Temux Mayan Artisian Co-op

Please check out the website of this Guatemalan women's co-op selling traditional handbags. Each handbag is hand woven and your money will go directly to support these women and their families. Check out the website to learn more. Each handbag has a picture with the women who made it and a little bit about their family. A fellow PCV is working with these women as part of the co-op. Check it out! It's really a great cause! If you want one I am pretty sure that I can get it to bring it home with me when I come back for Christmas to save on shipping cost. Shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in me bringing one home for you.

www.temuxmayanartisans.com

Making Friends

So this week has been filled with blossoming friendships. First of all I have been getting closer to my host family which is exciting as I found that I really have a passion for connecting with people. As most of you know I live with two sisters one is 17 and the other 23 and the 23 year old has a 5 year old daughter. We have some cultural differences which were a bit of a challenge at first but are now becoming easier. The friendship that is more in the works is with my host brother, or rather one of the four brothers of the sisters I live with. He is 22 and works for his dad, making t-shirts and screen printing them. Once I moved down to the room on the first level they moved the business upstairs where I live. So he is around a whole lot more. At first he didn't talk to me very much and I wasn't sure how to take that. Did he like me? Was he intimidated by me? Or maybe he was just a little shy? I found out the other day that it was a little of him being shy and a little of being intimidated by me but now since we have broken through that things are going nicely. He apparently wasn't sure what to say to me and wasn't sure if I would want to talk to him. I was a bit unsure of the whole situation myself being in the machismo culture of Guatemala. I was told that platonic friendships don't really exist here. I found that to not be completely true. I really miss having guy friends and I am hoping this will help fill the gap.
I am also getting closer with the health center staff I work with. I got some candy in the mail this past week and there was so much of it. I felt like a kid on Halloween. I knew that if I kept it I would just eat it all myself so I opted to share it with my host family and a few other random people and also with the health center staff. My coworkers really enjoyed the candy and I think it helped them open up to me a little more. I have taken up running with some girls I work with. They stay at the health center during the week because they live too far away to travel everyday. I need the motivation of other people because honestly if it's up to me I usually fail. I had been walking before that but I needed to step it up a little bit.
So yeah, I guess I can say life is good right now. I really enjoying building relationships with people and getting to know who they really are and what drives them as a person. It's in the works!

Much love,
Kels

More pictures posted :)

I posted a few more pictures on facebook today. Here is a public link if you don't have an account:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2462664&id=22423429&l=efd840bf76

Alcholism in Guatemala

So, I have been very pensive lately on the problem of alcoholism in Guatemala. I have found that the consumption of alcohol is very different here than I have ever experienced in the States, social drinking does not really seem to exist here. I have noticed that when a lot of people drink (usually males) they drink to the extreme, becoming so inebriated that they can’t walk straight, hold a sensible conversation or even keep their eyes open. I have seen men randomly sleeping out in public, on sidewalks, on the side of the road, or in the ditch, because the have consumed so much alcohol they can’t make it home (or maybe don’t want to go home). I have also had my fair share of conversations with drunk men (for some reason talking with a white girl seems like a good idea), some of them funny and some of them annoying.

I have been getting to know the groups of people I work with and have discovered that three of my five groups have alcoholics in them. My most recent discovery has really challenged my thoughts about the culture. I gave a charla and noticed that one of the men in my group (who’s home we happened to have the charla at) was not there. Afterwards, he met me outside to inform me that he did not come to the charla because he was drinking (this was at around 4 in the afternoon). He did not have shoes on, his hair was messed up and his eyes were bloodshot. He was one of the first people that I met from this community, a respected leader and a man involved in his community. I was just so surprised to find out a respected leader drinking so heavily midday. I don’t want to be too quick to judge, but it’s just so hard when the culture of the US is so different from this (and plus being a nurse it’s hard to turn a blind eye to this issue/sickness). I have heard stories in the US from friends about having an alcoholic parent, it tears families apart. So I guess I have a couple questions in order to get a better understanding of this issue. Does it not have the same effect on families here as it does in the States? It seems like people here just turn a blind eye to it but maybe they just don’t know how to deal with it or feel like they can’t? Do the men that drink feel so stressed out with their lives that they need alcohol as an outlet? Do those that drink remain open about it because they don’t want you to find out someway else but straight from the source? Do those that have the problem feel ashamed? Do the people here consider it to be a problem?

Please keep in mind that by no means do I want to point fingers or assume myself and my culture to be better than the one here, I am just seeking to understand. I really hope that with my time here I can answer some of these questions and can get a better grasp of the view of alcohol and alcoholism in the Guatemalan culture. I also hope that as my understanding increases that I can offer my support and knowledge to those that may seek it. I write this out of love and not judgment, because I care about the people here and I understand the effects that alcohol can have on individuals and families both physically and emotionally. Please pray that I may be able to get a better understanding of this issue and what role (if any) that I may have here in working against it and that every thing I do here may be driven by love.

Any questions or thoughts please feel free to comment.

The Work Continues

I am working with my five groups of individuals. I meet with each group every other week, so on the other week I don't have much to do. I am working on ideas of what else I can do. I have gotten in touch with an NGO that is working in one of my communities. They are called ASDECO. Not exactly sure what it stands for but they are based in Chichicastenago and work within the 80 so communities that are covered in its municipality. They have pretty much the same goals as Peace Corps, seeking to create sustainable development in the communities they work in and empower individuals to help themselves. I am going out to meet with them on Thursday and hopefully get a better idea of what exactly their work entails. I have met a few people that work there and they are all super nice. I was excited to find out that there is a group of locals seeking development in their own country.

I have also been able to build relationships with those I work with. There seems to be more down time at the health center during the afternoons. I try to spend most of my work days at the health center, working on charlas, studying Spanish, or sometime just hanging out with those that work here. One of the educators invited me to a party her family was having for her grandpa this past weekend, put Peace Corps prohibited travel because of the rain, so I couldn't go. Most of the people that work here are around my age or younger, so we get along really well and can communicate pretty easily. They are all so nice here, the older women that work here have been motherly to me and I really appreciate it with how difficult it is to be away from my family and friends back home. I there are two educators that work here. Both of them are girls around my age and I really enjoy working with them. They come along with me when I give my charlas and translate for those that don't speak much Spanish. I look forward to continuing my work with them in the future and sharing some new ways of educating the people they work with.

Pictures can be view at the following links:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2440155&id=22423429&l=14792e41eb

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2462664&id=22423429&l=efd840bf76

Visit to the Lake

I made a trip out to Lake Atitlan this weekend. It is about an hour ride to get there and well worth the trip. I visited a friend who has her site out there, working as a Youth Development volunteer. I went out on Friday to visit their market. I was told they sold beads there so I wanted to check it out and sure enough I was able to find some nice ones, not as eccentric as I was thinking but quality nonetheless. My friend’s town is a fifteen minute ride from the lake so we headed out there Friday night after the market. The town I visited is called Panajachel or Pana for short. It is a big tourist town with lots of shops and restaurants and souvenirs to purchase. I wasn’t too crowded on Friday and was a peaceful walk through the town slowly checking out the stuff for sale along the street. I noticed a lot of cool stuff and I think I am going to have to pick up my Christmas presents here. Sitting out by the lake made me think of home and being out by Lake Michigan, feeling the breeze coming off the lake and seeing the reflection of the sun on the water. The mountains in the distance were a beautiful backdrop to the picturesque lake. We went out for a few drinks with some of her friends there and spent the night at a friends apartment. Saturday might have been the highlight of my trip out there when we went to a barbecue. They had amazing burgers along with ribs, smoked chicken, pork and many other tasty options along with the typical cook out sides like potatoe salad, corn on the cob and many other favorites. It was great to have an all American burger with all the fixings and it happens every week and another cool thing is that it's an Australian man with a sweet accent. I think I am going to have to make visiting the lake a regular thing.

I hit up the market today like every other Sunday. Today I felt like I was finally getting into the hang of things and it felt like more of a natural experience going to the market, a large improvement from my first time there. I really enjoy going and seeing familiar faces and people watching and being able to get super fresh produce and know that I am supporting families with my purchases. But of course the experience of Guatemalan culture would not be complete with out being whistled at by local men. On the way to the market, there is a part of the highway that is getting fixed. It has been “getting fixed” for almost the whole time I have been at site (almost 2 months). There are a group of men working and they always like to try to get my attention. While walking today I waved my pointer finger at them as a way to say no. They seemed to think it was pretty funny and on the way back said ‘hoy si” (today yes). I just kept walking, laughing at them in my head. Do they really think they can pick up girls like that? I used to be more offended by this act but now it’s easier to brush it off and it usually makes for a good laugh.

I am looking forward to a decent work week. Tomorrow I will be heading out to one of my communities to help with vaccinations and weighing children. It’s a way to get my face out in the community and get more associated with the health center. The rest of the week I have my second charlas with four of my five groups. I am excited to see them all again and continue in our building of relationships. Some topics that I am going to cover are Diabetes, Family Planning (ie Birth Control methods), Parasites and Hepatitis A. I asked the groups what they were interested in hearing about as I don’t want to just throw my agenda of charlas and these are the topics that they picked so hopefully they will have listening ears and be interested in what I have to say and also participate. My next plan of action is to seek out more groups to work with, ones that already exist in the community. Work is out there, I just need to find it! I am slowly on my way to feeling like a real Peace Corps volunteer.

Me at the lake

Magen and I at the lake
pictures have been posted from the Independence Day celebration and more from my trip to the lake here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2440155&id=22423429&l=14792e41eb and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2462664&id=22423429&l=efd840bf76

Following God's calling

I have been growing so much in my faith, and the Lord has provided some great experiences and materials to do so. I have had more time to read down here as most of you know and this has been a great blessing to me. My latest read is the Irresistable Revolution. This book has put a lot of thoughts into my head and it has been great! The author has been talking a lot about getting back to the fundamentals of Christianity, pretty much loving your neighbor as yourself and what that means in this contemporary world. I tried reading this book a few years back but it just did catch my interest at that point in time. I think God was waiting to give me the message here, where I will received with a much more open heart and mind. The book talks about how we should be considering how the commandment of loving thy neighbor is reflected in our day to day actions, like the things we buy, the causes we support, how we spend our free time and much more. It talks about putting a face to the issues in this world. Realizing that turning a blind eye to the troubles in this world is the same as if we ourselves were inflicting harm to those affected by the bad things of this world. We should be standing up for the rights of others, but this shouldn’t be through yelling, commotion and violence but out of love, be that still small voice that says “hey, maybe this isn‘t right, why should it have to be like this?” It is so much easier to hate and fight wars then it is to see the face behind all of the issues and realize that people on both sides of the issue are lost in this world doomed for destruction unless we cling to the love of God shown forth in the sacrifice of Christ and even though we may be redeemed by love we are still sinners and we still make mistakes. Realizing that none of us are perfect and that forgiveness should be at the root of all our relationships is a great start to living out the Christian faith in this contemporary world.

A quote from the book that I have really come to appreciate in my time here: “ I have come to see that we Christians are not called to safety, but we are promised that God will be with us when we are in danger, and there is no better place to be than in the hands of God.’ Perhaps the most dangerous place for a Christian to be is in safety and comfort.” I am for sure not in a place of comfort but one of change and uncomfortable situations. The cool thing is though is that I feel at peace. I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be at this point in time. Although humanly speaking sometimes I wish I could be back home where it were easier and I could be around things that I know and am comfortable with. I take those feelings as they come and really try to look beyond them, see the deep value of this amazing experience here.

I am so excited about all that God has shown me so far and I look forward to where the next two years here will take me.