What's not to like?

Gettting to know people.

Small farm in the yard.

It is funny for us when we say that we are living in Guatemala and how many people back home wince  at the idea of it.  However, there is so much that is awesome down here that it seems to me that we are getting more of the benefit of living here than what people can imagine.

What I like about living in Guatemala is that:

Crowding around a small TV
 to watch the World Cup

-you can buy items directly from the truck and cut out the middle man
-the climate is permanently spring and summer
-a 500mL bottle of name brand pop is 65 cents and no name is 40 cents at the corner store
-they deliver water bottles and propane tanks to your door and take away the empties
-you can have a small farm in your backyard in the city
-despite how small the prisons are you are able to interact with people walking by in the street to keep a sense of what is going on in the world and socialize with people outside of the prison walls
-car insurance is only $140 a year
-cell phones are cheaper and more reliable than a landline
-taking a taxi across town is only 32 cents

Campfire in the driveway,
followed by fireworks.

-fresh fruit and vegetables are always in season and you can load up for the week for your family for about $13
-people value the relationship more than the business
-even though people are poor they band together to try and help one another out of their poverty
-resourcefulness carries you far and little is wasted
-biological processes and fluids within animals are not completely gross but a part of life and not feared and pointed and gawked at strangely
-people understand that personal space is not necessary in the short run while trying to travel
-going to the gas station means that they will check your tire pressure and wash your windows as well
-the market is every day of the week and loaded with new items every visit

Clowning around.

-there is a corner store at every corner (and in between too) where you can get all of your basics
-bakeries are all over the place and give a pleasant odour to the air
-rent for a beautiful four bedroom home is $300 a month
-people that lived in the United States want to speak English with you
-you can walk up to someone's house and buy fresh hot tortillas for 4 cents each
-when you go to leave people stop what they are doing and make sure they give a hug and/or kiss followed by a blessing
-the expectation for an house party or get together is very casual and everyone in attendance contributes  with food and bringing their own seat

Getting ready to do traditional dance.

-when someone passes away they close off the street to let the family and friends mourn in silence
-your car horn is a communication device in the positive regard to show gratitude or that you are passing by
-kids go to school in uniform
-a section of the police department only monitors the highways not to only enforce traffic laws but more to serve those citizens that break down at the side of the road to keep all drivers safe
-they have fireworks to celebrate every occasion and it doesn't matter what time of the day it is
-there is no hot water tank but heated on demand with little waste heat
-entertainment is found in being with people and seeing their talents

Taxi or horse?
The horse might get you
there in these roads.

and most of all.

I like Guatemala because it gives our family the opportunity to do His work through the support of our network of friends back in Canada and the United States for the benefit of the the girls that we love so dearly.

Getting tortillas from the neighbours.

every now and then it's good to let it out

Well today made for an interesting one.  I woke up this morning and busied myself in the kitchen preparing chocolate cake for 30 inmates.  Our prison 
bible study invited our family in for lunch. We felt honoured knowing how difficult it is for them to afford such a gesture.  They went all out and made chicken ( feet included) with potatoes and rice.  At one point Mercedes needed to use their facilities.  I was apprehensive but they insisted on showing us the bathroom.  The toilet was next to the stove top burner.  I think I threw up a little in my mouth seeing where the food had been prepared.  Sometimes it is better NOT to know.  Since the area is very small and at times it feels like the walls are closing in, they set up tables  in the only open available area.  Directly over the sewage drain.  Sweet little Mercedes, leaned in and whispered, "mom, something smells funny".   I reminded her to be a little gracious and told her that not many 6 year olds get the opportunity to eat lunch in a prison in a developing country, so just go with it.  Needless to say the kids did their best at the meal and looked very happy when I pulled out the chocolate cake.  For one lady, I know our visit means the world to her as she has had no one come to see her.  She hugged me and told me she loved me.  The very first bible study morning I brought in soaps/shampoo and t-shirts.  This particular lady makes sure she has that t-shirt on every Tuesday.  So precious!

The kids needed some down time with mom, so we hung out at home and the boys worked on their school project while Matt and Jay went out shooting film in Los Pinos.   Just as they were finishing up interviewing a handful of girls, a mom with her five kids showed up at the gate.  The youngest, being four months but looking like a two month, was very dehydrated and needed medical care urgently.  Leaving the other four behind, the mom (along with a nun)  got a ride into town with Matt.  He drove them straight to the hospital.   Just a couple hours later we received a call from Mother Claudia, asking us to pick them up and return them to Casa Hogar.  Since Matt is constantly bombing back and forth, I offered to do the drive.  When I arrived at the hospital, only the nun holding the baby hopped in the truck.  She shut the truck door and left the mother standing on the street corner.  I felt confused and waited  for her.  The nun looked at me and said she can't look after her children.  Of course I knew where this was heading but I still had so many questions.  I had a very hard time driving away.  I can't imagine what the mom was feeling.  This particular situation is sadly far too common here.  The father left his wife and their 5 children and she had no more to give.  Not enough food or resources to provide for her children. Out of desperation, she landed at the gates of Casa Hogar for help.  I have been exposed to so many difficulties and seen a lot of poverty.  In some ways it becomes 'normal" to see kids picking through the garbage every morning, or an 80 year old woman hauling wood or water, or kids my daughters age selling candy in the streets to help make a living for their families.  I don't want to become de-sensitized and accept it but I guess I already have.  Some things I will never understand.  I sometimes am disconnected or maybe guard my emotions, because if I didn't I would be weeping all the time.  Every now and then it's good to let it out. Tonight in the truck, the tears streamed down my cheeks.  I felt such a sadness and emptiness for this mom.  I know that this decision probably was not an easy one and that it is in the children's best interest, but it I couldn't imagine the pain.