More Than Just a Cup of Coffee

Lots of Traveling, but Now Back to Work

2010-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family,

As you may have noticed, I have not posted anything new in quite some time. Life in Guatemala has presented several interruptions in the past weeks, some good, some bad.

The day after my last post, I made an all night trip to Guatemala City to catch the earliest flight possible back home. Grandpa’s condition did not improve, and he passed away the morning after I arrived in Minnesota. I felt very lucky to have made it home in time, and that I could be surrounded by supportive friends and family in those last moments. It would have been very difficult to bring closure to the situation from Guatemala, I think.

I returned to Guatemala the day after Easter. Honestly, I wasn’t very excited to return, as my time was so close to being finished, but I left in such a hurry that I had too many responsibilities I couldn’t walk out on down here – whether to new friends or on-going projects. I am glad I returned and I have been working feverishly to try and complete several projects before returning home.

A week later my mom arrived. Her vacation was scheduled long before the incident with my grandpa passing away, so I was glad to see she still came. I think it ended up being a great break for both of us, especially her. We toured ALL OVER Guatemala. I can’t remember the last time I had such a compacted travel schedule…I guess mom still has more energy than me!!!

Some of our highlights included Antigua, climbing Volcano Pacaya, Panajachel, Lago Atitan (including San Pedro and Santiago), Tikal, Cobán (both where I live and work in the surrounding aldeas) and then back to Antigua where we relaxed at an outdoor eco-lodge hostel called Earth Lodge for our last day and a half. It was an absolute awesome experience for both of us. Just ask my mom for pictures…she has plenty!!!

After spending all this time away from work, traveling to MN for my grandpa and then touring with my mom, I arrived back to Cobán with lots of work! As I said before, I am working hard to try and wrap up several projects before I go home. This has been a little more difficult, as Fr. Bernie (my boss) is in the States. He has to have a hernia operation and then is spending his vacation time traveling throughout the States. I am looking forward to spending some time with him in MN when I return.

I bough my airline ticket this week. I will be arriving home on May 13^th! Anyone that would like to join me for a happy hour on the way home from the airport, just let me know!!!

Warmest regards,

The Hardest Part of Traveling

2010-03-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve had both great moments and difficult moments since my last post. The good ones started with a college group from University North Florida visiting us in Cobán. The leaders were also Rotary Club members, so they were checking up on one of the projects they were funding – the school at Rio Palmeras. Additionally, the group of students brought along school supplies and a TON of clothes. I honestly don’t know how they were able to carry this many clothes. Nice clothes too.

After spending the day passing out donations at Rio Palmeras, I took them to La Catarata (the big swimming pool in the middle of the jungle with a waterfall). It is one of my favorite places in Guatemala, and I think it is one of their’s too. That night we had a BBQ and shared some drinks. It was really a great time, as it was the first time Matt and I had socialized with English speaking kids our age since we arrived here in Guatemala!!!

After the Florida group left, we received a group of adults from St. Patrick’s Parish in Edina – and just in time for St. Patty’s day!!! I was worried my favorite holiday of the year was going to be a wash, as it isn’t celebrated in Guatemala as anything besides a feast day, but the group from St. Patrick’s didn’t disappoint! They brought green beads for all (and you didn’t have to earn them!). Additionally, they brought along select Irish refreshments that lightened the mood. When things seemed they couldn’t get better, one of the guys in the group brought out his guitar and had prepared both new and traditional Irish music he played for all of us. It was the latest I had stayed up for a long time, which isn’t saying much as I live in a monastery, but late nonetheless. Just a great night shared with great company.

During the week, the group passed out $50,000 worth of water filters in the aldeas. With the rest of their time, they participated in prayer and mass with the community – many times trekking out to the aldeas for repeat visits with Padre Pedro to one of his 75 aldeas. I was sad to see them go. We really had a great time and it was nice to talk with people from back home.

Just as I thought all was going wonderfully, I got news that Grandpa Schmidt was rushed to Abbot Hospital after heart failure on Wednesday afternoon. In addition to heart failure, he severely hit his head as he collapsed. Luckily, my mom was with him and they were already at a clinic for an unrelated problem, so the medics were able to revive him with paddles immediately.

As of today (Thursday) in the evening, he is still in a chemically induced coma. The doctors have greatly reduced his body temperature to prevent a number of different problems. They are just now starting to warm his body up slowly, and will try and bring him out of the coma tomorrow morning if all goes well.

This has been a very difficult turn of events for me down here. Being out of the communication loop. Not being able to visit Grandpa. Not being with family, even though you know everyone is there except you. This is the part of traveling that really makes you question if it is all worth it.

I am praying that all goes well with Grandpa tonight, as this is a very crucial/telling time as his body begins to warm up. I hope you will all keep him in your thoughts and prayers as well.

Warmest regards,

Sunday Satire

2010-03-01T18:03:00.001-08:00

A quick note on Mass in Guatemala. I know I’ve touched on this before, but it is worth re-telling:

1. One of the daily hymns is played to the timeless Bob Dylan tune, Blowin in the Wind

2. Get used to seeing lots of mothers breastfeeding before, during, and after the service. They are not discreet about it. For example, have you ever been giving the sign of peace (i.e. shaking hands and reciting, ‘peace be with you’) while the woman’s hand whom you are shaking literally has here shirt off? Correct. Awkward.

3. If you show up at Mass just minutes before it starts and no one is there, don’t worry. The majority of people walk in right before Communion.

4. Dogs like to wander up and down the aisles, even up to the altar at times (well, the good Catholic dogs). Usually not a big distraction. You get used to it. But, it is a little harder to get used to a couple dogs shaggin’ in the back of the church during Mass. Yes, it happened.

5. Finally, if you don’t want to lose your spot/chair, don’t go up for Communion. Chances are it will be taken by a late arrival upon your return.

I have to admit, I feel a bit like Martin Luther posting my Ninety-Five theses at Wittenberg. Hopefully this doesn’t get me kicked out of the BVC program, but I sense the church has become more forgiving since the 16^th century…or so I hope.

Take care,

Crashing Weddings, Fishing, and Earthquakes All in a Days Work

2010-02-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

These past two weekends since my last post have been some of the most interesting and entertaining moments I HAVE had and most likely WILL have in Guatemala. I will try and paraphrase and save you the grief of reading for too long, but no promises.

As mentioned in my last post, we went to Panajachel last weekend with the Cowboy. If you don’t remember, the Cowboy is the intermediary for a very generous donor somewhere in Montana. This donor is also building an absolutely beautiful hospital in Panajachel, and we are helping to fill it with medical equipment. For this, we took a pickup load of needed supplies to the hospital that we have here in Cobán. After unloading the pickup, we had a light brunch with the Guatemalan doctors who will be operating the new hospital overlooking Lago Atitlan, claimed to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is a very large lake, surrounded by three enormous volcanoes. Absolutely stunning. I would suggest looking at pictures of Lago Atitlan on Google, because anything I say here would not do it justice!

In the afternoon we returned to Guatemala City, as the trek back to Cobán was going to be too much – besides the fact it isn’t real safe to be driving after dark, as many places along the route are pretty remote. Instead of getting a hotel, we were able to shack up with Fr. Bernie’s good friend, John Dunn (an American who traveled to Guatemala on a Fulbright Scholarship, and ended up marrying a Guatemalan and having a daughter here). On the way to his home, we picked up some beer and pizza for dinner. We spent the night just sitting around, telling jokes and conversing - a great evening before driving back to Cobán the next morning.

You guys have all heard about people having trouble adjusting to the food down here, right? Well let me tell you, it works both directions. I hadn’t had ANY fast food, not once, since being in Guatemala – almost six months. On Sunday, the day we visited John Dunn, I had both McDonalds AND Dominos in the same day. Lets just say my body hated me, and we’ll leave it at that.

Back in Cobán, we spent the week working like normal. It was Fr. Bernie’s birthday Tuesday, so we celebrated as much as monks are allowed to celebrate. After our workweek, we headed back to Guatemala – two weekends in a row!

The son of Carlos Estrada, one of Fr. Bernie’s best friends here in Cobán, was getting married in Guatemala City. Fr. Bernie was to preside over the Wedding Mass, so Matt and I got invitations as well. It turned out to be the most eloquent, beautiful and extravagant weddings/receptions I have ever been too. The wedding was in a very simple, but picturesque church placed in a very natural setting. After the Mass, we drove to the reception, which was held in an antique finca with stunning gardens and waterscapes. The whole place was lit up with candles, thousands of candles.

Upon entering, there was a delegate of servers with anything and everything you could want – drinks, coffee, appetizers. We went to our tables under a massive tent, complete with two full bars, dance floor, tables for a couple hundred people and a full DJ. Once again, there were servers everywhere. Two per table, literally at your beck and call. They’d probably help you go to the bathroom if you’d wanted them too.

Like any great wedding, there was an open bar the entire night. And not just wine and beer. A FULL bar. Scotch, rum, liqueurs – take your pick. After a couple hours of conversing and meeting a lot of Fr. Bernie’s friends, we ate dinner. The BEST dinner I have ever had mind you. Huge slabs of steak, full seafood platters, pasta, salads and more fruits than I ever knew existed. The dessert buffet didn’t disappoint either. Crème Brule, tiramisu, chocolate mousse (spelling?) to name a few.

On a more serious note, it was a great experience to understand how societies operate in developing countries such as Guatemala. This was an upscale wedding attended almost exclusively by the upper class. With very few exceptions, everyone was of ladino ancestry or German ancestry, with a few Americans as well. Everyone had attended exclusive private schools, meaning the majority spoke English as a second language. Everyone was very finely dressed. Under these circumstances, it is easy to see how poverty is cyclical. The same families have been the wealthy /educated elites for centuries. The circle of influence is very small here in Guatemala. They are all connected somehow, someway – providing great opportunities that most don’t have and never will have.

Okay, back to the wedding. After a bunch of dancing, the DJ stopped playing around 11:00 pm. We stayed around for a while, as we were staying with Carlos – father of the groom - and he had to go pay the tab for the night. When we got back, Fr. Bernie and Matt went straight to bed, but Carlos and I were up ‘socializing’ until the wee hours of the morning (3:00 am) – we are now best friends apparently.

The only bad part about staying up that late is morning comes around very quickly, especially when you are traveling with a monk. We got up at 6:00 am. Yes, three hours after I had gone to bed. I probably would have refused to get up, but we had an invitation to go fishing at Laguna Pino, just outside Guatemala City. We spent the entire day fishing, heaven for me. I pulled a 4.5 lb bass out, which was the big fish of the day – again, making my weekend that much better. Monday morning, we again headed by to Cobán, but this time with some good sunburn…do you guys even know what that is back in MN?

This is almost the end of my post, I promise. This next section is pretty interesting though, so I would suggest reading on. I was rudely awaken this morning at 4:52 am. Why you may ask? Well, I had my first earthquake experience. It wasn’t very bad, but registered a 5.6 on the Richter scale – larger than anything they have had here in about 10 years. Books fell down, car alarms went off and all the dogs in town were going crazy for almost an hour. Not a fun way to wake up, but nonetheless an interesting morning! Add it to the list! We had a second one around 9:20 am as well, that one registering at 5.3. I was awake and outside for this one, so I found it a bit more exciting, and a little less scary thank God.

Well, that’s all I got this week. Hope all is well back home!

Take care,

Great Weather, a Cowboy and our Trip to Panajachel

2010-02-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends and Family,

If you happened to be the lucky recipient of this “email” earlier in the week, you will notice certain parts seem very familiar. I just found out I’m taking a trip to Panajachel – and needed to speed this process up, which means I am cutting and pasting a little bit…

How are you all? I hear the weather up in Collegeville is just a delight these days. I’m pretty jealous. We’re stuck with 70 degrees and sunny down here as of late. Just awful.

Besides that, all is great down here. We entertained Fr. Gregory from St. Patrick’s Parish in Edina this past week. It is always nice to have a new face around. I sent him with a CD full of pictures that he is mailing to Br. Paul Richards – so anyone up at St. John’s interested in seeing more pictures should harass Br. Paul.

“The Cowboy” arrived yesterday. I found out his real name, only yesterday, is Dan - but Fr. Bernie refers to him solely as el vaquero (cowboy) because he is from Montana and runs a cattle ranch. When I met him, he had a vest and a cowboy hat on. He was military Special Forces in his youth, and lost his left hand sometime along the way, which has been replaced by a hook. Yes. He is a REAL cowboy – I sure as hell wouldn’t want to mess with him. I hope I don’t call him the cowboy when he is here?! He is the intermediary for a small group of anonymous donors who provided us with a $150,000 last year for our building project at the monastery. Fr. Bernie’s multimedia project, which is his crown jewel and his way to ‘go out with a bang’ as he so eloquently puts it, would not have been possible without their donation. Not even close.

I have been looking forward to meeting him, but it is quite the double-edged sword. Matt (the other volunteer) and I have been ruthlessly cleaning up the construction site for the last week preparing for his visit. He will be taking pictures and giving a report on our progress to the donors, so we want everything in tip-top shape.

I just found out last night that we will be taking a truckload of medical equipment for him to Panajachel (where the same group of donors has built a hospital and outfitted it with doctors), so we have been preparing that equipment for transportation as well. It will be a nice little trip, a lot of driving (Panajachel is six hours a way), but a pleasant break non-the less. On our return trip from Panajachel, we’ll stop in Guatemala City for a day. Matt needs to get an extension on his Visa, and we need to pick up supplies and personnel to finish installing windows in our new buildings. I won’t go into it, as it just raises my blood pressure by about 100 points, but the windows were supposed to be done about three months ago. Parts of the buildings, along with things in the buildings, are getting ruined from the excessive rain and absence of windows. They have excuses for everything – even telling us at times that the crew already left on the bus for Cobán, but they never show up, obviously. Unlike their lies, I WILL BE showing up - with a bat as Fr. Bernie’s “enforcer.” I guess we’ll see how it goes. (Mom, I’m not really bringing a bat – but we will be making a not so cordial visit to their shop)

I hope all is well in Collegeville. I found a copy of Austin Murphy’s “The Sweet Season” in Fr. Bernie’s library. I have just started reading it, and I don’t think I have ever missed St. John’s as much.

I’ll be out of touch until Friday night.

Take care,

Work Hard, Play Hard

2010-02-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon all,

This past week was the definition of Dad’s favorite saying, “work hard, play hard.” The only difference here was that we played hard first, and worked after. A fundamental mistake Dad never would allow.

Fr. Bernie, Matt and I traveled north into El Petén. It is the largest department in Guatemala and directly above the department we reside in, Alta Verapaz. El Petén as a region has a tarnished reputation for its high level of drug trafficking and notorious narco-airstrips in the middle of the jungle, but it is also beautiful country and I see why the drug traffickers like is so much!

We stayed at the cabin of Raul, who is the owner of several radio stations throughout Guatemala and a very close friend of Fr. Bernie’s. We have become close friends with him during our time here. His cabin is on Lago de Petén Itza. The lake is extremely large and relatively unpopulated. The actual cabin consists of five cabanas and an abundance of hammocks. Very nice.

Over our three-day weekend at Raul’s, we spent a lot of time fishing, which was absolutely great. I caught my first blanco, said to be the best tasting fish in all of Guatemala. We spent one of the days traveling to near by Yaxha, a large Mayan ruin site similar to Tikal. It was absolutely amazing and would recommend it to anyone coming to Guatemala. Throughout all of this, mind you - I was traveling with 50 to 72 year old men (Raul brought three other friends as well), we drank Scotch. I feel the reputation we former college students have for binge drinking is an unfair stereotype. We never drank that much at a given time on this trip to El Petén, but we would do it for the entire day! And I am pretty sure that is the textbook definition of binge drinking? You’re probably thinking I need to grow up and learn how “men” do it, but WOW. Each day started with an “abierto sus ojos” which means not exactly word for word but, “eye-opener.” As soon as you’d finish, they would inform you that you have TWO eyes, that is to say, here is your second glass. So, for three days straight, I had a minimum of two glasses of Scotch running through my body BEFORE 7:00 am…Not the worst thing in the world I suppose!

On Sunday night as we drove home and I reflected upon our trip, it was absolutely an amazing experience – but in the same vein, I was ready to get back to work.

Vikings lost the same night. They are good at ripping your heart out when you think the game is won.

Back in Cobán, we got to work first thing Monday morning. We had thousands and thousands of articles of clothing that needed to be organized and distributed. Matt and I spent the entire week working on this project. We brought clothes to a couple local churches, sent clothing with sacerdotes (priests) to the aldeas, visited the hospital with 12 rice bags filled with children’s clothes and finally prepared the rest to go with us to the aldeas Salvador Chitzol and Rio Palmeras this next week. We haven’t calculated the exact number, but several hundred people have received clothes throughout this last week. A very fulfilling week of work.

I was talking with my dad this past week about how you become desensitized about things that used to catch your attention. Just read my earlier blogs for examples – they are numerous. Even though I have been here only 5 short months, I feel I have been exposed to quite a bit and not much “sticks out” anymore. But, there was one incident last week that was a quiet reminder of the differences between a country like the States and a third world country battling various degrees of poverty. When I was in the hospital delivering baby clothes, I was speaking with a nun outside the room of a man whom had obviously died. This wasn’t a real problem with me, as I was in a hospital and I’ve seen many dead people down here. But, when I returned with another load of clothes, he was gone. When I was leaving the hospital, I saw him again. His family had arrived in a cab, six of them in all, and they were attempting to lay his erect body across their laps in the back seat of the cab to take him home or to the church or wherever. This was an “eye-opener”, but in a very serious way. The experience was very surreal for one reason or another, I can’t seem to explain. It just felt so foreign compared to how I’ve experienced death and the aftermath in the States.

On a brighter note, we are welcoming two guests this evening from St. Patrick’s Parish in Edina, including their priest Fr. Gregory. They will be working on a water purification project for a couple days here. I look forward to meeting them and working with them this week.

Happy birthday Kevy! I hope the fishing/snowmobiling trip went well.

Take care,

Back in Guatemala

2010-01-18T18:47:00.001-08:00

Happy New Years Everyone,

Yes. It has been my longest period thus far without a new blog entry. Sorry for those of you who look forward to reading them. Sorry to those as well who are close family members and friends that feel morally obligated to read my blog, and must now read a new entry!

I just got back from a two-week long trip back home in Minnesota. It was a blast to see friends and family, as well as to “re-charge” before heading back to Guatemala and my work here. I spent New Years in Uptown (great party Gibbs, the piñata was very classy), then I went to Kip and Maggie’s wedding in Brainerd. The best part of the wedding was actually the day before when we had a pseudo bachelor party for Kip. It was 28 below zero and we were ice fishing WITHOUT icehouses. Typical Minnesotans…we had to keep the beer in coolers to prevent it from freezing. The best photo of the day was all of our beers sitting in the fire. After they warmed up, you could take a quick swig before having to place it back into the fire to thaw out again. Without our good ol’ hometown company Phillip’s Distilling and their therapeutic Hot 100, I don’t think any of us would have lasted more than an hour out on the ice!

The day after the wedding, I left for Steamboat Colorado where I spent six days on the slopes. Even being in Guatemala this year, winter could not be winter without at least one ski trip!

Before leaving to return to Guatemala, I spent a day up at St. John’s visiting friends. On my return, I traveled half the wonderful state of Minnesota picking up things for Fr. Bernie that I needed to bring along with me to Guatemala. The last engagement I had was with Nicole of St. Patrick’s Parish in Edina. She will be leading a group of college students to Cobán in May and I am helping to coordinate the trip. It should be a very fun and rewarding experience for all parties involved.

A bit of a flashback here, but I spent Christmas here in Cobán as well. It just wasn’t the same without family, but the experience was very humbling. We did a small gift exchange within the monastery (Matt and I took photos with all the monks, then had them developed and framed) and later we spent time in the regional hospital in Cobán. It was not the most enjoyable time I have ever had, but I can appreciate the experience. Christmas will be that much more important to me from now on, and for someone who loves Christmas – that’s saying a lot!

Go Vikes! You looked awesome this weekend!!!

Congratulations Kipper and Maggie on the wedding!!! I hope your tropical honeymoon was enjoyable. Rrrrraw!

Take care,

Escuela Vacaciones

2009-12-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the cold weather in MN...you probably think I am making fun of you from a nice tropical climate (which believe me, it is very nice!), but Christmas just isn't the same without snow on the ground and frostbite on numerous extremities.

We finished our vacation school yesterday. Here in Guatemala, we are on "summer" break right now so to speak. The vacation school was an optional class that 38 students decided to participate in. We taught both English and Intro to Computation (basics of the computer). The vacation school also included the nutrition program I have been working on.

For a final hooray, we had a fiesta yesterday. We brought ice cream (a first for many), cake, drinks and enough food to feed just about the entire community (parents, siblings, non-participants). We also gave away flashlights to all the students. Fr. Bernie had them donated, and they are great for the aldeas because they don't require electricity (which the community doesn't have and cannot afford to purchase batteries). These lights have a small hand crank on them that you spin to turn a mini generator in the flashlight that powers the light. Very cool. The kids were ecstatic.

After dancing for an our or so to burn off all the extra calories from the sweets, we gave away the grand final. I spent the day before making diplomas for all the students and appreciation certificates for the mothers that decided to help cook with the nutrition program. More smiles. It was really a great day for everyone.

Thank you Kevin for scoring me a College Pass to Steamboat...helped me BIG time!!!

Go Vikes!

I hope you all have a great Christmas, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon. I'll be back in MN on the 28th of December for two weeks.

Tis the Season

2009-12-10T18:02:00.001-08:00

Hello all!

I haven't blogged for a while, but to tell you the truth not a lot has happened lately (not a good opening line, I know. But keep reading if you want). Just lots of work and studying...

This past week we started learning Christmas songs in Spanish. It is really funny because they have the same tune, but often times have very different translations - kind of confusing. We are teaching our students these songs in the aldeas, too. They are mostly Catholic with indigenous Mayan influence, but are unfamiliar with Christmas songs. How sad, I know.

I'm fighting a cold night now, which isn't real important to anyone - but it highlights some traditional thinking that is kind of humorous. I'm not trying to sound demeaning, but it is just very different than what we know in healthcare these days in the States. The best example is their fear of hot/cold combos. If you come in from the rain, they don't want you to take a warm shower. Or I'll finish running, but they advise against talking a cold shower. I can't even eat ice cream with hot fudge! This hot/cold combo is the only reason people get sick down here, apparently. I was telling some of the monks that I got sick this time because I'm always around our students - and there are always a couple who will be sick. They disagreed with me and said it was because it is really hot where you work in the jungle and cooler here in Coban. They even went as far as to tell me that I should drink a glass of whiskey for my throat, but without ice. If there is ice in it, you will just get worse! I like the idea of having a glass of whiskey, but without ice - not so sure! Maybe I'll just have one with ice and another without ice. They should balance out, right?

The other traditional thinking mentality I've experienced here is that EVERYTHING is gripe (Spanish for 'flu'). Whether you have a headache, are stuffed up, or have a fever - you have gripe. There is no distinguishing between bacterial infections, viruses, or fungus among others. There exists only one type of sickness in the world, and that is gripe!!!

We did get some good news yesterday. MAGA and the Departmental Government of Alta Verapaz approved a grant for our chicken coop project. The grant will fund the purchase of all our chickens, feeders, feed concentrate, and egg cartons. This is GREAT news as we didn't have enough money to finish the project!

Talking about financial problems...ahhh Dubai - you make me laugh.

This is just a pet-peeve, but I just have to get it off my chest. We have breakfast every morning here at 7:00 am. We usually leave for work well before this and eat on the way, but somedays we stay in Coban and "sleep in" until 7:00 am. Anyways, if you don't show up for breakfast, the community is small enough that everyone notices. All day I get interrogated about what happened the night before - so I just never miss breakfast, it is easier that way. This morning, I decided to sleep in until 8:00 am when work starts because I'm sick. Should have known it, Fr. Bernie told me the entire community thinks I was hung over...awesome.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. I heard MN just got hit with a big storm. Send some of that snow down here!

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon,

(Chicken coop project in Yalchacti)

Contact Info

2009-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

So I just found out people have been looking for my contact information...I probably should have done this in my first post, but here it is:

Mailing Address:

Jon R.J. Dunn F107
PO Box 520635
Miami, FL 53152-0635
Attn: Fr. Bernadine Ness

*This address can be used for all packages and valuables

Apartado 19
16901 Coban, A.V.
Guatemala, Centro Americo

*Use for letters/postcards/etc. Expect two weeks minimum on this, and don’t use it to send anything of value!

Program Info:

Benedictine Volunteer Corps
Collegeville, MN
http://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/volunteers/ (website)
Attn: Br. Paul Richards, OSB
prichards@csbsju.edu (email)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

*Warning: This is a looooooong one!

My spirits are still high, but today was the first day I was really thinking about home. We actually had Thanksgiving here in the monastery, even though it is not celebrated though out Guatemala. Apparently they don't celebrate Day of the Conquistadors like we celebrate the arrival of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock?! (Off color joke, sorry...) Thanksgiving was nice here (we actually got turkey and dressing), but it just reminds you that holidays are special because of family – not all the fluffy things like presents and food that go along with it. Mom, your cooking is AMAZING (just to clarify). You guys know I’m not much of the emotional type, but I’m really looking forward to seeing you all just after Christmas. Today was just another day without spending it with you guys down at Joan and Jims. Ok. Enough of the sentimental stuff.

I had a bit of a frustrating day in the aldeas today for multiple reasons. I need to vent, so you will just have to put up with it. Firstly, St. John’s Abbey was kind enough to provide me with a donation for the nutrition program here – which does not have funding during the vacation period (ie now). [THANK YOU VERY MUCH BR. PAUL!!!] With the donation, I was able to secure enough resources to continue the program throughout their five-week break – because believe it or not, just because they are not in school officially doesn’t mean they don’t get hungry! Anyways, the mothers today told us they don’t want to help cook the meals. I think I do a very good job of recognizing cultural differences, of being patient, but this got my blood pressure going. Here, we are providing free school in a building we built, your child(s) are in our classes, we have provided food free of charge, we are using the food to feed YOUR child, and all we ask for is two mothers to help cook each day! We even provided them with money to purchase tortillas and wood for the stoves, so all they have to do is show up! Oscar is having a meeting with all the senoras tomorrow. I hope he can clear this up…

Secondly, we are building a large-scale chicken coup in the same aldea. This will serve two purposes. It will provide unlimited eggs, which are a great source of protein in their diet (almost non-existent now), as well as provide a consistent revenue stream. Fr. Bernie has paid or found donors for everything, including two full time laborers to assemble it. All he asked for was help with some of the simpler tasks, such as backfilling and building the chicken rousts. Everything is there, but no one has shown up the entire week to help. The project is just being forgotten about, and when it is this close to completion, all I can think about is the opportunity costs of both money and nutrition being wasted every day. Very frustrating.

Lastly, the community is having some internal problems as well. In an effort to buy locally, we invited anyone within the community who had access to wood to sell it to us (remember the blog I wrote about the difficulties of purchasing locally, but we were willing to work with as we wanted to support the local economy). Only one person came forward and offered to sell us wood. So, we bought all the wood he had. Now, the other members of the community are jealous of his earnings and refusing to help with anything. Again, trying to not criticize a culture or community I am not a part of, but we offered everyone the same deal (which was a very fair price by the way). I don’t get it. Ok, I’m done venting. Hopefully you’re still reading?

I am not a big fast food guy. I eat it on occasion because it is cheap, or just looking for a quick meal on the road like most Americans. So when I came here, I decided I wouldn’t eat any fast food for my duration in Guatemala. There are not many fast food restaurants here anyways, and the ones that are here are almost exclusively located in Guatemala City, but there are a few hidden gems here and there. Today, Br. Rolando brought me back a cheeseburger unexpectedly. I ate it – and must admit McDonalds has never tasted so good in my life.

My stories today follow absolutely NO chronological order, so please don’t try and figure out a timeline when I say “today” or “last night.” Either I’ll be wrong or you’ll be wrong, but either way it will never be correct, so save yourself the effort.

LASTNIGHT we had a bit of a celebration for Thanksgiving. It included some finger food (peanuts, popcorn ect), cerviche and beer. The cerviche that I have had has always been made with seafood. This cerviche had a distinct flavor and texture. Apparently bull testicles are a delicacy here in Guatemala. I almost throw-up, and in retrospect, kind of wish I did. I swear I could feel the pure testosterone flowing through my veins this morning when I woke up…

On another note, [READ: One it which I will not make myself the center of all jokes for the next two and a half years] blessings here in Guatemala are very abundant. People may not go to church, but they sure as hell need a religious to come and bless their (fill in the blank). A few funny ones from this week; a semi-truck, a new computer store, and lastly a discoteca (epicenter of all things immoral – i.e. murder, drugs and prostitution).

Bought my plane ticket this week. I will be back in the States from 28 Dec to 14 Jan.

See you all then,

(Photo: Before the cerviche...)

Fuimos a Belize

2009-11-25T19:35:00.001-08:00

Wow. Belize is absolutely AMAZING!!! I can’t believe how beautiful it is. I am volunteering in the WRONG country – I hope you read this Br. Paul…

For those of you who don’t know, I didn’t get a Visa for working in Guatemala. This means I need to conveniently leave the country every 90 days for a long weekend – a perfect opportunity for a little R & R. For our first ‘trip’ we decided to go to Belize, or at least that was my excuse.

Luke, another BVC member from Esquipulas, joined us for the little adventure, along with two monks from the monastery in Cobán. When we got to the border at Belize though, the two monks weren’t allowed in. There was a recent rule change, similar to Canada and the US, that now required all Guatemalans to carry a passport in Belize and not only their identification cards. Too bad for them, they missed an awesome trip.

So we caught the last bus from the border to Belize City. After about 3 hours, we arrived in Belize City well after dark and found ourselves a sufficiently sketchy guesthouse (hotel) to stay in. After some conch soup and a couple Belikens, we were ready for bed.

In the morning, we took a water taxi out to San Pedro – a caye (key) just over an hour away. This is one of the coolest places I have ever been. Like an undeveloped Cancun, Mexico. Just as nice, but fewer people, cheaper and a little more culture. People in Belize speak English as well, so that wasn’t a problem. I would recommend this place to ANYONE. Absolutely fabulous. It was low season for tourism, so all the prices were really low. We rented a great condo with queen size beds, private deck/patio, private dock, air conditioning – all for $55 US/night.

We also took advantage of San Pedro’s close proximity to the 2^nd largest reef in the world. We spent an afternoon snorkeling, checking out one of the best snorkeling sites in the world, Hol Chan – check it out on-line. This included a visit to ‘shark alley’ where we swam with wild nerf sharks and stingrays (yeah, the “harmless” rays that killed our beloved Steve Irwin). Actually got to touch them in the water and everything as we had this completely crazy guide that would catch them and hold them for us underwater. Yeah, he got a tip…

There was some great nightlife there too. Without going into too many details, we spent a couple nights socializing with a bunch of Canadians. For some reason or another, Canadians love this place. It was nice for me though, as Canadians made me feel closer to home in MN than anyone else I have met down here. Highlight: At one of the bars, they had the world famous chicken drop. You are probably asking yourself, what the hell is the world famous chicken drop – as I did as well. It consists of a large board with painted squares numbering 1 – 100. Each person buys as many squares as desired, at 50 cents each, and then draws their numbers. Once all the squares have been purchased, a chicken is released on the board, which is surrounded by a small fence. Wherever the chicken decides to do its ‘business’, the person with that square wins the pot – which was the total winnings (the house doesn’t take any). Only catch is the winner needs to clean up the mess in front of the entire crowd. Very fun. I will be introducing this to Wytt in hopes of bringing the “world famous chicken drop” to Waconia, MN. My mother would be so proud…ha

On the way back, we stopped in Placencia for a night. Another great place on the coast, but more low keyed. Apparently it picks up during the high season, but during the rest of the time it is more of a couples hangout. Nice though.

After crossing the boarder back to Guatemala via water taxi to Puerto Barrios, we started our lovely bus trip back to Coban. Awesome trip though, I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Take care,

P.s. Almost forgot. I saw my first deadly snake here in Guatemala. Luckily, this guy had just been killed minutes before by a car in front of us. Despite my smile in the picture, I don't like snakes. At all.

Birthdays in Guatemala

2009-11-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day. You can tell I must be trying to catch up before I head off to Belize this week!

My birthday, Friday the 13th, was surprisingly very fun. I got a cake, a really good one too. Pretty sure the monks bought it because it looked very professional. With ice cream too! The whole “day” was actually really fun. Thursday night, Fr. Bernie and Fr. Basil (the two American monks) along with Matt and a Guatemalan friend of Fr. Bernie’s and Fr. Basil surprised me with a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of rum and some beer. We sat around eating peanuts and sipping “holy water” until way passed the monks’ normal bedtime. On Friday, I woke up a present of candy outside my door, still don’t know who left it? I went to the refectory for breakfast, and they had signs, streamers and balloons on the wall for me. PLUS, we had pancakes for breakfast! No beans - thank God!!! Then at lunch, I got the birthday song, cake and ice cream. For dinner, my Spanish teacher invited Matt and I over to have dinner with her family. Very fun. Good food, a little wine, good company. Very nice evening. And finally, one of the monks and one of the guys I work went out for Chinese food and a couple beers in the Central Park, where they had the Christmas Tree lighting program. Sponsored by none other than Gallo Cervaza. The lights decorating the tree are actually Gallo beer lights. I really wish I was joking, but it is the truth.

See you all soon,

Antigua y Guatemala City

2009-11-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

Hello all. So this past weekend Matt and I went with Hermano Augustine to Antigua for a graduation celebration. Augustine is best friends with the uncle of the graduate - who just graduated from a one year school to work in banking. It was a private party, which was really nice. They had catered food, a large area for dancing, a full DJ...and security at the door. It was really fun, especially because we could just let our guard down, have some drinks and 'try' to learn to salsa dance. Of course the night wouldn't have been complete without some quality Michael Jackson music - he is really starting to get on my nerves down here...

The whole experience was great because we were able to experience Antigua, a large tourist spot, as locals. This included local restaurants, visiting the local markets, and just having an "in" that most gringos don't usually have in Antigua. Very fun.

On the way back we stopped in Guatemala to get a package my parents sent down. Thank you very much mom and dad, I love packages and look forward to more?

While in Guatemala, we decided to check out the Cathedral and Government Palace in the center of the city. It was interesting, especially because the Cathedral houses the tomb of Monsignor Juan Jose Gerardi, known as an outspoken human rights activist who was assassinated in his home in 1998.

The highlight of the day though was eating at Pollo Campero. It was my first time ever in over two months in Guatemala. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but Pollo Campero is like McDonalds in the States, only worse. It is the definition of monopoly in the fast food industry. It is the ONLY fast food restaurant and it is everywhere!!! It is pretty good, very similar to KFC in the States, but I'd eat at a local restaurant for less money and better food any day. They did have french fries though, and after two months...damn they tasted good.

Almost forgot. I've been doing some work with a Rotary water project. The club here has received funding from a Rotary group in California. We purchase them, paint em' up, and ship em' out to needy families/schools. They work as cisterns, and capture rain water from their roofs for drinking water. Sounds unsanitary to us in the States, but this is FAR better than the drinking water found in the tap or in the rivers/lakes.

Heading to Belize this week, so I may be out of touch for a while...who knows?

Until next time,

Dia de los Muertes, Circo, Antigua

2009-11-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

Wow...I am really starting to get behind on my blog. Anyone familiar with Dia de los Muertos would know it was celebrated last Monday! I don't even have a good excuse as to why I haven't filled you guys in-

Here we go. So Monday was Dia de los Muertos. It follows all Saint's Day every year. People spend the day before adorning the tombs of dead family members and friends with flowers. These makeshift alters also contain numerous photos as well as items the deceased enjoyed, such as chocolate or cigarettes to name a couple. While celebrated as a reflective holiday, the general attitude seems to be more positive than people visiting grave-sites in the States. More of a "celebration of life" if that doesn't seem to cliche. The afternoon is spent eating HUGE traditional meals. Kind of like Thanksgiving in the States, it is notorious for over eating/drinking. My cheeks may have been a little red at prayer that night...

Tuesday night Matt and I went to the Circus, or circo, with two of the monks. It was more of a talent show than a circus the way we know them in the States. I give them credit for trying. In between acts, they would rotate in and out as food vendors, security, ticket sales etc. The highlight of my night was the Michael Jackson tribute. No it wasn't. That's a lie. Thought I could run away from that whole media mess back home, only to run into tribute bands here. I visited the capital this week too - another impersonator in the central park. I have no idea why, but he is more popular here that he was back home. Ridiculous.

This past weekend we went to Antigua for a graduation party and stopped in the capital on the way back. Very fun. I'll tell you more about it. Tomorrow. Off to Belize this next weekend to renew my "90" days on my passport/and for my birthday.

Damn Yankees. Souless.

Happy 25th Anniversary Mom and Dad! David and Kevin too if I'm not mistaken? Two years for both of you, wow. I'm either the immature one or the smart one - who knows?! ha

Got a package this week. I like getting packages.

Miss you all back home-

Happy 25th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2009-11-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

This post is reserved solely for them. Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad! Wish I could be there, and please do something fun...(i.e. visit me?)

Semuc Champey

2009-11-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

What a weekend…Semuc Champey was absolutely AWESOME. Matt and I left Cobán after work on Saturday with Br. Augustine, Br. Lionel, and the monastery’s two employees that help in the aldeas, Oscar and Alberto. We got a later start then expected, which made things difficult because we ran into bad fog and the road has no lights – in addition to being a scary mountain road with limited guardrails. We finally arrived in the pouring rain. After a quick meal at a restaurant called Shalom, we meandered back to the hotel for a nightcap or two. It was Halloween after all, or Dia de los Brujas.

In the morning, we got an early start up the jeep trail to the actually falls of Semuc Champey. Near the entrance, there is a German Eco-hotel where we sat and ate breakfast outside. It was really a cool/relaxing place, with bungalows and hammocks all over the place. If I go again, this is where I will be staying.

The actual falls and pools were absolutely beautiful. The area is still very undeveloped, creating an extremely natural setting – but kind of dangerous too if you’re not careful! We spent a couple hours just floating in the pools under the sun, what a great morning.

We headed back to the Monastery in Cobán in order to celebrate Dia de los Santos – or All Saints Day. It is celebrated here much more than at home. There are lavish decorations around altars to honor all the Saints and clergy that have passed, as well as a large feast of traditional "turkey soup" and "sandwich Maya."

On a completely unrelated note, something really funny happened during my Spanish class tonight. My teacher had made it clear at the beginning of my course that she didn’t speak any of the Mayan dialects. Well in comes one of the monks, Rolando - a close friend of mine, and calls me a womanizer in Q’ eqchi’. I bark back and tell him to “eat s*&$” in Q’ eqchi’. Apparently this is the ONLY phrase my teacher knows, because she immediately turned to me in dismay. Despite the moment of awkwardness with my teacher as I just cursed a religious, Rolando and I couldn’t stop laughing…it was the story of the monastery all night.

More to come soon. Dia de los Muertes and my trip to the circus with two monks.

Go Phillies! Please beat the Yankees…

My New Job Description

2009-10-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Happy Halloween!

My job description has now changed. I spoke with Fr. Bernie and told him that it might be time to split Matt and I up to focus on our individual strengths rather than just doing everything together (i.e. taking the food to the aldeas). I think he was glad to hear this because I will be able to help him out more at the monastery. Matt will continue teaching (he’s really good with kids and has the energy to keep up with them – more than I sometimes have…) and I will be taking over the new school here in Coban.

I can already tell it was a good adjustment. I feel much more productive in this element – as I should after working in an office for the past four years at St. Johns (Hello office ladies!). I get to organize all the aid that we received, set up our office, make sure construction is coming along correctly, documenting everything, etc. Essentially, “get this school and office operational so we can open in January.” I am looking forward to the challenge! Its fun too because I get to meet a lot of Fr. Bernie’s contacts and try and bring the right people together to create some synergy that will make things happen, all the while trying to fundraise as well (cough, cough).

Last night at dinner we had some food that really looked awful. Normally, there is an alternative choice, but not this time! Talkin about bad luck. One of the monks heard me making a joke about the god-awful food and apparently agreed. We dipped out after dinner and went to a Chinese restaurant (actually the first time I’ve ate out in Coban). It was really good and I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated variety more. After dinner we went to a small, second floor local bar and enjoyed some drinks before arriving back at the monastery where we were greeted by one of our guard dogs…thank God she was in a good mood – that could have been bad. I found out this morning she was out because three guys were trying to break into the other entrance gate near the new school and the security guard set the dogs loose on them. Wouldn’t want to be them.

I’m off to Semuc Champey now, which is supposed to be the most beautiful place in Guatemala, check it out on Google. I’ll post another update when I get back-

Have fun at Lambo this weekend, dad. Man that would be fun…

Quick Update + Purchasing Wood Locally

2009-10-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Thought I would give you all a little update. I got word yesterday one of the septic babies was being discharged. Good news! No word on the other baby or the situation with the pregnant daughter/step-dad, but I will update you as soon as I hear.

We are in the process of building a large scale chicken coup right now. In an effort to buy local, we are purchasing much of our wood from a local family. We requested 1ft wide by 8ft long boards - pretty standard. Well, he didn't cut them that way. He said he had 20inch wide boards. Ok, so I recalculated EVERYTHING for purchasing and building with 20inch boards. When we got there to negotiate price, many of the boards were 17 or 18 inches. I told him this was a problem because I drew the plans for 20inch boards. He said, "no problem, I have 21inch and 22inch boards as well to average out to 20inches..." For anyone that has ever built anything, they know this isn't exactly how it works. Just had to roll with it and hope it works?!

Looking forward to Halloween in Central America, it should be pretty crazy and VERY different than in the States! Take pictures of your costumes and send them my way!!!

What a heartbreaker for the Vikings Sunday…

Miss you all and look forward to seeing everyone after Christmas,

Medical Mission - Esquipulas

2009-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from Esquipulas. It’s the site where Michael Anderson, Waconia and SJU, volunteered two years ago. A 24 member medical team from Catholic HeathCare West (California, Nevada, and Arizona) came to town and needed some extra help. It was really great. We worked REALLY hard, but talking about rewarding. Just the amount you learn being around all these doctors and medical professionals is remarkable. We had a septic baby the first day, seizures and all. It was pretty scary, but luckily we had a full pharmacy set up so they were able to give the injections immediately to try and stabilize him before rushing to the hospital for a full septic set-up. I hope he recovers, but the doctors thought he had meningitis, which is hard for a 26 day old to recover from. The worst part of the whole situation was that the local doctor that was with us wanted to send the baby home with Tylenol. Then, word for word said, “Call me on Saturday, but don’t come in to the clinic.” Basically wanted to cut the loss and not waste time or medicine on the baby. It turned into an argument with our doctors who pretty much told him, “f*#@ you, we are giving him drugs and sending him to the hospital regardless of what you think.” (Spurred on by one of the nurses that was rightly fired up about the situation)

It obviously made me feel better that we were doing the right thing, but at the same time this situation points to a much larger problem. With such limited resources, the doctors here are forced to be realists. They are not heartless human beings. They share the same compassion for helping people that all the doctors on the American team exert, but with the baby’s long-term diagnosis he couldn’t rationalize ‘wasting’ medicine. It is a concept difficult for us to fathom in the States. I know I struggled with it all day.

We also had a lady come in for generalized body pain. She had her 15-year-old daughter with her, who was holding the mom’s infant daughter. After her examination and discharge, the woman just stayed sitting on the bench. She didn’t want to leave. One of the doctors was able to read the situation, and brought her back in. After a long support session, it came out that the woman’s 15-year-old daughter was four months pregnant – with her husband’s baby. The stepdad had more than likely raped the child and now she was pregnant. The mother was irate, but hadn’t said anything because the father threatened to kill her.

Doctors in the US are obligated to report situations like these. But here, things are different. Death threats like these need to be taken very seriously. Most people carry guns, or at least have them, so situations escalate very quickly. Unfortunately, safe-houses and a just judicial system don’t exist. While discussing what to do, our local contact told us, “She won’t live a year if you report this. Additionally, you guys won’t ever be able to return here because he knows she talked to the ‘American’ doctors.” The doctors are desperately trying to figure something out, but I had to return to Cobán before we found a solution, if one even exists. I know this story probably breaks every patient-doctor confidentiality agreement known to man, but I needed to tell it. It still has me off my rocker. I said I was going to write about “the good, the bad AND the ugly.”

On a lighter note, I split my time between the pharmacy and working as a triage ‘nurse.’ While taking vitals, the team ‘camera man,’ who is also a doctor, decided to get me in an ‘action shot’ – yes, cheesy I know. Anyway, he starts making fun of me for being really slow at taking this lady’s blood pressure. After getting the same number twice, I move to try her other arm as well and he just starts ruthlessly making fun of me. I then tell him that I need him to double-check my number (hopefully we don’t give this lady a blood clot in the process) because I got 225/110. I didn’t think that high of a number was even possible, so I am totally doubting myself. He gets the same number. My self-esteem goes up.

We move her up the line and get her into a doctor quickly. The doctor comes out, takes my equipment and without saying anything leaves. She comes back. Looks at me and says, “Oh my God. It’s real.” She is from Panama, so that expression with her accent just got me laughing. So now I know – it is possible to be alive with blood pressure twice the healthy range.

In the evenings, the doctors took us out to REALLY nice restaurants. They can’t afford to get sick from contaminated food, so they demand the best! This is awesome though, because we got to come along on their tab the whole time. Drinks too!!! The last night, the three women that head the medical mission met with us and said they will right letters of recommendations, job search, help with scholarships, anything for us. What a great group of people!

Check out their website (with pictures of our work):

http://missionsblog.chwHEALTH.org/

Miss you all back home-

Cookies, Waterfalls and Riots oh my

2009-10-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all-

What a week for Minnesota sports!

Well I am once again behind on my blog - sorry David. This time I have a legitimate excuse. I finally got sick. It had been over a month without a single incident, so it was long overdue. Luckily, it wasn’t the bad food, throwing up sick like you’d expect. The flu, or “gripe”, has been going around one of our schools. With all the kids holding your hands and touching your stuff (water bottle, dictionary, hat, etc.) it was bound to happen. It had me in bed all weekend. Sore throat, plugged ears, headache. No fun!

But I am better now! So back to the good stuff. Matt and I have successfully created peanut butter cookies from scratch. You may be thinking to yourself, “Oh, nice work boys. I could make cookies from scratch in the 4^th grade,” but from scratch is REALLY from scratch down here. We started by buying peanuts from a street vendor. Make sure and get the roasted peanuts, as most of them are not, making them inedible. Next, you need to shell the peanuts – tastes better that way. After that, we put them through a grinder used primarily for grain and corn. Next, we had to translate the recipe into Spanish, which would normally be easy, but when you are using ingredients not common in Guatemalan cuisine life can be difficult. For example, there is no baking power here. Or brown sugar. We needed to improvise a bit! Using our homemade peanut butter, along with whole grain flour and oats, we were able to develop a nutritious cookie that tasted really good. This was the primary goal, as our aldeas produce eggs and peanuts, and we are trying to create a market for them to sell their goods. Our organization can purchase these inputs for our Nutrition Program, and produce the protein-packed nutritious cookies.

I hate the Yankees.

Spanish classes started this past week with my teacher, Mirna. She has been teaching for twenty years and seems like a very good match so far. We meet three days a week for two hours per session. In between she assigns homework. This should help speed things up a bit!

Happy Birthday Christine!

This past Monday we never made it to work. It was Dia de las Razas (Day of the Races). It is recognized across the country and is celebrated with demonstrations for indigenous rights. One of these demonstrations took place on our road, the only road, to the aldeas. Like these demonstrations often do, things escalated and had become violent. Two people in a similar demonstration were killed in Guatemala City. Here, they prohibited anyone from passing. I have to admit; it is frustrating when you drive through this pass daily, clearly marked as “Rotarians” on our pickup. We eat our breakfast there every day on our way to deliver food/aid to the INDIGENIOUS population! Now they won’t let us through and consequently the kids at our two schools won’t eat today, let alone have teachers.

On a happier note - Welcome, cousin Leo!

On our way home from working, well TRYING to work, we decided to make a detour. The two guys we work with, Oscar and Alberto, showed us this swimming hole off the main road. It doesn’t exist in either of our guidebooks and was hardly marked, so we weren’t expecting much. Wow were we wrong! Here we walk down an embankment in the middle of the jungle. It is so untraveled that nothing but random rocks and a cable to hold onto exist for a path. With more than about two beers in you it would be impossible, and you’d have better luck sitting down on your butt and sliding. We got to the bottom and could see the small lagoons of blue water – similar to those in Glacier National Park, but not nearly as cold! We thought we were there, but Oscar told us to follow the path a bit further. As we rounded the bend, a massive waterfall with a large lagoon appeared from nowhere. It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The picture below cannot do it justice. The sides of the ravine shoot straight up from lagoon. Best part is there wasn’t another soul there except us.

After venturing behind the falls to the cavern, Matt and I returned and we all enjoyed a cold beer on the shore. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Happy 62^nd Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!

What a Week

2009-10-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

So I got a little behind with my blogs this week, so this one is going to be a long one. Sorry, I'll try and keep it short and concise.

Last Friday we had a little "break" from the typical workings of Guatemala. The evening started with Confirmation Friday (92 kids in all). This is a big deal in the Church, so the Bishop came. Fr. Bernie happens to be good friends with the Bishop, so after the service we all went out to dinner together. We ate at another friend of Fr. Bernie's, Dr. Torey Viarte - out at one of his fincas (large farm/ranch). He comes from a very well-traveled affluent family, is a doctor and large land owner. He had a beautiful Spanish summer home on the property with a veranda out back where we ate (complimentary with armed body guards and all - sawed off shotguns seem to be the weapon of choice). We spent the evening sipping Chivas Regal, talking politics in English and eating steak. It was a great break from what I am exposed to day in and day out in my normal work.

The following day I was not granted the same luxury...we were supposed to have received two semi-containers of aid last Wednesday. Instead, they came on Saturday. No actually I lied. It would have been Sunday as it was at 1:15 am. We unloaded in the dark until about 6:30 am. On my one day off...at least we got a lot of good stuff. We will be working for weeks to distribute it all. Much of the aid will be used to fill the new school we are building in Cobán.

Sunday, Vikes pull off an amazing win. I'm happy again.

During the week, we worked in the aldeas a TON. We started at 4:30 or 5:00 am everyday. We were preparing for Dia de los Ninos (Day of the Children). It is a big celebration for the last day of school. We brought cakes and lots of special food, along with gifts donated by Columbia. We invited a private school (bunch of rich kids) to come out and experience the event. They brought along several pinadas which the students at Rio Palmeras absolutely loved. The whole event was really special. We even got the parents to participate some. This does not seem like a big feat, but the Mayan culture is EXTREMELY serious. It took us about fifteen minutes with the kids calling out particular names before we got anyone up there. Humorously, the first person to come up was a woman with no teeth. The event was "bobbing for apples." For a not so funny thing such as having no teeth, I couldn't help myself from chuckling. A lot. Students will be off of school for about two months now.

Wednesday, Happy Birthday Mother. Love you-

We finally got out grinder, so we will be making homemade peanut butter soon. Also, I start Spanish classes this week. Look for an update midweek.

Go Twins! Go Vikes! Possibly the greatest week in Minnesota sports history ever...

Typical Catholic Mass?

2009-09-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

I only have a couple minutes, so I'll make this quick. Two absolutely ridiculous things happened tonight at Mass. First, the Celebrant's cell phone went off while he was preparing the Eucharist. He got startled and couldn't silence it. It rang again seconds after, but this time he tried to pretend it wasn't his - but everyone knew. Secondly, the congregation sang a hymn to the melody of the Bob Dylan song "Blowing in the Wind." The song is now stuck in my head. What a night. And the Catholics criticize us Lutherans for having informal services...(thats a sarcastic joke for all my Benedictine friends at SJU!)

Teaching Begins!

2009-09-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

This week Matt and I began teaching in Yalchucti and Rio Palmeras. We will be there three days a week, teaching primarily English. It is a bit of a challenge considering many of the students don't speak Spanish - Q'eqchi' only. A couple of the teachers speak both languages though, so we use Spanish as the intermediary to teach English. Kind of confusing, but hopefully that makes sense? We teach for about 4 hours a session, with 55-60 students in the class (little different than the student-teacher ratio at SJU...)

This Wednesday, all the teachers ate in one of the surrounding aldeas. It was the home of our "athlete of the week." Her parents had a celebration in honor of the award, which is really humorous though - because as is customary, only the males ate/drank (even though the "winner" was his daughter). She helped prepare the meal, and then waited outside. As this example clearly indicates, gender roles are still very alive in parts, well most, of Guatemala.

The actual meal is another story. I need to tell you guys about it now as it is becoming very normal for me, and I need to highlight how "culturally unique," synonym for ridiculous, things can be!

We had to walk about twenty minutes from the gravel jeep trail to reach the aldea. During this part of the day, the temperature is about 100 F with humidity of roughly 250 to 300 percent. So as we get there, I am sweating heavily. We then precede to enter their home, which is a four sided chicken coup essentially with a dirt floor. The temperature is even hotter inside, as we have to sit next to the cooking fire and are separated from any breeze there may be outside. Additionally, the roof is a product called lamina (essentially sheet metal) and you can feel the sun radiating its heat right above your head. Tree limbs are laid across tree stumps for chairs and the table consists of two desks pushed next to each other, and closely resembling the desks from our school (coincidence...?)

Once comfortably seated inside, we are handed a cup filled about half way up with a clear liquid. It is poured from an unmarked bottle, but smells distinctly of a 50/50 rum and insect repellent mixer. Next you are handed a lemon, which you cut in half and squeeze as much juice out of as possible. Finally, you ask for "agua" which is Spanish for water. Humorously again, this is Q'eqchi territory and the language has no distinct word for soda, so "water" means "cola" now. Apparently they don't like mixers here either. I would have been extremely pleased with a "splash" of cola. Which would have been significantly more than the teaspoon poured in my cup. I asked for "poco mas" or a little more, but to no avail. For the record, I needed to stomach a second one of these drinks (cubre libre) for "dessert."

So back to sweating profusely. I am now not only extremely hot, but eating spicy food. Really spicy food. The sweating continues. We drink a hot drink called atoll during the meal. It is steaming when served, and now I am steaming even more. Literally sweating through my shirt. Along with two hefty drinks in my system, I don't think I've ever been this hot before. I'm glad it is guys only at this point.

The meal was called soupa organica. It is a mixture of carrots, onions, maize and spinach in chicken broth. There is some meat, chicken actually, but not exactly what you are used too back home. There is a chunk. A section. Bone, skin, maybe some feathers as I mentioned in my last post with Padre Pedro. I usually choose not to eat the chicken. Today, I did not eat the chicken.

Lastly, people usually have a family dog that sits under the dinner table waiting for someone to drop some food, or he sniffs out the weak one and puts on the begging face? Either way he usually gets some food. Well not here. If there were any dogs, someone probably ate them by now. Instead, we have ducks and chickens under the table looking for food. Again, no joke. I don't even notice them anymore. As we finish our meal, a woman drops off banana leaves at the table. We all take our unfinished meat, along with some extra tortillas, and wrap them up using the leaves and tie them shut with corn stalks. We then walk back to the road in the rain. What a day.

Despite my sometimes sarcastic remarks, I'm having a blast - for real. The hospitality at the meal today, for example, was exemplary. There wasn't a second where I didn't have food, drink or attempted conversation at my fingertips. The hosts were wonderful. I just keep putting a smile on my face and remind myself to have patience, for I will never experience a world like this again. Miss you guys, and look forward to hearing from all of you soon. We are receiving two semi-truck containers of aid tomorrow, so I have A LOT of work in front of me over the next few days. If you're around, drop off some Gatorade!!! Please.

Oh yeah, I got my first haircut down here. Old school barber shop. Used a straight blade and all. So despite what some people may think, I will not be returning to MN with long hair...

Yalchucti y Mayan Misa con Padre Pedro

2009-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been packed full of extraordinary events. On Thursday, Matt and I accompanied Padre Pedro to one of the aldeas in the jungle. He is the only native Mayan ordained priest in the region, so having the opportunity to hear not only a Mass, but a baptism and wedding in the local indigenous dialect was something very view people ever get to experience. We had absolutely NO idea what he or anyone else was saying, but we stumbled through the motions making it appear as if we knew what we were doing.

At the actual aldea, we were treated like kings. They provided us, along with local community leaders, meals both before and after the service. We had some type of red, greasy soup with chunks of bird in it. I say "chunks" because that is exactly what it was - bones, fat and whatever else happen to have been attached. We did our best to eat some (trying to be courteous), but remember we had to do this twice in a matter of about two hours!!! We were nowhere close to finishing our food, so they brought in banana leaves to wrap our "take-outs" in. They were then tied up with split corn stalks. No joke. I felt like I was on Discovery Channel's Survivor Man or something...

As we left, they filled our jeep with gunny sacks filled with cocoa (coconuts), bananas, beans and corn. Enough food to feed us for weeks.

The day before, we celebrated a second day of Dia de la Independencia - this time in Yalchucti. Yalchucti is our second project site. We are currently building a chicken coup there that will supply food for the nutrition program, as well as provide additional funds with any surpluses - which there will be plenty as the coup is designed for 1500 chickens.

In Yalchucti, we spent the day playing in a soccer tournament. It was an adult male only team, but don't let "adult" fool you. These guys were ruthless. All they do is play soccer and you can tell. They are in really good shape and have no hesitations throwing their body across the field. Fortunately for me, the tallest one on the field was about 5'6'', giving me a considerable height advantage - the only thing I had going. We lost 4 - 5, but I had three of our four goals. I think this helped me make friends.

Rio Palmeras

2009-09-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

So despite my claim in the last blog, I did not attend a futbol match this weekend. We were all set to go, but Matt (the other volunteer down here from SJU) got sick and I wasn’t exactly in the mood to go by myself. Next week!

I have spent the last two days in Rio Palmeras – the site of one of our school/building projects. We celebrated Dia de la Independancia there yesterday, September 15th. There were events planned ALL day. It started with dancing, put on by the students at the school. Then there was traditional marimba music while we ate and then danced. The people there loved to see us gringos “trying” to dance to the marimba (a little different than Sal’s on a Friday night).

On another note, it is so damn hot there. I mean like 100 F no problem. The schools, while situated in the mountain jungles, are still about 3,500 ft lower in elevation than Cobán. The craziest thing about it is the indigenous population there wears large, bulky wool skirts and these sweater throws. The men all wear jeans, rubber boots and long sleeve shirts. It is awesome being there, and probably the most rewarding work so far, but my favorite part of the day is still coming back to a cold shower (not by choice, but perfect in that situation!). The other part that tops the day off is the ride home. This over an hour drive would normally seem boring, but here in Guatemala it is the perfect time to enjoy a couple beers. No joke. You stop at a tienda on the side of the road, pick up some Gallos (Guatemalan national beer) and drive. Numerous monks taught me this. Should I feel guilty doing this?

Home for the Next 10 Months

2009-09-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

As mentioned in the last blog, I have made my way to Cobán - which will be my home for the next ten months or so. The city has about 50,000 people or so in it. There is very little nightlife as it rains daily in the evening. Not as bad as it sounds though. It is great weather the rest of the day, creating a very green and lush landscape year round. The actual city is nestled in a ravine between several large mountains. The Caribbean and Central American plates actually split the city down the middle, a perfect equation for disaster – though little activity has been prevalent for twenty five years or so (minus weekly tremors!). In my room I am sitting at 4, 150 feet – the only reason my place is bearable as the altitude means cooler temps, but more importantly NO snakes or mosquitoes (not sure which one is worse…).

The actual compound I am in is relatively nice when compared with its surroundings, but unfortunately that is not saying much. I am trying to convince Fr. Bernie to replace the sharpened glass bottles on the security wall with barbwire, but will probably not happen anytime soon. There is a lot of potential though! There are currently several buildings clustered throughout the square block compound, but there are several more under construction. By mid January this year, there should be two brand new educational buildings up and running. The buildings have space for several classrooms, a media room, kitchen, dinning facility and dormitory area for 150 students coming down from the aldeas (mountain villages – primarily Q’eqchi’ Mayan). This has everyone very excited and I will provide pictures soon.

My living quarters are very modest but acceptable. I have a single bed, a desk, closet and my own bathroom with shower! The monks living here are very nice. There are fifteen in all. Three from Blue Cloud Abbey in South Dakota, the remaining are from throughout Central America – including two Q’eqchi’ Mayans. Only one native monk speaks English, so learning Spanish and a little Q’eqchi’ has become a must to interact. I’m learning a lot. I quickly learned one of the monks is a marathon runner, so I have been running with him. He speaks no English, and I speak limited Spanish at the moment, so our runs provide the perfect “mobile classroom.”

I will be going to my first futbol match tomorrow night, and then visiting our building project in the mountains on Monday, so check back in for an update in a few days, friends.

Just Landed!

2009-09-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I made it to Guatemala - all limbs and vital organs in check! Things got a little crazy on the way down though. I was expecting to be picked up at the airport in Guatemala City as planned, but I got word Fr. Bernie would not be able to make it anymore. Instead, he would be driving to the airport two days later to drop off the prior and was saving time and money by only making one trip. That made perfect sense, except Matt and I now had to chill with all our luggage somewhere in Guatemala – a good problem as long as an adventurous attitude keeps your spirit up!

We took the easiest route, which was to catch a shuttle to Antigua. That city is amazingly beautiful. Imagine a city plucked from picturesque Europe and dropped in the middle of Latin America. Fantastic. There are Macaws, fountains, and flower gardens all over, especially in the nice hotels and Parque Centrale. Volcanoes surround the whole city as well; creating a landscape that is absolutely breathtaking.

We spent our two days staying in a moderately nice hotel. Some how we happened to pick the only one right next to Antigua’s only Irish Pub, Riley’s. Funny how that works… The monks always say God works in mysterious ways, and I couldn’t agree more! The last night before heading to Cobán was by far the best, as a guest joined me all the way down in Guatemala. Yup – Michael Anderson flew all the way down there and spent several hours on various chicken buses (local transportation, usually not recommended for tourists) to meet me in Antigua. We spent the evening at a couple different bars, and yes, one was Riley’s Irish Pub next door. Expect another update soon as I just got to my new home in Cobán and will be filling you in on the details, friends.

Day of Preparation

2009-09-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

Despite the very misleading title of my first entry, this is NOT the first day of preparation I have had. There have been numerous contacts made, phone calls, emails sent and plane tickets bought! Hopefully I have everything in line.

Packing has been a bit of different story though. As most of you know, I spend my summers sealcoating my life away - making it difficult to "shop" during the day. I took today off of work though and spent way more time than anyone should ever spend in a mall. I have no idea how you shopoholic do it!!!

On my list of things to purchase was some computer supplies that I will be bringing down to Fr. Bernie (my pseudo host father?!) in Coban, Guatemala. I promised him I would put a plug in, so anyone looking to help out and donate could send 2GB flash drives. We are trying to get between 75 and 100 total.

As soon as I get down there, I promise my blogs will be MUCH more interesting - well I hope! Let the adventure begin!!!