Day 8

This morning we all woke up early to go for a walk around the lake and have a look at the volcanos before the clouds covered them. After breakfast we headed out to work with the same groups as yesterday. Waiting for us in the truck were two shovels and a pickaxe, so we were very curious as to what we would be doing today. We got to the work site and were told that they wanted us to level a hill so they could build a new house. We started working with pickaxes and shovels clearing out the hill. We soon discovered there were some big rocks and even bigger rocks that needed to be removed. We got to work getting the big rocks out of the ground. With the rocks out, one of the Mission workers started to break it up with some chisels. We spent a few hours doing this, breaking up the dirt and moving it elsewhere with buckets. Just as we finished the work and got back in the truck, we were swarmed by kids from the nearby school who were out for lunch.

After lunch we set out with the Marywood group to the reforestation center. We learned about Toribio and his efforts to replant trees in the forest. His center used to be part of and funded by the Mission, but since it is no longer part of it, he sells wooden spoons to help support the center. Toribio buys plastic bags and bottles from children in the town to help decrease pollution and plant tree seeds. According to Toribio, a plastic bag takes about 100 years to decompose if thrown away. However, if used to plant seeds, the bags decompose in only 3-4 years. We also learned about the many benefits that trees have on the community. For example, roots of trees help protect against landslides, and the leaves can provide shade to coffee plants, resulting in a more flavorful coffee.

Also, sadly, this was the last day with our dear friend from Minnesota—go Gophers—Quinn. Quinn wanted the group to know how grateful he was for being so inclusive of him. He was glad to be able to explore the town with everyone, and get to hang out with our group during downtime. He’ll miss his time in Guatemala with his new friends from Western New England University. Especially the ridiculous riddles, inspiring insights, and witty jokes. Thanks again for going out of your way to invite me to be part of group activities. I wish all of you good health during your last days in Guatemala, safe travels back home, and the best of luck with your future goals and dreams.

-Per and Quinn