Chin Q'olb'en Tey

"Love rushes into the absence that is loss, and that love brings inspired action. If we are able to give ourselves to the loss, to move toward it rather than away in an effort to escape or deny or distract or obscure, our wounded hearts become full, and out of that fullness we will do things differently and we will do different things." - Norman Fischer.

My heart’s been so heavy this past couple days. With all the tragedy that has happened in Paris, Beirut, Cario, Mali, and around the world, I miss my support network of family and friends back in the States more than ever. I would give anything to cook a meal with my mom and talk about how to find peace in times when the world seems so dark around us. These past months, I’ve had my moments of strength and courage and then days like today, where I still feel like the scared, lost 22 year old that boarded a plane to Guatemala 2 months ago. But right now, I’m staying present, continuing to focus on the little victories, and moments of peace I find through my work here as a PCT.

Two days ago I received my site placement – aka where I’ll be working, living, and experiencing life as a Peace Corps Volunteer for the next TWO YEARS!!!!!! Each different project (Youth in Development, Healthy Schools, and Maternal & Child Health) has a different tradition and way of presenting each volunteer with their site placement. Luckily, for us YiDers, our program staff is super pilas and creative. Our big reveal was an absolutely memorable one (thanks Patrick, Bani, and Rocio!). We were all brought outside where there were posters with names of 7 different sites laying on the ground. They were spread out in the formation of the map of Guatemala. Our project managers told us to walk around and look at each poster to get a feel for where we would all be placed in relation to one another. It felt so exciting and nerve-wracking to walk around each poster, knowing that one of those posters represented the site I would call home for the next two years. Next, we were blindfolded and one by one, we were led to the poster that was our site. Once we were all placed, they counted to three and we removed our blindfolds! The first thing I did was look up, towards all my fellow trainees/friends and noticed how far away they were from me. My heart dropped with the realization that in just a week, we would all is heading out on our separate journeys. But I was also filled with gratitude for the mere fact that Peace Corps brought us all together in the first place. Then my roller coaster of emotions shot me right back into reality. I looked down at my feet and the poster that sat at the tip of my toes read “San Marcos”. My jaw dropped. The first week I arrived in Guatemala, the Country Director mentioned that two Peace Corps Volunteers would be sent to San Marcos with the task of reopening it. It was closed in 2012 and the two currently serving volunteers there had to be pulled abruptly due to the heavy presence of narco-trafficking. Never in a million years did I think I would be one of those two volunteers to open San Marcos! Panic, fear, and excitement crept over me when I saw that I was standing over San Marcos. It's an incredible honor and I'm so touched that my program staff has that level of confianza in me! But oh man, it's also a lot of pressure! I will be heading into a community that has never seen a YiD Peace Corps Volunteer. I will be starting from absolute scratch, building relationships, establishing trust, and trying to make a difference, all while at an elevation of 8,000 ft! Yup, this little southerner who grew up BELOW sea level will be living in the mountains for the next two years! 

A little bit about San Marcos:

My department is home of the largest volcano in Central America, Tajumulco. From my little community, I will have a clear view of the massive Tajumulco. But honestly, I could have a view of a hill and I would be excited! It is also home to the Quetzal, which is the national bird of Guatemala. The Quetzal is Guatemala's national symbol of freedom, but unfortunately it is facing extinction. I remember in my first weeks here, my host dad told me about these beautiful birds that can only be found in a few areas, like the cloud forests in San Marcos. As far as my community in San Marcos goes, we've got a whopping 1,000 people! I am actually so pumped about this and have already set a goal to know EVERYBODY! I am in a region which speaks a Mayan language called Mam. In my community, 40% of the people speak Mam. I have already begun Mam language classes and let me tell you, learning a third language in your second language (Spanish) is SO HARD. But it’s an awesome challenge! I am so eager to learn more. 

Everything is moving so fast here. It's surreal to look back to the day, 8 weeks ago, that I said goodbye to my family, through tears, and boarded a plane to Guatemala. I have already seen some of my lowest lows and highest highs. I cannot imagine what these next two years will hold. However, what I do know is that while fear comes with a journey full of the unknown, so do excitement, meaning, and growth. I’m alive here. My heart is here and that’s how I know I belong here. 

Melanie, Amy, Kat, Ben, and Chrissy during our site reveal

San Marcos in red!!!!! Come visit! 

Día de los Muertos

I grew up in a city that is infamous for putting the “fun” in funeral. In New Orleans, we’re known for second-lining down the streets, often times with a daiquiri in hand, dancing on top of caskets, saluting a life well lived, and the passage of a departed soul into a new life. I never understood why the rest of the United States wasn’t quite on the same page when it came to death. Well, luckily, I’ve landed smack dab in a country that thoroughly understands there’s no better way to commemorate death than with a celebration of life!

This weekend, here in Guatemala, Doña Aura and Don Rodolfo had me put on my best so we could head to the cemetery to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Families here spend days cooking, arranging flowers, and repainting graves (in the most brilliant colors) of their deceased friends and family. On the actual day of Día de los Muertos, they head to the graves, with all the food, flowers, and even booze (NOLA style) that they’ve spent weeks preparing. It’s a day to drink, eat, laugh, cry, and celebrate around the grave of their deceased, loved ones. This was my first Día de los Muertos experience and it will live with me forever. We woke before the sun, headed to the cemetery, and with my arm linked in Doña Aura’s, we joined the crowd heading towards the cemetery. The cemetery was absolutely packed, full of everyone from my community- from the tortilla lady to the bollo who lives at our local Cantina. Everyone was headed to pay their respects. I was overwhelmed by the spirit and light radiating from every colorfully painted, flower-covered grave. Kids stood on the tombs of their deceased, family members, flying barriletes (kites). I took in each moment, watching hundreds of kites in the sky, illuminated by the sun. I was completely present and humbled in every way that my family invited me in to participate, cook, laugh, cry, and celebrate life with them these past couple days.

Noche de Brujas (Night of the Witches)

Happy Halloween to all my friends stateside! In Mexico and Guatemala, Halloween is referred to as Noche de Brujas or Night of the Witches. It is NOTHING like American Halloween - no candy, carved pumpkins, ghost stories, trick or treating, or costumes. I'm definitely feeling some fomo (fear of missing out) with all the fun Halloween parties going on back home! Anyone wanna send over a carrier pigeon with one of the following: candy corn, pumpkin seeds, or last years Halloween costume?

Speaking of slow ways to get mail, I want to take this time to give a huge shoutout to my one and only momma who sent my FIRST letter! It may have taken a full month to actually get here but better late than never. For all y’all who might be thinking that the art of letter writing is dead, it totally is not. So dust off those envelops, stamps, and if you’re feeling crazy, you can even write me in the cursive you learned in elementary school. I’ll attach my mailing address below in case I’ve inspired you! I promise I’ll write back and cherish your letter for at least two years! PSA: I can’t receive any packages, which means consuming boxes of Mac and Cheese and soymilk is only feasible in my dreams but thank you to those who have tried!

Josephine Bingler, PCT
Cuerpo de Paz/Peace Corps
3a Calle 6-48, Zona 1
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, Sacetepéquez
Guatemala, Centro América

On my side of the world: Today is Dia de Los Santos (Day of the Saints)! My family got up around 5am, we gathered our offerings (food, alcohol, flowers), and headed to the cemetery. For days, we have been preparing food and beautiful flower arrangements to bring with us to the cemetery. Clearly, my host ancestors were down with a good time because my host dad made sure to pick up some coronas to leave at their graves. The reason for leaving offerings to the deceased is because on this day,  it is/was believed that their ancestors would rise from their graves to eat, drink, and be merry during the night. The next day, family members would return to the graves and all the food/booze would be gone. They truly believed that their deceased relatives ate everything and were now resting fat and happy! Well, it turns out it ended up being the bollos (Guatemalan term for drunks) who would stumble into the graves to steal the alcohol and then when their drunchies (drunk munchies) kicked in, they would eat all the food around the graves! I could not stop laughing at Don Rodolfo telling this story. Today many people still hold onto the belief or hope that their ancestors do rise during the night to eat their offerings, but really it’s the bollos and the chuchos (dogs). Tomorrow, we'll be returning for Dia de Los Muertos for an even bigger celebration of the lives of the dead! 

I also just got back from four amazing days at FBT (field based training). Our training class was split up and assigned to live with a currently serving volunteer in their site. My site was about 5 hours away in a department called Totonicapán. It was a beautiful site, very different from where I’m currently living. The population was heavily indigenous and the first language spoken there is Quiche. I was in awe of the culture, the food, and the beautiful, traditional traje (clothing) the women wore. In Guatemala, each indigenous community has their own special style of traje. You can identify where a woman is from just based on the style, pattern, and colors of her traje. During my four days, I helped with an English class, a cooking class, played in a soccer game on a completely female team (woo girl power), took a beautiful hike with some local jovenes, visited the mercado (market), and soaked up all the amazing Peace Corps advice that my volunteer had to offer. It was a really great time to reflect on what my future in the Peace Corps will look like! Here’s a little peak into my FBT.

Mackenzie teaching her English class to count using frijoles

Cooking Class! We made pizzas!

 

 

Our morning hiking crew! I was in full workout clothes, while they wore their traje.