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ALEC Abroad

Guatemala … Forever Special in Our Hearts!

26Jun

by Jenna Howell

Today, we have had an amazing day and have seen so much! Sadly, we left the beautiful Ring of Fire and headed to see some Mayan ruins. It was very interesting to see the remains of the second Mayan capitol.

Even the bus rides are great, seeing the country side and all the towns we have passed through. One thing I have really enjoyed is how much geography we have covered over the course of our adventure.

We ended today where we started, with some final shopping in Antigua and dinner at the first restaurant at which we ate.

Dale and Carolina from AGTEC and the Colorado (Philanthropiece) group met us for dinner. It was great to see everyone once again and say goodbye. 

As we are winding down here in Guatemala, we seem sad. Here is this amazing country that has opened our eyes to things we never thought existed, and we are just turning around and heading home. I feel like we are leaving all these people behind.

They have taught me so much, and I hope I made a difference with them like they made with me. Going through all my pictures I find myself smiling and tearing up all at once. To me, these pictures come to life. The colors here are vibrant and alive! This is real, these people, this amazing country; it exists and has stolen a part of my heart!

Antigua, The Lake, Chichi … they were gorgeous and amazing to see but these towns (to me) are NOT the real Guatemala. 

We have seen the TRUE Guatemala!

I speak for myself, but I think all of my Guatemala family would agree when I say that this experience has been an emotional roller coaster.  We have all missed home but also have seen and been exposed to things we never thought existed.

We have been touched personally by families and children. We have celebrated, gone through hard times, and encouraged each other through this whole journey. We have rejoiced and cried together. We have all become more than a study abroad group … we have become a family. I am so thankful for all the friendships I am taking home from this experience.

This has been an experience of a lifetime. I would choose this adventure again over any other study abroad. I cannot wait to go back and try to bring our stories and pictures to life. I want our stories to be known, and I cannot wait to recruit to future students. This has changed my life, opened my eyes, and humbled me.  

Counting my Blessings.

Guatemala … forever special in our hearts!

She Gave … Everything.

25Jun

by Caroline Black

As Caroline Black enjoys her “cultural appreciation” at the beautiful Lake Atitlan, she reflects on her final day of service in the Ixil region.  Below are her thoughts.

Thursday marked our final day of service in Guatemala. Our crew spent the morning at a school in Batzul (outside of Chajul). We played games with the students all morning, reviewing basic plant names and parts taught last week during our two visits. Additionally, to further explain why we made organic pesticides last week, we played a game where we (Aggies and the Batzul kids) were all divided into three teams: Plants, Pesticides, & Insects. Depending on your assigned roll, the “plants” were protected by the “pesticides.” If tagged by an “insect” the “plant” died (squatted then stood up again), but if the “pesticide” tagged the “insect” while protecting the “plant” the “insect” had to run back to a base and start over again… I was a “plant” and I must brag on my “pesticide” Victor… he did an awesome job keeping me alive!

After playing our games, the students made mini lombricomposturas in dixie cups, for the students to take home to their families. I hope at least one kid will teach his or her parents the information we shared with them…That would be awesome!

During the morning’s activities, I met a little girl. Her name: Elda.

Elda quickly became my friend and wanted multiple pictures taken. She handed me her workbook and had me write my name down for her. She also showed me the las gatas (cats) she had drawn… my response, “iMuy bonita!”

Before we left the school, I heard someone yell “Carolina, Carolina” and it was Elda. She reached out her hand and presented me a little plastic nob — her gift to me. I was startled by her act of kindness and immediately asked “for me?” Her answer was a grin that read “yes.” I wish I had had something to give to her in return, but all I had was a hug and we took another picture together.

 A plastic nob — maybe a piece from an old hair pin? I’m not sure — but she willingly gave. It was pretty humbling, if you ask me.

Elda serves as one of many examples of the culture we’ve been a part of over the last 20 days. It’s the individuals like Elda who have made this trip priceless.

These people have given all that they have to welcome us into their homes, schools, offices, and even futbol games to share their smiles, friendship, love, life…and culture.

I’m very thankful for the Elda’s of Chajul. I only hope I gave half of what they have each given to me…

 Tantiuxh Elda, Tantiuxh!

(Tantiuxh is “thank you” in Ixil)

Give Me Some Coffee!

23Jun

by Poleth Robledo

Friday morning in Chajul! We woke up with a bittersweet feeling. It was the last full day in Chajul, and our group was heading out to AGROS, a coffee farm on the edge of Nebaj in Rio Azul.

For the trip, the girls decided to take a little extra time to get dolled up, after spending two weeks in T-shirts and dirty jeans.

Ready for the coffee farm, the gang loaded up in a microbus with Reynaldo, our driver for the past two weeks who has gotten us safely to our destinations.

It was a short ride to the coffee farm, where our team was under the impression that we were having lunch, but that changed upon arrival. Thank goodness we packed our flexibility!

Jake, our group leader, saved the day by setting up a reservation in Nebaj for us. After a fun-filled tour through AGROS, the team was ready for a delicious and most definitely filling lunch in town.

Next, we headed back to the Limitless Horizons Ixil office for a heart-warming goodbye party with the staff.

We shared our last feelings among the group, and a game of musical chairs proceeded to get the real party started. Dancing around with the LHI students, with whom we have spent most of our time in Chajul, filled the room with excitement and joy.

Cake completed the festivities, and off to the Posada we headed to pack and spend our last night with the wonderful staff who have dealt with us for the past two weeks.

Once again, that bittersweet feeling rose and filled the Posada as our team packed and cleaned up what we called home for two weeks.

Hasta luego, Chajul, the small town in Quiché that touched all of our hearts!

…and then it was done, for now.

23Jun

by Gary Wingenbach

At some point in life, we all have the same nagging doubt, “if only I knew then what I know now, it would’ve been much different.” I could’ve acted differently. I would’ve, or wouldn’t have, said what I said. Damn it all, if only I had known that time was running out!

We seldom get the chance to purposefully plan our thoughts, actions, and deeds when we know the imminent end of something is near. But, that shouldn’t keep us from purposefully planning our future thoughts, actions, and deeds for living a different life because of our most recent experience.

That is how we find ourselves, 10 Aggies, three ALEC faculty members, and one future Aggie, preparing to leave Chajul, Guatemala this morning. Our time here was too short, but we vow to live our lives differently because of the changes Chajul has made in us.

Ironic, we came to Chajul to collaborate with the Philanthropiece Foundation and Limitless Horizons Ixil in service-learning projects that would change lives in several mountainous villages. Chajul and her villages of Visuchuj, Batzul, and Ixla, changed us!

Now we are more open-minded about rural development. We are more tolerant and accepting of each other. Certainly, after many “it’s just a short hike” warnings, we’re more in shape now than when we arrived. Probably most of all, we are less naive about the necessities of life.

We could not help but be changed by the thousands of warm smiles, waves, and greetings every place we visited. We could not help but be changed by Jake Matlak and Laura Myers, our ever positive, upbeat, and energetic cultural program leaders. Thank you Jake and Laura! Thank you so much for understanding that the transition from a U.S. cultural perspective to what you now see from our group is an arduous undertaking. Thank you for your infinite patience.

A little more than two weeks ago, we all knew this ending would occur today. Yet, I don’t think any of us realized just how difficult it is to say goodbye. Through the many heart-felt conversations yesterday and last night, through the hugs and the tears with our Guatemalan collaborators, these Aggies have dedicated themselves to take their experience back to Aggieland, to share it widely with family and friends, to make a difference elsewhere in life.

Several Aggies now have plans to assist the Philanthropiece Foundation and Limitless Horizons Ixil with their artisan projects, agricultural science curriculum development, and sponsorship of a LHI scholar. I am not surprised by this outcome because the Aggie spirit and work ethic knows no bounds to the challenges of life.

I am very proud to have shared this experience with Annalee Antoon, Caroline Black, Julie Brod, Kesley Fraley, Joshua Hardcastle, Daniel Haywood, Jenna Howell, Cristina Palomino, Poleth Robledo, Cera Southerland, Lori Moore, Landry Lockett, and most of all, with Sydney Wingenbach!

And so, our Guatemala Study Abroad 2012 is nearing its end. A mere four days from this writing will find us checking monitors in the Guatemala City airport, anticipating our return to a very hot and humid Texas.

I will miss this cool, spring-like climate. I will miss these mountains. And until 2013, I will surely miss you, Chajul!

The Ties That Bind

22Jun

by Landry Lockett

Everyone in our group has experienced culture shock in varying degrees since arriving in Guatemala.  Sometimes it has felt like we’ve stepped back in time, with dirt-floor homes full of smoke from open-fire stoves; to farmers completing tasks with the original horse power.

Other times it feels like we’re on a different planet; complete with languages we have never heard, plants we have never seen, and food we have never tasted.

Many differences have been drastic; however, it has been interesting to observe facets of life that are the same both in the U.S.A. and Guatemala.  Just a few examples are as follows:

The power of a smile

The force of thunder and lightning

Momma’s fried chicken

Giggling girls

Boys throwing rocks and playing ball

The song from the ice cream truck that can be heard throughout town

Running to beat the rain

Young lovers and private conversations

The sweet sounds of birds singing

Pride in country

The carrying on of traditions

Flowers in bloom

The universal language of laughter

Mischievous students

Weeds in the garden

Fussy babies

Curious babies

Hard work and stinky bodies

Holding hands

Little girls modeling mom’s behavior

Little boys building things

Parents providing as best they can

Church bells ringing

The desire to be successful

The desire to be happy

Faith, Hope, and Love

These things remind me that there are universal, unifying themes found in the hearts of mankind scattered around the world.  Our differences add spice and tell amazing stories.  Our similarities bind our hearts together.

I am forever, positively changed by the differences and similarities discovered on this trip.

Sticking To Guatemala

21Jun

by Cera Southerland

For the first time in almost a week, we were able to sleep in this morning! ¡Es solo un hora, pero que magnifico esta!

Despite the minimal water pressure in the showers that kept us from being able to shower, we had a hearty breakfast of pancakes, watermelon, and pineapple (by far, my favorite fruit here)!

We returned to Batzul to teach the students the importance of their organic pesticides, vermiculture compost, and the different vegetables in their garden.  We started off playing fruit basket turnover.  After a couple minutes of trying to play and the kids giggling and smiling, the teacher re-explained the game in Quiché (their native language) for all the kids to fully understand.  After that, they all got involved in the game and had a blast.  We followed that up with a game of Pesticide Tag, which Daniel made up, and the kids loved it! All the kids that were pesticides protected the plant kids from the pests with such enthusiasm! 

Being able to watch the students at these different schools enjoy such simple games and toys is a blessing and an experience that I wish everyone could get to see!  We constantly have cute girls run up to you just wanting to hold your hands while you play any game!

We came prepared with activities for the kids to learn from so we could further educate them on the importance of their new vermiculture compost and organic pesticides, and their vegetables.  We started off quizzing them on what goes into their vermiculture box and why each component was important.  Then we had them make a mini compostura in a plastic cup so they could put the components in themselves.

Next, we went over the different vegetables they have in their garden and what they are called in English.  It’s amazing how these kids answer questions in unison! We gave the kids a matching game so they could match the Spanish name and picture of each vegetable to the English word.  The kids retained the English word so well and were thrilled when they matched the cards correctly! 

We passed out zoo animal stickers to the kids as prizes or gifts for participating in class.  I ended up with a monkey sticker and showed a few boys what monkeys do and the noise they make, oo-ing and aah-ing while I scratched my underarms.  They giggled at the crazy gringa, but started to do the same thing back to me!

We finished up our time at Batzul simply playing with the kids and taking pictures with them.  I sat with one little boy wearing plaid overalls and showed him different hand games and how to bump fists and make them explode.  We repeated the same handshake over and over, and every time our fists hit he flashed the biggest smile with the cutest dimples a kid could have.  I took pictures of him and showed them to him after; he seemed so intrigued to see himself on a camera and smiled every time.

Before we left, we got a picture with all the kids and teachers with our Aggie flag.  We topped off our visit at Batzul with the Aggie War Hymn! They all loved it, and kids from the village gathered around the fence of the school while we sang. It was definitely a memorable way to end our time at the Batzul School!

We traveled back into Chajul to have lunch at a LHI employee’s house.  Her mother, the best cook in Chajul according to Laura and Jake, cooked us the most amazing fried chicken and rice meal we’ve had all trip!!

We returned to La Posada for some classic Texas A&M class time and later some delicious chicken fajitas for dinner.  It’s definitely nice to have a piece of Tex-Mex here in Guatemala every now and then!

We all spent our nights working on homework and relaxing with each other (if that’s even possible with those two together)!  We are all truly bonding, like a family of our own here in Guatemala.  It’s amazing how close you become with people that you didn’t even know before the trip started. With all the projects we’ve completed and people we’ve met, we are all growing closer together, and I’m excited to see where this trip takes us in the end as a group and individually. 

Ripples…

18Jun

by Hannah Davinroy

Over 30 percent of the world’s population is living without access to clean water and improved sanitation facilities. 

One of the leading causes of death in children under the age of five is water-borne disease. 

My work for the last year has been to design a project that will address the issue of contaminated water here in Chajul, Guatemala. I’ve explored many filtration systems, water pumps, and solar disinfection technology, but without education, none of these solutions are sustainable or successful.

Tuesday, Philanthropiece is hosting a community event incorporating activities such water cycle coloring sheets and a “make-your-own-filter” station as well as presentations from local organizations on their clean water technologies.

Seven local schools are coming to learn more about the importance of clean water. My hope is to spread awareness and introduce possible solutions to students and their families with the goal of promoting health.

International development work is hard. There are many ways to approach it, but none of them seem to be perfect. We can’t always change the world, but we are a drop of water in a lake and the ripples eventually hit the shore.

Tuesday is about Las Ondas. Ripples.

Today, while hosting a workshop on building a BioSand Filter, one of the filters to be presented tomorrow, I had an incredible meaningful conversation with Gerber Perez, the clean water promoter for Mission Impact. We were discussing inspiration. The question was “Why do we do this work?”.

His answer: “I do this work because I know how it feels. I carried water up a hill for my family instead of going to school. I didn’t have water in my house until 1996. I was given an opportunity to get an education. I was given an opportunity to get myself out of this situation. I am proud of my Guatemalan people for the challenges they’ve overcome. We do not need nor deserve handouts. We deserve and need an opportunity.”

And that’s where I see my role – as someone who’s life has been full of opportunity. The water fair tomorrow is about creating a ripple and an opportunity to share my knowledge and  passion about something that almost everyone in the United States takes for granted.

Water should not be a privilege, but, in truth, it is. 

Tomorrow, with the help of Texas A&M students, I hope to put a dent in that. I hope to promote that clean water is a basic human need.

All it takes is a drop in a bucket to create a ripple effect of change. 

Hannah Davinroy is currently a senior at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado. She is part of Philathropiece’s Youth Global Leadership Program and has spent the past week in Chajul with Aggies, who plan to help her at the Clean Water Fair.

Humbled

12Jun

by Jenna M. Howell

Hola! From the high hills of Chajul, Guatemala!

Today, we continued our adventure at the school in Visuchuj. We were able to get the vermiculture compost bed completed and finished.

Huge success! 

All the kids painted their hands and put their hand prints on the side of the structure. This, to me, was a very touching and significant part of our day. The children lit up when we told them about the hand prints. It was a way to keep them involved and have their signature on this project.

We also painted a few A&M logos on it and added our own hand prints.

We learned a lot through this project to prepare us for the other two schools we will visit in the days to come.

Not only did we get emerged into the Guatemalan school system today, but we received new roommates at the Posada (our hotel) all the way from Bolder, Colorado. 

They work with Philanthropiece doing various projects focused on clean water and global youth organizations. It is interesting to hear about where they live and what they have been working on in preparation for this trip.

One thing that I have loved throughout this trip is the relationship with the people, but also I have grow to love the relationships we have developed with each other. It is amazing to see all these Aggies, who did not know each other prior to this trip, come together on this adventure and work as a great team.

I cannot wait to get back to Aggieland to share our experiences with everyone and be an advocate for future study abroad trips to Guatemala. 

I have grown so much through this trip, and my eyes have been opened to things I never thought existed. I have been humbled by this beautiful country and it’s people. I know I am not alone when I say Guatemala now holds a very special place in our hearts and that we will forever be grateful for all it has taught us.

Si Dios Quiere!

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