Felicidad...

I need to blog today: we're in the middle of a tropical storm--Arthur is the name, I believe. Anyway, lots of intense rain and such. Schools were called off today because of flooding and dangerous roads. We still had our volunteer work, but we only have a few students come to our programs. All day, my clothes were soaking wet, and it was very cold, but it wasn't too miserable somehow. Guatemala is an experience. For example, yesterday I went with some friends to the most beautiful lake, Lake Atitlan, located at the feet of some incredible volcanos. On our way back, we took the infamous Chicken Buses. Imagine a typical US school bus, but really old and rickety, crammed with adults, three per seat and more in the aisles standing. At one point, I was on the edge of a seat with three generations of Mayan women. We were toward the front of the bus, so I could see our reflection in the driver's mirror. I was captivated by the juxtapostion of cultures: those three beautiful women in their amazing colorful traditional clothing, and this blonde, white girl in her black nike sweatshirt. It was so fascinating, and I couldn't help but grin and love it. It wasn't the most comfortable of transportation, and there was an overwhelming sausage smell, but it was a great experience. And the storm today was an experience as well. It's not everyday that I get to take Spanish class by candlelight at 8am and drink tea made of herbs grown in the highlands of Guatemala.

Today, Jaime, the founder/director of this school--an amazing man who's had an incredible backgroud...i think he was a priest for awhile--was talking to our group. He was talking about his reasons for starting the school and the philosphy behind it all. He gave a bunch of statistics about how few kids get good opportunities for education and it just perpetuates the poverty and such. He was saying how because he had the opportunity to study two fields in college and such that he was obligated to provide others those opportunities. He gave an illustration: we all have 5 cents. one cent is for breakfast, one for lunch, one for dinner, one for our transportation, and one for a snack. If we evaluate our lives, we can see that we probably don't need that snack--it is an extravagance that we really can live without and going without it might be healthier for us in the long run. And if we evaluate further, we find that we probably don't need to use that one cent for our own private transportation, but that we can take the bus or walk or ride a bike. By doing one of those things, we are better able to connect with other human beings, especially those we want to serve who cannot afford to spend that one cent on their own car. So in the end, after we evaluate and simplify our lives, we find that we have two cents to share with those who really need it. It was an interesting illustration. Then he went on to talk about how some students asked mother theresa, "how much should I give? How much is enough?" and she replied, "give until it hurts." Jaime talked about how we need to give from our hearts and recognize the power of community and identify with those we serve instead of just presenting a gift and then abandoning those relationships. It should be more than simple charity, but it is investing in lives and working together to improve our situations. It was a pretty amazing talk.

Also, this week, a group of about 15 art/social justice students from cali came to the school. they're focusing on developing a sustainable project to give students in impoverished areas more opportunities for art for self-development and creative exploration---such a cool project. I'm excited to learn from them as well, and I just feel so incredibly thankful to be able to connect with these people and learn from them.

Thankful. That has been the word of this experience....I'm overwhelmed by the gift of these people and these experiences and those who support me here and at home. In the words of a friend quoting a character in a Kurt Vonnegut book today, "If this isn't happiness, what is? "