Update

The group has had a truly amazing experience working with the community outside of Xela (pronounced SHAY-LA - adopted name of Quetzeltenango - see the post from Kristin's family below for more information about this growing city).The Mayan community here is very poor and full of love! The home stays here were quite basic, but that is when you learn the most. The group has worked hard and is now coming to the end of the trip to a well deserved rest. They travel today to Panajachel (referred to as Pana by the tourists and the large expatriate community living here). Below is a link to see more of this lovely town on Lake Atitlan. They have a great market on Saturday and Sunday so the group can spend their last days lazing by the lake or shopping for the beautiful handmade items. Bien trabajo!


http://www.panajachel.com/

Saturday, Sunday, & Monday Prayer Lists

Saturday Sunday Monday
14-Mar 15-Mar 16-Mar
6am Stephen Baldwin Stephen Baldwin Stephen Baldwin
S. Sams Gran Gran

7am Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer
Michael Morgan Michael Morgan Michael Morgan
Kimberly Morgan Kimberly Morgan Kimberly Morgan
Angela Steele Angela Steele Angela Steele
Walter Bean Walter Bean Walter Bean
Nancy Stevens Nancy Stevens Nancy Stevens
K. Miller

8am Lindsay Full Lindsay Full Lindsay Full
Gran Gran Gran

9am Ernestine King Ernestine King Ernestine King
Clivia Chin Clivia Chin Clivia Chin
Barabara Higgins Ellen King Owen Sutkowski



10am Kathryn Keeton Ann Fields Tara Igbanol
Mac Mayhew Mac Mayhew
11am Lesley Mann Lesley Mann Lesley Mann
Kathy Jordan Tyler Wessman
K. McKone
12pm Pamela Clift Pamela Clift Pamela Clift
Dave Mann Dave Mann Dave Mann
Bridget Hatfield Tyler Wessman

1pm Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer

2pm Pat Domonokos Pat Domonokos Pat Domonokos

3pm Lindsay Full Lindsay Full Lindsay Full
Teri Orsini Teri Orsini Teri Orsini
4pm Vanessa Whitley Vanessa Whitley Vanessa Whitley
Matthew Price

5pm Perky Boike Perky Boike Perky Boike
Rebekah Hudson Mary Nell McPherson
Bob Whalen

6pm Araminta Johnson Araminta Johnson Araminta Johnson
Gran Gran Gran

7pm Kim Wheeland Kim Wheeland Kim Wheeland
8pm Suzanne Cooper-Guasco Suzanne Cooper-Guasco Cherie Clark
9pm Grace O'Toole Grace O'Toole Grace O'Toole
Ellen King
Kathy Jordan
10pm Suzanne Henderson Suzanne Henderson Suzanne Henderson
E. Gulley
11pm Rachel Pence Rachel Pence Rachel Pence
Kimberly Morgan Kimberly Morgan Kimberly Morgan
Barabara Thomas Barabara Thomas Barabara Thomas
Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer Phyllis Phifer
12am Chelsea Phipps Chelsea Phipps Chelsea Phipps
Mark Kelso Mark Kelso Mark Kelso
1am Pamela Clift Pamela Clift Pamela Clift
2am Zeb Gillette Zeb Gillette Zeb Gillette
3am Ruth Stephenson Ruth Stephenson Ruth Stephenson
4am Ruth Stephenson Ruth Stephenson Ruth Stephenson
Gran Gran Gran
5am Janice McRorie Janice McRorie Janice McRorie
Gran Gran Gran
H. Smith H. Smith H. Smith

Staying in the Community

Staying in the communities, or "home-stays", were one of my absolute favorite parts of the trip when I went back in 2007. For me, it was probably one of the least structured, but most fun and culturally educating experiences of the entire trip. Staying with the families and interacting with them outside of just a work project or an educational class really helped me to get a better feel for not just what I was doing, but who I was helping and why I was really there. Even with my limited Spanish speaking abilities, it was very fun and important for me to have such a hands-on experience.

Home-stays were also an eye opening experience for me, as I'm sure they are for everyone. The people in the communities did so much for us when we stayed with them, going well above and beyond just taking complete strangers into their homes. They all had so little, by our standards, but were more than happy and willing to share it with anyone and everyone, without so much as blinking an eye. The home-stays really served to help us all experience first hand what we had been studying, and to really consider what we had and what we take for granted.

Zeb

An Exciting Day and Night

The group left Guatemala City today after learning much about this changing city and country and the people who struggle to live there. They traveled to Chimaltenango, a fairly good size province about 30 miles from Guatemala City, in the Central Highlands (you can see a good map of Chimaltenango using Google maps). The group is visiting very good frineds of Queens, the Heart of the Women community. The Heart of Women community is a group of Maya survivors (mostly Kachiquel) from the civil war (called La Violencia by the Mayans). More than 200,000 people died, most indigenous Maya, and a majority of the men and boys. These women came from all over Guatemala with their remaining family members and worked to rebuild a life together. Their stories are heartrending and inspiring. Their weaving cooperative is a testament to the strength and determination of these amazing people. The Queens group helped build a community center and several homes in past years.
Every year Heart of the Women opens their homes and hearts to visitors and the Queens group is lucky to be able to sleep overnight in several homes. They will all have some amazing (and for the language challenged, some very funny) stories to tell!

Safe Arrival

I just heard from the group and they have arrived safe and sound to Casa San Jose. They made their connection in Houston (a short turn around but they operated as a well-oiled machine!) and Emerson and Jana, the CEDEPCA hosts, met them at the newly renovated airport. The group arrived in time to explore a bit of Guatemala City and are settling in for an evening of fine food and fellowship. Yahoo!!!

Casa San Jose

Tonight and tomorrow night the group will be staying in Casa San Jose in Zone 1, Guatemala City. Casa San Jose is a homey, comfortable hotel owned and opersted by indigenous Mayans. The rooms sleep 3 or 4; the little dining room allows for communal meals filled with discussion of the day and days to come. It is an old favorite of previous Queens groups. Here is a picture from the hallway to give you a little flavor of this lovely place.