Highlights from Free Travel

After 8 weeks of Spanish classes and living with host families here in Guatemala City, we had a week of free travel where we could go anywhere we wanted (within reason, of course). Our group of 20 students split up into smaller groups and most people headed to the beach, but my group of five people decided to do something a little bit different - we headed into the rural highlands, and we got to see a whole new side of Guatemala.

We started at an agroecology center, which is working to preserve the rapidly-disappearing cloud forests. We had a 3-day trek, parts of which took us through the beautiful cloud forest, and in other parts took us through what had been the cloud forest just three months ago but has since been destroyed. We spent several days in Semuc Champey, where we enjoyed the beautiful limestone pools, and ended back at the agroecology center, and came back to the city yesterday.

Highlights from the trip:

Our trek took us through many areas accessible only by foot, which meant that not many foreigners make it to that part of Guatemala. We were a spectacle in most of the towns that we passed. At one point we were coming up to a rural K'ekchi' school, and as we walked closer we realized that all of the kids were coming out to watch us, and by the time we got to the school, all of the students and teachers were outside by the path. The five people in my group faced the large group of kids, and our K'ekchi' guide told us that the kids wanted us to sing a song in English. We sang 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.' They sang us a song, and they we sang 'Father Abraham' to them, complete with motions. They may have thought we were crazy, but we had a great time.

Our K'ekchi' guide, Victor, became a good friend throughout the trip. He patiently taught us many K'ekchi' phrases, which we loved practicing with the locals. The K'ekchi' people often looked surprised when we greeted them with a K'ekchi greeting. We spent two nights with K'ekchi host families. One of these nights, two of the the guys in my group played tag with some of the local kids who didn't really know any Spanish, and it was really fun to watch them interact in a universal game of tag where it didn't matter that we couldn't all speak the same language. We spoke a lot of Spanish throughout the trip with other people, and more often than not Spanish was everybody's second language, which was really cool.

In Semuc Champey, we had the opportunity to do a caving adventure one morning. Candle in hand, we entered the cave, walking through water and at times swimming, holding the candle out of the water. We climbed up and down several ladders and a waterfall, and had a great time. At one point the guide said we were 5 kilometers underground, although we were skeptical that we were that far under. It was really cool.

We had a great time, busy as it was. It was great to be out of the city and in the middle of the mountains. We helped plant some trees, played in a river, explored three different caves, trekked through the cloud forest, ate some good food, hiked through mud, conversed with some Mormans from the US, had crazy run rides in the back of many pick-ups, spent time laying in the middle of (abandoned) roads looking at the vast expanse of stars, went swimming in beautiful natural limestone pools, and had many great views.

Next we're heading to Chiapas, Mexico for a week and a half, where we'll live with a coffee-farming community. Another chance to get out of the city for a while, which is okay with me, and more chances to make many more great memories!

Looking at Human Rights

Throughout our stay here in Guatemala, we’ve been learning about Guatemala’s violent history. This week we had a lecture about human rights in present-day Guatemala, and we’re learning how the past is affecting present-day Guatemala. I have had a hard time comprehending the extent and intensity of the violence, but one experience last week helped me to understand this violent history a little bit better. We had the chance to visit the Forensic Anthropologists Foundation, which works to exhume bodies of individuals or of mass graves. The bodies are identified when possible, examined for trauma, and returned to their families for a proper burial. We were able to see a few skeletons currently under examination. Then we went to a storage room filled with boxes. Rows and towers of boxes stretched from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, only leaving enough room for pathways to pass through the room. Each box had an identifying case number, a date, and a place. Each box contained a skeleton that was waiting to be examined. Walking through that room was a sobering experience, and somewhat unnerving. Knowing what was in the boxes, it was difficult to walk through the room. I would have rather been somewhere else, but it helped me to better understand how the past is affecting present time. Guatemalans cannot forget or escape from what happened in the past. Thousands of families whose loved ones disappeared or were killed still to this day do not know what happened or where the bodies of their loved ones are resting, waiting to be unearthed and given a proper burial.

As a citizen of the United States whose family long ago laid roots in the US, I can assume that my ancestors have not endured much persecution, if any, in the last several decades or centuries. As a US citizen, I was born with rights and access to medical care, security, education, housing, and so much more. I have the right to have a name. I have access to capital. I have opportunities to study and travel, to spend a semester in Mexico and Guatemala. I can live in relative freedom and peace. I take these things for granted. These are things that some Guatemalans do not have.

To my knowledge, none of my ancestors’ towns or villages have disappeared. Unarmed communities were not attacked or bombarded. No one had to flee to survive, and no one disappeared. None of my ancestors endured physical or psychological torture. My ancestors did not have members of their community turn against them. They may have had to fight for some rights, but future generations reap the benefits, and forget any struggles that their ancestors may have endured. My ancestors did not live in fear of violence. They may have faced hard times, but most likely their lives were nothing compared to the lives of Guatemalans here who have faced these atrocities in recent decades. My ancestors did not have to live through a genocide. Unfortunately, many Guatemalans today have.

In the past, some Guatemalans were afraid to stay, while others were afraid to leave. Many were afraid to say what was wrong, and those that did may have faced persecution, discrimination, or torture. Life was not easy. However, life here is improving. It’s a process, but Guatemalans are discovering and using their voices. The indigenous are no longer invisible, and they’re becoming active in a society where Ladinos, or those of European decent, are much more powerful. Programs have been implemented in school to help the younger generations become aware of what happened. Some people today still don’t realize or believe the extent of the war, but more are learning the true reality of everything that has happened in Guatemala’s history.

Through reading books, visiting places here in Guatemala, and hearing lectures, our group is also learning more about what happened here. Sometimes it’s not easy to hear what happened. Even after being here for several weeks, it’s hard to fully understand how the violent past has affected present-day Guatemala. As I’m learning about what happened here, I’m taking the time to think about my own life, my country’s history, what my family has or hasn’t endured, but most of all, how fortunate I am. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to live here for a few months, to study the language, but also for many more things including this country’s history. Most of all, I’m grateful for my rights, and I’m trying to figure out how to not take them for granted as I live in this country where many people are still fighting for their rights.

Becoming Home

I've settled into a routine here. My family knows my level of Spanish, and they're great at finishing sentences for me or correcting a wrongly conjugated verb, so we can communicate without too much effort. For meals, I sit at the same spot at the table, and I help set the table and wash the dishes afterward. The dog usually comes for some daily attention. I know when I like to leave for the bus in the morning, I stand on the same street corner while I wait for the bus, and some of the same people pass me every morning on their way to school or work. In the afternoon, I walk with the same group of people to catch the bus home. I sit in the same seat in Spanish class everyday. I'm finding my place here.

We've been here for several weeks already, which is hard to believe - we've crammed a lot into that time, learned a lot, and studied a lot of Spanish. Things are never "normal" here, and probably will never be, because there are always things that I misunderstand due to language barriers, and our schedule changes a little bit from week to week. However, the longer I'm here, the closer I come to finding a new "normal" as this place becomes home.

Having said that, I continue to be surprised when I discover new things. I walk the same route every day, but only recently discovered that I pass a bread shop. A new part of my routine is to wait for the amazing smell of freshly baked bread, which reaches me about 3 steps past the shop. I continue to learn new things about my family that come up in conversation that I hadn't known before. I'm hearing many new Spanish words, a portion of which I actually remember, but my vocabulary is increasing (I hope - sometimes it's hard to tell). We're seeing more of the city, and also traveling to places outside of Guatemala City.

Some things are "normal" and some are new, and the combination is creating a unique experience that I'm enjoying. Things aren't always easy or comfortable, and sometimes I have a day that could have gone better, but I know that a well-rounded experience is best. Familiarity mixed with new is the perfect combination to make me aware of my surroundings, yet comfortable in them. This place has become home.

A Host Family´s Hospitality

We arrived in Guatemala last Tuesday, January 25th. Thursday night was our first night with our host families. My host family is big - parents, 2 host sisters, a host brother, a cousin, an uncle and aunt, and a grandma, and some pets as well. I´m the 10th person, so the house feels quite full when everybody´s there. We spend all of our time there, and they rent a room down the street that I share with my my mom and 2 sisters. We´re hardly there except to sleep.

It has been an interesting experience, and I´m learning a lot from my host family. They are very patient with me, have showed me great hospitality, and have adopted me as one of their own. I´ve shared in many family activities with them - I´ve gone to church with them, shared many meals, made tortillas, watched movies, gone to the store, and participated in nightly family meetings of prayer, singing, and reading the Bible. Best of all, they´re willing to repeat or rephrase Spanish for me if I don´t understand, or teach me what I don´t know. No one in the house speaks English, more than a few words. It´s hard sometimes, but it will definitely help my Spanish!

Spanish has been going well for me, and I´m enjoying learning more. I´ve had many conversations with my host family already. I usually can´t say exactly what´s on my mind because my vocab isn´t that great yet, but I can get my point across.

The best times, though, are when language doesn´t matter. I can laugh along with them, or share a smile. I probably don´t understand their jokes or what is funny to the same extent as them, but I can still share a smile or laugh.

Secretly, though, I love their dog Spike. He may come when called or be quiet when they tell him to be (sometimes), but he doesn´t speak Spanish or always understand what´s going on...just like me!

Faces at the Border

Two Wednesdays ago, a group of 20 EMU students and our 2 leaders began our cross-cultural experience. The semester will include a week at the US/Mexico border with a focus on immigration and border issues, 2 months in Guatemala studying Spanish and other aspects of Guatemalan culture while we live with host families, and about 2 weeks in Southern Mexico where we'll learn about a coffee cooperative stationed there as well as experience how this community lives as we again stay with host families. We'll also have a week of free travel, where we have the opportunity to go to any place of our choice. It will be a busy semester, but I'm looking forward to it!


We just got back from our week at the border and are preparing to head to Guatemala. Our schedule this past week kept us busy, and sometimes we had 3 or 4 different activities or visits in one day. Some of these included visiting a Detention Center, the Desert Museum, church with a local Mexican congregation, the Migrant Resource Center, various activities around the border, a shelter, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, a journey through the desert, a prayer vigil remembering those who didn't make it, a Border Patrol station, a coffee cooperative, and more.


In general, there were so many things to take in, but I think what affected me the most was the faces I saw - faces of migrants, of the deported, of the detained, of the rejected. Hearing stories about these kinds of people is one thing, but putting real live faces to those stories turned the stories into reality. Right now, I could not tell you exactly what those faces looked like, and their exact descriptions are already fading from my memory. What I do remember is how I felt when I saw those faces - a sort of shock as I realized that those faces were going through the hardships of everything that we talked or learned about through the week. Detainees at the Detention Center, members of the church, a man who came into the Migrant Resource Center looking for help right after being deported, the men at the shelter, our desert guides pointing out migrants in the desert waiting to cross the border, men and women at the factory, names on crosses at the prayer vigil, men and women at the coffee cooperative - all of these people were affected in some way by the border. Each has a unique story to tell, different from any other person's story. Through physically seeing all of these people, the things we learned about suddenly began to make sense.


I understand now that I can't stereotype migrants into one category. I can't assume I know or understand their reasons for wanting to cross the border. I learned that even through the journey may have been hard, many of those people want to tell their story and want others to listen. I now want to be that person who listens and wants to help.


Many times throughout the week, I wondered what those people thought of me and of our group - mostly white US citizens, given tours and access to many places, young people with money for travel and for school. Sometimes I felt like a tourist, which I didn't like. Those experiences when I was a student, learning, regardless of how I looked or how others perceived me - there was so much to take in, to experience, to learn firsthand. I'm still confused about how exactly I feel about many issues surrounding the border and immigration, and the more I learned, the more I realized I don't know or understand. I do know that the faces and firsthand experience helped everything to connect, and the things I take away from this week will be greatly influenced by seeing them.