"What society needs are not people who know a lot, but people who can use what they know to change their reality."

So far this experience has been pretty overwhelming. I've learned a lot about the history and culture of Guatemala. I've had a lot of beautiful conversations. I've seen and heard a lot of difficult things. I've met wonderful, compassionate people. There's so much more I could share. But for now, I'm going to share with you what has had the most impact on me so far. And what I think is most important for you to know.


Yesterday we listened to a man named Armando talk about the history of Guatemala. He commended us for being here and told us that most U.S. citizens are ignorant about what has happened and is happening to our neighbors. Part of that, I think, is because we have a difficult time thinking about people besides ourselves. But Armando also shared that many Guatemalans don't even know their own history and that is in large part due to the information hidden from us by the media. But this important. We need to know about it.

Armando told us that in 1944 a revolution in Guatemala began which lasted for about 10 years. The people here began advocating for democracy as well as worker's rights and rights of the indigenous people. During the 10 year period there were 2 democratic elections, the first (and only) labor code of Guatemala was created, and their was a decree for land reform which called for redistribution to small farm communities.

A lot of this land, however, was owned by a U.S. company called United Fruit Company. When the U.S. government heard about the decree for land reform, they declared it to be communism and helped organize a counter revolution. In 1954, with the CIA, the United States helped overthrow the Guatemalan government. Armando shared that the time that followed was dark and sad. Those part of the counter revolution went after people who were involved in the revolution for human rights. And the revolutionaries who were captured were tortured, thrown in jail and/or murdered. Political participation and organizations stopped. In November of 1960, a formal armed guerrilla movement began the 36 Year War. Many of the guerrillas were students, teachers and workers who believed in human rights and justice for all.

The military in Guatemala implemented many practices that were taught to them by the U.S. government. President Eisenhower once said, "It's easier and better to kill the guerrillas in the womb of the mother than in the mountains." The military in Guatemala took that seriously and often targeted pregnant women and children. Most of what was happening during the 36 Year War was silenced and not brought to public attention until 1980. After 1980, the geopolitical situation changed because the U.S. grew tired of supporting  dictators. They started to shift their support and tried to force the military and the guerrillas to have peace talks. They were pushing for democracy. Even though that is what existed in Guatemala before the U.S. became involved in 1954.

The official Peace Accords were not signed until 1996. Last year a president who was formerly part of the military was elected as president even though he is not concerned about carrying out what is written about human rights in the Peace Accords. Another speaker we heard named Victor said that he was elected because the result of the war is that Guatemala now lives in a culture of fear and violence. The current president was able to convince the people that they needed him because he understands violence.

This information caused me to feel a lot of different things. I felt ashamed of my country. I felt embarrassed of my ignorance. I felt so sad for the people who have lived through that. And are now living through the aftermath of that. I also began thinking about how I would consider myself a pacifist. I wonder if that's ignorant. I don't want to believe it is. All human life is equally valuable. Right? But what if the guerrillas would have had greater numbers? Where would Guatemala be now? Would they still be living in that culture of fear and violence? Is violence justified in a situation where the military was using violence relentlessly?

How could the people here ever forgive the U.S. for what they sparked in 1954?

Later on, yesterday, we went to a school located in a garbage dump. Most of the students at the school work(ed) at the dump collecting trash to clean and then sell again. The kids went to that school because they weren't permitted in any other schools.

We drove from that school for about 5 minutes to a mall so that we could try to see how large the gap between the rich and the poor really is. It was unreal. It felt like being back in the States. I don't really know what else to say.

How can we change our reality? What do I do with this information? Where do we even start to address any of this?

When I was writing in my journal last night, I wrote that I was trying to figure out where Jesus is in all of this.

Then in The Impossible Will Take A Little While I read a quote from Barbara Kingsolver. She said, "God is in the details, the completely unnecessary miracles sometimes tossed up as stars to guide us."

So there's that. And I've witnessed that since being here. God was certainly in the sunrise I was able to see this morning. Or in the beauty of the mountains. Or in the simplicity of life here. But I think, too, that Jesus is among those children at the school in the dump, and in Armando, and in all of the indigenous people here still suffering from discrimination. How do we live in the hope of the resurrection while not turning our heads away from the reality of the injustice being faced by the least among us?

"...the world is a place where beauty and grace exist alongside sordidness and violence--and it is on behalf of expanding the former that we denounce and resist the latter." -Mark Loebe