can't sleep

Even though it's nearing 1:30 a.m., I simply cannot seem to fall asleep. So, I figured I might as well be productive during this time.... and I remembered that I hadn't stuck to my word about blogging about Guatemala. I wasn't very impressed with the difficulty associated with the uploading of photos on this particular blog site... So, just know that the pictures that are posted can't really have lines that describe them because this site simply isn't set up that way... which I find quite annoying. Anyway, I will simply break into a favorite story from the trip.

First of all, it was absolutely amazing to know that we were going to one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but we were there to do service, to experience the culture, to understand the lives the individuals lead, to recognize their exploitation, to deconstruct our roles within the grander scheme of things. Every time we saw a tourist, it just made me wonder how they are able to glaze their eyes over the extreme poverty, illness and devastation that is plaguing the people directly in front of them. I don't think I would have the power to simply turn my cheek to the issues of these incredible people.

So, the build site that my team was assigned to was for a woman named Florinda. She was in her mid forties and had already raised a couple children. The site was a steep climb up a hill that was nothing more than powdery, eroded dirt. It felt like it was a 90 degree incline due to the altitude and the oxygen deprivation that we were experiencing. I honestly have no idea how this family was able to carry all of these building supplies up the path. I honestly thought my heart was going to explode when I was trudging up the path... and all I was carrying was my seven bottles of water for the day and a bucket to mix the cement. It was another reminder of the great lengths that these people are willing to go in order to attain something worth while in their lives. They aren't lazy or dirty or unable to keep things up; they simply have been dealt cards that are different than ours. They are some of the hardest working and diligent people I have ever and will ever see. Once we got to the property that Florinda owned, we worked to get the foundation lines drawn out with string. All this was done in a very dated fashion, with the little strings and the constant adjusting of levels. It was a very tedious process... and not the most fun. But, we had created a stir in the little village area. There were some boys that came to see what was going on. One of the boys, Jose Louise who is 12 was there. Little did we know that this would not be the last time we saw Jose Louise, in fact, it was only the beginning. This little guy worked so hard and always, always, always had the biggest smile on his face. He was hauling rocks, dirt, lumber... you name, Jose Louise was game for it. He blew all of us away time after time. There was no rhyme or reason why he was there to help, other than he seemed to have a really close relationship with Florinda. She made sure that he was fed fresh tortillas every day at lunch. Even though my spanish was limited, at best, I was able to communicate with Jose Louise through his big smile. All I had to do was look at the kid and he made my day. I could have very easily smuggled him back to America with me. He was that kind of genuine kid that has a heart of gold. What made it the hardest about the fact that Jose Louise was there was that he wasn't in school. It's kids like him who are so motivated to work and so diligent to do good things that are so limited in the world today. I just wish he would have the opportunity to receive some education to remove him from the cycle of poverty that has its grip around him so tightly. On the last day, I decided that I would give him the soccer ball that I brought to Guatemala with me. When I pulled it out of the bag to give to him (I left it in the box) he saw it and immediately engulfed me in the biggest, most genuine huge that I have ever received. There were no words for the gratitude that he felt. I don't think he had ever seen anything new in a box before because he set it on the ground by his pile of stuff and went back and stared at it numerous times during the day. Soccer is huge down there, and I think that he truly felt appreciated.... by such a small token of appreciation from me. It was all I could do to hold the tears back. I really love that little guy and wish that there was more that I could have done for him. Here is a picture of Jose Louise with his soccer ball :)



This little boy is near and dear to my heart. I only hope that I will again have the opportunity to help more children like him some day!