Adios Guatemala
It's hard to believe it's over. On the 15th Sarah and I flew back stateside. At this point it's impossible, really, to process everything we experienced during this amazing adventure. One thing is certain. We are so grateful for the opportunity and the countless blessings that came with it.
Teaching at a large, well-resourced, non-Catholic school was a big adjustment for us, but like anything else, the challenge made us better. It was interesting to lead a class of wealthy children and see that money doesn't make people happier but only brings a different set of hurdles. In the end, however, we both loved our class and found out that kids are kids no matter where you go in the world. Creative. Innocent. Loving. Funny. Curious. Perceptive. Impressionable. Beautiful. See a video of Sarah's class here.
And Guatemalans sure know how to celebrate. The Spanish teachers put together a nice wedding shower for us after school one day. They dressed us up in a dress and tux made of newspaper before we pulled down on big paper bell and rice poured over us.
The moms of Sarah's students also threw a shower for us at one of their homes. Her students dressed us up with paper again and got a big kick out of Miss Miller kissing her boyfriend.
Finally, the night before we left a few of the moms from my class invited us to a get together at a restaurant owned by one of the families. It turned out to be a big party with food, cake, and authentic Guatemalan wedding gifts. Most of my students were there to give us a warm, grateful farewell. Two of my girls spent 2 days recording a touching goodbye CD for me! They talked and sang to both computer- and self-generated music. It was very impressive and one of the most amazing gifts I've ever received.
The 5th Grade Rockets... posing
As my dad mentioned on his post, driving past the abject poverty in the mountains en route to luxurious accommodations and teaching in the county's most elite school brought some guilt. It's hard to figure out how a world with so much can divide resources so unevenly and even harder to figure out how to fix the problem. I guess we can only focus on small daily victories, because the magnitude of the big picture is too overwhelming to think about. The sad thing is that most economists and humanitarians estimate that world poverty could be eliminated by this generation if the G-8 countries (including the US) would simply contribute what they've already pledged to contribute. And this "unbearable" pledge is only 1.8% of GDP. So far, the good ol' USA can only part with 0.7%.... but I digress.
Besides our wonderful students, the thing we will remember most about Guatemala is its impossible beauty. Traveling this country was so good for the soul. From the unique forestation on the Rio Dulce near the Caribbean to the remote Western Highlands... from the magical Mayan Temples deep in the northern Peten jungle to the black sand beaches on the southern Pacific Coast.... from the natural phenomena of Semuc Champey to the romance of Antigua and perfection of Lake Atitlan and 33 mysterious volcanoes in between... it was one epic journey after another. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that Guatemala has failed to market its tourism potential.
Teaching at a large, well-resourced, non-Catholic school was a big adjustment for us, but like anything else, the challenge made us better. It was interesting to lead a class of wealthy children and see that money doesn't make people happier but only brings a different set of hurdles. In the end, however, we both loved our class and found out that kids are kids no matter where you go in the world. Creative. Innocent. Loving. Funny. Curious. Perceptive. Impressionable. Beautiful. See a video of Sarah's class here.
And Guatemalans sure know how to celebrate. The Spanish teachers put together a nice wedding shower for us after school one day. They dressed us up in a dress and tux made of newspaper before we pulled down on big paper bell and rice poured over us.
The moms of Sarah's students also threw a shower for us at one of their homes. Her students dressed us up with paper again and got a big kick out of Miss Miller kissing her boyfriend.
Finally, the night before we left a few of the moms from my class invited us to a get together at a restaurant owned by one of the families. It turned out to be a big party with food, cake, and authentic Guatemalan wedding gifts. Most of my students were there to give us a warm, grateful farewell. Two of my girls spent 2 days recording a touching goodbye CD for me! They talked and sang to both computer- and self-generated music. It was very impressive and one of the most amazing gifts I've ever received.
The 5th Grade Rockets... posing
As my dad mentioned on his post, driving past the abject poverty in the mountains en route to luxurious accommodations and teaching in the county's most elite school brought some guilt. It's hard to figure out how a world with so much can divide resources so unevenly and even harder to figure out how to fix the problem. I guess we can only focus on small daily victories, because the magnitude of the big picture is too overwhelming to think about. The sad thing is that most economists and humanitarians estimate that world poverty could be eliminated by this generation if the G-8 countries (including the US) would simply contribute what they've already pledged to contribute. And this "unbearable" pledge is only 1.8% of GDP. So far, the good ol' USA can only part with 0.7%.... but I digress.
Besides our wonderful students, the thing we will remember most about Guatemala is its impossible beauty. Traveling this country was so good for the soul. From the unique forestation on the Rio Dulce near the Caribbean to the remote Western Highlands... from the magical Mayan Temples deep in the northern Peten jungle to the black sand beaches on the southern Pacific Coast.... from the natural phenomena of Semuc Champey to the romance of Antigua and perfection of Lake Atitlan and 33 mysterious volcanoes in between... it was one epic journey after another. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that Guatemala has failed to market its tourism potential.
We are thrilled to be home and looking forward to an exciting summer. For those who don't know, we will soon be transitioning from one mile-high city to another. We have accepted teaching positions with St. Rose of Lima in Denver for this fall. It will be exciting to be back in a Catholic school, especially one connected with ND's ACE program.
Thank you to the many BeYellow readers over the past year, as we have enjoyed sharing our experience with you. We also felt and appreciated your prayers for safe travels. The homepage will soon be deleted, but we plan on keeping the blog up and running. Our time in Guate is up, but may the adventures continue.
Thank you to the many BeYellow readers over the past year, as we have enjoyed sharing our experience with you. We also felt and appreciated your prayers for safe travels. The homepage will soon be deleted, but we plan on keeping the blog up and running. Our time in Guate is up, but may the adventures continue.
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