Day One
On Saturday, February 28th, a wonderfully diverse group arrived safely in Guatemala: 2 mother-daughter pairs; as well as 3 or 4 recent graduates; and some who have been here several times and some who are coming for the first time. This is the 17th year that Cabrini has visited San Lucas Tolimán in Guatemala.
Why did we come here in the first place? Cabrini had just begun its unique core curriculum focused on social justice, where the College wanted all students to deepl examine injustices in society and search for the root causes and learn how to create a more just world. The College asked Catholic Relief Services (CRS) where they could take students to experience a town trying to create a more just community. CRS said
to go to San Lucas.
Day Two
We visited Panajachel, a charming town surrounded by mountains that we reached via a 20-minute boat trip. The town is full of vibrant outdoor shops and street vendors selling handmade shirts and purses
with handmade embroidery. We attended Mass at the church which is part of the mission coming together with locals to celebrate. The theme for the day was the common good. We discussed how we experienced the common good throughout visit. The group witnessed the empowerment of local people encouraged to grow into leadership and management positions.
Day Three
We visited a beautiful farm owned by a hardworking gentleman. We spent the morning harvesting coffee beans and made a valiant effort to fill up our buckets! Afterward, we went to the women’s center to see the women at the sewing machines either learning how to sew, strengthening their skills, or practicing what they had just learned. We learned that we must not take our privileges for granted. Behind everything that we get to enjoy or even consume, there is a lot of hard work and dedication. We also learned to be grateful for the things we often overlook, such as our jobs or the work we do at home. We are beyond blessed in many capacities and seeing others who do not get the same experience is eye-opening.
Day Four
We toured all the programs the mission provides for the community. First was the Women's Center focusing on the intricate details of how the original Maya family lived and built their home. There we saw a cooking station, a sewing room and a modernized kitchen used for cooking lessons. Second, we learned about improvements in the coffee growing capabilities. Our 3rd stop was the construction program, focusing on building individual homes and constructing the new visitors' center. The 4th program is the charity program. Poverty is severe in Guatemala and in the area around the mission. For example, 79% of Guatemalans live in poverty. In San Lucas 16% live in severe poverty, defined as living on less than $3 per day. The 5th program is the visitors' program. The program welcomed over 126 groups last year. The kitchen serves more than 2,000 meals yearly. The goal of the visitors' program is to bridge cultural gaps through listening, learning, and implementing skills. More next edition.
~sent with love from Ang, Bonnie, Charlesetta, Connie, Faith, Hollie, Janet, Jerry, Joanny, Madi, Paula and Yeredith
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