By: Nichole Stanley
We arrived in Guatemala 4 days ago. Since then we have visited Antigua and the coffee plantation there, as well as the market. Since those days we have progressively been diving deeper into the beautiful and at times dangerous culture here. My very first thought of Guatemala included the words, “poor” and “pity,” but throughout this experience I have come to realize that these people don’t have just one story or just one thing to be told, but a whole world of experiences and dreams and endeavors they want to share with you.
The people here have so little but want to give you so much, and it’s so refreshing to see that these days because people don’t seem to want to get to know you because they have better things to do or because they just don’t want to. It has been a true blessing for me getting to know these people and love on them because they want to do the exact same with you.
A perfect example of this is the kids in zone 7. As soon as we walked up to those metal doors at the school they attend, we could hear the kids chanting “los gringos aqui los gringos aqui” (the white people are here) and banging on the doors in anticipation. As soon as the doors opened all the kids started running to hug us despite the fact that we were total strangers.
The one little girl that stood out to me the most is named Muffin. The first day I met her she just clung to me and my friend Amy the entire time. Muffin is always smiling and laughing and wanting to be held just like a newborn baby. The one thing I struggle with the most when I see her and all the other kids is the fact that they grow up everyday with a fear of gangs and the possibility that some people including their parents could be hurting them or their siblings. I keep wondering how these people still show love and happiness to us despite everything they could be going through, but on the other hand it makes sense because they just want to be loved and embraced.
This entire trip has been a ride of emotions and new experiences, but most of all a change in perspective. My new words to describe the Guatemalan culture now are “content,“grateful” “strong” and “God-fearing.”
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By: Amy Zhou
A Smile, the universal language
Yesterday, we had the first encounter with the children in the Clubhouse Guatemala program. Once we stepped into the school, we were surrounded by the enthusiasm and passion from these lovely children. The distance between me and the children was completely shattered by the warm hugs and the cute cries of “Hola.” With zero Spanish basics, I was worried and anxious about this first meeting with these children, however, their body language and the bright smiles on their faces are the best way of conversing between us.
Today, we had another fun time with these children together in the school. Again, they welcomed us with their endless energy and love. Two little girls named Muffin and Elisa, who are always the first two running up to me and hugging me with a smile, however, I was hit by a wall today. When I really wanted to get to know these two girls better, I realized that I don’t even know how to ask them questions. Unlike my past mindset of just relying on translators to communicate with these kids, this time I really wished that I could speak Spanish and really get connected with these children. I believe that a smile is the universal language. I feel I am loved by these children through their hugs and smiles, and I hope I will continue to show the love of Jesus by giving these kids my true heart.
When the visa situation became so desperate that I was sure I could not go on this trip, the Lord made a way for me. These little children are gifts from the Lord and the passion they have is a blessing for me. I will continue to bridge the relationship between me and the children with my true heart and the universal language, a smile.
LC Senior Go! 