View from the patio...

Last Wednesday to Sunday we went on site visits which was very enlightening as to how our future service will be... Hannah and I went to visit Amanda's site in Estancia de la Virgen. We had been there a few weeks ago for a short day visit with our entire group, but this time we would have a much more intimate experience.
We arrived on Wednesday to this beautiful Aldea (village) and spent the afternoon catching up with Amanda and meeting her host family. Amanda is finishing her service and will be going home early this week and so she was preparing a yard sale to get rid a few things. As it turns out, one of us from the incoming Youth Development group will be replacing her and after our wonderful visit, Hannah and I both hoped it would be one of us.

One of the women from Amanda's Women's group and her son...

In the later afternoon Amanda's Women's group came over to check out the yard sale and also to have a last dinner before Amanda was sent off to the US. They all were very sad to see her go and it was touching to see how close she became with these women. We sat around the dinner table, three gringas, and five Mayan women, over bowls of spaghetti with meat balls. Half of the women had a child with them, either perched on there knee, or tucked in blanket and tied on their backs. I listened to the conversation, as each of the women reflected on the past two years, and all the experiences they had shared. They joked, and laughed, with one another, and even came close to tears as they wished Amanda well and anticipated the goodbye that was soon to come. I thought about this small Aldea, and these women... Maybe this volunteer didn't end world hunger, or create everlasting world peace. But here in this small, remote village, she made a change in the world. Perhaps it is a small change... but on the scale of this small community, she has changed the lives of these folks forever. If not for Peace Corps, they may have never truly known a gringo, just as this volunteer may have never truly known a Indigenous Guatemalan. This is cultural interchange is something so subtle yet incredibly powerful. Neither side will ever forget one another and the mutual respect will be lasting.

View from Amanda's room...

On another, and equally sentimental note... Hannah and I had the grand honor of (nearly) witnessing the miracle of life while on our visit in Estancia de la Virgen. The family's cow, it seemed was extremely pregnant and expected to give birth any day. The first night we were there, just before going to bed the cow's water broke... The family, wanting to keep a close eye on her, had moved her up to the side of the house. She was so close in fact, that if one were to go use the bathroom, hey would have to walk right by her. The cow, made sure to position herself with her rear facing the house and so anytime any of us went to use the restroom, we were sure to have a clear view of her "progress." This is the first time I have ever seen a cow go into labor, and witnessed the miracle of "dilating" and all I can say is, WHOA! (and maybe, ouch?) As it turned out, she did not give birth that night and in fact she waited until she was alone in the pasture the following day to deliver her calf so no humans were there to witness it. The family found the new mother and her calf, happy and healthy just hours after the birth and brought them both back to the house. The baby was so friendly and curious and reminded me more of a giant cat than a cow...

The family was very happy, and our visit was well-rounded with a myriad of new experiences. On Saturday, Hannah and I caught a ride in the back of a pick-up truck (the typical mode of transport here) back to the main city where we would then catch a bus home. The whole way home we wondered aloud who would be placed at this beautiful site with these wonderful people... I guess we shall know soon enough.