A First-timer’s Perspective

By Rev. Lee Anderson-Harris

I have been acquainted with Pura Vida Ministries for close to a decade.  As an associate pastor, I serve a church that has a long relationship with Pura Vida, and I have heard many stories about the incredible experience and people that participants encounter on the work trips.  In January 2017, I finally had an opportunity to participate in a work trip myself.  Even better, I went with my new husband, also an associate pastor, and members of the church he serves.
Prior to this trip, it had been several years since I last travelled out of the country.  Further, this would be the first time I would not be travelling to popular tourist destinations, and spend more time getting to know locals than I normally would on a vacation.  I was nervous; I do not speak the language, I do not blend in, and Guatemala is very unfamiliar territory to me.  In other words, I am a foreigner, and I felt like a foreigner before I even arrived.

We arrived in Guatemala City at night, and took a bus to Antigua to stay the night.  As it was dark, I could not see much of the landscape, but even on the bus ride I began to get that thrill of being in a new place.  The hotel in Antigua was lovely and comfortable.  The next morning after breakfast, I went to the rooftop to see the view.  When I saw the beauty of the land and the buildings surrounding us, I got tears in my eyes.  Nervousness gone, I felt excitement for what awaited us the rest of the week.  ​

​We arrived in Chichicastenango on a market day, and the city was alive and bustling.  Again, our hotel was beautiful and comfortable, a nice treat (especially since many of my previous foreign travel experiences involved staying in hostels).  I was grateful to have trip leaders who could tell me do’s and don’ts, where to be when, and what was next.  It allowed me to just focus on my own experience and soak it all in.  That indeed is part of the impact of the trip, and important not to overlook.  Being present to yourself and to the multi-sensory experience that is Chichi (and the other places we visited) will add much to what you take away from this trip.

​That week, we took the bus to Lemoa each day to work on building a wall for a school and a house for a family whose husband/father died within the last two years.  As we pulled into the school the first day, the children were waiting for us, cheering when we arrived.  There were words of gratitude from the teachers, and brief performances by some of the kids.  They even gave us each small gifts of candy with a handmade butterfly.  It was humbling to see the work they put into welcoming us and showing their gratitude.  Again, I was moved to tears.

I was not concerned about the work itself; I enjoy being outside and doing manual labor. But I had never done any masonry work, so it was a new skill to learn.  In the end, it was satisfying to learn something new (although I wouldn’t say I mastered it) and to see the progress made each day.  Each person had a place on the work site.  Some were skilled at the masonry work, while there were plenty of other tasks that needed to be done.  There was more to this process than the physical work, however.  I worked alongside virtual strangers.  I got to know people well, through conversation but also by observing various personalities.  And, I got to know myself better, as I observed my own reactions in this environment.  I now feel closer to the other team members, and I gained more insight into myself.  At the end of the work week, we blessed the projects and left the family knowing they would soon be in their new home.

"Communication happens even without words."

​Even with a language barrier, I could connect with others.  I played with the children at the work sites.  What a blessing they were!  They were kind, and receptive to my presence.  Everywhere we traveled, children waved to us, even seemed excited to see the bus.  And it wasn’t just the children who were hospitable.  I encountered so many people who were warm, vibrant, and welcoming to this group of strangers.  Communication happens even without words. Still, I was very grateful to have interpreters with us, and to be able to learn more about the culture by speaking with them. I have since begun to attempt to learn Spanish, because I hope to better connect with Spanish-speaking individuals where I live and when I travel abroad again.

At the end of the work portion of the trip, we had free time back in Antigua.  Even though my husband and I could have gone off on our own, we continued to spend time with other team members because of the bonds that grew from this experience.  By the time we left Guatemala, I was simultaneously sad to leave and eager to be home.  What I gained from this trip will remain (and I’m not talking about the souvenirs we bought!).  My hope is that many more people will get to experience what I did.    ​