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May 12, 2005

Dear Friends:

As usual, the buses started running past the Sister Parish Center at 5:30 AM this morning. Considering that the buses in Guatemala City are left-over USA buses and school buses with no mufflers, it is hard to sleep after they begin their morning labors. I finally got tired of trying to sleep around 6:30. 

Day two on a Sister Parish delegation is still an orientation day, designed to introduce the delegates to the country and the culture. This is a cultural emersion experience where you wade in slowly. It seems to work best that way. This morning, we changed some money at the bank (Adam and Tony almost got in trouble for trying to take a picture inside the bank) and then headed out to visit with an NGO (Non-Government Organization. Groups that do advocacy and social service work without government support). This particular NGO is a democracy watchdog group that particularly focuses on rooting out corruption in the Guatemalan political system. That is a huge job, as political corruption is practically a way of life here. They mostly focus on changing systems, rather than targeting individuals guilty of corruption. For example, they recently got laws past to require auditing of certain departments in the Government. A major accomplishment. We spent a couple of hours hearing abo..............

 

This afternoon, we visited with a woman from a new organization that is fighting the introduction of strip mining for precious metals into the country. Such mining will only further rape a land that has lost much due to deforestation, civil war, over-farming and the planting of cash crops for export (rather than food for the starving population.). This is being touted at a way out of poverty, and many of the poor are being convinced to turn over hard earned land to mining companies (many from the US). However, only 1% of any profits made in the strip mining of the beautiful mountains of Guatemala will be returned to Guatemala (most of the profits will go to the companies doing the mining) and precious little, if any, will ever find its way to the subistance level farmers who will give up (or are driven off) their land. Interestingly, most of the proposed mining will be done in largely indigenous areas.

In between these two speakers, we had dinner (noon meal) at an area restaurant which features authentic Guatemalan cooking and a terrific marimba band. We had a soup-like dish with chicken and sausage that was excellent, and small tomillios, which are small dumpling like things wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. VERY good!

Tonight we finished our orientation and preparations for going to El Bongo, our sister parish community. Bright and early we will leave for Rio Dulce and the Backpacker's hotel. Tomorrow afternoon we will take a boat up the Rio Dulce to visit Casa Guatemala (an Orphanage the Luther Center has supported for many, many years). The next day we will visit a medical clinic called Aktenimet that is also on the river. The following day we will go to El Bongo.

I'm not sure when I will get to a computer again. So, God bless you all, and keep us in your prayers.

Peace,
Pastor Mike Girlinghouse

"The human mind plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps" --Proverbs 16:9