Claire Jacob & Anise Muir Guatemala Journal: Arrival
Aug 3, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Tulane divers Claire Jacob and Anise Muir are currently partaking in a mission trip to Patzún, Guatemala. They will provide updates and photograph their journey during the two-week trip, sharing their experiences along way.
DAY ONE - August 1, 2017
Entry by Claire Jacob
Today, we arrived in Patzún, Guatemala! It was a long day of travel, but entirely worth all of the exhaustion. We flew from Houston to Guatemala City, Guatemala. Upon landing at the airport, a woman exiting the airplane looked at our group of girls (all of whom are blonde) and asked, "you're not from here, are you?" I responded, "No we're from the US." The woman replied, "Yeah, you don't look like you're from around here." And so our time began in Guatemala.
We were picked up at the airport by one of the Franciscan Sisters who works at the orphanage where we are staying and the orphanage's driver. The drive from Guatemala City to Patzún is approximately 3 hours depending on traffic. Due to our long day of travel and lack of sleep the night before, we each dozed off for a period of time. We drove on highways and back roads as well as through farmlands and towns (without seatbelts because there were none to be found).
Guatemala City is very industrialized to the extent that it is home to fast food chains such as Taco Bell and McDonald's and the people who live there typically wear Americanized clothing. However, each town that we passed through on the way to Patzún gradually became more and more traditional and conservative. More modest clothing was worn, street vendors were common, and many small buildings were verging on dilapidation. During our drive, the main road to Patzún was closed off at one point. Our driver, Erik, had to maneuver his way through farms and back roads caked in mud and decorated with large and deep rain puddles. We were basically off-roading in a mini-van in rural Guatemala.
When we finally arrived at the orphanage around 6 p.m., the children staying there came running out from dinner and gave me a bunch of hugs, shouting "Clarita!!". I know most of the children from previous years and they all hold an incredibly large section of my heart. A lot of the kids are so much bigger and more mature than they were even just one year ago. The kids were also very excited to meet Anise, Shelby, and Franny and without even knowing their names, they ran up and gave my three volunteers hugs too. Â I'm so proud of our missionaries and the "yes" that they gave to go on this mission. They are growing to love the children that we are working with already and it's only day one.
The locals here have trouble saying "Anise" and I chuckle a bit every time Anise has to clarify what her name really is. If they don't understand it by the second time, she goes by "Anna".
  Â
Once the children at the orphanage went to bed, we were able to eat dinner and catch up in our rooms a bit before bed, recapping our events of the day. We are also doing a study that I've created called "Humanity 101: Rediscovering what it means to be human." The overview is as follows:
"This mission was created for the purpose of serving the poor and vulnerable populations in Guatemala, however, it has been proven time and time again that the volunteers often have profound experiences while on mission. You learn not only about another culture and the people who sustain it, but also about yourself as an individual. For this reason, the theme of this mission will be "Humanity 101: Rediscovering What it Means to Be Human" as we take a step back from our society that instills in young men and women its own agenda of creating human doings instead of human beings… all of the pressures of academics, work, social events, sports and clubs can become stifling sometimes. Let this be your oasis before we go back to school! I want you all to get as much, if not more, out of this trip as you will be putting into it."
Thank you all for keeping up with our trip! I hope that this will inspire you to make a positive change in your families, workplaces, and schools!
DAY TWO - August 2, 2017
Entry by Anise Muir
The alarm was set for 6:30 this morning, but we were all naturally awoken well before then by the steady stream of sunlight pouring through the window and the not so far away sound of kids practicing their school band instruments. We got up, ready, and ate a quick breakfast of apples and leechee fruit (a red circular fruit with red/green spikes).
We left our little attic room at approximately 6:50, and began our 20-minute walk to the school. The roads we walked down had pavement made of what would be normal patio flooring in the U.S., and the sidewalks were uneven, narrow and as tall as our knees in some places. Since Patzún is a slightly mountainous town, there were many hills to climb along the way. As we trekked to school, we were greeted with "Hola's," and "Buenos Dias," by nearly everyone we passed. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by smiling nuns and introduced to all the children standing in their uniforms in various organized groups in the middle of the basketball court. Â
From there, we were shown to the school's English class, where we were instructed to be judges for the class spelling bee. Evidently, today was practice for the students and training for us before the actual event to be held tomorrow in front of the entire school and all their parents. So basically, no pressure.
After a while, it was time for mass. I followed Claire, Shelby, and Franny to the auditorium filled with what appeared to be three-to-four-hundred students and participated in mass. However, since I am unreligious and the ceremony was in Spanish, I had a very hard time understanding what exactly was happening. Regardless, it was interesting to see their culture and beliefs in this normal, everyday setting.
Immediately following the ceremony, we took a tour of the school grounds. As a little background, this school serves as what we would understand as kindergarten to 12th grade. However, the school setting is much more relaxed than what Americans might be used to. It was not uncommon to find a group of children out in a field, all alone, kicking around a makeshift soccer ball, instead of being in class. And when we see these kids, instead of urging them to be in class, we opt to join in on whatever fun they are having. Although my Spanish, or lack of Spanish skills, makes it difficult to communicate, we are still able to have a good time through activity.
Before long, we remembered that we were needed to help set up for the fiesta. The school was to be celebrating their 55th anniversary with a dance and festivities later that night. Â We tried to make ourselves as useful as possible, draping plastic sheets over string, stapling it in place, and then cutting through the plastic from bottom to top like streamers. All the kids in the area were helping by adding different handmade decorations that I have never seen before.
This place that was already so beautiful is just becoming even more magical and festive.
DAY ONE - August 1, 2017
Entry by Claire Jacob
Today, we arrived in Patzún, Guatemala! It was a long day of travel, but entirely worth all of the exhaustion. We flew from Houston to Guatemala City, Guatemala. Upon landing at the airport, a woman exiting the airplane looked at our group of girls (all of whom are blonde) and asked, "you're not from here, are you?" I responded, "No we're from the US." The woman replied, "Yeah, you don't look like you're from around here." And so our time began in Guatemala.
We were picked up at the airport by one of the Franciscan Sisters who works at the orphanage where we are staying and the orphanage's driver. The drive from Guatemala City to Patzún is approximately 3 hours depending on traffic. Due to our long day of travel and lack of sleep the night before, we each dozed off for a period of time. We drove on highways and back roads as well as through farmlands and towns (without seatbelts because there were none to be found).
Guatemala City is very industrialized to the extent that it is home to fast food chains such as Taco Bell and McDonald's and the people who live there typically wear Americanized clothing. However, each town that we passed through on the way to Patzún gradually became more and more traditional and conservative. More modest clothing was worn, street vendors were common, and many small buildings were verging on dilapidation. During our drive, the main road to Patzún was closed off at one point. Our driver, Erik, had to maneuver his way through farms and back roads caked in mud and decorated with large and deep rain puddles. We were basically off-roading in a mini-van in rural Guatemala.
When we finally arrived at the orphanage around 6 p.m., the children staying there came running out from dinner and gave me a bunch of hugs, shouting "Clarita!!". I know most of the children from previous years and they all hold an incredibly large section of my heart. A lot of the kids are so much bigger and more mature than they were even just one year ago. The kids were also very excited to meet Anise, Shelby, and Franny and without even knowing their names, they ran up and gave my three volunteers hugs too. Â I'm so proud of our missionaries and the "yes" that they gave to go on this mission. They are growing to love the children that we are working with already and it's only day one.
The locals here have trouble saying "Anise" and I chuckle a bit every time Anise has to clarify what her name really is. If they don't understand it by the second time, she goes by "Anna".
  Â
Once the children at the orphanage went to bed, we were able to eat dinner and catch up in our rooms a bit before bed, recapping our events of the day. We are also doing a study that I've created called "Humanity 101: Rediscovering what it means to be human." The overview is as follows:
"This mission was created for the purpose of serving the poor and vulnerable populations in Guatemala, however, it has been proven time and time again that the volunteers often have profound experiences while on mission. You learn not only about another culture and the people who sustain it, but also about yourself as an individual. For this reason, the theme of this mission will be "Humanity 101: Rediscovering What it Means to Be Human" as we take a step back from our society that instills in young men and women its own agenda of creating human doings instead of human beings… all of the pressures of academics, work, social events, sports and clubs can become stifling sometimes. Let this be your oasis before we go back to school! I want you all to get as much, if not more, out of this trip as you will be putting into it."
Thank you all for keeping up with our trip! I hope that this will inspire you to make a positive change in your families, workplaces, and schools!
DAY TWO - August 2, 2017
Entry by Anise Muir
The alarm was set for 6:30 this morning, but we were all naturally awoken well before then by the steady stream of sunlight pouring through the window and the not so far away sound of kids practicing their school band instruments. We got up, ready, and ate a quick breakfast of apples and leechee fruit (a red circular fruit with red/green spikes).
We left our little attic room at approximately 6:50, and began our 20-minute walk to the school. The roads we walked down had pavement made of what would be normal patio flooring in the U.S., and the sidewalks were uneven, narrow and as tall as our knees in some places. Since Patzún is a slightly mountainous town, there were many hills to climb along the way. As we trekked to school, we were greeted with "Hola's," and "Buenos Dias," by nearly everyone we passed. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by smiling nuns and introduced to all the children standing in their uniforms in various organized groups in the middle of the basketball court. Â
From there, we were shown to the school's English class, where we were instructed to be judges for the class spelling bee. Evidently, today was practice for the students and training for us before the actual event to be held tomorrow in front of the entire school and all their parents. So basically, no pressure.
After a while, it was time for mass. I followed Claire, Shelby, and Franny to the auditorium filled with what appeared to be three-to-four-hundred students and participated in mass. However, since I am unreligious and the ceremony was in Spanish, I had a very hard time understanding what exactly was happening. Regardless, it was interesting to see their culture and beliefs in this normal, everyday setting.
Immediately following the ceremony, we took a tour of the school grounds. As a little background, this school serves as what we would understand as kindergarten to 12th grade. However, the school setting is much more relaxed than what Americans might be used to. It was not uncommon to find a group of children out in a field, all alone, kicking around a makeshift soccer ball, instead of being in class. And when we see these kids, instead of urging them to be in class, we opt to join in on whatever fun they are having. Although my Spanish, or lack of Spanish skills, makes it difficult to communicate, we are still able to have a good time through activity.
Before long, we remembered that we were needed to help set up for the fiesta. The school was to be celebrating their 55th anniversary with a dance and festivities later that night. Â We tried to make ourselves as useful as possible, draping plastic sheets over string, stapling it in place, and then cutting through the plastic from bottom to top like streamers. All the kids in the area were helping by adding different handmade decorations that I have never seen before.
This place that was already so beautiful is just becoming even more magical and festive.
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