Week 3 Day 4

A distinct line became evident for me today as we stood atop the ridge absorbing some stunning views. It was the stark contrast between the community that has become so familiar to us over the past few days and that of a completely different horizon. On one side of the ridgeline stood Santa Maria de Jesus, the city in which we have spent our days hauling buckets of earth and rock. On the other side stood an unfamiliar landscape of farmland characterized by wide expanses of open land and the buzzing sound of industrial agricultural machinery.

After having climbed a somewhat treacherous path, we moved along the ridgeline in search for awe inspiring vistas. As I reached the end of the trail I looked across, mesmorized at the site of wispy, moisture ridden fog moving over the opposite ridge into the lucious farmland below us. While folliwing the path of the fog, my sightline was suddenly juxtaposed with the concrete and sheet metal structures characteristic of Santa Maria de Jesus and I was reminded of the stark contrast I have seen during my stay in Guatemala. That of lucious farmland or touristy Antigua with the intense poverty of so many residents that lay silent just beyond the next ridgeline.

The sites we have seen and the voices we have heard throughout the past week have been solemn reminders to the intense poverty, that regardless of setting, lies dormant just beyond our line of sight. For me, this trip to Guatemala has been a constant reminder to realize that such conditions are not isolated to settins such as this. They are present across all worldly regions, whether it be third or first world. It is our responsibility to recoginize this fact and carry it home with us.

This week has been a week of many firsts for me, not so much in the realm of construction, but the nature of the trip itself. This is the first time I have truly dabbled in humanitarian aid. In addition to this, this is the first time I have spontaneously decided to take a trip of this calibur given 2 weeks notice. Throughout this experience I have realized a number of things. Most notably I have questioned why I have chosen to spend my time in Guatemala rather than savering my last few weeks in Clemson, SC before moving to Memphis, TN. That question for me has been answered almost unamously. I am here in order to realize a number or things. First, I am here as a student. The family we are serving are my professors. They are some of the most resilient individuals I have ever come across in my 22 years on this earth. Each day, I am amazed at the differences in the ways by which we live our lives. Here I am, most concerned about the terms of my lease for next year while these individuals are concerned with keeping alive. I cannot even begin to understand their situation. I can, however, spend every last minute here attempting to form some meaningful relationships with those around me.

I am young, I am ignorant, and I am belittled by the individuals that I have encountered this week. It is my hope that I will return home with the realization that no matter the level of formal eduacation I receive, that I will always be a student. I will be continually faced with opportunities to place my self in situations that will provide me with a new sense of perspective. I will be provided with an opportunity to see clearly through lifes distraction and realize the immense power of collaboration between strangers towards something greater than themselves.

Progress Notes: We have completed construction on the four walls of the house and are now moving on to the floor tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

-Sean Murnan