Guatemala: Community Learning
March 23-30 Our group gathered for a day at Semilla after free travel then Sunday morning we left for our service learning assignments. Zoe and Amanda stayed in the city at Cl铆nica Jac de Wit. Caleb, Sam and Malachi went to Comalapa to work with Rujotay. Malia, Emae and Payton went to Santiago Atitlan to....
Guatemala: gradually, then suddenly
16 March, 2025 This week we heard from a few speakers, one speaking about Mennonites in Central America, another about Catholicism and Liberation Theology, and we heard from a group from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) about their work and opportunities. It was our last week of Spanish classes and our last week with our host....
Guatemala: faith connections / the volcano
23 February 2025 This week was centered around economics in Guatemala. On Monday and Tuesday we had guest speakers that talked about the economy in Guatemala and how it differs from other economies in the world. Wednesday, we visited the brewery Zapote of the Guatemalan brand of beer, Gallo. On Thursday we had our weekly....
Guatemala: Introductions
Week 1 Reflections – January 19 Our group flew from Reagan National Airport to Houston International, then on to Guatemala City. We heard about the History and Culture of Guatemala from Isra Ortiz Escobar. We also had some time to explore the community around Semilla/CASAS. The group went to Casa Horeb to experience a Mennonite....
Guatemala: Community Service
We recently spent 10 days living in communities around Guatemala and serving with organizations in those聽 communities. Keep reading to hear about where each group went.聽 We (Marie & Sophia) spent the week in Santiago, Atitlan working with Amanecer Nueva de Santiago Atitlan (ANADESA). This organization focuses on helping empower indigenous women, as well as....
Guatemala: Holy Week
Holy Week in Guatemala聽 The past week we traveled out to Chichicastenango and around Lago Atitlan. We left on the tails of our goodbyes to host families and the end of Spanish classes, so the week was a real change of pace. Throughout the week we saw examples of hope being held with pain, a....
Guatemala: Host families
Our families have been an integral part of our Guatemalan experience. At first, the idea of staying and living with a family we had never met before in an entirely new country was a bit frightening for a majority of us. The cultural and language barriers seemed to be the biggest worries, but once meeting....
Guatemala: Take the Plunge
Plunging into Cultural Learning Guatemala is a paradoxical paradise. That鈥檚 what Israel Ortiz told us on the first day of orientation in the second-floor CASAS meeting room. I remember sitting in that room, full of excitement. I was ready to fully plunge into this new paradise. Three weeks later I鈥檓 panicking while clinging to a....
Guatemala: Independent Travel Week
During the week of spring break for the rest of 黑料正能量, the Guatemala intercultural students had the chance to travel in small groups around Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador. We planned the trips ourselves and were given the opportunity to go anywhere we wanted (with the approval of our leaders, of course). Here鈥檚 a short....
Guatemala: Education
10 March 2024 Education – Investing in the future Two weeks ago our group focused on education in Guatemala. We listened to a presentation and got a tour at Casa Horeb about the school program they run called EduVida. They offer free classes for people of all ages who are looking to further their education....