We're back and I popped awake before the crack of dawn (despite the lack of roosters) as we had been doing throughout our stay in Guatemala. At our last dinner in Antigua, I asked each person to give the first three words (mas o menos) that came to mind when they thought of their experience on this trip. Here they are:
BVUUF Folks--
ALY: Children, life-changing, relationships
ANGIE: Sonrisas (smiles), hard work for a goal, coloche (Quiche for curly hair)
CAMILLE: Community, family, unconditional
CHARLIE: Dirt, tired, shopping (too much :-)
CINDY: Joyful, bonding, concrete results
COURTNEY: Bonding, rewarding, dirt
DIANNE: Blood sweat & tears, community, covenant
GAIL: Brotherhood of man, underprivileged, love
LARA: No, boom, Dramamine
LUCAS: Satisfying, revelatory, humbling
KATY: Bonding, hard work, reflection
REESE: Different, humbling, caked
RENE: Dirt, beauty, gratitude
RICH: Resourceful, adorable, dusty
SHERI: Blood sweat & tears, friendship, fun
SKY: Culture shock, wholesome, gratitude
STEPHEN: Wow!, fun, "Puerto!Puerto!" (this is how it sounded to Stephen when he was swarmed by los ninos asking him to "take my photo!" ... the portable printer that Stephen could attach to his printer right at the village was a HUGE hit)
Sienna Project Folks--
DEREK (Martin's son and general foreman): Bust ass, hard core, thanks
LAURA (Derek's wife): Alegria (happy, joyful), seguridad (security), buena experiencia (good experience
MARTIN (founder of Sienna Project): Thank you, Kids Were Great (surprised how easy they were to deal with), Made A Difference (maybe more than any other community)
David - are you there? You were not with us at our last meal ... what are your three words? Best of luck to you and Betsy on your school this week!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Home
Thanks to everyone that met us at the airport. What a fantastic surprise! There are so many images and experiences that will take a while to process. I certainly feel happy to home, but sad that the trip is done. We worked hard and we accomplished so much. Good job everyone.
Sad to leave, happy to be going home
Some of us woke up early this morning and had a delicious breakfast at a bakery. I had the Huevos Rancheros, but regretted it as soon as I got to taste Camille's french toast. The bread was baked fresh that morning. I'm not saying my eggs were bad, just that the french toast was divine. :)
After breakfast, I wandered around town and did a little more photography. I suck at architecture photography, so nothing really turned out well, but I got some exercise in before getting to sit still in an airplane for many hours. We leave in 20 minutes for the airport. I think everyone in the project is feeling sad to leave, but happy to be going home to loved ones. I know I am.
Thank you all for following this blog - it's been lots of fun trying to keep it up to date.
After breakfast, I wandered around town and did a little more photography. I suck at architecture photography, so nothing really turned out well, but I got some exercise in before getting to sit still in an airplane for many hours. We leave in 20 minutes for the airport. I think everyone in the project is feeling sad to leave, but happy to be going home to loved ones. I know I am.
Thank you all for following this blog - it's been lots of fun trying to keep it up to date.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Antigua
We have arrived in Antigua and it is an entirely different experience from Chichicastenanga. Antigua is very touristy and caters to American and European tourists. Prices are higher here, and I hear that property prices here are higher than in Boulder!
We've wandered around the town and been in the permanent market. I'm feeling pretty much done with touristing, and I've only been here less than a day! This would be more fun if my family were here.
Yesterday was awesome - except for the multi-hour traffic jam of course. I came to Guatemala to build a school, and I've done that and so much more. Our Sienna project has been different from other projects in part because we were so many, but also because this village had lost *everything*. Other than the school we built, the only other permanent structure was the church. While we and our donors helped pay for the school and we did get to do some construction and painting of the school, we were also able to help so many others by creating the foundation for them to build their homes on and get past this devestating hurricane. And we have made such an impact in these children's lives. The kids were so eager to move in to their new school. I hope that these children will remember us for the rest of their lives - I know that I shall remember them.
And in this past week I have grown so much closer to my fellow Siennas. I'm so glad I had this opportunity!
We've wandered around the town and been in the permanent market. I'm feeling pretty much done with touristing, and I've only been here less than a day! This would be more fun if my family were here.
Yesterday was awesome - except for the multi-hour traffic jam of course. I came to Guatemala to build a school, and I've done that and so much more. Our Sienna project has been different from other projects in part because we were so many, but also because this village had lost *everything*. Other than the school we built, the only other permanent structure was the church. While we and our donors helped pay for the school and we did get to do some construction and painting of the school, we were also able to help so many others by creating the foundation for them to build their homes on and get past this devestating hurricane. And we have made such an impact in these children's lives. The kids were so eager to move in to their new school. I hope that these children will remember us for the rest of their lives - I know that I shall remember them.
And in this past week I have grown so much closer to my fellow Siennas. I'm so glad I had this opportunity!
Reporting from Antigua
We left Chichicatanango about 8:30am and arrived in Antigua 10:30, checked into a beautiful hotel with a lush, cool courtyard. From the roof of the hotel we could see the nearby volcanoe. We´re all dispersed now as we explore before regrouping for lunch and then I want to wander around the market.
Later,
Later,
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Our last day in Nuevo Victoria
Today was our last day working in the village. It was an incredible experience for the last four days to be there with the Mayans and the other Sienna Project volunteers. We worked very hard helping to build the school, clearing land for new homes to be built, and I also taught some classes to third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.
These people will remain in my heart even though I may never see them again. They are so happy, fun to be with, hardworking, and friendly! They worked beside us in everything we did and truly took responsibility for their new school. The children are beautiful, very open to learning and full of vitality and curiosity. The families seem close and supportive. I will miss them and am glad to have had the opportunity to get to know them and share their lives, if even for a short time.
These people will remain in my heart even though I may never see them again. They are so happy, fun to be with, hardworking, and friendly! They worked beside us in everything we did and truly took responsibility for their new school. The children are beautiful, very open to learning and full of vitality and curiosity. The families seem close and supportive. I will miss them and am glad to have had the opportunity to get to know them and share their lives, if even for a short time.
Grande Finale
We did it! The school may not have a roof yet, but all walls are up, banos built, leveling fill material dug up from elsewhere and hauled into the three classrooms before the concrete floor is poured, and it is painted outside (lilac with yellow trim ... almost LSU colours!). We also did a LOT of site preparation work for 4 new casas ... the easiest of which might have been about one foot elevation difference to level up to the toughest site which was about a four foot elevation difference. BUt enough with the engineering talk ´:)
Probably forty kids came out with hand made quetzals mounted on Guatemala banderas as thank you gifts and their handsome teacher thanked us from their hearts for our work. Tears flowed. We left to a cacaphony of fireworks.
This has been an amazing experience to be in the space and place of our fellow humans of whose lives we knew nothing about. We not only built a school but bridges too. We are so proud of the kids on this trip as they worked steadily on all sorts of jobs and also really engaged with the village ninos.
I´m off to now to pizza and cerveza back at the hotel as restaurant plans were scrapped due to our three hour standstill in traffic returning to Chichi tonight.
All is well. Life is good!
Probably forty kids came out with hand made quetzals mounted on Guatemala banderas as thank you gifts and their handsome teacher thanked us from their hearts for our work. Tears flowed. We left to a cacaphony of fireworks.
This has been an amazing experience to be in the space and place of our fellow humans of whose lives we knew nothing about. We not only built a school but bridges too. We are so proud of the kids on this trip as they worked steadily on all sorts of jobs and also really engaged with the village ninos.
I´m off to now to pizza and cerveza back at the hotel as restaurant plans were scrapped due to our three hour standstill in traffic returning to Chichi tonight.
All is well. Life is good!
Three hour traffic jam
Today was our last day at the work site. We actually left earlier today than we have previously but got home much much later than ever because of a multi-hour traffic jam.
We have scrapped our previous dinner plans in favor of pizza at the hotel. Every one else is back at the hotel showering etc.
I just wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know that we're ok and we had a great time today, including getting some gifts from the children who were so happy to get a new school. Photos and more updates tomorrow (I hope - but we have to go with the Guatemalan flow here)
We have scrapped our previous dinner plans in favor of pizza at the hotel. Every one else is back at the hotel showering etc.
I just wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know that we're ok and we had a great time today, including getting some gifts from the children who were so happy to get a new school. Photos and more updates tomorrow (I hope - but we have to go with the Guatemalan flow here)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Boatloads of photos
Another amazing day. We continued work on Tomás' plot of land and we were working side-by-side with Tomás and his daughters.
Prior to going to Guatemala, we were told that the division of labor was very clear in Guatemala - the men worked in the fields and the women worked with cooking, sewing, etc. The women most definitely did not work in the fields.
When we started working on Tomás' plot, he said that he would otherwise have to move all this dirt himself. We asked "with your family?" as the three daughters were standing nearby. His reply was "no, by myself - my son is only two years old".
Well, we swung into action with our usual gusto, and our young women (not kids anymore - not after this trip) were right in there in the middle of it. It took some time, but after a while Tomás daughters started working there right beside us. It was cool!
Anyway, I've finally gotten through the photos from the first three days at the village and I've uploaded 40 of them to the "photostream" link above. Or you can just click here. I wanted to focus on getting photos of our young adults up there so that the parents at home could see how hard they are working. All the adults on the trip are so proud of how hard the kids are working - as well as making time to play with the village children and teach them new games or how to jump rope.
Enjoy the photos!!
Prior to going to Guatemala, we were told that the division of labor was very clear in Guatemala - the men worked in the fields and the women worked with cooking, sewing, etc. The women most definitely did not work in the fields.
When we started working on Tomás' plot, he said that he would otherwise have to move all this dirt himself. We asked "with your family?" as the three daughters were standing nearby. His reply was "no, by myself - my son is only two years old".
Well, we swung into action with our usual gusto, and our young women (not kids anymore - not after this trip) were right in there in the middle of it. It took some time, but after a while Tomás daughters started working there right beside us. It was cool!
Anyway, I've finally gotten through the photos from the first three days at the village and I've uploaded 40 of them to the "photostream" link above. Or you can just click here. I wanted to focus on getting photos of our young adults up there so that the parents at home could see how hard they are working. All the adults on the trip are so proud of how hard the kids are working - as well as making time to play with the village children and teach them new games or how to jump rope.
Enjoy the photos!!
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