Christmas in Ixil

While we missed all the home traditions, family and friends this year, we had a wonderful Christmas with new Guatemalan friends. This was a Christmas we will never forget! We spent Buena Noche (Christmas Eve) in the town of Nebaj. Nebaj is the next town over and is where we usually go on Saturdays to check our email, eat at one of their few restaurants, and buy basic supplies and food for each week. But on Sunday we did none of that. Instead we had a special invite to the home of Carlos (a local Agros employee) to spend the evening with his family. Here everyone waits up for midnight to welcome Christmas Day, kind of like the way we welcome in the New Year on December 31st. At midnight there are a million firecrackers and fireworks that light up the night sky. We were both quite impressed! It was a spectacular 360 degree display that we never see in the States due to all the laws and limitations on fireworks back home. After the fireworks there is feasting on tomales, before heading to bed and then sleeping in late the next day. The above picture shows Brian with our hosts. Carlos is the second from the right.

On Chistmas Day we took a microbus back to Cotzal and visited the home of Dilia. Dilia (pictured above with Jeannette) is another local Agros employee and has been quite a blessing to us. At her house we enjoyed more tomales and a hot fruit drink.

In the afternoon we created a little Christmas of our own. We made a special meal of spaghetti and garlic bread with a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad. We watched a Christmas movie on our laptop and exchanged little gifts we bought for each other in Nebaj. We were even blessed to talk with our immediate families for a few minutes on the phone. We had hoped for a new, more private living situation for Christmas, but thus far we are still in the same house. We appreciate your continued prayers that something new will present itself soon.

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and are looking forward to the New Year!

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The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel----which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23
La virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo, y lo llamaran Emanuel----que significa, “Dios con nosotros.” Mateo 1:23

God is with us! How awesome is that?!?!

Exploring Esperanza

Yesterday we explored the area around the village of La Esperanza (the Hope) with several of the local youth. We hiked to this perfect picnic spot, checked out the river, and ended up at a really cool cave.

The river is busting at the seams right now after 15 days of straight rain we recently had.

At one point we had to take off our shoes and wade through the water to make it to the mouth of the cave. It was a beautiful sunny day (a welcome change to all the rain) and we enjoyed getting to know a little more of this beautiful country.

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We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! You are in our thoughts and prayers!

Abuelo Nicolas

The village of San Nicolas is named for a wonderful, gentle, elderly man. We really enjoyed meeting Don Nicolas, and seeing how the village children interact with him. At first they were unsure about us, so they hung close to Don Nicolas, kind of hiding behind him and hanging onto his coat-tails. Later we asked to take his picture and all the kids instictively gathered around him. It is obvious that Don Nicolas is the grandfather of the village and a strong leader in his community. We really enjoyed meeting this wonderful man.

Cat and Mouse...Literally

There is a Mexican children’s song that goes “Susanita tiene un ratón, un ratón chiquitín” = "Suzy has a mouse, a tiny little Mouse." Well, we may not be in México, but Jeannette does go by Susana down here (taken from her middle name of Suzanne) and we did have a mouse. It startled us one night by running in our kitchen door while we were eating dinner. Brian quickly grabbed a broom and trapped it in a corner, and then we stared blankly at each other, clueless of what to do next. The mouse was so cute, but we know that they can carry diseases. So Jeannette went and asked for the neighbor’s cat. Several minutes later Mincho was fulfilling his role in the animal kingdom. It was a new experience for both of us!

A Warm Welcome

One of the warmest and sweetest welcomes we have received so far came from a group of children in the village of La Bendición (The Blessing). Three children in particular were especially excited that we are here, asking us all kinds of questions about our home, families and how long we are going to stay with them in the Ixil. Catarina (age 8) and Nicolas (age 5) were eager to tell us about their two month old baby sister, Ana. While ten year old Martin brought his baby brother to see us and was very intested in how our camera works. It was a very sweet interaction that helped renew our excitement and commitment to being here and loving these people, even in the face of culture shock and a little homesickness.

La Pila

Jeannette washing clothes by hand on the pila in our house.

Two Way Culture Shock!

In the United States a camera will instantly cause most people to smile and pose for their picture. Here the people pose, but they wipe the smiles off their faces and stand solemnly. It takes a lot of encouragement to make them show their teeth. That was what Brian was trying to do when this little girl instead gave him a look of total confusion and slight terror. Culture Shock! Both for them and for us. Her look pretty much sums up how we all feel. To the local Ixil people we are wierd. Tourists don´t come all the way up to Cotzal so the only caucasian people they see are volunteers and aid workers. The people are nice, but they aren´t exactly sure what to make of us. The kids shout out GRINGO as we pass in the street, and most of them giggle and/or openly mock the way we speak Spanish. On our end, we are feeling totally out of place and are experiencing culture shock in a way we did not in Antigua. Part of our feelings of discomfort is the lack of a private sanctuary or hideaway: a place to refresh and prepare for each day in this new culture. We currently share a house with 7 other people and are never 100% free from curious eyes. But everyday is a learning experience, both for them and for us. We appreciate your prayers for us, our Cotzal neighbors and Agros villagers as we work to build relationships and trust with each other. We also appreciate prayers for a new, more private living situation.

San Juan Cotzal

We have safely moved to Cotzal and are att-empting to settle in. The Agros staff has been very welcoming and we have been blessed to visit 4 villages in the past week. Right now is a time of adjustment and relationship building. Please pray for us during this time of transition and new beginnings. More to come about our project with Agros soon! (Pictured above are two girls from the village of Belen.)