Life on top of the Mountain

Ok, here is the anxiously awaited report on THE OASIS! Ok, so mabye not so anxiously awaited, but please, humor me.

I spent the weekend in San Cristobal with Mike and Sandi Glick and their family. They are both Kimberly's parents as well as my director through CAM. On our way to drop me off at The Oasis on Sunday night, I got a call from my Oasis director, Melanie, saying that Monday was a holiday and no one was going to work, so I'd be all alone on my first day. As pleasant as that sounded, we decided that it was best if I spent the night and following day with Melanie at her house in Antigua. So, back to Antigua we went.

Having Monday off gave me some extra time to calm my nerves about starting at The Oasis. Monday night, Melanie and her roommate dropped me off at The Oasis with a promise to be back in the morning to show me the ropes on my first day. I was assigned to eat breakfast and dinner in the Red House (all 4 houses are different colors--red, blue, orange, and green. I live in the yellow house.) Walking in, I felt like I was back in the first day of kindergarten. Then I remember why I love kids so much. Immediately, they all came over to give me hugs and say hello. I felt so relieved. They liked me! Dinner was a blast, and by the end I felt so much more comfortable about my time here.

Breakfast is served at 6 am. Yes, you heard me. The girls get up at 4 am and by the time I arrive at 5:50 all 10 girls are showered, dressed, doing chores, and cooking breakfast. Needless to say, breakfast is a little quieter than dinner due to the fact that no one's brain is functioning yet. After breakfast I usually spend time doing their hair, folding clothes, cleaning up after breakfast, and generally helping them get ready for the day.

I return to my house around 6:45- 7 to get myself ready and do personal devotions. Right befoe I left, I studied the importance of daily quiet time for prayer and reading the Bible. So, I really wanted to make a point to plan that into my dail schedule. Well, God has a sick sense of hunor (amen, Kimberly!) and decided that He'd provide me with that time by having breakfast at 6 and school at 8. Although I have never been a morning person, this time every morning with God is so special to me, and I really look forward to it. I have made it my goal to read through the entire Bible while I am here, and with each new book God reveals more and more of Himself, His love for us, and His ultimate power to me.

About 7:45 am I go outside to play with the girls before school starts. Usually, we play basketball-- I think I'm worse than some of the 5 year olds. Gotta practice that...
8 am the bell rings and we all go inside for morning devotions. The teachers read and discuss a passage in the Bible and then we pray for specific people. Each student, teacher, worker, has a specific day of the month on which everyone prays for them. Quite a good system, I think.
After devotions (~8:30) school starts for the girls and work starts for me. The girls are currently studying for/taking finals, as this is their last week of school. So, 2 of the 3 days I've been here I've been put in charge of the 3 youngest girls so that the teacher can review with the rest of the girls. These are girls that were not quite ready for kindergarten this year. This morning we painted each letter in the alphabet, read stories, and played with blocks. Then we went outside and made a fort out of blankets and a play structure.

Belen and Mariana, two of the three girls, are both 6 years old and quickly catch on to material. They will both be ready to participate in a full class next year. Candy, on the other hand, is 10 and cannot yet count. She was found wandering the streets of San Lucas, almost an hour's walk from her home town, extremely malnourished, and all she knew was her name and her age. Extraordinarily, while the principal was walking with Candy through a convention on day, a young girl recognized Candy and came over to say hello. Shocked, the principal asked the girl how she knew Candy. Apparently, they used to live near each other when Candy lived at home. The principal quickly began asking the girl about Candy's home, her parents, her siblings, and how to find them. Her mother was a seller in the market, and after several days in the market with a photo of Candy, they finally discovered where to contact the mother. Sadly, the mother could not support her, nor had any missing child report ever been filed. So, Candy is now here at Oasis, the first of many heart breaking stories I am sure to hear. They believe that between her malnourishment, improper clothing for the weather, and lack of care, she probably suffered some brain damage. She is in need of significant one-on-one help if she will ever succeed in a classroom. Please pray for Candy, me, and the rest of the Oasis staff as we try to find the best way to work with her and help her along.

The times I am not with the girls, I have spent either organizing the soon-to-be-opened library and doing office work. My first day I translated Christmas letters from the girls' sponsors. A request to all of you who are the sponsor for child somewhere in the world: You really matter to your child. They may be just a picture on your refridgerator or a name in your head, but they are a real boy/girl with a story, friends, likes, dreams. You mean so much more to them than you can possibly ever know. I have always been very lax about writing to the child that we sponsor. But now that I see how much those letters and gifts mean to them, I will not be lax any longer. They know the names of their sponsors and get so excited when they receive a letter. So please, all of you who have sponsor children under your care, send them a Christmas letter this year. (And send it early so that they poor intern who translates them all has time to do it before Christmas!)

Dinner is at 6 and I eat again in the red house. Dinner usually consistes of tea-cup plate of beans, tortillas, and a cup of atol to drink (a really water cream of wheat). After dinner we clean the house and then it's off to bed by 7:30 or 8 pm. You have to if you're going to get up at 4 am!
I go to bed quite early as well, usually by 9:30 pm. Everything just shuts down when it gets dark and there's really nothing to do, so why not?

Overall, I am loving my time here, getting to know names, and have never had/given so many hugs and kisses in my life. It's exciting to know that I get to spend the next 6 1/2 months getting to know the girls, talking with them, investing in their lives. Please pray with me that God will provide me with the understanding, the care, the paitence, the endurance, and the language skills that I will be needing over the coming months. Pray that He will give me the wisdom that I will need when dealing with delicate emotions and painful pasts. These girls need lots of unconditional love. Pray that I'll be one who can show them that they are valuable, beautiful women that God loves and whom He wants to spend eternity with Him. That's why I'm here.

Culture 101

I lied, I'm not going to tell you about The Oasis just yet. I will, I promise! But first, there are some things I'd really like to let you all know about life here in Guatemala:

1. During the rainy season, it rains HARD at least once a day, often 2-3 times daily. If you are planning to travel to a two-season country, BUY A RAINCOAT! Oh, and don't expect anything to ever dry.
2. Guatemalans are called "Chapines" (pronounced "Chap" as in "Chapstick" and "e-n-z")
3. People who live in Antigua are called "Panzaverdes," which literally translates to "Green stomachs."
4. Every morning, at 5 am, the churches like to celebrate the fact that it's morning by setting off fireworks. They continue setting off fireworks all through the day. My first day here, I thought a revolution was happening outside. After a while you get used to it. Guatemalans will find any reason to party with fireworks.
   
5. Speaking of fireworks, on your birthday, people light fireworks outside your bedroom window to celebrate! SWEET!!!
6. I went to Alotenango to see the corn festival and the kids at the school there performed traditional Mayan dances while wearing costumes made of cardboard and adorned with fireworks. They then lit the fireworks and danced around the stage. Somehow I don't see that going over well in the States...
7. Seriously, they really like fireworks here.
8. At every meal we eat purred black beans, rice, and corn tortillas.
   
9. Oatmeal is a drink. It's a little runnier than in the States, so it works.
   
10. Whenever you pass someone who's sitting at a table or eating, it's polite to say "Buen provecho" (the closest translation is "Bon Apetite")
11. Greet others and say goodbye with an air kiss on the right cheek.
12. They eat cereal with warm milk.
13. Greet everyone, not just the people you know.
    
14. Contrary to popular belief, Guatemala is cold. I have worn nothing but long pants, layers of shirts, and sweaters. And they told me that October is warm month. So get rid of all those notions in your head that I'm lying on a beach sunbathing.
    
15. Babies' first foods here are squash and coffee.
    
16. They put sugar on EVERYTHING! Coffee, tortillas, cereal, tea, I'm definitely a fan.
    

There's lots more, but hopefully you now have a taste of life in Guatemala (it's sweet because of all that sugar!)

In reality, although the culture is wonderful and I am really enjoying learning how to live life Guatemalan-style, I have and continue to struggle with culture-shock. Overall, the Guatemalan (and Latin) culture is one of warmth, openness, hospitality, and family. Unlike in the States, where it's often nearly impossible for an outsider to break into a new group, the people here welcome you with open arms. They take the time to talk with you, invite you to their homes, and treat you as part of the family, even if you've only known them for a few hours.

However, there are aspects of the culture that I really struggle with. Single, Guatemalan girls are nearly always in their homes. The people on the streets and the ones who will initiate conversations are the guys. Do not falsely call me stereotypical when I say that these guys are not the ones you necessarily want to have a conversation with. Culturally, time spent between girls and guys is not the same here as in the US. They cannot be just friends, just talking, or just hanging out. Social cues that I unconsciously pick up on in the American culture change when you enter Guatemala. I am functioning in a world where I don't know all of the subtle social cues. This makes it hard for me to understand what another person is thinking. Often, because of the difference in culture, I perceive a situation very differently from the Guatemalan next to me.

Also, cat calling here is nothing like in the States. I cannot walk down the street without having cars honk, guys on motorcycles slow down, and pick-up lines yelled at me. Once, a car even slowed around the corner and guys reached out, trying to grab me. I have stopped going to dance classes because even (especially) the teachers are way touchy-feely. Guys will sit down next to you in the park out of the blue and spend the next half hour talking to you. I know that some of you are thinking "Why's she complaining about getting attention?" The fact is that the only thing that matters to them is that I'm a Caucasian female. They do it to every white girl who walks down the street, and frankly, they do not have the boundaries that hold guys back in the States. They think nothing of stroking your hair, putting their arm around your waist, rubbing you back, etc. After knowing you for 2 minutes!! The stereotype of Caucasian women here in that they're easy, and guys are out looking to get someone into bed.

Please do not feel that I am saying all Guatemalan guys are bad. I have met some wonderful, faithful, God fearing guys, and I know that there are lots more out there. The fact is, they're not the ones coming up to you on the streets.

Needless to say, it is difficult to find friends here. I came, rather nievly believing that I could make friends with only Guatemalans, speak only Spanish, emerge myself in the culture. And I will continue to do that to the extent of my ability. However, I was talking with a fellow young, single, Caucasian female missionary who has been here ~1 1/2 years. She encouraged me in my struggle and helped me to find ways to avoid unwanted situations. She told me that many missionaries go through extreme highs and lows during their time on the field, especially in the first years. The fact of the matter is, I cannot change my skin, my gender, my age, or my ethnicity. I can, however, trust God that He will continue to send friends my way, to encourage me, and to protect me. He has not failed me yet, and He never will.

Please be in prayer with me as I continue my journey through the beautiful, though sometimes difficult, Guatemalan culture.

Roomies!

My roommate, Kimberly, arrived!!!!! The Lord has showered me with blessings while I'm here, one of them being that she is my other half! It's only been a week and we are finishing each other's sentences. Although, that may be partially due to the carrot cake gene that apparently runs in both of us :)

A special thanks to all of you who have been in prayer for Kimberly and who have supported her. A few days after she arrived, she received a message saying that CAM was un-releasing her because all of her funds had not come in yet. But, she was already here, studying in language school and living with a family. For a while, we thought she might have to return to the States and then would not have sufficient funds to return. However, the Lord is faithful and answers prayer. Just yesterday, she sent me message saying that someone she doesn't know from her hometown and given her a gift of $800!!! She now has 100% of her support and was officially released as a CAM missionary! (Talk about our extraordinary GOD and His POWER!!!)

We spent a week together in Antigua, my last week at school and her first. She has three more weeks of schooling to finish and will then join me here at the Oasis!

Coban

Well amigos, I am officially in San Lucas and just finished my second full day of work at the Oasis! However, I have neglected to inform you of the past 2 weeks of excitement. So, let me catch you up:

1)I passed my test for level D! And then I studied for two more weeks and passed Level E. As of Friday, I am an official graduate of Christian Spanish Academy of Antigua, Guatemala-- with a diploma and everything!

2)I made some awesome friends, Sam and Will, who are taking the next year to travel the world on only $10,000 each (that's $15/day after flight costs). They invited me to travel to Coban on a tour with them, so of course I went! Luckily for me (and for ya'll) they are computer/film geniuses and are filming all of their travels. So, you can have a full 12-minute HD experience of my trip to Coban at www.twoguysaroundtheworld.com . Simply click the "Episode 7: Semuc Champey" to see the footge of our trip.

First, however, I'll give you and overview narrative of the trip:

We left on Friday and drove 6 hours north to Lanquin, where we spent the night. The next morning I woke up to the sound of small waterfall outside my window (sweet!) We all piled into a truck and drove and hour into the mountains 'till we reached Semuc Champey. Upon arrival, we hiked up a mountain covered in mud (it's the middle of the rainy season here.) I am what many people would call a klutz--I had a very hard time explaining that word to the Guatemalans-- and the entire time up the mountain all I heard was "Cuidado, Becky" ("Careful, Becky") I sucessfully made it to the top without making any too-dangerous mistakes, but at thee lookout on top, missed a step and body slammed the person in front of me. "CUIDADO BECKY!!" Whoops.

The view, however, was so worth it. You'll see it in the footage--aquamarine pozas (natural pools,) waterfalls, and rapids, all in the middle of a jungle covered valley. We made our way (I pretty much just slid down the mountain) down to get a better look. And what's better than in the water itself!? Our guide took us on a swimming tour of Semuc Champey. We swam/climbed/sloshed our way to the top of waterfall where Jose (our guide) tied a very dodgey looking rope to a rock and then proceded to repel his way down the waterfall. YES!!! Scary, due to the sheer cliff beneath you and the raging white water beyond that, but how else am I supposed to get a thrill? So, of course, I followed--slowly. At the bottom of the waterfall was the entrance to a cave. During the dry season, it's possible to float through the cave, but the water was absolutely raging, and I'd had enough adrenline rushes for one day.

We ended our water-filled day by floating on tubes down a river. To avoid trees, you lean back and do a backwards butterfly stroke like there's no tomorrow. It works quite well.

The next day we left at 6 am and drove 2 hours into Bajal and Las Montanas de los Muertos (The Mountains of the Dead), where we watched the sunrise. Spectacular. It was like watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, except everything was green. You cannot experience beauty such as this and not believe in God and His awesome creativity.

Last stop was for breakfast in Coban and a hike into the hills to search for a Quetzal, the rare national bird of Guatemala and also the name of their money. We actually found one...sort of.
Check out Sam and Will's site! I promise it's more interesting than my descriptions.

Oh, God and His sense of Humor

Ok, here´s part 2 in the epic that has been my last week:

School picked up again this week, and I am planning on taking my test to see whether or not I can move up to the next level this coming Monday! Please be in prayer for me as I study hard this weekend! The test has approximately 6-7 components (fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, reading, lecture, conversation, writing a story, answering questions about an essay that´s read to me, etc.) Pray that God will give me a clear mind, energy, and lots of endurance!

Last week, I received wonderful news! Kimberly, my co-worker\ roommate at the Oasis has finally arrived in Guatemala!! Praise the Lord! God was so wonderful in providing her with her financial support, and she will be coming into Antigua after next week. Upon coming here, I had been assuming that Kimberly would be here with me. When I learned that she was unable to come at the beginning, I was very worried, wondering who I´d be with in the city. He provided though, as He always has, the most wonderful roommate for me at my host home. Mackenzie and I hit it off right away and spend most of every day together. Now, Kimberly will be coming to stay in Antigua on Monday--the day after Mackenzie leaves to continue her trip throughout Central America. God is so wonderful in His perfect timing! He likes to make me sweat a little, but I am learning that He always comes through.

Speaking of our amazing God, I was able to encounter another one of His workers on Thursday night. None other than Melanie, the intern director at the Oasis! She and I met for dinner and were able to talk all about The Oasis, the girls, and what my responsibilities there will be. I am SOO excited! She said, as I already knew, that when I arrive the girl´s will just be beginning their summer break. Because the schedule will be relaxed with the absence of classes during the summer, I am free to start up any activities, projects, games, classes, etc. that I am interested in! So, if any of you creative people out there have any ideas, I´d love to hear from you! She also told me that there will be a lot of preparation work for Christmas (several hundred gifts to wrap, and Christmas letters from their sponsors to translate). Once the school year starts I will be filling in any gaps in the teaching staff, or if there are none, helping the youngest girls to prepare for school (some have yet to learn their alphabet or numbers). Then, the afternoons are a time when the older girls can get tutoring help. I LOVE TO TUTOR!!! She said that they have 12 yr olds in first grade, and that every single one of the girls are behind (many came to the home without having ever gone to school). So, I´m sure I´ll have lots of wonderful girls to keep me busy over the next several months.

Melanie also invited me up to visit the Oasis today! It is visitation day, a day when the families who have court permission can come and visit their children. Many of the girls, however, do not have families to come and visit them. So, I´m going up to meet and hang out with them and look around the place where I´ll be living in just a few weeks!

In the last 2 weeks I have had a total of zero chips. happy?

Saving the tutles, one ping-pong ball at a time

So much has happened since I last had a chance to update on here, so I´ll try to catch you all up to speed as best I can. Just to help me keep my thoughts together, I´ll probably do this blog in several sections.

Monterrico was beyond amazing. We bumped (I don´t know another way to describe buses on cobblestone roads) our way out to the coast and suddenly found ourselves in paradise. The beach stretched for miles, all of it black sand because of the volcanoes. (P.S. When I get up in the morning, all I have to do is turn in a circle and I can see three huge volcanoes... I know, you´re jealous) The water, although too strong to swim in, was amazingly warm and it felt wonderful just to stand in the shallow areas. We were able to stretch out on the beach with books and let our brains recuperate from 24\7 Spanish for a while.

As I said, the beach at Monterrico is well known for it´s sea turtle population, especially since this particular beach is turtle nesting grounds. The turtles come out of the water after dark and lay their eggs in the sand. Unfortunately, poachers make a nice living out of digging up the turtle eggs and then selling them in the local markets as a delicacy. To help save the turtles, many organizations have begun reservations for the turtles on the beach. One happened to be right next to our bungalow. So, Sunday morning we ran (you have to run, the black sand is so hot!) over to see the turtles.

When you walk in, the baby turtles were swimming around in a kiddie pool. They are adorable!!! ¡¡Tan chulo!! They reminded me of that awkward 11-14 year old stage when you don´t quite fit you body and everything seems to hang wrong. Their heads float above the surface while their shells seem to sink, and their fins go in circular motions ( kind of like doing the breast stroke) in an attempt to move forward. Often, they just swim right over each other.

The highlight of the morning for me was when one of the workers at the reservation came over to us with a bowl of muddy ping-pong balls. Turns out, they were actually turtle eggs collected that morning from the beach!! We were given the opportunity to re-dig a hole for them inside the reservation and then bury the eggs in the sand to incubate them!

Over all the weekend at Monterrico was a well-needed break and completely worth it! On the beach suffering for Jesus, as my mom likes to say :)

P.S. For all of you fellow suffers of motion sickness, I would like to recommend Dramamine! After throwing up on the trip out to the beach, I decided to try the much-talked-about miracles of Dramamine. 2 1\2 hours later I woke up. FANTASTIC. Apparently, I slept through a torrential rainstorm, washed out roads, and hydroplaning on the highway. Now that´s a good medicine if I ever saw one.