Breaking the Silence

I was determined to find some lighter, more upbeat news from Guatemala to post tonight.

After all, the website has been kinda heavy on the drugs, military, massacres, police, corruption, poverty, hunger, and other assorted forms of suffering lately.

Last Saturday, in fact, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with a group of dedicated Canadian activists participating in a Guatemala - Maritimes "Breaking the Silence" delegation. I was asked to give a current events analysis and by the time I was finished I was looking at a number of shell-shocked faces, especially among the first-time visitors to Guatemala. One woman even approached me afterwards and asked, somewhat incredulously, "why do you even stay here?"

The answer to that question is a long and complicated one. Come to think of it, I may not even know the full reason why I feel called to live and work in this beautiful and difficult country. And even if I did know it, I'd be hard-pressed to explain it.

After all, there is something about Guatemala that transcends the logical, the understandable, the knowable. There comes a moment in one's relationship with this country where the heart takes over and moves you in ways that are emotional, mysterious, inexplicable and, well, wonderful. (Wonder-full, if you'd like.)

There is no doubt in my mind, that as this woman and her Canadian companions begin their travels throughout the country and witness the grace-in-struggle of the Guatemalan people, they also will come to that "aha" moment, and quietly sigh: "now I get it."

They may not fully understand it, but they'll definitely "get it". And they'll never be quite the same afterwards.

I'm very excited for all of them, and am honored to have been a small part of their Guatemalan experience. My sincerest thanks to Kathryn for the invitation!

Visit the Breaking the Silence section of the Tatamagouche Centre website for more information about this terrific program!

Tags: Guatemala, Breaking, Silence, Maritimes, Tatamagouche