We started off the morning with some exercise. Dr. Rust led a group on a run down by Lake Atitlan and up through the town of San Lucas Toliman while Dr. Northrup took another group for a light walk. We are still approximately 5,000 feet above sea level so there is less oxygen present in the air than we are accustomed to. As a result, we all suffered shortness of breath. We ate breakfast at the Mission, which consisted of bread rolls with your choice of peanut butter or jelly, bananas, oatmeal, and of course beans. Many students tried the coffee for the first time. The coffee is grown locally and processed at the Mission. Needless to say, it was some of the best coffee we have tasted!
After breakfast we took a brief tour around the city in the bed of a pickup truck. The drive was very bumpy, but it was a good way to experience typical Guatemalan transportation. First, we visited the local school and were met by many cheerful young children. We then visited the Women’s Shelter where classes such as weaving, cooking, and sowing were being held for local women. Next we visited the Health Clinic in San Lucas, where things like hernia, diabetes, and diarrhea were some of the most commonly treated symptoms/diseases. From there we toured the coffee processing plant which contained over 40,000 pounds of unroasted coffee from last year’s harvest.
We returned to the Mission for lunch where we were served chili, rice, bread rolls, and fruit. It was our turn for dish duty, meaning we were responsible for cleaning up. After lunch we returned to the coffee processing plant and split up into two groups. We worked at the plant for roughly two and a half hours before shopping at the local market and returning to the Mission for dinner. Dinner consisted of beans, soup, and rolls baked with chicken, cheese, and vegetables (similar to pizza made on an English muffin). Another group arrived at the Mission after we finished eating. We enjoyed a few laughs after dinner playing cards and charades. We have the rest of the night to relax and prepare for tomorrow.
-Wil and David
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