The meaning of life...

As I lay in bed trying to sleep, I can't! Good thing I can't because now a rooster is cock-a-doodle-dooing... I have news for that rooster, it's 11pm, and certainly not time to wake up. Had I been asleep and it woke me up, I would have made my way out back and had some words with that rooster!!!

As I lay here, I am thinking... I had a conversation with a girlfriend the other day about the meaning of life, why is she teaching? Why am I here in Guatemala? Who knows, but I keep pondering this thought. My uncle emailed me a few weeks ago and stuck a sentence in that I have had on my mind since...

"I think what you’re doing envelopes the meaning of life at its best."

About 10 minutes ago, I had my headphones in being sung to sleep by Sarah McLachlan, but my mind wouldn't stop thinking... so I checked my email in hopes of some answers and in hopes of not typing at all, but I don't think I will be able to sleep until these thoughts are written for all to see!

Why have I been so very blessed in my life to have more then 1 pair of shoes? Crap, I have way more than 1 pair... I don't even wear all the pairs I have. I have an education, therefore can read and write. My math skills might be less then desirable, but I suppose I can't be perfect, right? We did a visit to a house a few days ago. A little boy of maybe 5 answered us when we asked what he wanted to be when he grows up... "I want to go to college so that I can read." I'm sorry, you're 5... what do you know about college? I did the bare minimum in college, and that's what he wants to do when he grows up? Where have things gone wrong??? For us... or for them?

At another visit we went to leave and there were 2 little boys playing in the middle of the road. I told Julio I would get them out of the road so they wouldn't get run over. I tried to converse, but it was a joke as I wracked my brain with, how in the... do I say "get out of the way boys... look out, the car is coming..." I felt retarded, and they just stared. Luckily a woman came out next door and told them before it was to late. In the mean time, part of the reason I couldn't come up with the correct words, was because I still don't know the correct words and because I was in awww of what they were doing. I'm still kicking myself for having put my bag in the car with my camera in it!! Picture this... These 2 boys, maybe 3 and 4, absolutely filthy, barefoot in heavily dusty dirt, squating down around something. When I got close enough and spoke to them, they looked up, didn't move, just stared at me and protected their 9 marbles by a circle they had drawn in the dirt with a stick. (that is the shot I wanted and have engraved in my mind.) They looked at me, and kept protecting their marbles. When they were told to move in a language they understood, up they went with almost all of their marbles, leaving 3 behind. As the van started coming back, the littlest boy runs back, could care less about the van, grabs his 3 marbles, and went on to play in the dirt with his friend or brother with their marbles. Again I ask... where did things go wrong? For who? Them or us?

You're absolutely right, these poor people are filthy, with no shoes, no showers... or course, life went wrong for them! But I beg to differ... Yes, they have a tough life, but do they know the meaning of life? Are they happy? Do they smile? These kids are happier with 9 marbles than I've seen kids in the states, in my classrooms that have any and every toy they could dream of. What would kids in the states do with 9 marbles in the dirt? How long would that last? Yeah, about 5 minutes, onto bigger and better. I hate to say this but it's alarmingly true and I hope it doesn't come to a shock to any of you... kids in America are spoiled rotten. They are brats, they don't appreciate their toys or the food they are given. If they keep getting away with murder and running the show at home, they will never understand or appreciate what life is about. Sharing, what's that? Vegetables, not a chance! What if that was their only option... then what? I may never have the chance to teach again after that comment, but at this point, it's a chance I'm willing to risk. Some of you have no idea what it's like to come from seeing these kids fight over a pb&j sandwich and gulp a bag of rice milk down so fast that they never even tasted it, to a classroom of kids complaining their parents didn't give them dessert, or that they don't want their string cheese. Please educate your children in a way that they appreciate life and what they have.

Do we as adults know what its like to actually 'PROVIDE' for our families? Do we know what it's like to work to survive. And I'm not talking about working in an air conditioned office in our suits. I'm talking about WORKING. Hiking into the hills to collect wood in order to make food for supper while sweating buckets. Besides camping for a weekend and making a fire to roast marshmallows, how many of you have had to get wood to survive? Not to mention, you have an entire village and all of them need wood, after a while, one's going to have to hike a ways to get their wood. Do you hand wash your clothes? Maybe occasionally. Let me tell you, I tried just to wash some underwear the other day... I think I need lessons. That is some hard physical labor, and I was washing in my sink with running water. I didn't carry a bucket on my head full of my families clothes a mile to the river, to stand in the river for over an hour scrubbing my clothes against the rocks. Then hey guess what, hope your not to tired after that, because you get to carry it all back home now. Maybe wet, maybe you had time to let it dry. Do you appreciate your closet & dressers full of clothes? I hope so, because they have a basket of clothes on their floor, and that is it! I can guarantee that they appreciate their clothes a lot more then you. Even though they wear their 4 outfits over and over and over. Who's life has more meaning now? I'm not saying ours has lost it's meaning, I'm just still wondering the meaning behind life and behind all we have. Does it make us better then them? Absolutely not! We are more fortunate and that's about it! Otherwise, we have lost all site of life. We are greedy, selfish, unhappy, materialistic & fake - complainers with everything! It's a shame you might want a nicer car cause I saw a little boy on my run yesterday that was riding a bike that was 8 sizes to big for him. He could peddel, but had to stand the whole time and I think his crotch was probably hitting the bar with every push! But, it beats walking everywhere! I still have no idea what the meaning of life is, and to be honest, none of this was going through my head before I couldn't sleep. If you have insight, send it this way. I am now heading to bed after an hours worth of a detour I wasn't even planning on taking! Goodnight and love to everyone! Enjoy the lives you live and appreciate what you have!!

video for HIM

Jumpcut - Love
Click on the "Jumpcut - Love" link above to view the video I made with pictures of the children here in Guatemala!

Houses & Familes

A few pictures from our house visits of families and their homes.

As a single mother, doing domestic work for others, this mother provides for herself and her 3 children off of $45/month.
Victor & Sonja (4 yr olds in the middle) go to school together and live together. Their are 10 people total that live in this 2 bedroom home. They have 2 mattresses and 2 hammocks.

Their kitchen

Wood they have gathered, cut and dried in order to cook their food.

2 families combined in this house.

This mother pulled her 4 & 5 years old boys out of school so that they could help her at home. They are able to run errands and take their dad lunch in the fields, while mom stays home with the baby. If they were not the most fun to take pictures of... look at those smiles!

Another kitchen

A family of 8 all sleeps and lives in this 1 room house.

Another favorite family to photgraph.

This mother does not know how to read or write and was unsure if her daughter was 5 or 6.

They were beautiful!

One family's toilet

Another house

Lauren's Papusaria...

So at my last preschool, I had 2 children in my class that were from El Salvador.

Their moms both taught me how to make papusas, and I love them.

Tonight I decided I would be domestic and try to cook the boys some nice papusas...

We ate them, but they didn't compare. I would say it was a good try for the first go.

It can only get better from here!

You should be proud Noemy & Silvia!

My work station.

Our tour guide...

I have to take a moment to introduce you to the cutest girl around!!

This is Gabby. She is the daughter to one of the teachers at a daycare we are working with.

We had 13 children to do interviews with and Gabby came with us, showing us where each house was. She held my hand into every house, and was a fabulous tour guide.

I'm not sure I know any 5 year old that could take me to 13 of their friends houses, but that's the way they roll here in Guatemala!

By the way, could I be any greasier? I never stop sweating!! ;)

The Beauty of Creation...

Julio and I had a bit of down time today before our afternoon family visits, so we went out the the waterfall not far from the house for a bit of rest and relaxation. While he had a little siesta, I got bit by ants! But the whole time I was there I couldn't help but think how amazing God is! It was absolutely stunning!

Malnutrition...

At the Nutrition Center in Teculutan

Here's a bit of information about malnutrition that I have found.

Please take a moment to read this!

Guatemala ranks 6th in the world for chronic malnutrition, with about 50% of Guatemalan children under the age of 5 suffering from chronic malnutrition, affecting their mental and physical growth. According to UNICEF, Guatemala has the worst malnutrition problem in Latin America, even higher than Africa. 57% of the population currently lives under the poverty line and cannot afford an adequate diet. Mother's are often unable to provide breast milk for their infants due to malnutrition. 75% of the primary indigenous rural population live on less than $2 per day.

This precious little girl is 1 year old. She was just brought to the nutrition center a week ago. If you notice her hair is completely blonde at the roots and her body is very swollen!

She is adorable!

The rest of these pictures are kids around the center having snack or hanging out! There are currently 22 kids that they care for at this facility. They stay here for 3 weeks, then go home for 1 week. Often a vicious cycle... the children will gain weight and become healthier, and in the week they are home, they will often drop back to where they were at the beginning of the 3 weeks.

Absolutely Beautiful!!

A Few Thoughts...

As I sit here listening to Ben Harper ~

"if you listen close you will hear the words he used to say, I've got a picture of Jesus... we've got a picture of Jesus, with Him we shall be forever blessed... in His arms, so many prayers... with Him we shall be forever blessed..."

~ I started thinking... I AM BLESSED!

Julio and I visited about 10 families yesterday...

-Picture this-

A family of 9 living off of less then $150/month...

A mother who didn't know when her son's birthday was...

A mother who could not read or write, therefore was unsure of her daughters age...

A father in jail...

A family of 8, all on ONE matress...

An 8 year old sister that looked about 3...

An hour walk to and from school, everyday...

Lice crawling in hair and eyelashes, yet it doesn't seem to affect them...

And...they still SMILE!!

The part that gets me is that we are all still complaining, I am still complaining!

The night before we visited these families, Julio and I were watching a movie and the power went out in the last 5 minutes of the movie, right at the climax, good guy against bad guy... You have got to be kidding, how sucky is that?! So I quickly thought, I'll get my computer, we'll watch it on that. Well, tough to get a DVD out with no power. So we decided to wait it out... after waiting an hour and a half and still no power, we called it quits and went to bed. Is it really that big of a deal that I couldn't finish my movie? No, but we were still complaining. These children love to watch TV, yet they don't have one, nor do they have power or running water in some villages! But I can choose between my TV and Computer? And still don't seem to always have a smile on my face! Just think about that and remember...

YOU ARE BLESSED!!

Taxi Service...

This was one of the funniest things ever...

We switched cars with Dan during our house visits, from the back of the truck, to a 15 passenger van. The taxi/bus service are these same vans, typically the sliding door is taken off, and they drive on the side of the road making stops where ever neccesary. A man will be standing halfway out of the van yelling whatever their destinitaion is. These kids got in the van so excited and immediately their heads were out the windows yelling all near by town names. "Zacapa, Zacapa, Guatemala, Zacapa, Chiquimula, Zacapa." They were loving it!!

Car Rides - A Hot Commodity

I'm not sure life could get any better!
Caterin and I

Ever: Wild, Yet precious!

Most of these families do not have vehicles, so these kids love when they get the opportunity to ride in a car. When Julio and I get to our first preschool today, we set out to visit the mother's at each individual house, so we loaded the 6 kids in the back of the truck and started making our rounds. I sat in the back with them, they were laughing the whole time, a constant smile, through the yells at people we passed! I would say we take a lot for granted!

The little things...

Not my favorite...

While I love the simple life - windows open and fans on, these things I could do without!

Doesn't look so bad from far away, but when that thing was looking down at me while I was brushing my teeth... Gross! You should have see me with a little box trying to catch it. These little guys move like you wouldn't believe. I finally just let him share my room with me for the night.