Day 5: Buena Vista

Dear family and friends,
Two hours west of Guatemala City, about 45 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, is the village of Buena Vista.  Buena Vista is indescribable and that explains, in part, why Leyna and I had such a difficult time getting this started. I am going to post photos and perhaps explain more later.  The photos make everything beautiful, and it is, but those who live in Buena Vista are merely subsisting or less, if that is possible, and that makes life brutally harsh here. . . and that points as well to the problem with our photos.  You will never see what we saw looking at these images.  On the surface, it was hot and exotic, but behind that, it was complex and devastating. It is a place where you must have a clear message because lives depend on it, and yes, I know that sounds dramatic, but I am telling you, it is the truth.  We ministered along side Guatemalans who comforted the critically ill, the malnourished, and the injured.  We witnessed women washing clothes, dishes, and bodies in nearby streams;  we hiked among rubber tree plants with their drip collection cups by the hundreds; we walked along side ducks, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, horses, turkeys, and cows in various stages of vigorous life and death. We stood in smoke filled shanties that were set in dirt and mud, with sides of bamboo lashed together on three sides.  We walked along side mothers and grandmothers caring for family members in dark shanties with very little hope for a better day, and we prayed with children, teens and adults, knowing we were privileged beyond words to walk among these Guatemalans and share our faith as they share theirs with us.  It was a day none of us will ever forget.  And as is always the case in Buena Vista, mountain top experiences are coupled with strangely odd occurrences. Today it was an angry possum on a leash being drug home for dinner.  The photos will illustrate many of the life changing experiences we had today, but after careful deliberation, I have decided, once was enough with that stinkin' possum.
Blessings,
Sally y mi amigos
(See Leyna's post below.)

Turn right at the tree and you arrive in Buena Vista.

A "better than most" kitchen in Buena Vista

Seriously ill Domingo and his caretaker, his 80 plus year old grandmother, with nurse Anna. Notice the height difference between Domingo's grandmother and us.

The children's lesson

Levi and Leyna

Hola! It's Leyna Gatti. I'm 14 and a sophomore at Lutheran High North. It's my first time in Guatemala, but I don't think it will be my last. This trip so far has been the craziest thing I've ever experienced. There is no way to explain the views and conditions I've witnessed here. Getting out of the van in Buena Vista, I felt like I had walked into the butterfly garden at the Detroit Zoo, but with a few more pigs (and an opossum on a leash)! There are flowers and animals everywhere. It is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, but the nature's beauty pales in comparison to the people. Today I had the privilege to meet the boy I sponsor, Levi, and his mother. Levi was so sweet and getting to know him has been my favorite part of this trip so far. When I went to leave, Levi asked me when I was coming back and told me that he would be waiting for me, but I don't think he'll be waiting that long. The places I've seen and the people I've met have had a massive effect on me, and I know a piece of my heart will always be in Guatemala and with Levi.