Monday, December 18, 2006

El Mercado...A Labyrinth of Craziness


El Mercado...the open market. Maybe you have seen travel gurus winding their way through open markets on the Travel Channel. Does it look fun? Do you like mazes and brain-cracking puzzles? It is an amazing cultural experience. Rick loves it and Becky dreads it.

Becky calls it the land of giant carrots and shrimpy tomatoes. We think you can buy almost anything in the Antigua market, including gameboys, Xbox games, movies (pirated), music, clothing, medicine, food, furniture, toilet paper, TVs, dog food, indigenous costumes, Christmas decorations, more food, fabric, plants, live poultry, candles, meat, spices...oh the list is endless. But the trick is to actually find it and pay a reasonable price.

The market is quite large. Particually on "'market days" it is quite crowded. You have to be careful in the market. Just a few weeks ago a family of 4 was walking and admist the crowd, one of our friends had her purse cut and her camera was taken. Stuff like this can happen so quick that we go to the market with only empty bags to bring back what we purchase. And while we take these precautions, we try to keep in mind that not everyone wants to steal from you. People in the market are trying to making a living. They bring whatever they can and sell it. And while we do have to barter for a "better" price, we try to keep in mind that for us paying a few quetzals less is fun...for them it may mean they aren't able to feed their families.

While typically we do not carry our camera into the market, the pictures we share represent the market on a "less" crowded day. In Guatemala, it is very important to ask permission before taking pictures. People can get very upset if you just start taking pictures. Particualarly when taking pictures of children, you NEED to ask permission. There is a reason. Unfortunatly, there is a fear of children being kidnapped. We don't know how common kidnapping is but it is thought the that the first thing kidnappers do it take pictures of children they wish to target. Understanding a little about why someone might be saying "no" to a photo, keeps us as foreigners from making judgements.

Do we buy our meat from the market? No. We have a small supermarket that we feel a little more comfortable with. But many Guatemalans and seasoned missionaries do buy their meat in the market. The meat is very fresh (butchered that day). The meat market is quite clean and I am most surprised that I don't see any flies. But we usually don't stand around in the meat market. The reason? The smell. I guess you could get used to that smell...but we don't want to and tend to avoid that area.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Burning the Devil Day

December 7 is "Quema Del Diablo." This means "Burn the Devil." It is a uniquely Guatemalan celebration as far as we know. The tradition dates back before Europeans found their way to this part of the world. Its orgins are indigenous but have been melded into Catholic traditions. It is held the day before "Immaculate Conception Day." Some say the idea is to chase off the devil before the Virgin Mary is celebrated and the Christmas season begins. Others say it is a yearly observance of cleaning out the sin and garbage in one's life.

What actually happens is that at 6 p.m. on December 7 a human-sized paper mache Devil filled with firecrackers is burned in the middle of an intersection in Antigua. Ironically the burning takes place in front of a gas station. We squashed ourselves through the crowd to see the devil burn. We missed the lighting, but inched our way up close enough to climb onto a fire truck and watch the figure burn. At one point the Devil fell of his perch and a cheer went up from the crowd. He then began to pop and fizz as the firecrackers caught.

Around the rest of the city, many families burn trash and junk in front of their homes. Some burn Devil pinatas filled with firecrackers. This is supposed to chase the Devil out of one's home. Yes, it is nice, safe, family-oriented celebration! According to tradition, anyone who doesn't collect their junk and burn it in front of their house risks having the Devil hide in their home after having been chased out of their neighbors homes. We doubt many Guatemalans believe this, of course, but so the tradition goes.

The next day there are processions and a mass for the Virgin Mary in honor of her Immaculate Conception. We didn't really observe this holiday, but we were serenaded in the evening by firecrackers and a few fireworks that were set off after the evening mass.

On the advise of Rick's Spanish tutor we took a bus to a small town outside of Antigua that make a "feria" or festival of the day. We watched a parade, saw a lot of traditional foods being sold, stepped into the Catholic church to observe many people praying and lighting candles, and put the kids on some fair rides. We took the bus back home, grabbed some dinner and headed to the Devil burning ceremony described above.

Christmas and Culture Stress

We are getting ready for Christmas! There is no snow, no cold winds, and no Santa at the Mall. Well we have seen some Santas, but there is no mall! We have been asked by many of our friends and supporters, "What is Christmas like in Guatemala?"

Many things are similar, since it is a Christian country. We see Christmas trees, Christmas lights, garland, tinsel, and LOTS of nativity scenes. Santa Claus is present but not prominent. Stores are decorated; some beautifully and some, well, tackily. It is a happy, generous time of the year. There is Christmas music on the radio and in stores. The Christmas music is very enjoyable but sometimes funny. We listen to a non-commerical Christian station a lot. The playlist is something like this: 3-4 generations of Christmas favorites and hit random play. Cherub children sing "Deck the Halls," next comes a twangy "It'll be a Blue Christmas Without You," a lovely choral "Silent Night," and (sorry organ lovers) "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" on the scary movie organ setting. We brought a couple of English Christmas CDs that we enjoy very much! Poinsetta plants are popular. Though they grow like crazy on their own and are more like bushes when planted in a yard.

But, it still doesn't feel like what we are used to. We miss the cold weather, in a "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" sort of way. We miss the build up to Christmas in church. Because the Catholic church makes such a production of the holiday, many protestants abhor any special activities because they don't want to do anything that reminds them of the Catholic traditions. Also because it is the time for school break, there generally aren't children's concerts or Christmas pageants. The church we have been attending recently does have Christmas decorations up, but the sermons and music have nothing to do with Christmas.

We made a Christmas tree and decorations. Rick loves it because he didn't have to climb up in the attic, haul it down, and help set it up. The kids and I had fun being creative with our limited craft supplies. The Guatemalan playmates came over and helped us make some of the decorations. Baking Christmas treats has helped us get in the mood as well---Yum!

The other night, Mary and Joseph came by looking for a place to stay! Rick and I heard some singing and bells outside and went to our bedroom window which opens to the street (second floor). We watched a procession go by. It is a tradition that each night before Christmas, a procession walks through a different section of the city. They carry lanterns, small bells, and statues of Mary and Joseph. Finally on December 23...the eve of Christmas Eve...Mary and Joseph are welcomed into the church for Mass.

It struck us that we are living in a guest house temporarily. I began to think back through all that went into our move and finding a temporary home here in Antigua. It hasn't always been easy to be a family in a temporary situation. I remember that we hoofed it around town searching for apartments. One particular day, we walked a couple of miles to look at an apartment Rick had seen earlier. The last stretch was down a dusty road that was heavily travelled by buses and trucks. By the time we arrived we were sweaty, thirsty, and dusty. The landlandy wasn't in and the maid did not have permission to show us the apartment in her absence. Grrrr! My admiration for Mary and Joseph rose as I considered their courage and faith in STARTING their family in this type of situation. They must have had a very strong belief in God's promise for the child Mary was carrying.

We are bracing ourselves for a very UNsilent Night on Christmas Eve. After a late mass, there is a huge fireworks display at midnight and most Guatemalans set of rounds of firecrackers to mark the end of "Noche Buena" (Christmas Eve) and the official start of Jesus' birthday. Guatemalans are up most of the night as this is the traditional night to open gifts as well. Many families will be opening gifts at 2 a.m.

What about food? Guatemalans love to eat their traditional Tamales on Christmas. They also serve "Ponche." This is a hot fruit punch which is a boiled blend of a half dozen fruits with cinnamon. From the amount of liquor and wine on sale we are guessing there is a fair amount of drinking that goes on as well. Guatemalans aren't much for cookies, but they are really into other sweets, so there are plenty of sugary confections and candies to go around as well.

As we get ready to celebrate Christ's birth we want to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas! As we have said before, we feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family. The changes we have experienced in our life could not have been done without God and His church. Thank you. Yes, our celebration is quite different than we are used to, but the Savior we worship is the same. He came and lived among us. His death and resurrection provide forgiveness for our sins and a life anew. A gift which goes way beyond any gift you or I could give.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Rick and Ben Climb over 13,041 feet!

This post was written for you to enjoy and as a journal entry for us to remember the experience. Thus it is a little long and detailed. But this was quite an adventure - a big challenge and a special time for Ben and me.

At 5:30 a.m., Saturday December 9, Ben and I left to meet at X.O. (a rugged outdoor adventure company) with 5 others including a guide to climb Volcano Acatenango. Acatenango is 13,041 feet high and is the third largest volcano in Guatemala. Morgan, our guide, was from the United States and the rest of the group was composed of 2 from Germany, 1 from Hungry and 1 from England.

After finishing packing, we got a quick snack and boarded a van for the trailhead. It was a beautiful ride up to the trailhead. Antigua's altitude is about 5000 feet. Our trailhead was at about 7000 feet. The guide had shared the basics of the trip the night before, but now we were to experience it. His description made me nervous about whether I could make it. I felt pretty confident that Ben could do it and Morgan felt the same. The other 4, may have seemed surprised/concerned when they walked in and heard Ben would be with us. But Morgan reassured them that Ben will do very well.

Starting off, the trail climbs through some farm fields. The challenge in this part is that the trail is very sandy (it actually was a mixture of volcanic gravel and dirt). The trail was merciless. It had no level spots...only up, up and up. Very quickly, I was panting and falling from the front of the group to the back. Ben, on the other hand was right behind Morgan. After about an half an hour, we stopped for a break. At this point, I had fallen behind a bit. After a short break, we continued and eventually left the fields entering forest. Once again, I was falling behind and having lots of trouble. Of course, Ben was right there in the front. We took a break again and then...I started to give into the battle inside my head. "Maybe I had signed up for the wrong trip? Did we really have enough clothes for this trip? Can I really make it? If I turn back, how will I get back to Antigua?" The money I had paid for the trip didn't matter...I was in pain and feeling I couldn't do it. At this point, Ben had drifted back to where I was. It was obvious that he wasn't struggling, but was concerned about how I was doing. At one point, I said to Ben "What do you think about going down?" Ben quickly said "no" and turned and headed up the hill. The message was obvious - Ben really wanted to climb the volcano and I was left with a predicament. Of course, Ben and I had to stay together and yet, I was feeling like I wasn't going to make it.

I continued on and after the next break, I felt that if I were to go down, it had better be soon. The trail was pretty easy to follow, but there were a few turn offs that might be a problem. So I yelled ahead for Morgan to come down and shared with him that I thought I could not make it. In our meeting the day before, Morgan told us that all of us could do it. He said he had taken people in much worse physical condition than anyone in the room and they had done it. The challenge we would face would be a mental one. Morgan was right. I had decided that it was too hard. Morgan looked me in the eye and shared confidently that he knew I could do it. There was something in this conversation that helped me tremendously. Having an experienced climber and guide share his belief that I can do it...helped me believe the same. The other thing he said was to not worry about falling behind. They wouldn't let me fall too far behind. I was concerned that I was holding back the whole group. I didn't want to slow them down. But Morgan assured me that it was okay to climb at my own pace.

My pace was slow. I continued to feel bad for the others, as they seemed to be moving with ease. But my mental state was completely changed. Rather then thinking about how I couldn't do it, I kept saying to myself..."I will do this. I can do this." Morgan continued to encourage me but what was even more awesome was the encouragement that came from Ben. My 7 year old son was talking me up an mountain. He kept saying "Dad - I know you can do it" and asked how I was doing. He would wait with me as I took many, many short (ok, maybe not even short) standing breaks on the mountainside. Ben's continual presence was a huge encourage.

Finally we made it to the lunch break. We took a break in a small hut (elevation 10,500) on the mountainside. It was cold and we all laid down for a good hour break. At one point, some Guatemalans hiked up the trail. Unfortunately, in Guatemala, there are many stories of hikers being robbed. As a result, whenever we saw Guatemalans on the trail there was concern. I really struggled with this - wanting safety but also wanting to love these people and not label them. It doesn't help that Guatemalans always hike with machetes. These Guatemalans were fine though and pretty much kept to themselves. A few were staring at Ben wondering if he is really going to climb this mountain.

After lunch, we started up a really steep section. It was really tough. The trees began to thin out and soon we were winding back and forth on short switchbacks up the mountain. I continued at my pace. It seemed harder to breathe and my heart was pounding. But Ben encouraged me on and I continued to vocally and mentally talk about how I could do it. The higher we climbed the thinner the trees were and soon we were climbing among high altitude grasses. The trail was cut through the grasses. This was good because at times it protected us from the wind. But it was also muddy and challenging.

We took breaks about every 20-30 minutes. Each time, Morgan would share a little about what we could expect in the next section. Unfortunately we weren't having the best weather. Almost the whole day we were climbing in the clouds and as a result, there were no views to help take the focus off of the trail. We did see some really need mountain plants and flowers.

There did come a time when I noticed that Ben was beginning to struggle as he was tired and cold. It was cold and the higher we got, the more exposed we were and when we were in the wind, it was really cold. Ben had some good warm clothing that I had found at the second hand market the day before. But most of our trip we were climbing through misty clouds and the moisture was having an impact. For those who have not hiked much, keeping dry is very important. Ben put on his warmest coat and gloves and we talked about how we were going to do this...and do it together. It wasn't too long before our guide, Morgan came down to us to see how we were doing. Seeing we were okay, he also encouraged us on and we joined the group for what would be our last break.

After this break, the grasses fell away and it seemed like we were walking on the moon. It wasn't long before Morgan turned to me (I was actually in the front!) and said this is the top of Yepocapa (the smaller peak of Acatenango). I was very surprise...I had done it!

We now needed to make a decision as to whether we would climb onward up to the higher peak or stay the night in the safe camp. This decision is made based on the wind. The safe camp is very protected from the wind while sleeping on top in the crater offers only a little wind protection. We were still in the clouds (unfortunately) and the while the wind was borderline, we talked about how there would be no views from the top and so it would be best to stay the night in the safe camp. For those who are able to stay up in the crater, they get to sit and watch nearby Volcan Fuego spit lava into the sky. This can happen every 40 minutes, but we are in Latin American where time isn't really that important! While in safe camp, we heard these eruptions. They sound like explosions or thunder.

In safe camp, we all worked hard for a few hours to build a fire. Ben was real involved with this. We did manage to get a small fire going, but nothing too large. The safe camp did have some trees around but wood was limited and most of it wet. Morgan cooked a great dinner and by 7:30, we were all in bed. Ben and I shared a sleeping bag and while Ben got a good night sleep, I struggled to fall asleep. Naturally, I was concerned for Ben. He was doing great on the trip, but I knew that his getting a good night's sleep was really important. In the morning, I learned that Ben was the only one who really slept well. The effects of the altitude (est. 12,400) were hitting people in different ways. For me, my stomach wasn't feeling quite right. Breathing deeply and drinking water seemed to help. Also during the night it rained a few times. Nothing too long, but it made us all feel good that Morgan had decided to stay in safe camp.

In the morning, it was still cloudy but we decided we had climbed too far not to reach the summit. I prayed through the night for Ben and that the sky would open up for some views. As we resumed the climb, we were back on the moon-like surface. At first, it was pretty flat and we were being hit by strong winds. It was cold and somewhat discouraging but we knew it would only take about an hour to get to the top. We climbed up a steep hill, eventually onto a ridge. On either side of the ridge was a huge steep drop. The climb was tough and then all of a sudden, the sky opened up for about 4 seconds, and we could see the top! Wow, we were almost there! To reach the top we needed to finish climbing a ridge and climb a steep hill which was basically a field of loose lava pebbles and dirt. It was difficult to get footing. Sometimes it seemed we would slip back and lose elevation with each step. As we worked our way up, God continued to answer my prayers and give us views in different directions. Finally, we all made it to the top!

The top seemed like the moon. The crater was large, about the size of a football field. There were a few tents pitched. We walked around the rim of the crater to look at Vocan Fuego. The sky wasn't perfectly clear as clouds were rolling right over us, but every once in a while we had great views. At one point, we were walking away from Volcan Fuego and we heard it explode. Unfortunately, we missed seeing the actual explosion, a billow of smoke rising from it. I tried my best to see it and actually ran! Surprisingly, the temperature on top didn't seem cold (when out of the wind).

At the highest point is a cross. While I don't know what the others in our group felt, certainly God was a part of this trip. He controls the weather; He made this world and certainly He opened the clouds for us as an answer to my prayers. It seems very appropriate that God have the highest point on Acatenango and other places.


There were about 10 Guatemalans on top. Most of them kept staring at Ben. They seemed pretty impressed with Ben and I was too. I will share more about this at the end.

Our descent was fun and then painful. Morgan shared that we would be taking a different route. It is a lesser used route, though a good trail. It began with some traversing below the crater and then almost skiing down a "sandy" slope to the trail. Ben and I both really enjoyed this. We would jump and slide. This is the same material that was so hard to climb earlier and now we were descending through it. After a while, we left the "sandy" field and began to descend on the trail. Of course, the lower we descended, the greater the amount of vegetation. This trail was quite beautiful. Even though we were hiking through the clouds, beauty was all around us. It wasn't too long before we were hiking through what seemed like jungle. The trail was pretty narrow (quite different from the trail on the way up). For those who have hiked, you know that going down can be really hard. Some people run, some slide, others try to walk. Ben pretty much ran and had no problems. He was having fun jumping down the trail. I moved along pretty well, but pretty soon, my legs started feeling unstable. The most comfortable way to go down was actually to walk backwards and when the trail allowed for this, I would. Possibly I looked funny at times but it worked.

Finally, we reached the bottom. I basically collapsed on the ground. Down the hill I saw a soccer field and asked Ben if he wanted to go and play soccer while we waited to be picked up. You guessed it...Ben was ready to go!

In closing, I am so thankful to have a son like Ben! It doesn't matter to me that he is able to hike like crazy but it is more about his character. Not only did he encourage me, I think he impressed the whole group. Little things, like sharing chocolate and other snacks, following the guidelines that our guide gave us and helping in so many ways. It was fun to watch him interact with the other adults on the trip. Morgan actually offered Ben an assistant guide job (wanted to record this somewhere so that it is not forgotten)! Ben brought so much joy to the group. He was so much fun. He worked hard, carried a pack (like all of us) and never complained. I looked forward to having this time with Ben and didn't have any idea that it would go as it did. I love you Ben! Thanks so much.

It was a really hard trip for me but so rewarding. I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to climb a 13,000 foot peak again. And if I do have that opportunity...I will probably take it. Yes it was tough, but I am so glad I did it. It was an awesome experience. God is so good. He created a beautiful world - let's get out and enjoy it!

Notice the links throughout the story.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Brrrr.... Winter Arrives

Just before Thanksgiving we had a cold snap. It was overcast and extremely windy. Lows sunk to 42 degrees at night and we layered up since our drafty little apartment doesn't have heat. One night Rick lit the gas oven and cracked the door so he could study at the kitchen table! Being Minnesotans, we were sure that we were in for months of this, but were reassured by Guatemalans that this was a shock to them and they didn't expect this cold till January.

It did warm up again, but we have learned the following formula of weather in Antigua:

If it is calm and sunny, it will be warm.
If it is windy and sunny, it the weather will be fair.
If is is calm and overcast, it will be cool.
If is is windy and overcast, it will be "cold".

The weather is variable and can cycle through all of these options in a day. That's sort of the tricky thing about this so called winter, one day it can feel like June and the next like October.

Now we don't want you to think we have turned into wimps in just a few short months, but once you get used to sunny days in the high 70s and lows in the mid 60s, high winds and lows in the 40s is a little shocking.

Homes here are built for the tropics, so none are heated. The windows are not sealed. In fact many windows are part louvered so they are never airtight. Our apartment doors have nice gaps at the bottom so the wind can come whistling through! We also have an open-air hallway. When it is warm this brings fresh air to our rooms; when it is cold this is a chilly breezeway.

Overall we are enjoying the climate here, even if we have to layer up and peel layers off throughout the day!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

While the original Thanksgiving had pilgrims and Indians around the table thanking God for the food and strength to survive a long winter in a new land, today's Thanksgiving is quite different. Our memories revolve around being with family, eating way too much, and falling asleep in front of the football game!

This year will be quite different for us. You may wonder, what will we do for Thanksgiving? Our morning will be the same as other days with all of us in class. Then in the afternoon we will be going to the Higher Grounds Coffee House, run by Youth with a Mission (YWAM). Each year, they host a Thanksgiving Day meal. We don't really know what to expect. We know the dinner is limited to 100 people. We have invited our teachers to join us and we may invite a few others who have helped us greatly as we have learned to live in this strange land. I was thinking today, it is not too different than the original Thanksgiving.

We want to wish each and everyone of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Regardless of how you celebrate, Thanksgiving is a day set aside to remember all that God has provided. We certainly are thankful to Him. We have seen His hand and provision through so many good and hard times. Take some time and give thanks

Monday, November 20, 2006

Thank you for Praying for my dad

About 2 weeks ago, my dad had a heart attack. I learned about this pretty quickly and I emailed those who are on our e-mail list to request prayer. My dad ended up have quintuple bypass surgery. We are so thankful to God, first that my dad made it to the hospital and second that the doctors completed a successful surgery. My dad didn't know the condition of his heart. Certainly the outcome could have been much different. We feel thankful to God that he has come through this.

He is at home recuperating. Mom's health seems to have rounded the corner after a couple years of an inflammatory condition with many complications. With the assistance of friends, family, and a visiting nurse they seem to be managing well.

Thank you for your prayers. While it was difficult to be here in Guatemala during this time, we could feel your support. The e-mails were an encouragement to us. And the knowledge that so many were in prayer, was overwhelming. Thank you.

Please continue to be in prayer for my dad recovery. As his doctor said, his recovery will be measured week by week. We know it will take some time.

Language School...An Overview - By Rick

I never was the best "English" student. In grade school, math was more my thing. Still, I did learn English grammar. And now I am learning Spanish grammar! If you love grammar, the overview below may be interesting and mean a lot to you. If grammar isn't your "thing," well, the list below may just be a long list and let you see that I have been busy! Either way, this overview will help you to see and understand more about my studies.

Grade A
Focuses on giving sufficient proficiency in Spanish for basic survival situations such as when greeting, expressing basic needs, attitudes, emotions, exchanging information, socializing, persuading, etc. After completing level "A" students should be able to understand and use simple present, past and future tenses to give the opportunity to initiate conversation and to respond in Spanish.

Personally, all the grammar of Grade A was a review to me. What really challenged me, was all the vocabulary that needed to be learned as well as some of the rules that guided when certain vowels were used. I tested very well, scoring 96% (for those of you who give $ for "A's"...well?!).

Grade B
Focuses on...
  • Verbs, regular and irregular. In Spanish, the ending on a verb changes based on who is doing the action. Regular verbs follow a simple pattern. Irregular verbs have to be memorized. In addition, just like English, the verb changes when used in the present, past or future.
  • "Ser & Estar" Two verbs that mean "to be" but are used in different situations as well as "Haber" which means "there is." It is easy to use the wrong verb, which can sometimes give a different meaning then you intend.
  • Present & Past Progressives (I am going, I was walking), Interrogative words (Who, what where, etc), Negative and positive words, Negative Prefixes (example in English - "formal" and "informal")
  • Negative idiomatic expressions
  • Idiomatic expressions with time
  • Possessive & Demonstrative Adjectives
  • Possessive & Demonstrative Pronouns (yours, mine, his)
  • Uses and Rules for Omissions of Articles (when to say an or the and when to leave it out)
I tested on Grade B on Friday and did very well, scoring 89.5%. Although my teacher was very happy with the results, the test really challenged me - showing me some weak areas. My thinking is that if I struggle to use the correct verb/word on paper, it will be an even greater challenge to speak well. So, I am working hard to get the things that didn't come so easy in my test on Friday.

Grade C
Focuses on...
  • Past Imperfect Tense - uses, time expressions, contrast with the past tense, imperfect progressive (When I was little, we were working on it all night)
  • Uses of Prepositions & Prepositional Pronouns
  • Imperfect Future Tense
  • Conditional Tense
  • Position and agreement of adjectives
  • Short form of adjectives
  • Verbs that conjugate using the Indirect Object Pronoun (like the verb "Gustar") Note: in Spanish you don't like something. Instead the thing is good TO you.
  • Adverb Formation and Use
  • Present Participle or Gerunds
My teacher says that Grade C is much easier than grade B. This is good news as I started it today!

Grades D - G... I can tell you more about those books when I get there.

My Biggest Challenge:
Getting my brain to remember words and their correct uses when in conversation. The best way to work on this is to practice! I have found that book work easy to do. The challenge is to use what I am learning on the street. This means, making millions of mistakes and being open to correction. Practicing will help me to grab hold of the language. How do I done this?

Each day in class, my teacher makes me talk in Spanish. At times it a struggle and frustrating. We spend a good part of class taking about everything that happened the day before. Spanish class is probably the only class I have ever been in where I can bring up any subject and talk about it as long as I have "words"...and it is part of my learning. Outside of class, I take walks and look for people to talk with. Today, I had my shoes shined (which costs about 40 cents) and it became an opportunity for me to practice. A week ago, I took a trip to Guatemala City to pick up some things a friend had left for us at a hotel. In the chicken bus, anyone who sat by me became my captive for conversation. I found that sometimes this works and other times, it doesn't. For example, the conversation didn't go so well with the guy who immediately fell asleep next to me.

But practicing is my biggest challenge. CSA (my language school) will continue to test me and those tests will help me to measure what I know and where I need work. But the real test is found on the street in conversation with people.

Thank you for your continued prayer for us. I know many of you are praying specifically for me as I learn Spanish. These last few weeks, my brain hasn't seemed as "sharp" (hold the comments please). We have been told that in language learning it is not uncommon to hit a wall. Possibly this happened to me or maybe I was just tired. But after being in class for 6 weeks I felt like my brain wasn't wanting more information and was trying to process what it had already taken in. We did slow down a little in class which helped tremendously (one of the huge advantages of studying one on one with a tutor). I hope that I have moved passed this. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Adios!

Monday, November 13, 2006

Everybody's in School! - By Becky

As of November 5th, we are all attending school! We found a Vacation School for the kids to attend for the month of November. The Guatemalan schools run mid-January to mid-October. "Mundo Sesamo" is a preschool run in a local church. In November they have a special vacation school for ages 2-8. Ben and Elena spend three hours each morning playing games, doing art projects, singing and learning a little bit of French. That's right, they are learning counting, colors, animals in French. Of course our goal for them is to learn Spanish. Each day they come home with a new phrase that they have learned and want to try out. Sometimes, the phrase they have learned doesn't make sense. For example they insist that people are saying "Chicky-ticky bada-boom bang." to the toddlers during open play time. They keep asking us what it means! Either it is just a nonsense phrase you say to babies, or the kids are not repeating it right. They are also making friends, which is great!

I am going to language school while the kids are in their school. My teacher, Veronica, is great! In the first couple of sessions, we got acquainted and analyzed my Spanish. Although I "know" all the grammar, it isn't all coming out of my mouth. So we are reviewing some of the advanced, yucky congegations. She is also correcting my bad habit of "eating" my "S"es. This is frowned upon in Guatemala, but a typical accent in some places (Colombia for example). I am already seeing improvement in my speech. She is also challenging me to read more in Spanish, so besides reading the newspaper, I am reading a college text on the culture and customs of various indigenous groups in Guatemala and a novel, En El Tiempo de Las Mariposas, by Julia Alverez.

For anyone interested in the D.R., Julia Alvarez is a dominican who was raised in New York. The novel, In the Time of Butterflies, is a fictionalized account of three sisters who were part of the plot to overthrow/assasinate President Trujillo. They were murdered by Trujillo's secret police and are national heroes. Trujillo was the dictator of the D.R. from the 30's until his assasination in 1961. He has been called "the Hitler of the Caribbean" because of the horrendous atrocities he executed during his years in power.

Rick continues to plow his way through level B in school. He hopes to start level C before Thanksgiving! He's doing great, but still praying for the "gift of tongues", in Spanish of course

Thursday, November 02, 2006

All Saint's Day/Day of the Dead

We have spent the last week or so asking about what goes on on November 1, All Saints Day or Day of the Dead (we have heard both names). We learned that it was a day to remember your dead loved ones, a day when everything is closed, a huge family feast day. Yesterday we left our little apartment to see it first hand. We walked to the big local cemetery. A few blocks a way, the road was blocked off with police directing traffic and only allowing residents of the street and those with elderly or handicapped occupants down the road. Outside the cemetery there were venders selling a variety of snacks, meals, and flowers to cemetery visitors. Also there were groups of well dressed men at religious booths collecting money for their causes. Inside the cemetery, as you can see from the pictures, we saw lots of families visiting their family grave site and leaving flowers. Inside the cemetery was a small chapel where people lit candles and prayed. We really got the sense of how important family is here as we saw multiple generations together. Some families had dressed up for the occasion, others were in regular street clothes.

It was interesting to read many scriptures on the tombs and see how far back the earliest family members were buried. The earliest we saw was in the 1800s. There we some really old tombs that were so

weathered you couldn't make out the inscriptions. The town was destroyed by earthquake in 1773 and abandoned for many decades afterwards. Since people are interred above ground here, a dozen family members may be in the same structure. We are not sure how this actually works. Around the outside of the cemetery were high walls with people entombed 5-6 high. It was sort of the apartment section.

We had read about the use of kites to send messages to the dead or call the dead spirit to come down to visit the living. We saw no one flying kites in the cemetery, however. We did go and fly kites behind the open

market at the dirt soccer field. There were lots of kids and dads enjoying the afternoon together. I asked someone about the kite messages. This guatemalan said he thought it was just a tradition and didn't believe this.

Our landlord told us that there is as much cooking and family get-togethers on Dia de Muertos (Nov. 1) as Thanksgiving in the USA. So we assume the noon meal, traditionally the main meal of the day, was a feast for many. There is a special dish that is made for the occasion called Fiambre. Many businesses were closed, the market was quiet and of course all government offices and banks were closed. The day before there were long lines at banks and ATMs since it was payday AND the next day was a holiday.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Volcano Pacaya

Guatemala is a land with a lot of volcanoes. Very close to Antigua are three. One of them, named Agua is very popular in photos of Antigua. I see it everyday as I walk to class. It is huge and you can see it from any of the north/south avenues here in Antigua. Volcano Agua is sleeping or dormant, as they say. We hope it doesn't wake up while we are here. Another volcano that is closer to Guatemala City is Pacaya. While Agua is dormant, Pacaya is actively spitting out lava daily. In fact, it is currently one of the most active volcaones in the world. Last night Ben and I were able to visit Pacaya. Here is our story:

After jumping into the van, we rode around town until the van was full of tourists (like us) who wanted to go to Pacaya. The trip to Pacaya was about an hour and fortunately Ben and I were in the front seat. The driver and I talked in Spanish. It is amazing how much I have learned, but the challenge is to recall the right words at the right moments. The trip in the van was pretty uneventful, but it was nice to see the Guatemalan countryside. At times it reminded me of the Dominican Republic.

Once at the end of the road, we stopped in a small village, used bathrooms and prepared to set off. The hike would be 1.25 hours up the volcano with taxis continually offering rides. In this context, taxis are people with horses that are more than willing to let you ride up the hill for a small fee. Pride kept anyone in our group from take this option, but after about half an hour, the pride had worn away for some and horses were there to carry them on. Ben and I hiked the whole way. Not so much because of pride. Ben really wanted to ride the horse but I needed the exercise and we wanted to see how hard the climb was so that we could report back to Becky and Elena. After an hour the trees began to disappear and we came to a dried up lava flow. In the distance we could see the lava flowing. It was about 5 p.m. and was starting to get dark. It was amazing how the lava glowed. After 15 minutes of hiking across grassy slopes we were there.

The closer to the flowing lava the hotter it was (no surprise). Very soon the trail was swallowed up by dried lava and we were walking across lava rock that had flowed just a few days earlier. It was difficult to walk because the lava rock was fragile and very uneven. The volcanic rock type is "Aa rock." With each step you didn't know if the lava rock would hold you or crumble under your feet. In addition, when I went to steady myself, I found that not only was the dried rock really hot, it was also very sharp. I wished I had brought leather gloves. At one point, the lava broke under me and I scraped my leg against some lava rock. Sure enough, it left a nice cut on my leg.

We could get as close to the lava as we dared (or could handle due to the heat). We didn't get close enough to cook eggs, but it was about 3 feet from us. The heat from it was amazing. The lava was moving, but slowly. It looked like a really hot fire, except it was florescent. A friend had told us to see it at night and we think she was right. It was amazing to see.

After about a half an hour of taking pictures and exploring, it was time to leave. Knowing we would be hiking down in the dark, we did have a flashlight and we set off down the trail. On the way down we passed two groups on their way up. From what we have heard people go up at all hours. The goal is to go when it is not raining (we are in the end of the rainy season). For us there was not rain while hiking. God held it off. But once we were driving away, the rain started coming down. We hope that those on the trail were prepared.

We did not climb to the top of the volcano. From what I understand, the lava broke out through the side of the volcano a few years ago. As a result it isn't necessary to climb that far up. In addition, the area around the cone isn't very stable and the gases can be deadly.

While our pictures...are as good as we could do, here are some more impressive pictures and a little history of Pacaya.

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/south_america/guat/pacaya.html

There is a lot of information on the Internet about Pacaya. If interested, do a search!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Settling In

We have been here for a month now and the haze of transition is beginning to clear. We have decided to make our temporary rental a permanent one after looking at numerous town homes and apartments. Although this two bedroom apartment lacks many things, it has some pluses we didn't want to give up. The essential pluses are cheap wireless internet (a rare find in housing), weekly cleaning, hot showers, and a good price. The neighborhood is beginning to feel like our spot with a kid's park and square two blocks away, a yummy coffee house on the corner, and Carlos' neighborhood store to supply us with basic essentials like milk, soap, and pop! Rick's school is about four blocks away.

Ben has made three neighborhood friends: Alexis, Danny and Sebastian. When it is not raining they spend most of their time playing soccer in the callejon (side street). Last week they made kites and tried to fly them in the street. Kites are for sale everywhere as November 1 is "Dia de Los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). On this day families remember and honor their dead by preparing the departed loved ones' favorite dishes to eat at the cemetery, decorating their grave sites, and flying kites with messages for their dead loved ones. Food in the market is very expensive this week because everyone is shopping like crazy to cook up their feasts. We will probably visit the local cemetery to observe the festivities. Our cultural learning this week is to ask Guatemalans what their plans are for November 1.

At CIT (missionary school) we learned that we must enter a new culture with humility and an attitude of a learner. When all your norms of living have been left behind and there is so much learning to do, it is easy to try to reinvent America here or at the very least disparage what is done here as a poor substitute for home. As I have set up our home and naturally look for items I am used to using, I have needed to remind myself that if I can't find what I need, most likely there are two reasons: 1) I am looking in the wrong place or wrong store 2) Guatemalans use some other tool or product to accomplish the task than we do in the U.S. I had a hard time finding a garlic press. Surely in a land where garlic is in everything, Guatemalans have a tool for crushing or mincing their garlic! When I asked for a garlic press, I was shown to a different section of housewares and found what I needed. It was in a section I call the "smushing" area. There are a myriad of metal tools used in the kitchen to crush, smash or squeeze things. There were various types of juicers, tortilla presses, the garlic press, and some other things I wouldn't know what to do with.

By the way, the picture shows ladies making tortillas. Here in Antigua, most Guatemalans do not cook on fires, but use stoves. I won't even attempt to make tortillas as they are expertly made and sold everywhere. Our neighborhood grocery store sells them fresh and HOT, 4 for a Quetzal (about 15 cents). If you stop at lunch you can here the women slapping the tortillas in their hands in the kitchen. The ladies in the picture let us try our hand at patting the tortillas. It's harder than it looks!

Today I went to the grocery store AGAIN. I go about every other day. Each time I buy produce I get to the check out and the cashier calls out "PESO" (weight) and someone comes and grabs my produce and runs away with it to weigh it. There is no scale in the produce area and no scale at the check out. Each time I think "How inefficient, if they would just put a scale at the check out or the produce section everyone wouldn't have to wait to get their produce weighed. Oh, well, I guess that's how its done here..." So today I noticed this HUGE sign in the produce area which said, "Please, dear customers, take your produce to the meat counter to be weighed before you go to the check out." OOPS. So each time I have shopped here the workers are probably thinking, "Here comes this dumb foreigner who doesn't know she should get her produce weighed. Doesn't she know what a pain it is for us to run it back to the meat department for her?"

The kids and I stopped at a bakery on the way home for treats. We are trying out different bakeries. Each one has beautiful looking pastries, but some are don't live up to their image! We each got a pastry, plus one for Rick for $2 total. Not a bad reward for hefting our groceries home 6 blocks! Guatemalans enjoy fruit pastries that we are not accustomed to: pineapple pie (looks deceptively like apple pie) and fresh fig turnovers. We haven't tried these yet, but intend to. Also available are such yummy ice creams as: coconut, cheese, avocado, and shrimp. Hmmm not sure I am up for those!

UPDATE FOR MAILING PACKAGES: After talking with different missionaries, we think the best way for us to receive packages would be for them to come with an American ministry team. If you wish to send us a package, please let us know and we try to find a team that is coming from the U.S. You can send the package to them and they can carry it down to us. Honestly, even if a team is not coming for a month or two, it will be better for us and we may receive the package sooner than had it gone through the mail.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Mackey Communications October 15 2006

Things are going well here!  To learn more...look at our our BLOG (see below). 

Attached to this email is quarterly update!  Many of you should have...or will be receiving it in the mail.  But here it is in electronic form. 

IF you do not want to receive the "paper" quarterly newsletter, please let us know as it will save us some money.  You will continue to receive it electonically.  On the other hand, if you WANT a paper copy and are not receiving it, we will be happy to send it your way!  Our goal is that you would receive communcation from us how you want it. 

Today, we introduce a NEW method for communication.  We now have a BLOG.  Our BLOG is located at http://rbmackey.blogspot.com/.  If you click on the underlined words it may take you there.   But I am not sure I am doing this right and so you may need to cut and paste the address into your browser. 

About packages:  Some have asked if they can send packages.  While we appreciate the desire to help us, we haven't yet figured this out.  All we have heard is about how expensive it is to receive packages.  Fortunately, we have found that we can get just about anything we need here.  Some things cost quite a bit more than the US, but other things are less.  Thank you for your interest to help us.  Once we find out more, we will let you know. 

We hope all is well with you!

Rick and Becky Mackey

Monday, October 09, 2006

About Antigua - by Becky


So what is Guatemala like? Well, we actually haven't experienced much of real Guatemala yet. Antigua is a very unique town. We have been told that it is different than most of the rest of the country. We don't know if this is true or not....but we can tell you about Antigua.

It is a very, very old city having been founded several centuries ago. In the early 1700s it was destroyed by a massive earthquake and was abandon for a long time. Even today there are many ruins still untouched from that earthquake almost 300 years ago. Many of these are cathedrals or churches. One hotel, the Santo Domingo, is actually built from the ruins. We haven't seen it at night yet, but it is supposed to be beautifully lit with candles.

The city is all walls to the outsider. The streets are all cobblestone, with narrow sidewalks. All the properties are walled in. Behind the walls could be anything, beatiful homes, hotels, McDonalds, or a garbage heap, or a parking area. It is a very dusty town so as we walk to get everywhere we end up quite grainy. We are getting used to scrubbing our feet each night if we wear sandals.

Antigua is a launching point for tourists going to see Mayan ruins, the volcanoes, and other attractions in Guatemala. We see people from all over the world, well at least the "rich" world. Many of them are backpackers. We have learned that when doing business here it is important to state that we are LIVING in Antigua, not just visiting. Otherwise it is assumed we are tourists.

So how is the food? Pretty good so far. We ate out a lot our first week since we were in a hotel. Chicken, rice, beans, chile rellenos, and chubby corn tortillas are all popular. Frozen yogurt and fruit popcicles are cheap and we regularly stop for them. We found we can get the best values for lunches, about $8-9 for all of us, drinks included. Now that we are in a temporary apartment for the month we are cooking at home and enjoying more American type food, which is a relief to the kids. Fortunately Ben and Elena both like chicken and rice.

Because of all the travelers, there seem to be a lot of things available that we didn't expect. Peanut butter isn't as expensive or hard to find as we thought it would be. There is a DVD rental place here. The trick of shopping is finding out where to get what you want. One humorous adventure in shopping involved trying to find Ziploc bags. Firstly although I speak Spanish, I don't know how to describe a Ziploc bag other than to say "ZEEPLOK." Apparently you don't buy them at the grocery store (although they have aluminum foil and saran wrap). You go to the "plastics" store that sells office supplies and plastic stuff like garbage cans, food storage containers, etc. Who knew?

What are Guatemalans like? They seem very polite and calm. In Antigua, they are pretty used to foreigners who are trying to learn Spanish. We have gotten to know the workers here at the guest house a little and they have been very helpful in telling us where to shop. Also a convenience store owner on the next block named Carlos, has been very friendly. The society here is more formal than we experienced in Jarabacoa. "Buenos Dias, Buenas tardes etc." are used. As well, it is important to excuse yourself when passing someone on the narrow sidewalks or in the equally narrow store aisles with "con permiso."

Besides Rick learning the language during this time, we hope to become somewhat adjusted to the culture here so that our adjustment in the DR will go smoothly. Obviously things won't be exactly the same, but the more we learn to handle here, the less we have to learn there. Some major differences will be the climate (moderate here and hot in the DR) and the electricity (pretty consistent here and very intermittent in the DR). Here we are without a personal vehicle while we will purchase a truck in the DR. It is a good experience to live without personal transportation since so much of the world lives this way.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

The Learning Environment --- by Rick

It might seem like a comforable surrounding, but this is a picture of where they seek to "re-program" my mind. I know...how beautiful! And yes, it is! But the beauty is lost pretty quick into the first day as you see what you have gotton yourself into. If you don't feel confident with your own language, try learning a new one. I spend 4 hours each day here. The format is simple...Each day I sit one on one with a language helper. There is a workbook and a grammer book that guides the learning. Days begin with conversation (in espaƱol) and any word I don't know becomes an additional vocabulary word to learn. There is no place to hide if I didn't get the work done. The attention is never on another student... A great place to LEARN and I am so thankful to be here!

I have finished my first week and am doing well. I am currently in Grade A and made a lot of progress through it this past week. Unfortunately, I have been told, that people typically hit a wall at some point. Becky and I hope the wall is THIN. Everyday my vocabulary cards increase. Why do languages have to have so many words? Did they have so many prior to Eve's creation? Oops, dangerous ground...better go buy Becky flowers (fortunately they are about US $3 for a dozen down here!)

Saturday, September 02, 2006

On the Move

Rick and Becky's Email Update, August 30, 2006

Praise God – we believe that we will have our full support in just over a week! The phrase "the check is in the mail" comes from a very reliable source and once that check is applied to our account, we will be fully supported for our Out-going/Start-up Expenses and we have 100% of our monthly support pledged!

So what happens next?
Unfortunately, we missed the start of classes at the language school in Costa Rica. The next classes begin in January. So, now we are considering going to a language school in Guatemala called the Spanish Christian Academy (SCA). The SCA is also an excellent school that many of our missionary friends who work in the Dominican Republic have attended and highly recommend. Because it uses one-on-one tutors, when you arrive and are ready to start, it starts! We haven't quite made the decision that this is the school for us. United World Mission is also determining if it is a good fit for their missionaries. Please be in prayer that God would make it clear if this is the place we should learn.

When could we leave?
Of course, the decision about language school needs to be made. Then we will buy tickets. If it were decided wining the next week, we hope to leave the week of September 18. Whichever day provides the best savings for airline tickets is the day we will leave. We really picked this week because September 17 our home church, Calvary EFC, is planning a farewell get-together for us (not sure what it is actually called) and we would like to be there! We also feel it is the right timing for us as we have been emotionally preparing for our departure.

Our Prayer Requests:
1. For God\'s confirmation as to what language school we should attend.
2. For our house to be rented. We are in a tough marking for renting or selling homes. Or course, God can

Thank you again for your care and support to us.