So long Guatemala, Hello Nicaragua!

Wow. Where to even begin.

Our time in Guatemala is a difficult one to put into words. I can say how we spent our days or who we met, but the most profound part of the experience lies somewhere in that inexplicable corner of your soul, the deepest most profound part of you, but the most difficult to express in a way that does it justice.

In a sense, it was much less about what we did day to day, than how it made us feel. Don´t get me wrong, the day to day was great- we would wake up, go to the mission for an AMAZING breakfast with all 100ish volunteers and find out the jobs we could do that day. After breakfast we would do things like reforestation work, break rock, construction, organizing/cleaning, sorting coffee beans, or (if we were lucky) help make artisan wooden spoons. After that we would return for an equally amazing lunch, work in the afternoon and dinner again with all the volunteers (who come from all over the US but the majority are from Minnesota). We met wonderful lifelong friends; like Erin from New York, Jack from Minneapolis, Roberta from Los Angeles, Paul from Apple Valley, and Matt from Pennsylvania. We shared stories and laughs, and learned much about the history, culture, and traditions of the community. We quickly took on leadership responsabilities in the mission: I led tours, interpreting for lots of people, including interpreting for Chona´s talk. It was a wonderful glipse into the life of a long term volunteer. All this was wonderful, we were being helpful and it helped shape our trip tremendously. However, I experienced the common sentiment that I was getting more out of this experience than I could ever put in.

It's a fine mystery, trying to pinpoint the origin of the peace and tranquilty that engulf you from the moment you arrive. It's like a cool breeze off the lake that reaches through you and settles right in your soul. One huge gift that Guatemala gave me is a renewed interest in faith and spirituality. Blame it on my youth, my cynicism, or overall disdain for authority (thanks Irish blood), but prior to our time in Guatemala, I didn't feel a huge religious connection on this trip. But there was something about this place, something that touched me very deeply and gave me clarity and spoke to my own personal spiritual beliefs. This church wasn´t working for the people, they were working with the people, Catholic or not. Social justice was the name of the game, and liberation theology was the philosophy. I found myself praying for the first time in what seemed like years, and spending time reading, searching, and reflecting. Though I am far from devout, for the time it seems I am back on the journey.

We left Guatemala with mixed excitement and sadness. We couldn't wait to see what Nicaragua had in store for us (after our 2 day bus ride, of course). Three of the four of us (Cory, Jeanne and myself) studied abroad in Nicaragua and Costa Rica two years ago, and we couldn't wait to go back to see how things had changed/stayed the same. As the bus rolled into Granada however, I was overcome by the familiarity of my surroundings and the normalcy of being back. In many respects, it was as if we had never left.

We had the pleasure of the company of some of our wonderful friends who came for this past week for their spring break: Christie Cleaves and Kristin Racchini (both studied abroad in Nicaragua and Costa Rica last year and were founding members of LASED- our organization dedicated to sustainability, education and development projects in Latin America), and Gina Ploessl, Cory's sister, first time out of the country. We packed a lot in in that week; visiting the beach at San Juan del Sur, the market at Masaya, a volcanic crater lagoon at Laguna de Apoyo, and Isla Ometepe- the Island with two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua. (Fun fact: Lake Nicaragua is the only place in the world where you can find freshwater sharks!) We had a wonderful time, and it was so great to finally share a central american experience with Christie and Kristin, as well as be there with Gina to see her experience it for the very first time.

So now here we are, gearing up for our three weeks of volunteer work in the community of El Fortín, outside of Granada. For those of you who don't know, when we studied abroad we did a service project in this community. We built a greenhouse, planted herbs to be sold at the market, planted fruit trees, and spent a lot of time with the kids. The subsequent study abroad groups have continued this effort, working on different projects from education, to health and sustainable development. The conditions for the people who live there are not the easiest- Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti, and making ends meet, especially in a community like El Fortín, is brutally hard. Most of the families have tough decisions to make- do they send their kids to school, spending $35 a year on uniforms and supplies, or do they send their kids to work, and maybe earn a little more for the family? We saw a need in this community, and we decided to take action.

In the spring of 2008, our two study abroad groups came together and formed LASED (Latin American Sustainability Education and Development). We have raised a few thousand dollars for educational scholarships, sustainable developement projects, healthcare and nutition programs, as well as fundraising for a bridge that is desperately needed. We held the first annual El Fortín 5K Marathon last May, Eau Claire will host another this May. If you are in the area, please take part or donate to this wonderful cause!

Okay, enough of my shameless plug. We are very excited to begin work in El Fortín. We will be mostly working as community health workers, taking census information, talking about parasite prevention and other health concerns, as well as nutrition education. This is extremely important because when the other study abroad group tested the kids in El Fortín for intestinal parasites, 100% of them tested postive. We'll also probably be doing some construction and tutoring the kids.

Life is going great, and I could not be happier. All of a sudden 3 1/2 months seems far too short.