Breaking the Language Barrier

I have never realized how much a smile could make such an impact on my life.  I noticed this today as we were attending mass in a village town up in the mountains. This village was an hour away from Santo Tomas and we traveled by standing in the back of a pick-up truck on a mountainous roads saying hola to everyone we would pass… so awesome! Being in Santo Tomas has been difficult to communicate due to my horrific Spanish speaking skills; however, it was nearly impossible in these mountain villages because they use their native language called Quiche, nothing like Spanish. As I was sitting in mass, listening, looking, and taking everything in, I realized a smile was unable to leave my face as I caught eyes with these beautiful people.  After mass, we took pictures of all the children who were just in awe of us crazy “gringos”, which they call white people in Guatemala. They would let us take the picture and then their faces would ignite with happiness when we would show them the pictures on our digital cameras. It was so amazing that even though there was a language barrier, we were able to still communicate and have a great afternoon with one another and impact each others lives.

Everyone I meet here is so friendly, patient, beautiful and just radiates with God’s love.  My life has been touched by these people so immensely already that it’s hard to believe that we’ve only been in Guatemala for three days. I’m so excited to find out what God has in store for us for the days ahead!!

God Bless,

Rebecca Loberg

When the Saints Go Marching In

Hola!

Everyday just keeps getting better, and I’m not sure how that is possible. We are all just finishing up dinner and looking around, we all look like we haven’t gotten sleep in days and are wearing excessive amounts of blush. We are all exhausted and burnt… 4 hours of being directly in the sun playing soccer and basketball with the locals followed by an hour ride down bumpy dirty roads to another village, and no time to relax in between. But it has been all worth it. We got our butts kicked in soccer, but were able to show them a little somethin somethin about basketball, and then sing “the saint’s go marching in” in front of a church full of indigenous Mayan villagers. Definitely something I never would have imagined myself experiencing in my life. On our trip to the village, we rode in the back of a pick up truck and we joyfully greeted everywhere we went. The love we have received here has been an eye opener and they have made me feel a way no one has ever made me feel.

I pray that with each day, the experiences we have here will change us. I’m not sure what that may mean right now, and I’m sure it truly won’t hit me until we get back home.

Peace and love. Buenos noches, adios!

Kelsey Rohm

The News About Futbol

Although some of us have some pretty big bug bites and sunburns, we are really enjoying our time here so far. I am pretty sure that we are eating way better and more nutritiously here than at home!

We started off the day by playing soccer with a Guatemalan team. We lost 9-0! But it was a really good time. Afterwards, the girls did a good job in basketball and defeated the clinic team.

In the afternoon we went up to a mountain village and had mass. It was really special. The people were so extremely welcoming and friendly. After mass, the kindly prepared a table for us with bread and Coke.

On the way to the mountain village, we rode in the back of two pickups standing up and holding on for dear life. The drivers are kind of crazy down here and the roads are bumpy! So it was a really fun time and it was a great bonding experience. It was especially awesome to wave at all the people when going through the towns. The people here are so friendly! Their smiles are so beautiful and get me every time, especially the little boys and girls. There is definitely something special about them! Although they are very shy, they are even more curious and stare at us a lot and giggle at us. We enjoy it quite a bit.

I have also really enjoyed improving my Spanish speaking skills. The people here are really patient with us and try to help us understand things. We are really appreciative of their patience and kindness.

Thank you everyone for following us! We miss you all back home!

Adios,

Laura Gillette

Feeling Welcome

Dime una sonrisa

In Salt Lake, a few of us spent a good portion of our layover exploring the airport and watching people as they passed.  We quickly noticed how few people actually acknowledged anyone else with a smile or said hello.  Of course, it became our mission to see how many people we could get to acknowledge us with a hello back, or even a simple smile.  Many people seemed too busy or in “mission mode”, hurrying to get to their gate, to even make eye contact, let alone show any joy in their facial expressions.

It is, however, unexplainable the happiness and joy we see on the faces of the people in Santo Tomas.  The difference is amazing.  It’s hard not to wonder however, exactly what the people have to smile about. The conditions of the streets and homes are something I have never seen; yet the happiness in the smiles of the people is contagious.  It’s beautiful how despite the language barrier, a smile is one thing we can share with each other across all cultures.  I truly feel the presence of God’s love in the simple smiles of the wonderful people of Santo Tomas.

It amazes me how caught up we can get in our own lives and forget about the world around us.  I have a challenge for you; let your love for Christ shine through your smile today.  You never know how a simple smile can influence someone’s day.  So, dime una sonrisa… give me a smile.

Steph Lincoln

Settling in Guatemala

Hola! Como se llama?

What a crazy last few days this has been!  I feel like being here is finally starting to feel real.  Monday morning our adventure began.  For me it began bright and early in the morning with getting up to finish moving out of my dorm room and move to my summer house.  Then there were a few errands to run, mass, and then we headed to the airport.  When we all gathered in the Trinity parking lot to get into cars for the trip to the airport things started feeling a little more real.  After a short little plane ride to Salt Lake City and then another little one to L.A. we were on our way to Guatemala.  When we landed in Guatemala around 6 am my body was so confused as to what time of day it was since we’d been traveling for nearly 12 hours.

Amy Dever

At the Guatemala airport we went through customs, got our bags, and we went out to get on our bus.  Our first stop in Guatemala was for breakfast at a little place about an hour from the airport.  Then we headed to the mission.  When we got here we were given our room assignments and then given some free time to explore the city.  Everywhere we walked, people gladly responded “hola” or “buenas tardes” to our greetings.  As we were heading back to the mission from the city I saw a dad carrying his little girl to the pharmacy.  The little girl was limp in his arms.  This sight broke my heart and reminded me of where I am and what I am doing here.  I realized how easy it would be to get caught up in being a tourist here rather than immersing myself in this culture.

Today we visited the clinic at the mission and the botanical gardens.  I most enjoyed the clinic.  We were given a tour and then had time to interact with people there.  My favorite was a group of three little children, two girls and a boy.   Sheila helped us translate what they were saying and we learned that they had come from a village about twenty minutes away from the mission.  The two older girls were the only ones out of the three to talk to us.  I asked one of the girls “ como te llamas?”  She told me her name and then I responded “me llamo Amy.”  Although my Spanish is very weak, I loved the fact that I could communicate with them enough to ask their name and tell them mine.   A name is unique to each individual.  It is an identity that people all around the world have.  To be able to share my name with someone was to share a piece of myself and I also was able to learn something very unique about someone else.  After that experience, I realize how incredible a name is and also how incredible it is to share your name.  Next time you ask “what is your name” or “como te llamas” remember that you’re asking someone to share an identity unique to them and you have the opportunity to share something unique about yourself.  Adios!  Vaya con Dios!

“Friendship” Bracelets

Hola everyone…I hope that everything is going well for you all back in the States. I am missing everyone…hugs and kisses….

So, my experience here in Guatemala has been super sweet so far. I’ve feel like I’ve had a plethora of types of experiences…from the ones that made me want to cry, to the ones that made me so thankful to be here , to the ones that have just made me LOVE people even more. I took French is high school…which is NOT what they speak here, whoops…so the whole communication thing has been a little non existent…thank goodness for hand motions and “GRACIAS”….cuz that’s about all I’ve got…

Today something totally sweet happened that I would love to share with you…

I began making friendship bracelets a couple days before I left the States. I envisioned tying them to little children’s wrists and making new “friends”…as the name entails. I prepared many bracelets and many more pre-tied strings to be made into bracelets on the long plane ride here. In the airport many of the other girls asked if they could make one…to myself I said, “HECK YA YOU CAN…make seven!!!!! There is way more than just a few adorable children in Guatemala…”. Before we even made it to LA, all my pre-tied bracelets had been made and the girls were asking if I brought more string (which I totally did…). Today that “hard” work on our part totally paid off….

Several bracelets were tied on wrists yesterday…which was awesome…but this morning was something even more special. A couple of the girls and I were in the courtyard after breakfast and I had just tied a bracelet on the one little girl with the women washing clothes. After a minute or two the women washing clothes came over to us and said the Spanish words for “us too?”. Thank goodness one of the other girls new what the heck they wanted cuz it would have taken a lot of pointing before I would have been able figure out what they were saying. We tied bracelets on all the laundresses, cooks, and women cleaning at the mission. Everyone got a bracelet tied around their wrists and for the first time since we arrived, I felt like we were all on the same level, united by a few strings of embroidery thread….awesome….

Who’d a thunk a camp counselor skill would have come in handy in a place thousands of miles from home. It may seem a little corny but I really believe that I was able to use those silly bracelets to connect to those women…smiles come easier now, as do attempted conversations…I’m so thankful. Today, I saw Christ as a few strings tied around a woman’s wrist…thank you God…that was sweet…

Brit McMahon

Wednesday!

Today has been a good day.  We stayed at the mission today to see the health clinic and tour the medicinal gardens.  We are all adjusting to the humidity but as of yet we have had no rain.  The weather is suppose to change by Friday, however.  Later this afternoon there is a game of five on five soccer at the smaller town field that has astro turf.  Tomorrow morning we have two futbol games in the city stadium, one against the clinic workers and their sons and the other against the teachers at the school.  We’ll see how that goes.. I don’t predict we will come away as champions but Jake, James, George, Mat and Sam all prefer to think more positively.  In the afternoon I think we have a basketball tournament at the school, so tomorrow night we will sleep well.

Tonight we will go to the Wednesday night town mass, our first trip as a group into the town of Santo Tomas (although some did walk around yesterday and this morning).  In distance from where we are staying the church is probably equivalent to a four to five block walk up the hill and into town.  Tomorrow we will also go a little ways up the mountain to the school to visit.

The people at the mission have been amazing in terms of hospitality.  We have all been blessed to be fed so well and welcomed so nicely.   Everyone is doing well and really enjoying this experience!

Also, thank you for visiting our blog.  Yesterday alone we had 474 hits on it.  This is getting the students more excited to write so look later tonight for reflections from Brit, Steph, and maybe Jake.  They are also excited to see the comments people are leaving.  Your prayers mean a great deal to us and we will continue to keep you all in prayer as well.

Peace,

Colleen

The group.

Hey everyone,

Here is a photo of our group.  Thank you all for the kind words and prayers.

-Carroll Ministry

Thoughts from a Farmer

Growing up as a farm girl from rural Montana, I am used to big John Deere Tractors, combines, and large herds of cattle. As we drove from the airport in Guatemala City today, I was amazed when I saw a couple of cows on the side of the road just outside the city – no fences or electrical wire to keep them in. These were not cows like we have at home in Montana (fat and happy from the bales of hay). Their skeletons protruded through their skin as they scrounged for some left-over grass to feed from.

Although there were many things that I will keep in my heart from walking around the Mission and the city of Santo Tomas, I will never forget how very different the simple fact of “farming” can be.  These people farm for survival. They farm to feed their families who are already often undernourished.

It is truly a gift to be here. Hopefully as the days go by my Spanish will come back to me a little better! Dios te Bendiga (God Bless)

–       Peace, Heidi Linhart

The Sights

If you think American’s litter is destroying the earth’s atmosphere, you need to come to Guatemala. One of the greatest shocks so far for me is seeing a river surrounded by garbage and people bathing in it.

The people here in Santo Tomas are very friendly and very beautiful.  The colors are astonishing.  The native dress is very bright and colorful.  Some of us wandered to the town’s cemetery today, which was also a very colorful atmosphere. The children are very curious, however, very shy. One child cried today when one of us tried to approach him.

I’m very excited to continue on our journey and grow in understanding of a culture very different from our own.

-Kelsey Rohm