Walking With the Poor - Notes From the Field

MAT: GUATEMALA - EXPERIENCING MAYAN CULTURE

July 9-16, 2005

Arrivals and Introductions

I write, as usual, from a vehicle. This time I write as we cross the border between Honduras and Guatemala. I’m excited about meeting the 35 sponsors in Guatemala City, beginning this afternoon.

What a joy it is to see such a good number of sponsors traveling to the projects. Their presence encourages and animates everyone, children, youth, families, aging, and co-workers. Of course, these special times of pilgrimage give me the opportunity to come to know our sponsors better and to invite them to participate more and more deeply in the CFCA community

At the small hotel in Guatemala City, we meet sponsors Sally and John. Sally traveled here at this time last year with her mother. I recall that she became quite sick last year. She expressed gratitude for the love and care she received from our staff. This time Sally brought her husband, John, and their nephew, Paul.

The little girl they sponsor, Brenda, really is a spitfire. She lights up every space she enters. Brenda and her mother live in a section of Guatemala City prone to violence. The sponsors will meet Brenda and her mom here at the hotel and restaurant down the street. They are accompanied by Enrique, coordinator of the Hermano Pedro-San Antonio project. On hand to translate is Luis, translator and agronomist. Luis lets us know right away that another of our cows gave birth this week.

Another family (on their second CFCA trip to Guatemala) has arrived, Richard, his daughter Kara, his son Chris and Kara’s friend, Sarah. It’s great to have the families and the youth here.

In addition to our group of 35, we were graced today by two sponsors on individual visits: Kathy and Norma. Kathy sponsors Loidy, in the Hermano Pedro project. Norma recently became the sponsor of Zulma, another child in the Hermano Pedro project. So keen is their interest that Kathy and Norma have been in Antigua, Guatemala taking immersion Spanish classes. They’ll be joining us for our opening supper this evening.

Good opening session with personal introductions of participants and introductions of CFCA personnel. I feel an open and very positive attitude in this group. We have a group of 13 people from St. Augustine Parish in Richmond, Va. Their group includes their parish secretary, Mary Lou, Manuel and Dalila, all of whom are faithful sponsors, CFCA advocates and veterans of six mission awareness trips (MATs). With them is their 13-year-old niece, Ines from Porta Portugal. Dotty and Paul, also long-term sponsors with CFCA, arrive two hours late because of Hurricane Dennis. They share about a formation program they have adopted in St. Augustine’s parish called “Just Faith” which sounds very impressive. These people are coming to Guatemala well-prepared for the journey ahead. We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to sponsor Margaret, with well wishes accompanied by a delicious piece of chocolate cake.

Father John, another MAT participant, arrived at 5:00 a.m. on the flight from San Francisco and L.A. Our group is now all accounted for and with no lost luggage. What a blessing!

San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala—Invitation to another world

We begin our day early at the hotel with the songs Peace is Flowing like a River, Cristo Vive, and Paz, Queremos Paz. I like to introduce folks to the beautiful Spanish language through music.

In our caravan of three vans, one pick-up truck for luggage and a police escort, we cover the 150 kilometers to San Lucas quite smoothly with one rest stop. San Lucas is a place where nature has a sacred meaning. The people, the mountains, the volcanoes, the wind, the animals, the plants, the lake and all of creation represent for the Mayan people an entrance to another world. After the heat on the coast, our folks appreciate the nice weather of San Lucas.

Mayan culture comes alive

At the parish of San Lucas, these tours are led by parish leader, Andres. Andres does a great job living and representing the Mayan perspective. I have had the privilege of knowing him since 1972. Andres believes in CFCA. In addition to this tour, Andres shared with sponsors his views of past and current realities of Guatemala: insecurity, bureaucracy, corruption, but also signs of hope.

It really helps when the sponsors have had the opportunity to study and take to heart the realities of the country they’re visiting. In that sense, this is an exceptionally well-prepared group. This preparation is reflected in an open, anxious-to-learn attitude.

At the CFCA project in San Lucas Toliman which serves 3,030 children, youth and aging in the Antigua area, we are treated to a nice presentation and tasty tamales by sponsored children. Some mothers have contributed to the happy occasion, demonstrating the art and skill of their centuries-old back strap weaving. One mother explains that she learned the art from her mother beginning at age eight.

Cristina and I will spend this last night with the group in Guatemala City. Sponsors head home in the morning. We will fly to Mexico City and on to the city of Juarez to begin the first MAT trip to the northwestern regions of Mexico. The group is small, but this is an important pioneering group. I look forward to making this trip with Paul Pearce, Director of International Programs, and Greta Ryan, CFCA regional project coordinator. What a joy for us to have our son Jacob with us for this week in Mexico and then in Guatemala for another week. I’m also looking forward to a couple days of staff formation after the Juarez mission awareness trip.

Bob Hentzen
July 16, 2005