Everyone on this trip is either involved health care or is interested in it so we have decided to gear our trip towards medicine. One of the biggest things I hope we can do is just a needs assessment of what Sharing the Dream can do that involves better health care for the people we work with here.

We were supposed to leave Omaha at 2:10 on the 17th.  Our plane was delayed so we left about 4:30.  We were fortunate that our plane in Houston was delayed a bit too as we didn’t have that much lay over time.  We arrived in Guatemala about 10PM.   We had 18 bags plus our carry on and we received 17 bags in Guatemala.  One of Wynonna’s bags didn’t make it.  We waited for quite a while to see if it was there and then filled out the appropriate paper work to trace it.  We arrived at the center after 11PM, tired and travel weary.  We had a quick snack, a meeting and then hit the bed.

Monday June 18th.

We had an  orientation meeting in the morning with Virginia who also works for Sharing the Dream and Diana and then started our day.  Eric has consented to be the first person to write.  Hopefully the journal will be written by different people throughout the trip.

Today was our first full day in our new foreign environment.  The Center was a wonderful place to house all nine people that came on this Guatemala journey.  The Center has ample space, which worked out great for everyone. There were plenty of bathrooms so everyone wouldn’t be piled up at the same time.  The showers were slightly different than what I am used to in Vermillion.  The pressure was definitely on the weak side and the temperature was a little brisk at six in the morning.  Although the showers might not have been what everyone was accustomed to, I think everyone was glad they could clean some of the travel grime off their bodies.

In the Center there is a nice little dinning room where we would eat our meals.  It was just about the perfect size for the number of people in our group.  Today, a Guatemalan scholarship student, Isabel, joined us for breakfast.  Isabel would also spend the remainder of the day traveling with us.  When I came downstairs someone, probably Diana, had laid out some fresh fruit, toast, cereal, and juice for everyone to eat.  A little fruit, some granola, and some yogurt was my kind of way to start the day off right. During breakfast we all introduced ourselves and told the group a little bit about why we had decided to go on this trip.  It was interesting hearing everyone’s reason for wanting to travel to Guatemala.  Diane gave us an orientation and she spoke about Guatemala and Sharing the Dream.  I was interested in hearing more about Sharing the Dream because I had not known that much about the organization prior to signing up for this trip.  I hadn’t volunteered at the shop in Vermillion, and a few months ago I wouldn’t have even imagined I would be taking part in a trip to Guatemala.

After we finished breakfast we traveled to UPAVIM in a van, which was driven by Venicio.  The traffic and rules of the road are a little different down here than up in the U.S.  Venicio would pull off some moves where I thought we would probably rub side panels with the cars driving next to us. Although the driving is different down here, I was never once worried or nervous.  I put my faith in Venicio, and I just enjoyed the scenery from the backseat.

Once we arrived at UPAVIM, we went upstairs and talked to some of the “staff” members.  They did not speak English, which caused a little problem.  Fortunately, Diana was with us to translate.  This was probably one of my first experiences meeting with a group of people that spoke a different language than me.  That alone was quite the experience.  We introduced ourselves and stated why we had decided to take this trip.  The woman we met with spoke about UPAVIM and the purpose and goals of the organization.  UPAVIM sounded like a very beneficial organization, which benefited the Guatemalan people very much.  After taking a walk around the neighborhood, where we would see the local dump, we came back to UPAVIM and had lunch.

When we left UPAVIM we had the opportunity to briefly visit Rosemary and her family at their home.  Rosemary lives with her family in the Esperanza neighborhood where UPAVIM is located, a poverty stricken community where crime is notoriously high.  Rosemary lives with her mother, father, and three older sisters.  Rosemary’s sisters all suffer from a genetic disorder that affects their ability to walk and speak.  Sharing the Dream has not only sponsored Rosemary’s bead work but has also been involved in expanding their tiny home and providing support for the three older sisters, through
the support of two churches in Wyoming.  It was a pleasure to meet the infamous Rosemary and her family.  Despite their overwhelming needs, they are extremely grateful for all the support they have received.  They represent a genuinely loving family, placing priority on the care of each other.

Next we traveled to the center of town to visit the Casa Guatemala clinic. The portion of Casa Guatemala that we would visit was similar to a daycare facility.  We stayed here and played and interacted with the kids.  Most of the kids were either babies or still toddlers.  There was one young man there who suffered from some type of disease and/or mental retardation, who was actually in his twenties.  His body was very deformed and had remained about the size of a toddler’s body.  He could not walk, nor talk, but one thing he could do was throw and roll a ball. Although he suffered from many problems, he was still very cheerful and happy.  This was a very heartbreaking experience to see someone in his condition.  I think the whole group learned how powerful the human spirit can be after seeing this young man.

After our visit to the Casa Guatemala clinic we visited the Cathedral and city square.  The Cathedral was a big and beautiful church.  This was a great opportunity to see how religion plays such an important role in the lives of most Guatemalan citizens.

Later we met with a doctor who provided us with more information on the health care system within Guatemala.  She discussed the education system in Guatemala, and the requirements that are necessary to become a doctor.  I was amazed to hear that only nine people were in her class.  It was interesting to hear the cost of tuition, and the reasons why there were only nine people in her class.  Although the tuition seems cheap to people who live in the United States, it must be significantly high for Guatemalans. The lack of doctors within Guatemala was beyond me.  Apparently there is about one doctor for every 100,000 Guatemalans.  That kind of stat is unheard of within the United States.  The healthcare system within Guatemala must make some improvements.  Also the sanitization must make vast improvements to improve the population's overall health.

We ate supper at the Center.  Diana provided us with a fabulous Guatemalan meal.  Most of us took part in helping Diana prepare the meal, set the table, and clean the dishes afterwards.  I was very impressed with how everyone volunteered to help.  After supper we all got together in the upstairs living area and voiced our reflections about the day.  This was a very beneficial way to get to know the group better and to hear their feelings on the experiences we engaged in that day.  It will be a great way to end each day during our time in Guatemala.  I look forward to these reflections in the future.

Note from Diane…. We are really late in our journals.  Eric and Elizabeth wrote the first day but we have traveled so much and are so busy that I don’t have any idea if and when we can finish the rest.  Hopefully it will get done.

The Guatemalan Travel group.

go to June 19