SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2009 UPDATE
The group arrived safely in Chichicastenango around 6 pm last night. It was a
long travel day for all so we were very glad to have the group all together at the
Hotel Santo Tomas. We really appreciated our nice rooms and a good night´s
sleep!
We have had the (Sunday) morning to explore the marketplace and were able
to view the elaborate procession of the "Cofridias" who are Mayan
representatives of their faith..... which seems to be a blend of Catholicism and
Mayan traditions. It was very colorful with floats of the various saints carried by
men and women following with candles. Many explosions along the way with
some kind of portable cannons. That surely clears the path! The floats were
carried inside the church and set up so that people could pray and make
offerings in front of them. In the back of the church were Mayans practicing their
traditions with flower petals and candles. The Church of Santo Tomas is a very
special place, indeed.
Later today we will go over to the weaving - textile cooperative, "Ruth y
Noehmi". We will hear the story about how this co'op was developed in
association with the Methodist Church here to provide aid and income for Mayan
women and children after the long civil war (more than 30 years....just ended in
1996). It is a very successful endeavor and their story is very moving, providing
a glimpse into the history and suffering of these people in the highlands near
Chichi.
Next to Ruth y Noehmi is the church attended by Daniel, one of our translators.
We plan to attend the 4 pm service there, and then return to the hotel for dinner.
Carey Cooper, director of the preschool, will be meeting with Tara Peterson to
begin going over teacher training this evening. We all look forward to getting
right to work tomorrow morning and spending time with the people in the
community who come to Salud y Paz on Mondays and Tuesdays for their clinic
appointments.
We will be posting pictures tomorrow, hopefully, so stay tuned!