Open Veins of Latin America Chapter One

1. The challenge and the triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhanced your comprehension of the text.

There are so many different names and places in this book that i'd live to look up but I just don't have the time. A few things I had to look up are:

- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile: Their marriage laid the foundation of a unified Spain.

- Papal bull: A particular type of letters patent of charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church.

- Quetzalcoatl: Quetzalcoatl was one of the several important gods in the Aztec pantheon.

Looking up the terms we don't know (which is a lot with this book) increases our understanding of what we're reading. It might take a lot longer to read but with the knowledge we gain, it's worth it.

2. The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook’s first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

There were way too many similarities. The indigenous people were so amazed by the simplest things. The people completely trusted the outsiders when given stuff such as beads or string. They treated their new "friends" nicely and welcomed them to their community, they looked up to them as if they were gods. The Europeans looked at these people as if they were savages. They forced them into their religion, made the people show them where their riches are, and then shipped them off into slavery.

3. America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives’ heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

Religion was used to make the "invaders" feel better about themselves. They would send the indigenous off into slavery and justify it by saying they're serving "His Majesty" and everything is fine as long as it's for the church.

4. Galeano quotes the saying “Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar” as an analogy to describe what Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America’s resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

I think this quote literally means the thing it's saying. Your father worked hard to get the money and riches that he had. His son wasn't quite born into the money so he was able to appreciate it and work with it to better himself. The grandson was born into being wealthy and mentally was a beggar, he would do anything to get the money that he was so used to. The Father represents old Spain, the Son represents Spain's first interaction with the New World, and the Grandson represents many years of taking advantage of the indigenous in the New World.

Open Veins of Latin America Ch.1

1. The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

Miss Gasparka was not lying when she told me this book was dense. It is taking me a while to get through but it is worth it. Here are three words that I had to look up during my reading of this chapter:
1. Potosi- Potosi is a city in Bolivia. It is here that Spain acquired the majority of its silver supply during the time of the New World Spanish Empire.
2.Charles v- The king of Spain from 1516-1555
3. Ostentatious- pretentious or showy
If I did not take the time to look up terms I am unfamiliar with while reading this book I would not get nearly as much out of it as is possible. Galeano gives a ton of history without a lot of background information. I mean, he does not give a detailed description of every person, thing, and place he mentions, it is expected that either you know it already or you seek to find out.. By knowing these definitions I am better able to understand how they connect to the events he is talking about instead of simply accepting what he writes without the desire to gain a true understanding of his words and the message he wants to get across.

2.) The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

One of the biggest similarities in both cases is that the white man tried to do away with the indigenous peoples cultures and forced upon them their own beliefs. They paid them no respect and considered them to be ignorant savages. In both cases a great many of the indigineous people were killed by diseases brought over by the white man. If I remember correctly, in both Hawaii and Latin America the white man were thought by the people to be Gods that had come to visit them. The people welcomed the outsiders with awe and open arms, in return they were treated with hostility and brutality.

3.) America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

The conquistadors used religion as a way to control the indiginous people. If they did not convert, the conquistadors would kill them or take them as slaves. I find it very interesting that one of the conquistadors said they had arrived in America "to Serve God his Majesty and also to get riches." To me, those are two completely contradictory statements. I think that they merely used religion as an excuse to do the things they did to the indiginous people because if they truly had arrived in America in the name of God, understanding what that really means, they would not have treated the Indians the way they did. The conquistadors used religion as a justification for their actions against the Indians instead of using it for the good it is meant for.


4.) Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describe that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

This quote is describing how in the beginning Spain was made rich off of Latin America but over time it eventually became the ruin of Spain and they did not benefit as much from it as other countries.

Chapter 1

1.      The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

I had to look up exodus (mass departure), syncretism (the combination of different systems of philosophical or religious belief or practice), and bastion (somebody regarded as providing strong defense or support). After reading the definition and then rereading where they were in the text I got a better understanding of what Galeano is trying to portray in his writing.

2.     The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

In both accounts there were many deaths and the Hawaiians were seen as savages. Missionaries also came and converted the natives to Christianity. The locations were both prime for resources and the people were exploited and used to grow crops. The land was taken away and was used for the good of the other country.

3.      America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquests paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

In Spain Catholicism was a main part of their country. So when the conquistadors came to exploit the people, the missionaries were not far behind to convert the “savages” and make them believe in their God.   

           Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describle that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

This analogy is saying that with the wealth from South America it made the original person rich which then made way for a merchant, a person who sales things, to a man who is still wealthy and a gentleman, to a beggar after all of the money is gone. Like the towns that they get the wealth, the men who get the wealth also dry up.   

Las Venas Abietas de America Latina (Chapter 1)

1.) The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

A few words that I didn't understand what Galeano meant. The words; clandestine, Green Strongroom, and latifundia were a few that I had to look up to understand what he was trying to say. The way Galeano uses his words and tells his story is very dense. I really like reading his book because of the way he knows his history. I believe it is important to know every word he uses because everything he says is very interesting at it's part of his story he's telling his readers. It's like having a conversation with someone. If you only choose to listen to fragments of the conversation, you'll end up not comprehending all of what is being said to you.
                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                               
2.) The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

Both Latin America and Hawaii had rich land that could support them. There lands were filled with rich soil, the climate was good for almost anything to grow on, and they were near water. Once the Europeans discovered these lands, they began to colonize on them and took away land, from the native people. As time went by, the indigineous people grew more and more dependent on the Europeans.


3.) America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

After Columbus discovered new land in the Americas, everyone heard tales of its beauty and wealth of the land. Men conquest to find riches but religion then started to take a role in the invasion to take over Latin America. Around the time period that Galeano talks about, churches would send out people to try to convert them into their religion. Back then religion played a lot in how a country was led. So to answer this question, countries would try to convert the Latin Americans which in a way is controlling them because once youre converted, the church can control what you do.


4.) Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describle that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

Latin America was a place of many riches. After Spain invaded parts of Latin America, they made the indigineous people depend on the Spaniards. The Spaniards took everything that the native people had. Over time Spain took more and more form the Latin Americans that caused the people to become poor.In Galeano's quote it gives the example that down generations, more of the people became poor.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1.       Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

Hugo Chavez is the president of Venezuela. He has worked hard in his country to gain equal rights for indigenous people. He gave this book to Obama to help not only the president but the U.S. understand the injustice and the situation in Latin America.

2.       What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano’s words?

There are two examples in Guatemala that demonstrate their exploitation of resources to serve others. The first is when the United Fruit Company used the people and the land of Guatemala to grow and ship bananas to the United States. They still do it under the name of Chiquita banana.  The Guatemalans are also used for their coffee. So many workers get paid so little for their hard work so that the coffee is cheap in the U.S.  

3.       Galeano writes on page 7, “Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God’s mysterious designs.” How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

This quote is meant to say that poverty is not created by God it is created by humankind. The Catholic Social Teaching is an idea that you don’t exploit the people you walk with them and assist them with what the need. There is no need for the people to be in poverty and with help the teaching can change a mindset.

4.       Galeano finished on page 8, “History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be.” What do these words mean? Why are they important?  

I believe this quote is another way of saying that the past will repeat itself if not studied. It is important because knowing the past is the only way to prevent it from happening again.

Las Venas Abietas de America Latina (Intro)

1.) Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

Hugo Chavez is the President of Venezuela who has made a big impact on his country. He established services that aimed to improve economic, cultural, and social conditions. Chavez also fought for the equal right of the indigenous people and as well as for women. It was interesting that he had previously tried to give George W. Bush a copy of Open Veins of Latin America. Bush wouldn't take it which was a great disappointment to Chavez. I think Hugo Chavez's reason for giving Obama a copy of Eduardo Galeano's book was to give the U.S. a better understanding of the long and struggling history of Latin America. Afterall, this book became one of the bestsellers within hours Obama was given the book.

2.) Galeano writes in his introduction, "[Latin America] continues to exist at the service of others' needs, as a source and reserve of oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin America does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano's words?

Coffee and banana's are big products that Guatemala exports to the United States and other countries. For years Guatemala has been known for their famous coffee and banana's. Sadly, as Galeano talks about, Guatemala makes less profit than their buyers from other countries who sell them for more than what they bought it for.

3.) Galeano writes on page 7, "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

The Catholic Social Teaching has four pillars that are taught to the people. They are: Dignity of the Human Person, Common Good, Solidarity, and Subsidarity. These teachings teach that every man and women are equal no matter their cultural differences are. It is important to to contribute to the good of the whole society and be in solidarity. One more inportant one is the expressed-felt-need that means to go to the people and do what they ask of you. These teachings attempt to resolve this issue by with the people to improve and anything that is needed and work their way out of underdevelopment.

4.) Galeano finishes in page 8, " History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What do these words mean? Why are they important?

I remember my teacher, Mr. Huitt, saying something along the lines of  history being important to learn because if you don't, history will tend to repeat itself. History is something we learn and understand the mistakes mankind has made and learn from it and improve what has been done. I don't know this is making any sense of what this question is pertaining to but it does in my head... When Galeano speaks of history being a prophet, I think he's saying that what has been done in the past are things we should take to help us make better decisions and not repeat the mistakes our ancestors or others have done.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1. Do a little research on Hugo chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

After doing some research I found out that Hugo Chavez is the President of Venezuela and has been since 1999. He was born in 1954 and grew up in poverty. He attended a military academy at the age of 17 and found it to be his passion. He graduated at the top of his class and started his career as a military man. In the early 1980's he helped founded the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 and exerted his energy towards bringing down the corrupt government of Venezuela at that time. He worked to include groups of indigenous peoples and later in his career he would create laws protecting the rights of these people. In 1992 he unsuccessfully led a coup de et against the government. Despite his failure, in the years to come he continued to gain the support of many people and was able to win the presidential election of 1999. He has fought long and hard to obtain equal rights and abolish social injustices.

I think the reason he would give Open Veins of Latin America to President Obama is for the main purpose of wanting us as Americans to gain a greater awareness and understanding of the of Latin America, and also Americas interesting involvement in that history. One of the of the greatest things I have realized from this whole experience is how little I know of what is going on in the world around me; how little I have actually taken the initiative to learn about. There are so many things/people that I have heard about in passing but never thought twice about how he/she/it is related to the world. It so easy to hear something and say, "wow, thats so sad(or interesting, or amazing, or terrible)" and leave it at that. By giving President Obama Open Veins of Latin America he is inviting us as Americans the opportunity to get past that; to actually know the history of Latin America and its current state and hopefully take action.

2. Galeano writes in his introduction, "Latin America continues to exist at the service of others needs, as a source of reserve oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin America does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeanos words?

Coffee is a perfect example of what Galeano is talking about. The people that actually cultivate and harvest the coffee make a significant amount less then those who buy and then sell. I am also reminded of the Finca system. The workers that work the land of a finca are paid almost nothing, treated terribly, and are practically slaves. The profit from the work they do is taken by the land owner and they are left with practically nothing.

3.Galeano writes on page 7. "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

I love this quote and I believe it wholeheartedly. It is not Gods doing that there is poverty and underdevelopment in this world. This is all the doing of centuries of selfishness and greed; of men willing to take for themselves and leave others with nothing. I also believe that because things aren't meant to be this way that it is possible for us to change it. What it will take is a change of heart of mankind. I think Catholic Social Teaching teaches very good values and ideas that would make up the heart of a world without poverty. The four pillars of Catholic Social Teaching are: Solidarity, Dignity of the Human Person, Subsidarity, and the Common Good. All of these promote selflessness and equality. The pillar that at this moment sticks out to me the most is the Common Good. This is thinking about what will be good for all people not just one person or group of people. It says that all people are worthy o good and entitled to it.

4.Galeano finished on page 8, "History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What does this mean? Why are they important?

History tends to run in a cycle; it repeats itself. I think what this quote means that we can tell what the outcome of something will be if we look back in history because something similar has probably occurred before. I think this is very important because if we can realize this then we can help make our outcomes better. One of my favorite quotes goes like this, "If you always do what you've always done, you're always gonna get what you've always got" History doesn't have to repeat itself, but we have to change what we are doing.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1. Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

I think Hugo Chavez realized President Obama was open to learn about their history. If President Obama gained an understanding of what happened in Latin America, he could step in and right many of the things that are wrong.

2. Galeano writes in his introduction, "[Latin America] continues to exist at the service of others' needs, as a source and reserve of oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin American does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano's words?

The coffee industry is huge in Guatemala. This has led to the finca system which was a big influence when it came to the civil war. The common worker gets paid enough to barely survive.

The workers get paid next to nothing, the finca owners get paid a little better, then the distributors of their product gets paid a lot more. Here the people working in fields are getting paid next to nothing while the people who sign a few papers get paid millions. It doesn't make sense.

3. Galeano writes on page 7. "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

In Catholic Social Teaching they talk of something called, "Dignity of the Human Person." It pretty much means everyone is equal. In the quote above it is saying people aren't destined to live in poverty. If given the right opportunity they will be able to succeed just like anybody else.

4. Galeano finished on page 8, "History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What do these words mean? Why are they important?

History is something to look back on and figure out what went right and what went wrong. We can build off of previous events in our history to decide on how we will take our next step.

i am the last to post tonight and thus the last to post while in guatemala. i have most enjoyed being an observer of this dialogue and certainly have incredible pride for the work the students have done. for the parents, friends, and family who have "traveled" with us, it was always fuel to our tank to hear your voices each day as we went about our service, but mostly our learning here.

we have enjoyed each others company, we have enjoyed meeting many new people with exceptional stories, we have had a most memorable and incredible trip, again not enough can be said.

i know some of the kids have already mentioned father richard, he has become a favorite character here, but he came to breakfast yesterday with a quote i immediately embraced, i apologize for not knowing exactly but i believe he said it was by a woman named mary oliver who asked,

"what are you going to do with the rest of your wild and precious life." so glad guatemala with these people has been part of mine.

see you in hawaii and if not there somewhere else.

mahalo and aloha

A Life Understood

Good evening, all!

There are moments in your life when you begin to understand truth.  You start to realize what is important. These impressions inspire you to prioritize, they inspire you to act.  This trip has had many of those of moments.  I currently feel ground.  I currently feel inspired.

Words will not be able to capture this experience.  Photos will attempt just like words, but I am afraid they will also fall short.  I feel blessed beyond belief.  I feel ready to return to Kona and share many stories with those I care deeply about.

Thank you to all who have read, shared, and been a part of this experience.  Our students have been role models for other volunteers.  Father Richard said today, "Your group got it right.  Many groups come without focus and end up disrespecting the culture.  I have been greatly impressed with each of you."  I have never been so proud in my entire life.  The students represented themselves so well, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work and learn from each of them.  I cannot wait for them to come back and share their experiences with all of you in greater detail.

I am going to keep it short so that we can head back to the hotel, pack, and have our last reflection.  I chose my five favorite photos from the past few days.  Enjoy.

See many of you in Kona!

My favorite picture of the Parish.

Lifting cement buckets!

The group with Moi

The group with Father Richard

Echo and Melissa

Much love to all,

Nick

Guatemala 3/18/11

A few days ago we met a guy named Father Richard. He comes to Guatemala at least three times a year and helps out in a few different communities. For this trip he staid at the same Perish we did so we were able to see him and discuss very interesting topics. He is familiar with Guatemala so he was able to answer any question we asked him.

Today Father Richard invited us to a community where he was going to bless a building. The drive there was awesome, we were able to get a great view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. When we got to the community, Oho De Agua, the people immediately welcomed us in. We sat down in the building that was freshly made by another group staying at the Perish and waited as Father Richard got ready. He began the ceremony with introducing us and thanking everyone for the invitation.

The Blessing Ceremony was really interesting. It was like a miniature mass. There was a small band which played a few Spanish songs, Father Richard said a couple good jokes, and the people thanked the workers by giving them some traditional clothing that they made them. I'm glad I went but it was pretty awkward because im not religious at all.

After the ceremony, we went outside to leave. The people begged us to stay (which I thought was pretty cool) and eat lunch with them. While waiting for the food to be ready, Mr. Courtney and I played hacky sack. At first it was just us, but soon all of the kids from the community came to play. There were way too many people for hackysack so we got a soccer ball and played soccer with everyone. It was us against a million little kids. The lunch was also a traditional dish which Father Richard said was an honor to have.

We left after we had lunch to go back to the Perish. Once we got there, Father Richard invited us to another blessing later on in the day. At first we weren't sure if we should go but discussed it and all decided on going. It was a lot like the first blessing but Father Richard also blessed the communities water tank which was amazing. The people were so thankful about having clean water it made me realize how much we take our purified water for granted.

Overall this trip has been amazing. I am really glad my parents let me go. The thing I have realized the most is how much we take everything for granted. Father Richard told us a story about a friend he has here in Guatemala. The guy prays and thanks God for nearly everything he has. Right when he wakes up, "Thank you lord for another day", before he eats "Thank you lord for this meal", etc. Before this trip I didn't even think of how lucky we really are. I don't remember ever thanking anyone. I always thought things like water are normal, but really it's a luxury in most places. There are a lot of other things I have learned through this experience but I don't have enough time to write out every single thing. It sucks this trip is over, but I guess everything we learned will stick with us forever.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was another amazing day. One of the Priests of the Parish took a liking to our group over the past few days and he invited us to come with him this morning to bless a building that another group staying at the parish had built. It was a really amazing experience. Father Rich is a very interesting man. The town he took us to was about twenty minutes away and the drive was absolutely beautiful. I was sitting in the back of the truck so I had a perfect view of the lake and the mountains. It was more then beautiful, it was breathtaking. The blessing itself was an interesting experience. My favorite part was the music. They always have a band at mass. The individual sounds seem like they should not go together but somehow it works in an harmonious inharmonious way. Catholicism is a big part of the Guatemalan culture. Even though I am not Catholic it is really inspiring to see people have so much faith and trust in God. They thank Him for everything, nothing is taken for granted.

After the blessing, Father Rich gathered us up to leave but someone stopped him and insisted that we stayed because we had not been served yet. We went back to our seats and they brought out some sweet bread and these huge bottles of pepsi. I usually don't drink soda but I did today. after we had finished our refreshments we got up to leave again and as we were piling into the truck someone came out and insisted that we please don't leave because we had not eaten lunch! Wow. While we waited for lunch me and Ms. Gasparka striked up a conversation with some women. (On a side not,I have some funny stories about my spanish skills when I get home) We also got to play with the little kids, they are so cute. Melissa, Quitney, and I had a group of about twenty little girls around us and we were trying to teach them games. I am glad that we stayed longer. After we got back to the Parish we decided to walk up to the farm to say goodbye to Moi. He seemed truly touched that we came back to see him. He is a very inspiring man. He was telling us that he wished he was able to tell us his full story and about Guatemala and how he hopes that we will come back one day.

Father Rich invited us to go with him again to another blessing he was asked to do in another community. This time he called us up to sing a song about peace infront of the entire congregation. I think they were entertained. I would have been. I really love these people.

Today was the perfect ending to a perfect week. I guess all good things must come to an end, or do they. I have learned and experienced so much these past few days I hope I can find a way to use it, so it doesn't have to truly come to an end. I have realized something. I did not come here to help Guatemala I came here for Guatemala to help me.

I love everyone and see you in two days.

Buenos Noches

Final Night in Guatemala (SIETE)

Today was the perfect ending to a great trip. We all got invited to go with Father Rich to the blessing of a new building in Oho De Agua. The ceremony started off with a short mass and then it went on to thanking the men that built it. There was lots of music and a lot of people. They all seemed pretty happy about the new building and gave the builders hand woven jackets as a token of their appreciation. At the very end we got a huge bottle of Pepsi and a piece of sweet bread. We tried to leave by the community leader insisted that we stay and eat lunch with them so we stayed and had a wonderful meal. During the meal I got to meet the mayor of that community.  I, along with the rest of the girls also got to play with the little girls of the community and we had a blast. The girls are so adorable. Attending this blessing was very interesting and a great way to spend our last full day here.

However the excitement did not stop there. Father Rich then invited us to another blessing in San Juan Xiquinaba. This blessing was for Guadeloupe and to bless the water source. We started out at the church and had another mass where I got to be involved in a Communion. I was also lucky enough to have an older indigenous woman sit next to me. She was the sweetest old women I have ever met. We had to get up and sing a song about peace with Father Rich and we were laughed at but it was fun. We then moved on to a different location and blessed a school building, then another place for the water. We walked with the people and they also laughed at us. Today was my favorite day. I loved how they bless their water source because it is so vital to us, but in the U.S. we take so much advantage of it and take it for granted.

This trip was definitely the best trip I have ever been on. Of course there were bad parts and being with the same five people for ten days was hard, but we did it and even though I had a blast I am ready to come home. I will definitely come back and I want to be a long term volunteer, but I would like to come back by myself and experience Guatemala in a different way. I have met so many new people, but I don't feel like I got enough time with them and hear their complete story. So in short I have to come back. It is no longer an option. Guatemala and more specifically San Lucas will always have a special place in my heart.          

A day with Father Richard

       During our time in Guatemala, we made a fantastic relationship with a father at the church. His name is Father Richard. He invited us to come with him to San Antonio & Ohos de Agua to bless a couple buildings some of the volunteers at San Lucas built. It was really neat meeting all those people and getting to know them. In San Antonio, Cody, Mr. Courtney and I played soccer with the boys. I gave up shortly and made friends with the little girls. They were all adorable and fun to play with. I tried to teach them how to play hackey-sack and hot-potato. Hot-potato didn't go so well and they seemed to like throwing the hackey-sack at each other. We tried to leave San Antonio at noon but then the community leaders insisted on us staying for lunch. The people of San Antonio were very friendly and outgoing. When it was time to leave it was really hard to say bye because of how much I enjoyed spending time with the people.

    We got back to the parish in time to do our dish duty. A last minute decision was made to say goodbye to Moi at the farm. Echo got her last wishes of riding in a tuc-tuc which was pretty neat. Father Rich then invited us to come with him to Ohos de Agua to join him in mass; along with blessing a school and a water tank. The people of Ohos de Agua were much more cultural. Many of the elders in the community walked barefoot. In mass Father Richard introduced us to the whole community and made us sing a world peace song; it was really funny watching Ms. Gasparka sing. Sadly we had to head back to San Lucas but this day completed the whole trip. Getting to meet more people and seeing them smile made this trip even worth more than what it was. Everything that I've experienced and the people I have met on this trip has been a really great experience. I've learned so much more coming here and listening to the people tell their stories. I will  always remember the people I met and cherish every moment in Guatemala. I really look forward to the next time I come here to do a long-term mission.
      

Dear Family and Friends,

If you ask me what word I would use to describe today the first thing that comes to my head is concrete. We spent the day with an organization called Engineers without Borders. It was a day filled with more laughter and a lot of hard work. We spent the day shoveling dirt and carrying buckets of concrete up a mountain. We had a pretty good system going but it wasn't until some of the local workers joined our assembly line that things really got moving. We were struggling to simply hold these concrete filled buckets while they were literally throwing them to each other, AND catching them. Someone asked them if they could fill up the buckets a little less and the next thing we know, here comes a FIVE Gallon bucket making its way up the hill. This was supposedly very funny. I think I would have been laughing at us too. Tomorrow we have a pretty full day planned. I don't really want to think about it being our last day. There are actually people here who I am going to miss. I miss everyone at home too and I love you all. Thankyou to everyone who has responded to my posts, it means alot. Buenos Noches.

Echo

Guatemala Day (Sies)

Today was sooooo HARD, but super rewarding. We worked with Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo and his group Engineers without Borders. We worked on two different projects. The first involved us moving rocks and dirt to a certain location for it to level out the ground and to serve as a "natural filtering system." We had to dig so much but after learning what the project was ultimately for it was worth it. The second project was forming a line to move concrete to hold the pipes up. The ultimate project is a hydro-powered generator to generate energy for the people of La Providencia. I have never worked so hard, but it was amazing. I will sleep good tonight. 

Guatemala 3/17/11

Today we worked at a place called La Providencia. It is an area near San Lucas which has around 40 homes in all. We met up with Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo who is one of the managers of the hydroelectric project which plans on generating electricity for the homes in the community.

The work sucked. We had to carry buckets filled with concrete up a steep hill and into structures meant to hold the water pipe. At first it was only a few people carrying the buckets. But later on the community got together and helped out which ended up being fun working with people who couldn't speak the same language as me.

Today in La Providencia

Today we woke up early and headed to La Providencia, about twenty minutes from San Lucas. Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo invited us to come work on the project that he's been working on for a while. In La Providencia, we got to work with a college group from Wisconsin who were building a hydropower generator for the community. We were given the job to stack rocks and move dirt to make a path. After lunch we all got together and moved concrete up a hill, which I would have to say it got a bit exhausting. It was a great feeling to finish by 5:15. I think that today was the first day where we actually got the feeling how hard Guatemalans work, but it was overall really fun.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was another very very good day. Mr. Courtney introduced me to something wonderful, it is called the Bakery. Three words.... Best. Sweetbread. Ever. I don't think sweet bread could get any better. That is just one more reason to add to my list of reasons I want to come back. I hope everybody is doing well back home. I love you all. There is a family visiting the parish with a little girl and she reminds me of Winter and Nivee. Mom, please give them loves for me. The little kids here seriously melt my heart. We were able to work on the farm again today which so far has been my favorite job. The man in charge, his name is Moi, is one of my new favorite people. He has one of the most contagious laughs. I love it. It is inspiring.

I am sorry I can not write much, I have so much to say. I hope everybody is ready for me to talk for a really long time when I get home:)

Love,

Echo

P.S Mom will you please get on my email and check on my housing stuff for BYU? I tried calling home but no one answered and I tried leaving dad a message but I think the phone died. My password is the same as yours but with a 1. You might need to call BYU. I love you so much. Will you please let me know about this?

what is uniquely guatemalan? guatemalans show a profound gratitude for the day

To anyone who is reading this:

words cannot express and anything i have to say has already come through the thoughtful, insightful, and brilliant commentary of the students probably better than i could have depicted in my own words. That being said, I will offer my brief peace by saying that i keep waiting for the incredible joy of this trip to fade, i keep waiting for the kids to start complaining about the work, or start scrapping among themselves, or start looking forward to what happens when they get back...and yet more than half way into this i can say with the utmost sincerity that pretty much EVERY (every? yes every) moment we have passed here has been one that i have enjoyed.

for the kealakehe community: you have raised incredible individuals, what an honor to teach and learn with them.

my heart smiles. maybe thats not possible. but maybe it is - n courtney

Guatemala Day (CINCO)

Today was amazing!!! We got to work with two other men to help build a septic tank. (or should I say dig). We used a pulley system to pull up rocks from this very deep hole. The first part I did not have gloves so I will probably have blisters, but that is a sign of hard work. We got up a lot of rocks and I personally felt accomplished. The second part of the day we worked in the garden pulling weeds with Mois. He is a great guy with an amazing laugh. All and all today was very successful and rewarding. We are meeting and talking with more people which is our ultimate goal. Pulling the rocks up was great, but the fact that we talked to more people and made more connections with the locals made the day the most rewarding. This only makes me want to learn Spanish even more!!!!

For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on the farm with Moi. Of all the people I've met here in San Lucas, Moi is one of the most interesting person which this world needs more of. We is truly a great person that has a very cheerful personality. Moi really likes to laugh; which they are very contagious and uplifting. I'm looking foward to working more on the farm with him. After several hours at the farm, we headed back to the hotel to regroup and have a little free time. We walked out in the back of the hotel and saw Mr. Courtney and Ms. Gasparka shooting hoops on the basketball court so we challenged them for a round. It was really fun having a bonding moment that didn't include working on a project like the farm and temporary homes. We ended the day by eating dinner and watching the beautiful sunset that set in front of the parish. Today was another productive day which I can't wait to come back and share all of my experiences.

Guatemala 3/16/11

This morning we were informed that we would be working on the Sewage Tank project. No one really though much of it. When we arrived, we walked over to a huge hole in the ground filled with rocks and miniature boulders with a sketchy looking pulley above it. The pulley's structure was made of wood with a small rope attached to whatever makes the rest of the pulley. We spoke to the people working there and they showed us a quick example of what we had to do. First they had to pick up a rock which weighed a ton, then you had to have one person hold it while another raps a rope around in and attaches it to a metal hook. People at the top of the hole then pulled it up while trying as hard as they could to keep it from spinning and flying around. It was pretty sketchy work but after a few tries we were able to get a method down and almost completely empty the hole by the time we had to leave for lunch.

After we had lunch, which was the normal home-made tortilla and some sort of soup, we went to the farm to help out a guy named Moi. We did the normal weeding and talking to the people which was a good way to spend the rest of the day.

This morning was really fun. Margarito drove us towards the women's shelter to work on the sewage tank project. We removed all of the rocks out of the hole using a very sketchy looking rope and pulley. It was crazy when the local workers said that the hole had taken them over four months and that they weren't even half way done in finishing the hole. The work that we've done isn't nothing like what the local people do which I find it really crazy of how much work they do and how long it takes them. Right now we're reading to the farm to help Moi so we have to go so I will blog again when we get done at the farm.

Gracias

Hi all,

I titled this blog entry "gracias" because I think it is one of the key values we have honed in on.  To be grateful.  Guatemalans seems grateful for so much, and it has been inspiring to learn from their example.

This will be a short entry as we must head off to do a little bit more work this afternoon, but I wanted to quickly post some pictures!

The work has been easy and fun!  

Melissa carrying rocks up a hill.

Our goal was to clear out a path beside this temporary housing.  We might have cleared out five feet.

The group with Andreas.  He spoke poetically and powerfully.

Cody and Quitney picking weeds at the farm.

Learning time!

We are all very well.  Spirits are super high, and I think everyone is finding a lot of meaning in what they are learning and doing.  

I do want to thank everyone for all the comments and support.  It means so much to know that people are reading the blog and caring about what we are doing.  Muchas gracias!

Adios,

Nick

Dear Family and Friends,

So much to tell and so little time, I will try and squeeze in as much as possible. First of all, I hope everybody is doing well. Thank You everyone who has responded to my posts. I love you all.

I am having the most wonderful time. Every single second is filled with life. We have had the opportunity to hear from three different individuals in the community. This has given me a

lot to think about. The stories they have to tell are amazing; the faith and humility they show is amazing.

Today our group was assigned to work at the farm. Mr. Courtney knew the worker from when he volunteered during the summer so we enjoyed his company. I have realized something since I have been here. Many people come here(not completley excluding myself) with the mind set that they are here to do service and change the lives of the people of Guatemala. In reality the service we do will actually have little impact on their lives; all the work we do, they can easily do themselves and better. I need to be here to learn from them. I have gained the most satisfaction from this trip when I am actually interacting with people and talking and laughing. I have so many stories and everything I am writing is only a small part of what I want to write, so I am sorry but I have plenty to talk about when I get home. Once again I love everyone.

Echo

P.S What is the question your life is the answer to?

P.S Makenna the weather is very similar to Hawaii; sunny during the day, cold and rainy at night. I love You

P.S Seychelle, yes I have indeed. He is very cute. Too bad he is only two:) te amo:)

We didn't get to blog about yesterday because of how busy we were. Yesterday we worked for the first time, but only from the morning to noon. Margarito drove us to the temporary home's near the woman's shelter.  We carried rocks up the hill where they would later use it for the woman's shelter project. We also worked on clearing a path behind some of the homes, it was actually fun working although Mr.Courtney made a big deal about it being really terrible. Later on the afternoon we got to listen to Chona, the head cook at the parish, tell her story about what she experienced during the civil war in Guatemala. Her story was really powerful and very touching. After dinner we were invited to a man's home by the name of Andres. He talked about what he experienced and witnessed during the war. He also answered and gave his opinion's to our questions. There stories were have inspired me and given me a different perspective in life.

Stories of the People

Sorry to not have posted the last few days, we just have been really short on free time where we have access to internet.

Yesterday we started our first day of work. After hearing Mr. Courtney describe it as hot unbearable work, none of us were really looking forward to doing it. At the beginning of the day we had to carry rocks up a hill which would later be used for the women's shelter they built. I don't know what Mr. Courtney was talking about, but no one seemed to have a hard time with it. After that we had to dig holes, break rocks, carry rocks, and then fill the holes up with dirt. The rocks were used for the women's shelter and the filled holes were going to be used for a pathway between the temporary housing which is for the Hurricane Agatha victims.

After work, we went back too the Parish. A war victim named Chona came to tell us about her life story. The types of things she went through would've made her a hero in the Unites States. The amazing thing is, her story is common for the families here in Guatemala. After listening to Chona, we were invited to a man named Andreas's house. He witnessed the entire Civil War and gave us his opinions of why some things happened and others did not. He believes people should come to Guatemala more often. He says after seeing how amazing the Guatemalans are, they will understand the people deserve so much more then they have

We worked again today, but this time both in the morning and in the afternoon. We did some weeding at the farm which was very easy. It gave us time to socialize with the workers there. We had to leave early because of our appointment with Father Richard. He is a man that lives in the United States but comes to Guatemala regularly to preach Catholic Social Teaching. In our meeting, he told us some very important information and statistics of Guatemala and how much, if anything, has improved after the war.

Guatemala Day (CUATRO)

Sorry I missed day three but we were just so busy learning that we did not have time to blog. So I will incorporate what we did yesterday and today in one.

Yesterday we carried rocks up a hill in order for them to be used for the women shelter. We also helped clear a path that will be used in the housing area. It was hard work but it was not long and we had to wait around a lot for the rocks to be broken. We then heard a talk from an indigenous women about her experiences in San Lucas, with the mission, and her live during the war. It was very interesting and although it had to be translated, the message did not loose its passion. Later that night we went to the house of a local man and he also gave a very interesting account of the war and his hope for the future.

Today we worked in the garden pulling weeds and had a talk with Father Rich. He is from New York and gave us a very intriguing talk about the parish and life in Guatemala. He is a really cool guy. We have also continued reading Silence on the Mountain and having discussions about the book. It has been getting more interesting.

Well that is all for now. Buenos Noches!!!

Talks with the community

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know that we will not be able to blog today.  We have had an incredibly full day, and we are being rushed out of dinner to another talk this evening with a guy named Andreas.  He is going to talk to the students about the war.  We usually blog from 7PM - 8PM.  Alas, the talk was scheduled for this time period.

We are all doing well.  Learning a lot.  Beginning to serve the community.  We will make time tomorrow to allow everyone to post their reflections.

The students have mentioned how much they enjoy your comments.  Thank you for those!

Please be looking for a more detailed post tomorrow!

Adios,
Nick

Guatemala Day Two

Dear Family and Friends,

Today has been a very full day; a very good day. This morning we had the opportunity to take a boat ride across the lake to two different towns. The ride was beautiful. I learned that the lake actually used to be a volcano, but after it exploded it collapsed and turned into a lake. It is amazing to imagine a volcano that large. All of the towns water comes from the lake, but that is also where all of the towns waste goes. Clean water surely is blessing.

The first town we stopped by was Santiago and the second was Panahachel. All the towns we have been in have been very similar but very different. We did shopping at both places. That was an interesting experience. Multiple people came up to us with their goods asking us to buy, they can be very persistent. It is hard to say "no gracias" and walk away especially to the little kids. When we were eating lunch a little boy came up to our table and wanted to sell some match boxes. He was probably when of the cutest little boys I have ever seen. I had the thought that what he was doing, is probably what he has to do everyday. Why have I been so blessed. I have everything I could ask for and more but there are so many people in this world who don't and back home I never even have to think about it.

I need to finish up because the parish is especially letting our group use the internet for blog and it is getting time to close up. I love everyone and you will be hearing more from me tomorrow.

Exploring Guatemala

Since I never got to talk about yesterday, I will talk about what we did today and yesterday. Yesterday we got to tour all the projects that the San Lucas Church sponsors. We got the visit the women's shelter, the medical center, and the coffee planation which empowers a lot to the people in the community. Today we got to take a boat to Santiago where we did a little shopping. We also visited the church where Father Stan was assassinated. It was amazing that we were actually standing in the area where he was assassinated. After an hour in Santiago, we traveled down to Panahachel. Both towns were a lot different than San Lucas. They were more tourist attractions than San Lucas. When we got off the boat, there were many aggressive people who would try to sell you merchandise. There were even some that were begging for money. It was really sad to see all of these people who make a living by doing this. It was really hard turning them down. Overall though, today went well. It was exciting to see more of the country and experiencing the differences of the three towns.

Guatemala Day (DOS)

Today was another great day. We woke up around 6:45 to go to mass at 7 and I was surprised to know most of what they were saying. Even the night before as Ms. Gasparka and a local man had a conversation I was pleased to discover that I can actually understand a lot more than I thought I could. "Yo comprendo espanol pero yo no hablo espanol," has been my new phrase. It was very interesting to be surrounded by the local people in their church and participate in their religion. It was even more interesting to be in a Catholic church and see what their service consist of.

Today we also went shopping and we got to ride on a boat to go to Santiago and Panajachel. When we went to Santiago we went to the church that Father Stan was assassinated. If you don't know who that is he was the priest of the parish in Santiago. He was killed because he confronted the army about their lies and was killed because of it. The church was in the middle of mass so we could not go in the room, but just being there was powerful. The town of Santiago was really crowded because it was market day, but we go to go shopping and interact with the locals. We then moved on to Panajachel where we ate and shopped some more. The food was amazing and cheap. The selling tactics are a little aggressive, but when that is there way of an income you can understand and feel a little sympathetic.

It was a long and eventful day, but it was a blast. Tomorrow we begin work so the service part will begin, but the exiting part is that we will continue to learn even more than we did today.

Lake Atitlan Abounds

Good afternoon, ya'll!

It has been an awesome two days.  I will keep my words short and choose to fill this blog with pictures/videos.  They are below.

Trips like this always remind me of what is important.  I have been overwhelmed by the experience thus far in such a positive way.  Everyone is thinking critically about why they are here, what it means to be here, and how we can really begin to understand Guatemala and the people of San Lucas.  "Fall in love. Stay in love.  And it will determine everything."

Enjoy the pictures!

View from the roof of our hotel

In front of the Women's Center (what an incredible place that just opened up this year after being in construction for over a decade)

Coffee harvest for this year

Quitney taking in the lake!

Ride over to Santiago

San Pedro Volcano

Santiago (location where Father Stan was killed during the war)

Ms. Gasparka reading the dictionary, Echo smiling

Quitney thinks, Cody and Melissa read "Silence on the Mountain"

On our way home from visiting Santiago and Panajachel!

Video below.

So, we waited an hour for the video to upload, but we had no success.  We'll try again another time.  I want to let the students write!

Adios!

Nick

Guatemala Day 1

Dear Family and Friends,

I am here. It is real. I have enjoyed every single second of this experience. I really don't know if I can adequately describe my thoughts and feelings, but I am sure that you are interested as to what we have been doing since we have been here. We arrived at the airport yesterday at around 2:30 and had a volunteer from the parish and the man who was to drive us to San Lucas waiting for us. The city was very loud and very crowded. The drive to San Lucas was beautiful. About half way, traffic came to a standstill and after our driver got out of the bus to check things out, he explained that traffic was stopped because there was a protest going on. This was very interesting to me. Apparently people were protesting about the lack of electricity;an eye opener for sure.

The man in the truck in front of us took the opportunity to sell the pineapples in the back of his truck. This is when I realize that almost everyone was carrying a machete. I was really tempted to buy a pineapple and ask someone to cut it for me with their machete, since that was what everybody else was doing. I also thought that was very interesting.

I really wish I could speak spanish. I apparently say "Gracias" funny, but thats ok. I want really badly to be able to just start talking to people and have a conversation. All the people we have met so far have been very nice. They are very good people.

We had a tour of the parish and its different projects today. I am very impressed with the parishes deep love and concern for the people of San Lucas. It is completely unselfish. Our tour guides explained that all of their projects are run almost completely by the people. They believe in the expressed felt need of the people. This means that the people of San Lucas tell the Parish what they need and the Parish helps them to achieve it. I think this is beautiful.

I love all of the different things that I have seen so far. Alot of things have made me sad, but alot of things have made me happy. Everything is so different from what I am used to but it doesn't seem uncomfortable or awkward.

Apparently I am taking a really long time but I hope my thoughts are not too scattered. I will have much more to write tomorrow. Buenos Noches.

incredible. i feel so indescribably grateful for what this trip has already been. The students have been exceptionally engaged, thoughtful, inquisitive... the community of san lucas makes an impression at every turn; it is a beautiful challenge to try and process this all.

Finally Made It

It only took twenty six hours but we've finally gotten to San Lucas. The plane rides and multiple five hour lay overs sucked, but I guess it's all part of the experience. The food and coffee here is really good. We are also receiving a lot of gifts (homework) which is keeping us occupied. I don't know what to write so i'll just add more later.

Guatemala Day UNO

Hola everyone!!! We got to Guatemala safely and it is amazing. The journey here was a long one but definitely a great part of the experience. The drive to the hotel was also super amazing especially at night as you could see the stars and the volcanoes in the background. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever experienced. If I had a pro camera with me I could have captured its beauty but any other camera would not have done it justice. San Lucas is an amazing town and the people are so colorful. We went on a tour today of the town and the different projects the parish is involved in and it is so inspiring to see all of these good things happen. The coffee is also a great part of this trip and to know where it came from makes it taste that much better. The people are really friendly as are the long term volunteers. I have already learned so much about Guatemala and I know I will learn so much more. We have not been to the lake yet but we will visit it soon. I am just so happy we are here and even though I am a little jet-lagged I could not be more energetic to be here and learn everything I can. This place is so full of culture and stories just waiting to be known and shared.  

Arriving to Guatemala

Guatemala is nothing like I imagined it. It took us five hours to get to San Lucas from the airport. The city was very crazy. The way people drive here is a lot different than at home. We got to see the three volcanoes, Atitlan, Toloman, and Agua, which was pretty exciting because we could see the smoke coming out of them. The night was beautiful, there were many people out on the streets were filled with people celebrating a festival. This this first day has been a great start.

Tired but energized...

Buenos dias, all!

After 26 hours of travel, we have finally made it to San Lucas, Guatemala!  We left at 2:00PM (Hawaii Time) on Thursday and arrived in San Lucas at 8:00PM (CST) on Friday.

Spirits are high though many may be fatigued.  We awoke this morning to a clear sunny day with an excellent vision of the volcanoes that surround the community.  We just had breakfast and found out that we had dishes duty first thing!  So, the students are currently washing all the dishes, cleaning the tables, and putting away the food.  They jumped right in and have almost finished.

Our plan after breakfast is to go on a tour of all of the projects that Church is currently operating.  We are excited to learn more about each of these opportunities that the Parish provides to the community in San Lucas.

Well, below are a few pictures that we have taken thus far.  We will post again later this afternoon when we have more time!  Onwards to the tour...

Los Angeles Airport

Sleeping at Houston Airport

Arrival at Guatemala Airport

Adios,

Mr. Courtney