Below is my journal from yesterday. Tomorrow I leave for Chichicastenango to work with a American surgeon team in translating!:
Monday, July 05, 2010
Today I got to shadow Dr. David Lux. He was really good about teaching me during the whole appointment, as he was diagnosing the patient and after the patient had left. He is genuinely concerned with each of his patients. He touches them on the shoulder and offers to pray for them at the end of their appointment. Granted, getting through our 33 patients today took more time, but it was more rewarding.
I got to see an older woman whose uterus had prolapsed and whose bladder had fallen and was coming out her vagina. Eek. I saw several little kids with staph infection on their skin. I saw one man who was complaining of problems inside his ear. After looking in his ears, Dr. Lux told him that a tiny spider was living in there! We didn’t see the spider but there were small webs with tiny yellow eggs in his ear! We saw one lady who brought in lots of paperwork and rambled on and on for nearly half an hour about her problem. It was obvious that she was disputing Dr. Lux’s opinion. I got lost near the beginning and had to force myself to appear attentive. I guess she had been told by one doctor that she had cancer and it was a difficult case. Anyways, I was ready to move on, but Dr. Lux offered to pray for her at the end of the consult. She teared up and it was apparent that her defenses came down. She cried as we prayed over her for peace and no fear for the future and for trust in God and not what man says. I guess you never know what’s really going on inside a person.
I have concluded that several problems are very common in Guatemala: diabetes Type II, kidney problems, and malnutrition in kids. I asked Dr. Lux about these epidemics, and he told me that diabetes Type II occurs a lot because of lack of exercise and poor eating habits. I’ve noticed that no one here exercises, and Dr. Lux said it’s because many workers don’t have time to exercise. They use any spare time to tend to their kids or work some more. Also, even though a person might have severe diabetes and high blood sugar, I have noticed that they still eat their 4-5 tortillas with each meal. Can’t break a habit, I guess. Also, very few Guatemalans drink “agua pura” regularly. Most Guatemalans prefer to drink frescos (sugary fruit drinks), atol (a corn-based drink), or soda. This lack of water intake is the primary cause of renal problems. My “sister” Veli, whom I live with here, is 29 years old and has kidney problems. She has already had a kidney transplant, and her mother died of kidney problems. Also, many kids here are skinny. It’s not that they don’t eat. It’s that they don’t eat good foods. They will eat tortillas, rice, bread, and cookies, but don’t want to eat their beans, eggs, and meat. Their stomachs get full off of food that doesn’t provide lasting nutritional benefits. But all adults here are NOT skinny. I guess that kind of eating since childhood and the complete absence of exercise catch up with you.
I learned a lot today, including how to make balloon animals, in our spare time. Tomorrow, I will shadow Dr. Lux again at a clinic where we will see ABC kids. ABC is a government program similar to World Vision, where kids are sponsored through patrons’ support. We will measure their height, weight, and nutrition level to see if they are on track for their age.
If you could, please pray that I will feel my best while I’m at the clinics, so that I can put all my energy into absorbing information and helping the patients. Today, I think just because of the “stress” of the unknown and a new situation, I was light-headed all morning. The afternoon was much better, but I don’t like feeling crumby during all my mornings in a new environment. I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and prayers!
Guatemala
My home for the next 6 weeks!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Feeling Better and Heading to Chichi
I just wanted to update my blog, because last time I wrote, I was sick, but I'm feeling much better now! The doctor prescribed me Cipro and that took care of things. This weekend, I also started taking Effortil and iron supplements for my low blood pressure. Hopefully they will help while I’m in the clinical setting and working. We had a 3-day weekend because of a holiday here, so I'm ready to go back to the clinic tomorrow!
I miss home and lots of things about the States, but I was able to buy a phone this weekend that actually has reception, so I can communicate with my parents. Much better. Even with the phone, it's been rough, and I don't know why. I asked my dad today why being here is so much more difficult than other places I've gone. He said either it's forcing me way out of my comfort zone, it’s different than my expectations, or Satan wants me to be discouraged since God has something big planned for me very soon. I know for sure that the first two are true, and I like to hope God does have something big in store for me soon. He wouldn't substantially provide for me to come here and then leave me alone. I'm clinging to that promise right now.
Today was 4th of July and I went to Macie's host family's house. They made us hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers) and papas fritas (French fries)… they were SO delicious!! Then Macie and I made chocolate chip cookies for our families. Finding all the ingredients was a big ordeal. We ended using World Cup chocolate soccer balls as chocolate chips!
Tomorrow I shadow a different doctor at the clinic, Dr. David Lux. He is about 30 years old and was the one who came to check on me when I was sick in bed last week. Then Wednesday, I leave for the Highlands about three hours away, where I will be helping as a translator. The people there in Chichicastenango (called “Chichi”) speak Quiche. Someone will translate the patient’s Quiche to Spanish, and then I will be translating Spanish to English for the American doctor team. I’m not sure I’m qualified for that, but I’m excited about the possibility of interpreting. I will be staying in a hotel in Chichi, Wednesday through the following Monday.
I still covet your prayers and knowing that you are praying gives me immense strength. Thank you!
I miss home and lots of things about the States, but I was able to buy a phone this weekend that actually has reception, so I can communicate with my parents. Much better. Even with the phone, it's been rough, and I don't know why. I asked my dad today why being here is so much more difficult than other places I've gone. He said either it's forcing me way out of my comfort zone, it’s different than my expectations, or Satan wants me to be discouraged since God has something big planned for me very soon. I know for sure that the first two are true, and I like to hope God does have something big in store for me soon. He wouldn't substantially provide for me to come here and then leave me alone. I'm clinging to that promise right now.
Today was 4th of July and I went to Macie's host family's house. They made us hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers) and papas fritas (French fries)… they were SO delicious!! Then Macie and I made chocolate chip cookies for our families. Finding all the ingredients was a big ordeal. We ended using World Cup chocolate soccer balls as chocolate chips!
Tomorrow I shadow a different doctor at the clinic, Dr. David Lux. He is about 30 years old and was the one who came to check on me when I was sick in bed last week. Then Wednesday, I leave for the Highlands about three hours away, where I will be helping as a translator. The people there in Chichicastenango (called “Chichi”) speak Quiche. Someone will translate the patient’s Quiche to Spanish, and then I will be translating Spanish to English for the American doctor team. I’m not sure I’m qualified for that, but I’m excited about the possibility of interpreting. I will be staying in a hotel in Chichi, Wednesday through the following Monday.
I still covet your prayers and knowing that you are praying gives me immense strength. Thank you!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
First Mobile Clinic and First Food Poisoning
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
I’m at home right now, skipping work because I got sick last night. Macie got sick the night before with food poisoning, and she felt a lot worse than I did. I only vomited once but my stomach was all cramped up for a long time beforehand. But before I got sick, I had a good day at my first mobile clinic! I got to go to Samayac with Dr. Walter Sierra.
We drove 45 minutes to get to Samayac around 9 a.m., and there were already about 50 people there who had been waiting in line since 7:30 a.m. They each had a number. Dr. Sierra set up in a small room in the church there. I helped Valentin, the Health Promoter, find each person’s chart and get their information. I got to take and record each person’s blood pressure and pulse before they saw the doctor. With babies and small kids, I weighed them instead of taking their blood pressure. I took them out back and hung them from a scale!
The waiting room was full of sick Guatemalan people. Lots of women holding their babies and some men. Tons of flies everywhere! The women had washcloths that they wore on their shoulders. I wondered what they were for, but soon found out they were for constantly swatting the flies.
I had warned people that I may pass out because I have fainted during my first day back in the hospital setting every summer. I didn’t actually pass out, but I while I was taking everyone’s blood pressure, I felt very light-headed and dizzy. So I took my own blood pressure. It was 85/56 with pulse of 72. (Normal is 120/80.) Ugh. I had eaten a HUGE breakfast that morning and had stayed seated all morning, trying to avoid a drop in a pressure. Guess that didn’t help. My pressure just drops a lot when I am nervous or anxious about being in a new situation.
Once the initial work had been done on all the patients, I got to sit in with Dr. Sierra while he diagnosed the patients. He would say to them in Spanish, “How are we doing? Tell us.” And then the patients would proceed to ramble off their story, which I could only catch bits and pieces of. We saw several intestinal parasites, an eyelid cyst, psoriasis, tonsillitis, fungus, and urinary tract infections. I learned many new Spanish medical terms while there. After a while, Dr. Sierra said to me, “Okay, now the next patient is all yours.” What?! I could barely understand their full story in Spanish, and I didn’t have all the medical knowledge to make a good diagnosis! Yet he put the chart in front of me and gave me the pen. When the patients entered, I listened intently to them. Thank goodness, Dr. Sierra still asked the patients questions. But then he would turn to me and say, “What do you think?” He would either confirm or question what I said, and then I would write the diagnosis and treatment down on the chart, as he helped tell me what to write.
Once, a young girl about my age entered the room with her mom and with her baby nursing at her breast. She was small, thin, and looked very young to me. She was complaining of lower stomach pains. She was embarrassed to get up on the table for us to feel around on her stomach. There definitely was something hard in her stomach. Dr. Sierra asked me what I think. I said, “I think she might be pregnant.” When he questioned the girl, she and her mom defiantly said there was no way she could be pregnant. Nevertheless, the doctor ordered a pregnancy test. She came back 15 minutes later with her chart in hand. The test result: “positivo.” When we told her, she was in denial. She said she hadn’t had her period for 3 months, but she didn’t have a husband or boyfriend. When we questioned her about her sexual activity, she wouldn’t give us a straight answer. She just said, “No,” and shook her head. I don’t think she was going to admit anything with her mom in the room. Wow, what an experience.
For lunch, my host mom had packed me the same food that Macie and I think made Macie deathly ill the night before, so I didn’t eat it. Instead, I ate the rest of my packed lunch: lots of strawberries and a big strawberry slush and tortillas. Soon after, I felt really crumby (maybe too many strawberries?). I just wanted to get back home and lie down. When I finally made it home, I lied down in the dark in my room. Papa Pedro, sweet thing, tried to help. Eventually, my whole family came in to check on me, and they prayed for me. I was grateful for all their concern and help, but all I wanted to do was lie in the dark and be able to throw up. My mom Angelica called the other doctor from the clinic, Dr. Lux, so he came to visit me. He gave me an antibiotic and rehydrating salts to drink. He was a younger guy and was very kind.
So I skipped work today and have been sleeping all day off and on. Angelica has been so kind, going out to buy me Gatorades, mixing and preparing my rehydrating drinks, waking me up to take my pills on time, emptying my throw up bucket, and checking on me a lot. We talked, and in the future, instead of meat, potatoes, and beans for my lunch, she agreed to make me jelly sandwiches. Much safer, I think.
I really appreciate your prayers, and I ask that right now, you especially pray that God would help me to feel better (no drops in blood pressure, no fainting, no throwing up, no missing back home), so that I can enjoy this experience more and be used by God here.
I’m at home right now, skipping work because I got sick last night. Macie got sick the night before with food poisoning, and she felt a lot worse than I did. I only vomited once but my stomach was all cramped up for a long time beforehand. But before I got sick, I had a good day at my first mobile clinic! I got to go to Samayac with Dr. Walter Sierra.
We drove 45 minutes to get to Samayac around 9 a.m., and there were already about 50 people there who had been waiting in line since 7:30 a.m. They each had a number. Dr. Sierra set up in a small room in the church there. I helped Valentin, the Health Promoter, find each person’s chart and get their information. I got to take and record each person’s blood pressure and pulse before they saw the doctor. With babies and small kids, I weighed them instead of taking their blood pressure. I took them out back and hung them from a scale!
The waiting room was full of sick Guatemalan people. Lots of women holding their babies and some men. Tons of flies everywhere! The women had washcloths that they wore on their shoulders. I wondered what they were for, but soon found out they were for constantly swatting the flies.
I had warned people that I may pass out because I have fainted during my first day back in the hospital setting every summer. I didn’t actually pass out, but I while I was taking everyone’s blood pressure, I felt very light-headed and dizzy. So I took my own blood pressure. It was 85/56 with pulse of 72. (Normal is 120/80.) Ugh. I had eaten a HUGE breakfast that morning and had stayed seated all morning, trying to avoid a drop in a pressure. Guess that didn’t help. My pressure just drops a lot when I am nervous or anxious about being in a new situation.
Once the initial work had been done on all the patients, I got to sit in with Dr. Sierra while he diagnosed the patients. He would say to them in Spanish, “How are we doing? Tell us.” And then the patients would proceed to ramble off their story, which I could only catch bits and pieces of. We saw several intestinal parasites, an eyelid cyst, psoriasis, tonsillitis, fungus, and urinary tract infections. I learned many new Spanish medical terms while there. After a while, Dr. Sierra said to me, “Okay, now the next patient is all yours.” What?! I could barely understand their full story in Spanish, and I didn’t have all the medical knowledge to make a good diagnosis! Yet he put the chart in front of me and gave me the pen. When the patients entered, I listened intently to them. Thank goodness, Dr. Sierra still asked the patients questions. But then he would turn to me and say, “What do you think?” He would either confirm or question what I said, and then I would write the diagnosis and treatment down on the chart, as he helped tell me what to write.
Once, a young girl about my age entered the room with her mom and with her baby nursing at her breast. She was small, thin, and looked very young to me. She was complaining of lower stomach pains. She was embarrassed to get up on the table for us to feel around on her stomach. There definitely was something hard in her stomach. Dr. Sierra asked me what I think. I said, “I think she might be pregnant.” When he questioned the girl, she and her mom defiantly said there was no way she could be pregnant. Nevertheless, the doctor ordered a pregnancy test. She came back 15 minutes later with her chart in hand. The test result: “positivo.” When we told her, she was in denial. She said she hadn’t had her period for 3 months, but she didn’t have a husband or boyfriend. When we questioned her about her sexual activity, she wouldn’t give us a straight answer. She just said, “No,” and shook her head. I don’t think she was going to admit anything with her mom in the room. Wow, what an experience.
For lunch, my host mom had packed me the same food that Macie and I think made Macie deathly ill the night before, so I didn’t eat it. Instead, I ate the rest of my packed lunch: lots of strawberries and a big strawberry slush and tortillas. Soon after, I felt really crumby (maybe too many strawberries?). I just wanted to get back home and lie down. When I finally made it home, I lied down in the dark in my room. Papa Pedro, sweet thing, tried to help. Eventually, my whole family came in to check on me, and they prayed for me. I was grateful for all their concern and help, but all I wanted to do was lie in the dark and be able to throw up. My mom Angelica called the other doctor from the clinic, Dr. Lux, so he came to visit me. He gave me an antibiotic and rehydrating salts to drink. He was a younger guy and was very kind.
So I skipped work today and have been sleeping all day off and on. Angelica has been so kind, going out to buy me Gatorades, mixing and preparing my rehydrating drinks, waking me up to take my pills on time, emptying my throw up bucket, and checking on me a lot. We talked, and in the future, instead of meat, potatoes, and beans for my lunch, she agreed to make me jelly sandwiches. Much safer, I think.
I really appreciate your prayers, and I ask that right now, you especially pray that God would help me to feel better (no drops in blood pressure, no fainting, no throwing up, no missing back home), so that I can enjoy this experience more and be used by God here.
Monday, June 28, 2010
First Day in Chicacao
Saturday, June 26, 2010, 10:40 pm
Made it to Chicacao! We wondered why Dany was covering our suitcases in the back of his truck, but soon we knew. It starting raining like crazy!! I can so see how this place has been flooded lately; I thought we were going to hydroplane a lot of times. Dany’s little girl and wife were in the car too when he picked us up from Antigua. Dany’s baby girl was all over the place, trying to crawl on her daddy’s lap and hang out the window while he was driving!
Well, we made it to Chicacao around 3 p.m. and they first dropped me off. My host mom Angelica greeted me at her gate in the pouring rain. I was surprised when she showed me my room - it was big! I was expecting a room with just a bed and room for one suitcase on the floor. Nope. I have a big room all to myself. A BIG tank of agua pura and a TV. Angelica is not married, and she lives with her father, Pedro, and her niece (Beli) and neice’s husband (Miguel). They all are so kind and keep telling me in Spanish, “We are your family. I want you to feel a part of this family now.” Beli is 29 years old and a few years ago had a kidney transplant. She has been married for 3 years to Miguel, who works at the clinic as a health promoter. I went into their room and just sat on their bed and chatted for a while. I noticed they had an old-school elliptical in their room and I asked about it. They said that they could move it into my room if I wanted because they don’t use it very much. Score! I also told them how I’m mad that I left my bilingual Spanish-English Bible at home. Manuel scrounged through his books and gave me a bilingual New Testament to borrow. He also gave a Spanish version and an English version of the book “Where There Is No Doctor,” because I was needing it. They are too kind already. Papa Pedro the grandfather is 72 years old and cute but I can’t understand him at all.
Angelica, my host mom, has been super welcoming. She has just talked my ear off today telling me about the past students she has hosted. She really enjoys hosting us. I hope the story she tells future students about me is good. She already started on washing my dirty clothes from this past week in Antigua. She gave me an extra blanket for warmth. She told me not to be afraid at night if I hear a loud noise on the tin roof above me because it’s just a cat. She made me tortillas, chicken, and rice tonight, and asked me lots of questions about what I like to eat. She asked if I would like a formal breakfast (eggs, beans, and tortillas) or Corn Flakes and fruit. I opted for the second choice. She also told me that because of her and her father’s health, they don’t drink caffeine. So she drinks lots of decaffeinated coffee. Yikes! How am I going to survive without caffeine for the next 5 weeks?! I know she would buy me some if I asked; she already offered to. I’m going with her to the market tomorrow, so maybe I can pick out some stuff.
We had church tonight at 6. Macie’s host home is attached to the church, and Macie’s host dad is the pastor, which is great because it means I get to see Macie every time we go to church. And church is EVERY day. Macie’s got it pretty sweet too, with her own room, balcony, and internet access. But she can’t communicate with her host family very well yet, so that’s difficult. Her host mom and my host mom are sisters. Tomorrow we are having lunch together because the sisters wanted to get together. How perfect for Macie and me!
Made it to Chicacao! We wondered why Dany was covering our suitcases in the back of his truck, but soon we knew. It starting raining like crazy!! I can so see how this place has been flooded lately; I thought we were going to hydroplane a lot of times. Dany’s little girl and wife were in the car too when he picked us up from Antigua. Dany’s baby girl was all over the place, trying to crawl on her daddy’s lap and hang out the window while he was driving!
Well, we made it to Chicacao around 3 p.m. and they first dropped me off. My host mom Angelica greeted me at her gate in the pouring rain. I was surprised when she showed me my room - it was big! I was expecting a room with just a bed and room for one suitcase on the floor. Nope. I have a big room all to myself. A BIG tank of agua pura and a TV. Angelica is not married, and she lives with her father, Pedro, and her niece (Beli) and neice’s husband (Miguel). They all are so kind and keep telling me in Spanish, “We are your family. I want you to feel a part of this family now.” Beli is 29 years old and a few years ago had a kidney transplant. She has been married for 3 years to Miguel, who works at the clinic as a health promoter. I went into their room and just sat on their bed and chatted for a while. I noticed they had an old-school elliptical in their room and I asked about it. They said that they could move it into my room if I wanted because they don’t use it very much. Score! I also told them how I’m mad that I left my bilingual Spanish-English Bible at home. Manuel scrounged through his books and gave me a bilingual New Testament to borrow. He also gave a Spanish version and an English version of the book “Where There Is No Doctor,” because I was needing it. They are too kind already. Papa Pedro the grandfather is 72 years old and cute but I can’t understand him at all.
Angelica, my host mom, has been super welcoming. She has just talked my ear off today telling me about the past students she has hosted. She really enjoys hosting us. I hope the story she tells future students about me is good. She already started on washing my dirty clothes from this past week in Antigua. She gave me an extra blanket for warmth. She told me not to be afraid at night if I hear a loud noise on the tin roof above me because it’s just a cat. She made me tortillas, chicken, and rice tonight, and asked me lots of questions about what I like to eat. She asked if I would like a formal breakfast (eggs, beans, and tortillas) or Corn Flakes and fruit. I opted for the second choice. She also told me that because of her and her father’s health, they don’t drink caffeine. So she drinks lots of decaffeinated coffee. Yikes! How am I going to survive without caffeine for the next 5 weeks?! I know she would buy me some if I asked; she already offered to. I’m going with her to the market tomorrow, so maybe I can pick out some stuff.
We had church tonight at 6. Macie’s host home is attached to the church, and Macie’s host dad is the pastor, which is great because it means I get to see Macie every time we go to church. And church is EVERY day. Macie’s got it pretty sweet too, with her own room, balcony, and internet access. But she can’t communicate with her host family very well yet, so that’s difficult. Her host mom and my host mom are sisters. Tomorrow we are having lunch together because the sisters wanted to get together. How perfect for Macie and me!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
My Week in Antigua
(Just now able to post what I blogged on Thursday... sorry!)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
So it’s hard to believe, but my first week in Guatemala and my time in Antigua are nearly up! I have grown to love this place and its people. I have been blessed by my host home, by the teachers at my language school, and by complete strangers.
Macie and I met in Houston airport then flew together to Guatemala. We arrived Sunday afternoon and drove 45 minutes from Guatemala City airport to La Antigua. We were graciously welcomed by the staff of our language school, CSA (Christian Spanish Academy). After helping us exchange money at the bank (US $1 = 8 Quetzeles), they dropped us off at our host home of Irma and Salvador de Guerra. They were very kind to us and we were surprised to have our own apartment rooms, furnished with “aqua pura” (filtered water), a shower and sink, a queen-size bed, table and chairs, sink, and drawers!
La Antigua is a very beautiful colonial-style city, with all cobblestone streets. The weather is amazing, usually around 70 degrees every day with a light breeze and sometimes rain. There are three active volcanoes that surround us, but they just look like pretty mountains that disappear into the clouds. There are many tourists here because Antigua is famous for its many language schools. We have been spoiled by the weather here, as we have heard that Chicacao is extremely hot and humid and you are wet with sweat basically all of the time.
Well, that very first night, we had a lost passport scare. I couldn’t find mine, and although Macie and I searched my bedroom and tried hard to think back, it was no where to be found. Ugh! Already, my passport had been stolen, so I thought. But it was late at night, so I decided to just wait til the next day to do anything. The verse I read that night was Psalm 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” That was comforting and I was able to sleep well without worrying about my passport.
Our first full day in Antigua, Monday, we walked 10 minutes from Irma’s house to our language school. I was introduced to my personal Guatemalan tutor, Catalina Tejax. She saw I was distressed about my lost passport, so she helped me to back track and look at places I had been the night before. Edy, the school’s driver, found us while we were out searching, and had my passport in his hand! I have never felt so relieved and I nearly started crying as I hugged him! I had left it at the bank the day before when exchanging money, and he had gone back to look there for me. My heart was much lighter the rest of the day, and I thank God that it was found!
Can I just say that Macie Mills, my travel companion for this 6-week trip, is a blessing sent from God?!! I don’t know what I would do without her! I would be so lonely. She is a joy to be around; we are always laughing and already having lots of adventures. She is always optimistic, which is good for me, and I have enjoyed exploring Antigua with her.
Also, I have been extremely blessed by my host family, Irma and Salvador. They have a beautiful house and big garden with a majestic view of the volcano, which I get to enjoy every day. Irma makes every meal for us. I have tried many new foods, and I am very well-fed every day. There are other tenants that live with Irma - 7 of us total right now. We all eat meals together, but there’s a rule of “Spanish only” at the table. It’s difficult, but we all struggle through to communicate, and Irma and Salvador patiently listen to us and correct us when we need it. It’s hard for Macie who just started learning Spanish this week, so I try to whisper things to her, but she’s already picked up on a lot! The other tenants have been here a while and have been super helpful in telling us tips for getting around Antigua.
I absolutely LOVE speaking Spanish so much! I feel so much responsibility when Macie and I are out by ourselves because I am the sole translator for us! I have been put in many situations in which I have to talk to strangers in only Spanish. I have gotten to purchase a cell phone, ask for directions, bargain in the market, play with little kids, discuss medicine with a pharmacist, and order food at restaurants - all completely in Spanish. Wooftah. But I LOVE it. The challenge thrills me, and I am constantly learning and improving.
Irma reminds me a lot of my Grandma Dykstra. She is so funny if you listen to her, she loves to knit and crochet in the evenings while her husband watches TV, she is a great hostess and makes everyone feel welcome, she is always offering us more food and wanting us to take more. And Salvador her husband is just the most precious man. He is retired now, so he spends his day watching the World Cup (he is super into it!), reading the newspaper in the garden, walking to town, and doing Sudoku. Out of all the tenants, I have had the most Spanish, so I am always conversing with Irma and Salvador during meals. They readily help me when I have questions about Spanish or need advice. They make me feel at home.
We attend language school every day this week from 8 a.m. to noon, then walk back home to Irma’s for lunch. Then we are free in the afternoons besides doing our homework. With our free time, Macie and I have taken several salsa dance classes from professional Guatemalan salsa dancers, visited some of Antigua’s famous ruins, attempted to bargain in the market, taken “siestas” like the locals do, hung out in internet cafes, and just walked around the town exploring. Today, we wanted to go tour the “Cerro de la Cruz,” a big cross on the top of a hill near the outskirts of the city that has an amazing panorama view of La Antigua. By the time we reached the center for tourism, our meeting place for the tour, it was passed the tour time. Speaking in Spanish, I told the police of tourism what we wanted to do and asked if we were too late. They told us to hold on a minute, and five minutes later, Macie and I were on the back of police officers’ motorcycles! We had so much fun riding through the town on the back of the policemen’s motorcycles, and we got to see lots of the town we had never seen before!
Tomorrow is our last day at school, and we will receive our “diplomas,” haha. I have learned a lot in speaking four hours a day with my Guatemalan teacher. Then Saturday, Macie and I are being picked up and taken from Antigua to Chicacao, where we will live for the next 5 weeks.
Already I have learned several things this week. I have learned that it is imperative to where pants to bed in order to avoid lots of itchy, red bug bites in the morning. I have learned to avoid lingering eye contact with Guatemalan men if you don’t want to be followed or called after. I have learned how to use a Camelbak water bottle - to bite and suck at the same time to quench my thirst. I have learned that sweating is natural, and that although I thoroughly dislike looking and/or smelling sweaty, I need to get used it because it will be my life for the next 5 weeks. But most importantly, God has taught me this week that other people are most important. More important than advancing my knowledge of the Spanish language. More important than meeting my own desires and needs. This is a lesson I hope God continues to teach me, as I have seen that God wants me to invest in people, not just take what I can from them.
I hope you all are doing well and I encourage you to comment on my blog about anything and everything… perhaps I will be able to blog sometime next week! Hasta luego!
Macie and I in front of Irma's gate
View of La Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz
Irma and I eating mangos
At school with my tutor Catalina
Thursday, June 24, 2010
So it’s hard to believe, but my first week in Guatemala and my time in Antigua are nearly up! I have grown to love this place and its people. I have been blessed by my host home, by the teachers at my language school, and by complete strangers.
Macie and I met in Houston airport then flew together to Guatemala. We arrived Sunday afternoon and drove 45 minutes from Guatemala City airport to La Antigua. We were graciously welcomed by the staff of our language school, CSA (Christian Spanish Academy). After helping us exchange money at the bank (US $1 = 8 Quetzeles), they dropped us off at our host home of Irma and Salvador de Guerra. They were very kind to us and we were surprised to have our own apartment rooms, furnished with “aqua pura” (filtered water), a shower and sink, a queen-size bed, table and chairs, sink, and drawers!
La Antigua is a very beautiful colonial-style city, with all cobblestone streets. The weather is amazing, usually around 70 degrees every day with a light breeze and sometimes rain. There are three active volcanoes that surround us, but they just look like pretty mountains that disappear into the clouds. There are many tourists here because Antigua is famous for its many language schools. We have been spoiled by the weather here, as we have heard that Chicacao is extremely hot and humid and you are wet with sweat basically all of the time.
Well, that very first night, we had a lost passport scare. I couldn’t find mine, and although Macie and I searched my bedroom and tried hard to think back, it was no where to be found. Ugh! Already, my passport had been stolen, so I thought. But it was late at night, so I decided to just wait til the next day to do anything. The verse I read that night was Psalm 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” That was comforting and I was able to sleep well without worrying about my passport.
Our first full day in Antigua, Monday, we walked 10 minutes from Irma’s house to our language school. I was introduced to my personal Guatemalan tutor, Catalina Tejax. She saw I was distressed about my lost passport, so she helped me to back track and look at places I had been the night before. Edy, the school’s driver, found us while we were out searching, and had my passport in his hand! I have never felt so relieved and I nearly started crying as I hugged him! I had left it at the bank the day before when exchanging money, and he had gone back to look there for me. My heart was much lighter the rest of the day, and I thank God that it was found!
Can I just say that Macie Mills, my travel companion for this 6-week trip, is a blessing sent from God?!! I don’t know what I would do without her! I would be so lonely. She is a joy to be around; we are always laughing and already having lots of adventures. She is always optimistic, which is good for me, and I have enjoyed exploring Antigua with her.
Also, I have been extremely blessed by my host family, Irma and Salvador. They have a beautiful house and big garden with a majestic view of the volcano, which I get to enjoy every day. Irma makes every meal for us. I have tried many new foods, and I am very well-fed every day. There are other tenants that live with Irma - 7 of us total right now. We all eat meals together, but there’s a rule of “Spanish only” at the table. It’s difficult, but we all struggle through to communicate, and Irma and Salvador patiently listen to us and correct us when we need it. It’s hard for Macie who just started learning Spanish this week, so I try to whisper things to her, but she’s already picked up on a lot! The other tenants have been here a while and have been super helpful in telling us tips for getting around Antigua.
I absolutely LOVE speaking Spanish so much! I feel so much responsibility when Macie and I are out by ourselves because I am the sole translator for us! I have been put in many situations in which I have to talk to strangers in only Spanish. I have gotten to purchase a cell phone, ask for directions, bargain in the market, play with little kids, discuss medicine with a pharmacist, and order food at restaurants - all completely in Spanish. Wooftah. But I LOVE it. The challenge thrills me, and I am constantly learning and improving.
Irma reminds me a lot of my Grandma Dykstra. She is so funny if you listen to her, she loves to knit and crochet in the evenings while her husband watches TV, she is a great hostess and makes everyone feel welcome, she is always offering us more food and wanting us to take more. And Salvador her husband is just the most precious man. He is retired now, so he spends his day watching the World Cup (he is super into it!), reading the newspaper in the garden, walking to town, and doing Sudoku. Out of all the tenants, I have had the most Spanish, so I am always conversing with Irma and Salvador during meals. They readily help me when I have questions about Spanish or need advice. They make me feel at home.
We attend language school every day this week from 8 a.m. to noon, then walk back home to Irma’s for lunch. Then we are free in the afternoons besides doing our homework. With our free time, Macie and I have taken several salsa dance classes from professional Guatemalan salsa dancers, visited some of Antigua’s famous ruins, attempted to bargain in the market, taken “siestas” like the locals do, hung out in internet cafes, and just walked around the town exploring. Today, we wanted to go tour the “Cerro de la Cruz,” a big cross on the top of a hill near the outskirts of the city that has an amazing panorama view of La Antigua. By the time we reached the center for tourism, our meeting place for the tour, it was passed the tour time. Speaking in Spanish, I told the police of tourism what we wanted to do and asked if we were too late. They told us to hold on a minute, and five minutes later, Macie and I were on the back of police officers’ motorcycles! We had so much fun riding through the town on the back of the policemen’s motorcycles, and we got to see lots of the town we had never seen before!
Tomorrow is our last day at school, and we will receive our “diplomas,” haha. I have learned a lot in speaking four hours a day with my Guatemalan teacher. Then Saturday, Macie and I are being picked up and taken from Antigua to Chicacao, where we will live for the next 5 weeks.
Already I have learned several things this week. I have learned that it is imperative to where pants to bed in order to avoid lots of itchy, red bug bites in the morning. I have learned to avoid lingering eye contact with Guatemalan men if you don’t want to be followed or called after. I have learned how to use a Camelbak water bottle - to bite and suck at the same time to quench my thirst. I have learned that sweating is natural, and that although I thoroughly dislike looking and/or smelling sweaty, I need to get used it because it will be my life for the next 5 weeks. But most importantly, God has taught me this week that other people are most important. More important than advancing my knowledge of the Spanish language. More important than meeting my own desires and needs. This is a lesson I hope God continues to teach me, as I have seen that God wants me to invest in people, not just take what I can from them.
I hope you all are doing well and I encourage you to comment on my blog about anything and everything… perhaps I will be able to blog sometime next week! Hasta luego!
Macie and I in front of Irma's gate
View of La Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz
Irma and I eating mangos
At school with my tutor Catalina
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Funding and Heading Out!
Dear Generous Friends and Family,
I am overwhelmed by God’s provision through you all! Here’s how it happened: the day I was officially accepted to the internship, I found out I had two weeks to raise the money… yikes! Unsure, yet attempting to have some faith, I turned to my friend and said, “Do you wanna witness a miracle? Just watch and see. I gotta trust this will happen because God wants to prove He will come through.”
And you all were SO generous to me! The exact amount arrived in the mail on the day I needed it. Crazy timing. No. A sign that God had His hand all over this, and He was working! Things like this have been happening in these weeks leading up to the trip. I haven’t even left yet, and God’s been proving Himself so much already!
I found a verse that describes how I feel exactly…
Philippians 4:18-20
“But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received… what you provided—a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Here is my official blog website (I’m not sure how you’d be reading this blog if you didn’t know the blog website already, but just in case): http://guatemalagrace.blogspot.com/
You can click to “follow” me, so you will receive email notifications each time I update my blog. I am told that the clinic has wireless, so I hope to keep you all updated as much as possible with pictures and stories about what I’m learning and what God is doing! And I would love for you to follow along and comment my blogs.
Also, I have a skype account. I can’t promise I’ll use it much, but my skype name is gracielou982
Just finished packing it all up. 6 weeks in a single suitcase and carry-on. I leave OKC at 9:25 a.m. Sunday morning (Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!), stop off at Houston, then land in Guatemala City at 1:15 p.m. As far as a time change, Guatemala is one hour earlier than Oklahoma.
This is what I know about Guatemala during the summer: 95 degree weather AND 95% humidity because it’s the rainy season... Wooftah! I’m looking forward to getting to know my host family and speaking only Spanish. I’m getting excited to treat patients and learn more about healthcare and the human body. I’m anxious to see what God will do through me and to me in the next 6 weeks.
I am extremely blessed to have another girl going to Guatemala with me - Macie Mills, who just finished her first year at Baylor Dental School. We will be the only Americans for about 3 hours around us, so it will be good to have each other to speak English and maintain our sanity somewhat!
I’m not sure exactly what all I’ll be doing, but this is what I do know: tomorrow I will go from the airport in Guatemala City to a nearby town, Antigua. Supposedly, Antigua is gorgeous and has beautiful weather! I will stay with Macie at a host home there for one week, attending intense one-on-one language tutoring at Christian Spanish Academy in order to improve my Spanish. Then, we will head toward the coast, to the main clinic in Chicacao (pronounced “Chica COW.” Yep.) We will stay there the rest of the time (5 weeks).
I am super excited, and I will hopefully let you all know more once I get there! I appreciate all your prayers for health, safety, and faith.
I am overwhelmed by God’s provision through you all! Here’s how it happened: the day I was officially accepted to the internship, I found out I had two weeks to raise the money… yikes! Unsure, yet attempting to have some faith, I turned to my friend and said, “Do you wanna witness a miracle? Just watch and see. I gotta trust this will happen because God wants to prove He will come through.”
And you all were SO generous to me! The exact amount arrived in the mail on the day I needed it. Crazy timing. No. A sign that God had His hand all over this, and He was working! Things like this have been happening in these weeks leading up to the trip. I haven’t even left yet, and God’s been proving Himself so much already!
I found a verse that describes how I feel exactly…
Philippians 4:18-20
“But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received… what you provided—a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Here is my official blog website (I’m not sure how you’d be reading this blog if you didn’t know the blog website already, but just in case): http://guatemalagrace.blogspot.com/
You can click to “follow” me, so you will receive email notifications each time I update my blog. I am told that the clinic has wireless, so I hope to keep you all updated as much as possible with pictures and stories about what I’m learning and what God is doing! And I would love for you to follow along and comment my blogs.
Also, I have a skype account. I can’t promise I’ll use it much, but my skype name is gracielou982
Just finished packing it all up. 6 weeks in a single suitcase and carry-on. I leave OKC at 9:25 a.m. Sunday morning (Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!), stop off at Houston, then land in Guatemala City at 1:15 p.m. As far as a time change, Guatemala is one hour earlier than Oklahoma.
This is what I know about Guatemala during the summer: 95 degree weather AND 95% humidity because it’s the rainy season... Wooftah! I’m looking forward to getting to know my host family and speaking only Spanish. I’m getting excited to treat patients and learn more about healthcare and the human body. I’m anxious to see what God will do through me and to me in the next 6 weeks.
I am extremely blessed to have another girl going to Guatemala with me - Macie Mills, who just finished her first year at Baylor Dental School. We will be the only Americans for about 3 hours around us, so it will be good to have each other to speak English and maintain our sanity somewhat!
I’m not sure exactly what all I’ll be doing, but this is what I do know: tomorrow I will go from the airport in Guatemala City to a nearby town, Antigua. Supposedly, Antigua is gorgeous and has beautiful weather! I will stay with Macie at a host home there for one week, attending intense one-on-one language tutoring at Christian Spanish Academy in order to improve my Spanish. Then, we will head toward the coast, to the main clinic in Chicacao (pronounced “Chica COW.” Yep.) We will stay there the rest of the time (5 weeks).
I am super excited, and I will hopefully let you all know more once I get there! I appreciate all your prayers for health, safety, and faith.
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