Well. I’ve made it!
BVS orientation – check.
Latin America orientation in Guatemala – check.
I spent four days in Antigua, Guatemala, about 30 minutes outside Guatemala City, getting to know the other BVSers who are also working Latin America. Steve works with Colegio Miguel Angel Asturias in Xela, Guatemala, where Malea has been placed as well. Lauren works at Hogar de Ninos Emanuel in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which, yes folks, is where my wonderful cousin Leah served as well. They’re all great folks, and I had a really lovely time in Antigua. The weather was quite perfect; not too hot, not too cold. We spent a lot of our time enjoying each other’s company and exploring Antigua.
Afterwards, it was off to Ixtahuacan, near the Mexico / Guatemala border, to spend a week with Todd and his wife and daughter at their home. It was a really relaxing week. I slept almost 10 hours every night, as their electricity is battery-powered, so when they go to bed, the electricity is turned off as well. I found myself heading to bed between 9:30 and 10pm nearly every night, and waking up between 7:30 and 8:30 most days. My body wasn't sure what to do with all the extra rest! I definitely needed it. Malea and I helped Katy, Todd's wife, with various chores around the house, helping to cook, learning to make tortillas, taking care of Yana, their two-year-old daughter, etc. The food was delicious, lots of vegetables and greens, and tortillas made with homemade masa. Masa is corn flour, and theirs is ground from the corn they grow: indigenous strains equivalent to "heirloom" varieties in the US. Oh. My. Goodness. I didn't know I could love tortillas so much. Sorry, El Salvador, so far Katy's are the best. We also helped them set up their market stand on Sunday. (Keep in mind this was between Oct 19 and 26) They sell herbs and natural medicines, baskets, pottery, hats, earrings, and a few other things I'm forgetting. The town of Ixta comes alive on market days, but especially on Sundays. Malea and I were also invited to wear traje, the skirt and top of Mayan descendants. We got a few stares in town, but most people were pleasantly surprised to see two fairly pasty white girls wearing traje.
Two days later, I arrived in El Salvador! To say that I was well received is an understatement. I was so excited (and still am!!) After some time for Todd to get acquainted with the folks here, I jumped head-first into my work. The first week was full of meetings and introductions and worship services and prayers and songs and pupusas (THE Salvadoran food, kind of similar to a Mexican quesadilla) and lots of Spanish. And I loved every minute of it. My primary task is to work with Josue, who is luckily a good friend I met in 2009 during my first visit here, and Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel's peace program, entitled Cultura de Paz. It's like a peace studies program in a nutshell. We'll cover human rights, gender equality, conflict resolution and transformation, historical memory and reconciliation, defense of the environment, and democratic participation in the context of Christian values, such as community, justice, solidarity, and truth. How will we do this? Not really sure yet. Ideas are floating around. Where? In the church, Sunday School, the church's youth center Cal Pipil, the Baptist elementary/high school, and eventually branch out into the neighborhood and public schools. We want to set up mediation teams, call out kids and youth as leaders, as peacemakers, etc. I'm really excited about the program. And really nervous. And overwhelmed. But it will be great. We're not actually starting until January, so we're just in a planning period right now.
So, that's about it for now. My Spanish is improving, although Salvadorans tend to mumble, which makes it a bit difficult. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm also teaching English classes, one of which begins tomorrow morning. I'm more nervous about teaching than nearly anything else. But at least it's the first class, so if it goes really quickly or slowly or not very well or whatever, I know I can improve. I should also mention my English kind of stinks since I haven't been using it much ... if things sound awkward, forgive me! I'm probably trying to write in English using Spanish syntax. My apologies! So, there you have it.
Two days later, I arrived in El Salvador! To say that I was well received is an understatement. I was so excited (and still am!!) After some time for Todd to get acquainted with the folks here, I jumped head-first into my work. The first week was full of meetings and introductions and worship services and prayers and songs and pupusas (THE Salvadoran food, kind of similar to a Mexican quesadilla) and lots of Spanish. And I loved every minute of it. My primary task is to work with Josue, who is luckily a good friend I met in 2009 during my first visit here, and Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel's peace program, entitled Cultura de Paz. It's like a peace studies program in a nutshell. We'll cover human rights, gender equality, conflict resolution and transformation, historical memory and reconciliation, defense of the environment, and democratic participation in the context of Christian values, such as community, justice, solidarity, and truth. How will we do this? Not really sure yet. Ideas are floating around. Where? In the church, Sunday School, the church's youth center Cal Pipil, the Baptist elementary/high school, and eventually branch out into the neighborhood and public schools. We want to set up mediation teams, call out kids and youth as leaders, as peacemakers, etc. I'm really excited about the program. And really nervous. And overwhelmed. But it will be great. We're not actually starting until January, so we're just in a planning period right now.
So, that's about it for now. My Spanish is improving, although Salvadorans tend to mumble, which makes it a bit difficult. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm also teaching English classes, one of which begins tomorrow morning. I'm more nervous about teaching than nearly anything else. But at least it's the first class, so if it goes really quickly or slowly or not very well or whatever, I know I can improve. I should also mention my English kind of stinks since I haven't been using it much ... if things sound awkward, forgive me! I'm probably trying to write in English using Spanish syntax. My apologies! So, there you have it.
Out to lunch on November 2, to celebrate Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead)
From left: Pastor Miguel, Gaby, Sarah, Arturo, Lidia, and me.
Presentation of Cal Pipil workshop / class teachers.
Saturday's talent show marked 1 full year of classes at "la Cal" as we affectionately call it.
A group of guitar students presenting their song.
Feliz, feliz cumpleanos, Cal Pipil!
Fuzzy picture of me in my office ... having a blast!
How wonderful! I hope your English class went well.
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