| In the Vista Real Hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala, there are gilded sink feet and whirpool bathtubs and ethnic art and mosaic tiles and lush curtains everywhere! There are gorgeous balconies with antique brass gates that overlook incredible mountain and volcano views. Insane. There is also a business center with a few computers, which is where I am to write this. (This trip was arranged for mothers and daughters to enjoy luxuries in Guatemala City, spend time together with other women, and observe the work God is doing in orphanages and schools run by a Christian woman in the area. I was not expecting that. I thought I'd be staying in a hut in the villages of the mountains in the countryside, not in the heart of Guatemala city in a four star hotel suite.) I've been here a few days now, and traveled through the city to the dump area, the Manchin girls' home, and several orphanages/schools/daycares run by Mrs. Arzu, the wife of Guatemala's most recent president, the now-mayor of Guatemala City. We play with the kids and give them school supplies and toys, take their pictures, and then leave. It's awkward, because it's a trip meant for gawking at the poor orphans of Guatemala. But the kids don't understand that, so they love all the attention. And it's good for awareness and helps raise support when we all go back to our churches in the states. (However, I don't really have a church in the states. So, it will be good for me to tell my friends and help my mom tell her church.) It hasn't really changed me at all. I was expecting everything to look the way it does and to be poor and run-down and smelly, the way it does in the bad areas of the city. However, the people are beautiful. The area is gorgeous with such rich gardens with bright, amazing colorful flowers. The kids are so easy to love. And we got to take them to a children's museum this afternoon, which was great. They had so much fun! And they are so happy and loving when they get attention and a little consideration from a caring adult. Mrs. Orzu, the wife of the mayor and the lady who runs all the orphanages we visit, is amazing. She is the one really doing the work out here. We just get to watch and praise God for it. The one way in which this trip is making me change my perspectives is by showing me that the child welfare system in the USA, flawed as it is, really does help. There are thousands upon thousands of children in abusive and neglectful homes in Guatemala, and the government doesn't catch most of them. Without these private, Christian-run orphanages, these kids wouldn't have a chance. In the USA, the laws at least mandate that if abuse or neglect are substantiated by the court system, the children are helped (even if only for a temporary time). Also, there are departments of the government in every state whose job is to seek out children in need of government aides and services. For that I am very grateful. I want to complain about my job less when I get home. (I'm still quitting and moving to Chicago, but my perspective on the child welfare system in the USA is improving). I hope to carry that through when I find a more reasonable job within the context of that system. And, I thank the God of the universe for blessing ME with a family who loves me. For some reason, God decided to provide me with parents who love me and have given me clothing, shelter, and loyalty since the day I was born. Little issues within a family are nothing compared to what these kids deal with every day. |
