Side Note: I'm not sure if the volcanic eruption that occurred
here has been in the news, but it is a ways off from where I am. I am
fine, and the air was clear here, so we didn't notice the eruption. The
airport has now re-opened, so there will be no worries about me getting
home.
Well I'm back. And here I am once again right in the middle of all things happy. Greg, our team leader was talking last night about how eMi projects are his happy place. They are definitely mine as well. I was sitting around the table last night with my teammates and realizing, that all these deepest parts of me, the parts that are such a great struggle to put into words and explain to people back home, are deeply understood by everyone here, because their hearts break for the same things as mine. As my project leader Greg said last night, life is about more than getting a house with a picket fence. It is so wonderful to be around a group of people who live that out.
Wait until you hear about this. I have officially been here 1.5 days and have already had ice cream! Isn't that the happiest thing you have heard all day. I love Guatemala. Although there are definitely things that seem foreign to me, I have been noticing just how much more North American influence there is here compared to some of the more far off places I've traveled. I am trying to pick up a bit of Spanish, but am realizing that I wish I could communicate with the locals more.
We went to church this morning, which was rockin' and great, I know fully understand why the Latin people back home think our church services resemble something like a funeral. Because we got to do some wild dancing this morning.
The biggest cultural adjustment has been not being able to throw toilet paper in the toilet. People, you would not realize how ingrained this concept is in a North American's brain, until one has to fish it out of the toilet bowl. And they even have signs plastered all over the bathroom, which you think would help, but who in their right mind reads the signs on the bathroom wall? I have resorted to doing a chant whilst doing my buisness. The chant consists of "Not in the toilet, not in the toilet"
This team has been different for me from all my others, in the huge Canadian influence on it. It is more than half Canadians, and the structural engineer is originally from Southern Manitoba, and one of the surveyors grew up in Rivers until he was 6 years old. And I was sitting with the electrical engineer last night, who is from Denver, CO, and he asked me if I had ever heard of Portage la Prairie, MB. I was like, are you kidding, of course I've heard of it, how the heck have you heard of it. And he said he's been there because he helped design the potato processing facility there. And I found out the director of this organization, that lives in Guatemala with his family now, lived in Brandon for 10 years as a school principal. Crazy hey? And a group of high school students from Winnipeg are showing up here on Tuesday, so there are going to be crazy Manitobans here all over the place!
It's been much colder here than I've expected. I only brought one fleece and a jacket, which I keep warm in, so I guess I'll be wearing the same thing all week and just changing the t-shirt underneath. My teammates are all in the same situation, so I don't think any of us will mind each other wearing the same thing all the time:) Today it was nice and warm in the sun which was nice.
I have been learning to embrace all the unexpected blessings that come from being here. Most of you know, I was supposed to be in Cambodia, and clearly I'm not. Some of my teammates here were supposed to be on the Cambodia team as well, and we were all disappointed not to go. Listening to some of the work my teammates have previously been involved with in Cambodia, the heaviness of working with organizations that help trafficked children, and the heart that they have, renews my enthusiasm to hopefully get there someday to do a project, but I am also trying to focus on being fully present with the people in front of me here, rather than dwelling on what might have been. The things we did today, hearing the vision of this ministry, and seeing the changed lives that have been a direct result of their work here has reminded me the many reasons I have to stand in awe and thanks that I actually have the opportunity to be here. I am so thankful, and am being consistently reminded of just how much joy can come out of roads unexpected.
That's all for now. Until next time,
Jaimee
Well I'm back. And here I am once again right in the middle of all things happy. Greg, our team leader was talking last night about how eMi projects are his happy place. They are definitely mine as well. I was sitting around the table last night with my teammates and realizing, that all these deepest parts of me, the parts that are such a great struggle to put into words and explain to people back home, are deeply understood by everyone here, because their hearts break for the same things as mine. As my project leader Greg said last night, life is about more than getting a house with a picket fence. It is so wonderful to be around a group of people who live that out.
Wait until you hear about this. I have officially been here 1.5 days and have already had ice cream! Isn't that the happiest thing you have heard all day. I love Guatemala. Although there are definitely things that seem foreign to me, I have been noticing just how much more North American influence there is here compared to some of the more far off places I've traveled. I am trying to pick up a bit of Spanish, but am realizing that I wish I could communicate with the locals more.
We went to church this morning, which was rockin' and great, I know fully understand why the Latin people back home think our church services resemble something like a funeral. Because we got to do some wild dancing this morning.
The biggest cultural adjustment has been not being able to throw toilet paper in the toilet. People, you would not realize how ingrained this concept is in a North American's brain, until one has to fish it out of the toilet bowl. And they even have signs plastered all over the bathroom, which you think would help, but who in their right mind reads the signs on the bathroom wall? I have resorted to doing a chant whilst doing my buisness. The chant consists of "Not in the toilet, not in the toilet"
This team has been different for me from all my others, in the huge Canadian influence on it. It is more than half Canadians, and the structural engineer is originally from Southern Manitoba, and one of the surveyors grew up in Rivers until he was 6 years old. And I was sitting with the electrical engineer last night, who is from Denver, CO, and he asked me if I had ever heard of Portage la Prairie, MB. I was like, are you kidding, of course I've heard of it, how the heck have you heard of it. And he said he's been there because he helped design the potato processing facility there. And I found out the director of this organization, that lives in Guatemala with his family now, lived in Brandon for 10 years as a school principal. Crazy hey? And a group of high school students from Winnipeg are showing up here on Tuesday, so there are going to be crazy Manitobans here all over the place!
It's been much colder here than I've expected. I only brought one fleece and a jacket, which I keep warm in, so I guess I'll be wearing the same thing all week and just changing the t-shirt underneath. My teammates are all in the same situation, so I don't think any of us will mind each other wearing the same thing all the time:) Today it was nice and warm in the sun which was nice.
I have been learning to embrace all the unexpected blessings that come from being here. Most of you know, I was supposed to be in Cambodia, and clearly I'm not. Some of my teammates here were supposed to be on the Cambodia team as well, and we were all disappointed not to go. Listening to some of the work my teammates have previously been involved with in Cambodia, the heaviness of working with organizations that help trafficked children, and the heart that they have, renews my enthusiasm to hopefully get there someday to do a project, but I am also trying to focus on being fully present with the people in front of me here, rather than dwelling on what might have been. The things we did today, hearing the vision of this ministry, and seeing the changed lives that have been a direct result of their work here has reminded me the many reasons I have to stand in awe and thanks that I actually have the opportunity to be here. I am so thankful, and am being consistently reminded of just how much joy can come out of roads unexpected.
That's all for now. Until next time,
Jaimee
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