You know you're in Guatemala when...

I love this country! I love the people, the atmosphere, the sights, smells (okay, not always the smells!) and tastes. One of my favourite activities is going to the market on Sunday mornings. We have church at 4pm on Sundays because many of our members work in the market and Sunday morning is the biggest market day of the week. People come down from all the mountain villages to sell their goods on Sunday morning and it is such a culturally rich experience to go and wander around, buying what you need for the upcoming week. This last Sunday, I met two women who really intrigued me. One, her photo to the right, was so friendly. She was sitting by the entrance into the indoor section to the market talking and greeting everyone who passed by. She was selling limes - a bag for 1 quetzal. She also had some herbs - most of which I still don't know what do use them for - and she seemed so happy to sit and be a part of the market.

The next woman I noticed was wearing a unique head covering and the style of her corte and guipil was quite different than the local, Tactic style. Based on her dress, I could tell she was from a mountain village where they speak Achi. She noticed me taking pictures in the market and she wanted her photo taken. She was so excited to "pose" for me and then giggled when I showed her the image on my view screen. Many of these woman do not have mirrors in their homes and they do not actually see their own image, other than a reflection in still water, so to see their photo is a huge deal.

The market is full of bananas right now and there are numerous types available. Everything from thick, chubby bananas, to red bananas, and even tiny pinkie finger sized bananas. We eat a lot of bananas here because they are delicious and cheap! You can buy 16 large bananas for the equivalent of 1 Canadian dollar. Food prices change from day to day depending on the amount of produce available. If there are lots of tomatoes in the market, then they are inexpensive, but if only two or three vendors have tomatoes, they can become quite expensive. Bananas, however, seem to grow well all year. Most homes have banana plants in their yards and they are an abundant fruit here.

Rocky and I sometimes joke with one another and list off some of the things we see that remind us, clearly, we are not in Canada. We say, "You know you're in Guatemala when..." Here are some of the things that are common sights here, but uncommon in Canada: 4-5 people riding on one motorcycle; passing on the highway with oncoming traffic; men carrying 12 foot lengths of lumber on their backs; guys transporting 100 pound propane tanks on the back of a peddle bike; cattle being herded down the main street (even in the Capital City); goats in the central park in Guatemala City so people can buy a cup of fresh, warm, frothy milk; buying molasses at the pet food shop and clothing dye at the pharmacy; guys are playing soccer in every possible spot where it is flat enough to make a field; vehicles with 4 huge bullhorns on the roof driving around town advertising what is happening that day; a sign in our only grocery store that reads, "don't try on the underware" and there is no changeroom; and the list goes on and on.

Life here is very different. We are blessed to be in Tactic and are so thankful that the Lord called us to serve Him and these people in this place. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers. We know we are not in this alone and are grateful for family and friends who so generously partnered with us to make this a reality!

Blessings,

Karren