The last two weeks have been very busy here at the program. We have work teams here from the US (mostly North Dakota) building housing for poor Guatemalan families. I am in charge of a work team. Fortunately, we had the help of a Guatemalan builder and my main job has been to translate. In my next entry, I hope to have pictures of the work site.
Photos:
This is a photo of La Merced. This is a very famous landmark in Antigua which has survived the various earthquakes.
This is a photo of El Arco, another famous landmark in Antigua.
This is a photo at my Spanish school, Cabaguil. From left to right, this is Reina, Gina, and Maria del Carmen. Gina is a Spanish student from Belice and Reina is her "maestra". Maria del Carmen was my Spanish teacher for four weeks.
During the last two weeks, 25 people (most of them from North Dakota) came to Guatemala to help build housing for poor families who have children in the program. Some of the people knew a fair amount about construction and some knew next to nothing. No power tools were used due to the lack of electricity at many sites. Instead of a ready mix truck, all the concrete was mixed by hand with shovels and hoes. I don't think my back has ever been that tired. Our team constructed a 10 X 14 house with a concrete floor and corrugated sheet metal roof in four days. This might not sound like much of a house, but it is a significant improvement over their former house. Their previous house was very dark, ill constructed, and has a dirt floor. The new one has much more light, keeps the rain out, and the concrete floor protects the family from worms that enter the body through the feet. Worms are a serious health problem among the poor in Guatemala.
Building this house was a very satisfying volunteer experience for a number of reasons. First, we had a very knowledgeable and affable Guatemalan bricklayer named Moises who showed us all what to do. He didn't know any English so I acted as translator for the team. Craig, one of the team members taught him the phrase "Okey Dokey". Moises loved the sound of this phrase and used it many times, which gave us all many laughs. Second, our team got along well and worked well together. When construction problems arose, we were able to figure them out together. Third, the family was very appreciative for the work we were doing. The kids made thank you cards for us. The kids always wanted to help by holding wood to be cut, or shoveling aggregate, or painting. It seemed like the entire construction process provided more excitement than they normally experienced.
Photos:
This is a photo of some of the service team painting the wall in front of the project. From right to left is Mandy, John, Flo, Esperanza, Renee, Steve, and I cant quite make out the person on the end.
This is a photo of mixing mortar by hand at the construction site for our teams house.
This is a photo of Lisa, Miguel, Rafa, and Marie laying foundation block. Rafa and Miguel were around all day long because they didn't go to school. They were from a neighboring family and were a big help at times.
This is a photo of Bob and Moises working on the floor
This is a photo of Craig and Marie putting up a wall.
This is a photo gives a good sense of the size of the house.
Here is Marie and myself contemplating where to cut the fibrolit (wallboard).
Here is the team "sin" Lisa and Bob. Lisa is taking the picture. From left to right is Moises, myself, Marie, and Craig.
Here is Marie and all the "ninos" painting the wall at the end of the construction process.
Here is the family in front of their new house: Olga, Johana, Eric Estuardo, Alexander, and Rambo (el perro).
El 21 de Marzo (in English, May 12)
El fin de semana pasada fui con Elise DuBord y Pepo y cuatro voluntarios más del Cuerpo de Paz a Iximché. Iximché, una ruina de los mayas, está ubicada a tres kilómetros al sur de la ciudad de Tecpán, Guatemala. Iximché es una palabra en Cachiquel, un dialecto Maya. Ixim significa maíz y che significa frijoles, por lo tanto el lugar del maíz y frijoles.
La crónica indígena titulada “Anales de los Cakchiqueles” remite
la fundación de Iximché al año 1470. Los
cakchiqueles fueron poderosos guerreros quienes se lanzaron a varias guerras
contra el reino quiché y otros pueblos enemigos. En 1524, el conquistador español Pedro de Alvarado venció
los cakchiqueles y estableció el primer asentamiento español sobre el suelo
guatemalteco que se llamó Santiago.
Las pirámides de Iximché no son tan altas y espectaculares como aquellas de
Tikal, pero todavía es un lugar místico. El sitio ha resistido bien los terremotos a lo largo de los años.
Dos rasgos que eran muy interesantes para mí son los juegos de pelota
construidos alrededor de cuatro plazas, y el alcantarillado para avenamiento del
agua después de tormentas. Los
mayas eran verdaderos maestros de arquitectura.
Fotografías:
Ésta
es una foto panorámica de una pirámide y plaza de Iximché.
Ésta es un sitio ceremonial a Iximché que es todavía usada.
Las frutas y flores son ofrendas a los dioses.
No estoy seguro, sino creo que ésta foto es uno de los juegos de pelota.
Juego de pelota era un juego sagrado de los mayas.
Ésta es un foto de liquen sobre una piedra que se parece como un rostro
de un maya.
Ésta es una foto de piedras al final de una pared que tambien se parece
como un rostro de un maya. Pepo
encontró las imágenes de los mayas y me las señaló.
Ellas son Elise y dos personas de nuestro grupo caminan tras de Iximché
a Tecpán.
My apologies to the people who don't speak Spanish. I will provide a translation of the last entry in 2-3 weeks.
This last week, I had two very interesting experiences. First, I traveled again to Xojola (an indigenous community that I wrote about in a previous journal). There are 30 some students enrolled in the program from Xojola. Many of the people here only speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche. It is very interesting to listen to this language, because it is a tonal language with many different unusual sounds. The people of this community tend to be even poorer than the families in San Felipe (where the project is located), but in general, they are happier and healthier. The difference may be that the poor in San Felipe see many people who are rich relative to themselves, whereas none of the people of Xojola have much money and therefore do not experience this discrepancy in assets.
The second event was a religious/cultural procession for Lent. Many people dress in purle robes and take turns carrying a heavy decorated platform with representations of the crucifixion. Each Sunday, the procession starts from a different church in the area of Antigua at about noon ,and proceeds through the streets of Antigua finishing about 11 at night back at the church of origin. The procession on this Sunday started from the church at Jocotenango (about 3 kilometers from Antigua). In addition to the people walking in the procession, there are marching bands and people carrying huge incense burners.
Photos:
This is a photo of a girl in traditional dress receiving a scholarship in Xojola.
This is a view of a river valley we walked through to reach a house. The aldea (village) was three kilometers (with a rise and fall in altitude of about 1000 feet) from the school the students attended. They can truly tell the stroy to their children, "When I was a boy, I walked . . ."
This is a photo of two children from the aforementioned aldea.
Here I am swimming in the river after the long and hot hike out to the aldea in the hills.
This is a banana tree complete with a flower at the end of the bunch. Some of the best bananas I have ever had were given to us as gifts by the villagers.
This is a photo of three brothers, students enrolled at Nuestros Ahijados, who marched in the procession. This photo is taken in downtown Antigua.
This is the Jesus being carried by the people in purple. It is a great honor to be able to carry this platform.
