I had a thought the other day that I really love hanging out with other Spanish-English translators. We don't have two languages in which we communicate; we have three. People think that Spanglish is for amateurs, but I tell you that it is for the pros.
I can't think of any examples right now in English, but there are some things in every language that just are awkward to say; however, since we don't know any better--we don't know they are awkward--we just keep saying them. There are also things that we used to say in English which were more efficient but now we don't say them that way because the word has become antiquated. In Spanish, it's easy to give an example off my head:
My father's mother's mother's father's mother was Native American.
La mama del papa de la mama de la mama de mi papa era indigena de los EE.UU. ("The mother of the father of the mother of the mother of my father was indigenous of the U.S.") All of those "of the" is just ridiculously complicated if you ask me.
Then there are words that exist in English that don't exist in Spanish such as siblings and grandparents. Sure, you could say "hermanos" for "siblings," but it could also mean just "brothers." The same goes for "abuelos" which could mean either "grandparents" or "grandfathers" (most people have 2).
I guess the best examples I can think of in English off the top of my head have to do with verbs. In English, you need to have a pronoun (or name) in front of a verb to explain who the subject is. In Spanish, because the verbs are constantly changing--probably the hardest part of Spanish to learn--you usually don't need to explain who/what the subject is because it's included in the verb.
Quiero dormir.
I want to sleep. You could say "Yo (I) quiero dormir," but it's completely unnecessary.
Necesitas lavar los trastos.
You need to wash/do the dishes.
So, when we speak Spanglish, we can come out with this:
"Tengo que lavar los trastos y la ropa, pero les encontrare at John's house at 3." instead of
"I have to wash the dishes and the clothes, but I will meet you all at John's house at 3." or
"Tengo que lavar los trastos y la ropa, pero les encontrare en la casa de John a las 3."
Some of us fall in and out of languages easier than others. I'm not sure I'm bilingual at this point. I think I just have one language with a very large vocabulary and two sets of grammar rules. Just as when you use English and modify your vocabulary based on your audience, I do the same thing. However, it's not so much based on how advanced the words are as it is the "type" ("language") of vocabulary.
Just some idea that has been floating around in my head for a couple of weeks...
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Two Degrees of Separation: Day 1,216
Today I found out that there are two degrees of separation between myself and Olympic gold medalist Charlie White; one of my friends is his former classmate. I also realized today that there are two degrees of separation between myself and the Guatemalan president, Otto Perez Molina. If you're not sure what I mean by "degrees of separation" it comes from a theory that everyone is connected by 6 degrees of separation in which it states that everyone through six friendships/connections knows everyone in the world. (After reading that Wikipedia link earlier today, I'm convinced that this is why Facebook doesn't want you to friend people you don't actually know; it's screwing up their data.) I'm also connected to President Obama by two steps; I feel so political now. But it's not the people who I'm connected to by two degrees of separation that this entry is about; it's about the people who I'm connected to by one degree of separation.
Sometimes I feel like all I do all day is sit around and send out e-mail to people: "So-and-so, this is Other-so-and-so. You two could do a lot of good together. This is the contact that you can use." "So-and-so, have you heard of this organization? I've worked with them before, and I know they can help you out with your problem." "So-and-so, if you want, I have someone who can take a look at this for you." "So-and-so, I know where you can buy that at a fair price." Sometimes I feel like I do nothing, but sometimes I understand that I am that link. I am the bridge. I am that degree of separation who is willing to take herself out of the equation.
And, yes, if you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to get better about frequent updates.
Sometimes I feel like all I do all day is sit around and send out e-mail to people: "So-and-so, this is Other-so-and-so. You two could do a lot of good together. This is the contact that you can use." "So-and-so, have you heard of this organization? I've worked with them before, and I know they can help you out with your problem." "So-and-so, if you want, I have someone who can take a look at this for you." "So-and-so, I know where you can buy that at a fair price." Sometimes I feel like I do nothing, but sometimes I understand that I am that link. I am the bridge. I am that degree of separation who is willing to take herself out of the equation.
And, yes, if you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to get better about frequent updates.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
An Observation on US Culture: Day 1,210
(A continuacion en español)
There is something about US culture which I might have not noticed if my boyfriend hadn't brought it up. He asked me, "How can parents care more for other people than their own children?" (This is, of course, his way of looking at it as a Guatemalan.) You see, here in Guatemala, it is common for children to live with their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, whoever.
In the United States at 18 to 20 years of age, it is common to shoo one's own children out of the house, to make them live on their own. We call it "growing up." In reality, it's "sink or swim," and if they don't swim? This is an even bigger problem with the male population. They are constantly bombarded with a cultural stigma which tells them "You'll never get a girl if you live at mom and dad's house." And girls are told that a guy should not live with his parents if he's going to be "date-able." (They start believing this very young.) I lived with my folks until I came to Guatemala at the age of 25, and my mother had mentioned the idea of me paying rent more than once.
However, this US cultural "standard" has me baffled. An older generation present helps to keep their kids in line. The possibility of acting irresponsibly is lessened because there is almost always supervision. Shared expenses are lessened expenses. You don't need two housing payments, two internet hook-ups, two electric bills (although the one would be higher than usual, but not equal to two), etc. Also, as I was buying a rolling pin the other day, it made me think about life with my folks. My parents have a rolling pin; I don't know if my brother does or not, but when our parents pass on, what will happen to their rolling pin? I don't need it anymore; I have my own. So, living away from one's family creates more unnecessary consumerism which, is really great when one has extra money to spend because it helps the economy, but for a young single person or a young couple, it's pointless spending. Young singles don't need to spend money on stuff like rolling pins; they need to save it to build a future or spend time together or whatever else...or on things that have a short life (in comparison to rolling pins) such as computers or cars or washing machines.
Finally, there is the simple fact that people living in large groups is more effective and efficient than small groups (or alone). A young couple will have the advice and assistance of previous generations. Perhaps grandma's eyesight isn't good enough to weave or sew, and perhaps she can't stand over the fire cooking anymore, but she can rock the baby. So, why, in place of shutting her away in a nursing home somewhere, don't we let her continue to serve a useful and valuable place in society? She will receive her meals from people who know her and love her, and she will watch their children and pass on stories of times gone by. And when, at last, she is no longer able to contribute anything to the family, they will care for her as she did for her children when they were babies, still too little to contribute anything.
I wouldn't say that my parents care for me any less than my boyfriend's parents care for him; they simply express it differently. However, the excessive spending heaped on young people combined with the lack of support makes life unnecessarily difficult.
************
Hay algo de la cultura de los EE.UU. que tal vez no habia logrado notar sino por mi novio. Él me preguntó, "¿Como pueden papás alla quieren mas para otras personas que sus propios hijos?" Aqui en Guatemala, es muy comun que hijos viven con sus padres, sus abuelos, sus bisabuelos, quien sea.
En los EE.UU. a los 18 o 20 años, es comun sacar sus propios hijos de la casa, hacerles vivir solos. Lo llamamos "madurando." En realidad, es "hundir o nadar," ¿y si no naden? Es un problema mas grande con la poblacion masculina. Siempre estan atacados con un estigma cultural que les dice "Nunca ganaran una chica si vives en la casa de mamá y papá." Y las chicas aprenden desde pequeña que un hombre no debe vivir con sus papás si vale una cita. (El enlace en la version ingles contiene una foto de un listado de treinta reglas para un novio. La cuarta es "no vivir con padres." Ese listado esta escrito por dos niñas de 6 y 9 años.) Yo vivia con mis papás hasta que vine a Guatemala a los 25 años, y mi mamá habia mencionada la idea de pagar renta mas de una vez.
Pero este "estandar" estadounidense me tiene confundida. Una generacion mas grande ayuda a asegurar que la siguiente se porta bien. La posibilidad de actuar irresponsable es menos porque casi siempre hay supervision. Gastos compartidos son gastos mas pequeños. No tiene que pagar pagos de dos casas, dos conexiones de internet, dos recibos electricos (aunque el uno seria un poco mas costoso, pero menos que los dos), etc. Tambien, mientras que yo estaba comprando un rodillo de cocina el otro dia, me hizo pensar en mi vida con mis papás. Mis papás tiene un rodillo de cocina; no sé si mi hermano tiene uno o no, pero cuando nuestros papás se mueren, que pasara con su rodillo de cocina? Ya no lo necesito; tengo el mio. Entonces, vivir aparte de su propia familia crea consumerismo innecesario lo cual es muy bueno cuando uno tiene dinero extra para gastar porque ayuda a la economia, pero para un joven o recien casados, es un gasto ilogico; necesitan ahorrar para construir su futuro o pasar tiempo juntos o lo que sea...o en cosas que tienen vidas cortas (en comparasion a los rodillos de cocina) como computadoras o carros o lavadoras.
Finalmente, hay el hecho simple que personas viviendo en grupos grandes es mas eficiente y efectivo que vivir en grupos pequeños (o solo). Una pareja joven tendran los consejos y apoyo de generaciones previas. Tal vez la vista de la abuela ya no esta suficiente para coser o tejer, y tal vez ya no aguanta estar parado por el fuego cocinando, pero puede cuidar al bebe. Entonces, ¿porque en lugar de ponerla en un hogar para ancianos, no la dejamos seguir con un lugar util y valoroso en la sociedad? Ella recibira sus comidas de personas quienes la conocen y la quieren, y ella cuidara a sus hijos y contarles las historias de tiempos pasados. Y cuando, por fin, ella no puede contribuir nada a la familia, todos la cuidaran como ella los cuidó cuando eran bebes, todavia demasiado pequeños para contribuir nada.
Yo no diria que mis papás me quieren menos que los papás de mi novio quieren a él; solo que ellos lo expresan diferente. Pero los gastos excesivos en personas jovenes en combinacion con la falta de apoyo hace la vida innecesariamente dificil.
There is something about US culture which I might have not noticed if my boyfriend hadn't brought it up. He asked me, "How can parents care more for other people than their own children?" (This is, of course, his way of looking at it as a Guatemalan.) You see, here in Guatemala, it is common for children to live with their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, whoever.
In the United States at 18 to 20 years of age, it is common to shoo one's own children out of the house, to make them live on their own. We call it "growing up." In reality, it's "sink or swim," and if they don't swim? This is an even bigger problem with the male population. They are constantly bombarded with a cultural stigma which tells them "You'll never get a girl if you live at mom and dad's house." And girls are told that a guy should not live with his parents if he's going to be "date-able." (They start believing this very young.) I lived with my folks until I came to Guatemala at the age of 25, and my mother had mentioned the idea of me paying rent more than once.
However, this US cultural "standard" has me baffled. An older generation present helps to keep their kids in line. The possibility of acting irresponsibly is lessened because there is almost always supervision. Shared expenses are lessened expenses. You don't need two housing payments, two internet hook-ups, two electric bills (although the one would be higher than usual, but not equal to two), etc. Also, as I was buying a rolling pin the other day, it made me think about life with my folks. My parents have a rolling pin; I don't know if my brother does or not, but when our parents pass on, what will happen to their rolling pin? I don't need it anymore; I have my own. So, living away from one's family creates more unnecessary consumerism which, is really great when one has extra money to spend because it helps the economy, but for a young single person or a young couple, it's pointless spending. Young singles don't need to spend money on stuff like rolling pins; they need to save it to build a future or spend time together or whatever else...or on things that have a short life (in comparison to rolling pins) such as computers or cars or washing machines.
Finally, there is the simple fact that people living in large groups is more effective and efficient than small groups (or alone). A young couple will have the advice and assistance of previous generations. Perhaps grandma's eyesight isn't good enough to weave or sew, and perhaps she can't stand over the fire cooking anymore, but she can rock the baby. So, why, in place of shutting her away in a nursing home somewhere, don't we let her continue to serve a useful and valuable place in society? She will receive her meals from people who know her and love her, and she will watch their children and pass on stories of times gone by. And when, at last, she is no longer able to contribute anything to the family, they will care for her as she did for her children when they were babies, still too little to contribute anything.
I wouldn't say that my parents care for me any less than my boyfriend's parents care for him; they simply express it differently. However, the excessive spending heaped on young people combined with the lack of support makes life unnecessarily difficult.
************
Hay algo de la cultura de los EE.UU. que tal vez no habia logrado notar sino por mi novio. Él me preguntó, "¿Como pueden papás alla quieren mas para otras personas que sus propios hijos?" Aqui en Guatemala, es muy comun que hijos viven con sus padres, sus abuelos, sus bisabuelos, quien sea.
En los EE.UU. a los 18 o 20 años, es comun sacar sus propios hijos de la casa, hacerles vivir solos. Lo llamamos "madurando." En realidad, es "hundir o nadar," ¿y si no naden? Es un problema mas grande con la poblacion masculina. Siempre estan atacados con un estigma cultural que les dice "Nunca ganaran una chica si vives en la casa de mamá y papá." Y las chicas aprenden desde pequeña que un hombre no debe vivir con sus papás si vale una cita. (El enlace en la version ingles contiene una foto de un listado de treinta reglas para un novio. La cuarta es "no vivir con padres." Ese listado esta escrito por dos niñas de 6 y 9 años.) Yo vivia con mis papás hasta que vine a Guatemala a los 25 años, y mi mamá habia mencionada la idea de pagar renta mas de una vez.
Pero este "estandar" estadounidense me tiene confundida. Una generacion mas grande ayuda a asegurar que la siguiente se porta bien. La posibilidad de actuar irresponsable es menos porque casi siempre hay supervision. Gastos compartidos son gastos mas pequeños. No tiene que pagar pagos de dos casas, dos conexiones de internet, dos recibos electricos (aunque el uno seria un poco mas costoso, pero menos que los dos), etc. Tambien, mientras que yo estaba comprando un rodillo de cocina el otro dia, me hizo pensar en mi vida con mis papás. Mis papás tiene un rodillo de cocina; no sé si mi hermano tiene uno o no, pero cuando nuestros papás se mueren, que pasara con su rodillo de cocina? Ya no lo necesito; tengo el mio. Entonces, vivir aparte de su propia familia crea consumerismo innecesario lo cual es muy bueno cuando uno tiene dinero extra para gastar porque ayuda a la economia, pero para un joven o recien casados, es un gasto ilogico; necesitan ahorrar para construir su futuro o pasar tiempo juntos o lo que sea...o en cosas que tienen vidas cortas (en comparasion a los rodillos de cocina) como computadoras o carros o lavadoras.
Finalmente, hay el hecho simple que personas viviendo en grupos grandes es mas eficiente y efectivo que vivir en grupos pequeños (o solo). Una pareja joven tendran los consejos y apoyo de generaciones previas. Tal vez la vista de la abuela ya no esta suficiente para coser o tejer, y tal vez ya no aguanta estar parado por el fuego cocinando, pero puede cuidar al bebe. Entonces, ¿porque en lugar de ponerla en un hogar para ancianos, no la dejamos seguir con un lugar util y valoroso en la sociedad? Ella recibira sus comidas de personas quienes la conocen y la quieren, y ella cuidara a sus hijos y contarles las historias de tiempos pasados. Y cuando, por fin, ella no puede contribuir nada a la familia, todos la cuidaran como ella los cuidó cuando eran bebes, todavia demasiado pequeños para contribuir nada.
Yo no diria que mis papás me quieren menos que los papás de mi novio quieren a él; solo que ellos lo expresan diferente. Pero los gastos excesivos en personas jovenes en combinacion con la falta de apoyo hace la vida innecesariamente dificil.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Colorblind: Day 1,204
I came to a realization a couple weeks ago as I was brushing my teeth in a hotel bathroom in front of a mirror. First of all, you should know that no sink in my house has a mirror in front of it. In fact, the two mirrors I have had have broken: one poorly packed in a move, and one as I slammed a door to escape someone. Fortunately, I'm not superstitious. However, when I moved into the house I currently live in, the previous renters had left behind a dresser with a mirror. They told me someone would be coming to pick it up; a year and a half later, I'm doubtful. Anyway, since I don't touch it, the mirror is quite dirty after two dry seasons hitting it with dust; so it's not like I see much in it anyway.
Anyway, looking in this mirror in the hotel bathroom, I suddenly realized that I am white. Admittedly, I have somewhat of a perma-tan going; although, compared to my friend Ashley who after just one year in Guatemala rivaled the skin color of our only mutual Guatemalan friend, I'm pretty pale.
But this doesn't really have anything to do with the physical color of my skin. This has to do with the fact that when I wake up in the morning, I wake up like any Guatemalan.
When I take a shower, I take a shower like any Guatemalan...including, still, cold water.
When I wash my clothes, I wash them like any Guatemalan...by hand.
When I wash my dishes, I wash them like any Guatemalan...by hand.
When I speak Spanish, I speak it like any Guatemalan.
Most everything I do, I do like any Guatemalan. So, when I look in the mirror and see a white girl, well, it surprises me.
Anyway, looking in this mirror in the hotel bathroom, I suddenly realized that I am white. Admittedly, I have somewhat of a perma-tan going; although, compared to my friend Ashley who after just one year in Guatemala rivaled the skin color of our only mutual Guatemalan friend, I'm pretty pale.
But this doesn't really have anything to do with the physical color of my skin. This has to do with the fact that when I wake up in the morning, I wake up like any Guatemalan.
When I take a shower, I take a shower like any Guatemalan...including, still, cold water.
When I wash my clothes, I wash them like any Guatemalan...by hand.
When I wash my dishes, I wash them like any Guatemalan...by hand.
When I speak Spanish, I speak it like any Guatemalan.
Most everything I do, I do like any Guatemalan. So, when I look in the mirror and see a white girl, well, it surprises me.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Update (because I lack an original title): Day 1,201
I've been a little busy these last couple weeks; so I haven't taken the time to update you on some things.
First off, I went out to distribute school supplies in Solola (on Monday, January 13). For the most part it went off without a hitch, but I've certainly learned some things for the next year. For example, next year we'll show up wherever (but probably at the Bodegona unless I find something more cost-effective) with a single compiled list of what we need and then we'll put it in the bags ourselves. At least one list got lost this year, and the Pastor whose house I stay in while in Solola and I spent about 5 hours checking bags to make sure they had everything they needed. (I had already put in 2 hours before he and his wife joined me, bringing me dinner and staying to help.) Also, next year we'll require that every list have the child's full name on it. We still have 5 lists that we don't know who they belong to and no one to match them up to.
Then, I went back out to Solola on January 15th with the group from COTA to help get set-up for their clinic the next week. We actually got on the news which is kind of weird and exciting. (I'm in there twice, not that you nor I really care all that much.)
And then, just days after I got home as I was thinking about taking a break from traveling or doing anything that looked like work, I was told that Monday I would have my shower hooked up, Wednesday I would have to go back out to Solola (for a meeting which never happened...even though I traveled all the way out there), and Friday I would be picking up my "new" stove from a couple who is moving back to the States. So, I hurried around like a crazy lady trying to get the house all cleaned up after two weeks of neglecting it first for the people who would be putting in the electric to my shower head and later for the people who would be bringing my stove over. (All people from church; so it wasn't like it was just some stranger who I couldn't care less if they saw my house a mess.)
Besides all that, some mission friends of mine came down bringing my Christmas present from my mother and wanting to get together to network and toss around a few ideas. So, I hadn't unpacked from the COTA trip when I received another bag even larger of stuff from my mother, and then Friday afternoon after getting the stove, I proceeded to eat lunch in town with the friends which then turned into dinner with yet another couple. (I love them all, don't get me wrong.)
On top of the bag from the COTA trip and the bag from my mother, the people who sold me their stove also gave me a box full of supplies. So, now I'm left with--please, God--a week to relax, put the house in order, and maybe work on my weaving or some random translation project.
First off, I went out to distribute school supplies in Solola (on Monday, January 13). For the most part it went off without a hitch, but I've certainly learned some things for the next year. For example, next year we'll show up wherever (but probably at the Bodegona unless I find something more cost-effective) with a single compiled list of what we need and then we'll put it in the bags ourselves. At least one list got lost this year, and the Pastor whose house I stay in while in Solola and I spent about 5 hours checking bags to make sure they had everything they needed. (I had already put in 2 hours before he and his wife joined me, bringing me dinner and staying to help.) Also, next year we'll require that every list have the child's full name on it. We still have 5 lists that we don't know who they belong to and no one to match them up to.
Then, I went back out to Solola on January 15th with the group from COTA to help get set-up for their clinic the next week. We actually got on the news which is kind of weird and exciting. (I'm in there twice, not that you nor I really care all that much.)
And then, just days after I got home as I was thinking about taking a break from traveling or doing anything that looked like work, I was told that Monday I would have my shower hooked up, Wednesday I would have to go back out to Solola (for a meeting which never happened...even though I traveled all the way out there), and Friday I would be picking up my "new" stove from a couple who is moving back to the States. So, I hurried around like a crazy lady trying to get the house all cleaned up after two weeks of neglecting it first for the people who would be putting in the electric to my shower head and later for the people who would be bringing my stove over. (All people from church; so it wasn't like it was just some stranger who I couldn't care less if they saw my house a mess.)
Besides all that, some mission friends of mine came down bringing my Christmas present from my mother and wanting to get together to network and toss around a few ideas. So, I hadn't unpacked from the COTA trip when I received another bag even larger of stuff from my mother, and then Friday afternoon after getting the stove, I proceeded to eat lunch in town with the friends which then turned into dinner with yet another couple. (I love them all, don't get me wrong.)
On top of the bag from the COTA trip and the bag from my mother, the people who sold me their stove also gave me a box full of supplies. So, now I'm left with--please, God--a week to relax, put the house in order, and maybe work on my weaving or some random translation project.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Mission Moment: February
I
have good news, and I have bad news.
The good news is that there are 48 children attending school this year as a result of the assistance which they received through this new program I have started. Also, because of some contacts which I pursued, one boy may be receiving a prosthetic hand, one boy may be receiving hearing aids, one girl may eventually be able to go to school once we get her seizures under control (she currently has 4-5 per day), and one girl, well, might improve a little. (The doctor really isn't sure what's wrong with her.) I am blessed to have access to the internet and have the ability to search for groups which can help the people I serve with their other needs. I know the families thank me, but really I'm just trying to make things more accessible to them. Those resources already existed; they just didn't know know it.
The bad news is that there is even more reason to be concerned about Maria (the mother of the 10- and 11-year olds). She did not attend the meeting, and when we showed up at her house later, she did not want to let us in. In fact, she hid and pretended she wasn't home. (I had already seen her, though, so we were persistent.) If you remember from when I talked about her in August, her husband committed suicide about three years ago. Based on a few things—including her behavior when we showed up—we are highly concerned that she is on the same path. She is not sending her children to school this year.
The rest of January, I'll be here in Solola translating for Children of the Americas (COTA). I'll not only be translating, but I'll also be helping them work with and understand the local communities. I feel really blessed that they were able to come here this year as there are so many people with a great need and the Kaqchikel are fairly distrustful of outsiders.
The
Care and Keeping of a Missionary
While
here with COTA, I'll be talking to a woman who has an NGO to see if
my program could fall under the umbrella of her program. If not,
I'll be working on achieving NGO status myself. Please keep myself
and that process in your prayers.
Obviously I am asking your prayers for Maria. She is obviously in a very dark place and is unwilling to seek or accept help. I pray that some very loving and stubborn neighbor intervenes.
I'd ask for prayers for the four children who will ideally be undergoing some very drastic health changes in their lives. Even though these changes will have a positive effect on their lives, such a change can be highly stressful as we already know from the two girls who had to get blood work done.
Finally, I ask that you pray for those 48 children that their lives be enriched through school, that they study hard and make the most of this advantage which has been given to them, and that they are good stewards of their education.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Buying School Supplies for the First Time: Day 1,179
So, today I went to the grocery store with Edgar to buy school supplies for around 49 children. I think I could wrap up this blog post right there.
At any rate, 5 hours and approximately Q6,500 later, we left the Bodegona with the majority of what we need for those 49 kids for the upcoming school year. Most lists also ask for things like "A roll of toilet paper" and "a small towel;" so, since we were exhausted and very hungry after 5 hours, we just didn't get those things (yet).
Edgar and Ismael's father did me the favor of taking the school supplies out to their house today.
Tomorrow I'll leave right after church to head out to Los Encuentros to check over the lists and label the bags. I'll make a list of what is still missing and look for it in the market on Tuesday.
Also, on Monday afternoon, we're taking four children to the doctor to see what, if anything, can be done for them. Two are "special needs," one is missing his left hand (never had one), and the other is deaf (and maybe dumb...and maybe not).
I think I noted today that at least the daughter of the woman who I mentioned in the last entry will be going back to school. I could, however, have a "Maria Elena" in the program who I'm not thinking of. (The mother's name is Maria, and I have the daughter listed as just "Elena," but most Guatemalans have two names, and if mother and daughter are both "Maria," then it would stand to reason that the daughter would go by "Elena." Their is only one last name noted, but it is the same as the mother's. However, there are lots of people with that last name in the program; it's like saying "Oh, there was a Johnson on the list.") Whether this is true or I am mistaken, please continue to pray for this family with me. I am still highly concern about the mother.
Also, in regards to running as low-cost of program as possible, I'll be noting the reusables which we are giving each child. At this moment it would be highly time-consuming to ask each family if they have a pencil sharpener for each child (etc); so this year, from pencil sharpener to scientific calculator, I bought everything on their lists. Next year, I am not buying another pencil sharpener, another pair of scissors, another scientific calculator...no. Maybe if there comes a day that a family needs two calculators (one for each of two children), I'll have to get them another one, but I'm not made of money, and I have to be a good steward of the money which is given to me. Of course, any new family which comes into the program will receive their whole list the first year. That's really the only way I can be sure that they all have what they need for school.
At any rate, 5 hours and approximately Q6,500 later, we left the Bodegona with the majority of what we need for those 49 kids for the upcoming school year. Most lists also ask for things like "A roll of toilet paper" and "a small towel;" so, since we were exhausted and very hungry after 5 hours, we just didn't get those things (yet).
Edgar and Ismael's father did me the favor of taking the school supplies out to their house today.
Tomorrow I'll leave right after church to head out to Los Encuentros to check over the lists and label the bags. I'll make a list of what is still missing and look for it in the market on Tuesday.
Also, on Monday afternoon, we're taking four children to the doctor to see what, if anything, can be done for them. Two are "special needs," one is missing his left hand (never had one), and the other is deaf (and maybe dumb...and maybe not).
I think I noted today that at least the daughter of the woman who I mentioned in the last entry will be going back to school. I could, however, have a "Maria Elena" in the program who I'm not thinking of. (The mother's name is Maria, and I have the daughter listed as just "Elena," but most Guatemalans have two names, and if mother and daughter are both "Maria," then it would stand to reason that the daughter would go by "Elena." Their is only one last name noted, but it is the same as the mother's. However, there are lots of people with that last name in the program; it's like saying "Oh, there was a Johnson on the list.") Whether this is true or I am mistaken, please continue to pray for this family with me. I am still highly concern about the mother.
Also, in regards to running as low-cost of program as possible, I'll be noting the reusables which we are giving each child. At this moment it would be highly time-consuming to ask each family if they have a pencil sharpener for each child (etc); so this year, from pencil sharpener to scientific calculator, I bought everything on their lists. Next year, I am not buying another pencil sharpener, another pair of scissors, another scientific calculator...no. Maybe if there comes a day that a family needs two calculators (one for each of two children), I'll have to get them another one, but I'm not made of money, and I have to be a good steward of the money which is given to me. Of course, any new family which comes into the program will receive their whole list the first year. That's really the only way I can be sure that they all have what they need for school.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tough Moment: Day 1,176
I know most of you are eager to hear about how today went. Unfortunately, I'm still digesting it. In fact, I wouldn't be posting at all except that I need all my prayer warriors, pray-ers, and people who will pray every once in a while if there is a good reason to to do some praying with me.
There is one family who I've been concerned about for a while. It's the family of the single mother whose husband committed suicide about 3 years ago. She has two children. I've written about them before if you really want the whole background. At any rate, I was afraid she would reject the program, and today she didn't show up for the meeting. So, we showed up at her house after the meeting. She saw us coming and hid in her house. She did not want us there; she did not want to talk to us. Only when we insisted did she open up the door a crack. Based on her behavior, the following conversation that Ismael and Manuel had with her (in Kaqchikel), and something that Ismael commented to me later about something a friend of his who lives in that area told him, we are concerned that she is also a suicide risk.
The guys have given her 2 days to get the kids enrolled in school as part of the program (because that's all the time we have with school starting next week), and while I would ask that you pray she does that, I also want to ask that this woman either seeks help or that help comes to her. I am not in a position to be able to help and give her the social support she needs, but I pray that a neighbor or someone comes to counsel her or be a friend or something. In the 7 months since I first met her, she has slipped a lot; I don't think she has much further to go. These kids already lost one parent, and I don't want them to lose another.
There is one family who I've been concerned about for a while. It's the family of the single mother whose husband committed suicide about 3 years ago. She has two children. I've written about them before if you really want the whole background. At any rate, I was afraid she would reject the program, and today she didn't show up for the meeting. So, we showed up at her house after the meeting. She saw us coming and hid in her house. She did not want us there; she did not want to talk to us. Only when we insisted did she open up the door a crack. Based on her behavior, the following conversation that Ismael and Manuel had with her (in Kaqchikel), and something that Ismael commented to me later about something a friend of his who lives in that area told him, we are concerned that she is also a suicide risk.
The guys have given her 2 days to get the kids enrolled in school as part of the program (because that's all the time we have with school starting next week), and while I would ask that you pray she does that, I also want to ask that this woman either seeks help or that help comes to her. I am not in a position to be able to help and give her the social support she needs, but I pray that a neighbor or someone comes to counsel her or be a friend or something. In the 7 months since I first met her, she has slipped a lot; I don't think she has much further to go. These kids already lost one parent, and I don't want them to lose another.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Humbled and Honored: Day 1,174
I am sitting here next to a binder which contains information on 45 families and scraps of paper with names scribbled on them for about 4 more families who we have not had the time to visit as part of the application process to the program. This binder also contains 22 nearly blank sheets--11 edged in blue and 11 edged in orange--for the 22 families who will be starting this exciting journey with us on Wednesday.
And I feel greatly honored that God has selected me to head up this program and that these people are giving me the time of day. And I feel greatly humbled because, middle-class or not, I came from a privileged life compared to these people. I was provided for my entire life up until now. I can't imagine what it's like to be an 11-year old selling gum on buses every day so that my family has something to eat. So, I feel humbled because they know more about hard work than I think I'll ever know.
Just 36 hours to go...
And I feel greatly honored that God has selected me to head up this program and that these people are giving me the time of day. And I feel greatly humbled because, middle-class or not, I came from a privileged life compared to these people. I was provided for my entire life up until now. I can't imagine what it's like to be an 11-year old selling gum on buses every day so that my family has something to eat. So, I feel humbled because they know more about hard work than I think I'll ever know.
Just 36 hours to go...
Friday, January 3, 2014
Wow...money: Day 1,171
So...
Yesterday, I purchased a small package of food for each of the 22 families. These packages weren't all uniform size but rather slightly geared to family size. I started with "normal" size based on a 2-adult and 3-school-aged-child household. Families which were smaller (1 mother with her toddler son or 2 adults with their 3 children under the age of 4) were purchased a half-package size (which was actually a little more than half-size). And families which were larger (a mother with two older-teen children caring for her parents-in-law, 3 school aged children, a toddler, and a baby) received package-and-a-half-sized portions. All in all, that came out to Q991.50, roughly $124. If we divide that cost evenly between the families (despite that they won't receive equally), it comes out to $5.60 per family.
Now we have the question of school supplies. I sent out one of my helpers to find out the general cost of school supplies in the Solola area, and he reports that depending on grade level, they range between Q225/student and Q350/student. Great! So, let's take an average number of Q300/student and multiply that by the number of children in the program between the ages of 5 and 14 (and 1 15-year old who has been in school).
Q300
x 57
Q17,100
(Q8 is roughly $1; so $2,137.50)
Yes, that's the bottom line for school supplies. (And, actually, it is that Q300 that keeps a lot of children out of school every year.) Now, thanks to the ongoing support of a private company in the US (who I'm not sure if they prefer to remain anonymous or would like the free PR and will therefore remain nameless for the moment), we'll be able to cover both costs at this time. However, for their participation in and good grades from school, these children will earn points. With these points, they will be able to "purchase" things for their families to improve the living conditions in their homes. The problem is that these points aren't real money but real money is required to purchase these improvements.
My sending church has reached their limit of how involved they feel they can be in this project; so I'm trying to figure out who can partner up with me to either form our own non-profit or to team up with one that has similar interests. Because, let's face it, the money I have received to help these people is enough until these people have earned the points to improve their lives, and with as driven as some of them are now that they've been shown a speck of hope, I don't think it will be so long.
Yesterday, I purchased a small package of food for each of the 22 families. These packages weren't all uniform size but rather slightly geared to family size. I started with "normal" size based on a 2-adult and 3-school-aged-child household. Families which were smaller (1 mother with her toddler son or 2 adults with their 3 children under the age of 4) were purchased a half-package size (which was actually a little more than half-size). And families which were larger (a mother with two older-teen children caring for her parents-in-law, 3 school aged children, a toddler, and a baby) received package-and-a-half-sized portions. All in all, that came out to Q991.50, roughly $124. If we divide that cost evenly between the families (despite that they won't receive equally), it comes out to $5.60 per family.
Now we have the question of school supplies. I sent out one of my helpers to find out the general cost of school supplies in the Solola area, and he reports that depending on grade level, they range between Q225/student and Q350/student. Great! So, let's take an average number of Q300/student and multiply that by the number of children in the program between the ages of 5 and 14 (and 1 15-year old who has been in school).
Q300
x 57
Q17,100
(Q8 is roughly $1; so $2,137.50)
Yes, that's the bottom line for school supplies. (And, actually, it is that Q300 that keeps a lot of children out of school every year.) Now, thanks to the ongoing support of a private company in the US (who I'm not sure if they prefer to remain anonymous or would like the free PR and will therefore remain nameless for the moment), we'll be able to cover both costs at this time. However, for their participation in and good grades from school, these children will earn points. With these points, they will be able to "purchase" things for their families to improve the living conditions in their homes. The problem is that these points aren't real money but real money is required to purchase these improvements.
My sending church has reached their limit of how involved they feel they can be in this project; so I'm trying to figure out who can partner up with me to either form our own non-profit or to team up with one that has similar interests. Because, let's face it, the money I have received to help these people is enough until these people have earned the points to improve their lives, and with as driven as some of them are now that they've been shown a speck of hope, I don't think it will be so long.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Mission Moment: January Newsletter
Just a reminder: this is the newsletter article I write for my sending church. I have edited it slightly for privacy purposes.
Greetings
from Guatemala! I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a happy
New Year! For me it has been a busy two months. (Yes, apologies for
my unannounced hiatus.) In December I did a lot of administrative
stuff such as getting a new visa stamp in my passport. This has to
be done every 6 months, and I've often handled it by flying for a
visit in the US. However, this time, for various reasons including
the price of plane tickets, I made the choice to take the bus to
Belize instead.
I
also
made
a
trip
out
to
Solola
to
see
if
the
delegated
work
had
been
completed.
Unfortunately,
the
letter
which
I
wrote
to
Manuel
(my
other
community
contact)
only
made
its
way
to
him
in
the
last
couple
of
weeks...now
that
schools
are
shut
down
for
vacations.
However,
he
said
that
most
of
the
information
wouldn't
be
hard
to
get
once
January
gets
here;
so
we'd
decided
on
getting
the
families
together
on
January
8th.
We
are
starting
with
22
families
in
7
different
villages.
Due
to
travel
distances,
we'll
be
splitting
the
group
in
two
based
on
where
they
live.
(I
actually
just
noticed
that
it
works
out
perfectly
even:
11
and
11.)
One
group
will
have
a
meeting
in
the
morning,
and
the
other
group
will
have
a
meeting
in
the
afternoon.
While
I was out in Solola, Manuel took advantage of the opportunity to take
me to go see David's family again (the little boy with the
basket-making sisters who I wrote about in August). I am pleased to
announce that Wendy, the older sister, will be going back to school
this year. Her father changed jobs to have a more steady income, and
the family hopes to build their own house this year so as to stop
renting. It was a pleasure to see the family again. Although I
didn't meet the father and David was with him, I did get to meet
their older brother who I hadn't met on my first visit. They gave me
a bag and a magnet as Christmas gifts. I find it so humbling when
people who have so little still find it in their hearts to give.
Also,
three of the families in the program have children with special
needs. Two of those families will be receiving help via anothergroup. Their daughters will be checked to see what their situation
is—I think it's Down's Syndrome—and their son will receive a
prosthetic hand (if he wants it) for his hand that never grew. Both
of these families are in Manuel's group of 11; so he made the
decision to wait until January for all of that.
There
is more exciting news for Solola. In January, the group of doctors
for whom I usually translate (Children of the Americas) will be
serving in Solola. The group has wanted to go to Solola for a long
time, but because of the general distrust of outsiders, they have
been unable to bridge the gap and gain clear communication with the
hospital administration and government. Now that they have finally
been able to get in, I expect that there will be a few more trips to
the area as the needs are great.
The Care and Keeping of
a Missionary
Thank
you all for your continued support; the prayers really do help! For
the month of January, I'd like to ask that you pray for these 22
families. Between these 22 women, they have
approximately 89 children. (There are 89 “children” in the
program, but some of them are caring for younger siblings who aren't
officially their children, but are in their care.) Some of these
children have never been to school; some of these children might not
want to go to school. I have a 15- and 16-year old pair of siblings
who never went to school; they don't know how to write their own
names. I have a 10- and 11-year old pair of siblings who I also wrote to you about in August; I'm really not sure if they ever
attended school, but I feel like this change will be difficult for
them and their mother. (What I'm really concerned about is that
she'll reject the program completely out of the unknown, but they are
probably the neediest family I have.) So, please be praying for all
of these families. They need your support.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Merry Crimemas: Day 1,158
So, after 1,158 days (or 3 years, 2 months, and 2 days) of living in Guatemala, I finally had my bag slit in the Antigua market. I was pretty much the only person I knew (Guatemalan or American who lives here) who hadn't had it happen; so I consider it to be a right of passage of sorts. The would-be thief cut through three layers of my bag but didn't manage to find anything worth stealing. Joke's on them, but I'm the one left with a bag to repair. *sigh*
I guess the bright side is that I was carrying my recent purchases of flour and oatmeal in my hand. If I had put them in my backpack as I typically do, I might have made a nice little white trail behind me through the market...and arrived home without any more flour than I woke up with.
I guess the bright side is that I was carrying my recent purchases of flour and oatmeal in my hand. If I had put them in my backpack as I typically do, I might have made a nice little white trail behind me through the market...and arrived home without any more flour than I woke up with.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
FINALLY! : Day 1,149
Today I took a semi-planned trip to Solola. I call it "semi-planned" because I didn't really know what I was doing until yesterday and today.
First, I had to drop off all of the information about the doctors who will be there through COTA in January. "Just drop it off at the mayor's office," they said yesterday; so that's what I did.
Then came the fun(ner) part for me. We--Edgar went with me--had to locate and talk to Manuel who I apologize for not introducing you all to sooner. As far as I can figure out, Manuel works with the mayor's office as some sort of liaison for the indigenous people. He went with me as chauffeur, guide, and translator on my trip in June. I had sent him a letter in September detailing some information which I needed him to find out for me, and somehow it only made its way to him a couple of weeks ago. (*sigh*)
Anyway, Edgar had his phone number but was out of minutes. I had a few; so we dialed in Manuel's number. Edgar talked to him for a couple minutes, but my phone ran out of minutes. So, we contemplated what to do. Manuel called back, but after about two sentences ran out of minutes as well. So, we headed back into the mayor's office to borrow their phone. We met up in Los Encuentros where the three of us chatted in Manuel's pick-up until Edgar had to leave for a meeting (back down in Solola). Manuel called his wife and asked her what she wanted us to do, and she said to bring me back to the house. We could continue chatting there and she'd make sure I got a good lunch.
On the way, we stopped and visited David's family...or most of it. This time we didn't run into David, but we saw his mother, two sisters, and his older brother (the latter of which I had not met on our first visit). David was off helping his father apparently. The older girl, Wendy, will be going back to school in January. I consider this the first of many small victories; perhaps the only to be had today, but that's not important. Today both Floricelda and her mother gave me gifts. Floricelda gave me a little doll with a magnet on it to attach to my fridge. (I didn't mention that I don't have a fridge, and it is now stuck to my stove.) Her mother gave me a nice bag that says "Guatemala" on it. It's actually the perfect size for carrying stuff in; so I can stop feeling like a tourist with my backpack. (Yes, the irony is that the Guatemalans use the "Guatemala" bags even though they sell them to tourists.)
Then we continued on to Manuel's house where I met his wife, father, four sons (ages 8 to 13), and one daughter (age 6)...oh, and their parrot. We had a nice visit. I got the kids to practice their English a little; the government now requires it in the school, but as in most places in the country, the education is particularly poor in that subject. We had a nice lunch of what I think was pepian (probably my least favorite of Guatemalan dishes, but particularly yummy today). I'm still trying to figure out what can only be a cultural thing: making the guest sit alone. The three adults sat around the stove. The five kids sat around one table. And the white girl sat by herself at another table. I showed them pictures of my family. And, about an hour and a half after arriving, Manuel, his wife, and his daughter drove me back to Los Encuentros to catch the bus where, surprisingly, his daughter gave me her weaving. (Yes, the 6-year old is learning to weave, and she had told me it wasn't her first piece either.)
So, what's next?
-Edgar is going to find out the cost of school supplies for next year.
-Manuel is going to talk to Ismael to figure out what day we'll get the families together. Manuel will host one meeting in his town and translate for me in the morning, and hopefully we'll have the other meeting in the church of Edgar and Ismael's father in the afternoon and Ismael will translate for me.
-Annalisa (that's me!) will be counting up the number of students in each grade to figure out how many school supplies we need. She will also be working on a surprise Christmas bag for each family with food to help them celebrate in style this year. (Shh...it's a secret!) I (yes, I got tired of third-person) will also be working on either forming my own non-profit or joining what I do with an existing one.
-Two of the girls are special needs, and one of the boys is missing a hand (since birth, never grew). I'm working with another organization to help them, and Manuel said that early- to mid-January would be best; so that's on hold for the moment.
So, I'm off to compile data and make a shopping list. Yay!
First, I had to drop off all of the information about the doctors who will be there through COTA in January. "Just drop it off at the mayor's office," they said yesterday; so that's what I did.
Then came the fun(ner) part for me. We--Edgar went with me--had to locate and talk to Manuel who I apologize for not introducing you all to sooner. As far as I can figure out, Manuel works with the mayor's office as some sort of liaison for the indigenous people. He went with me as chauffeur, guide, and translator on my trip in June. I had sent him a letter in September detailing some information which I needed him to find out for me, and somehow it only made its way to him a couple of weeks ago. (*sigh*)
Anyway, Edgar had his phone number but was out of minutes. I had a few; so we dialed in Manuel's number. Edgar talked to him for a couple minutes, but my phone ran out of minutes. So, we contemplated what to do. Manuel called back, but after about two sentences ran out of minutes as well. So, we headed back into the mayor's office to borrow their phone. We met up in Los Encuentros where the three of us chatted in Manuel's pick-up until Edgar had to leave for a meeting (back down in Solola). Manuel called his wife and asked her what she wanted us to do, and she said to bring me back to the house. We could continue chatting there and she'd make sure I got a good lunch.
On the way, we stopped and visited David's family...or most of it. This time we didn't run into David, but we saw his mother, two sisters, and his older brother (the latter of which I had not met on our first visit). David was off helping his father apparently. The older girl, Wendy, will be going back to school in January. I consider this the first of many small victories; perhaps the only to be had today, but that's not important. Today both Floricelda and her mother gave me gifts. Floricelda gave me a little doll with a magnet on it to attach to my fridge. (I didn't mention that I don't have a fridge, and it is now stuck to my stove.) Her mother gave me a nice bag that says "Guatemala" on it. It's actually the perfect size for carrying stuff in; so I can stop feeling like a tourist with my backpack. (Yes, the irony is that the Guatemalans use the "Guatemala" bags even though they sell them to tourists.)
Then we continued on to Manuel's house where I met his wife, father, four sons (ages 8 to 13), and one daughter (age 6)...oh, and their parrot. We had a nice visit. I got the kids to practice their English a little; the government now requires it in the school, but as in most places in the country, the education is particularly poor in that subject. We had a nice lunch of what I think was pepian (probably my least favorite of Guatemalan dishes, but particularly yummy today). I'm still trying to figure out what can only be a cultural thing: making the guest sit alone. The three adults sat around the stove. The five kids sat around one table. And the white girl sat by herself at another table. I showed them pictures of my family. And, about an hour and a half after arriving, Manuel, his wife, and his daughter drove me back to Los Encuentros to catch the bus where, surprisingly, his daughter gave me her weaving. (Yes, the 6-year old is learning to weave, and she had told me it wasn't her first piece either.)
So, what's next?
-Edgar is going to find out the cost of school supplies for next year.
-Manuel is going to talk to Ismael to figure out what day we'll get the families together. Manuel will host one meeting in his town and translate for me in the morning, and hopefully we'll have the other meeting in the church of Edgar and Ismael's father in the afternoon and Ismael will translate for me.
-Annalisa (that's me!) will be counting up the number of students in each grade to figure out how many school supplies we need. She will also be working on a surprise Christmas bag for each family with food to help them celebrate in style this year. (Shh...it's a secret!) I (yes, I got tired of third-person) will also be working on either forming my own non-profit or joining what I do with an existing one.
-Two of the girls are special needs, and one of the boys is missing a hand (since birth, never grew). I'm working with another organization to help them, and Manuel said that early- to mid-January would be best; so that's on hold for the moment.
So, I'm off to compile data and make a shopping list. Yay!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Issues: Day 1,131
I don't see myself as a highly vocal person. I don't speak out on a lot of issues. Sure, I have opinions, and sure, I'm pretty set on them. However, I typically believe everyone is entitled to their opinions and don't try overly hard to convince them that I'm right. I think to some extent this is more pronounced in Guatemala than it was before, but at the same time, I think that sometimes I do try to influence people more here. (After all, I'm a missionary, right?) However, in a matter of about 10 minutes, one person managed to hit two of my three big issues by doing something which I felt was not correct. What are my three big issues, you may ask? In no specific order they are racism (bad), littering (bad), and education (good).
As a white person in the States, you don't really know what racism is. Sure, it's this thing that happened to black people a long, long time ago. No, it really wasn't...er, isn't. Yes, in the US there is still lots of racism against black people and also hispanic people. I actually find this theme of racism really interesting because in the US it is the upper classes (or at least the white upper classes) with their racism against the poor, blacks, and hispanics. (Yeah, it's not just a color line being crossed there.) Here in Guatemala, I can only speak as a white foreign person who has roughly assimilated into the culture. There are people who charge me more money for products because of the color of my hair (or skin or eyes). And when they tell me the price, I kind of just look at them and wonder how much they think I can sell each strand of hair for because I certainly don't have that kind of money to spend lavishly. So, I typically do without or have one of my Guatemalan friends buy for me. (Yes, trusting someone else's judgement since I obviously can't window shop with them either...) How do I know that this is happening? Well, quite simply put, I speak Spanish and I understand Spanish. So, when I've already asked you about the price on something and someone else comes along and asks for the price on the same thing and you give them a lower price (even though your body language and form of speech shows that you don't know them), well, I'm kind of guessing it's a white person thing there. So, through the years, I've stopped shopping with those people. I get the haggling thing, I really do; however, your starting price should be about the same if you're dealing fairly with people.
I'm not really an environmentalist. I burn things; sometimes I accidentally burn plastic. I've got about the blackest thumb I know. (Admittedly, my cats do a great job of killing anything I don't manage to kill. I'm not taking all the blame on this one.) I sometimes eat tuna which doesn't have "dolphin safe" on the can. However, I cannot stand people littering. Now, I get it, their parents and grandparents threw wrappers on the ground...but their parents' and grandparents' wrappers were leaves and paper, not aluminum and plastic. So, when the times changed, they just kept throwing the wrappers on the ground without realizing this bit about biodegradable materials. And I hate this. When I was teaching at the school, I'd be very frank with my students. "Your country is not a trashcan. If you throw trash on the ground, you are making it a trashcan. You are giving permission to every other country to throw trash in Guatemala. [translated, of course]" I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of dumps, but that's what I imagine the entire country of Guatemala turning into if someone doesn't stop these people from littering. I hope in some small way I'm making a difference by helping every kid I deal with on a personal level with their littering habit.
Finally, I believe that education is the best way to escape poverty. I don't believe it's so much knowing things as it is knowing how to think. With logic and reasoning, I can learn a whole lot of things on my own without anyone actually teaching them to me. If I know how to read, my knowledge base is pretty much limitless. Uneducated people are taken advantage of every day. Perhaps in some way it's related to the racism: "If we can keep x group illiterate and stupid, it is easier to subjugate and take advantage of them." I feel that no person or group of people is better than any other person or group of people, and I feel that no one has a right to try to make anyone feel otherwise. (Of course, if what I just said makes you feel like I'm saying I'm better than you, you may want to reconsider how you treat people.)
So, today, less than 3 minutes after leaving the bus stop (where the bus stops for about 10 minutes and there are trashcans and stores and whatnot), the ayudante threw one wrapper and two bottles out of the bus (LITTERING!!!), and then as he went through to collect bus fare, he tried to not give me my change of Q2 which, considering the correct fare is Q3.50, was more than half of my fare back home (RACISM...he gave change to everyone else from the moment they paid). So, since it seems that the buses are no longer numbered, I'll be boycotting the entire Brisas bus line. (Not a big deal since there is Rutas Santa Fe [the largest], Lillian, and Ruiz as well as maybe one more I'm not thinking of right now.) You all can do what you want with your money, but I'm not going to give money to someone who is against two of the three things which I feel most strongly about (or even someone who hires people who act that way).
As a white person in the States, you don't really know what racism is. Sure, it's this thing that happened to black people a long, long time ago. No, it really wasn't...er, isn't. Yes, in the US there is still lots of racism against black people and also hispanic people. I actually find this theme of racism really interesting because in the US it is the upper classes (or at least the white upper classes) with their racism against the poor, blacks, and hispanics. (Yeah, it's not just a color line being crossed there.) Here in Guatemala, I can only speak as a white foreign person who has roughly assimilated into the culture. There are people who charge me more money for products because of the color of my hair (or skin or eyes). And when they tell me the price, I kind of just look at them and wonder how much they think I can sell each strand of hair for because I certainly don't have that kind of money to spend lavishly. So, I typically do without or have one of my Guatemalan friends buy for me. (Yes, trusting someone else's judgement since I obviously can't window shop with them either...) How do I know that this is happening? Well, quite simply put, I speak Spanish and I understand Spanish. So, when I've already asked you about the price on something and someone else comes along and asks for the price on the same thing and you give them a lower price (even though your body language and form of speech shows that you don't know them), well, I'm kind of guessing it's a white person thing there. So, through the years, I've stopped shopping with those people. I get the haggling thing, I really do; however, your starting price should be about the same if you're dealing fairly with people.
I'm not really an environmentalist. I burn things; sometimes I accidentally burn plastic. I've got about the blackest thumb I know. (Admittedly, my cats do a great job of killing anything I don't manage to kill. I'm not taking all the blame on this one.) I sometimes eat tuna which doesn't have "dolphin safe" on the can. However, I cannot stand people littering. Now, I get it, their parents and grandparents threw wrappers on the ground...but their parents' and grandparents' wrappers were leaves and paper, not aluminum and plastic. So, when the times changed, they just kept throwing the wrappers on the ground without realizing this bit about biodegradable materials. And I hate this. When I was teaching at the school, I'd be very frank with my students. "Your country is not a trashcan. If you throw trash on the ground, you are making it a trashcan. You are giving permission to every other country to throw trash in Guatemala. [translated, of course]" I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of dumps, but that's what I imagine the entire country of Guatemala turning into if someone doesn't stop these people from littering. I hope in some small way I'm making a difference by helping every kid I deal with on a personal level with their littering habit.
Finally, I believe that education is the best way to escape poverty. I don't believe it's so much knowing things as it is knowing how to think. With logic and reasoning, I can learn a whole lot of things on my own without anyone actually teaching them to me. If I know how to read, my knowledge base is pretty much limitless. Uneducated people are taken advantage of every day. Perhaps in some way it's related to the racism: "If we can keep x group illiterate and stupid, it is easier to subjugate and take advantage of them." I feel that no person or group of people is better than any other person or group of people, and I feel that no one has a right to try to make anyone feel otherwise. (Of course, if what I just said makes you feel like I'm saying I'm better than you, you may want to reconsider how you treat people.)
So, today, less than 3 minutes after leaving the bus stop (where the bus stops for about 10 minutes and there are trashcans and stores and whatnot), the ayudante threw one wrapper and two bottles out of the bus (LITTERING!!!), and then as he went through to collect bus fare, he tried to not give me my change of Q2 which, considering the correct fare is Q3.50, was more than half of my fare back home (RACISM...he gave change to everyone else from the moment they paid). So, since it seems that the buses are no longer numbered, I'll be boycotting the entire Brisas bus line. (Not a big deal since there is Rutas Santa Fe [the largest], Lillian, and Ruiz as well as maybe one more I'm not thinking of right now.) You all can do what you want with your money, but I'm not going to give money to someone who is against two of the three things which I feel most strongly about (or even someone who hires people who act that way).
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Patience is a Virtue: Day 1,113
I've never been a patient person.
Growing up, my folks had a couple large gardens. I was okay with the planting part of it, and I was okay with the picking part of it, but I don't recall enjoying much the time in between the two. I mean, of course I enjoyed it, because it was the time of swimming lessons and swinging on the swing and whatever else I did when I was a kid, but the pulling of weeds and whatnot? It didn't really interest me. The plants didn't do anything. They just sat there. And looking at them one day to the next and seeing no change was completely boring.
Fast forward about 20 years, and here I am living in a culture where people don't operate much on schedules. Here I am teaching English to people. Here I am working with community leaders (who don't see any need to hurry) to try to create a program for the poorest of the people in their community. And here I am planting my own SMALL garden.
Sometimes I think God sends you places not only to serve others but also to make a change in yourself. I won't say I'm much more patient that I was before, but He's taking the time to mold me and shape me. And, admittedly somewhat begrudgingly, I'm thankful for that.
One of my favorite prayers is the following:
"Dear God,
Please teach me patience NOW.
Amen."
Growing up, my folks had a couple large gardens. I was okay with the planting part of it, and I was okay with the picking part of it, but I don't recall enjoying much the time in between the two. I mean, of course I enjoyed it, because it was the time of swimming lessons and swinging on the swing and whatever else I did when I was a kid, but the pulling of weeds and whatnot? It didn't really interest me. The plants didn't do anything. They just sat there. And looking at them one day to the next and seeing no change was completely boring.
Fast forward about 20 years, and here I am living in a culture where people don't operate much on schedules. Here I am teaching English to people. Here I am working with community leaders (who don't see any need to hurry) to try to create a program for the poorest of the people in their community. And here I am planting my own SMALL garden.
Sometimes I think God sends you places not only to serve others but also to make a change in yourself. I won't say I'm much more patient that I was before, but He's taking the time to mold me and shape me. And, admittedly somewhat begrudgingly, I'm thankful for that.
One of my favorite prayers is the following:
"Dear God,
Please teach me patience NOW.
Amen."
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Educating a Girl: Day 1,102
I'm really bad at making posts for significant marks; so, today is the 3 years and 1 week post.
Today a fellow missionary here in Guatemala contacted me about a rumor she had heard that involved the school where I used to work. She was unaware that I no longer work there. However, I had had the good fortune of running into the principal this week on the bus and chatting all the way home; so I was able to give her some details. This invariably led to me asking her about quite possibly the brightest student I have had the pleasure of teaching. She doesn't know the girl, but she said she could ask around.
Ana is a really smart young lady. She was the only one in the entire school who had passed my class by the third marking period. (You need an average of 60 for the year to pass the class; even if she had gotten a 0 in my class the last marking period, she would have passed.) But she is not just smart; she is also kind. A lot of smart kids are ostracized or picked on by their classmates, but Ana was well-loved. There was never a question of who had achieved the highest grade (in pretty much any subject), but no one seemed bent out of shape about it. However, Ana's mother (don't know if there is a father in the picture or not) doesn't believe there is value in educating girls. Ana only arrived to my class through a generous scholarship...or two. In her 9th grade graduating class of 12, ten continued on to 10th grade. Only the top of the class and the bottom of the class were kept home by their parents. Ana could become anything she wants to be if she were only allowed to continue school. She could be a teacher, a doctor, an astrophysicist, or even the president of Guatemala.
And then I apply that to my own life. Actually, first I'll let someone else apply it to hers. Addisyn is a missionary kid (MK) here in Guatemala. Her family attends my church. I don't really know her, but I know who she is. In that link, she shares her thoughts about going to college, about the worth of an education. And reading her entry a couple weeks ago (and the short exchange I had today with someone else) made me reflect upon my own education. My parents always told me I'd need a degree to do anything with my life. With all due respect, I am probably "over qualified" for what I do...or at least my degree probably isn't the right kind of training. Admittedly, having a bachelor's degree (regardless of major) has been important, or more correctly, going to college for the time I went there has been important.
While I could not have taught middle school English as a foreign language (EFL) in a private school without my bachelor's degree (which is in religious studies, by the way), the mission work I do does not require any special college degree. God prepares those He sends out, not college, not a degree. However, He prepared me in college. He worked to put me in a strong Christian community my sophomore year. He introduced me to amazing faith-filled people, people who did mission work at least for a time, people who would unknowingly validate the calling I felt to become a missionary. He also sent me one other important person.
When I was growing up, there were lots of things I wanted to be. I wanted to be the first female president of the United States. (Annalisa Simmer for President 2020!) I wanted to be Santa Claus. I wanted to be a lady farmer. I wanted to be a trapeze artist. I probably wanted to be lots of other things that only my mother remembers. And, well, most of those don't require degrees. In fact, not one of them absolutely requires a degree. And as time went on, it became obvious to me that what I really wanted to be was a wife and mother. Yes, I am a person with many talents who could probably do most anything she puts her mind to, but I don't consider being a wife and mother a less worthwhile pursuit than being the president. The other person I met in college was my fiance.
When you lose someone like a fiance or spouse, you sort of feel like your entire future disappeared with that person. And while I can't say this in retrospect with 100% certainty, I think I felt like that was my one chance at love, marriage, and children. I was 22; it was 3 years before I came here to do full-time ministry. Twenty-two year old single women with nearly $10k in student loans (all paid off due to two people who I love and respect a whole lot) do not receive foster children; they can't get approved for adoption. And I'm certainly not one of those women to use a guy just to get an offspring. So, as I saw it, all hopes of being a wife or even a mother were cut off.
Love is a funny thing. It hits you where you don't think you'll find it. It comes in unexpected ways from unexpected people. I more or less have a family here in Guatemala. I have 4 brothers, a set of parents, 3 nephews and a niece in addition to the church family that I have here. (I may potentially have more than that; it just depends on how people are feeling and how willing they are to claim the crazy white girl.) They have chaperoned me, invited me to weddings and birthdays, defended me, visited me, and helped me with manual labor. They have loaned me money. They have watched my animals. They've been wonderful people. And the children who I help work to get a better education? They're kind of like my kids.
I may not be a wife and a mother, but I am a woman very much loved. I thank God for the blessing to be able to live among and serve these people, and if He only gives me another 3 years and one week to serve them, I'm not sure it will be enough for my overflowing heart.
Today a fellow missionary here in Guatemala contacted me about a rumor she had heard that involved the school where I used to work. She was unaware that I no longer work there. However, I had had the good fortune of running into the principal this week on the bus and chatting all the way home; so I was able to give her some details. This invariably led to me asking her about quite possibly the brightest student I have had the pleasure of teaching. She doesn't know the girl, but she said she could ask around.
Ana is a really smart young lady. She was the only one in the entire school who had passed my class by the third marking period. (You need an average of 60 for the year to pass the class; even if she had gotten a 0 in my class the last marking period, she would have passed.) But she is not just smart; she is also kind. A lot of smart kids are ostracized or picked on by their classmates, but Ana was well-loved. There was never a question of who had achieved the highest grade (in pretty much any subject), but no one seemed bent out of shape about it. However, Ana's mother (don't know if there is a father in the picture or not) doesn't believe there is value in educating girls. Ana only arrived to my class through a generous scholarship...or two. In her 9th grade graduating class of 12, ten continued on to 10th grade. Only the top of the class and the bottom of the class were kept home by their parents. Ana could become anything she wants to be if she were only allowed to continue school. She could be a teacher, a doctor, an astrophysicist, or even the president of Guatemala.
And then I apply that to my own life. Actually, first I'll let someone else apply it to hers. Addisyn is a missionary kid (MK) here in Guatemala. Her family attends my church. I don't really know her, but I know who she is. In that link, she shares her thoughts about going to college, about the worth of an education. And reading her entry a couple weeks ago (and the short exchange I had today with someone else) made me reflect upon my own education. My parents always told me I'd need a degree to do anything with my life. With all due respect, I am probably "over qualified" for what I do...or at least my degree probably isn't the right kind of training. Admittedly, having a bachelor's degree (regardless of major) has been important, or more correctly, going to college for the time I went there has been important.
While I could not have taught middle school English as a foreign language (EFL) in a private school without my bachelor's degree (which is in religious studies, by the way), the mission work I do does not require any special college degree. God prepares those He sends out, not college, not a degree. However, He prepared me in college. He worked to put me in a strong Christian community my sophomore year. He introduced me to amazing faith-filled people, people who did mission work at least for a time, people who would unknowingly validate the calling I felt to become a missionary. He also sent me one other important person.
When I was growing up, there were lots of things I wanted to be. I wanted to be the first female president of the United States. (Annalisa Simmer for President 2020!) I wanted to be Santa Claus. I wanted to be a lady farmer. I wanted to be a trapeze artist. I probably wanted to be lots of other things that only my mother remembers. And, well, most of those don't require degrees. In fact, not one of them absolutely requires a degree. And as time went on, it became obvious to me that what I really wanted to be was a wife and mother. Yes, I am a person with many talents who could probably do most anything she puts her mind to, but I don't consider being a wife and mother a less worthwhile pursuit than being the president. The other person I met in college was my fiance.
When you lose someone like a fiance or spouse, you sort of feel like your entire future disappeared with that person. And while I can't say this in retrospect with 100% certainty, I think I felt like that was my one chance at love, marriage, and children. I was 22; it was 3 years before I came here to do full-time ministry. Twenty-two year old single women with nearly $10k in student loans (all paid off due to two people who I love and respect a whole lot) do not receive foster children; they can't get approved for adoption. And I'm certainly not one of those women to use a guy just to get an offspring. So, as I saw it, all hopes of being a wife or even a mother were cut off.
Love is a funny thing. It hits you where you don't think you'll find it. It comes in unexpected ways from unexpected people. I more or less have a family here in Guatemala. I have 4 brothers, a set of parents, 3 nephews and a niece in addition to the church family that I have here. (I may potentially have more than that; it just depends on how people are feeling and how willing they are to claim the crazy white girl.) They have chaperoned me, invited me to weddings and birthdays, defended me, visited me, and helped me with manual labor. They have loaned me money. They have watched my animals. They've been wonderful people. And the children who I help work to get a better education? They're kind of like my kids.
I may not be a wife and a mother, but I am a woman very much loved. I thank God for the blessing to be able to live among and serve these people, and if He only gives me another 3 years and one week to serve them, I'm not sure it will be enough for my overflowing heart.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Mission Moment: November Newsletter
As a reminder, these are the updates I write for my sending church. They need to be turned in by the middle of the preceding month.
Today
(October
11th)
is
the
last
day
that
I'll
be
watching
my
little
charge.
His
older
sisters
have
finished
school
for
the
year;
the
school
year
here
runs
from
January
to
October.
For
two
barely
teenagers,
they
shoulder
an
incredible
amount
of
responsibility.
As
for
their
uncle,
Carlos,
he
has
undergone
surgery.
His
sister,
Mari,
says
that
he
is
being
incredibly
stubborn
about
not
staying
in
the
hospital.
Yes,
hospital
says
are
costly,
but
so
are
hour-long
ambulance
rides
every
one
or
two
days.
The
good news for me is that this means I can get back to the work in Los
Encuentros. I have a lot of people to meet with as I've been
delegating work during the past month and a half. So, now it's time
to collect the results of that delegation and see what's what. In
reality, I try to stay as uninvolved as possible because my physical
presence often causes prices to rise; it's racist, but it's the
reality that I deal with. However, some of the people I delegate
tasks to don't always see the urgency; so, I am sometimes forced to
wait or do things myself.
October
19th
is
the
completion
of
3
years
here
in
Guatemala.
I
feel
that
God
still
continues
to
mold
me
to
serve
the
people
better.
Recently
that
has
come
in
the
form
of
literature.
My
reading
list
for
the
month
of
October
includes:
“Toxic
Charity”
by
Robert
D.
Lupton,
“Pedagogy
of
the
Oppressed”
by
Paulo
Freire,
and
“When
Helping
Hurts”
by
Steve
Corbett
and
Brian
Fikkert.
They
arrived
yesterday,
and
I've
already
found
parts
of
“Toxic
Charity”
to
apply
to
the
work
in
Los
Encuentros,
Solola.
Feel
free
to
check
these
books
out
from
the
library
or
buy
them
to
read
along
with
me!
The Care and Keeping of
a Missionary
This
month I ask for your continued prayers for the family of the little
boys who I was watching. I would also like your prayers that the
work which I delegated during the past month and a half has been
completed.
Thank
you
for
your
love
and
support
over
the
past
3
years.
As
always,
you
can
contact
me
via
my
e-mail:
asimmer@gmail.com,
and
you
can
read
more
about
the
adventure—because
life
is
an
adventure
when
you're
not
the
one
steering
the
ship!—on
my
blog:
http://GringaOnTheGround.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Mission Moment: October Newsletter
One thing which I have
learned over the years is that God will guide me no matter what the
situation. Sometimes I misunderstand what He wants from me, and I
have to refine the plan and try again.
The day after I submitted
the last newsletter article, I received news that the house where I
had been planning on living would only be available to me for 4
months (but rent free). A couple days later, I found that the cost
of moving would be 2 months-worth of my current rent. So, I weighed
and measured the situation, and decided on August 30th to
stay where I am living. A few days later, one of the few neighbors
who knew I was moving saw me in the street. And on September 8th,
the daughter (Mari) of that neighbor showed up at my door. It seems
that her brother is quite ill and may die. Her mother has gone to
care for her brother (who lives in another town), and Mari's two sons
have had to care for themselves during the day. The two boys are
aged 2.5 and 6 years. The older one attends school in the morning
meaning that the younger one was left alone in the house. The
God-part in all of this is the date that the boys started this:
August 30th. So, for the past week, I've been a nanny;
end date is undetermined and based on whenever their uncle gets
better or dies.
When you look at this, it's
easy to see the hand of God in it all. He knew that this family
would need me, and He knew that I didn't have obligations in Los
Encuentros until October. He gave me a reason to not move...and then
He showed me why.
So, while the move has been
called off and I'm temporarily doing something else, plans to help in
Los Encuentros have not been canceled. The new plan is to commute out
to Los Encuentros every other week and spend 2-3 days in the
community at a time. It will result in a slightly modified plan
involving less English classes for the kids, but other than that, it
remains the same. I would like
to
live
closer
to
the
community
which
I
am
serving,
but
it
seems
that
for
now
that's
not
in
God's
plans
for
me.
Right
now
He
needs
me
to
serve
where
I
am
to
a
family
which
is
hurting
and
in
need.
For
now,
I'm
delegating
some
work
in
Los
Encuentros
seeing
about
school
costs
in
the
area
as
well
as
looking
at
the
costs
of
building
a
house
for
Maria
and
her
children
Elena
and
Juan
who
I
wrote
about
in
August.
Additionally,
Guatemala
dealt
with
a
fairly
strong
earthquake
on
September
6th.
I
already
had
some
houses
on
my
list
which
were
damaged.
I
need
to
make
sure
that
those
houses
are
still
standing.
If
they
aren't,
houses
need
to
be
planned
for
them
as
well;
in
fact,
if
they
aren't,
the
money
which
was
proportioned
for
a
house
for
Maria
and
her
children
may
need
to
be
redirected
to
other
families
with
more
urgent
needs.
I
don't
like
to
do
that
with
money
that
was
given
for
a
specific
family
or
purpose,
but
sometimes
it
is
a
necessary
reality
of
the
work
here.
The
care and keeping of a missionary
This
month,
I'd
just
like
to
ask
for
a
lot
of
prayer.
I'd
like
you
to
be
praying
for
the
families
whose
homes
were
in
poor
repair
that
the
houses
keep
holding
together.
I'd
like
you
to
be
praying
for
the
family
of
Mari
as
they
deal
with
the
financial
and
medical
needs
of
her
brother
and
the
possibility
that
they
might
lose
him.
(He
is
29
years
old.)
I'd
like
you
to
pray
for
Mari's
two
sons—Jonotan
and
Otto—as
they
deal
with
spending
time
with
me.
I'd
also
like
you
to
pray
for
Mari's
two
daughters
who
are
2
of
the
top
6
students
in
their
7th
grade
class
(in
a
public
school
which
has
more
than
200
7th
graders)
but
who
may
have
to
drop
out
of
school
if
their
family
can't
find
the
money
to
send
them
to
school.
I'd
like
you
to
pray
for
all
of
the
families
which
I
work
with
in
Los
Encuentros
as
they
deal
with
the
confusion
of
me
not
moving
out
there
like
we
all
had
planned
on.
Finally,
I'd
like
you
to
pray
for
some
patience
in
all
of
this
for
me.
I
know
God
has
a
plan;
sometimes
I
wish
He'd
just
spell
it
out
a
bit
clearer
for
all
of
us.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
On Being a Missionary: Day 1,063
I was very frustrated by something that a fellow missionary said on Facebook tonight, and I responded poorly. He stated the following: "We could really use a visit from good friends from the States. Fun together, laughter, cards, a few good conversations and a few tears followed by an intense time of prayer. Any takers?" Now, the reason I responded poorly may have something to do with the fact that I've lived in the same town as him and his family for 2.5 years and we have never done anything together despite the fact that we were the only missionaries in the town until recently. However, much more than that, it has to do with the fact that we're missionaries. I don't know if he reads my blog, but I do read his. I know what his family is going through right now, and I have been praying for them in all of this. The fact of the matter (i.e. my opinion) is that we are both missionaries (as well as the other family who has moved in to town who I assume knows about his current situation as well). We are Christians. We may be "divided" by what church we attend or by what population we serve, but we are all Christians. That means we should stand together and not be divided. That means in times of struggle we should stand together...without needing something or someone from the States. Yes, I have my community I serve, but if my brother falls down and I do not pick him up, what kind of person am I? What kind of ministry can I claim to be serving in? I can take time for you so that you can keep doing what God sent you here to do. I hope you can do the same for me.
That's all for my rant for tonight. If any missionary or even any Christian out there wants me to take time out of my life to help him or her through a struggle, I'm here for you. Please just don't piss me off first. We're all in this together.
That's all for my rant for tonight. If any missionary or even any Christian out there wants me to take time out of my life to help him or her through a struggle, I'm here for you. Please just don't piss me off first. We're all in this together.
Monday, September 2, 2013
A little more of the reason: Day 1,048
It's not often that I share my personal life with you, especially not parts that don't apply to the ministry. However, there is another factor which plays into my decision to not move (or rather another little inconvenience which made it look like God was saying, "Not this, not now.") which I'd like to share with you and have you praying for. Those of you who are my friends on Facebook already know about this, but I'd like to share it with the rest of you. Back in March I was diagnosed with two problems which interact with each other resulting in a mess which is quite difficult to untangle; it seems as if neither one can be fixed without the other one being fixed first. As a result, I--with the help of some friends and doctors--have decided to go on an elimination diet, a fairly strict one.
Elimination diets are pretty unheard of here in Guatemala, and due to the very precise nature of them, they can pretty much only be accomplished in places where there are lots of foreigners because the stores in those areas cater to foreigners and their weird whims. Moving to Los Encuentros would have made this a little more difficult as it would require figuring out where to buy the stuff on my diet all over again (and turning down lots of invitations--extremely rude--from my excited new neighbors). Staying where I'm living with all my old neighbors and easy access to Antigua (tourism capitol of Guatemala) is going to make this much easier. And while in some ways this diet would be easier done in the US, it really wouldn't be. I already eat a 95% "natural" diet, none of that prepackaged stuff or preservatives.
So, why am I telling you about this? Well, I'd like your prayers and your recipes. This is the diet which I'll be following with a few other changes. There is no fruit allowed on my diet, and many of the allowed foods are not accessible in Guatemala (although my odds are higher in Antigua). I'll be making a pretty exhaustive list of what is allowed later today once I buy my notebook for the diet. I'll also be starting the diet on Thursday, September 5th, for those of you who want to be with me on day #1. Thank you in advance.
Elimination diets are pretty unheard of here in Guatemala, and due to the very precise nature of them, they can pretty much only be accomplished in places where there are lots of foreigners because the stores in those areas cater to foreigners and their weird whims. Moving to Los Encuentros would have made this a little more difficult as it would require figuring out where to buy the stuff on my diet all over again (and turning down lots of invitations--extremely rude--from my excited new neighbors). Staying where I'm living with all my old neighbors and easy access to Antigua (tourism capitol of Guatemala) is going to make this much easier. And while in some ways this diet would be easier done in the US, it really wouldn't be. I already eat a 95% "natural" diet, none of that prepackaged stuff or preservatives.
So, why am I telling you about this? Well, I'd like your prayers and your recipes. This is the diet which I'll be following with a few other changes. There is no fruit allowed on my diet, and many of the allowed foods are not accessible in Guatemala (although my odds are higher in Antigua). I'll be making a pretty exhaustive list of what is allowed later today once I buy my notebook for the diet. I'll also be starting the diet on Thursday, September 5th, for those of you who want to be with me on day #1. Thank you in advance.
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