Un paseo en Antigua

This morning I strapped my Flip to the shoulder of of backpack. It was pretty discrete, I did't catch anyone looking at me strange, as to say, what are you doing with a video camera strapped to your backpack. The following pictures are from my walk this morning. Some are good, some are ok, but their are better then the video which is extremely shaky do to the cobble stone roads. And the video really is not all that exciting. I hope these picks paint a small picture of what it is like to walk the streets of Antigua. As I said before the streets are cobble stone, their are a lot of churches, a lot of them, buildings of all colors, and some of the coolest wooden doors around. (Hopefully one of these day I will walk around snapping some pics of the doors I really like.) Included below are workings fixing the streets, the Antigua version of "The Casbah" (if your from San Diego you'll know) a woman carrying stuff on her head, scooter, small children on scooters (I wish I had a picture, some times their will be whole families on a scooter or motorcycle), a tuktuk (the three wheeled HotWheels looking thing), the central park, Pollo Campero, and some other odds and ends. Like everyday since I have been here, I feel I'm learning more about life in general then I am spanish. If your want to just look at the picture, now is the time to do so. (or maybe you already have, that's what I do) The following paragraphs move on to a different topic and then the pictures, kinda of, well I guess there a little related.

Over the past couple days I have been pondering what people mean to me. This came about as I was thinking past this season of my life (that is, my time here in Guatemala). I thought about the coming summer and next winter, the next years, and the years past those. I thought about where I would like to be, what I would like to do, what things I want to accomplish. And let me tell you, a lot came to mind. But something keep bringing my mind back to where it was in the present. And it was this first week and a half here in Antigua that did it. Here I am in this really great city, it really is. It has fun stores, great restaurants, history galore, and is just really cool. However, for me their is just one small problem, I don't really know anyone in Antigua. And walking around Antigua with no one to share it with is pretty dull. My cousin Hannah is dropped of every morning and pick up ever afternoon. I see her for about 30 min. during our break time. I have meet some friends who, when I'm walking with them or having a conversation, things seem better, my soul is more at peace. However the friendships you form in a week and a half are nothing like the friendships and family you have had for a lifetime, they just are not. The friends I have meet are really great. I have so enjoyed learning about their childhood, their countries, and what they are up to. And can honestly say, my time here is better because of Iselin, Kesha, and Lyn-Marie. However, I don't feel like I'm going thought life with them. Two of the girls are still in college, and just at a different place in life then I am. Another has a career and believes quite the opposite when it come to matter of faith (Not that you can't be good friends with those who believe different things then you. I feel as Christians we need to have friends who are non-christians). When I'm with Hannah and Sam, I feel I'm on the same boat they are. Honestly I don't feel lonely with them or their family. I enjoy our time together at a lot. I feel their is a lot to explore here in Antigua, but it's lonely doing it alone, and quit frankly not very fun. All that to say, I believe God is finally seeing daylight through the brick wall I have as a heart. Their are rays of light finally exposing the simple truth that people are important, in fact, they are the most important. This, I can do it on my own mentality, is taxing and life sucking. Seeking adventure for the sake of adventure, when done alone really just leaves your bank account smaller then when you started. 


The reason I love home in Illinois so much is not just because I have more memories then there are corn fields, which I do. And the reason the north woods of Wisconsin will forever be imprinted in my soul is not because of it's beauty, which is has. And the reason Emerald Cove Camp is cause for excitement is not because you can spend a lifetime exploring in and around it and still have a ways to go, which I will.  The reason why I'm drawn to these different areas is because of the people who reside there, and the people I have shared experiences with there. That's it. Their is something powerful about friends and family who look out for you, did you get enough to eat, were you cold at night, want to go hiking with us this Saturday, I'll be here when you get back, were going on this trip, what don't your come along. When you leave church, you leave together and in the same car. You wait till everyone is seated before you eat your meal. Others know your struggles and temperaments, they know what to say when your down, and how to make you laugh. They know your favorite food, and what Gatorade flavor you like. They know you wouldn't be caught dead in a toyota (unless it was free) and that your 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Hagges. They know hugs are hard for you to give, your apathetic towards Dogs, and would be fine if cats did not exist. In a way they know you better then you do. I understand all relationships start somewhere, with a hi in the hall way, an email about camp, a soccer team, over dinner, or before you remember being held by the ones who brought you into this world. Relationships like these just don't happen. They are worked on and refined, torn down and build up again. These rays of light are the realization  life is better spend together, something many of you have concluded a long time ago, knowing and being known.  I have a GREAT FAMILY and I have GREAT FRIENDS, and making new friends is part of life, but I don't need to run from the ones I have. I feel God telling me to embrace those relationship, enjoy them, do something great with them, experience life with them. As I read over this, I feel I should have refined some of the thoughts before I posted it. But  I hope you all understand I feel movement on my value meter,the arrow is moving towards people and away from what every you would call the other side. And in thinking about my future plans as long as God gives me the green light they are going to be centered around people, not money, an experience, or fill in the blank. Enjoy your day and Tell some one your Love your care for then and are glad they're in you life. And if you have felt a nudge to write a wrong with someone, or send and email to that person at work, or take that someone out to lunch, they by all means do it. 

Guatemala _Dos

So, my Spanish school has these free outings on Tues. and Thurs. afternoons. On Tuesday I went to a macadamia nut farm, and today I went to a coffee farm. The coffee farm was far more interesting then the macadamia nut farm, even thought I don't really care for Coffee. Actually I don't even like it. Regardless, the coffee process is very interesting. Did you know that the coffee beans picked off a tree are red, and that in the 1600 some people in Ethiopia discovered it because they saw goats eating the leaves of the plant and then going super hyper and not sleeping, crazy, right. I know. And here I am thinking Starbuck was the original coffee producer. One interesting thing, and actually sad thing; For every dollar of coffee sold, only 8 cents goes to the producer of the bean, 86 cents goes to the Seller. (i.e. Starbuck, Caribou, etc.) Now I don't know to much about business or the coffee market, so maybe this is normal. But If I were producing a product I would hope to receive more then 8 cents of the dollar sold. Really no news to report from the macadamia nut farm. Another picture in this post is atop my school. Their is a children school right next store to us. And the niños in Guatemala will buy these plastic pelotas (balls) to play soccer with, they are really cheap. But they always kick them on the roof. So they go and buy another and do the same the next day. During Christmas, it's a big things to light of fireworks. No naturally, Sam's brother, Joseph, had some left over. Really no regard for the neighbors, these things are loud.

I'm learning that learning another language is hard. And that you really do have to take it paso a paso (step by step) other wise you will burn yourself out faster then you think. Which I feel I did yesterday. I stressed so much about learning every word, getting it all right, making sure I only spoke Spanish. But in doing all that I became so tense I was not able to let my mind learn anything. Today was much better. I made a schedule for myself. I get to talk in English when I walk to school with Kesha, and Lyn-Marie, two girls who are also staying with the family I am. And during our 1/2 hour descanso (break) for spanish school. And of course when I'm chatting with my parents or writing online. I'm learning I won't learn, you can't learn a whole language in two weeks. It's going to take some time. And I'm becoming ok with that. So when ever I feel myself getting a little high strung I turn to reading a passage from the good book, no not Harry Potter, although a good option non the less. The Bible really is active is live sharper then a double edged sword. Its calms and enrages, it comforts and challenges, it confronts and encourages, and it gives and it gives and it gives. I have come to term that if I don't leave Guatemala being able to speak spanish as well as I'd like, It will not have been a waste of time. For I have learned some much already, of which I will continue to write later. But for now, enjoy some pics. 

  

Pacaya

The other day we hiked Pacaya. Pacaya is a active volcano about 30 mins. from San Cristbol. The day we hiked it, the wind was fierce to say the least. At 8,383 ft. when your on the top it's quite a bit cooler then where we live in San Cristbol (5,000 ft.). The caverns a top the volcano were welcomed moments of warm air. One cavern was large enough for us all to stand inside. It was like a sauna in there, around 110 degrees. Unfortunately it was super cloudy that day, so we could not see very far, and especially on top, you really couldn't see more then a hundred feet in front of you. This was different than any type of hiking I had done before, mainly because of the volcanic rock. I'm use to the dense, smooth granite found in Yosemite. This volcanic rock is porous, sharp, and pretty light. However, when the rock is broken up like gravel it actually feels quite soft to walk on. The landscape here was lush and green, pretty much the jungle. Very different form the dusty forests of Yosemite and it's surrounding areas. Our Guide was a 70 + year old man, who still moved like he was 35. Reminded me a little of our old camp friend Sonny. He showed us a plant, I can't remember the name. But you could pick the pink leave and suck on the end to get a sweet honey flavor out. It was like natural candy. Their are a number of other volcanos in Guatemala, and I'm sure well be taking another adventure soon. Hopefully with some nice weather.     

Guatemala_Uno

This weekend I was at La Playa de Ixtapa en Guatemala. As many of you know, Samuel and Hannah Reyes, and myself traveled to Guatemala on Saturday. No sooner then two hours after we landed in Guatemala we were on our way to the coast for a night with the Reyes family. Sam’s father is apart of The Aero Club, a club for pilots in the area. This club has a little resort on the pacific coast, well not right on the coast. About a ¼ of a mile off the coast runs a channel where the resort rests. Now this club is a club for pilots, so naturally there is a landing strip on the property. How cool is that! To get to the ocean one need to take a boat, however not the fiberglass boats we have grown accustom to in the states. This boat was a narrow wooden hulled people hauler with a 10 hp marine engine on the back. We took this boat Sunday morning to get to the beach were we spent our time doing multiple things. We swam in the ocean for a while, did some buggy boarding, played with crabs (which there were so many), ate some snacks, tossed the disc, and overall just had a great time. The resort has a pool where we hung out and talked and a little restaurant where we ate all our meals. Perhaps it was because I was up at 3:15 in the morning that I sleep really good that night, despite a party taking place in the room. Driving home from the coast provided me the opportunity to talk with Sam's mom, Becky, about guatemala. She told me all about the people, the landscape, the way things work in the country, what the needs are, and so on. It was so interesting and so different then the states.

Like I said earlier we were there with pretty much the whole Reyes family. Some of then spoke english, some of then did not. This was both good and bad. Good, because it allowed the opportunity to start getting firmiluar with the language. Bad, because it made me realize how much I have to learn and because I wanted to here there stories, what they do and where they have been. It's an uncomfortable thing, a humbling thing attempting to communicate in another language. I'm realizing really quickly I need to be ok with being embarrassed. I need to be ok with failing, with being corrected, with not having control of things. I stepped off the plane with the mindset of using every moment as a learning experience, and opportunity to learn the language. I soon found this mindset taxing and unsustainable. In a way, I expected myself to see significant improvement with in a day. Like some how I would be conversing with ease to those around me.  The Reyes family is welcoming, loving, kind, tender and caring. And am so grateful to be with them and have their support in this process. I was thinking of my good friend Ben and Laurie who both went to South America on their own. And having only been here for 48 hours, have come to respect them all the more. I really don't think I could have every made it this far if it weren't for the help of the Reyes family. So I'm learning to take each day at a time. Learning 5 words this day and a couple of phrase. Understanding why you conjugate it this way and not that the next day. And praying for help along the way. I don't think I will fully understand what is taking place in my life here until I arrive back in the states, or may I fully grasp it till many years from now. I honestly really haven't had an opportunity to just think. All I know is this whole thing is just new to me.