The People

WARNING! This post is a wake-up call
WARNING! This post may make you feel spoiled and rotten
WARNING! This post is a sad reality of what other parts of the world suffer through
WARNING! This post may change your attitude and outlook on your current living situation

Let's start off with a description of the people collectively.

These people are poor. When you think of poor, you might think of the boy you went to school with that had  dirty, ripped clothes. Or the girl who couldn't afford a new dress to go to Prom. They're not that kind of poor. .

These people are REALLY poor. Do you know how much money they make? $8 A DAY. Minimum wage in Arizona is $7.65 AN HOUR.

What does the average family look like in Guatemala? 20 children. TWENTY. That's not a type-o! That's real life. And it's "normal" to lose 4 children somewhere along the line.

Men work, while the women stay at home with the children. One income per family. $8 a day. To feed you, your spouse, and your twenty children. . . Doesn't add up does it?

You think your house is small? Not enough bed rooms. Not enough bathrooms. Your bed isn't soft enough. You need to sleep with two pillows instead of one. You need plenty of room to sprawl out in your sleep. You need your own room to relax and spend some time "getting away." You need a bigger TV. They don't have ANY of these luxuries. This is where they live. One "room" for the family. Sleeping on the hard ground. No pillows. No one gets their own room. Everyone is cramped.

The people who live in the block house with "Victoria" written on it are considered wealthy.

Education is not a high priority in Guatemala because the families need the children to help out with the family farm. They grow most of their own food, so they don't have to buy much. They make most of their clothing, because they can't afford to buy any for the family.

Guatemalans are the hardest working people I have ever known. They work all day every day. Rain or shine. Sunday-Saturday. And we sit at home complaining that having Saturday and Sunday off just isn't enough.

We complain about having to go to school, when the children there are dying to go to school so maybe they can live a better life and provide for their future family better than their parents were able to provide for them.

The new leader of Guatemala is placing a higher priority on education. He is actually having the government pay families to send their children to school. But some families still can't afford having their children somewhere other than working the fields.

Still, they're so happy. So content. It's beautiful. It's amazing.

All they have is each other. And each other is what's most important.

Next posts will point out a select few that changed my life forever. . .
XOXO