Gracias por...

Guatemala is a very diverse country. In addition to having the most diverse array of vertebrates in Central America, there are 24 different language groups, including 21 Mayan languages. (I hope to learn one by the end of my service!) Women from different pueblos and regions weave unique designs into their güipiles, or trajes típicas, so everyone can tell where they come from. Located on three tectonic plates, Guatemala has a variety of life zones, microclimates, and ecosystems. Of the 33 volcanoes found here, I am currently living in a town where I can see three: Volcán Agua, Volcán Fuego (active), and Volcán Acatenango. Still waiting to see actual lava but the fumes and ash from Fuego are cool enough for now.

Counting the days, it’s almost been a full month since I’ve arrived in the country. Starting early and ending early, each day seems long and time actually seems slow. Training is very thorough – health and safety, culture and development, Spanish Spanish and more Spanish, and technical. People in my technical group come from all sorts of backgrounds and may have different reasons for being here but the excitement and passion for what is to come is universal.

I’ve been realizing the things that I’m thankful for. I’m not saying that living here is uncomfortable or unbearable, but there are comforts from the States that I’ve left behind. On the other hand, there are many things here that I’m thankful for and I enjoy being here.

Thank you for…	Gracias por…
Family and friends	New family and new friends
Korean food and mom’s cooking.. ^__^”	Meals with the whole family (everyday)
Clean water (aka USA’s water treatment system)	Teaching me that most people in the world don’t have access to clean, potable water.. don’t waste it!
Heating and AC	Multiple blankets from my host family
Toilets and showers	Fire to boil water for warm bucket baths
English.	Spanish. And a new culture to learn!
Fast Internet	Slow Internet (won’t be spending hours on YouTube watching Wong Fu, KevJumba, and Nigahiga)
Korean dramas	Movies dubbed in Spanish and telenovelas
Laundry machines and dryers	Pilas – they’re actually really cool but it does get tiring after a while
Fridge	Simplicity of cooking just how much the family is going to eat
No chuchos (stray dogs)	Chocobananos. Enough said.

New experiences:

·         Sewed up a hole in my shirt. It’s not perfect, but I did it.

·         Chocobanano. Again… enough said.

·         Doblado. Yummy. Sometimes street food is irresistible… kkk

·         Started reading a book in Spanish! El Alquimista by Paulo Coelho

·         Did a Community Exchange with people – visiting and learning about a different community was a lot of fun.

Goals for this week:

·         Understand a whole song in Spanish… Got a whole bunch from my friend and host sisters but cannot understand them!

·         Smoothly deliver a presentation to the employees at the municipality on Thursday.

Prayer Requests:

• Staying faithful to God and understanding the Word
• Learning Spanish quickly so I can communicate effectively
• Open mind so I can understand the culture, opinions, and viewpoints of the people here – especially because we are starting our charlas and town projects!
• Health and safety, as always