Summer 2017 — Perspectives

On the verge of heading back to Guatemala, I'm excited to finally bring this blog current with highlights from last year's Summer trip.

The plan was to spend time with ENRO students and to offer English classes there. My "where to live" crisis from the last trip was more than resolved. Thanks to an abundance of generosity from some very hospitable friends, I ended up with two places to call home this trip....one on campus and one off!

Walfred's and Roxana's house on the ENRO campus was a wonderful home base for visiting with students, giving English classes, and relaxing in between activities, and Cyndi invited me back to her house in Monjas where there is WiFi, great company, and never-ending entertainment (thanks to Min Pins Gabriela and Canela). I'd been nervous about invading her space and hoped that trying to be roomates wouldn't put too much stress on a good friendship. As it turns out, I may end up having to move out, but it will be because of getting along TOO well (haha!). We stayed up too late, watched too many movies (in English while I'm supposed to be practicing Spanish), and ate way too much yummy food!!!

English Class

Practicing "to like" and "to do"

This little neighbor, whose dad is on staff at ENRO, decided she would come to English class and started showing up with her notebook, a big smile, and lots of questions! She was a bright and enthusiastic participant and the older girls were great with her.

Fun Times

As always, I spent a lot of time at my favorite Monjas hangout... La Fábrica!

A visit from Elmer's wife and his "mini-me"!

We all had fun surprising Elmer for his birthday (especially Raul!)

Byron had been doing an excellent job managing the shop, and he also stepped in to save the day when some issues came up with the car. Dealing with mechanical issues is way out of my comfort zone in any country, and I'd have been lost without such great (and competent) friends. Car crisis resolved, we took an evening away from work and Monjas to visit, relax, and have dinner in Jutiapa.

Some dumped ice called for a little fun with Raul pretending to have snow in Monjas... (After all, there is a snowman on the appliance sign!)

Lots of latte art practice... (It probably goes without saying, but none of the really pretty ones are mine...hahah!)

In fact, my inability to pour latte art has become legendary around the coffee shop....sad for me but good for providing plenty of laughs. La Fábrica was scheduled to host a Latte Jam, so we decided on a little precompetition fun and, with my "entry" between the Alejandro's and Byron's, called Raul in to play judge.

And the winner is...

"I don't believe these (on the outside) work,"he said. "The one in the middle is the prettiest" ... These guys are so much fun!

The real Latte Jam was a huge success and I was so excited for the opportunity to attend.

I spent the first several days of this trip in the city with my friend, Lesly (Julio being away on a business trip), and the most recent addition to the family.

Lesly's brother and sister-in-law, Marvin and Marcella, were preparing for the birth of their first child, so there was a lot of excitement in the air with the anticipated arrival of baby Marcos.

As usual, Lesly and I got into all sorts of craziness.

One of our (mis) adventures occurred as a result of attending a baby shower and meeting some of Marcella's relatives who teach at a Christian school in Guatemala City. They invited me to come speak to the students which sounded great except for the not-so-minor question of getting there. Lesly knows her way around but doesn't drive, and I drive but am completely lost in the city, so we made quite the pair with Lesly navigating and Kim driving on the verge of a nervous breakdown!

I made my little "speech" to the student assembly (in Spanish) but noticed that the teacher kept repeating everything. I didn't understand why because I WAS speaking Spanish, or so I thought until I asked Lesly about it. "Do you think the kids understood me?"

"Hmm," came her reply, "the older kids were probably able to figure out what you meant, but probably not the little ones."

Speaking Spanish...not speaking Spanish!!

After the assembly, our hostesses took Lesly, Lesly's mom, and me for lunch, followed by coffee, hilarious stories they had to tell, and a lot of laughter. By the time we left, it was clearly rush hour in Guatemala City, so more hilarity followed as I nearly had a stroke trying to drive home in it!

Lunch with some very fun... and funny... hostesses!

The other bit of craziness was because I am a real wimp when it comes to being cold, particularly WET and cold. In Guatemala, the water flows from the faucet at one temperature...cool (or cold). For hot showers, you install a "calentador" (a showerhead device which heats the water as it comes through). However, a lot of Guatemalans find a cooler shower more refreshing, so a lot of people don't choose to install these heaters.... Lesly being one of these people. We laughed until we were nearly in tears as we went through the whole ordeal of heating and carting around big pots of water to improvise a "gringa shower!"

Good times and happy memories!

A huge highlight this trip was getting to visit Finca El Pilar. The first delicious coffee I ever had came from here! In addition to amazing coffee, it is home to a variety of gorgeous flowers, fruit trees, beans, vegetables and stunning beauty as far as the eye can see in every direction.

How would you describe a host who comes all the way to your house to pick you up, spends his whole day driving you all over the country, walking you around, pointing out highlights and photo opportunities, then follows all of that by treating you to delicious tacos in Antigua, driving you back home and leaving you with gifts of beautiful flowers and mouth watering coffee? I don't even have a word for that level of hospitality, but if I did, that's the one I'd use to talk about Juan Chen and the magnificent day I spent at Finca El Pilar.

Ali enjoyed the day, too!

In the chapel, the story of the crucifixion is depicted in a series of beautifully crafted stained glass windows.

Watching Zach and Alejandro in a latte art competition at Fat Cat Coffee House in Antigua

In route from Guatemala City to Monjas

It is always a blessing to visit with Guillermo, who makes the effort of a very early... and long bus trip from his tome to Monjas during every visit so that we can spend time together. He is such a responsible, polite, hard working young man who is committed to God, to his family, and to achieving his education. I'm so proud of the good work he is doing.

Another highlight was an overnight stay in Jalapa followed by a full day of fun, friendship and discovery as Walfred, Roxana, and their family took me to visit more wonderful and interesting places.

After eating too much delicious food from the breakfast buffet at Casa Real in Jalapa, we went to a nearby municipality called San Pedro Pinula where there are a couple of water resorts, one with lukewarm water and one with cold. Three guesses which one we went to (and the first two don't count...Haha!)

Playing at Agua Tibia

The cold water spa, Balneario Los Chorros, is larger, very beautiful, and overlooked by a lovely hotel named for Fidel Castro. So, after playing in the warm water, we drove over for a quick walk-through and some pictures of the park and a little sightseeing at Hotel Posada de Fidel.

**Ruins of the house where Fidel Castro is said to have lived between 1951-1953.**

Hotel Posada de Fidel overlooking Balneario Los Chorros

We finished the day tired but happy at an open air restaurant that serves soup, grilled chicken, and the biggest tortillas I have ever seen!

One of us was apparently a little tireder than the rest!

Saturday night in Monjas...

Live music and food carts in el Parque Central and a visit to the papas fritas man...¡que ricas!

Enjoying some sweet moments with former neighbors.

Rocio's present that she had ready and waiting.

Visiting with new friends in their garden

On my last day at ENRO, I was informed that none of the students would show up for class because they were having a parade that afternoon. ENRO was the PERFECT place to be that day as the campus was buzzing with preparation, energy and anticipation. The floats gathered in front of the main salon and made their way down the long drive accompanied by an excited student body....some riding on the floats and most walking along beside them. From the school's entrance, the parade turned left and headed to town, led by a tuk tuk with a PA system, music and an announcer from local radio station and followed by some Monjas policeman on motorcycles and a few vehicles of onlookers (like mine). There was a lot of music, cheering and chanting as the whole crowd "paraded" into town, turned off the main highway and spread their enthusiasm and school pride all around downtown Monjas.

Parade preparation in the works