Day 9

Today started with breakfast at the Mission: eggs, bread rolls with peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, and bananas.  Shortly after eating, we boarded a cargo van that took us to the work site.  Needless to say, it was a tight squeeze (i.e., we got really close on the ride).   Once at the worksite, we played with the children before receiving instructions for our duties.  Today we had to dig up sand and transport it across a suspension bridge and up a steep hill into a backyard.  The soil could be used for various different applications, such as mixing cement.  We accomplished this using 20 gallon buckets and a small wheel barrow.  It took effort from everybody, but we managed to move a lot of soil.  We worked for about three hours, and everybody was grateful to take a lunch break back at the Mission.  Lunch was very good today: pasta with alfredo sauce and beef cutlets.

After lunch we listened to a quick presentation about Guatemala given by Heather, one of our long term volunteers.  After the presentation we headed to the Women’s Center.  Our first lesson was to make tortillas, which is much harder than it seems.  The women are responsible for all the cooking, which includes having dry firewood and feeding her family before they leave in the morning.

We also learned to wash clothes by hand in a pila.

We then struggled to carry a small basket on our heads, which is an extremely common method Guatemalan women use to carry heavy objects, such as corn masa (corn flour used for tortillas) or laundry.  Finally, we learned how the men gather and carry firewood.  It is common for some men to carry up to 200 pounds of firewood on their back for two to three hours.

We returned to the Mission for dinner, which consisted of green beans and beef, with squash soup, and bread rolls.  After dinner we return to the hotel where Dr. Northrup organized a small concert given by a mariachi band.  The music was good and we had a great time.  We are looking forward to the boat ride across the Lake and to zip line tomorrow!

-Wil, David, & Becca

Day 8

For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions with rolls, beans, juice, and coffee. After breakfast, we split into two groups; each group went to different sites for construction work.

Becca: Upon arrival to the site, our group split up again. One group went to sift dirt to prepare cement for stove construction. The stoves are important for the health of the family, because without them they will cook with an open fire in the middle of the house, which leads to upper respiratory issues. Wil, Dimitri, and I worked with Juan and Marvin to finish a stove that was close to completion. We started by sifting dirt to add to the cement mix. Wil and I started doing that, then Wil and Dimitri helped Juan put a chimney on the stove. After they finished, we mixed dirt and cement with water to finish the stove.

When he had some down time, we bonded with the local children. I found that it was much easier to communicate with the kids in Spanish than I had expected. Around 3 pm, we finished up with the stove and headed back to the hotel. At 4 pm, we played soccer with some of the Parroquia workers. As per usual, I was terrible, but I had fun. We went straight to dinner after soccer. We had potatoes, stew, and cake. The cake was for Alex, a long term volunteer, because today is her 23rd birthday. After dinner, we watched a video about Father Greg, a priest who spent most of his life working with and helping to improve the lives of the people in San Lucas.

Kat: Our group was led by Dr. Northrup and Alex. We embarked on a 20 minute drive in the back of a pickup truck (a common form of transportation here) to a remote area in San Lucas. Once at the location, we were greeted by a wooden suspension bridge, built in 2012 by volunteers at the Mission. After many jokes and overcoming slight fears, the entire crew successfully crossed the bridge.

We trekked half a mile up a steep mountain and through the forest to arrive at one of the Mission houses in the community. It was there we were assigned jobs. Half of us stayed to sift gravel, used for concrete stove mix, and to participate in building the stove while the other half walked up the road to another house built and donated by the Mission. There, gravel was also sifted for future stove projects. We helped the families in any way we could, whether it be hanging clothes, dancing with the children, and exposing them to our music! After our duties were over, along with the rain, we walked through the small village. The roads were made of dirt and grass, and houses not built by the Mission were composed of disheveled wood and corn stalks. A group of young boys approached myself, Karissa, and David asking us to play a game of futbol; however, the ball was missing. They explained that they didn't have one to play with. The group continued on, while many other children greeted us from the open entrances of their homes. As we ventured toward our exit, the children entertained us, delaying our departure. Once we crossed back over the bridge some students helped a family bring soda and food, which were delivered by van, back over the draw bridge. As we left, the group reflected on the impact volunteers can make in a village.

Day 7

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

Day 6

This morning we packed up our stuff from Hotel El Centro in Quetzaltenango to prepare for our trip to the Mission in San Lucas. We will be staying at the Mission for the rest of the week; our hotel in San Lucas is called Hotel Iquitiu. Our journey started at 9 am as we headed out to visit the Mayan ruins. The ride to the ruins was a long two and a half hour drive through winding, mountainous roads before reaching a rural town outside of the Mayan ruins. Upon our arrival we were greeted by our tour guide, Alex, who apologized profusely for his very accurate English. The tour began with an explanation of the Mayan symbols on a copy of a Mayan pillar. We were taught about how the Mayans were separated by rich and poor and those who were rich lived in the Iximche (the private, post-classic sector). Inside the walls there were five plazas where the different families lived according to wealth. The only parts left of the ruins were the foundations of the structures. We learned the name Guatemala and a lot of the Guatemalan cities are named after Mayan derivatives! We explored the sun and moon temples in each plaza along with where sacrifices were held and performed. In the last plaza we were able to observe a ritual to honor the Mayans which is still a common practice for people in Guatemala. The day turned out to be beautiful, and the ruins were a very fascinating experience.

At lunch many of us had rabbit for the first time at the restaurant Chichoy. Then we enjoyed the day outside in the garden around the restaurant. After lunch we got back on the bus for another two and a half hour drive to the city of San Lucas. During the drive most people fell asleep! When we arrived in San Lucas we were pleasantly surprised by the quaint hotel Iquitiu. After settling in we walked over to the Mission for dinner and orientation. We met and talked with the other groups helping at the Mission, including medical students and groups from other universities. After talking and dinner we walked to an ice cream shop and watched a basketball game in the central square of San Lucas. We are very excited to start our work with the Mission and make contributions to the community!

Sending our love and best wishes!

-Marlena & Melissa

Day 5

This was our cultural day in Xela! The group began the day by heading over to the turf soccer fields in Xela to play a game of futbol. There we had a full hour game where the group enjoyed playing the traditional Guatemalan sport. The game of futbol, we have learned, is a vital aspect of the Guatemalan culture.On our previous bus rides around the country, many fields have been observed. After competing against each other, we traveled 10,000 ft above sea level to enjoy the hot springs. During our travel up the mountain, the crew was excited to experience breathtaking views of the countryside.

Once we arrived at the hot springs, we all enjoyed the various pools offered. We also ventured out on hikes after lunch at the springs. After a tiring morning and afternoon, we returned to the hotel for down time before dinner. For our final dinner in Xela, we went to an incredible Uruguayan restaurant. There we had some of the most amazing steak the students had ever tasted. The garlic bread appetizer was a hit, along with the delicious garlic pesto spread. Overall, our last day in Xela was spent enjoying the Guatemalan culture and a city we all loved so much!

-Kat & Taylor

Note: we may not have regular access to an internet connection in San Lucas, so there may be delays in getting our blog posts up this week.

Day 4

We started our day with the best breakfast yet: pancakes! After breakfast, we went to Victor's office at the Institute of Tulan. There he gave a presentation about Guatemala. He discussed poverty, malnutrition, education systems and general facts about Guatemala. After the presentation, we went to the the hospital in Xela. The hospital was a private hospital, so the patients pay to go there. This is different than the other two hospitals we visited. We could tell that the hospital has more funding due to the cleanliness, organization, and amenities. We also noticed a lot more advanced technologies.

At the hospital we worked with broken equipment to try to determine why they were malfunctioning. A common issue we found is that the hospital staff does not have the means to diagnose certain equipment and often times the donated equipment was English-based, including the manuals. So hospital staff had a difficult time keeping up with the equipment. Another problem we encountered was that we were not trained on certain machines. So we had a difficult time testing some machines. Overall, we were able to figure out what was wrong with a handful of machines, and were able to fix some others as well. After we were done, we took a quick tour of the hospital. We were surprised to see the quality of equipment and how up to date it seemed.

We departed from the hospital and went to the mall for lunch. The mall had a lot of American-style chain fast food restaurants; the longest line was at Taco Bell. After lunch, the YMCA song came on the radio, and Taylor seized the opportunity to serenade the food court via a conveniently available microphone. It was definitely a great entertainment event for all.

After lunch, we went back to the market to have another chance to shop in Xela. For dinner, we went to Albamar near the town square. There the waiters wanted to take pictures with a couple of our students, and Dr. Northrup met other travelers from Scotland. We concluded our day by dancing the night away!

-Rachel & Karissa

Day 3

The day started with a few students accompanying Dr. Rust on a quick morning run through the town where they stopped to visit a few local sites including a cemetery… the rest of us were still sleeping. Then all the students met for breakfast and had some more traditional Guatemalan breakfast foods. Quickly after breakfast we got on the bus and headed to a hospital in Totonicapan. While at the hospital we saw the hematology department, neonatal intensive care unit, radiology and more. A few students even got into scrubs and went into the maternity ward.

We continued to document any equipment that was not functioning and tried to offer solutions as to why. After we finished touring the different units in the hospital, we watched a presentation by Dr. Rust and then we got onto the bus back to Xela to have lunch.

For lunch, we went to a restaurant called Albamar and while we ate we listened to live Mariachi performances. Everyone enjoyed a wide variety of dishes ranging from fried chicken and pizza to more traditional meals. After lunch we went outside the restaurant where they had a playground and slides. The slides were the most popular among our group and many of us went down them repeatedly, even Dr.  Northrup.

Shortly after we ate, a few people went with Dr. Northrup to exchange our money into Quetzales. With the Quetzales we went to a market in a town square in Xela. We split into multiple small groups and explored the market and bought some souvenirs. As we were wrapping up, a big storm rolled in and had a lot of thunder, lightning, and downpours. Then once we finished shopping we left the shops and went to have dinner.

We walked from the market to get dinner at a small pizza shop. We all enjoyed some familiar flavors although the pizzas and pastas were a little different from home. Once we finished eating, we walked back to the hotel to stay in for the night. We all sat in a little common area and relaxed together while we wrote in our journals and kicked around a soccer ball. While we were relaxing the power went out and we had to sit and talk in the dark while we waited for the power to return. After the power came back we relaxed a little more and then we all went to bed early after a long day.

-Erika and Kate