Thanksgiving in Guatemala

In Patzun...

Lyd and Lhess prepared a delicious Thanksgiving Feast.

And then I prepared food for Anacleto and family. Last year, they prepared a lovely Thanksgiving feast for me. Surprisingly the kids did a wonderful job eating rare foods.

Molly brought some key ingredients when she came to visit so that I was able to make a true American Thanksgiving feast!

In Livingston and Rio Dulce...

Peace Corps awarded us some free vacation days. Without hesitation, I took advantage and traveled to the coast...

We took a twenty minute motorized boat ride along the silent, clean, breath-taking river to get off the boat and slilp and slide along a thirty minute hike to these amazing waterfalls! We hiked up, exploring the different bodies of wa

The view from our room in Livingston!!

 The girls- Susan, Christina, Linnea, Hannah, Elizabeth, and myself. *Brittany, not pictured. We enjoyed girl time- braiding hair, chatting, laughing, sipping wine, etc.

We made it the PC holiday hang out- the beach! It was perfect- no waves, not deep. From here we went on a hike to the seven alters, which were like waterfalls or smaller bodies of water, rocks, and

The girls on the bridge, heading to the beach. In Rio Dulce we went kayaking, swam in the hot springs, ate candel-lit dinners, floated in the river, played games, and enjoyed each other's company.

Unfortunately, after an amazingly perfect vacation, the very last leg of the trip six of the girls were assaulted at gun point on a Pullman bus from Guate to San Lucas. I must have the best guardian angel because I had been with them the entire weekend; the incident happened less than five minutes after I left them to take my direct Patzun bus. I wish there was something I could do to take away the pain they must feel. 

November 2011

I forgot to mention in the last blog- GLOW= Girls Leading Our World. It is an organization created by a PC volunteer in Romania in 1995. With the GLOW funds my basketball team helped do a basketball/leadership "Balon-azgo"camp for a group of females from Chuchuca and the orphans who attended the other part of the GLOW camp. *Photograph thanks to Dani, 9 yr. old

The girls enjoying their snack at the camp!

An amazing group from the United States, The Healing Hands Foundation, visited Patzun for a week.  It was an amazing experience for me. I was able to enter the operating room while the doctors and nurses were working diligently on patients. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I also enjoyed the American culture in Patzun- big dinners, working hard, watching movies, listening to music, etc.  Here is their website if you are interested in learning more about their work or supporting the foundation:  http://www.thhfoundation.org/

November 1st is "Kite Day"= the happiest day in Guatemala.  The families make kites and go to the cemetery to pay respects to their diseased family members.  Anacleto, the kids and I went after the crowds had died down. Mary and the kids made me a special kite with my name on it!

Still playing basketball. Karina took this awesome picture of Lyida and I playing against each other.

I'm going to include Anacleto's origional words because he does a beautiful job expressing the importance of this event  

Mynor Yovani es uno de esos alumnos, que por cuestiones del destino, no tiene papá y este año le tocó graduarse.  Unos días antes me pidió en forma tímida que le hiciera el favor de ser su papá en los actos de graduación.  Ese día yo lo acompañe.  Me dio mucho gusto estar con él y ver el fruto del esfuerzo de él y de ADP de entregar a otro profesional a la patria Guatemala.  Mynor se graduó con los más altos honores en Chimaltenango, por eso el tiene una banda hecha con la bandera de Guatemala.  Para llegar a la meta  el tuvo que trabajar los fines de semanas y días festivos en una carpintería para mantenerse a el mismo y a mamá.  Fue un duro trabajo que él realizó, pero nunca hubiera sido posible sin la ayuda que muchas amables y bondadosas personas que aportan y apuestan  a  ADP.

Translation: Mynor Yovani is one student, for questions of destiny; he does not have a father. This year he graduated from high school.  A couple of days before the event, in a timid manner, Mynor asked Anacleto to stand in as his father for the graduation ceremony.  Anacleto accepted this honor and accompanied Mynor on this special day.  It made him very proud to be with Mynor on this special day and experience the fruit of his hard work as director of Amigos de Patzun.  He was happy to present another professional to Guatemala.  Mynor graduated in Chimaltenango with the highest honors (that is why he has a blue band across his chest).  To achieve this goal Mynor had to work hard during weekends and vacations as a carpenter to help maintain a life for himself and his mother.  Mynor worked very hard, but it would not have been possible without the friendships and support from the donors of Amigos de Patzún.

At the pools in Patzicia with Laura and her host family, teaching them how to swim. The water was FREEZING cold! Reyna's food was delicious.

Christina, the sexpert, came to help me out with a sex education presentation.

I ran the half marathon in Xela. My life goal is to complete a half in under two hours. I timed myself at 1.58:26. However, my official time was 2.01:22. I was super bummed when my neighbor informed me of this, two days after the race. Either way, it was a very fun, enjoyable half!! Now I'm resting from training.

October 2011

Chuchuca girls graduating from middle school!

GLOW Camp about Healthy Relationships with a group of nine females and Mother Norma from the orphanage.

Not only did we talk about the physical , social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a healthy relationship; we also made time to play soccer, swim, and play basketball!

We celebrated Halloween in Antigua. Hector helped sew my dress. Raquel helped dye my clothes.  Two weeks later Christina and I were in the local newspaper.