Annual trip to Guatemala an "amazing experience"

 For eight days over the winter break, eight students and two chaperones traveled to Guatemala for a service learning opportunity. They landed in Guatemala City on February 17th and set out on what would be an amazing experience for all. From Guatemala City, they traveled to Antigua with trip guides Demetri, Jose Mario and Victor, where they stayed for the next 6 days. In Antigua they experienced the culture, learned about Guatemala's history, and provided many hours of service to the surrounding villages. During the majority of the work days, the group joined forces with an organization called Loving Arms which is based out of Canada. The Lyndon group of thirteen, the Loving Arms group of seven and several locals bonded quickly and completed an extraordinary amount of work. Some of the service provided was: creating a security wall to surround a newly established co-op area, creating plots to plant crops at the co-op, building a house for a local family, painting a church in Guatemala City, and working with and teaching children in 3 different villages surrounding the town of Parramos. On the last day, the trip travelled to Lake Atitlan by van and boat for a final day of reflection, relaxation and a closing ceremony.

    Leaving Guatemala was bittersweet but plans to provide this opportunity again next year were already in the works before the group touched down in the states on the 25th. The experience was memorable, educational, and inspirational for all who attended. They plan to share what they learned and accomplished with the Lyndon State community in several different forms. One upcoming event that they hope all will attend is the Guatemala Benefit Concert on March 12th at 7pm in ASAC 100. They hope to raise enough money to sponsor the building of a house in one of the villages they worked in. They will also be collecting eyeglasses and sunglasses to donate. Tickets are $5.00 in advance and $7.00 at the door ($1.00 off with a donation of glasses). On behalf of the entire group, we wanted to thank all of those who helped us make it on this trip, including the Student Government Association for their donation. To read more about LovingArms and the work we did there, visit www.lovingarms.ca