Our time in Guatemala was truly incredible, with so much lived and experienced every single day. the days were remarkably full, with a healthy mix of work, play, and interaction with the team, our hosts, and the Guatemalan culture combining to fill up every moment of our time. Last week we painted one school and hauled rocks for another, plus we saw the sight of the school we raised the funds to build. They started the work on that one just as we were leaving.

We had the privilege of visiting an orphanage (where they gave us the greatest Guatemalan breakfast, a real treat), carnivalled at an all-girl school (ask our guys how they liked that one), climbed a volcanoe, and I saw the southern cross at 4:00 a.m. in the morning (for the third time in my life).

Most significantly for me personally were the countless interactions we had with the Guatemalans themselves. I was really struck by their dignity and their sense of self-worth.
I didn’t get the impression that they see themselves as destitute or impoverished; rather, even though they work hard in incredibly difficult situations at subsistence levels (a few of them manage to grow some more crops that they can sell and gain some cash from), they are always willing to share of what they had.
We went to one farmers place where he and his father grew cabbages, beets and whiskiel for market, and before we left they filled a large bag full of produce to give us; as we were coming down the volcanoe at the end of our hike a woman came to us and gave us a bunch of her produce – whiskiel again ( a truly incredible little squash, it’s a shame we don’t get it in Canada).
I felt that they wanted us to know that they werent destitute farmers, but were proud of what they were able to accomplish on that land. For all the dirt, most of the time only the kids and those who were in the middle of working were dirty, and at the end of the day they cleaned themselves up and got into good clean clothes, and they stayed that way. On Saturday night everyone had obviously showered and prepared themselves for mass the next morning. Many of the houses had flower gardens in their yards that filled the place with vibrant colour. What I saw was not destitute and desperate people, but the image of God in a people living with the dignity and pride suitable to that image. I have been blessed and graced by God that he should allow me this privilege to spend 10 days of my life in Guatemala.

Herb Sawatzky

Water for People

American Water Works Association

Canadian Water Quality and Health

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