May 20, 2014
Today began with breakfast at the
mission which consisted of scrambled eggs and beans with bread. We then
traveled to the clinic for our morning work assignment. At the clinic, first we
all began moving an enormous pile of rocks and dirt out of the construction
site. Using shovels, a pick axe, wheel barrel, and our own hands, the pile
quickly got smaller and smaller. Next we split into three smaller groups to
work on several projects at the same time. One group continued working to
transfer the rock and dirt pile onto a pickup truck. They brought the excess
rocks and dirt to a field off sight where they unloaded them. Another group
leveled dirt for the foundation of a floor by first filling the area with dirt
and then using shovels and their own feet to pack down the dirt. Finally, the
third group mixed cement, sand, rocks, and water to make concrete which was
used in the walls of the new building. Everyone was covered in dirt, cement,
and sweat by midafternoon. Hace calor!
We
returned to the mission for lunch and enjoyed beef stew, potatoes, tortillas,
and bread. The group has seen a small brown puppy every day at the mission, and
today we decided to name her Maggie. After lunch we took “tuc-tucs” (small open
door taxis) to part of the reforestation project where Mayan rituals are
performed. The ride there included a steep hill which caused the over-filled
tuc-tucs to stop mid-way up.
We all walked the rest of the way up the hill to
the Mayan’s ceremonial area. We joined another group from the mission and the
reforestation leader, Toribio, shared the various components of the Mayan
ritual. There was a large rock formation that resembled a turtle, a very
important animal for the Mayans. There was also an alter used for the
ceremonies and offerings, similar to the other Mayan ruins we visited Sunday.
Our
next assignment for the afternoon was to sort through two 100 pound bags of
coffee beans. These beans were not the typical dark brown coffee bean most
people think of, but yellow beans still in the shell. Our job was to sift
through the beans and throw out any dark brown or black “malo” (bad) beans and
empty shells. After about an hour we left and visited Toribio’s workshop to buy
handmade wooden utensils. All of the
proceeds were divided to benefit the reforestation project and the local
school. To carry the spoons home,
Toribio gave us bags that the school children made by reusing their school
papers and some glue. Both sides of the
bag are decorated by the children with a picture and some sentences promoting
environmental awareness. On the way back
to the mission, we stopped for ice cream, but still had room for beef, mixed
vegetables, guacamole, tortillas, bread, and peanut butter cookies at the
mission. Finally, we enjoyed desserts at the Hotel Toliman and then returned to
our hotel to rest up for another day of work tomorrow!
Hasta la vista, Baby!!! Jess and Abigail
