Nuestro Servicio Empieza!

Today was the most anticipated day of the trip. We had plans to go down to Zone 3 near the dump and meet with the students and teachers of Coll School and the Nursery. At 7:15 we gathered for a prayer service, closely followed by a delicious breakfast. Our bodies and spirits were full and refreshed for the long day to come. We departed for the school and Juan Carlos AKA Our Driver AKA Mr. Whip Game, navigated the Guatemalan streets with a grace previously unknown to mankind. Along the way we picked up two armed guards, who would escort us the rest of the day. During the drive, we witnessed the cityscape drastically change from one of relative wealth, to one of extreme poverty. Despite the dismal atmosphere surrounding the school, we were warmly welcomed with a showcase of enthusiasm and excitement. The school was a literal diamond in the rough. Each of us was graciously given a bracelet and handmade greeting card as we walked through a tunnel of smiling students. Inside, we had front row seats to beautiful music and wonderful dancing, despite minor technical difficulties. The entire room was filled with overwhelming smiles and laughter. The Coll School students' happiness was truly inspirational to all of us Titans. The performance was finished and we attempted to chat in Spanish with the students, until being called to the bus to travel to our next destination. The recently renovated nursery was in pristine condition and the babies and toddlers were not too shabby themselves. The children's ages ranged from 3 months to 7 years old. The students in the nursery will continue on to The Coll School as they grow older. Over the next four days, half of our group will be at The Coll School and the other half will be babying it up in the nursery. Our trip took a more serious turn after leaving the nursery and arriving at the edge of the city dump. Some students had previously seen the dump in documentaries shown at St. John's, but it did not compare to seeing it with our own eyes. Over the dump we saw many parents of the students that we are working with. This specific destination yielded a very engaging discussion later on about various aspects and solutions to extreme poverty. It is safe to say all of us were in shock of what we had just seen. Our discussion helped us process the emotions and thoughts that were running wildly through our minds. Today also began our construction work on a new wing for the Coll School. We were all divided among tasks indluding: leveling ground for pathways and floors, cutting steel support beams, and beginning work on support for a second floor. Throughout our time working on the construction, many niños who lived in the surrounding area approached us wanting to talk and assist us in our work. These children who have so little were offering their help to us in building the school, demonstrating their selflessness. After a long exhausting day, Juan Carlos delivered us back to our retreat house where we played a game of fútbol, had dinner, chatted up a storm, and wrote this blog post. And that brings us to now, with baggy eyes and sore feet, we wish you a good night. Hasta luego!!!!! Gracias por leyendo! The SJJ Guatemala Team - written by Benjamín Eddingfield(or Eddingfinger as Mrs. Jindal would say) y Sachin Jindal