People Connecting Guatemala El Salvador

Service Week (a bit less, a bit more)

2011-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Every year, MCC Guatemala/El Salvador organizes a Service Week for youth from both countries, offering them an opportunity to learn and serve; kind of a mini-version of what we do with groups from North America. What this "week" really ends up being is 3 days of interacting, learning, and sharing about each others' lives, with a half day of service thrown in for good measure. For many of the youth that participate, it is the first time they have traveled outside of their communities and a unique opportunity to learn about other cultures and traditions within their own country. This year, there were 6 different languages represented between the youth and the MCC workers who participated! It is also an opportunity for these youth to share with each other about the reality of their lives, the work they are doing in their communities, and generally have a good time and inspire each other (and us!) Seeing how motivated and spirited the youth are, how quickly they want to get to know each other, ask questions, laugh, and work together is always impressive; a sign of hope that there are positive things happening in this often difficult context. This year more than others as I observed and spent time with the youth, I was struck with how full of life they are and how much I hope that this spirit of joy and animation can continue to grow in them and their communities. The reality is that often times this can't happen because of the endless complexities and challenges of being a young person in Latin America (see here and here to read more). However, it is encouraging to know that by providing more and more spaces like these days of service, we are doing something, albeit small, to understand the difficult lives these youth are living and to encourage and support them in their processes of change.

this year's event took place in Altaverapaz at Bezaleel School

in addition to working on a painting project, the youth spent time learning about restorative justice and how to incorporate it into their personal lives

visit to lovely park near Carcha

the event ended with a talent show; very funny comic act from youth from Santiago and San Marcos

THANK YOU to Lilian for the fotos

Women in Leadership

2011-11-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

One of the successes of this year's groups has been inviting 1-2 local youth to travel with each group for a portion of their time here. Again and again, both the groups and these youth have commented on the value of these experiences. Providing Guatemalans and El Salvadorians the opportunity to learn about the issues their own countries and communities are facing, and stretching their minds to think outside of the box, is such an important aspect of the work of Connecting Peoples. It was with much excitement that we were also able to schedule a local Learning Tour for women in October, focusing on the different leadership roles of women within the church and various social development projects. We traveled to El Salvador with a group of 9 Guatemalan women, adding another 4 El Salvadorian women to the group once we arrived. The experience of visiting projects in three different communities where women are the primary leaders, hearing of both their struggles and achievements, was very motivational for the group. The exchange was a great success and something we hope to replicate in 2012, focusing on the Connecting Peoples goal of promoting more of these "South-South" exchanges. With the help of funds from groups that come from North America in 2012, we hope to grow a budget to be used for these local Learning Tours.

Mujer Salvadoreña
by Patricia Ferrell

Woman of El Salvador, worker and peasant

I sing to your hand of tenderness and strength
Hands that know so well how to shape tortillas
and how to caress
Hands that work for a new society

Woman of El Salvador, so long suffering and so brave
I sing to your scars, to your tears of war
Tears shed for the children that you lost
Tears that will wash away the suffering of your people

Woman of El Salvador, heart of the homes
I sing to your strength of family and solidarity
Strength of wife and mother,
Strength so loving and brave
Strength of hands united, that grow stronger every day

Woman of El Salvador, woman of faith and hope
I sing to all the women of Chalatanango
The repopulated women are seeds of a future
That we will reach together, with God and hard work.

Once again, we visited the "Promised Land" in San Martin where progress is being made on things like this wall (Enlace 2011)

Visit to Saskatchewan

2011-11-29T08:59:00.001-08:00

Yes, it may be hard to believe that I would choose to leave warm Guatemala and travel to Saskatchewan in the middle of November, but I did. And I can say that below-zero temperatures and all, I had a wonderful visit and really enjoyed this place that so many of you Canadians often talk down on! All of us from MCC Guate/El Salvador are so grateful for the opportunity Rosthern Junior College gave us to continue growing the relationship RJC started with MCC more than 10 years ago. As I mentioned while at RJC's annual fundraising banquet, (see here for more news and photos from the night) RJC's commitment to integrating service learning into their curriculum is more than evident and certainly something to be admired. Below is a portion of what I shared with the RJC community while there; a thank you of sorts to RJC and all of you who have supported the work of Connecting Peoples in Guatemala, El Salvador, and beyond.

Unfortunately, Anotny and Irma were not able to accompany me but we hope they will be able to visit Canada in the coming year!

"Time and time again, our partners have expressed how important these types of experiences are for building a sense of hope and solidarity in their communities; when they see that a group of young Canadians are genuinely interested in sharing with them, learning about their daily struggles, working and playing alongside them, they are motivated and encouraged by this authentic show of support. I can’t count the times I have heard a local person say that they cannot believe that these young people are “preocupados” for them; they can’t believe that you are worried or concerned or even interested in their lives. Showing solidarity with a people that has often been forgotten, is huge and the power of that cannot be emphasized enough. Likewise, these cross cultural exchanges allow for the local communities to see the beauty of their own culture and way of living in a new light. So often, especially in the indigenous communities in Guatemala, people have been taught to think that they are not good enough, that their traditions are backwards or of little value, that even the natural beauty in which they live and work is just “normal”, and that in order to really advance in life they have to leave it and search for “better” lives in the cities or outside of their own country. Bringing groups from the North, which still very much represents the land of endless opportunity for many Central Americans, and seeing these groups enjoy the local nature, culture, and traditions, is something that helps the communities to start recognizing their own richness. Many times in the communities of San Marcos, which is one of the most beautiful places I have been, I have heard people tell groups that we probably think their communities and the way they live is “sad”. It’s almost comical to hear because over and over again groups comment on the beauty of these communities, the warm hospitality they find there, and the valuable skills and talents that these communities use to work at improving their lives. Again, these signs of solidarity, respect, and encouragement are invaluable and a concrete example of how Guatemalans themselves are finding beauty in what they sometimes could otherwise consider sad and undesirable.

Lastly, these exchanges help the communities to open their minds and see that there are more sides to North Americans then what past governments, churches, and multinational companies have shown them. The CP program has created a strong relationship with groups across North America, but even more so across Canada; in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and beyond, there is a growing interest to continue connecting with Guatemala. It is clear that a connection between North America and Guatemala has already been forged in a way very different from that of these groups as seen in the presence of Canadian mining companies in the San Marcos region. When visiting that area, I often think not only about this negative impact, but even more so the conversely positive impact that many other Canadians are having there. Instead of causing conflict and environmental damage, the Canadian groups we have worked with are supporting small community initiatives in hopes of creating jobs and sustainable income for people of San Marcos. These groups have supported community cooperatives as they start eco-tourism projects, trout production systems, and small farm centers, all the while just over the mountain, these Canadians' fellow countrymen are working at something all together different and certainly not as sustainable. It is exciting to think about this small, but important way that North Americans are working at building bridges with the people of Guatemala and at changing the way we are often viewed by the world outside of our comfortable North American borders. It gives me hope that these kinds of projects are working at supporting and growing the richness that exists in San Marcos, a kind of wealth that cannot be measured by gold.

Again and again, it has been affirmed that indeed groups’ visits are having a positive affect on our partner communities and the work they are developing. Of course, our continued hope for both these communities and the groups that visit, is that these experiences don’t end after the week or two they spend together. Rather that once back in their normal routine, what they have learned continues to challenge them and that ultimately, changed attitudes turn into visible action; something we hope you have seen in your own students and childrens’ lives. It certainly can be difficult to measure these changed attitudes, which is why visible action and physical change can be so motivating in this work. Having the opportunity to revisit communities allows for us to see and hear about the “emotional” changes, but also the more visible, material changes that continue to happen long after a group helps to start building the foundation of a farm center for example. For many years, RJC funds have helped support projects in many parts of Guatemala and more recently in El Salvador. It is always exciting to see that these funds and the hours groups have spent at what seems to be the thankless work of mixing cement and moving rocks, do turn into real things; preschools, tourist cabins, and co-op centers. These concrete changes keep us and the local communities motivated in the work we are doing, and are a clear sign that the relationship of solidarity RJC continues to build with Guatemala and El Salvador has been successful at creating beauty amidst the pain. It is encouraging to know that we have partners, like RJC, who are committed to continue working at creating this positive change, this beauty, in their students, in their own communities, and in communities far beyond. My hope is that both MCC and RJC continue to value the importance of this and that we remember that we are far beyond being able to say “no” to becoming global citizens. Although we know that there are risks and possible pain involved in taking steps to think and live internationally, and that beauty and brokenness are so very hard to untwine, I encourage all of us to continue to believe that there is great beauty and richness in expanding our horizons and those of others."

2012 Calendar

2011-11-29T08:38:00.001-08:00

We are gearing up for a busy first semester here in 2012. We look forward to seeing those of you who are planning to come! If you are interested in organizing a trip, we have space starting in July 2012; contact connecting@guatemala.mcc.org for more information. Click on the links below to read more about each organization's connection to service learning.

February:
Food Resource Bank
Eastern Mennonite University

March:
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate

April:
University of Saskatchewan
Rosthern Junior College

May:
Avila University

Working at peace through the arts

2011-10-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

This month we are pleased to highlight another member of the Guatemala/El Salvador MCC team, Lilian Guenther. Like similar projects that are becoming more and more important in the region, Lilian coordinates an arts and recreation program that works at building peace and providing healthy alternatives for individuals from high risk areas. The reality of violence in urban centers around Central America is alarming and discouraging, one that often affects youth the most; more than half of Guatemala's population is between the ages of 18-30 and are often involved, or accused of being involved in crime. Programs like AMAR (see below) and Trasciende (read Guatemala youth transcend violence through hip-hop) are offering creative ways for youth (and adults!) to develop their artistic abilities, an opportunity that is seldom part of their everyday reality.

Lilian (left) with fellow MCC worker, Elizabeth

My name is Lilian Guenther and as of February, 2011, I work with A.M.A.R. (Academia Menonita de Artes y Recreación, which stands for Mennonite Academy of Arts and Recreation) in Guatemala City. A.M.A.R. is a program of the Mennonite Church of Guatemala and is funded by MCC. The main objective of this program is to contr ibute to peacebuilding and the artistic and recreational development in the eight Mennonite churches and their surrounding communities. Together with my co-worker Isabel Garnica, we coordinate the program, look after the administration, direct choir, teach music classes to children, youth and adults, and provide weekly music classes in a pre-school program of one of the churches. At this point AMAR has about 70 students at the two current venues where music classes are offered and 40 students at the pre-school program. The students range in age from 7 to 59 years of age. In the work as coordinators there is never a dull moment as there are always students to encourage, songs to arrange, classes to plan, reports to write, decisions to be made, meetings to attend, and most importantly to connect with students, teachers and parents. I deeply cherish the relationships that have developed over these 7 months of my time with AMAR and I look forward to many more!

Lilian playing the Paraguayan harp

directing a choir that is part of AMAR

In 2012, the Connecting Peoples program hopes to coordinate more with AMAR and other projects of the Mennonite churches in Guatemala City. This could be an exciting opportunity for groups who are interested in connecting with urban youth and learning more about the complex reality here. In addition to AMAR and other projects, the Mennonite churches in the city support a community library that was organized mostly by youth, and a pre-school project that some of you know well. We look forward to what 2012 will bring and welcome groups that are interested in partnering with these projects.

In case you were wondering

2011-10-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

just what those long hours of moving cement block, shoveling dirt, and digging holes were for, here is proof that that time and sweat really do turn into something; something(s) that is of great value to the local partners and communities that so many of you have supported over the past few years. It is always exciting to return to places where groups have visited and see the changes that have taken place, something that was very clear when I visited Sibinal in San Marcos earlier this year. Over a year ago, a group of mostly youth from Lombard Mennonite Church in Illinois, visited this area and helped with the construction of an office space for the team that works on various MCC supported food security projects in the region. The group literally spent hours carrying cement blocks up the hill from the road to the construction site, a monotonous and tiring job that one could see as thankless. However, those hundreds of blocks that the group carried were turned into this lovely space that has greatly benefitted the work in Sibinal, a tangible sign that positive changes are happening and that those long hours of work really do pay off!

For a more recent update, here are a few photos from the community bakery that youth in Xevitz, Nebaj are starting, a project that both the Youth Venture and Rockway groups supported this year. In addition to helping with the construction of the bakery's oven, Youth Venture spent a morning sharing new recipes with the youth; rumor has it that the oatmeal banana cookies have been a big hit in the communities!

And in other exciting news, thanks to the connections with MCC workers, Toby and Yasmin, the youth in Nebaj recently had the opportunity to learn how to make pottery, something that could become a source of income for them in the future - very cool!

We've got the land

2011-09-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and Enlace in El Salvador

Since the Enlace group recently spent time in El Salvador, we thought it would be the perfect time to highlight another MCC worker, Elizabeth Scambler, who has been working with MCC in El Salvador since 2010. It has been great having Elizabeth as a part of our team and has allowed us to coordinate more group visits to El Salvador, specifically to La Linea in San Martin. Both the Enlace and RJC groups were able to visit San Martin this year and hope to continue strengthening that relationship in the future.

San Martin, and specifically La Linea, is a very difficult place to live and work. Elizabeth "works alongside two different organizations which partner with MCC. One is an NGO based out of San Salvador called ANADES. The other partner is a church, IBCD, situated in a marginalized community (La Linea) about 45 minutes from the capital. With each partner, Elizabeth works alongside their disaster recovery and resettlement projects which are responses to the damage caused by Hurricane Ida in November of 2009." As Elizabeth and her co-worker, Yesenia describe it, "Like much of El Salvador, social violence is an everyday reality. La Linea is associated with a particular gang which exists throughout the country. The main economic activities among community members are working in the informal economy (such as people who work selling in the market or in construction), working in factories, and agriculture. Unemployment in El Salvador, and in particular La Linea, is also a reality. On November 9, 2009, Hurricane Ida hit La Linea. Excessive rainfall created landslides which destroyed houses, buried others, and left other homes hanging off the edge of dangerous cliffs. Since La Linea was no longer inhabitable, everyone had to relocate to a temporary shelter closer to the Panamerican highway. 350 families live in the 5 sectors which continue to collectively refer to themselves as “La Linea.” Since people are illegally squatting, they run the risk of being kicked off this land at any time."

However recently, IBCD and the work they are doing in La Linea has shown some signs of progress; a plot of land where 250 families will relocate has been purchased. Please visit Elizabeth's personal blog to read more about this story and the work she is doing in El Salvador; The end of 30 years of displacement

Enlace's visit to El Salvador included visiting La Linea and supporting the work IBCD is doing there, as well as connecting with the many youth that live in the community; a highlight of the time for sure. The group also visited the area of Perquin and learned about the armed conflict in El Salvador and the church's role during that time. If you are interested in learning more about El Salvador's history, we highly recommend watching Voces Inocentes.

Elizabeth, on left, with past SALTer Katelyn Shank

Enlace, with Elizabeth and Yesenia, waiting out the rain in Perquin

Summer Continued

2011-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Another highlight of July and August was hosting and working alongside the Enlace group. It is hard to recap a month's worth of experiences in a few words and images, especially when the group was as dynamic and fun as this one! I have always enjoyed working with Enlace, this being my fourth year to do so. The youth often come with a more intentional attitude and open perspective that fit well with the vision of the Connecting Peoples program here. MCC Ontario explains the program well on their website (see link to the right) and also has a great blog where you can find comments from past Enlace participants. Although I love all our groups, I have to say that this one was quite possibly one of my favorites. After a week of language study with the CASAS program, the group spent their time visiting projects in Santiago Atitlan, San Marcos, and El Salvador, not to mention the many times they frequented Sarita (haha!) Thank you, Enlace, for making me laugh so much and for enriching my experience here yet again.

These are just a few of the images from the group's time in San Marcos; check back soon for more on their time in El Salvador. Also, if you'd like to read more about Enlace's experience here, check out their blog: http://enlace2011.wordpress.com/

finally at the top of the tacana volcano
(second highest point in central america and second enlace group ever to conquer it!)

tourist cabin and trout tanks in la vega, san marcos
(some day the cabin will be finished and you can come stay there!)

one of our amazing cooks and her son hiking tacana
(yes, they prepared two hot meals for us during the all day hike)

during the visit to la vega, the group helped start building 12 bridges that will serve both the community at large and the community cooperative's eco-tourism project

Summer Highlights

2011-09-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Although it is not summertime here in Guatemala, July and August are always busy for the Connecting Peoples program as groups from North America take advantage of their summer breaks to work with the MCC supported projects here. This year was no exception as we hosted back-to-back groups from the U.S. and Canada; a Youth Venture team that is part of Mennonite Mission Network and the Enlace group that comes each year through MCC Ontario.

The Youth Venture group had the opportunity to connect with the work of Toby and Yasmin in the area of Nebaj, Quiche spending time working alongside a group of youth who are hoping to start a community bakery. The group also met with a core group of community leaders who form part of the resistance against the hydroelectric dam that is being built in the region; if you didn't have a chance to read about that in July's update, please visit here. This was the second time this year that we have been able to work with the various groups of youth in Nebaj and again was a very positive experience. Some of you (Rockway!) may recognize a few of the people and places in the photos below.

cob oven and bench created by the youth
click here to read more about this really cool, eco-friendly construction method

entrance to cafe in nebaj (see here for more pictures)

youth making lunch for the group

delicious quesadillas and licuados

baking workshop in xepiun

hike in the mountains near xepiun

starting work on the bakery's oven and seating area

almost finished product; pictures of the completed project coming soon!

Working for Indigenous Rights

2011-07-08T08:57:00.001-07:00

As promised, over the coming months we will be highlighting a few of the service workers that make up the MCC Guatemala/El Salvador team. Tobias Roberts and Yasmin Mendez recently moved from El Salvador to start a position with MCC's partner, Q'anil, in the area of Nebaj, Guatemala. Toby worked with MCC in El Salvador for a number of years where he met Yasmin. They are both very talented and creative individuals and we're excited to have them in Guatemala! In addition to the work they are doing with youth in the outer lying communities of Nebaj, Toby has also been asked by the local communities to be an official observer in the negotiations between these indigenous communities and an international corporation building a hydroelectric dam in the area. We often talk about the mining situation in San Marcos, but think it is equally important to be aware of similar issues happening in other areas of Guatemala that may not get as much attention. We hope you will take the time to read Toby's article about this situation here: A Precedent for Indigenous Economic Rights?

"Yasmin and Tobias are living in the Mayan Highland community of Nebaj where they are working with different groups of youth on small scale economic development projects to try and create options other than migration into the cities, coastal farms and to the United States and Canada. They are also supporting indigenous communities in Nebaj and Cotzal who are resisting the construction of hydroelectric dams by foreign companies on their ancestral lands."

el equipo

2011-06-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

One of the joys of this work is partnering with a team of people who are intelligent, dedicated, and supportive, not to mention fun and good looking :) Just a few photos of the Guatemala/El Salvador team at our recent retreat in Copan, Honduras. Stay tuned in the coming months for updates from each person and the fabulous work they are doing.

What now?

2011-06-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

This question of what one can do after learning and being challenged through experiences here is one that comes up again and again; a question that we want groups to struggle with and one that we ourselves struggle with on a daily basis. How can we connect our experiences here to our lives at home? What can we do? Is it even possible to do anything in the face of so many huge issues? An email I recently received from a group leader expresses this inner struggle well:

"It’s very strange to realize that it’s almost been a month since we’ve been back in Canada. It sometimes feels like it’s so easy to lose touch with experiences such as what we had. One thing I always struggle with when I travel is how to reconcile the two realities. It boggles my mind that flying 6 hours can put you in such a different situation."

In the work we do with MCC, we often use this great word "advocacy" as an answer to these questions. But really, do we even know what advocacy means? How can advocacy be turned into concrete actions that make sense in our daily lives? Rebecca Bartel, former policy analyst for MCC Latin America and the Caribbean, has written a great article that outlines some basic steps in starting this process; see below for highlights from her article. For more information on what MCC is doing and how you can become engaged, contact the current policy analyst at: policyanalyst@laca.mcc.org
MCC Latin America Advocacy Blog

What is Advocacy?
A tool for carrying out MCC’s mission by
fomenting change in the structures and
policies that create injustice, as well as
creating the conditions necessary for
sustainable development,
reconstruction, peace and justice work
to be possible. It is a necessary tool in
the building of God’s Kingdom.

Advocacy is more than only witnessing to
government; it is a process of raising awareness
in ourselves and in our communities about the
root causes of the issues we are working with in
our service assignments. Advocacy is about
taking concrete situations of poverty, violence,
injustice and lack of human dignity, to a
broader level of analysis which looks at the
structural and systemic reasons for the
problems we work to address in our work with
communities and churches.

How you can get involved
SEE – Experience
What do I know of this issue?
What have I experienced of this?
Who are affected most by this and how?
How has the issue arisen?

JUDGE – Analyze
Why is this happening?
Who gains from this situation?
Who loses out?
Why does this situation continue?

REFLECT – A Faith Perspective
What particular insight/view does our faith, church teaching, and scriptures give us on this issue?

ACT - Advocate
What needs to be done to resolve this situation? What can I/we/my church community do?
How will your action change those involved?
How can you tell if it is successful?

And...A Few Action Ideas
(thank you to the staff at the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for sharing these)

SHOP WISELY: Choose and ask for environmentally sustainable goods and services, and Fair Trade. Avoid products subject to boycott due to severe violations of human rights, and labour rights.

SPEAK UP: Communicate your interest in these products to stores and businesses that don’t offer them at present. Research alternatives.

GIVE: Volunteer and financially support organizations doing good work for hunger and food security, caring for Creation, protecting human rights, bringing about trade justice, etc.

SHARE: Communicate your views with your elected government officials— MP’s , MLA’s, the PM. Write a letter, email, or postcard. Or call them up and ask for a visit.

ADVOCATE: For civil, provincial, and federal adherence to the highest internationally binding environmental, and human rights standards, peace campaigns, etc. E.g. the Human Right to Food.

LEARN: Cultivate a spirit of passionate curiosity. Keep yourself informed about the issues. Keep learning and share what you learn with colleagues, family and friends.

WATCH: Peruse the internet, radio, television, newspapers, magazines and other media for signs of hope and struggle.

DISPELL: Be a myth buster, avoid perpetuating stereotypes and prejudices about people, and poverty, anywhere in the world.

BUILD: Incite solidarity & compassion for all people facing hunger and injustice, at home and abroad.

USE: Consume God’s gifts of Creation wisely. Use less fossil fuels, energy, water.

PRAY: For these issues, for the people you have met, for an end toinjustice, hunger and oppression.

El Migrante Spanish School opens in San Marcos

2011-05-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been thinking about returning to Guatemala (or coming for the first time!) and are interested in studying Spanish, there is now a new and exciting option in San Marcos where many of you have visited. We encourage you to take some time and look at what El Migrante Spanish School has to offer.

"Many of you may know that Guatemala is a popular place to study Spanish. The cities of Quetzaltenango (Xela) and Antigua are the two principal locations for schools. We are very excited to announce the opening of “El Migrante Spanish School”, the first and only Spanish school in San Marcos. For those of you familiar with the city of San Marocs, “El Migrante” is located close to the Central Park, a few streets from the Cathedral. Our teaching staff is comprised entirely of local teachers from San Marcos who have experience teaching in the Spanish schools in Xela. The mission of El Migrante Spanish School is not only to provide the one-on-one, interactive Spanish classes that have been developed here in Guatemala, but also to create meaningful, empowering employment for the people of San Marcos. El Migrante Spanish School is also an important space for cultural exchange for the teachers, host families, staff, and population in general. We would like to invite those folks who have come through San Marcos with MCC to come and study Spanish here. If you have been looking to come back to Guatemala and/or San Marcos, this is great opportunity to do so. Learning Spanish with us will most certainly deepen and enrich your travels in Guatemala and beyond. Visit our website at www.elmigrantespanishschool.com and connect with us via www.facebook.com/elmigrantespanish and www.twitter.com/elmigranteguate

Tribute to San Marcos: CFGB visit

2011-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

San Marcos is a beautiful and rugged part of Guatemala with many interesting and complex issues, amazing landscape, and even more amazing and generous people. Many of you have had the pleasure of exploring this area, as did a group of young adults with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank a few weeks ago. Ellen Paulley, the leader of the group, has put together a great story and slideshow about their time here; please visit here to see the pictures (the images are fantastic!) and read the story.

Also, many of you have asked for suggestions on books, articles, etc., that touch on the issues you learned about while you were here. One of those issues is the mining situation that continues to greatly impact San Marcos and other parts of Guatemala. Below you will find a short list of suggested books and articles if you are interested in continuing to learn about this complex issue.

Bowing to the Gold Calf; Prisim Magazine - Introduction to the Marlin Mine and development from a Christian perspective http://www.resistance-mining.org/english/?q=node/208
Gold on Hold; Cultural Survivial Quarterly - Current issues concerning the Marlin Mine http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/guatemala/gold-hold
MCC Ottawa Mining Justice Campaign http://ottawa.mcc.org/miningjustice
Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for our Planet, Jonathan Merritt http://www.amazon.com/Green-Like-God-Unlocking-Divine/dp/0446557250
Christianity, Wilderness, and Wildlife, Susan Bratton http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo6166745.html

We hope you enjoy these images and reflections from the CFGB group! Thank you to Anne Barkett and other past participants for the pictures.

what trip experiences have been the most meaningful for you?

the mine was mentally and emotionally challenging, but highly important
empanadas and basketball in La Vega; loved seeing two cultures coming together
the home stays; they were the hardest, but most meaningful
the hike! proving to myself that i could do it

what did you hear/see/experience that impacted you in a powerful way?

the issue of land ownership
learning about and seeing the mine
seeing all the barbed wire and gates around the houses
the visual of the dump reminds me of issues that transcend countries; how are we caring for the earth?
everything

were any assumptions challenged by what you experienced?

the assumption that indigenous people have a terrible, hard life
home stays had a high level of cleanliness; not what is stereotypically depicted
view of Roman Catholic church is shifting
experienced a great amount of hospitality and joy visiting and staying with Guatemalan people

what do you feel compelled to do or share with others?

the mine!
i want to share the mine story
the issue of mining justice, both in Guatemala and elsewhere; as Canadians, we have a responsibility to be engaged in this issue

For one more look at what there is to see and learn in San Marocs, watch this great video: Sibinal, un destino de montaña por descubrir
www.youtube.com
You may be surprised to see yourself or other familiar faces in the video!

Learning Together

2011-05-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

“Who is my Neighbor?”

Service and Learning Together in Guatemala 2011 - Jim Epp Rosthern Junior College

It began with a robbery. A traveler, in a foreign country, was accosted by bandits who took all he had and left him alone on the side of the road. This is how Jesus begins his well-known parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37 in answer to the question “who is my neighbor?”

The parallels are unavoidable. RJC has traveled to Guatemala for the past number of years to enjoy a cross-cultural experience, partner in service with MCC and local communities, learn and discover who our neighbors are. This year, the RJC group of 13 students and adults left March 20 with the same expectations. Two days later we were robbed at gunpoint by two men who demanded “dollars” and “cameras”. We were all in the MCC Microbus at an Esso gas station in Guatemala City fueling up for our first out trip to El Salvador. We had only traveled for 10 minutes when “the incident” occurred.

The robbery took less than two minutes. While it occurred the group remained calm and composed. Immediately afterward we sat in our van and wondered “what now”? as we waited for the police. Their investigation was brief, to say the least, and soon we were on our way to the MCC Guatemala offices. This is where our real learning began. We were met at the gate by Antony Sanchez Solano, who with his wife Irma directs MCC in Guatemala and El Salvador. All of the other MCC staff available had been called in. A space was all ready for us to gather. We were surrounded by concern, warmth and friendship. We were all given time to share thoughts and feelings with each other. MCC made phones available to all so calls could be made home to explain, find support and plan next steps. Adrianna Koehn, our MCC contact and traveling companion was a constant support. We were surrounded by the “good Samaritans” Jesus spoke of.

The whole RJC group felt strongly they wanted to continue their trip. All the parents at home supported this decision. As a result, new plans were made to move forward. The next day was to be spent at the Canadian Embassy replacing the lone passport that had been taken. While eating breakfast Mario, our driver, joined us, fully expecting that we would be leaving. We were shocked! Mario is a 66 year old retired church member who occasionally serves as an MCC driver. He was the one in our group who had been threatened with the gun. Yet, here he was ready to drive us again the next day! We asked him why he had returned and he replied, “I am a man of peace and faith. I choose not to let the violence of this world decide my life for me. I am here to be with my new Canadian friends.” Jesus spoke of Mario when he told of the Good Samaritan!

For the remainder of our trip we continued to encounter many who embodied God’s love to us through their hospitality, generosity and friendship. We were hosted in Carranza by Meme and Julietta where we were invited into many homes to see first hand the lives of Guatemalan people.

We were welcomed in La Linea, El Salvador, by Bernada, the matriarch of the community and church who proudly showed us the “promised land”, a large tract of land her community was hoping to buy so they could move from the slum they were forced to live in as refugees since the 1980’s. We were joined by Sylvia and Israel, two youth from La Linea, who became our traveling companions and friends for the remainder of our trip.

We were welcomed into the homes of the people of Tonina who hosted us as we worked together on a community project led by Juan Pablo and the farmer’s cooperative. Time and time again we encountered “good Samaritans” as we were gifted with friendship, acceptance and love.

We were fed wonderful food and saw spectacular sights. We enjoyed many new and unique experiences such as bartering in the Antigua market, swimming in the Fuentes Georginas hot springs and standing above the clouds in the Guatemalan mountains. Most significant of all for us was the Parable of the Good Samaritan alive in our trip. What could have been a demoralizing and devastating experience was turned into one of richness because of the wonderful people who became neighbors to us.

it's been too long

2011-05-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was a bit shocked to realize that the last time we updated the blog was in January....and now it's MAY, and almost the end of May at that. Since that time, we have had the pleasure of hosting 4 groups: Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Rosthern Junior College, and a learning tour from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (Go Canada!!) I hope to be able to share some reflections from each of these groups in upcoming posts, but for now, enjoy the collection of photos from a few of the visits. And thank you to those of you who shared these pictures with us; there are some really great ones here!

people and places from:
panabaj, santiago atitlan
la linea, tonina, san marcos
acul, nebaj
la linea, san martin

ANADESA

2011-01-31T11:48:00.000-08:00

ANADESA- Asociación Nuevo Amanecer de Santiago Atitlan

The association of ANADESA was formed in 2005 after Hurricane Stan destroyed many homes and killed many people in Santiago Atitlan. Soon after the storm, a group of twenty families banned together to learn how to make beaded jewelry in order to support themselves. Since then, ANADESA has grown and is reaching out to the communities of Panabaj, Tzanchaj, and Chukmuk in several different projects. We have an afterschool children’s program that reinforces reading, writing and mathematics, as well as coordinates art and recreation activities, and holds talks on important themes. Many adults in Santiago have had to drop out of school to help support their families so we have an adult education program that teaches basic reading, writing, and mathematic skills to persons over the age of 15. Our program of twenty women has also expanded and in addition to making jewelry, we have recently developed new products to be added to our repertoire, such as shampoo, liquid soap, floor disinfectant, lotions, and a few other products. The women and their families also provide housing and food for groups who visit the lake. With our quickly expanding programs, we have big dreams and are looking into buying our own land and building our own facilities. The unique people and culture in Santiago, combined with the beautiful lake surrounded by volcanoes, truly makes it a place worth visiting. (And a great place to live and work if you are interested in working with MCC :)

MCC started working with ANADESA soon after Hurricane Stan hit. It is a place that many groups have visited since that time, connecting with the families and culture of the area and supporting ANADESA in their various projects. If you are interested in hearing more about ways you can support ANADESA in their dream of building their own facilities, please contact connecting@guatemala.mcc.org.

Katelyn Shank is participating in the SALT program, a one-year service and learning experience for young people ages 18-27. To read more about her experience in Guatemala, visit http://katelynshank.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in learning about the different opportunities through SALT here in Guatemala and around the world, visit here; the deadline for 2011-2012 applications is February 15!

ANADESA women learning how to make floor disinfectant

ANADESA children's program

2011 Calendar

2010-12-16T11:45:00.002-08:00

The beginning of 2011 looks to be full of new adventure and a lot of work! :) We look forward to hosting a few new groups and reconnecting with old friends. Please see below for a schedule of activities for Jan-May 2011.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank Learning Tour – January 17-31

Westgate Mennonite Collegiate - February 10-24

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate - March 4-17

Rosthern Junior College - March 20-April 2

Immigration Learning Tour - April 27-May 10

MCC seeks constituents across the U.S. who are interested in issues of immigration & the church, limit is 10 participants; if interested please visit www.mcc.org

Semana de Servicio

2010-12-16T11:45:00.001-08:00

Comité Central Menonita Semana de Servicio “Toma tu Lugar en la Mesa del Señor!”

“This service week provided a rare opportunity to not only meet youth from all over Guatemala and El Salvador, but also a chance to hear about the lives and work that each is doing in their own communities. It was beautiful and inspiring to be a part of an intercambio like this, which connected youth from an array of indigenous groups and ladino communities”, recalls a SALT service worker in Guatemala.

Each year the Mennonite Central Committee’s Guatemala/El Salvador team invites four or five youth from each partner organization to participate in a week of service and learning. This year over forty-five youth from all over Guatemala and El Salvador traveled to the area of Cuisnhauat in El Salvador.

The youth were brought together to learn about Food Security in Central America, engage the local culture by participating in home stays, share their experiences in their respective communities and work together in service projects to benefit the people of Cuisnhauat.

After enjoying freshly made hot pupusas on Wednesday night, the Service Week started out with a brief orientation and the night finished with get-to-know you games before heading out to the home stays. Each day began with devotions, followed by a time of learning, sharing and finishing with the service portion.

We spent time discussing and making collages of the media’s message and influence on our purchasing and food habits. We listened to speakers from San Marcos and Totonicapan talk about the work they do with food security in their cooperatives, which proved to be quite enlightening for all. The youth were also able to donate time and money to help the community build a wall next to the river, to prevent flooding, and repair roofs of two different families. But don’t fret! We were able to find time for fun playing soccer and taking a dip in the river.

Our time concluded with a night of cultural fun at ANADES’s coffee finca getting a coffee tour, swimming in the river and enjoying a camp fire. On Saturday, we said our goodbyes and headed back for the long journey to our respective communities, eager to share all that was learned.

Thus, this time, provided the youth an opportunity to learn more about food security and how they can help their own communities be more sustainable, all the while expanding their world view and making new friends. A big thanks to Toby and Yasmin, who organized this week for all of us!

And thank you to Anne Barkett for the article and the fotos!

Blessings at Year End

2010-12-16T11:38:00.001-08:00

I remember with gratitude the fruits of the labors of others, which I have shared as a part of the normal experience of daily living.

I remember the beautiful things that I have seen, heard, and felt - some, as a result of definite seeking on my part, and many that came unheralded into my path, warming my heart and rejoicing my spirit.

I remember the moments of distress that proved to be groundless and those that taught me profoundly about the evilness of evil and the goodness of good.

I remember the new people I have met, from whom I have caught glimpses of the meaning of my own life and the true character of human dignity.

I remember the dreams that haunted me during the year, keeping me ever mindful of goals and hopes which I did not realize but from which I drew inspiration to sustain my life and keep steady my purposes.

I remember the awareness of the spirit of God that sought me out in my aloneness and gave me a sense of assurance that undercut my despair and confirmed my life with new courage and abiding hope.

Howard Thurman

picture courtesy of Leslie Hammer

giving thanks

2010-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

Gratitude begets justice.

When the Spirit roars through, we know how deeply we have been blessed.

We cry out in thanks to our Creator.

The praise that most pleases God is not burnt offerings or pretty words.

When we walk with our sisters and brothers who are shackled by oppression, hunger and lack of opportunity,

God gives thanks.

Gratitude begets justice!

Rainbow Mennonite

2010-11-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

The visit from Rainbow Mennonite Church in early October was short but full of many great experiences. Not only did they bring with them the end of the rainy season, as we had an entire week of sunny, clear skies during their visit, but also a lot of energy and interest in the context and reality of Guatemala. It was so nice to work with "older" adults for a change (although I love our high school groups, don't get me wrong!) We fit in a lot of activities in just one week, with a visit to ANADESA in Santiago Atitlan and a new agricultural program in Totonicapan. I'll let the pictures tell the rest!

Thank you to Jana and Mitch for the pictures!

ready to start the adventure

The group spent a number of days visiting the community in Panabaj, spending time with the children's program, learning about the history of the armed conflict, working on a stove project, cleaning Panabaj's Peace Park, and finally finishing the cleanup from Tropical Storm Agatha!

For more information on the ONIL stove project that ANADESA has partnered with, please visit: Cojolya or write to social@cojolya.org

much appreciated help with the mud at the community school

A couple of the group members decided to purchase wood as a thank you gift for their host family; fun idea that got the whole group involved!

The group also had the chance to visit a new MCC partner in a community outside of Totonicapan. The various community agricultural programs are managed mostly by women and have been very successful so far; a really great place to visit to see yet another part of the diverse context of Guatemala.

helping with the start of a water catcher

farewells and applauses for all after a special meal shared with the local community

What are you afraid of?

2010-10-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

"My neighbor is hungry"

I was hungry and you fed your animals with my food.

I was hungry and your transnationals planted your winter tomatoes on our best land.

I was hungry and you wouldn’t give up your steak from South America.

I was hungry but they grew tea for you where rice might grow for my daily meal.

I was hungry but you turned our sugarcane and manioc into fuel for your cars.

I was hungry but the waste from your factories is poisoning the fishing grounds of the earth.

I was hungry but with your money, you bought up my food.

I was hungry while my land grows exotic fruits for your table.

What are you afraid of?

Forgoing excessive and harmful consumption?
Having to change your attitudes?

The power of the politicians?

The work involved in achieving greater self-sufficiency?

The disappointing looks of your neighbors?

What are you afraid of?

I was hungry but you gave me no food.

taken from Earth Keepers

by chance

2010-10-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

song written by youth from San Miguel

¿Acaso eres tú q’ a los mineros enviaste?
Violentan el vientre de la Madre Tierra.
Llevan el oro, destruyendo los cerros.
Un gramo de sangre vale mas de mil kilos de oro.

¿Qué pasa con mi pueblo?
Y tu, mi Dios, ¿Dónde te escondes?
El miedo nos paraliza.
Mi pueblo esta vendido y no se de cuenta.

El agua se agota, tiene color de infierno.
Se levanta el aire ya contaminado.
Buscamos milagros – a última hora,
Buscando sanar a los enfermos y danos mortales.

Un pueblo pobre es fácil comprarlos.
Regalos apagan sospechas y dudas.
Los sueldos se llevan las cantinas del pueblo,
Hogares oscuros quedan y dividida mi gente.

Creaste un jardín – y no un desierto.
Queremos progreso con respeto al ambiente.
El hambre de oro come más y más tierra.
Y, Tú mí Dios, te preguntas:
¿Qué esta haciendo mí pueblo?

By chance is it you who sent the miners?
They violate the womb of Mother Earth.
They take the gold, destroying the hills.
One gram of blood is worth more than a thousand kilograms of gold.

What’s happening with my people?
And you, my God, where have you hidden?
We are paralyzed by fear.
My people have been sold and they don’t realize it.

The water is depleted; it is the color of hell.
The air rises, now contaminated.
We search for miracles at the last minute.
Seeking to heal the sick and the mortal damages.

It is easy to buy a poor people.
Gifts turn away suspicions and doubts.
The towns’ bars eat up salaries.
Homes remain in darkness, my people divided.

You created a garden and not a desert.
We want progress that respects the environment.
The hunger for gold eats more and more land.
And you, my God, ask yourself:
What are my people doing?

reflections on connecting peoples

2010-09-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

We always appreciate hearing from past participants once they have returned home and have had a chance to reflect on their experiences here. It is often difficult to know how to connect what one experiences here with his or her life at home. However, through thoughts and memories like these, we are encouraged to think that these experiences are life changing and not something that can be easily forgotten.

"Fourteen U of S Education students, a teacher from Manitoba, and one professor travelled to Guatemala for two weeks on a study tour focused on service based learning. The group was a very dynamic assemblage of people of different ages, bringing many unique experiences and personalities, yet all with a common link to a passion for social and ecological justice. Over the course of two weeks, many laughs were shared and lessons learned about the lives and culture of the Mayan people, as well as some rudimentary Spanish picked up along the way (it is actually "buenas noches" not "nachos" and "disculpeme" not "escuchame"). We learned that chances are you will not, in fact, die when driving in a chicken bus in the mountains, regardless of rain, fog, cliffs, and muddy road conditions, and that at least seven others have gravol or pepto if you just ran out. But beyond the bus drivers strike against dangerous driving conditions, protests in the street, and 16km hikes through the mountains, the experience was rewarding and enlightening and we all agreed that this journey has forever changed us and empowered us to actively influence the students we will teach.

Three principles learned:
1. Language is only one aspect of communication
2. True generosity costs something
3. A small group of motivated people can help change a situation

Fourteen days were spent travelling, learning, discovering, and experiencing a new culture and way of life. The people of Guatemala have an open kindness and generosity that is hard to rival and the memories made and people met have made quite an impact. As sad as it is to see the physical part of this journey end, it is the influence and effects of this experience that will always remain with and influence me. Small changes by a small group of people help make a difference." - Ashlyn, University of Saskatchewan

"It was dark by the time we were taken by Sa’ul to his home. We were led to a door and let into a small clean room with three beds, a cement floor and a single bare lightbulb. It was obvious to myself and the two others staying with me that we were being given the families beds for the night.

I woke up first the next day and met Sa’ul and the rest of his family. His wife was well along in her pregnancy and they had four adorable children, all of whom were of preschool age. I then saw the only other room in their home for the first time. We had been unable to see it when we arrived because of darkness.

It was a small lean-to kitchen with open windows and a dirt floor. The only furniture in the room was a small table with four chairs and a large cement block wood stove in the middle of the room. The walls were blackened with soot and hundreds of corn cobs hung from the rafters to dry. A chicken sat in a wooden box off to the side, clearly at home on her nest.

I realized that this is where this young family had slept for the night, huddled together on the dirt floor around the fire to keep warm while we were given their beds. The community is high in the Guatemalan mountains and gets cool at night, so all of the blankets and pillows had been given to us to keep us warm and comfortable.

It was the most humbling experience of receiving generosity I have experienced in my life. We were then fed a feast of tortillas, tamales, potatoes, beans and eggs for breakfast, a meal three or four times the size of what the family would usually begin its day with. After, as we began to make preparations to leave their home we were thanked for coming to stay with them.

I have come away from these experiences acutely aware of the culture of discontent and concern for wealth that I live in, and am thankful for the example of Mary, who disregarded the sticker price and doused Jesus’s feet with expensive perfume. I am thankful too, for my brothers and sisters in Christ at Lo de Carranza who taught me, through their worship and friendship, how to be truly thankful for all God has given. Most of all I am thankful to Sa’ul and his family who taught me more about hospitality and generosity in one homestay than I would have thought possible." - Jim, Rosthern Junior College

more thoughts on mining

2010-09-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Seeking to understand the perspective of indigenous communities in Guatemala
Nate Howard and David Janzen
09/02/2010
http://ottawa.mcc.org/stories/news/seeking-understand-perspective-communities-san-miguel-guatemala

"In recent weeks we have been visiting communities in and around San Miguel, Guatemala, and have had the opportunity to interview around thirty individuals involved in resisting the Marlin Mine, a large gold mine operated by the Canadian-based company Goldcorp.

Given recent incidents of violence and the international attention the situation has attracted, we have been surprised at the openness with which people have shared with us. Some of what we have heard has been painful and disorienting—indeed, the situation is direr than we had anticipated—and yet, in spite of the fear, violence, and threats faced by local people, we have encountered a profound sense of hope in these communities.

The resistance movement seems to be fundamentally about the freedom to live in community with one another and with creation in a way that is not compatible with the logic of transnational corporations. We do not purport to understand the worldview of the San Miguelense people, but in our many conversations with local people several significant ideas have consistently come through:

(1) Land is both an inheritance to be passed on to future generations, and a gift from God entrusted to a certain group of people. As an inherited gift, land is to be used to support the subsistence and well being of the present and future of the community. To exploit land for purposes beyond this is excessive, thoughtless and unnecessarily destructive.

(2) Environment is inseparable from community. Hence, “contamination” refers to something beyond the measurable negative effects on the land; contamination also includes societal imbalance, a disregard for tradition, and, ultimately, a failure of human communities to assume their role in creation as co-creators and caretakers.

(3) Development occurs when it is spread across the community, not when it is experienced by a small number of individuals, and especially not when it leads to inequality and conflict between people and land.

(4) Community is based on direct relationships of mutual respect between people. Mutual respect implies creating space for each person to voice his or her own perspective. This notion of respect is embodied in Mayan forms of democratic decision-making, which are based not on the rule of the majority but rather on a form of conversation that aims to build community-wide consensus. Stressing the inherent value of land, the importance of tradition, and direct relationships built on respect, these norms are clearly at odds with those of mining companies, which operate on efficiency, hierarchy and, ultimately, economic profit."

Nathaniel Howard has been serving as a community development worker with MCC Guatemala since 2006; David Janzen served in Guatemala through MCC's SALT program in 2008, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Western Ontario

As with the majority of our groups this year, Enlace spent a week in San Marcos learning about this complex issue and Canada's influence in the region. They also heard a lot about what they (and you!) can do at home, things such as supporting Bill C-300; join the Facebook group "I Support Bill C-300 (the Responsible Mining Bill)" to learn more.

"We have a whole new perspective on multiple things including consumerism, the projects of MCC, wealth disparity, natural disasters, and mining. Ask us about them. We've come home to share with you about things we have experienced first hand, and advocate about issues that have become very dear to us. I encourage you to listen and learn." Enlace 2010 co-leader Hannah

julio y agosto

2010-09-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Lombard Mennonite Church
This was LMC's first experience with the Connecting Peoples program and I'm sure something they will never forget :) After spending a few days getting oriented with the CASAS program in Guatemala City, the 11 youth and 4 adults spent time helping with Tropical storm Agatha clean-up in Santiago Atitlan. They then visited communities in Sibinal, San Marcos and learned about how the issue of migration is affecting that area. The group also had the pleasure of learning what it means to be in the mountains of Guatemala during the rainy season!

ENLACE 2010
http://mccoenlace.blogspot.com/

"Enlace is a Spanish word meaning "to weave together." The Enlace program is about providing 16-19 year olds with the opportunity to grow in faith as global Christians by living in community and working alongside Guatemalan partners."

This year the Enlace group spent time visiting communities in Santiago Atitlan, San Marcos, and various parts of El Salvador. Please read the blog above to hear more about their experience from their own perspective. I, for one, thought it was a fabulous time and especially liked the mini-sticks! :) We were pleased to continue this connection with MCC Ontario for the 5th year in a row - yeah Enlace!

Tropical Storm Agatha

2010-06-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, Guatemala was hit by the first tropcial storm of the season, Agatha. Many parts of Guatemala City and the country were severly damaged as a result of the heavy rains that lasted for more than 24 hours. What follows is the story of a community in Zone 6 in Guatemala City and images from the storm taken in the department of Sololá where the communiteis of Santiago Atitlan and Panabj are located.

Rock of Salvation Mennonite Church opens its doors as shelter for those suffering the affects of the start of the rainy season

Story Antony and Irma Judith Sanchez

Claudia Alamnzo, 23, lives with her husband Estuardo Bernal, 26, and their two children Denilson, 4, and Venessa, 1 month, in a shantytown near the neighborhood of San Juan de Dios, Zone 6 in Guatemala City. On May 29, Claudia, along with her two children were caught off guard by the strong rains caused by the tropical storm Agatha. Her tin-roofed, wooden house along with the lot where the house was located, 50 meters down the side of a canyon, were completely washed away and destroyed by a landslide caused by the rain.

Claudia moved to this area five years ago when she decided to share her life with Estuardo who has lived in Zone 6 since childhood. “I was alone in the house with my two children when the rains started. Our house started to flood so I decided the best thing to do was to leave. I took my two children and we went to the highest part of the community. All of our things were buried underneath the landslide that happened just a few minutes after we left. Now our house simply does not exist. Thank God that the Mennonite Church has opened its doors and we can safely sleep there,” said Claudia. “We were watching the news when we heard the sound of the water and a landslide of mud and trees; our houses were filled with water and mud,” said Nora Muralles, another mother who lives in the same area.

The neighborhood of San Juan de Dios is located on the edge of a canyon where the Las Vacas River runs deep below. The families’ homes have been built down the sides of the canyon which is approximately 100 meters deep. The area had been used as a garbage dump, but about seven years ago dozens of families started arriving to build their homes in the canyon. The construction of the houses has not followed any type of construction regulation, being built piece by piece as the owners are able to find the economic means to buy the materials. The houses are mostly built of wood, tin, and cardboard with some retaining walls made of brick or concrete.

In general, the families here are very poor and many of them have multiple children. The men work informally at selling on the street or driving buses and taxis, while some have more formal work. Their income is around $10-$12 a day and very few of them have access to social security benefits. The women dedicate most of their time to taking care of the home, helping to sustain the family economically by working occasionally for other families doing housework.

Claudia’s husband is a bus driver. He generally leaves for work at 5:00 am and returns home at 8:00 pm. Claudia lives double amounts of stress on a daily basis. On one hand, she deals with the stress of having a husband work as a bus driver in an environment of violence that often affects city bus drivers and the transportation system in Guatemala. On the other hand, she has now lost her home and finds herself living in a shelter. Approximately thirty-five families from various parts of the community are in the same situation as Claudia and Nora. They have yet to find out to what extent their lives will be changed by this disaster, and where their new homes will be.

The Rock of Salvation Mennonite Church, which is located in the community, has opened its doors as a temporary shelter for around seventy people whose homes where destroyed or were found to be in high risk areas after the storm. The work is being coordinated by the church’s women’s society, which Fialiley Ruano, Gladys, and Connie de Veliz are all members of. These three women are in charge of organizing and working together to attend to the needs of the families.

The rainy season has started strong in Guatemala. The first tropical storm of the year has devastated the country, causing approximately 156 deaths and more than 150,000 people affected throughout various parts of the country, many of whom are currently in temporary shelters. MCC hopes to respond to this disaster through material humanitarian aid for 800 families in various areas where local MCC partners are located, specifically in the departments of Guatemala, Sololá and San Marcos. The work will be coordinated between the Mennonite Church and Caritas of Guatemala.

the school in Panabaj was again filled with mud, making the construction of a retaining wall even more important

canal that runs through Panabaj during the rains

canal after the rains

road to San Pedro

road to Santiago, near Ana's house

destruction in San Antonio Polopó, community near Panajachel that suffered a lot of damage

Journey for Justice

2010-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

In May, we were excited to host a group of MCC staff from Latin America and Canada for the Mining Justice Learning Tour, part of MCC Canada's Mining Justice Campaign
http://ottawa.mcc.org/miningjustice

We learned and saw A LOT, not only about the mine and the impact it is having in the area of San Marcos, but also about the exciting alternatives to the mine that MCC and many others are helping support.

La Mina:

Alternativas:

trout ponds in La Vega del Volcan

visit to CALAS, local organization working on legal matters related to the mine and other environmental issues

meeting with a community group in San Miguel Ixtahuacan where the mine is located

flower green house in Nuevas Maravillas

good friends, Juan Pablo and family in their home village of Jalu

hearing the stories of women who are part of a coffee producers cooperative in Sipacapa, near the mine

"MCC is no expert on mining. However, our partners here in Canada and around the world tell us that the practices of Canadian mining companies are contributing to their suffering. They remind us that we are part of the problem. MCC does not have the answers but we commit ourselves to a journey for mining justice."
taken from the Mining Justice Campaign's website

this is why

2010-06-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you're asked to move 100s of wheelbarrows of dirt from one spot to the next, or even better, asked to spend the entire morning doing the same, but with mud, you ask yourself, ''Why am I doing this??'' It is always exciting when I revisit a community and see that indeed, all that cement mixing and nail hammering that so many of you have helped with has paid off.

community cooperative in La Linea, not quite finished but looking great after the Rockway group helped start the project in March

making progress on the mud pit, soon to be trout pond in La Vega del Volcan, that the group from SU had fun working on in April

the up and running cooperative in La Vega that Enlace 2008 started on

also in La Vega, the beginnings of their tourist cabin, thanks to RJC and Saskatchewan University groups from this year

preschool project that the RJC group from 2009 and 2010 both helped work on in Carranza

Stay tuned for more updates!

U of S

2010-05-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my job doesn't feel like work, and when that happens, it is fabulous! That was my experience with the group of Education students from the University of Saskatchewan that were here in late April: FABULOUS

Thank you to each of you for your interest, enthusiasm, and friendship. You made me job so easy and I thoroughly enjoyed learning along side you. Here are just a few of the many great memories (THANK YOU Abbie for the fotos!)

Panabaj, Santiago Atitlan

Lo de Carranza, Guatemala City

Nuevas Maravillas and La Vega, San Marcos

smiles of women, contrast between rich and poor, warmth of people, hard work, strength of communities, small group of motivated people can change something, way of living, language doesn't have to be a barrier, amount of tortillas, people are the same everywhere, scenery,
even if you work really hard it doesn't mean you'll succeed,
more aware, generosity should cost you something,
power of education

O Canada

2010-05-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

In the two years since my first group in July of 2008, I have gotten to know so many great people, and SO many Canadians! I recently did a little count and of the 19 groups that I have worked with, 11 of those have been from Canada (and that doesn't include 3 that had both Canadian and U.S. participants!) So in honor of those many groups and the connection they have made with Guatemala, here are some picture highlights from three that visited us between February-April.

Rosthern Junior College
Feb 5-18 check out RJC's own blog about their time here:
http://rjcservice.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
March 10-23
Foothills Mennonite Church
March 26-April 4

RJC was the first group this year to start working on a project at the local school in Panabaj with MCC partner ANADESA; repairing the community school that was abandoned after Hurricane Stan in 2005 so that the students can return there from the "temporary" school they have been using. Here are some before/during/after pictures of the project that RJC, Rockway, Foothills, and the group from Saskatchewan University all helped with!

The families of ANADESA are always so welcoming and they are excellent hosts for the groups.

We also spent time with communities here in Guatemala City and out in the mountains of San Marcos, building relationships and learning a lot about the connections between North and Central America.

For you, O Canada, with glowing hearts...thank you!
And thank you to those of you I borrowed pictures from!

What are we doing down here? Part III

2010-03-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

The final post in our series that has been highlighting the various programs that make up MCC Guatemala and El Salvador. As you have seen, there is much more to MCC Guate/El Salvador than the Connecting Peoples program! Each interesting and exciting program works at community development through EDUCATION, RELIEF, and PEACE and JUSTICE initiatives. This last addition focuses on the programs that fall into the PEACE and JUSTICE category.

In El Salvador, MCC works with programs that focus on the education of women and children in the church context there

A recent Connecting Peoples group from Rosthern Junior College, working and playing in the communities of Carranza and La Vega del Volcan

AMAR, a music and recreation school, offers classes in guitar, keyboard, and singing in various marginilzed communities of Guatemala City

Semana de Servicio 2009

2010-01-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Every year, MCC Guatemala/El Salvador hosts an activity called Semana de Servicio for youth from both countries. This is an exciting opportunity for local young people to experience a mini-work and learn tour in hopes of promoting: personal reflection, faith and cultural exchange, open spaces for dialogue around issues that are affecting youth in the region, the importance of Christian service and peace building in each individual's community.

This year's event was held in Nebaj in the Quiche department of Guatemala, a region populated by the Ixil people and an area that suffered greatly during the armed conflict here in Guatemala. Some 40 young people from 8 different partner organizations participated in three days of work, reflection, and fun, helping Q'anil paint their new building and providing some other general clean-up services to the organization (i.e. moving buckets and buckets of dirt, something I know many of you are familiar with from your time in Guatemala!)

Thank you to Chris and Erin for the pictures!

What are we doing down here? Part II

2010-01-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Part two in our series of blog posts that highlight the interesting and exciting programs that make up MCC Guatemala and El Salvador, all of which work at community development through EDUCATION, RELIEF, and PEACE and JUSTICE initiatives. Stay tuned for more highlights next month!

Community Development through
CAPACITY BUILDING

Cooking activity with women's group in Metapan, El Salvador

Working with youth in Metapan, El Salvador

Relief Work through:
GENERATION AT RISK PROGRAMS

Partner organization, ANADES, works on issues of gender equality and sexual health in El Salvador

Teaching families in El Salvador how to make jewelry, part of ANADES's program supporting those living with HIV/AIDS

Sexual health and responsibility workshop in Nebaj with partner organization Q'anil

Relief Work through
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

In areas such as San Marcos and Panabaj, MCC has supported disaster response through the building of minimal dwellings and through programs that focus on psycho-social recovery after disasters. You can read more about the emergency response in El Salvador in last month's post.

Path of mudslide in San Marcos as a result of Hurricane Stan

Evacuation route for school in San Marcos

Emergency in El Salvador

2009-12-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

"On Sunday, Nov. 8, a low-pressure cell dumped almost as much rain on central El Salvador as Hurricane Mitch did over four days in 1998. El Salvador was already in its rainy season. The storm went largely unnoticed in the Canadian and U.S. media because it coincided with Hurricane Ida.

Just as Andrea de Jesus Parada, her four children and two grandchildren were preparing to go to sleep, they heard a noise that sounded like a helicopter hovering over the house and then cries for help. Mud and stone began to pour into the windows and doors. As they hurried out of the house, Parada called one of her granddaughters. “‘You hold from my neck,’” Parada told her. “I felt stones and mud hitting my body,” Parada said. The mudslide carried them along for almost a block before Parada could feel the ground beneath her. She was able to walk to safety with her granddaughter, guided by feeling the walls of the houses in the dark. All around them, people were crying in panic and terror, Parada said.

Parada told her story to Irma Solano and Antony Sanchez, MCC representatives to El Salvador in mid-November. They were in Verapaz to evaluate the damage caused by massive flooding and mudslides that killed at least 85 people in Verapaz and more than 140 people in the country."

Taken from

Mudslides wash people, trees and houses away in El Salvador

By Linda Espenshade

MCC News Release

What are we doing down here?

2009-12-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

MCC Guatemala and El Salvador is committed to supporting local partner organizations that work at community development through projects focused on Education, Relief, and Peace and Justice. The Connecting Peoples program is just one of the examples of how these general categories are put into practice "on the ground"; the Connecting Peoples program is considered one of MCC's key peace building initiatives as it works to build bridges of understanding and commitment between different cultures and groups. However, we are doing a lot more than just connecting people down here! In Guatemala and El Salvador, MCC is supporting projects that focus on: education of women, youth, and children, food security and income generation projects, capacity building, HIV/AIDS, sexual health and gender equality, emergency preparedness and disaster response, peace and justice education through arts and recreation, psycho-social recovery, and much more! Over the next couple of months, we will be highlighting the various projects that make up MCC Guatemala/El Salvador to show just how we work at community development - these are just a few:

Communinity development through EDUCATION

Caring for the environment workshop in Nebaj with partner organization Q'anil

Students at Bezaleel school in Altaverapaz work at builiding a basketball court

Teaching children in Panabaj about dental health with partner organization ANADESA

Community Development through FOOD SECURITY AND INCOME GENERATION PROJECTS

Women of Panabaj practice making fruit salad for visitors that partcipate in ANADESA's eco-tourism project

Community cooperatives in San Marcos work at constructing a green house and trout reproduction system as part of the food security program of partner organization Caritas

reconnecting

2009-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Guatemala gave me a completely different outlook on life in American culture and how to avoid getting distracted by what is the 'norm' in our culture. Guatemala changed my values and my beliefs. I no longer wish to buy the latest thing, or see the latest movie. My friends and my family have become much more important to me, and I value them much more. Guatemala, first and foremost, showed me what life should be like, where I should put my concern and my attention. I have become much less involved in the 'Buying, Wanting, Lethargic' life that I used to live and more the "Giving, Acknowledging, Loving"

Enlace 2009

It is always a pleasure to hear from past participants once they have returned home and are back in their reality. The hope is that once back in the context that if familiar to them, participants continue to process the experiences they had here and that they can somehow connect these experiences to their world at home. That is what makes things like this blog and email updates so important; they provide a way for us to reconnect and to remember what we shared here and to challenge us to not forgot. They challenge us to continue working at connecting with people in hopes of making a difference in our world, be that the world in Guatemala or the world in Pennsylvania or Ontario.

Thank you to participants from this year's Enlace group (Keenan) and the MCC Meat Canner group (Tim) for sharing your thoughts with us! Please feel free to keep sending them our way!

"A general observation I would make is the fact that hospitality had a major impact on all of us. The smiles and greetings and welcoming attitudes that we all received were both humbling and exciting. We went as a canner team representing MCC and the thousands of volunteers that give of their time and money to help people both near and far whom we do not know. It is humbling to be received with such appreciative hospitality, knowing that the gifts of the people make a great difference. The excitement comes from leaving our home country, some of us for the first time, some of us having visited other countries before, experiencing another culture and lifestyle, and realizing that the media does not always portray the "real" story.

We visited a community located in the mountains seemingly far away, especially in terms of the city lights, transportation system, and what most in the developed world could consider "the middle of nowhere." As we walked the "road" to San Juan Curenas we were escorted by the people who live in the area. They greeted us with a banner welcoming us as friends. We had never met our hosts before, yet, they knew the name Mennonite Central Committee, and the reputation of the people who have served and represented MCC went before us. Even though I perceived our physical bodies to be present in "the middle of nowhere," we really were not. I ask myself, "How can I perceive myself to be in the middle of nowhere if I am welcomed with open arms, invited to a community meeting of introduction, hosted in a home for a meal, and then invited to walk to another home to see where they live?" Granted, we could not speak the language and needed a translator, but there is patience and time for that.

What is our responsibility in the world? When do we find the time to be with our neighbors? When and where to we learn that people who live in other lands or are from different ethnic groups should be humanized instead of de-humanized? This starts within our hearts, our minds, our souls. Our faith-based relationship with our Creator and Savior who desires a relationship with us, is our example to establish relationships with people we don't know. I continue to be encouraged by the relationships and work that MCC carries out.

I hope that the staff and volunteers who work for MCC in the USA and Canada can remember the great importance of relationships with people. To also remember that we serve people in our world, created by God, who do not care about the politics associated with who has the final say on program and how the money is raised or who is in charge of whatever. Once they receive a gift of blessing that meets a need benefitting the core of their physical existence, their smiles ought to melt our hearts as we realize together we can change the world, one Christ-centered and God inspired relationship at a time."

MCC Meat Canners

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

- Samuel F. Pugh

MCC Global Family Tour

2009-10-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

What is Global Family??? That is what I was wondering myself when I heard that an MCC group wanted to visit Global Family programs in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. What I found out is that Global Family is an exciting program that is helping make education possible for individuals and communities in countries all over the world. What fun I had working with this inter-generational group of 10 for a quick, six days in September. We visited various Global Family sponsored programs in the area of Altaverapaz (featured in the post "What's Happening in Altaverapaz) and I think I can say, that we all learned a lot! Thanks to the new SALTER's, Luke Penner and Paige Reuber, for joining us on the trip!

Taken from the Global Family website
http://www.mcc.org/globalfamily/

"Through Global Family, MCC's education sponsorship program, you help make creative, community-based education available to children and young adults. For more than 70 million children, going to school remains a dream, just out of reach. Their days are filled with working for survival or with domestic chores. Students who achieve education gain confidence and skills that enable them to improve their lives and their communities. As a sponsor, you receive two updates annually, including stories and photos of the program you're supporting. Will you join Global Family in making the dream of education come true?"

Walking down (and up!) to the community of Santo Tomas Xacalta, where we heard the following meaningful testimony to the value of education:

Maria Caal, 35, lives in Santo Tomas Xacalta, a rural Kekchi community located two hours away from Coban, the capital of the Alta Verapaz Department in Guatemala. She has been part of one of the 6 literacy groups that Fundameno is running and that are supported by MCC’s Global Family project. During a recent group visit, Maria shared the following: “Before, we indigenous women used to stay at home the whole day cleaning house, cooking, and taking care of our children. Our world was so small and our voices were soundless. But when we started to study and to learn how to read and write first in Kekchi and then in Spanish, our world became bigger. Now we are taking on other roles and we are aware of the needs of our families and the whole community. We have a say and our perspectives are being heard. We are able to participate in discussions and proposals in order to address the different needs in our families and communities; this is how education is transforming my life."

MCC Meat Canners Learning Tour

2009-10-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

"intentional time to recognize that the world is not just"
"working daily on your perceptions of what you have"

"shaping opinions, ideas, direction"

students at one of the children's centers we visited;
each welcomed us with colorful signs and a song

In late August, I had the pleasure of meeting the MCC Meat Canner guys and spending a week traveling with them in El Salvador. We had a whirlind tour that included visiting four different chidren's programs, ANADES, MCC's partner organization, the communities of Torola and San Juan Cureñas, and the monument of the massacre that took place at El Mozote. We met and heard the stories of many individuals, adults and children alike, who have received the canned meat and other forms of MCC relief. It was a great opportunity for the group and myself to learn about the work of MCC in El Salvador and how this work has impacted families and communities.

children eating pupusas made with the canned meat

new friends in La Torola

lunch with community in San Jose Cureñas

greenhouse we helped work on that will benefit
health center and community in La Torola

http://www.mcc.org/canning/

Enlace 2009

2009-10-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

THE SOUNDS OF MOURNING
Outside the sounds of mourning awake to the awkward daylight.
Amidst the fog and early movement a chorus of stray dogs bark with industrial timing;
biting and snarling at the violence and distrust of humanity which is engraved in the very bones they knaw.
The rapid rhythm of the corn mill erupts in the damp air as if the stone of the mountain still holds the echoes of gunfire in its sad memory.
A rooster crows, marking like Peter, the universal cold shoulder of denial which left this innocent country abandoned and betrayed.
Yet, somewhere, a country baseline is heard, pulsing up and down across the fertile countryside resembling the eternal heart of Guatemala,
beating despite the ache and trauma of it past, present, and future.
-John Wideman (Enlace 2009 leader) August 11th 2009

host brothers Akul, Nebaj

art activity with children in Panabaj, Santiago Atitlan

weaving day Akul, Nebaj

working on greenhouse for youth committee in Akul, Nebaj

recuerdos
being challenged by Hector
story session with John and Ghost Runner
discussion with youth at Mennonite church
getting ripped with Brendon
Margarita and her profound comments
being attacked by braiding children
working on the greenhouse
Don Pedro's stories in the cemetary
"buen provecho" from Tomas at least 3 times a day
you're safe and sound with me
trout and mushrooms
futbol in San Marcos
Juan Pablo and his amazing songs
crazy hiking day
swimming in Atitlan with Diego and Juan Jose
carrying soccer posts through the town
the walk of our lives: carrying 20 tress on our backs up a mountain
Addy's devotional
dancing and singing together at the bonfire

working together on a weaving project with new friends from Akul, Nebaj

Jenny and the puppies

more art in Panabaj

LOVE YOU ENLACE 2009!!

Enlace is a program sponsored by MCC Ontario (http://www.mcc.org/ontario/enlace/). The 8 high school participants and two leaders, spent almost 5 weeks in Guatemala from July to August, studying Spanish and learning about the history and context of the country, followed by time spent living and working with communities in Nebaj, San Marcos, and Santiago Atitlan. To read more about their experience here, please check out the group's own blog: http://enlace2009.blogspot.com/

Upcoming Events

2009-06-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Connecting Peoples program is getting ready for another busy 3-month period, as we look forward to the months that correspond with summer in the North; upcoming events include:

Enlace MCC Ontario July 21-August 20: This is the fifth Enlace group that MCC Ontario has organized in partnership with MCC Guatemala. The group will be spending a week working with the CASAS program in Guatemala City, studying Spanish and learning about the history and context of the country. The following three weeks will be spent working with MCC and various partner organizations in Nebaj, San Marcos, and Santiago Atitlan.
www.mcc.org/ontario/enlace/

Meat Canners MCC Akron Work and Learn Team August 28-September 5: This group from Akron, PA, will be visiting partner organizations and communities in El Salvador that have received canned meat and other MCC support such as school supply kits, etc. The time will be spent meeting with the community members, helping with a small work project, and learning about the context of El Salvador and how these communities have benefited from MCC support.
www.mcc.org/canning/

Global Family Program MCC Akron Learning Tour September 17-23: Visiting Guatemala will be the last stop for the Global Family representatives who will also be visiting programs in Nicaragua and Honduras. The primary goal of the trip is to visit and meet Global Family partners, students, and teachers who receive Global Family scholarships and to also learn more about the work MCC is doing in the region. The group will be visiting two different schools in the Altaverapaz Department of Guatemala, as well as spending some time visiting with communities in Guatemala City.
mcc.org/globalfamily/

who we are and what we do

2009-06-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

A lot of you have had the pleasure of meeting many of us face to face, working and learning with us during your time here. The MCC Guatemala/El Salvador team is just great, if I do say so myself, and I have not only greatly appreciated, but genuinely enjoyed collaborating with them in the work I do as Connecting Peoples Facilitator (they definitely have made my job a lot easier!!) Below is a short description of what each worker does, plus some other fun information about each of them.

Chris and Rebeca Strong - Metapan, El Salvador
Chris: My official job title is youth pastoral accompaniment. How I do that is through monthly meetings/Bible studies with the youth from the 5 communities/churches that I work with directly. Likewise, we get togehter a second time every month to either play games, do some cleaning/recycling in the community or a trip that the youth would like to take. I also help organize and lead our youth retreats and get our youth involved in the yearly service weeks that the Connecting Peoples program puts together.

How long have you been with MCC: 2 years

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Hanging out with the youth where they live and getting to know them. Low - Knowing that when it comes to the work that needs to be done with the youth, I'm just doing what amounts to the tip of the iceberg

One thing you miss from home: Sorry, I've got more than one: family, Wheaties, graham crackers, and flushing toliet paper down the toliet instead of putting it in a waste basket

Rebeca: My job title is Family Accompaniment. My position consists of working with 6 churches, giving parenting classes at each of them. I also lead women's circles at each of these churches. With children, I work on giving them workshops on peace and justice and how to better their relationships with others. Finally, I also work with a group of youth, accompanying them, leading service projects and monthly reflections.

How long have you been with MCC: 2 years

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Working with different churches in different communities; having flexbile hours to be able to do home visits and just hang out with people; hearing people's life experiences; doing service projects like recycling or street cleaning with the youth. Low - A lot of traveling. Becuase it is a new position, it has also been challenging getting people interested in the projects.

One thing you miss from home: my parents

Jordan Penner - Altaverapaz, Guatemala
My position is part of the SALT program (1-year MCC program). I work in the library of a middle and high school that recieves support from MCC and Eastern Mennonite Missions and which provides a very valuable education as a very small price for Q'eqchi' (indigenous Mayan group) people who historically have not been provided with very good educational opportunities by the Guatemalan government. I work in the library tutoring students, helping with everyday library tasks, being a mentor and friend for students, and encouraging students to read and think critically, especially in regards to current events.

How long have you been with MCC: 10 months

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Whenever I get the chance to work with students on current events or issues that affect them or help them understand the larger issues that affect the whole world. Also when a student asked me, "What is the bourgeois?" (I really like modern history). And helping students with Algebra (I really like Algebra). And when a student asked me, "Why doesn't the earth fall?" (I really like astronomy). The last one, for your information, is a lot harder to explain than you at first realize when you consider that the Earth is moving really fast (and not just around the sun) but that there really is no up and down (or falling or rising) in space. I'm still working on keeping my answers as simple as possible. Low - The first three or four weeks after I arrived at my placement, I saw the sun once, for a second or two. I also got sick and was not used to taking bucket showers in the cold, and was eating way too many plain tortillas and noodles for my meals. Ones feet are NEVER dry.

One thing you miss from home: chocolate chip cookies

Adriana Koehn - Guatemala City, Guatemala
If you are reading this, you probably know first hand what my job is becuase I have probably worked with you in some way in the past year. Officially, I am the Connecting Peoples Facilitator which means I work with all you great people from Canada and the United States in planning, organizing and leading your trips when you come to Guatemala/El Salvador to learn about the work MCC is doing here and to connect with the people here (north-south connections). I also work at organizing similar activites for locals (south-south connections) and do things like keep this blog up to date, etc. :)

How long have you been with MCC: 14 months

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Getting to meet and connect with a wide variety of people, not only here in Guatemala/El Salvador, but also from North America; being part of their learning and growing experiences. Being able to travel a lot and see so many different beautiful parts of the country and participate in the learning that groups experience - all becuase it is my job! Another high is definitely the opportunity to work on bettering my Spanish and living in another country, both of which have been life goals of mine. Low - All of the traveling can definitely wear me down, plus having 3 month periods that are really crazy busy followed by 2 or 3 slower ones can make me feel like I'm on a rollercoaster sometimes. I also don't really like being called the "mom" of groups - haha!

One thing you miss from home: being able to walk around outside after dark and not being worried about my safety; my family and friends; and definitely, sushi!

Irma and Antony Sanchez Solano - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Antony and Irma are the Country Representatives for MCC Guatemala and El Salvador. They are from Colombia but have beeing working in Guatemala for the past 5 years with their two daugthers, Nataly and Melany. We were all very happy when they recently decided to extend their term here for another 4 years! They are in charge of so many different things that it would be difficult to fit all of it in this little space. They are are bosses, but also are friends and family here and we greatly appreciate all of the work they do for each of us!

Nataly recently graduated from High School and will starting medical school in Colombia in about a month. Melany will be starting 9th grade in the fall here in Guatemala City.

Irma
How long have you been with MCC: 5 years

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - The diversity of people, especially those living in the rural areas. Low - The culture of gossip that is so prevelant here. Also seeing that the people are not able to really identify how they are feeling; they will say they are always happy when really they are struggling with a lot of difficult issues.

One thing you miss from home: family and food

Antony
How long have you been with MCC: 5 years

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - The feeling of community and family that we have in the work we do. Low - The violence and insecurity that is the reality of living in Guatemala.

One thing you miss from home: family

Nataly
High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - All of the learning about the context and culture of Guatemala that I have been able to experience here. Low - the closemindedness of some people.

One thing you miss from home: family and culture

Melany
High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - All of the learning experiences I have had here. Low - The violence and feeling of being scared.

One thing you miss from home: family and food

Nate Howard - San Marcos, Guatemala
I work in Sibinal, San Marcos with the San Marcos Diocese on a food security project. Specifically we are accompanying four farming communities that suffer from high levels of malnutrition. The program's focus is on small business development and the formation of small producers associations; the program is in its' third year.

How long have you been with MCC: 2 years and 9 months

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Weekends in Yalú with no responsabilities, time to read, write, and drink coffee. Low - The moments of loneliness and missing my family.

One thing you miss from home: College football fall Saturdays, 18 holes of golf in the morning with my dad, afternoons and evenings to flip between games, with a special interest in Notre Dame, and late night walks with my dog to destress after Notre Dame's frustrating performance.

David Janzen - Nebaj, Guatemala
I spend most of my time in small rural villages in the Ixil region of the Cuchumatanes Mountains. My work focuses on developing and supporting youth leadership; creating community-based organizations of youth and young adults; and working with leaders and organizations to develop small community projects in health and education.

How long have you been with MCC: I arrived in Guatemala last August and am finishing up my term this coming August.

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: Highs - Seeing the energy and creativity of the youth I work with, living immersed in the lively and colorful indigenous Ixil culture, and working amidst the marvelous natural beauty of the Guatemalan Highlands. Low - The rainy season.

One thing you miss from home: Other than my family, I miss my dog, Lewis, the library, and pond hockey

Rachel Schmitz - Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala
I am working with ANADESA (Asociación Nuevo Amanecer de Santiago Atitlan). I help support ANADESA's various programs and work mostly with the children's afterschool program and the woman's co-operative. I organize and facilitate seminars for both programs. Also, I help out with ANADESA's eco-tourism program coordinating group visits and translating for ANADESA's educational tour.

How long have you been with MCC: I am a SALTer. I arrived in Guatemala in August 2008 and moved to Santiago in October 2008. Right now I am finishing up my term and will be leaving at the end of July.

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Having the unique experience of living in a small, indigenous community. Getting to meet lots of different people from the States and Canada and helping them connect with the people in Santiago. Low - Being far away from famiy and friends and missing out on special events back home.

One thing you miss from home: Some of my favorite foods like sushi, salads, good Italian food, and water/italian ice!

Tobias Roberts - Santa Clara, El Salvador
Toby works in 5 different rural communities supporting community development projects and working in HIV/AIDS education and prevention. He also accompanies 15 families living with HIV/AIDS.

How long have you been with MCC: 2 years and 4 months

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Being identified with a movement, being part of a community searching for their life and liberation; the intimacy that comes from that. Low - Feeling too busy and not being able to focus on just one thing at a time.

One thing you miss from home: family

Beth Peachey - Guatemala City, Guatemala
I work with the Guatemalan Mennonite Church Conference in a program called Mennonite Arts and Recreation Academy. The acronym in Spanish is AMAR, which means "to love". We provide music classes (guitar, keyboard, choir, basic music theory) and recreational activities in three Mennonite chuches in and around Guatemala City. We also do a weekly music class at a preschool run by one of the churches, and I teach singing classes for one of the youth groups.

How long have you been with MCC: 2 years and 7 months

High and low of your job and/or living in Guatemala/El Salvador: High - Being able to see people learning and growing. Low - smog from cars and buses

One thing you miss from home: pickles

We Love Canadians

2009-04-21T12:49:00.001-07:00

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate is located in Ontario, Canada and decided for the first time this year to send a group of students to Guatemala to work with MCC. The "test group" :) was here from March 14-28 and spent time visiting communities in Santiago Atitlan, San Marcos, and in Nebaj. We were excited about the opportunity to take a group to Nebaj since we had not done so in a number of years. Rockway worked with the MCC partner organization Q'anil, which works with youth on a variety of issues such as health education focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, cultural preservation, care for the environment, etc. The experience was very positive and we feel good about having made this new connection with Rockway. It is always encouraging to hear feedback from groups once they have returned home and even more so from a group that comes down here for the first time. The following are excerpts taken from a debriefing the group had with Rockway's principal upon their return.

"this is one of the most significant and life changing 15 days we have ever experienced"
"relationships, community, poverty, faith, joy, violence, welcome, beauty, care, questions"
"being surprised by joy in the midst of poverty"
"understanding the benefit and downside of global connections"
"the reality of violence in peoples' lives"
"we were pushed and stretched to do things we could not have imagined beforehand"
"relationships with families, peers, and kids"

Amanda Snyder was one of the participants in the group (pictured above on left). She is to thank for a few of these photos as well as the following thoughtful reflection that she shared with her church upon her return to Canada.

I want to keep remembering every moment in Guatemala. I want to remember the cold showers and the candlelight and the outhouses and even the beans and tortillas. I want to remember the children’s smiling faces and the hugs from my host family and the words of welcome from so many people. To do this I keep telling stories and showing pictures because I don’t want to forget this, I can’t forget this. But I can never seem to explain it right to anyone who has never been there. I can’t explain the laughter as we tickled the kids and how it didn’t matter that the only words we could say to them was hello and to ask their name. All that mattered to them was that we were there and that we cared enough to come and play soccer with them or sing songs for them or do crafts with them. I want to explain how it felt to be hugged and kissed by almost every member of a church community during the “passing the peace of Christ” section in the service. I want to explain the looks on the faces of the families as they told us of the deaths they had witnesses and the losses they will always carry with them. I want to explain how it felt to climb a mountain for three hours and then stand at the top looking over a village and then to be suddenly immersed in a cloud where you could hardly see anything around you. I want to explain how it felt to hike an active volcano and then roast marshmallows on the hot lava. I want to explain how it felt to work together with Guatemalan youth on various service projects. I want to explain how it felt hearing stories of youth our own age who had witnessed so much violence and feel unsafe in their own neighborhood. I want to explain the looks on their faces as they told us this. Yet somehow it never comes out right and it will never put the proper picture in their head because it is something you have to experience on your own. Something you need to see with your own eyes and feel with your own heart to understand or at least to begin to understand because I know that I still only understand a tiny bit of how they live. So my advice is go and do and see in order to experience lives so unlike our own. It is easy to sit on our couches at home and watch it on the news or in movies but sometimes the easy way isn’t the best way. I think that this is something everyone should do, in order to begin to realize how lucky we are here and to appreciate what we have. I’m going to leave you with a quick story and quote from our trip. We had just hiked the volcano and were in the process of hiking back to where our vehicle was parked. We were on the top of a mountain overlooking the volcano we had just been on top of. And we were sitting on the grass looking out at the most beautiful site. A man we had met while on the trip who had come along on the hike told us all to sit down and breathe and experience the peacefulness fully. He said, “let God open your eyes and see the beauty in the ugliness”. So I challenge you to see the beauty in the ugliness but don’t try to do this alone. Let God and let your family and friends help you on this journey called life.

Thanks Rockway! It's true, we do love Canadians :)

for what it's worth

2009-04-21T10:53:00.001-07:00

i am eating macaroni and cheese for dinner and it's not just any mac and cheese. it's the real deal. the real kraft macaroni and cheese - the thing that all of the canadians i’ve met and worked with in the past year call kraft dinner (we don’t do that in the united states, do we? call it "kraft dinner"? i didn't think so). funny thing about kraft dinner is that it was a topic of many a disucssion with the last group that was here. in fact, the topic of food, and food we actually like and have cravings for, has been something i have spent a good amount of time thinking and talking about with these groups. i have been continually reminded and surprised by how extremely important the basic human necessity of food consumption can become when one is placed in new and unfamiliar settings....when one is served black beans and tortillas for breakfast, lunch, and most likely, dinner, when all you really want and are used to is a big ol' bowl of kraft dinner. the connection between our need and desire to eat and how that makes us feel, both physically and emotionally is intriguing. this basic human need and fulfilling it, seems to contribute in a large part to making one feel comfortable and at home, familiar and safe.

like food and the need to eat, a sense of security, be that emotional or physical, is another basic human need that i have spent a lot of time thinking about here. maybe i've been thinking about it because of the high homicide rate in guatemala, i find myself living in one of the most violent countries in the region. maybe i've been thinking about it because the registered mortality rate in the first two months of 2009 was 69%, up from 38% in 2008....maybe it's because there are 200 registered (and not all, by any means, are registered) assaults on public buses daily in the city and 33 bus drivers of these public buses were murdered between january and march of this year.....maybe it's becuase i really can't walk on the steet, be it day or night, alone or with a group, without feeling on edge because within just one block of my house i have experienced two robbery attempts and one success........maybe it's because this issue of violence and insecurity is something that we repeatadly talk about amongst ourselves here but also with the groups that visit.....maybe it's because this is the reality of life in guatemala today, but also the reality and context of violence and pain that guatemala has lived for years - the reality that places like my country, our country, the united states, have often played a strong role in shaping....maybe it's because this last week thanks to holy week festivities, myself and a couple of other hundreds or maybe even thousands of guatemalans, were able to stay out in the streets past dark and actually do so in peace....maybe it's because i had almost forgotten how good that can feel, how normal that should be for everyone, and how sadly, that is not normal here.

but maybe, i have been thinking about this because even in the midst of all that is and has been the reality in guatemala, life has been continuing and continues to continue. life in the form of so many beautiful traditions and stories and people and landscapes....life in the beautiful and naturally artistic holy week "carpets" that i saw on the streets this past week and the vigor in which so many worked at preserving this years-old tradition....life in hiking over a mountain from nebaj to a small community on the other side and feeling like i was walking through the swiss alps....life in the group of young people i met in that community, full of joy and laughter and energy....life in hearing the story of one of these young men, the son of indigenous parents who joined the guerrilla movement during the civil war out of fear for their lives, who birthed this young man, himself now a father of three beautiful dauthgers, in a tree in the mountains while their own governmnet carried out genocide against their people.....life in the meek yet joyful way his daughter and i practiced our second language together while the sun set behind the rolling hills....life in talking for hours in spanish yet feeling like no time has passed at all....life in three little brothers i see at the university trying to sell small packages of nuts and asking if you'd like your shoes shined....life in the way the older one puts his arm around the younger ones as they walk from building to building....life in feeling connected here and knowing that after a year in guatemala, i am excited to be staying for another, even in the midst of all this life that can be ugly and complicated and dangerous and scary and hurtful but that can also be so very vibrant and interesting and beautfiul and rewarding....if only we are able to step outside of what is comfortable and famililar, like that big ol' box of kraft dinner that i regretfully polished off. all by myself. haha.

friends, i hope that you are experiencing life in new and vibrant ways this spring season, even if it takes passing through some ugly and uncomfortable places first.