happy?  

For another humorous resource, check out the White Whines list, which is a collection of "First-World Problems" (i.e. which cell phone to own, etc) that are pulled off of Twitter and Facebook posts.  The term "First-World" plays off of the "Third-World" problems (i.e. poverty, hunger, etc).  Read the site, it's hilarious...such as the comment by one person saying, "iPhones are so affordable poor people have them now...My phone is plain and common.  About ready to switch carriers."

...it sure is enlightening to compare those "problems" to  those experienced around the world, in the Third-World.

Happy Birthday David!

I'm a little late in posting, but wanted to share a little about David's birthday. First of all, the occasion brought us our first package in the mail - and it only took 8 days! I'm not going to lie, we were both really excited to unpack the goodies that David's parents had sent.

It was basically David's birthday and Christmas all at once. It was so fun getting little pieces of "home" sent to us. I was especially excited about the chocolate (M&Ms here cost $1.50 for a small bag) and David was most anxious to eat his fruit snacks (yep, he loves them). It was great to even get little things, like Jell-O and different types of tea and even Nutella (I won't even tell you how much Nutella costs here). David also got a great birthday card with pictures of autumn trees to remind us of the beauty you Indiana-folk are experiencing. Sigh, I miss fall. The birthday package was a wonderful gift for David (and me!) and we are portioning the goodies (or at least trying to, the M&Ms were gone in two days).

On a previous trip to Lake Atitlan, David and I had visited Santiago, a small Mayan village that we really enjoy. So, for David's birthday he wanted to go back for a weekend trip. We wanted to go on David's birthday weekend, but because of the flooding and being sick, we had to postpone the trip for the next weekend. I'm so glad that we did because the weather was perfect. It was so nice to walk around the market and do some touristy shopping in the sun, with no rain. We're definitely on a budget while living here in Guatemala, but we really wanted to stay in the Posada de Santiago because we had heard it's a great hotel with great food...and even a hot tub (in Guate?! Really?!). My parents put us up in the hotel for David's birthday gift and we enjoyed great food, real coffee (not instant!), the hot tub, and even canoeing. It was a wonderful get-away and we were fascinated by the beauty of the lake.

For David's gift from Santiago, he decided he wanted to get a traditional Mayan "traje" or clothing that the Mayan men wear. Each Mayan village has their own traje so that when someone is walking down the street you know where they come from by the color and/or design of their clothing. In Pana, you definitely see more women wearing traje than you see men. So when we were in Santiago it was such a treat to see so many men wearing traje. They were just so cute!

Now, just to clarify (in case there is any confusion) those are the Mayan men above. Then there is my 6'3" white, blonde husband below. Don't they look so similar?! We're still searching for the perfect hat. ( :

You may not be able to recognize David these days. Besides the Mayan traje, he's also growing out his hair and wearing it in a pony tail. It's weird for me to have David ask me for a hair tie in the mornings. I don't even know what to expect in the coming months!

Of course, we had no idea how to make the traje fit David, because the pants are actually quite huge. It's a one size fits all type of thing. Luckily there was a kind Mayan woman at the store who just wrapped her arms around David's waist and folded up the pants and tied the belt for him. We're still figuring out the belt part, but there are plenty of Mayan women around in case we need more tutoring.

We had a wonderful weekend experiencing a smaller village and the Mayan culture. The views of the lake were breath-taking, and we were reminded once again how privileged we are to be living here in Guatemala and experiencing a new way of life. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and that we can celebrate life together!

The Economic Dream

Tuk-Tuks are the common taxi's worldwide...from India to Guatemala.  You may not know it by name, but I'm sure you've seen one at some point (whether in movies or the streets).

We've only be in Guate for 7ish weeks, but I've already been brainstorming of ways to boost the local economy.  At this point I'm at a loss, however I thought I was onto something...to own a Tuk-Tuk and have my neighbor or other impoverished family drive and profit from it.  I researched my options only to learn that the city is not allowing any additional Tuk-Tuk's because there are already too many.  But the problem for the current drivers is that the owners are the only one's to profit.  It was reported to me that all Tuk-Tuk drivers pay their owner 100 Q (or about $15) for each day they drive the Tuk-Tuk, and then keep the remaining as their earnings.  Somedays the drivers don't receive 100 Q from their customers and have to pay their owner out of their pocket (a one way fare to ride in a Tuk-Tuk is 5 Q).

Unfortunately, the time has not come for me to be a Tuk-Tuk owner (in which case I would not charge my driver so much), so I'm back to the drawing board and trying to develop other ideas to give jobs to local Guatemalans.  The Tuk-Tuk was a dream, but in reality not a good one because driving a Tuk Tuk is common, just as weaving, beading, washing clothes, gardening, and selling textiles; what Guatemala needs is something that everybody else in town isn't doing and that doesn't cost a lot (because there is not a lot of money to go around).  Any suggestions?

In some towns that I've visited, stories were told to me as I looked around and observed that 'all' (i.e. a hight percentage) of the villages men migrated to the States because they were farmers and they no longer have jobs.  This culture is stressed economically, but loyal and hard working; they don't want to leave their homes, they're just out of options.  Many laborers only earn $10-15 per week, which provides a meal consisting of tortillas and salt when supporting a family of 6, and women selling and making textiles (beautifully made) only earn about $2 per day.

Life @ the End of the Spear

End of the Spear is a very moving film, documenting the story of Christian American families evangelizing to Indigenous tribe peoples in Ecuador (beginning in the mid 1900s).  In summary, several families were on a mission to make contact with the Waodani tribe on the Amazon basin, whom were known to be very violent.  Ultimately, all the men who reached the tribe's land were killed by spears, tragically.  The families of the men later traveled to the same land and met with the tribe and lived amongst them over time.  Clearly the cultural differences presented issues, but throughout the test of time, the tribe and the American families made peace and were able to communicate the word of God.

During the process of building peace and understanding each other, a comment was made to a tribe warrior after he asked why the men did not shoot or fight back when the tribe attacked them.  The comment was:

"They came to tell you God has a son.  He was speared but did not spear back. [pause] So the people spearing him would one day live well."

At the end of the film, a warrior confronts the son of one of the men who was killed and confesses to be the one who used the spear to kill the son's father.  After the flow of emotion and decision not to take revenge, the son [Steve] explains to the warrior that:

"No one took my father's life.  He gave it."   He then narrates, "My father lost his life at the end of a spear. And it was at the end of a spear that we found ours [lives]."

The story provides enormous insight and inspiration, proving that love wins while also exemplifying God's way of life [ie non-violence].  The tribesmen were so entrenched in a cycle of violence, that they deemed it necessary in order to survive, protect themselves, and grow as a people group.  Those entrenched cycles still exist today, but they [the cycles] don't even have to be removed from the rest of society [whereas the Waodani tribe was removed from civilization].  We have urban gang culture invading neighborhoods; we have discrimination against foreigners or minorities on the streets, offices, and institutions; we have genocide that gets ignored or denied among nations; and we have cyclical political wars all around the world, demanding a certain way of life from others to benefit our own countries.  

If our mindset is to vote to benefit ourselves, how would we expect these cycles to end for others?  By vote I refer to everything from the names we support on a ballot to the daily decisions of each individual [ie choose to eat fast food, choose to ignore the domestic violence down the street, choose to support local farmers, choose to watch American Idol, choose to visit inappropriate sites], because everything we do stands for something, every time we pay for something we're essentially saying "I support this brand, from the advertisements to the materials used to make it to the way it was made and the people who made it."

Check out the movie website here where you can link to different videos or reviews, including updates on the tribe's life today!

As a side note, it is discouraging to me that even with such a beautiful motion picture, critiques or opinionated discussions chose to focus on the fact that the lead actor is openly gay, rather than discuss the epic story of love, forgiveness, and transformation found in the film.  To me even mentioning the sexuality of any actor is irrelevant and only reinforces the fractures of our society.  Nevertheless, the film is worth watching.

View of Simplicity / S of D

Simplicity is a difficult concept.  It’s not easy to define, nor is it easy to implement, which is ironic given the term “simple”.  So when attempting to answer what it looks like to ‘live simply’, as Jenny and I would say we’re attempting to do, it challenges us to look at every aspect of daily life. 

For starters, back in the states we’ve shopped to buy the cheapest stuff (ie cheap rugs, cheap sheets, cheap plates, cheap food, etc), so we’d save money.  But then we ended up having more money to buy more stuff.  Make sense?  But in reality, we could have gotten by without buying ‘everything’.  We could have put more money into the quality of the items, and been more concerned about where and how the items were made (especially food and textiles), because in reality, buying cheap ‘stuff’ probably means that we’re treating people and the earth “cheaply”. 

Instead of buying a bunch of cheap stuff, we could have identified our needs and searched only for those things.  Our needs are simple, our wants are complicated…because when we develop so many wants, it forces us to do so much more to acquire them (such as work 80 hour work weeks, etc).

So, now, here in Guatemala, we have an opportunity to ‘live with less’, and we hope to learn how we can maintain that simplicity in our own culture within the States further down the road in time.  We don’t need all the accessories or the technologies to get by here in Guatemala.

We have the opportunity to not need a fancy phone, for example, where in the past I had access to look at all sports scores or read all emails signaled by a blinking light…meaning a blinking light often controlled my day, and I didn’t know how to get by without it.  Here in Guate, if someone has a high-tech phone like that then they’re essentially putting themselves at risk because the phones are so outrageously expensive that it’s likely that someone would rob you if you had it.

But simplicity is beyond those physical aspects.  Simplicity is being content with less or overjoyed with the community, rather than with the “features”.  We understand that in order to achieve simplicity that it doesn’t require moving outside of the U.S., but we were presented with a passion and an opportunity that we are grateful for that could stretch us, challenge us, and strengthen us.

Our verse for simplicity is found in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Verse 13 “I can do anything through Him who gives me strength.”

Continuous Learning

I have a few language school classes under my belt...actually I have completed 4 weeks, and I am no longer taking classes (I wish I could say is because I've mastered the language, however the true reason is to save some finances).  I'm hopeful to have learned Spanish well enough to be able to interact casually and comfortably with native speakers.

Continuous learning is a societal challenge, though.  We often get ourselves overwhelmed with our duties or responsibilities, leading us to the ever-so-easy ignorance of other situations, ways, or "learnings".  For example, if we spend a full day working, it's likely that we're not able to stop and think about the struggles and misfortunes around the world...because we can get comfortable with ourselves or our own needs (hence why we might work the full day) and forget about the rest of the world.

So how do we meet (or accomplish) our own needs, while also being presently aware of the needs and situations surrounding us?  Living in a foreign land is proving to be difficult to understand how I can best offer my assistance.  I'm still seeking to know how I can help this community.

I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak with different words.  It's likely that I'll have the sentence structure or grammar of a 5 year old, but I think I'll at least be able to immerse myself better.  I hope to learn and teach.  I hope to listen, not judge.  I hope to accept, then be accepted.

Any Advice?

I hate insects (mostly spiders), but I can deal with it.  And that’s what we’re finding out now.  During my time in Guatemala, I have never seen “screens” for windows or doors.  Homes don’t have air conditioning or heaters, so opened windows and doors are very common, which allows more insects to get in our home.  We can live with it, but we’re working on eliminating them.

One thing I haven’t come to get accustomed to though is cold water.  We seldomly get hot water in the shower, and never get warm water in our faucets.  Any suggestions?  I have not been keeping very clean because it is difficult to bear the coldness.

However, we just set up our water filter (for drinking water), so we’re finally able to have accessible drinking water.  Prior to the filter, the water from the faucets was not adequate or clean enough for us to safely cook with (which was very difficult), nor was it good enough to even brush our teeth with. 

Coming soon we will post pictures of our home and surrounding environment.  If you can think of ways to get hot water for our shower please let us know!

Life in Guate (La Vida en Guatemala)

We're getting settled into Guatemala!  Jenny and I just rented a bungalow, which is basically a single home with a bedroom/living room (one room), kitchen, and bathroom.  The rent includes everything (water, tv cable, electricity) except gas (for cooking) and internet.  And get this, the tv cable has like 70 channels (half of which are purely English speaking, including CBS (for football games), History Channel, ESPN, HBO, etc)...literally more than we had while living in the States; however, we do not intend to consume our time with the channels, although I am quite excited for access to the football games.

One of the things we really like about our bungalow is that it shares a courtyard with a few other bungalows, one of which is a Mayan family!  I'm excited to be able to get to know them and to play with the kids (one is 6 and the other is almost 2 years old).

Traditional Mayans are very proper and well versed in simplicity...meaning they literally do the work that is necessary (such as hard labor, textiles, farming) in order to provide for their families and they're satisfied with life.  Picture a family of 6 leaning over a bowl of beans while sitting on a dirt floor...that's all they "need".  From my experiences in the States, it's hard for me to imagine the US society being "okay" without access to the latest and best technologies, let alone the basics of life (home, tables, chairs, drinking water).  One story was shared about an elderly women who was given shoes to wear, but even when she had them she didn't wear them because she was so accustomed to not having them and preferred not to use them (since her feet were so well versed for the street rocks, etc).

There is a man that is paid by our landlady to do maintenance around the bungalows and courtyard.  He is very cute (deaf, only a few teeth), always smiling.  We rearranged some of the furnishing in our bungalow and needed his help (tools) to undrill the headboard to our bed (it was attached to the wall rather than the bed frame).  In order to feel comfortable with his help in our bungalow, I felt like we had to put away/hide some of our possessions.  I don't mean we had to hide our computer, etc in fear it would be stolen, rather I mean that we had to put our shoes in bags and clothes in dressers because of the multitudes of shoes and clothes that we have.  We've seen him with only one pair of shoes that have holes in them, he doesn't wear socks, and his shirt is dirty.  Even though Jenny and I packed our possessions in two suitcases each to travel to Guatemala, we still have more here than the typical Guatemalan...and yet the majority of our stuff is still in the States.

It is a lot harder here to come by things to buy, such as clothes hangers, pillows, and random other items.  We spent two days (and still don't have everything) walking around asking where to find various things and most everyone's answer was "La Dispensa", which is a store owned by Walmart.  And it turned out, even it didn't have any hangers, pillows, or plates.
  
We're still adjusting to the lifestyle here, but here are a few answers to common questions that were asked or that went unsaid during our transition from the States to here:
1) What are you going to eat?  - so far we've eaten pizza, eggs, beans, rice, chicken, corn on cob, vegetables, yogurt, sandwiches.  Food is similar, but portions are smaller.  Jenny and I have yet to get accustomed to cooking in home and have only been eating out as of now.

2) What are you going to do without football?  -it turns out I get football games in my bungalow.  In fact, I first started watching the Colts game in a native restaurant where it was commentated in Spanish.  In the bungalow I can watch it in English.  I have plans to still be competitive in fantasy football, as well!

3) Is it safe?  -police are often described as corrupt, meaning that "robbers, drug dealers, etc" pay police off for the police to stay out of their business, but it is a very close knit community and people look out for each other. In fact, it's often said that the people take things into their own hands and do the policeman's job when the police don't (**which can be a bad thing...one couple told a story about a group of Mayans who beat up and burned a fellow Mayan for stealing at the market...they killed him because the police were going to let him get away).  Drugs are also too easy to come by, just to give you an idea of the culture.

4) How long are you going to be there? -we plan on renting our bungalow for the year. Jenny's in a non profit position serving Mayan families for a year, and we'll evaluate it during that time.

5) Can you recycle there? -there are some recycle bins, or so we've heard, but we've learned that recycling bins are dumped with trash bins.  Guatemala doesn't have a recycling program, and they'd actually have to pay China to send recycling to China, so they just dig holes and bury everything to save money rather than ship it overseas.

6) Is it really hot there? -so far the temperature has been pleasant (mid 70's during day), however it is the rainy season and it can easily be predicted to rain every afternoon, sometimes for many hours.  Starting November, we're told it is always sunny and nice temperature, but gets cool (no less than 50 or 40) throughout the whole winter...no rain or snow.

7) Why are you living in Guatemala? -We feel blessed with the opportunity to experience another culture and to live by different standards.  We hope to learn about cultural acceptance, be a servant to surrounding persons, to empower the impoverished workforce, and to share our faith and be spiritual advocates.

Our town relies on tourism (to eat at restaurants, to buy textiles, and to stay in hotels, etc), which is odd because the consumerism concept does not make sense to the Mayans.  Meaning, they traditionally only possess what they 'need'.  It's a paradox that they're selling textile goods (which are awesome, btw) for tourists to buy their 'wants'.  It has been difficult to grasp ways to help and impact Mayans on deep levels.  We hope to join a congregation soon and fellowship at a church, however we haven't found strong ties at this point.

The community is different around this part of the world.  In our town specifically, there are a lot of travelers touring, but also a lot of foreigners (Europeans, Americans, etc) settling here for varying reasons.  It can be a struggle for us to pursue our "reasons" for being here (specifically to love and serve, to learn, and to be immersed), because we could find ourselves getting comfortable with our own culture given that there is a well built foreigner population.