Palencia - Insight from the roof

Day 2

Today, we went to a place called Palencia. Here, we will spend a week working alongside our teammates and La Mision family in building up an elementary school for Guatemala's first day of school next week. It has been a lot of cleaning, preparing, playing sports, and plenty of good conversation.

I'm finding that I bring up Tanzania a lot. While it might get annoying for my peers, I enjoy teaching others what else is out there to learn. All the while, I'm trying to learn as much Spanish and of the culture as possible. 

What I've learned so far, you might ask? We are a very sarcastic crew. Our Guatemalan counterparts are sarcastic. We are sarcastic, and we just fuel each other's fires. I've, also, learned that Guatemalans are very... very clean. The irony may be that the streets are not the most sanitary, but these people will sanitize the floors spic and span before they cook in the kitchen. 

*note to self: do not drink out of the plastic cups*

We haven't been able to explore yet. I'm at a constant reminder that I am in service first, and then a student of the country. Yet, the free spirit within me cries out to see the streets. My way to explore the streets of Guatemala, as of late, is to sit atop of roofs and write my journals. I get plenty of "gringos" and stares as I sit, but I pay no heed. It isn't any different than being called a mzungu in Tanzania. I just accept that I will stand out, and I am proud to stand out.


I am constantly reminded to have no expectations. I am learning much of how to be a servant of  
people and Christ, but doing it in a way that feels more genuine. There is always more to be done. Here, we are tucked behind walls to be kept safe. Here, I am servant before I am a student. I am having to be remind myself to stop worrying about the Organic Chemistry class I have to take and the hours of studying ahead of me next semester. I am having to work hard on meditating on myself and focus on the present. It seems so hard in our society to just sit in silence for 10 minutes, without checking into social media every few minutes. We are a society about noise rather than of self reflection and silence. So far, I have much to learn. 

Be open.