Week 2

Hey everyone,

Well, we are halfway through week two now. It seems like we have been here forever, because every day is packed full of activities. Last week half of our group took a 45min hike up the mountain behind the school and went to some natural saunas. They were hot! Then on Friday, the same half of our group went to a little pueblo about 20 minutes up the mountain called La Pedrera. Casa Xelaju started an afterschool program for the children there. So we spent the afternoon teaching them some english and playing games (it included a lot of head, shoulders, knees, and toes, gestures, and hokey pokeying). Then we had some rec time with freeze tag and the blob. Afterwards the kids got a big snack, and we sent them on their way home. It was so much fun working with the kids...from 3 years old to probably 13. We may have the opportunity to help there again sometime next week.

We left early saturday morning for the city of Panajachel. It is abou 3 hours away from Xela. On the way, we stopped at a womens cooperative and learned all about how they have regained self confidence and the ability to provide for their families after the deaths of all of their husbands during the war. Then we did a little shopping among their handicrafts.

Pana is a very touristy town right outside Lake Atitlan. Atitlan is beautiful! It is a very touristy spot because there are 4 or 5 Indigenous Mayan communities surrounding the lake. Sunday afternoon we took a 45 min boat ride the pueblo of Santiago. The ride was amazing! Santiago is nestled in between two volcanoes, San Pedro and Santiago. We visisted a church where an American priest was martyred in the 80s because of the work he was doing with the poor. The boat ride on the way back was extremely windy, and we enjoyed fighting the wind standing on the top of the boat the whole way back.

Yesterday, we had a lecture regarding the politics of Guatemala and the job of the new President. It was a little hard to understand because it was 2 hours of politics in Spanish, but it was interesting.

Today, we just got done learning how to dance the merengue! It was a blast. Now I am off for a 1 on 2 with my profesores, and then it is off to homework! Please pray for health and good time management for everyone.

I love and miss you guys!

Emily