Our Time In Antigua (Ivan Sarabia)

We left San Lucas and went to Antigua on Sunday January 21st. We had a 3 hour car ride and when we got there we had a few hours of free time. We went to the Santa Catalina Arch which is one of the distinguishable landmarks in Antigua. The street with the Arch had many stores where we all bought gifts for our families, the prices are negotiable so you can bargain any price down. After our shopping we went to a nice restaurant called La Fonda de la Calle Real where they serve the best typical and homemade food you can find in all of Guatemala. After eating we went to get gelato at a chocolate museum called ChocoMuseo. We came back to the hotel to rest up and have pizza because the next day we were going to have a long car ride. After our adventure at Semuc Champey we were back in Antigua, and had domino's pizza. The next day we had breakfast at Rainbow Cafe then we went on a 1 hour car ride to the Volcan de Pacaya, an active complex volcano which we hiked. We came back and went again to the rainbow cafe, this time for dinner. The next day we had free time all day. We had breakfast at the Cafeteria y Panaderia Santa Clara then went shopping to many stores and markets and most of us bought a jade necklace. We had lunch at the Antigua Deli & Bistro then continued our shopping. We then had dinner at Las Palmas, since it was our last dinner together we were all fancy and most of us had steak. The next day we left.

El Volcan (Luis Corona)

As the mountain slumbers and the children stare in awe, all young Luis can think about is his searing marshmallow he was forced to leave behind in the melting hole.  How did this day start?  As the gang woke up for brunch in Antigua everyone was ecstatic to hike yet another mountain.  I swear you could see their excitement through their closed eyelids and limp bodies as we rode the van up to the mountain.  Once there we were faced with probably the hardest decision yet: waste the last of our dwindling money on a horse for the hike or face the mountain with the strength of a lion.  I being by far the bravest and strongest of the group stood up in front of everyone with my chest held high turned around and bought a horse.  I only bought it on the way up the volcano but you can bet it was worth it.  The ride up was scenic but since the crew had been seeing the same green trees and mosquitoes tearing at their legs for the last two weeks they focused on surviving what was clearly the hardest of the three hikes...or at least that is what I heard I was on a horse.  Once we got to the top we left our horses and walked down a steep mountainside in order to get to the base of the volcano.  Once there we took pictures and roasted marshmallows inside of holes in the volcanic crust that contained massive amounts of heat given it was still ways away from the actual volcano.  After a few pictures we decided to begin the trek back to the van.  Except on the way back since it was mostly downhill most of us ran it because we are boys and running is fun and stuff.  It was very different running here as you had to focus on where you were placing your feet as you jumped down stair and ducked under trees and made split second decisions over which path to take or whether to slow down or jump.  Maybe it was the "Eye of the Tiger" blasting in my ear but its felt very adventurous and nothing like running in sunny San Diego.  On the way back everyone talked about their experiences...or at least I think they did I don't really know I was asleep.

Oh San Lucas (Parker Richardson)

The city of San Lucas was the first half of our trip, and it was focused on service. We did a lot of work on wood houses, dug trenches, mixed cement and concrete, and helped build part of the school. Our service was done through the mission of San Lucas, and that is also where we had our meals. The food there was good, and so was the coffee. They grew a lot of coffee in San Lucas, and it tasted good black. We also stayed at a nice hostel that was close to the mission, and unfortunately the upstairs bathroom did not smell the best after Toby brought home Boots the chicken. We also made some friends in San Lucas with some of the locals. We met a family that sold papas fritas whom we visited often. We also played a game of basketball with some of the local kids as well as a game of soccer with the workers. There was also a beautiful lake that we took a boat ride across. Overall, the time we spent in San Lucas was pretty fun. The people there were very friendly, and it was fun to practice my Spanish speaking skills when I was buying things and talking to the locals.

Toby "y" Food (Toby Tobias)

In San Lucas, we had a few Guatemalan women that would prepare our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The breakfasts usually consisted of Oatmeal or Pancakes with black beans and a banana. There were, more times than not, a basket of homemade corn tortillas at the beginning of the line. Lunches could be a lot of things, spanning from fried chicken to potato soup. It would always have two baskets at the front of the table, one filled with tortillas and the other with rolls. Dinners were where our lovely chefs got creative, serving meals such as carrot soup, potato skins, chicken stews, etc.

After San Lucas, our next stop was Antigua. We had pizza the night we arrived, but had no time for meals the following day as we were on a van to Semuc Champey. It was there that we were all given two hundred quetzales each and were expected to spend it accordingly on meals at the restaurant. The restaurant had a menu including many things that you would find on the menu at any American breakfast place. Omelettes, eggs, pancakes, etc. We would usually go for a late breakfast and early dinner, skipping lunch in between due to a tight schedule. The dinner menu was also similar to one we would find back home. We had the options of nachos, various types of burgers, burritos and more.

We returned to Antigua for our final days in Guatemala and were treated to brunches and early dinners by Ms.Quirk and Mr. S and a few different restaurants. The first one we that we ate at had the same menu as any American bistro, only the food was in Spanish with an English translation in fine print. I personally ordered an omelette which tasted a lot better than I had expected it to. It looked rather small and dry, but it packed a flavorful punch. We had dinner at the same place later that night where I ordered stuffed quesadillas with meat, guac, salsa, and tomato on the side. It was marvelous.

The remainder of the trip consisted of meals quite similar to the first. Our final mean in Guatemala was at a newer, hip type of breakfast joint not far from out hotel. I ordered a meal titled, “el gringo”, which translates to the white guy. It consisted of two fried eggs, four slices of toast, bacon, and sausage. The only difference between “el gringo”, and any American fried egg dish was the portion size. It came with four slices of toast as opposed to the usual two that we get back home, and the bacon was the length of my little finger. Overall, Guatemalan food was quite delicious, and not far from the meals we have back home.

The Semuc Champey Adventure (Matthew Manqueros)

Our Journey to Semuc started after the grueling 10 hour car ride we had to endure. However to say that it was worth it is an understatement. The scenery in Semuc was absolutely stunning, however I could have done without the bugs. The First day in Semuc we didn’t do very much due to the fact that we were all exhausted. That night however almost all of us ordered a very American meal… Hamburgers. It tasted so good because over the course of the trip all we had to eat was the food from the mission which was good, but it was the same meal over and over again. However the second day we hit the ground running and explored the caves inside Semuc. They were so beautiful, and what was really interesting about the caves is that our only source of light was a candle. While exploring the caves our guide led us to a cliff within the cave that we could jump off and go into the water. We jumped off (I was skeptical at first because I was afraid that I would hit my head.) After we left the cave we went to a cliff where we Jumped off (I was skeptical again lol because they said there was a chance we could hit a rock.) However I am very happy that I jumped as im sure all my classmates were too and we rode away on the river on inner tubes towards our next endeavor, the rope swing. This rope swing was very fun and we were able to go really far swinging on it. I definitely will not forget all of these experiences along the river. We then made our way towards a buffet which had some delicious food, however none of us knew that we had to pay for sodas so that was kind of upsetting. After food we went on a hike up aa very steep mountain (I mean a VERY steep mountain.) The view atop that mountain was absolutely breathtaking. However after we got to the bottom I was too tired to swim and took a nap before we headed back to the Hostel. And then we went home.

A Story of Perseverance and Faith (Thomas Zamora)

The day before we had to leave for Antigua, we listened to a talk given by a woman named Chona about the history of how the Mission founded by Fr. Greg and the Guatemalan Civil War affected the daily lives of the people of San Lucas.

She first started by describing the founding of the Mission in San Lucas. Fr. Greg knew little Spanish and was at first discouraged by the daunting task that lay ahead of him in a seemingly strange and new world, which was vastly different from his comfort zone in Minnesota. However, with God's help and perseverance, he was able to remain strong in his resolve to develop the Mission that is known today. He first noticed that many men lacked work to support their families, which sometimes included children numbering in the double digits.. Fr. Greg consequently provided work for many men at the Mission. He then resolved to build a medical clinic after witnessing a child die due to a lack thereof. The clinic was built and it still remains to save lives today. Fr. Greg then tackled the problem of illiteracy in San Lucas. Consequently, he then founded a school to fight illiteracy and promote success. All teachers and current doctors in San Lucas are former students of that school. Then the storm clouds of the Guatemalan Civil War came to cast a shadow over San Lucas.

Initially, Fr. Greg ran the Mission without much difficulty, as San Lucas was not necessarily in a period of violence. He was able to buy land for productive use from the rich people who fled the area for fear of violence. However, when the violence came to San Lucas, circumstances became desperate and tragic. Civilians were caught in the crossfire between the guerrillas and the army, which led to many innocent lives being lost. The military grew very suspicious of any activity that involved an exchange of supplies, and they saw all such activity as helping the guerrillas, especially within the indigenous population. This allowed the military to target civilians for even the smallest actions. Chona herself lost her husband when he mysteriously disappeared after assisting a fellow worker. Chona and her children had to live in fear that the military would take them away as well, as the military was very harsh to the civilians of San Lucas. 85 children found themselves orphaned in the violence in San Lucas. 3 remain to live in San Lucas. Some orphans were even targeted by the army for witnessing the murder of their families. To make matters worse, Fr. Greg began to upset the government, which forced him to make the decision to escape (with Chona's help in fact). Nevertheless, Chona and other people of faith relied on God's protection to get them through the violence. However, Chona then began to tell the story of Fr. Stan, who was the priest in charge of the Mission in Santiago. He had made enemies within the government of Guatemala for simply doing his job as a priest. He was given an opportunity to escape Guatemala and go back to his hometown in Oklahoma, but he refused. He ended up dying a martyr's death when the army searched out his church and executed him. His body went to Oklahoma for burial but his heart remained in Santiago at the Mission. Chona concluded her talk after describing the heroic story of Fr. Stan.

We all found the talk to be a profound tale of the darker and more serious side of the human experience, and it certainly is a rare experience to hear a firsthand account of such harrowing events in human history. This part of our time in San Lucas was certainly one to remember.

Women's Center (Luis Carlos Ahuage)

The Women's Center in San Lucas Toliman is a place where all the women in the town can come together and work on different skills they may need to support their families. While their husbands are at work, the women learn special skills such as cooking, sowing, knitting, washing, etc. When we went to the Women's Center, the women in charge taught us how to make tortillas and tamales. A man working in the women's center taught us how to lift wood up mountains just like the Guatemalans do. We also got to wash our own clothes manually, the way the Guatemalan people do it. Going to the Women's Center was a great experience and a great lesson on how these people live. The center has a gift shop installed inside. All the products that are sold are hand crafted by the women that go their. When one purchases an item, the money goes directly to the woman who made it. this is a good way the women of the town can make a little more money to support their families.

Juan Ana the Coffee of San Lucas Toliman (Jorge Kuri)

Today, we visited the Juan Ana Coffee Program which was founded by Father Greg Schaffer. Father Greg Schaffer was priest who was loyal to San Lucas Toliman for over 30 years. The man who showed us around told us that thanks to Father Greg Schaffer, there is a successful coffee program in the village of San Lucas Toliman. While at the coffee center, they showed us how to roast the coffee beans to make them from a yellow color to a dark brown color. The Program makes Arabic coffee which is one cool fact. Another cool fact is that each year, 40,000 pounds of coffee are exported from Juana Ana Coffee Program. During the export process, 70 boxes, each carrying 50 pounds of coffee are exported. The man also said that he expects to export 10% more pounds of coffee by the end of 2018, going into 2019. So his goal is to export about 44,000 pounds of coffee by next year.

We all had a very fun time at the coffee center. We also got to drink some ready-made coffee which was very delicious. The man that showed us around had very clear information and backstory of how the coffee program was founded, as well as what goes on twenty-four seven in the coffee place. The coffee program was a very fun experience and I wish I would have bought some coffee to take for my family. 

Building Foundations (Roberto Tessada)

One of the most important aspects of the trip is the service and the experience we gain from it. We work on the week days and take a break during the weekend. The fist day we went out to work I got to go with a group of five to a house to make concrete which they would use to make the floor of the house while the rest went to the school in front of the mission to work there. It was a great experience and it would help me later when I would have to do similar work. This was on a Friday and we only worked in the morning. After taking a break we came back to work on a Monday, this would be the first day that we would work in the morning and in the afternoon. In the morning we were once again split into two groups, both groups were taken to two houses, not too far off from one another. My group and I were given the task of putting dirt in a bucket and carrying it to where they would level it out and use it to make the floor of the house. This task took us most of the morning since it was a large amount of dirt that we had to transport. Once we finished the workers gave us machetes to dig very narrow holes 30 centimeters down. This took us less time than the first task but it was still tiring. As my arms were starting to weaken it was time to return to have lunch, but after lunch we would head out to the school to work yet again. Split into two groups, we would work simultaneously doing different tasks, I was in the group that had to make concrete. I found this task very easy as I had already learned how to do it on Friday and everyone else seemed to get the hang of it very quickly. Half way through our time there the two groups switched places. The task I got to do then was the most fun in my opinion. We had to knock down a wall on of cement with a hammer and a chisel. Though my arm was burning from exhaustion I had a great time.
 

63 Meters High (Juan Carlos Reynoso)

Day 5 starts off with a later wake up time at 7:55 and a later breakfast at 8:15. We ate eggs with sauce, tortillas, and black beans. After breakfast, Ms. Quirk and Mr. S. gave us a chance to go change dollars into quetzals. After we went to the bank, we had a boat ride in the Lake Atitlan. We went from San Lucas Toliman to Panahachel, a busy, exciting town across the lake. When we arrived at Panahachel, we disembarked and crammed into many tuk-tuks (taxis). We went on our first taxi drive in Guatemala. We got to the jungle called Reserva Natural Atitlan. (There was great WiFi!) We went hiking in the jungle and we went to the top to start zip lining. We saw a monkey staring at us. The first zip line went faster than I thought and the wind was making me spin and I forgot to break at the end and went fast the whole way. I thought that we were going to get on 2 or 3 zip lines but instead we went on about 7 or 8. At the end, we got on an obstacle coarse. The first obstacle was easy and the second one I struggled a lot. I fell about six times. Mr. S. struggled as well and started laughing. After the zip lines, we went to eat in a restaurant where we ate cheeseburgers. We went back to the boat and back to the hotel. In free time, I went to go shop in the market. I bought 1 sweatshirt and 2 jackets...(why not?) We went to dinner at 6 pm and we ate rice, chicken and papaya. And that was day 5. By far, I thought it was the best day so far in Guatemala.

A Saturday in Guatemala (Gabriel Portilla)

    On Saturday we woke up early because we had dish duty. We had a very good breakfast and then left to hike a mountain; the route was called Cerro de Oro. The hike was tiring because of the sun. Luckily, we made to the top and honestly the view was beautiful. We took some pictures and then we headed ourselves down. Since we left in different groups we were all separated and my group got lost. We did not know were to go but luckily Jaime, the guy that helped us get to the top, found us and helped us. We were lost so we just started walking. After walking for a few minutes Jaime called the driver that had the group and we started to walk toward them. After 10-15 minutes we were able to find them, then we climbed in the truck and left to the mission. When we arrived in the hotel we cleaned ourselves up and after that we left to lunch. After lunch we had some free time, when our free time was done we went in a van up to a Saturday Mass and celebration in a small town high up the mountain. The steps of the Mass were the same, but the church was still under construction, and there were many lingering eyes due to our height compared to the locals; however, they were very friendly and applauded when the priest, Padre John, said that we were "amigos nuevos de San Diego!" Fireworks were even set off outside during the Mass! In the end it was an experience I would never forget.

God's Will at Work (George de Merlier)

        Well, It's day two in Guatemala for the students of Saint Augustine High School. We had a very productive and successful day for helping the people of Guatemala. On January 12, we first helped develop the walls of a schoolhouse by building support for the walls of classrooms by tying rebar to support the schoolhouse. After we ate lunch, we went on an extensive tour of all of the projects that the mission founded/supports in San Lucas Toliman. Our primary mode of transport was pick-up trucks with large cages built onto the back for additional people to ride in. It was very fun to ride in the back of a pick-up truck, as it allowed us to see more of the beautiful Guatemalan landscape, as well as allowing us to further interact with the people of Guatemala. Small Children would always wave and greet us as we drove by. the first place that we visited was the women's center. The woman's center in San Lucas Toliman provides women with the skills and techniques that enable them to survive and thrive in rural Guatemala. The women's center gives lessons to local women on how to sew, cook, and clean, as to provide them with the skills that will get them jobs. Women need these jobs to support their families because work for the men is not always guaranteed. Some of the women demonstrated to us how they made their beautiful textiles. there is a store attached to the women's center, where the local women can sell their clothing to the people. The women receive all of the money that was gained when they sell their clothes. While the women's center is only a few years old, it has become a wonderful place for women to learn working skills, as well as socialize. After we went to the women's center, we went to a nearby hospital that was started by the mission back in the 90s. To our surprise, the hospital was surprisingly clean, and was equipped with many different state-of-the-art medical devices. The hospital caters to those from all walks of life, especially the impoverished population. The hospital worker who gave us the tour told us that the hospital receives a lot of aid from various doctors and medical groups in the U.S. Some of these doctors who come to Guatemala to help can perform as many has 40 surgeries a day. However, their visits are only a few times a year, and there is really only one doctor in the whole hospital, so the hospital is usually very understaffed. The whole town of San Lucas Toliman, as well as the surrounding communities, depends on the hospital for survival. Next, we went to a coffee plant that is owned by the mission. Juan Ana Cafe, the name of the coffee plant, is named after a very influential priest's parents, who's inheritance enabled the priest to buy land to start the coffee plant. When we visited, we saw how over 100 lbs of premature beans became 12 lbs of pure Guatemalan black coffee that we know and love in the U.S. We even get to drink some of this coffee made here at meals. After we visited the coffee plant, we drove to a school that was also founded by the mission. The same priest who founded the coffee plant also founded the school. The school offers classes from preschool all the way to 6th grade. The school is much cheaper than other schools around San Lucas Toliman. this is especially helpful for families that fall under the poverty line, as education in Guatemala is very expensive, and many people cannot afford to send their children to school. The school offers opportunities for the disenfranchised children in Guatemala. I thought that the fact that the principal and many members of the faculty went to the school when they were young is testament to the school's success, as all of them went to higher education after they went to grade school. The school is giving the people a chance to succeed in Guatemala.

      Overall, we all had a great second day in Guatemala, and we're all looking forward to further work to improve the quality of life in San Lucas Toliman during our trip.

TJ to Guatemala (Kolbe)

Coming into this trip I felt pretty excited. I was ready to learn and help out others. But
before we get to our destination, we have to travel there. The only question I had in
mind was: How would we do it? From the time we entered the CBX,
(Cross Border Express), I felt that things weren’t going to go well perfectly. The honest
truth is, it didn’t really. When we made it through the first part of the airport just before
we went to the TJ side we receive our tickets. The problem was addressed when we
found out that not everyone's ticket had two sides. We thought it wouldn’t be a big deal
so we continued on and gathered the rest of the group. It was late and we were all
tired, but we slowly trudged on and slept through a two and a half hour flight to
Guadalajara. We woke up drowsy and drained. Like zombies, we slowly walked through
the Guadalajara airport in search of breakfast.

Once we were all functioning again we stopped at a terminal and rested. We thought
we had everything taken care of, but to our surprise we forgot to get our CBX ticket
stamped. Like in Home Alone, We all rushed over to the desk where the stamping
occurred. With the help of a lady from Volaris Airlines we made it to the desk. The only
problem was that the desk was located outside the other terminals, so we had to go
through security again. That’s when it got very nerve racking because looking back on
how we thought it was not that important to get the other side of the ticket taken care of
I did not have my ticket. Miss Quirk Also left her ticket in her bag during all the rush. So,
both of us had to get tickets and go through security all before the plane took off. Luckily
as soon as we went through security, everything went smoothly. We then had another
two and a half hour flight to Guatemala. Finally, from the airport, we had a three hour
drive to the mission. After three whole hours of beautiful scenery, we finally made it to our
destination: Mission San Lucas Toliman. We then rested, had dinner, and prepared for the
next day. After all of stress and commotion we came together and learned from our
experience. Though in the moment it was stressful, it made the day more interesting and
caused the day to go by much faster.