Day 1

As I sit here putting together my thoughts to share about our first full day in Guatemala, perhaps the best thing to share is that at this very moment, 9:30 PM, a group of 10-11 students are sitting on the roof of the guesthouse participating in a spontaneous time of devotion & worship.

Wow!! Not your regular “picture” of North American teens!!

We awoke to a hazy day with temperatures starting in the mid 20’s & progressively rising into the mid to high 30’s. The sudden change from single-digit temperatures to HOT created a variety of responses, mostly smiles & a lot of sweat!!

The team toured the Central Square in Guatemala City through the morning. Visits to the National Palace & the Central Cathedral gave us a glimpse into the political and religious history of Guatemala. This country was, and still is very much a culture, of peoples who are bound by Mayan beliefs that embrace polytheism and an animistic focus. Overlay on top of this Catholic practices syncretized with Evangelical tendencies & one begins to understand the confusion that holds the Guatemalan people captive.

The history of Guatemala is characterized by conquer, colonialism & continued oppression for the average individual. The majority of indigenous Guatemalans speak & live as their families have for hundreds of years, and as a result the political and economic forces of the 21^st Century take advantage of their ignorance. The poverty is magnified by the modern & North American style advertising that is everywhere. The country is going into a presidential election, but the majority of its citizens don’t even speak the national language of Spanish! A great eye-opener for our modern & tech savvy teenagers!

The team was great on our whirlwind tour of the Central Square. For the history buffs, the tour was far too short & for the non-history buffs, the tour was far too long.

We then took a 4-hour drive from Guatemala City to Tactic, through stifling heat, over a very large fault line, up into a cool rain forest (no rain but the cooling relief was enjoyed by everyone), the entire time blanketed with the acrid diesel exhaust from trucks hauling bananas, mangos & very skinny cows. Despite two-lane highways with vehicles travelling three abreast while passing one another on sharp curves & steep hills (mothers should erase this last sentence from their memories), we all arrived safely in Tactic just after 4:00 PM.

Everyone’s luggage was found & all moved into our home away from home for the next 6 days. No cockroaches (yet), but the cold showers were a blessing to those that risked showering with the electrical breaker box IN THE SHOWER STALL WITH THEM!! Welcome to Tactic!

Following a short hike, a meal of Guatemalan nachos with beans & guacamole, the team met with the staff of Impact Ministries to be oriented for the days ahead. Busy days on the horizon! Come back to this blog regularly to follow our journey.

- D. Werth