Wrap Up & Summer Santa

Hola again from Antigua, Guatemala. This week has been a blast, and we have had such a great experience here. This week has taught us to be grateful for the things we are fortunate enough to have. Today we visited a local school, along with many other stops. In Guatemala, education is not as developed as education in the United States. Only 3 out of 10 children are lucky enough to make it to 7th grade. This school was special in that it went out to the city looking for the least fortunate people who needed an education. Today began with breakfast without Dylan who went with Bill McGahan to Hotel Antigua for a fancy breakfast and omelets to order. Expecting to go directly to the worksite, most of us were surprised when we found out we were going to a new private school called La Excelencia. Many of us brought clothes and toys to give away to the kids as well. Last year, Mrs. Solomon’s 9th grade Bible class translated chapters of the Bible into simple English. These translations were then made into 8 sets of children books which are being distributed to different countries around the world. One of these sets came with us, and we donated to the library at La Excelencia. The ride to the school was filled with singing, jokes and references to The Office (which annoyed Wiley, by the way). We got to the school and seeing how unfortunate most of the kids were, made us realize how privileged we are. We read to the kids who really enjoyed it and after that, we went to the construction site where they are building new grounds for the school. There, we played basketball for the kids and Dylan dunked for them. Stephen and Katie gave out soccer balls to the P.E teacher. After seeing the school, we went back to our construction site. Today was a short work day because we only had to lay the cement for the floor inside the structure we built last week. It did take quite a while to mix and pour cement, so to pass the time we sang songs like American Pie and Jack and Dianne. Since making the floor didn’t take long, we had an opportunity to give out our belongings to the kids. The family was really grateful when we gave them t-shirts, toys and gear. For example, the girl who I gave my puppy doll to carried it around all day long and when we distributed the items to the family, they were just staring at us because they have never received so many things in one day. As Bill, Stephen, Wiley and Anne walked down the street, Bill became a summer Santa Clause giving out everything in his bag to the children passing by. Having more time than usual, we played soccer with the workers on a concrete field in the middle of Santa Maria de Jesus. Even with our excellent defense, we could not beat the workers and were defeated three to one, with Sebastian scoring our only goal.

When we came back from the worksite, we took a shower and went to Spanish school. This time, the cooks on Friday became normal students while Ashley, Stephen, Wiley, Anne, Hannah, Katie and Julia Bowen, became the cooks. Unlike last time, the menu for today was Pepián, a mixture of potatoes, quisguil (sweet pears), dried chile peppers along with chicken, rice with vegetables, rice pudding and tortillas. I found it especially challenging to peel the potatoes with kitchen knives instead of peelers. The majority of the people thought today’s meal was outstanding. After the delicious meal, we came back to the hotel, ready for a night of fun and games. We can’t believe that the trip is near the end because we have had so many fun and fulfilling experiences. Looking back, what we got to do in Guatemala is a life changing experience. We are now looking forward to finishing up our house tomorrow by adding the roof, door, window and painting them. We are excited but at the same time, upset to be leaving Guatemala.
Adios, from Antigua. Abrazos - Ashley and Stephen