Day 3

Reflection by Stephen Good

Lines.  Lines were what greeted us in the morning at ADISA.  Straight lines sectioned off a brown roll of paper, apportioned to make paper bags- our task for the beginning of the day, and one that proved to be difficult.  It required precision and patience to make an effective bag- one would be remiss to say that anyone in our group perfected the task.  More practice was needed.

Some people at ADISA spend their time in the workshop fashioning artisanal goods with their hands, like the bags we made.  Lines on paper became folds, and folds became connections, and eventually connections became goods.  The craftsmen benefit from a purposeful trade as well as a salary; ADISA also profits from the assortment of objects that are made.  Coasters, jewelry, bowls, ornaments.  Everything in the small shop began as a line but turned into much more.

Each person we encounter took a different path to Guatemala.  At Cooper House, our paths became one after meeting at the airport, to then remain similar for the duration of the trip.  Though at ADISA, we met people with very different stories.  One woman was a traveling physical therapist, who was nominally from New York, though she struggled to identify any physical place as home.  California, Denver, Guatemala.  A line tracing her path jumped from place to place before arriving at ADISA.  Our paths crossed momentarily, but by the end of the morning, we were off to different places.

Santiago was our home for a day.  But our journey brought us back to Guatemala City this evening.  We completed the requisite five-hour car ride through a heavy rain.  Lake Atitlan's shores had become our temporary home, and each sharp turn in the road, a beautiful view of the lake was afforded.  Crops were grown in rows on each side of the road,  and they sprawled across any land that wasn't too steep to plant upon.  The road winded through the countryside, up and down mountains.  curves and steep grades became familiar.  With each bump in the road, everyone who was sleeping was temporarily awakened.  Just a blip of consciousness among many restful minutes.  And with each town and village passed on the trip, a glance out the window provided a volatile connection with the people on the other side of the rain-washed glass.

Our line of travel snaked its way between mountains, mountains concealed by fog brought in by the storm.  We weaved our way through forests until our path made a gradual transition from rural to urban.  The transition happened as night was turning into dusk.  Roads that at the beginning of the day were only lines on a map, became real, became permanent.  They were now the line behind us, marking our past, a line that would be foraged again tomorrow.

Reflection by Brannon Blount
Today I saw God a lot in the people at ADISA. What would normally seem like a party for the students, turned into something greater. The party was for the therapy dog because she was retiring from service. There was a small piñata, but the children viewed it as something magical. Each kid, regardless of their ability to actually swing at the piñata, made a joyous attempt at breaking it. Finally the piñata broke and the candy fell out. All the kids ran up to gather candy. The volunteers were also assisting so that each child would have at least a piece of candy.

God was definitely with us as we were on the bus for over four hours. The roads were curvy and it was raining heavily. There were a few cases of car sickness, including myself. Regardless of the difficult journey, we made it  to Guatemala City. That journey on the road showed me that God is always with us. I believe God watches and protects us, even when we can't see but five feet in front of us. We just have to trust that he knows what is best for us, even when we want it differently. God will continue to guide us during the rest of the week.

So far, this trip has been very memorable. For starters, yesterday I celebrated my 19th birthday. It was interesting to experience a birthday in a different culture. The Happy Birthday song was sung in Spanish and the cake was not a typical vanilla cake, instead it was very moist and had strawberries and chocolate syrup. I am very grateful to have made it 19 years. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would have spent my birthday working with people in ADISA in a beautiful country. I can not wait to see what God has in store for me during the rest of the trip and the rest of my life.