During spring break, students in the short-term study abroad courses, ECG 200 "Faces of Guatemala and Justice" and ECG 300 "Working for Justice in Guatemala," travel to Guatemala to learn about and work alongside the people there. This is my account of the trip.
Day 1
Everybody enjoyed a great night’s sleep after a full day of traveling. Most had gotten just a few hours sleep the night before because we had to be at the airport so early. Everybody was in bed by 9pm because we were at Mass at 7:30am Sunday. The beautiful and stirring music at Mass, the striking colors of the Mayan women’s hand-made skirts and blouses, and the warmth of the people greeting us made us all feel welcome on our first full day.
At 9:30am we headed out on Lake Atitlan for a 20-minute boat ride to Santiago Atitlan. We have spent several classes before coming learning about the brave people of Santiago and the murder of many in the community during the civil war. We especially learned about Father Stan Rother, a priest from Oklahoma who spent his adult life in Santiago, ministering to the needs of the Mayan people until his murder/martyrdom on July 28, 1981, when a death squad found him and shot him multiple times.
Having read and seen videos of Father Stan, to see the very room when he was killed, and even the bullet holes in the floor and blood stains still on the wall made the reality of the struggle for justice vivid to all of us.
We all enjoyed a great lunch together and visited some craft shops. Krissy especially was able to find a complete Mayan dress and blouse that took her back to her Guatemalan roots.
We ended the day on the roof of our hotel where, under the half moon, we reflected on what brought us to this time together, our gratitude for our family, and especially for the experience of new-found friendship with the 17 we are sharing this experience with.