Guatemala Video

I know I said that the last post was going to be the last one.  However, Jose, the leader for the media site, recently posted the video he made of our semester program so I thought I'd post that on here as well.  Here's the link to follow:  http://vimeo.com/24488272

El Fin: Home!

I'M HOME!  Here's an overview of my last week or so


Semilla (A seminary in Guatemala City): 

We spent three days debriefing before flying home.  I finished up the last few things I had for school, so I didn't have to worry about any of that once I got home.  All of us went bowling one day as one last activity before going our separate ways for the summer.  Our last day there I was the first time I was completely sick of eating rice and meat for just about every meal.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  I'm super thankful that didn't happen until my last day in Guatemala!


Travel Day: 

We left Semilla at 8:30 on Wednesday morning, and said goodbye to Sydney who will be staying in Guatemala working with SI as summer staff for a few more weeks before she heads home.  It was weird leaving her there.

Our flight left Guatemala around 12:00, and we got to Miami around 4:30 because of the time change.  After going through customs, I ate my first meal back in the States.  I laughed at myself as I was eating because I had fried rice -rice and eggs, what I had been eating for the last 4 months! It was so good though!  It felt weird to order in English and when the guy took my tray I had to stop myself from saying, "Muchas gracias!"

My last view of Guatemala.

We got to MSP around 10:30 where my mom was waiting for me!  We stayed in a hotel in the Cities that night, and I was so excited about the carpet.  Mom just didn't understand what it was like walk on carpet for the first time in four months!

Thursday-BETHEL & SAUK CENTRE:

On Thursday I stopped at Bethel and had lunch with my roommates.  There was a few minutes where we were actually all in the room at once, something that rarely happened first semester! 

My wonderful roommates:  Kate, Stephanie, Amy, Me, and Megan!

Next was Sauk!  It was SO good to be home!  Sophi (my dog) was SO excited to see me.  She wouldn't leave me alone and kept wimpering at my feet. 



Needless to say, it's great to be back home, but I'm already feeling the more fast paced, hectic life of being back in the States. 

Random Moments with my Host Family

-On Saturday Leah, Antonieta, and I went to watch Kevin and Jeffery play soccer.  It was so much fun!  They played Buena Vista at the big soccer field.  They looked all professional in their uniforms.  They both played the entire game, and I definitely felt like the proud big sister watching them.

Jeffery (left) and Kevin (#3)

-Later Saturday Leah and I went to watch Sydney play soccer on the little court close to Cafecito.  To our surprise, about half way through Antonieta shows up to play.  She is GOOD!  I was so impressed with her.  I guess all the times their family plays soccer together really pays off!  It was so much fun to watch her.  She scored 3 goals!

Antonieta!

-Justin.  There are no words to describe Justin.  Two of the SI site leaders have nicknamed him “terremoto” (earthquake).  It definitely fits him.  He is always running around and always talking.  He knows two words in English, stinky and crazy.  He is always telling Leah and me, “Chica crazy!” or “Chicas crazies!”  After I found out about his nickname,  I started replying with “terremoto!”  to which he responded, “Terremota!” (girl earthquake!)  He’s priceless!

-One of Justin’s other favorite games is to take my water bottle out of my backpack and run.  One day, I used the clip on my backpack to clip my water bottle to my backpack.  When he tried to take it, he couldn’t.  It was pretty funny watching him try!

-Wilmer.  Wilmer is the definition of the perfect big brother.  When Antonieta and José weren’t able to be at breakfast and one of their family members was there to get breakfast ready, Wilmer made sure we prayed before breakfast.  Other times when we’re talking at the dinner table, and Justin is having his own conversation, Wilmer will try to get him to behave. 

Kevin, Wilmer, and Jeffery

-When Leah was in Antigua one weekend, so it was just me in our room, I was talking to Antonieta in my room after I got home.  Wilmer came in and made sure that I got home safely. 

-One night Justin was giving me a hard time about something, and would not leave me alone about it.  Wilmer took care of him for me.

Justin and Jeffery

-Leah and I helped Antonieta make a cake for the Mother’s Day celebration at Justin’s school.  We had a lot of fun making it with her, and according to José it was the best cake he’d ever had.  Leah and I think it was because he had it while he was working in the fields, everything tastes better after you’ve been outside working in the heat all morning.

Leah and Antonieta baking the cake in Antonieta's cooking school!

-One night Leah and I were doing homework in our room and Wilmer comes and says he needs a little bit of help.  He was finishing up his Mother’s Day gift, and he couldn’t get it wrapped with what he had.  He figured us girls would be able to help him out.  He was slightly embarrassed to ask, but it was so cute.

My host parents:  Antonieta and Jose

-One morning after I was done praying for breakfast, I looked up and Wilmer was smiling at me.   He says, “Muy buen español.”  He told me my prayer in Spanish was perfect, and that it was so much better than the first week I was here.  Praying in Spanish does not come easy to me, so to have him say that to me meant a lot.

-One morning Wilmer was praying for breakfast, and he started the first four words or so in English.  Leah and I both jerked our heads up and looked at him shocked.  He said he was just kidding and continued in Spanish. 

-One night Wilmer walked into our room to tell us goodnight with Justin asleep in his arms.  It was so precious.  They must have been watching TV and Justin fell asleep, so Wilmer was putting him to bed.

-One night there was a bug in the sink, and I decided that since we have brothers now, we would make them kill it.  I had killed enough bugs in Antigua.  It was now their turn, so we asked Wilmer and Jeffery to kill it for us.  They laughed at us, and then pretended to throw it at us before putting it outside.

-I found out Kevin is SUPER ticklish!  I started tickling him one day, and he was squirming like a little boy!

-On our last day we our host family drove us out to their farm.  We didn't even know they had a car!  It was super fun cramming 8 people in the little car to see their land.  Jose, Wilmer, and Kevin had left at 4:30 that morning to go and water all the lettuce, by hand!  Jose built a soccer field there for the boys.  It was super fun going to see it with them.  Leah and I felt like we were part of the family as we were all in the car driving with the windows down and the music up.

In a few months, you may be buying this lettuce from Wal-Mart!

Jose

-Instead of eating at Cafecito for our last meal in Magdalena, Antonieta asked us if we wanted to eat lunch with them.  We had chicken and rice.  It was so nice to eat one last meal with all of them.

All of us except Jeffery:  Leah, Wilmer, Kevin, Justin, Antonieta, me, and Jose