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| Wayne Wiley & Janet Chichester • #302, 30 E. Columbia Ave., Suite F-1 • Battle Creek, MI 49015 |
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We are so very sad to leave our new friends, it is somewhat easier knowing that we will be back. We have met some amazing people. We were very sad to have to say goodbye to our Spanish teachers this morning. Walking down the street we want to take it all and somehow keep it fresh in our memory until we return. This has been a profound experience for both of us. We are somewhat daunted by the prospect of learning a new language but also encouraged by what we have learned so far. This is a beautiful and a frustrating country, both very livable and difficult at the same time. The people are wonderful and are in such need. We have been very welcomed. We are also looking forward to seeing our friends and family at home and ready to dig in and begin preparing for this move.
We haven’t talked much about the people here. They are relatively poor and very hard working. They have mostly had a very difficult life. There was civil war here for 30 years that just ended in 1996. The government has been very repressive(with the help of the US government). People here remain optimistic despite the many obstacles they face daily. Life is not easy, although people smile easily. The Guatemalans are a gregarious people and very friendly. The Mayan people are probably the poorest and have the least access to health care and education. We are only able to talk to people a little bit, but they are very tolerant of our broken Spanish.
The people seen at the clinic in Camanja are very poor and some have very serious health problems, some children have some significant birth defects that are preventable. One of the exciting things about this mission is that in addition to the medical teams coming down to help, there is a Guatemalan doctor at the clinic two days a week, so there is follow up care.
We don’t have many pictures of Guatemalans because it is rude to just take someone’s picture.
Yesterday we hit a bit of the higher end on the culture here in Pana. We went to an art gallery that had a showing of a new artists and quilts that went with the paintings. The people were interesting and the gallery full of odd collections of old wooden pieces collected by the owner’s father some of which were 300-400 years old. The owners have German and Guatemalan roots and have a very interesting and beautiful place to live.
We also enjoyed the evening with our neighbors and friends, Carey and Jay. The power went out so we sat outside and talked about living and working here. We asked many “how to” questions and talked a bit about a schedule for moving down.
Today we are off to the market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. We will also be working on our Spanish homework.
Yesterday we moved. Oh my goodness we think we have died and gone to heaven. This is a very pleasant place with so much room we don’t know what to do with it, and very comfortable. It will be a lot easier to study here. We went to the market this morning and loaded up on vegetables and fruit. Janet washed it all in a Clorox solution so it should be safe to eat. We had dinner with Jay and Carey last night (the people we would be replacing) just across the courtyard. Theirs is a tiny place but very livable. We are having our first day of rest since we arrived. I don’t think we knew how tired we were. Wayne’s 60th birthday is Tuesday, Janet is trying to learn to sing Happy Birthday in Spanish, since she can’t sing in English this will be a challenge.
Pictures include our new place, a Tuk-Tuk (anywhere in Pana for $.60) this is how we moved our stuff, Janet's classroom, and one of the many beautiful flowers. Buying flowers is inexpensive. Four bunches for less than a dollar.
We are spending most of our time at school or doing our tarea (homework). We are moving today to Phil’s apartment and are very excited about it. We will have comfortable chairs to sit in and enough hot water to take a shower. Also we will have a full sized bed so we won’t have to sleep on top of each other. We will miss our family, especially the little girls. We will have to cook our own food so we will be making a trip to the market to try out our bargaining skills to buy some vegetables. They have the most abundant fruits and vegetables here. We had a cooking class yesterday and the only student able to make decent tortillas was Wayne (better known in Pana as Guillermo). Hasta luego.
We were too busy yesterday to make it to the internet café. We took our first ride in the back of a pick up truck, conveniently they provide a bar down the middle to hold onto while you are standing in the back. It is definitely a thrill. (We will post a picture of such a truck someday.)We have another student who has joined us at the school from France. Now there are three of us. We visited a small pueblo and saw another weaving cooperative, it is amazing at how much work they put into their weaving and how little money they make for it. Yesterday we both sort of hit a wall as it pertains to Spanish, but today was a little better. The activity for today was climbing up and down the side of a small (?) mountain to find sites where Mayan rituals are completed. The picture of the candles is a site where a ritual was conducted perhaps one or two hours ago. They burn candles and smoke cigars, light fires and offer animal or food sacrifices offering prayers asking for specific favors. Toward the end Janet couldn’t handle the climb anymore so sat and waited while the others climbed down. They lucked out and actually saw a ritual being conducted. The view from the side of the mountain was unbelievable, as are many of the views around the lake. We explore the town of Pana a little more each day and offer prayers in thanks that we have not been run over by a truck or bus and that Janet can still walk.
