Guatemala Global Village Day 4 Reflection

Guest blog by Stephanie and Josh Moline, 
Global Village Volunteers

Guatemala is an incredibly beautiful country that I have been fortunate enough to visit three times. Each trip has taught me something new about the country and culture, but one thing that has been clear from the start is the gratitude radiating from everyone I've spoken with—to be alive, to be with their families, to be able to provide what they can for their children.

And that's a really powerful thing to see when the majority of us spend our days at home being surrounded by "first-world problems."

We've spent the week digging trenches, making rebar, and getting to know our unbelievably generous host family. Today, after a day of hard, smelly work, our hosts made us rellenitos (a delicious treat of plantains, beans, cream, and sugar) and insisted that we make ourselves at home in their kitchen, dirty shoes and all.

The hospitality we've received and the experience we've been gifted is hard to put into words. Life-changing doesn't even begin to cover it.

It might be luck where you start in this world, but it's a choice to make a difference where you can—and I'm so grateful that Twin Cities Habitat has given us the opportunity to do just that.

Check out blogs from others on the trip:

• Jon Slock reflects on the start of the Global Village adventure.
• Jeff Parker describes how frame of reference matters, especially on a trip like this one.
• Skip Durocher and Ann Novacheck share details about the home they're building.
• Bonnie and Tim Power write a beautiful description of the sights and sounds in Xela, Guatemala