Life is Good Today

Hey everyone! So I’m just trucking along with my work here in the Guat. Not too much has happened in the past couple weeks. I have visited almost all of my schools and should be finishing up my visits this week. I have started visiting schools for a second time to do a diagnostic to see what the schools need and if the kids are washing their hands and what not after using the bathroom.  I literally sit outside the bathrooms and count how many kids go the bathroom and how many kids wash their hands afterwards. It’s usually about 50% so we’ll have to work on that. Pretty much the whole month of June I’ll be observing the schools and seeing what they need and then after that I’ll be able to start giving example health lessons and charlas on hygiene.  Lately I’ve really been thinking about what I want to focus on here and what I want my purpose to be. It’s really hard when there are so many different paths you can take, so I still haven’t pinpointed exactly what I want my service to focus on. I get a little scatter brained thinking about all these things I want to do and then nothing gets done, so I need to choose a few things that I really want to work on and go from there.  Obviously I’m going to be teaching healthy habits but it’s not going to stick with the kids unless you teach them in a fun, interactive, and energetic way so I’ve been brainstorming about how I can get the information to really stay with them. I’m just not very creative so sometimes it’s hard! But it’s nice to talk with other volunteers and get ideas. I totally have the American mentality of I need to get things done and get them done NOW but it’s not like that here at all so sometimes you just have to slow down and adjust to the slow-pace life.

In a couple weeks I’ll be starting a youth group with one of the nurses from the health center in Cajolá, and I’m UBER excited about it. Everyone knows I love working with kids because I can be silly and play games and sing songs with them, but I also like working with pre-teens and teens because we can talk more about real life situations and do educational programs about relationships and sexual health. The kids are going to come with their parents, and we’re going to do activities and have info sessions on practicing safe sex and sexual health as well as healthy relationships. I think it will be really great… it’s one day a week, and I’m really looking forward to it! I’m especially excited to work with the girls because in Guatemala males are definitely the dominant sex and sometimes girls feel like they don’t have a choice or an opinion in any matter, so I’m really hoping to work with girls on self-esteem and having the courage to say no in any situation. They just need a positive role model and someone to talk to, and I think I can be that for them.  After getting some experience with this youth group hopefully I’ll be able to start one of my own in San Miguel later this year J

I’m also going to be helping my site mate Megan with her women’s groups. She works in the program called Healthy Homes so we can collaborate on giving health charlas and health activities. In a few weeks we’re going to do an activity with making soap. Some people can’t afford to buy soap or toothpaste so there are ways in which you can make your own from simple household items. I’m really excited about this because I’ll be giving similar charlas or talks in the schools so it will be good practice. Also, it’s fun to collaborate with other people and Megan and I have a lot of fun working together. Things seem to be coming together pretty nicely for me here in the Guat J

Last weekend I went to Antigua to visit some friends that I haven’t seen since training. It was really nice to get away from site and be back in Antigua. On Saturday I went back to Parramos and visited my old host family. It was so great to see them!! They have another trainee at their house now so that was fun to chat and see how things are going in the new group. Susie and the family are all doing really well and little Diego is walking all by himself! I realized how much my Spanish has improved since I was in training because I could talk pretty much fluently with Susie and have actual conversations. It was awesome! I told her all about my site and what I’ve been doing and she updated me on all the family and new trainee gossip. It was like I was visiting an old friend. Her and her family are definitely going to be in my life forever. We talked and had lunch and hung out with the rest of the family. It felt like I was back “home.” It was a really good feeling…. I didn’t want to leave! Eventually I had to go but I know I’ll be back to visit soon. She said she would come to Xela to visit me one of these days which would be a lot of fun but I also told her that my parents and I will stop by when they come to visit in July. Lots to look forward to!

So in our town our water has been out since last Wednesday and they’re saying that we might not have water for up to a month. Talk about a disaster! The transformer on the water deposit exploded and so there’s no power to pump the water into town. This is going to be pretty challenging to live without water but little by little I’m learning how to deal with it. It’s definitely putting my problem solving skills to the test, but that’s ok I always love a challenge. I bought a big 5 gallon water jug which I can use for cooking and drinking and that I can refill at a store down the street.  The hardest part about not having water is not having a flushing toilet. I can deal with not having water to bath because I can just go to a friend’s house or the Peace Corps office to shower, but it takes a lot of water to flush a toilet and if you can’t flush a toilet you can imagine all the problems that can arise. Yikes! Let’s just pray that I don’t get sick during these next few weeks or that might just about put me over the edge.

 I probably won’t be cooking that much because then I would need water to wash dishes, so I’ll probably be eating peanut butter and jelly or stuff that doesn’t dirty a lot of dishes like pasta or something. One good thing that has come out of this is to see all the people around who are willing to support you when things get tough. I was talking to a neighbor about the no water situation and trying to figure out what people usually do and later that day she knocked on my door with a giant bucket of water for me. How amazing is that?! That is something a neighbor would do for me back in the states, and it made me realize that this is my new home and that I have so many people looking out for me and willing to help me when things are challenging. I feel so blessed!  I was also talking to the family that lives below me, and they said that there is a town well where you can get water from and that they’ll bring me a jug or two when they go and get their water. I really surprise myself in situations like these… somehow after living without water, taking bucket baths, washing my own clothes by hand, having my kitchen full of water every time it rains, having weird bug bites on my body, and sticking out like a sore thumb everywhere I go,  I am still happy as can be.  I find joy in the challenges and instead of thinking of them as burdens, I think of them as blessings and opportunities for growth and usually at the end of the day I go to bed being so thankful and with a smile on my face.

Today I had a really great day. It was the best school visit I have had yet. The school was up on a mountain and it was a gorgeous hike up with a view of Volcán Santa María and the whole town of Cajolá. The school, the teachers, and all the kids just gave off a really good vibe and were really excited that I was there. The school is brand new and there are only 5 classrooms. I like working with the smaller schools because it’s more intimate and personal, and I get to know some of the kids better. I had a meeting with some of the moms and they seemed really interested in the program and were asking questions which doesn’t usually happen. I felt really confident while I was talking to them, and I got really motivated and excited talking about what we’re going to do in the school. I could see myself working with this school a lot during my service. It’s a great feeling when the kids and teachers are excited about the program and can’t wait for the next time I come back. Not to mention the view from the school is just amazing! I need to start taking my camera around on my school visits so you guys can see where I’m working! Next time J After the visit they invited me to watch some of the kids play in a soccer tournament at one of the other schools. They were so cute in their little uniforms, and I cheered them on from the sidelines! I love how I can go in to a school not knowing a single soul and come out with a whole community knowing me by name and inviting me into their lives without hesitation. And this is still the beginning of my service! I can’t even imagine all the friendships and experiences I’m going to have in the next two years. It makes me overjoyed and so thankful to be here. Now I’m thinking that 2 years isn’t long enough and that everyone needs to come visit to share in this experience!

This weekend I am going to Lake Atitlan with some friends. The lake is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Guatemala and is a must see if you travel here. We’re going to take a boat tour of the lake and check out some of the artisan markets. I’m really excited! Life is good J

Suki just keeps growing and growing and now takes up half the bed when we sleep at night but he’s still my little baby. We go out walking almost every day and are always finding new paths and places we’ve never seen. Sometimes I threaten to sell him because he’s a little trouble maker, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade him for the world J

Hugs and kisses for everyone back home from Ela and Suki! Miss you all!

Xoxo Maddie