City Cemetery & City Dump Part 1

This week were also able to visit the City Cemetery. The cemetery is a city in and of itself- Home of the dead. There are house size grave sites built in honor of each family member that has ever passed on and places even built for those who will someday pass on. The cemetery is a beautiful place to go, somewhat calming to walk through but the harsh reality of so many lost is indescribable. As we parked and walked alongside some of the rows and rows of condominium style graves (graves of poorer families that are stacked several stories high) I became more aware that death is a huge part of this culture. Some people spend thousands of dollars to build more elaborate gravesites than their own homes. Others, whom do not have the money to build such places, spend money on flowers, bus rides, and candles and visit the the graves each day. I was somewhat shocked and nauseated that so many of the people that are lying in that cemetery have lived their lives in vain for the mere thought that tradition is religion and that alone is salvation. I realize the people who build these traditional grave sites or visit daily to adorn the graves and pray to the dead continue to do what those who have gone before them did. Tradition is religion and that “religion” is believed to be the way to eternity. Please do not misunderstand me and think that I am saying going to gravesites and honoring those who have passed is wrong. I hope that when I die my children will visit my gravesite at times but not to pray to me or pray for me. No, I hope that they go in memory of how I lived my life for the Lord and know that now I am sitting at the feet of my Father rejoicing and praising Him.

Unfortunately the cemetery is also a business. As we walked through the cemetery we heard an echo of chiseling. We rounded a corner and saw a man chiseling out a headstone in one of the “condominiums” style gravesites. That is the price you pay for not paying rent of the deceased-removal. BJ then explain that the coffins in the lots that cannot be paid for are usually dug up, brought out, and disposed of. That space then becomes available for the next paying customer. My heart dropped as I remember the children on the corners begging for money and some probably selling their bodies for prostitution. Are they begging for the money to pay for a gravesite? Can you imagine fretting over a gravesite payment so much that you would sell, or send out your little boy or girl to try to come up with money to pay for a person that is already dead?

Update from Guatemala

I am currently sitting in a coffee shop called Café Barista in Guatemala City. The sky is cloudy and a few raindrops have been scattered over the city. I sit here in awe of how life has change dramatically over this past year. I am in engaged and moving to a developing third world country. Who would have thought?
I arrived late Friday night and Guatemala took my breath away. However, this breathlessness was not just because I saw my finance, BJ, for the first time in a month, nor was it just because the sights of the streets or very different architecture. No, this breathlessness was also because of my first ride in the streets of Guatemala City. What we (Americanos) would consider a 2 lane capacity road quickly became 3, cars were mere inches away from your mirrors, motorcycles zoom in-between and here I am grasping my seatbelt with my left hand, the passenger’s door handle with my right and trying push my foot into the floorboard for bj’s truck. All the while BJ calmly maneuvers through these hectic streets with ease and a sort of sophistication. He calls it a video game. A GAME in which you try to get ahead of everything otherwise you quite literally will never make it to your final destinationwhen we finally made it to the home I am staying at I found a magnificent bouquet of roses, chocolates, and a sweet valentine’s card from BJ. We then decided since it was after midnight we would go head and exchange gifts. Afterwards we talked for a short while and then we decided to call it a night and bid each other goodnight. I settled into my room a little more after BJ left and soon crashed into bed falling asleep midway.

Saturday. That morning we ventured out again and headed to Antigua for a day of sightseeing and cultural education on the type’s of people in the surrounding areas. The city was beautiful. From the cobble stone streets to the rustic ruins my eyes strained to take every detail in. there 2 main groups of people here, the Mayan Guatemalan and Spanish Guatemalan. Therefore, a lot of the building structure and ruins were able to help me grasp the difference between the two cultures. Later that night we set aside the history lessons and went to a quaint romantic restaurant that we had made reservations at earlier in the day. It was the perfect Valentine ’s Day Dinner.

Sunday. We went to BJ’s home church and met several of the church members. They all had heard of me and I was so touched most remembered my name. BJ continued to translate for me as I have not learned very much Spanish YET. We had the opportunity to tour the church grounds. The church is actually one of BJ’s most recent projects and openly seeking to work with World Orphans in hopes of someday having an orphan home built on their property and has been involved in orphan care for many years. Currently, they have several children from a nearby girl’s home that attend the church regularly as well as several family members that also have been taking care of orphans for at least 2 generations. The orphans that have been with one family now actually have children of their own. It was such a neat experience to see where one of our homes could possibly be built and meet the families that already are taking care of the orphaned and abandoned.

Later that day we met with the pastor’s son and a CAM missionary and went to pizza hut for fellowship. The CAM missionary was a young woman named Kimberly. She works at a girl’s home called OASIS. The OASIS home is where the girls who attended church that morning are from. It was a great experience and I was able to connect with Kimberly. She has been able to offer me a few tips on how to deal with some things around here and practice my Spanish as well. BJ and I will be visiting the “OASIS” home on Thursday to see how a typical orphan home, run by mission organizations, is set up. Kimberly will give us a tour and hopefully see the girls living situation as well.

Later this week I will also be visiting a orphan home with BJ and his roommate, Wosbeli. Wosbeli volunteers at several catholic orphanages that allow him to teach the bible. It will be a good idea to be able to compare homes and see the difference between ours and other organizations. My mother asked me what the hardest or most difficult things going on so far and I really only had two. So if you would please pray for me on these three things:
1.) The language barrier- I am certain I will learn a lot here but the constant reminder that I do not yet know the language is very heard at times
2.) The car rides- my uneasy, queasy self is not enjoying the car rides.
3.) My molar- one molar has decided to make himself known and is now entering the top of my pallet and headed straight for the middle of my tongue- painful to say the least.

This week looks to be exciting but I have to run now and practice my Spanish lessons…your prayers are felt and greatly appreciated…
I learned 2 Spanish saying that sound very similar to each other but mean very different things:
Tengo hAmbre= I am hungry.
NOT
tengo hOmbre= I have a man
OR
tengo verguenza= I am embarrassed
NOT
estoy embarasada= I am pregnant
I was glad to learn those because knowing me I would have said the wrong words. :)

Guatemala here I come!

I am off! Well, technically tomorrow but who really thinks about those details. GUATEMALA and BJ here I come! I have spent the last couple of weeks packing but not until these recent couples of days has the realization sunk in and weird things have happened. One night I was so geared up I had to take a sleeping pill to make myself go to bed. I had been waking up every hour wide awake to then jump out of my warm bed and check my bags to see if I forgot to pack something. So weird I know, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t leave anything behind. Then this past Tuesday night I woke up with a terrible headache, runny nose and about cried. The Flu Bug or something very close to it has been going around work. I had hoped I wouldn’t get it but nonetheless when I woke up feeling yucky I was beside myself. So needless to say I am ok now, I hope. I took some decongestant and sinus pills and with a prayer I took the day off yesterday and slept, ate soup, slept, drank tea, slept. Fun day huh? I was determined to not be sick when I travel down to Guatemala and I think that determination and prayer has been answered. BUT here is the funny part. When I finally came out of my sick sleep yesterday and actually had a look around I realized sometime in the night I had unpacked all of my clothes! I don’t know when and I don’t know how but they seemed to be folded nicer than I remember and actually to my surprise, a little more organized. They were lined up in a neat line alongside my dresser on the floor. My shoes were nicely set out side by side, pants were set together, shirts and blouses were separated, etc. you get the idea. I just kind of laughed pathetically and went to get some tea. When I came back up to my room with some tea I just sat on my bed and looked at these clothes almost as if it were a faceoff. Moments like this I think back to my mom, brothers and sister telling me I sleep walk and talk in my sleep. I used to say they were just teasing me or making it up. Well, I apologize here and now to those people who have ever told me I sleep talk and walk in my sleep and I didn’t believe them. The proof is sitting on my floor and no other way to describe it… I then burst into a cackle and would not stop as I realized that bj might not have any clue as to what he is getting into…

Stay tuned for Guatemala updates and pictures!

Beej- Baby, I’m coming home! I can’t wait! I’ll be there soon… I can’t wait to see you and explore all you have for me to see! Our journey together has just begun and I am so joyful and thankful that God blessed me with you… you are much more than I could have ever imagined God blessing me with as a husband, best friend and co-worker. I can’t wait to get started!
Dad- I hope to hear from you when you return safe from Ghana! I know you are such a blessing to anyone you encounter and I am so glad God gave me to you! I love you Daddy, I always will.
Mom- thanks for coming up last week and making my weekend oh so special! You are such and encouragement to me. I LOVE that we are planning my wedding together! Another adventure for the books and this one is much better than the last!
Julie- my sweet Maid of Honor, I love you and cannot wait to go Bride’s maid’s dress shopping. Don’t fret about a job! You will find one in time. Behave and keep up the good work at school! I am so proud of you.
Dusty- dude, stay in touch and keep working hard. I can’t wait to hear where you will be stationed for firefighting! I love you!
Joni, Kimberly, Elizabeth, Aunt Terry, Aunt Candy and all my faithful prayer warriors- I love you all and feel your prayers daily! May the love that God gives so abundantly to us be made real and clear, and refresh you each day!