Dear Donors and Friends of CCE,
Well, it wasn’t a fluke! We just experienced another incredible children’s cultural exchange. Logistics and participants were different, but the overall results were the same --- an understanding that our similarities as human beings far outnumber our cultural differences. We are all equally ¨Guatemaltecas¨ and members of the world population, with the same hopes and dreams for our future.
This year we started in the capital city. The 5 girls from San Juan la Laguna came across the lake early on Monday morning with their adult coordinator, Juan Carlos Mendoza. Medoh, Trinidad (our driver), and I met them with breakfast in hand and we stopped at the beautiful lookout spot high above the lake to enjoy our meal.
When we arrived in the city, we went directly to Los Romeritos to pick up the 5 girls, Jaime Marcia (the adult coordinator from the city), and Lorena Norris (our CCE volunteer from Oregon). We loaded their gear and proceeded to SETECA, the seminary where we spent days and nights in the Casa Grande. This arrangement is great because we can all stay in the house together! Our nighttime activities were quite interesting...the girls made candles for their moms and origami. We had a band come to play for us, and the girls danced, clapped and sang to the lively music. We were treated to a lunch at Pollo Campero's (equivalent to Kentucky Fried Chicken), which was a lifetime experience for most! Daytime activities included a stroll around the national cathedral, feeding the pigeons in central park (and a bit of chasing, too), and a visit to the Children’s Museum. We visited 2 homes of the city girls, chatting with family members.
We traveled to Antigua to a hotel where we spent one night. We visited the church of Hermano Pedro, who is the only person from Guatemala to receive sainthood. We also visited the Mayan ancient music museum.
Our trip to Panajachel and the lake was taken late afternoon, so we were crossing the lake at dusk, with a nervous JoAn. The girls all slept in the same room at the home of Juan Carlos´ in-laws. The energy in San Juan la Laguna was electrified with the celebration of the procession of Maria Madre to a different house for the year accompanied by many fireworks and bands throughout the village. It was an exciting time for the girls and the whole population of the village. In the evenings, the girls made piñatas and enjoyed walking the streets of the village, which is not possible in the city. We visited the cemetery and climbed the Hill of the Cross. One afternoon we trekked to Crystal Bay for a refreshing swim. We visited 3 of the girls´ homes, chatting with the parent in T´zutujil.
The remarkable difference between this year’s dynamics and last year is that the girls bonded a lot quicker. What a pleasant site to see them walking down the streets of San Juan, arm in arm. They will be exchanging addresses and hopefully staying in touch that way. The girls weren’t quite as rambunctious as the boys and very affectionate. The ages ranged from 8 to 14.
A big THANK YOU to each of you for your support, which came in many forms! We appreciate your monetary donations, discounts, volunteer time, and especially your prayers. Without you, this project would not exist. We appreciate your being a part of reducing racism and bringing a deeper understanding to 10 girls in Guatemala.
Adios y abrazos,
JoAn and the other ODIM volunteers
Well, it wasn’t a fluke! We just experienced another incredible children’s cultural exchange. Logistics and participants were different, but the overall results were the same --- an understanding that our similarities as human beings far outnumber our cultural differences. We are all equally ¨Guatemaltecas¨ and members of the world population, with the same hopes and dreams for our future.
When we arrived in the city, we went directly to Los Romeritos to pick up the 5 girls, Jaime Marcia (the adult coordinator from the city), and Lorena Norris (our CCE volunteer from Oregon). We loaded their gear and proceeded to SETECA, the seminary where we spent days and nights in the Casa Grande. This arrangement is great because we can all stay in the house together! Our nighttime activities were quite interesting...the girls made candles for their moms and origami. We had a band come to play for us, and the girls danced, clapped and sang to the lively music. We were treated to a lunch at Pollo Campero's (equivalent to Kentucky Fried Chicken), which was a lifetime experience for most! Daytime activities included a stroll around the national cathedral, feeding the pigeons in central park (and a bit of chasing, too), and a visit to the Children’s Museum. We visited 2 homes of the city girls, chatting with family members.
We traveled to Antigua to a hotel where we spent one night. We visited the church of Hermano Pedro, who is the only person from Guatemala to receive sainthood. We also visited the Mayan ancient music museum.
The remarkable difference between this year’s dynamics and last year is that the girls bonded a lot quicker. What a pleasant site to see them walking down the streets of San Juan, arm in arm. They will be exchanging addresses and hopefully staying in touch that way. The girls weren’t quite as rambunctious as the boys and very affectionate. The ages ranged from 8 to 14.
A big THANK YOU to each of you for your support, which came in many forms! We appreciate your monetary donations, discounts, volunteer time, and especially your prayers. Without you, this project would not exist. We appreciate your being a part of reducing racism and bringing a deeper understanding to 10 girls in Guatemala.
Adios y abrazos,
JoAn and the other ODIM volunteers