The focus of this week's study has been personal revelation. I've been focused on understanding better the role of the spirit in my life especially through how the spirit works specifically to guide my life: sending promptings, providing peace, and approving actions.
I've talked a lot about a lot of things, but I thought I would leave a couple of cultural notes here and there. The people do a lot of walking. 70, 80 year old people roam the streets and it's normal! Another thing that I enjoy is people just stand and look at things. We pass people on the side of the street just looking out at the mountains, motionless, pensively. ''What are you doing'' Is a redundant question, for they are, quite simply, taking in the view and thinking about life. It's almost like they're Pokemon trainers that want to fight you if you approach them, always in the same spot, moving as adventitious creatures.
Another cool thing is the culture of conversation. Everyone is ''watchalal'' or brother. For the most part, unless they've succumb to the stories about how missionaries want to steal their children, the people are willing to talk with you, teach you Quiche, and meet their family.
I also really enjoy how people help their neighbors. We installed a pila (water basin) at the district president's house. He called some fellow friends to help, they dropped what they were doing and spent the next 50 minutes moving around two big old water basins, collecting the worms underneath, and making sure everything was alright before returning to their own work. All without any compensation. I like that! Why do we need compensation for helping one another anyway? Isn't the reason we help one another due to an intrinsic desire?
I also enjoy how people pray. All people here acknowledge the existence of God. They don't have the facade of fake material things to blind them from the fact that life is short. Instead, they have endless mountains, infinite stars, and zero reason to deny the existence of an all powerful creature. They pray very simply yet eloquently. We went to a member's house and asked her to pray. She, a 84 year old women, stood up and sang a 5 minute song without the slightest shame. Things like that are normal where I live.
I also enjoy the language. It's simple. Shark in Quiche means ''tall fish'' in Spanish. ''Door'' in quiche means ''mouth of the house'' in quiche. When there is a lot of something, trees for instance, you say ''wis chye'' or 'much tree' it reminds me of that dog meme.
Also, the people's clothes. Almost everyone has throwback American style things, so its hilarious to read their clothes. I've seem many of the tough men (tough here is relative) wearing girls volleyball uniforms that say ''Sophie is number 1'' on the back or other shirts to that effect.
I like the cost of things. I can get a whole meal for 1 dollar and 2 cents. A haircut costs a little under 2 dollars, and an hour ride into the town costs 90 cents. Shirts cost 1 dollar, ties are 50 cents, and everything else is cheap too. I feel like the missionaries that serve here could single handedly sustain the local economy of the town.
Animals are an integral part of the society. Cows are everywhere. Goats walk among men, herded carefully by six year old kids. Pigs run ramped, and dogs bark endlessly ever failing to catch the passing cars.
The men are hilarious. When they feel like their masculinity is threatened, they lift up their shirts and rub their bellies. The women are funny too, very traditional. They inflect their voices almost every sentence (quiche has an accent on the last syllable of every word) and it makes everything sound dramatic. Everyone uses the phrase SABER (saw bear) when they don't know something. I love it because it literally means ''to know''
They kids, starting at age six and up shine shoes. They shine for about 15 cents, and they do a great job. I I always give them a good tip so they always flock to me and the missionaries when we walk by. There are also many kids that sell gum for 20 cents. I bought about four dollars worth once and the kid was thrilled. I love helping the people out like that.
The ward is great. They support each other. The Lord has blessed them greatly, as he does all His children in accordance with their obedience. They always stay after church and clean the whole building every Sunday. It's humbling to watch them pay tithing ( a tenth of their money) so faithfully. Great people.
I like that there is no Internet. it's refreshing to see that the youth don't have that distraction. They talk to people, converse, and enjoy the great outdoors. The kids do creative things like make kites, play with fake bamboo guns, and race tires. It's nice to know that, when unfunelled through wires, the youthfulness of a kid can manifest itself in so many creative and entertaining ways.
The people love music. their are pianos, trumpets, and drums every which way. Unfortunately the music is always the same, but nevertheless, I'm grateful that they appreciate it. I help a man make a song in English that he's going to sing to his congregation (he is a church leader). Music means so much to the people. One of the most hilarious sights is when the old men carry radios around their shoulders and listen to Christian mariachi bands professing their love for ''el espiritu santo''
Churches galore! There are so many churches (about 12-15 in a twenty minute walk). Everyone worships so differently. Some churches huddle together as they dance and sing; others wail and cry; some just yell; and others still wear white shirt and ties, bless and pass the sacrament and separate into Sunday school classes. Thinking about it like that. The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints here is the only church that actually stands out from the rest.
There are plenty of parties and festivities. The people, poor as they are, find ways to celebrate with fireworks. Every shop has them. The new year here had the best fireworks I've seen in my life. We saw, over the hills, about 1000 shimmering lights across the hills, each one a different family shooting off something. I felt like I was in the middle of a war. I can't describe how crazy December 31st was here. The people go crazy on buying fireworks and it was the most beautiful, smoke filled, widespread, festival of explosives I have ever seen and heard in my life (including Disney land, or at least right about there)
The kids dress up to go to school. I like that. I like the idea that school is a blessing and I wish I would've taken that as more of a blessing for me in my life.
The people are very giving with what they have. We will leave a lesson and people will just give us corn. It's great.
The people love new technology. They love integrating it. It's weird yet funny to see the old ladies with iphones and sunglasses, mixed with colorful cultural corte. Everyone is constantly searching for the coolest iphone or galaxy. They have the latest brands of cell phones and technology, but they charge them on the floor... where they sleep, sometimes without beds, by the pecking chickens, in the dark (because they don't have lights in their house, in their one pair of clothes. Priorities are interesting here.
Well that's a bunch of interesting stuff right their. I just had some times so I thought I'd send some things.
ADIOS
No comments:
Post a Comment