When in Guatemala, watch out for crazy gringos!

This will be a relatively, brief post this evening as I am trying out a new thing by posting a video on YouTube and then embedding the video below.

Wow - look Ma, no hands!!! It's one of those moments. ;)

So here's the goofy setup, since you will probably be scratching your head wondering why I found this relevant enough to be my first video posted online.

Since we are such happy, go-lucky missionaries in the morning and afternoons in Guatemala and being that the weather is often so beautiful, we often like to pull back the windows on our van to let in the fresh breeze. Well, the go-lucky part of us always like to wave at the people that we see from the road with an "Hola" in the morning and an "Adios" in the afternoon.

Remarkably, the people wave back and reply likewise. I'm sure that they all think we're big goobers, but it's part of the fun.

In any case, since we have been doing this for so long and the indigenous people know that we are in the aldeas (communities), they always get ready with a wave and an "Adios" as we depart for the day on the road. The three girls walking along in this video were expecting the same thing as I passed by. They just didn't realize that I was the last of the gringos that day. Instead that instinctively gave a wave and an "Adios" to their friend who happened to be bicycling along behind us.

I suppose that he was for a moment, an honorary crazy gringo!

To see more videos as they get loaded, check out my YouTube page.

Also, feel free to add a comment here on the blog or on the YouTube page to express your concern with my sanity!

How long is your shadow?

A challenging part of our work in Guatemala is deciding what may be the larger and the longer term impact of our activities and decisions. This does not mean that we freeze in our decision-making process aka "paralysis by over-analysis". Yet - to keep the metaphors coming - we have to determine how long of a shadow that we may cast.

There are a few things that we have learned along the way that are touch-points to help us along the way. First off, the people that we work with are very resilient to change and are obviously aware that we come from another culture. Now, this does mean though that we have to be careful adjust our Western ways to them.

This issue comes up all of the time in our communication styles. A classic example that was taught to me was regarding a well-intentioned team member several years back. When this bilingual team member was visiting with some local leaders in Chicabracan, he asked them about their sources for fuel in both cooking and illumination. The leaders notably expressed concern about their growing usage of wood. This is observable in the countryside as many of the pine trees have their lower branches removed up to a certain canopy height. The local people do this to preserve the trees and hopefully strike a right balance with their fuel needs.

As the team member and the local leaders spoke, our representative inquired about their use of the sun for power generation. The local people are keenly aware of this potential, but lack the resources for how they can maximize the potential. Yet, in discussing the team member's familiarity with solar power, the Maya thought that he would provide them a solution in a future visit.

See, the cultural divide was in the local Maya leaders interpreting the team member's query into his action.

A second touch-point is that the mission team leaders know that there are numerous issues to address and we will not have all of the answers. Specifically, some of our great challenges will be solved by those unexpected individuals placed by God in our path. We really feel blessed by being involved in this parish-based mission as this allows the creativity and energy of the entire community to spring forth in helping the mission grow. Even if you never travel to Guatemala, you are not limited in helping people that you won't meet in person. How exciting!

Thus, I look forward to sharing other learned guidances with you, but here is where I ask for your own sharings and thoughts. In relation to the paragraph above, we really do need feedback and thoughts from the readers of this blog.

Please feel free to contribute any of your thoughts by clicking the "Comments" link below. (I have highlighted a picture of where I speak in the bottom image.)

If you just want to say "Howdy" or offer up a prayer or suggestion / critique or encouragement, we will really appreciate it. :) We know that we don't have all of the answers, but you may!

By Papal decree

Did you know that by Papal decree that all bishops who visit Guatemala are required to teach basketball lay-up drills?

Well, I suppose since this isn't true, that's probably why you didn't know this. Perhaps at the next Vatican Council, this topic will be covered though. ;)

As you can see above, Bishop Rizzotto is helping the girls at the school with their basketball practice. During recess, the girls were practicing with their teachers because they had a basketball game against another community later in the week. And, yes, in case you are asking already, the girls do play their games in the attire above (blouse, skirt and flats). This is really their only outfit or set of clothes.

Also, these girls are pretty good at basketball too! Especially, considering the Maya are not very tall, the kids are fast and can run, run, run. Unlike gringos like me who come from sea-level, the kids have no problem shooting hoops at 6,500 feet. Whew!

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In case Archibishop DiNardo happens to sneak a peak at this blog, Bishop Rizzotto did do his fair share of work too. In the picture below, he answers a young man's question during the 5th/6th grade faith formation class. Muy bueno!

Amongst my friends

In the time ahead, I plan to share various pictures, videos and sounds from my travels abroad while specifically highlighting the communities and friends that we visit in Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala.

The above picture is my beautiful wife with her goofy husband before Mass. ;)

And no, she did not make me write this!

In the photo are children that we work with in the local, parent-run school, which is based in the rural area known as Chicabracan Primero. We took this photo on a typically beautiful Wednesday afternoon outside of the San Pedro oratorio. It always amazes me to see how much joy the children and adults exhibit to us considering all of the violence these communities have experienced over the recent decades.

Even the little boy in red to the left of the picture knows well enough to goof around with the ol' rabbit ears almost being held behind someone's head in the photo. This must be a universal thing for kids. Ha!