Weblog Artist on Call: Diaspora of Hope
Published in international, Guatemala, Artists On Call by Tegan Brozyna |
BuildaBridge is coordinating a Diaspora of Hope Artist on Call program this Thanksgiving in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Portau Prince, Haiti and Nairobi, Kenya. November 22-30, 3-5 teams, including 10 artists each, will partner with mirror teams in every point of destination to bring wholeness and transformation to 50-100 underserved youth.
Ensayo y Celebración, Segunda parte
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
Justo antes de que la sesión de la tarde comenzara, empezó a llover, realmente fuerte. Llovía de lado, y, debido a que la escuela está en la base de un valle, toda el agua fluye cuesta abajo hacia ella. Aunque normalmente se escurre hacia el alcantarillado, el agua se disparó de la tubería bruscamente, casi cinco pies, a una velocidad aterradoramente alta. El agua salió casi horizontalmente, y casi limpio totalmente el riachuelo. Fue casi como se fuera creado para algún parque de diversiones – sólo que más intenso. Ya me puedo imaginar la balsa de pasajeros gritando y yendo a través del torrente y sobre los rápidos.
Ensayo y celebración, Parte Uno
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
La tormenta al medio día amenazaba las
casas, creando rápidos remolinos en el drenaje que va a dar al río. El siguiente día, mientras los niños llegaban
para su presentación final, los "mineros" aprovecharon el bajo nivel del
agua para buscar objetos reciclables para vender. El color y entusiasmo dentro de la escuela,
parecía existir también en el mundo fuera del barrio, pero la suciedad en la
ropa de los niños, y los mineros fuera, trajeron de nuevo la realidad de la
situación y el mundo en el que ellos viven.
La Limonada, el otro lado… Segunda Parte
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
En el balcón, Evertsz me comentó que un tiempo
atrás, Dios le habló en sueños, diciéndole que debía visitar a un pandillero
con el que ella había hablado una vez fuera de la Escuelita. A pesar de tener miedo, ella fue y le visitó
. Más adelante, el recibió un disparo de
bala.
La Limonada - El Otro lado, Parte Uno
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
"¿Ves
todas los agujeros de balas en las paredes? Esa es la razón por qué a las
personas no les gusta tener ventanas". Mientras el resto del grupo
continuó su enseñanza, yo me aventuré "al otro lado". No hay ningún
cerco que separa los dos lados; las bandas deciden los perímetros.
El Primer Día en el Asentamiento
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
The Weekend
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
The days were devoid of the rain that came daily at the beginning of our trip, and they lacked the intensity of prison visits, overnight stays with Mayan families and trash dump observations. Wrapping up our first week in Guatemala, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were certainly less mentally draining than the preceding days had been, but we stayed busy exploring and learning about city life and culture.
The Trash Dump
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
Think of a postcard of a beautiful blue lake surrounded by volcanoes. Now, think of dirt hills covered in trash. From afar, the hills look covered in a light coat of snow, sprinkled with touches of color here and there. Now, add hundreds of people picking through the trash to make their living. The contrast in sights, sounds, and, especially, smells between Lake Atitlan and the trash dumps of Guatemala City was almost ridiculous.
Days Two and Three, Part Two
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
David Melby-Gibbons, an Eastern Graduate student,
played guitar while we sang several songs, among them: Amazing
Grace—first in English, then Spanish.We concluded the bonfire by
roasting some “angelitos,” marshmallows, which we enjoyed with the
children.
Days Two and Three, Part One
Published in international, Guatemala by Alex Foreman |
It’s hard to pick the high point of our second full day in Guatemala. It could be the three hour ride from Guatemala City to the Lake and surrounding Mayan villages—the farms, the colorful towns, mudslides and mountain vistas. Perhaps it was the choppy ride across Lake Atitlan during an afternoon downpour. Or maybe it was the nighttime ride hanging off the back of a pickup truck with about 20 other passengers, followed by a wonderful dinner and bonfire sing-a-long with our Mayan hosts. 
Artists on Call: Estrategia de Transformacion Mural-Final Day
Published in international, Guatemala, Artists On Call by J. Nathan Corbitt |
We didn’t have the proper party we were hoping for when we finished the mural today. The tall, sturdy ladder we needed to reach the top half of the wall was in use at the prison hospital most of the day. I had brought with me a change of nice clothes for the event, but someone spilled black paint on the blouse while it was poking out of my purse on the ground. We actually were painting up until
Artists on Call: Estrategia de Transformacion Mural- Day 3
Published in international, Guatemala, Artists On Call by J. Nathan Corbitt |
Today the men made us lunch. It was a nice surprise! Two fries eggs with beans and a lot of bread. One of the chaplains who translates for us was excited to take several photos of me eating it. One or two chaplains sit with the men every day. While I am here they are my guides and guards.The men who gather to watch the mural process learned my name today. I only know four of them by name
