Leaving the Mission

by carrollministry

Hello!

Today is our last day at the mission. From here we will be leaving for Lake Atitlan and Antigua. We want to keep updating the blog but I am not sure of the internet service we will have access to. I know many more students are waiting for the computer so they can write before we leave, so you will have more to read later tonight or tomorrow morning. Heavy rains knock out internet service here in the evening so it is hard to say when we can post if it isn’t in the morning.

This morning we spent the day driving very high up into the mountains to a village called Palaca. Three years ago when we visited this village the bridge was knocked out from Hurricane Stan. The bridge is now rebuilt which shows progress. We climbed around on the rocks and took in some of the beauty Guatemala has to offer.

When we leave here it will be very challenging to stay focused on our trip because we will be going to tourist destinations. My hope is that it allows us to see the separation between areas where economic development is possible and areas such as we are in that struggle with economic development. On our way, we will be stopping by the New Ulm, MN Diocesan Mission at the the Lake. They have a coffee coop that allows them to take out the middle person in exporting coffee. They can roast and bag their coffee right at the mission and then export it for sale in the U.S. My hope is that this will allow us to think about the ways in which we can help the people of this country in something as simple as making sure the coffee we drink each day is Fair Trade.

Thanks Again for Reading!!!

Peace,
Colleen