Guatemala Update by Alyson Kyle

We have all arrived safely and we’re very happy to be here! From the moment we stepped off the plane we started noticing the differences here and it has been an amazing experience. After getting through immigration and customs, we collected our luggage and waited for our transportation to arrive. We loaded up into four separate vehicles to begin the last 2 hour leg of the journey to the hotel Tres Marias just outside of San Martin. During the car ride we all we’re a little surprised by the driving, and let’s just say that not many Utah drivers would have felt comfortable driving here. The drivers weave in and out of traffic with little to no warning  aside from a honk here and there to warn each other that they are coming, but there are certainly no hard feelings after they hear that. We then quickly settled in for the night at our hotel, excited to begin work and play the next day at the village.

Las Escobitas is beautiful, and Opening Ceremony was very touching. Everyone felt the love emitted from the community and it was heart-warmingly clear that there are no differences between us aside from the language (and even that is only a slight barrier through translators and trial and error Spanglish). There were some wild games of Pato Pato Ganso (duck duck goose), freeze tag, and soccer played. The food is very familiar to some and completely foreign to others, but everyone has been enjoying the opportunity to try new things. Cementing, painting, and sewing projects have been a learning experience for all, and there is a lot that is getting done, but even more to do. The people here are so grateful for the little things and it’s amazing to see the amount of love every person has to give. Flukes do not seem to exist out here, and it’s amazing to see how people are getting out of their comfort zones to get the full experience. Rain or shine, we’re all happy.