In this issue:

Poverty or Simplicity?
By: Paul Kroeker, Director, Outtatown Discipleship School

Arriving in the village of Semesche, we unloaded our packs and stood around the cattle truck that had been our transportation up the mountain.  A crowd of people from the pueblo (village) gathered around; some giggling in shy ways, others staring at us, and others involved in animated conversation (in Kekchi) about this strange looking group of people who were here as guests and would be living in this village for the next few days.  We were clearly the centre of attention, and we stood there, a full head taller than everyone, very conspicuous in our designer jeans and logo filled apparel.  It was almost like a lunar mission: we were in a new world somewhere that was quite foreign to anything we had seen or experienced before.

We began with a few introductions and a good deal of laughter about awkward moments, some of which were priceless - imagine the greeting between large and unique Canadian students with equally unique and sometimes rather diminutive hosts.  But within minutes, the names and faces of students were matched with family members in Semesche and small groups of people were now walking up the hill sides around the central Tienda (think seven-eleven) en route to their family homes.

Our reasons for being in Semesche had to do with an important relationship we have been developing in Guatemala with the Kekchi Mennonite Churches.  We wanted to be there to learn from this strong and vibrant Church by living with their people, and participating in life as they knew it.  Furthermore, we were joining them in a very important agreement that included a reforestation project in the cloud forest region around Semesche, in return for the village members gaining lawful title to the land on which they lived.  We could afford to provide the seedlings (pine, oak and sweet gum trees) along with our sweat equity, and the Mennonite Church along with the Community of Semesche were willing to host us, and to teach us about their culture and their life.

By the next morning, as the groups of students gathered to begin the reforestation project, it was clear that they felt safe here, and had very quickly become comfortable in their new surroundings.  These families were great hosts, and had welcomed us into their homes, into their families, and into their lives.  Their love was genuine and they gave us the best of everything they had.  We were immediately family – a bit odd or different than the rest, but welcome to be and to join and to participate in any way we wished.

In most cases, their entire houses were the size of our living rooms back home.  A home generally had a mud floor and consisted of two rooms; one for cooking (over a constant fire) and the other room as a bedroom.  The roof was thatch or tin, and the rafters were usually filled with ears of corn or various produce that was needed for the family to survive.  The walls were generally made of unfinished boards with doors and windows cut as rough openings that were only closed at night or in extreme weather.  Various house-hold “pets” such as a brood of chickens, or various other animals ranged freely about, both inside or outside the home.  There was no electricity, no running water and the toilet was generally a three-walled out-house with a view to the valley below.  A basin was occasionally used to wash hands or even for a sponge bath on occasion.  You can imagine the many bathroom stories that surfaced the next morning, or awkward situations that arose from the lack of privacy and differing views as to what is private in our culture and theirs.

In the coming days we talked about the over-all health and well being of the people we were with.  Despite the fact that we were very unaccustomed to the new environment, we became “comfortable” very quickly and came to appreciate what we were experiencing.  These people “lived very well” in many ways.  There was an unhurried pace in the valley, as if time never mattered.  At times, this could mean that some things were less productive, but we were also impressed with how hard they worked, and how much they got done.  They also seemed to be very kind and gentle.  We seldom heard harsh or angry words, even to the children, or the animals.  In fact, people gave a great deal of love, time and attention to their children and treated them very well.  You could sense that despite having very little of what we think is essential to our lives here in Canada, there was a sense of dignity and beauty to their lives that could be admired.

However, there were also things that students noticed that were not good about this community.  There were elementary schools, but attendance was not consistent or regular, and the schools were very poorly equipped.  And the garbage – it was everywhere, and nothing was being done about waste management.  In terms of health for example, we noticed that the constant smoke from the fires was not good for the lungs or the eyes.  People often had a rough cough.  It was evident that families in Semesche did not know a great deal about nutrition, and so meals composed of corn and beans were seldom enriched by the fruit and vegetables that would be so easy to grow in that region.  People drank coffee with every meal, and children were even given coffee in their baby bottles.  But on the whole, the people are healthy and strong.  When we tried to match the work that they could do, we had trouble keeping up with them, especially on the mountain trails where the “cargedores” (Guatemalan men) would carry two of our packs on the hike so that we could handle the eco-tour over the mountains.

So, are these people poor, or do they live simply and well?  It really depends on how you look at their situation.  When we first arrived we may have given one answer, but within days, our answer changed as we began to enter into their lives.

The question I ask myself on returning to Canada is the following – would our lives here bear the same kind of examination?  You decide!

Learn more about MCC programs with the Kekchi people in Semesche.

The Chance of a Lifetime
By: Darin Hovius, student, Site 1 - Guatemala

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Water: check. Sunscreen: check. Hiking boots: check. Chance of a life time: double check.

Throughout this Outtatown experience we were told repeatedly that this would be a once in a lifetime experience; the things we see during this year might be the only time we will experience that kind of beauty. Climbing Volcano Pacaya for many was a chance of a life time experience, one I am sure will be a lasting memory!

It was a nice sunny day as the group of 33 piled into Dario’s blue bird school bus. The two hour drive ahead could not damper the excitement of the experience we were about to embark on. We chatted, we sang and we listened to music. We did whatever we could to pass the time pending our arrival to Pacaya. As the bus kept driving we went up, we went down, and we traveled around winding roads. Upon arrival we were greeted with the hustle and bustle of men and children selling the “essentials” for climbing a volcano: Sticks and horses. Who knew that was all you needed?!

We began the trek up the mountain, not quite sure what to expect. With no way to go but up what better way to pass the time than to chat and take pictures. After one hour of hiking we had our first view of our destination. We stood in awe as we took in the sight of the massive volcano. As Joel put it: “it’s like the zits of the earth”, and here we were looking at it; most of us for the very first time.

We continued on up and as the sun began to make its descent, it truly became a blessing to experience God’s canvas. With all of our cameras ready, we made sure that we didn’t miss a single moment of the mountains, volcanoes and the sunset that was placed before us. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better we were pleasantly surprised by a 200 meter descent of sandy dirt. It was like skiing on powder. Black, dirty, amazing powder! After the adrenaline of running/skiing down a mountain and hiking the last stretch on volcanic rock, we came to our destination: the river of lava. With the sun setting below us, there was no better way to celebrate our achievement then by roasting marshmallows over flowing lava! Being quite content in that moment we relished in the fact that we had climbed a volcano and saw a vibrant sunset and now it was time to leave. We returned to the bus that night with the satisfaction that “Yeah, we climbed a volcano today!”

Throughout Outtatown we have experienced the beauty God created in this world and this was just another check off that list. We experienced the power of God and his magnificent creativity. We were given the reminder that we truly have an awesome God.

“God saw all that He had made and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

This story and many more can be found on the Site 1 blog.

"See Soweto and you see all of South Africa", a lady tells me as we stand beside a fruit stand on one of the city's busy streets. If the city was a choir its sopranoes would be the blaring Kombi (VW vans) horns, its altos the mellow hum of constant chatter between neighbours and friends, its tenors the cheerful bits of pulsing pop music, and its bases the lulling chug of PUTCO buses.

Soweto is bustling.
Soweto is vibrant.
Soweto is full of life.

I cannot completely describe what it is like to be here, nor capture the warmth and openness of the people who live here. We walk down the street and people smile, wave, or stop to talk, which prompts us to attempt 'Sawabona' (a Zulu greeting). They laugh heartily, surprised and amused by our attempts at Zulu. Then they reply, 'Unjani?' (How are you?) 'Ngiyaphila,' (I am fine). The conversation stops here because we do not know much of the language beyond the greetings!

I have been struck by the warm welcome people give us. On Monday we went to SKY (Soweto Kliptown Youth), a youth center which teaches gumboot dancing, a form of South African dancing that orginated in the mines. Before we watched the children dance, they mentioned several times, 'You are at home here. This is home.' We'd never even been there before! From this gesture, and others, I've gathered that those from Soweto know a lot about caring for others. It also seems Sowetans know a lot about GOD.

After catching such wide glimpses of GOD in Soweto, if it indeed speaks for the whole of South Africa, discovering the rest of the country will hopefully be a rich and challenging journey.

This story and many more can be found on the Site 2 blog.

On Saturday, January 31, we had our first significant travel day. Leaving at 6:30am, we arrived in mid-afternoon at Howick Falls for the abseil (rappelling) down a 107-meter waterfall. It had recently been quite rainy in the Howick Falls area, which resulted in an incredibly powerful waterfall. Our guide, Geoff, said the falls were the largest he had ever abseiled down. About half way down we started to get wet from the spray, and the last twenty metres felt like we were in the eye of a hurricane...spray in your eyes, dangling, spinning around in the air trying to see the boat you’re supposed to land in. The water at the bottom was incredibly rough with large waves splashing around threatening to sink the boat. By the time we were done we were entirely soaked. What an amazing experience!

We arrived late in Pietermaritzburg due to some complications on the last abseil. Thankfully no one was hurt because Geoff saved the day. Vijoy and Paul were the last pair to go down and Vijoy got stuck on a knot in the rope about 7 metres from the bottom. Geoff was able to do a “pick-off” and get Vijoy onto his rope but because of the power of the falls, all the ropes had tangled and they could not get all the way down. They ended up having to jump out of the harnesses three metres to the water below. Vijoy kept his cool throughout the whole situation and a crisis was averted.

During the first half of the week in Pietermaritzburg, half the group hiked up to Rhino’s Peak in the Drakensberg Mountains while the other half did service projects at Project Gateway, an old prison which has been converted into a mission providing a number of services in the community. On Tuesday morning, we hikers woke up bright and early with a beautiful view of the mountains from our “beds” in the cave we slept in. We had great weather conditions for the day - warm sun with some cloud cover here and there and a strong breeze to keep us cool. We left at 7am for a 12 km hike. For the first four km we walked up the trail, and then had to do some scrambling up rock while gaining 1000 feet in altitude. The final 2 km were across a plateau along the top to the outcropping of rock called Rhino’s Peak, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. Parts of this plateau that we were walking across are considered to be part of the country of Lesotho. We ate lunch at the top, took pictures, met some Lesotho shepherds and started the hike back down to our Cave. It was an exhausting day, especially for some who were sick, and a great accomplishment as we all made it up together. When we finally reached the cave at around 4, we took a dip in the nearby river. The water had smoothed over a rock making it a natural waterslide and a great way to cool down at the end of the day.

On our final morning, we relaxed around the cave and spent some time with God in His beautiful creation before we started the journey back down to the bus. It was a foggy morning and ended up misting on us on the way down. Our shoes and pants were soaked from the wet grass along the path. Just before we reached the end of our journey we heard some baboons squabbling across the river and managed to catch a glimpse of them on our way past. This was just another reminder of where we were. It was an awesome experience, which was made that much better by a warm shower back at the prison.

This story and many more can be found on the Site 3 blog.