the story so far...

The Mess

2009-07-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is something that I wrote a while back, but in the last week as I've been thinking about things like humility, service, and surrender, I have been reminded of these words. As I reread them this morning I felt like they were fitting for this place where I'm standing, so I thought I'd share them.

. . .

It seems that all the things worth doing in this life are messy, and I don't like messy. And yet relationships are always that way. I keep thinking (mistakenly) that as I get better at loving people that things will work out better, go more according to plan. Those last five words expose me. I want some sort of control. I want to know what comes next. I want formula. I want to know that if I do my part, then I will get some predictable result. Loving people doesn't work that way.

Ultimately loving anyone means surrender. A perpetual giving up. Laying down my plans. Trading in my agenda. The church keeps telling me that I have to surrender to Jesus, which is true, but I need a continual reminder to shrink down below others as well. This is what Paul meant when he said that in humility I should consider others better than myself. In theory this works out fine. And on the days when all is going well, it seems like a pretty good idea. But on those other days, when someone cuts me off on the road and the waitress is rude and my friends hurt my feelings (or I hurt theirs), surrender is complicated. Instead of shrinking down, my heart cries out, "What about me?"

This is where things start to get messy and the point where my strong leanings toward avoidance kick in. I am more prone to walk around the mess than through it. Nurse my wounded pride and walk away. But if I am serious about living as Jesus did I've got to willingly enter into the messiness that is my life and theirs and all the complications that come when we try to do life together. I think this was the point of Christ's humanity. He willingly left the right hand of the Father to come down here and walk right through our messy lives because that's what love is. In humility, Jesus decided that my life was more important than His. And I'd like to believe that because He was fully God that somehow his decision to surrender was easier than mine, but I need look no further than Gethsemane to see that even for God surrender is not an easy thing.

So I have no choice but to give up. Who am I to demand that my life be neat and clean and predictable and that I be given what I think I deserve? And is that really what I want? What I want more is to be able to really enter into the messiness of life and give up enough of me so that someone, anyone, everyone could know what Jesus meant when He said love. But the reality is that Jesus wasn't really as into talking about love as much as He was into living it, and He lived out this love in the messiest places He could find. Turns out the religious people in those days hated messes too, so much so that they killed Jesus.

And that's the fork in the road where I find myself everyday…I can sacrifice Him or me. Somehow this decision used to be easier, or at least that's how it seemed; I now wonder if I've ever fully sacrificed myself for Jesus or anyone else. Where is my Gethsemane ? Jesus fell to the ground "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" as He struggled with the decision to give up His life for mine. My prayer is that God might strengthen me (or make me weak enough) so that I can struggle forward to a place where I might choose someone else above myself…a deceptively simple request. And maybe I never quite make it, but my heart is that I would move a little more in that direction everyday of this messy life.

Waking Up With Spaghetti in My Hair

2009-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Things I’m good at: writing in cursive on an Etch-a-Sketch, taking standardized tests, saying dumb, funny things into a microphone.

Things I’m bad at: dancing, knowing the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise, doing anything in the kitchen.

I tend to steer my life toward the things I do well, and I try to avoid, at all costs, doing the things that I’m bad at. So how did I end up being in charge of the kitchen at shelter last night? This is what I was asking myself while doing mountains of dishes. I was spraying mashed potatoes and spaghetti and brownie bits off of plates and onto the walls/the sink/my hair, and I was soaking wet, despite wearing big, yellow rubber gloves to my elbows and a floor-length black apron. With 10 minutes left before lights out, there were two bus tubs full of dishes that I hadn’t even started, and most of the leftover food from the evening was still out on the table.

This was par for the course last night. The last few evenings have felt a bit like this, full of constant reminders that I’m the clueless, new kid. Every night there are things that I don’t know how to do or situations I don’t know how to handle. I tell guests no when the answer is yes. I give them things I’m not supposed to. I have to ask a supervisor to clarify what exactly I’m supposed to be doing. Someone has to redo whatever I’ve just done or clean up the mess I’ve made. So last night, after days of feeling incompetent and 30 minutes of swimming in soggy food, I hit the wall; I was done.

At that point, Kristin (aka the boss of me) walked in and realized that I was totally overwhelmed. She offered to let me do whatever would be best for me, but at that moment I had no idea what that was. We talked for a minute, and I opted to skip our nightly meeting and go ahead and finish the dishes because we thought some alone time would do me good. It was a good call.

As I continued washing dishes and trying to process what I was feeling, I was reminded of something God spoke to me years ago, “You don’t do enough of the things that you hate.” It’s an odd concept to be sure. We all do our best to craft lives around the things that we’re good at and the things we enjoy. So why bother with the things I hate? Why choose to do things I don’t do well? What is there to gain? The answer: everything.

Humility. Surrender of control. Transformation. Solidarity with those who don’t get to choose. This is why Jesus calls us to live as servants. There is something about this posture that allows us to give and receive more authentically and that puts us in a position to be changed. I am reminded that this is part of why I go to new places to do things I’ve never done before. I didn’t come here because I would be good at it, quite the opposite. Living in a world where I only do what I’m good at is a dangerous place. When I know exactly what I'm doing and am totally relying on me and my own competence, I tend to be closed off to learning from God and others. And I know that I still have much to learn…which is why I’m here.

I hope that as I spend my last few nights at shelter, and inherently stumble through new tasks and make a few more mistakes, I can remember that that's okay. As a closet perfectionist/control freak/performance junkie, I hope I can let go a little more...and relax.

I don’t have this thing figured out, but I’m beginning to think that’s good news.

4th of July Soccer and Kayak vs. Yacht

2009-07-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

So here are some more pictures from the journey.We went to see two soccer games for the 4th of July. We watched the US beat Grenada (like a rerun from the 80's) and Honduras beat Haiti. The highlights were seeing Freddy Adu play and watching the Haitian fans.

In case you missed it, my friend Melanie and I had a collision with a parked yacht. She had me take a picture of the yacht with another kayak for scale. You'll notice they're rounding the corner; so were we, but we didn't exactly make it due to some technical difficulties with steering (totally my fault btw).

Kayaking + Discovery Park/Puget Sound

2009-07-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the adventures of Team Awesome, or the group of volunteers who I work with (including the infamous kayaking trip).

Safe

2009-07-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

There is a rhythm and routine to my work at the shelter that brings me comfort. Upon arrival each night we put on gloves and begin lugging gray mats to their assigned places. Each mat has a number, and we deliver 29 of them to their designated spots according to a detailed map. There is a red number on one side and a black number on the other side. On odd numbered days we place the red side up, and on even numbered days, it’s black side up. We have to leave at least two tiles’ space between them. Then we put a pillow on each mat and a Rubbermaid container for belongings at the foot of each bed. We disinfect the mats and start stacking bedding with one blanket, sheet, and pillowcase for each guest.

Getting the shelter ready each night is a series of small, easy tasks. My body is more engaged than my mind. There is steady movement and the satisfaction of a job well done. I’m really good at setting up mats; my success is guaranteed. I don’t even fully understand all of what I’m doing. Don’t ask me why we have a map for our numbered mats. I have no idea, but it doesn’t really matter. Someone else is in charge here; someone else is "the boss of me". I’m just following directions. I love these kinds of jobs. I always have. Secretly, I like doing meticulously scripted work. I crave more structure and supervision than anyone would suspect. It makes me feel safe.

I’m beginning to think this is true of us all. People often talk about how children crave structure or need boundaries, but so do adults. That is why 25+ guests show up at ROOTS every night. Because they are seeking a structure and routine that is never present on the streets. For 11 hours at a time they are happy to trade in the independence and freedom of their street lives for the rigidity and rules of shelter life.

My experience is that successful programs for homeless friends tend to be pretty rules-y. They gave me pages of rules at volunteer training, but after being here only a week I understand that they are necessary. These are not rules for the sake of having rules. All the systems and procedures for beds and food and bathrooms and clothing and the ways we monitor conversation and behavior, they are the structure that holds this place up. And ultimately, it is all part of the attempt to make everyone feel safe. And it seems to work.

When guests check in for the evening, they are asked a series of questions. The first is whether or not they feel safe. I love this question. Why? Because safe matters. The health of individuals and communities depends on it. It’s a question that we all answer for ourselves a hundred times a day in each of our many contexts and relationships. Am I safe? Unfortunately, many of the horrible things that happen in our world on both a global and relational level happen when individuals or groups feel unsafe, but when people feel safe it opens the door for unlimited possibilities. This is why ROOTS goes to great lengths to create a safe space. And I love that. I love the sanctuary that this place provides for guests, many of whom I suspect have had very unsafe journeys that have brought them here. But at least for tonight, they have a safe place to land...on these gray numbered mats in nice, neat rows. And that makes me happy.

At the University of Washington

2009-06-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my fellow volunteers exploring the campus. Vic almost got the squirrel to eat out of his hand--very cool (and scary if you factor rabies in)

Resurrecting the Blog

2009-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle feeling right at home—comfy chair, milky tea, and good music. There are few better mornings than a walk through a new city to land in a place like this. This is my living room, and thankfully, I can find it almost anywhere. It seems that God has created me to be a wanderer, and the journey to new places makes my heart happy and makes me feel so alive. (random side note: recently read Barbara Brown Taylor’s An Altar in the World where she talks about getting lost/going new places as a spiritual discipline, strongly recommend it)

I’m in Seattle for the next few weeks as a part of a volunteer work camp. I will be working a few nights a week at ROOTS, which is a homeless shelter for young adults. They provide shelter for 25 people each night, ranging in age from 18-25. Most of the regular volunteers are university students, so we are here to help fill in during the summer.

I basically started yesterday; we started with conflict de-escalation training and general volunteer training. I am inclined to find the humor in any situation, and let me say that conflict de-escalation was no exception. I sat in front of a guy who said “Word” any time he agreed with the presenter, which was often. Loved that. The training was really good, and most of the information and tools we learned were extremely helpful. However, at one point the presenter did suggest we could hop up and down when dealing with someone who’s mentally ill or delusional. What? I mean, I guess that’s a good way to use body language to communicate, “Hey, I’m on your team. We’re all crazy here.”

Then we did everybody’s favorite, role playing with strangers. I was chosen to pretend to be a meth addict who thought I had bugs coming out of my skin for an audience of 20 strangers (shoot me). So there I am in my acting debut screaming and pretending to have elaborate hallucinations, and this shy woman in my group with limited English is playing the part of the staff member who is supposed to intervene. Unsure of what to say or do, she just stands there and stares at me. Forever. So unfortunately, the show must go on. After what feels like an eternity of me screaming and dancing, the trainer stops the madness. It was ridiculous. Then at the end of the three-hour training we each had to say the best thing we learned that day, and the woman said her best part was learning to deal with me, the girl with the bugs. Of course it was, glad I could help out. My life is a comic strip. Add another frame. (The only thing that could have made the situation better would have been if she had started hopping. Too bad she didn’t think of that.)

Anyway, the comedy of conflict de-escalation training also served as good bonding for me and my team. Thankfully we didn’t know each other well enough to laugh about it in the moment, but afterwards, we reveled in the shared awkwardness of what we’d just done. My team is made up of a girl from the states and a guy from Belgium, and we get herded around by a woman who works at the shelter who takes really good care of us. Thus far, it’s been great. We are all pretty laid back and flexible, and we like to laugh and eat good food and wander the city together. My living situation is pretty great, too. I live in a condo downtown with a very kind host family, not exactly what I was expecting from my first volunteer work camp, but a pleasant surprise.

Then last night was the highlight of our time so far; we all got to work the evening program at the shelter, which is basically all the stuff that happens before lights out: checking people in, getting them bedding, toiletries, clothing, etc., and feeding them dinner. I got to work in the kitchen doing my favorite thing, feeding people. It was great. The other volunteers were friendly and helpful, and the homeless guests felt sort of familiar, like friends I know, kids I’ve taught, me. That seems to be part of the take-home message of my many trips all over the world doing these sorts of things; at the end of day, on some fundamental level we are all the same. And I like that.

Tonight I’m working my first overnight shift at the shelter, should be interesting. I’ll do my best to keep you friends posted. We’ll see. I don’t want to sacrifice the opportunity to live life for the chance to write about it. Hopefully there will be ample time to do both. ;)

la ultima semana

2007-07-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

So I have finished my time at Camino Seguro, and I am getting ready to head back to Texas on Monday. My time here has been wonderful, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be here and work with these kids and this staff.

And of course, I gave you guys one more smattering of pics from the journey. I finally took a picture of the chicken bus I ride to and from the project each day, so you guys could have a sense of the sort of hot-rod school bus I call my own. Then I included a picture of my teacher Miriam and me because she has been the highlight of most of my days. Then there is the picture of some of my girls and me in the comedor (cafeteria) during lunch, and finally a picture of me and a boy I like to call Scooby (because of a Scooby Doo shirt he wears), who I happen to love very much.

This week was pretty much a breakthrough week for me in terms of relationships with my kids and my teacher. I now understand why Camino Seguro requires volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks. All week the kids were very happy to see me each day, shouting my name, and waving me over to their desks to help with homework, almost fighting over my attention. It was nice to feel so much a part of the classroom this week.

Then there were kids like my friend Scooby who kept asking when I was leaving. My last day he sat with me, curled up by my side, thanking me for my time there and for the pencil and candy I gave him. He promised that he would remember me when I leave and asked me if I would be traveling alone, which he seemed a little worried about (very sweet of him). He also asked me to send him a picture of us, which don´t worry, we took about 10 pictures together. I even got to meet his mom on Friday, which was a day for the families to come to the project.

The family day was pretty amazing, and it happens every month. It is mostly a celebration of what the kids have done. They gave awards for best athlete, best English student, etc. in each class. They gave presents to all the students who had birthdays in July, and they showcased the work of the older kids in the various vocational areas. Then the kids had options like playing games, doing art, getting manicures, getting haircuts, getting shampooed for lice (oh what fun), reading books, etc., and the moms had an opportunity to meet with the social workers. They also gave away food baskets to everyone who came and clothes to anyone who needed them. I divided my time between doing lice shampoos and giving manicures. It was actually really fun to do that with lots of little girls, and most of my little clients were very happy. It´s like playing beauty shop, but sometimes there are bugs involved. My teacher Miriam said my word of the day was "piojos" (which is Spanish for lice); it´s always good to pick up some new vocabulary!

And the highlight of my week, and perhaps my trip, was getting to go home with Miriam on Thursday after school and stay at her house and meet her family. It was so great to get a sense of what life is really like in the city. We did really normal things like ride a city bus in lots of traffic, go to the grocery store and the bakery and her neighborhood tienda (think convenience store Guatemalan-style). We made black bean tostadas for dinner and had pan dulce for dessert and talked until our brains hurt from practicing Spanish and English for hours. She showed me pictures, and I got to meet her father and niece and nephew. It was wonderful.

Well, I´m late for one last Spanish class...so I´ve got to end this. I´m heading back to the states on Monday and will probably try to blog one last time about this journey. Thanks for being involved in this part of my life. I love you all.

A Saturday Afternoon Hike Up an Active Volcano

2007-07-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

OK, so yesterday Melissa and I hiked the volcano Pacaya. Guatemala has 21 volcanoes, so I couldn´t leave without climbing to the top of one of them. We opted for the evening climb because the sunset is supposed to be great, and I hope you can tell from the pictures that it was amazing!

Picture one is Melissa and I reacting to this funny (but necessary) warning sign. And although I was aware of the risks I still was involved in a little spill with some sliding rocks, and now I think I have some volcanic rocks in my leg that I´ll be taking as a souvenir from my trip. Hopefully they´ll work themselves out, but if not it will make a cool story. Also in this picture you´ll notice Melissa´s walking stick. You rent these at the bottom from some very cute local children for 5 quetzales, which is about 65 cents...well worth it. You can also rent a horse for 50 quetzales to take you most of the way up, but I figure that kind of takes the hiking out of hiking an active volcano so we said no to that.

Next we have the amazing view of another volcano Agua, named because its crater is filled (or used to be filled) with water. It´s actually the same volcano in the street picture from my first post from here, but from a slightly different perspective. I envision this being the wallpaper on my computer when I return home.

Then we have the picture of me standing about 10 yards from some flowing lava. I´m smiling as much as I can, but my feet are burning. I was actually yelling for Melissa to hurry. Then after the picture as I started to walk off I realized that I had melted parts of the soles of my shoes from standing on such hot rocks. Then a couple of minutes after this pictures the rocks under me started sliding, and I fell and put shards of rock in my hand and leg...ouch! But all the damage to shoes and body was totally worth it, the trip was amazing!

Then the last picture is of Melissa and I hiking down at sunset. This was our last Guatemalan adventure because she is flying out today. It was a great last day together. Today I am sore and cut up a bit, but as I revisit these pictures I love that we had the opportunity to do this. It was absolutely beautiful, more so than these pictures can capture.

Pictures of My Cute Kids

2007-07-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

So here are some pictures of me and my classes. The first one is one of my girls and I showing off our science project, which I think was something about the plants and animals that live in different biomes (we should be worried when I don´t even understand the science homework). I´m playing some form of Go Fish in the next one, and I won!! I know I´m supposed to let the kids win, but it wasn´t a game of skill so I couldn´t help it. Then the third one is me being attacked by two boys(in the background you can see all my kids´Sponge Bob toothbrushes that we use each day). Then on the bottom we have the morning class photo. The big gringo in the front is a high school kid named Rob who was on a service team that was there my first week. His family sponsors one of the kids in my class so he spent the week with us. Behind me in the blue is the amazing and talented Miriam who makes all the magic happen in the fourth grade class.

Tobi´s First Week at Camino Seguro

2007-07-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

So I have finished my first week at Camino Seguro, and it has been really difficult and wonderful all at the same time. I´ll share with you guys what a typical day looks like for me. I wake up at the crack of dawn each morning with many roosters singing and the sun shining in at about 4:00AM; I do my best to sleep through it, but I´m not very good at that yet. I get on a chicken bus (named because we are packed in like chickens, think sardines) a little after 7:00AM that takes me from Antigua to Guatemala City, which in the world of buses is simply known as Guate. There´s a guy that works on the bus called the ayudante that hangs outside the bus yelling, "Guate, Guate, Guate!" all the way there to let people know where the bus is heading. The advertising works so well that by the time we get there the bus is crazy full. Basically these are converted school buses, and we sit three to a seat and have people standing in the aisles (welcome to the Latin American concept of personal space). The ride takes about an hour usually; although in my first week we have had both a broken down bus which required us to get on another bus and standstill traffic due to an accident that meant that the trip took three hours instead of one! You never know what a ride on a chicken bus will bring.

On the way to school we drive by the Guatemala City dump, which is the largest in Central America. By the time we get there at 8ish, the dump is bustling with the activity of people trying to find enough food and recyclables to make it through another day. There are also hundreds of vultures flying over it all the time. And long before I see the dump, I can smell it. The odor is horrible and overwhelming, although I am growing quite used to it. It is a good reminder of where my kids come from; most of their parents work in the dump, and their "houses" are right across the street. I usually cry a bit when I see the dump each day, but I am also so happy to be there.

When I get to school I report to my fourth grade class. Guatemalan children only go to school for half a day. Therefore we have a morning class and an afternoon class, each with about 20 students. We spend the bulk of our time at school helping children with their homework for that day. I mostly help with math because I don´t have to understand Spanish very well to be able to do that. The language barrier makes it very difficult for me to do a whole lot more in terms of the homework, but I did get to help a student with a project where we made animals out of clay on Friday. That was a lot of fun. Much of the homework that the students have in Guatemala is very basic and repetitive; it also often requires many resources, like a dictionary or the internet or art supplies, that my students would never have access to. The project provides all sorts of resources and support for the students, including food and additional support for the families. We also do a special activity each day, like computers, sports, woodworking, English, etc. They really do amazing things with these kids.

The teacher in my class is a Guatemalan woman named Miriam, and she interacts beautifully and gracefully with the students. She loves them well and runs a really tight ship, which is great for the kids. She is also very generous with my poor Spanish and helps me understand what´s happening and how I can help the kids. She actually goes to a Math training on Wednesday afternoons, and I got to see the class without her. It was a disaster; all the magic in fourth grade happens because of her. (I think I´ll stay home next Wednesday, just kidding)

The kids seem like any other kids, with a few exceptions. In my fourth grade class I have children ranging in age from 10 to 13. Some of them smell a bit like the dump. Many of them come to school in clothes with holes or stains. And it´s not the sort of place where you make jokes about zippers being down because many of them are obviously wearing pants that were thrown out by someone else because of the faulty zipper. Some of them wear the same clothes each day. I think that this week we will check them all for lice. But really they are beautiful, happy children. They laugh and play and lie about having homework. They like to read books and work puzzles and play Uno. They pretend to have to go to the bathroom so they can get out of class. And there is a joy about them that is contagious.

At the end of the day I get back on the chicken bus to head from the stench of the garbage dump to the beautiful city of Antigua. The bus provides a lot of time to think (and study Spanish), and everyday on at least one of my bus rides I thank God for these kids and for this month and for the change that it will surely bring in me.

I´ll try to add some pictures to this post soon. I´ve got some great ones of the kids, but they are at home and I am not.

Too Much to Say, Too Little Time

2007-07-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so keeping up with the blog is a bit more difficult than expected. The internet cafe doesn´t have the best hours, and I´m rarely at home so this post will be many adventures combined into one post.

We finished language school last week; it was good, but not nearly enough. We also learned quite a bit about Guatemalan culture and geography in language school. We visited a pueblo/village called San Antonio to learn firsthand about the culture. The first picture is of my two classmates Melissa and Ted getting married in a traditional Mayan-Guatemalan ceremony in traditional dress. The woman is using incense to get rid of the evil spirits for the marriage. Then there is the picture of another woman teaching me how to make a tortilla in a typical kitchen.

After we finished language school on Friday Melissa and I took a little trip with our Guatemalan brother Adam; he is neither Guatemalan, nor my brother, but that´s what I call him. He´s another volunteer we hang out with a lot. We went to Monterrico Beach on Friday, which has black sand from the volcanic rock (the country has lots of volcanoes). The third picture above is us on the porch of our hotel there. You´ll notice the thatched roof on it...more like camp than a hotel. Anyway, Friday night it started pouring rain while we were in the swimming pool, so we got out and ran to our room only to find that it was pouring rain inside there too! Also the power went out which led to showers in the rain on the porch! Then our adventures took us to Lake Atitlan which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We were only there briefly. Then on Sunday we went to the Chichicastenango market which is supposedly the best in Guatemala. It was a fun day of haggling (thanks for all the training, Dad) and buying all sorts of things. Anyway, we got back Sunday exhausted because of our journeys and vowed to relax a bit more next weekend, but honestly it was a blast!

Yesterday I started volunteering in the Project, and I LOVE it! I had a little trouble my first morning because I was with the oldest kids and my Spanish wasn´t good enough to help with homework or really know what was going on. I quickly got demoted to a fourth grade class where the teacher Miriam was so grateful to have me there, and I can speak 4th grade Spanish much better. I love my classes; I have one group of kids in the morning and one in the afternoon with 44 in all. Please pray for relationships with my little friends and with their teacher. I think it´s going to be an amazing three weeks with them. I will take my camera to school soon and send pics of my class when I get a chance.

OK, I´ve got to run to dinner before my host mom serves it all to the other 8 people in my house. I´ll post again when I can...love to all!!

¡Bienvenidos a Guatemala!

2007-07-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Antigua, Guatemala! Melissa and I made it safely despite some crazy weather in Houston and my flight out of Lubbock being delayed for 3 hours. I played the "international traveler" card, and they agreed that they didn´t want to deal with me being stranded and put me on the earlier flight, which was also 3 hours late. So I ended up getting there right on time.

I also made a new friend on the flights (no surprise...Tobi is always up for a new friend), and the good news is that she is a doctor in Guatemala City. Her name is Eliet, and she works with Kendon Wheeler, the missionary to Guatemala that we worked with the last time I was here. She didn´t speak much English so I got to practice my Spanish much earlier than expected and served as a translator for her in the Houston airport. She also invited Melissa and me to come spend time with her family on Sunday and go to church with them. I´ll keep you posted on our friendship with Eliet.

The layout of the pictures above is killing me, but my technology guys Trey and Scott aren´t here to help so we´ll have to deal with it. The one on the left is Melissa and I at our homestay in Guatemala. We were going to take the picture outside, but it started pouring rain at the moment we decided to take it. (This happens in the afternoon on days that end with y. Let´s just say that I´m glad I brought the raincoat.) The house is nice. It´s more like staying in a hostel than with a family, but it´s working out well for us. We have four roommates from England, one from Iowa, one from Pennsylvania, and one from somewhere else in the states. There is never a dull moment in the house.

Melissa and I both started language school yesterday. We go from 8-12 each morning. It´s been really good...so far mostly a review of the Spanish that I already know, but it´s a welcome review. My teacher Leonardo is very engaging, and there are only four of us in my class. Today he decided that I needed a bit more of a challenge than my classmates so I have to do more homework. I think maybe I´m being punished for all the times that I made my G/T kids do something extra. Anyway, I definitely think that the class is helping, and I look forward to learning more the rest of the week.

And I finally know exactly where I´ll be using all this Spanish. I have been assigned to work at the Camino Seguro project in Guatemala City with teenagers. I will be helping with their homework (assuming I can understand it myself...I´m praying for some math), doing brain teaser type activities, something like recess, and taking them to a computer lab. I will have one set of students in the morning and a different set in the afternoon. There is a Guatemalan teacher and other volunteers who will be working with me, so hopefully I can help them and the students in the next three weeks. I start that on Monday morning. Melissa will also be working in the city so we will travel there together; she´s working with pre-school kids.

I took the other picture on the way to language school this morning. This is a typical street in Guatemala, and in the distance you can see a volcano. There are three volcanoes visible from pretty much anywhere in Antigua. They are a big help with figuring out directions. We walk about 10 blocks in the morning to catch a bus to language school. The buses here are called "Chicken Buses" (I don´t know why, but they do seem like the sort of thing that would transport people and chickens). They are school buses that are painted every color under the sun and generally hold a ridiculous number of people; it´s three to a seat and people standing in the aisles. The Latin American sense of personal space is very different than in the US. Anyway, riding the bus is another daily adventure and is an excellent source for learning about the culture.

Currently I´m sitting in an internet cafe down the street from my house which seems to be very accessible, so hopefully I´ll be able to continue to keep you guys updated. Thanks so much for the prayers and messages and comments. I´m loving being here and love feeling supported by you guys. I pray that you are all well, and hopefully I´ll type at you soon!

The FAQs

2007-06-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

When I tell people I’m going to Guatemala I always seem to get the same questions. So here they are answered in one place...

Frequently Asked Questions

What the heck are you doing in Guatemala?
I am going to be volunteering with an organization there called Camino Seguro/Safe Passage (www.safepassage.org). I will be working with children whose families make their living in the Guatemala City dump, which is the largest landfill in Central America. I will be living with a host family in Antigua as a part of the experience and riding a bus to the city each day to work.

What made you decide to go?
As many of you know, I have long been haunted by the fact that so many people live in extreme poverty while I have so much. A couple of months ago we were doing a series of talks on poverty, and I was overwhelmed once again by looking at my lifestyle when it is laid side by side with the rest of the world. My friend JR was speaking about what Jesus has to say about the poor (which by the way, is quite a bit, and I’m not sure how we in the American church can keep missing that, but it seems that we do). So I had this recurring thought as I sat there: I can’t live like this anymore. I have to do something. So this is my first step in doing “something”.

Why Guatemala?
I don't have a very good answer for this one. I’ve been there before and really liked it; I love the Latin American culture. I spent one day in Antigua, Guatemala and loved the place, and at that point I vowed to return for longer someday. So this is that someday. Really, once I stumbled onto the website of Safe Passage I knew that this was where I wanted to go, and since it’s in Central America it was somewhere I could go inexpensively.

Is this a mission trip? Who are you going with?
Depends on how you define mission…for me it is. I think this is part of who I am and what I was made to do, thereby making it part of my mission. It’s not with a ministry or church group (which is really what most of you are asking), but as I said earlier I think it lines up well with how Jesus calls us to give to those in need. My friend Melissa Lewis is going with me. She lives in Denver and just graduated from seminary with a degree in counseling, and for her, this trip is to learn more Spanish, work with children, and put off the “real world” for one more month. And we’re both excited about hanging out with each other and having good conversation, in English and Spanish, for the next month.

Can you speak Spanish?
Hablo un poco, pero entiendo mucho. I usually know enough to get by, but I am hoping that after four weeks in Guatemala I will be much better with my Spanish. Also, I’m planning on spending at least my first week in language school while I’m there.

Is it safe?
Mostly. I will live in Antigua, which is relatively peaceful. However, I will be working in Guatemala City. I won’t be living in the city because it’s not safe for us to do so. Basically Guatemala is a developing country so the idea of “safe” that we have in the developed world is harder to come by, and there is some pretty serious gang activity in the city. Also, this is an election year, so there is likely to be more violence as they approach elections this fall. But honestly, the biggest risk for me as a tourist is having my stuff stolen on the street, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.