Guatemala Reflection

 

REFLECTION ON OUR SPRING BREAK TRIP, by TYLER ROCHE

Looking back on my trip to Guatemala, I learned a lot more than just how to mix concrete or dig trenches. Our trip was much more than going to build a house with Constru Casa for a family. This is just a glimpse of the important lessons I took home from Guatemala.

Childhood innocence is universal
No matter where you are from, children everywhere still enjoy tickling others until they can’t breathe, building castles in a pile of dirt, and eating tons of ice cream. Even though we had poor Spanish-speaking ability, this did not prevent the children from welcoming us

A different meaning of poverty
 I came to Guatemala thinking that the poverty of this family we are serving is the low income that they have, the contaminated water that they drink, and the house that they sleep in. I was proved wrong. The abuela told us that our poverty was that we went to school about 5 hours away from our families. They lived with their immediate family and their extended family lived just down the street or in the next town. They showed me that family is what matters most at the end of the day, regardless of what resources you have.

The work put into coffee goes far beyond the cup you brew each morning
Local farmers in Guatemala grow coffee for years before putting in the hard work required for us to have our daily cup. From planting to harvesting, from roasting to drying to grinding the coffee beans, I have learned that supporting these local farmers by purchasing their direct trade coffee goes a long way into providing economic opportunity and quality of life.    www.dlgcoffee.org
It makes a difference to get to know the people of the country you are visiting
I studied abroad in Spain for a semester, but never felt more culturally immersed than I did in the one week in Guatemala. Learning the culture of the country and spending time with the family and the masons every day that week taught me many lessons that I could have never picked up from study abroad.  THANKS for your support of our trip & building these relationships!!