Souls Fulfilled

By Jessica Williams, Kennett Middle and High School Orchestra teacher, and Sylvia Cintora, English Language Learner Counselor at Kennett High School

Hello! We are part of a group of 14 teachers and social workers from the Kennett Square area traveling to Guatemala this week on an intercultural encounters trip focusing on the themes of education and migration. At home, we work primarily with Guatemalan immigrants who have come to the U.S. to work in the mushroom houses. Sponsored by New Castle Presbytery, this trip is designed to give us a deeper understanding of the economic hardships, political instability, and social pressures hard-working Guatemalan families face, while also showcasing the rich history, natural beauty and unique culture of the country. The hope was that when we got home, we would be better equipped to approach our work with immigrants in Southern Chester County with renewed compassion and competence, and become beacons of cultural humility and understanding. And we can say that after just the first day…mission accomplished!

Today, our first visit was to La Casa del Migrante (Migrant House) where we toured this small but impressive facility that typically hosts 150+ migrants each night. In the past, this Catholic non-profit primarily served those who were making their way to the U.S. Now, however, the majority of those that come to this shelter have been deported and are trying to find their way back home.

We were surprised to learn how common it is for individuals to be deported and sent to countries other than their own – without being given any resources. The people that were there today were Mexican – but had been randomly deported to Honduras. So now they are slowly trying to make the journey back home through Guatemala. The Migrant House not only provides migrants with a place to stay for the night and hot meals, but also offers much needed services such as medical care, psycho/social services, legal aid, a children’s play area, and even a mini-spa for women. The level of passion and care the staff gives to serve each individual passing through is astounding. 

We then headed over to the CEDEPCA office where we met the staff and had a class about the socio-economic structure in Guatemala. “Poverty has the face of a child” was a common theme, referencing the fact that the poorer classes (those who live on less than $2 per day) have a lower median age. This imagery helped us to understand the stress that many families face daily. 

We also learned that CEDEPCA’s ministry has done a lot to empower women in Guatemala. The presentation of the women leaders of Corazon de Mujer (Heart of the Woman) was eye-tearing, refreshing, and truly heartfelt for many of us. We all had great respect and admiration for these women who have overcome so many hardships, traumatic experiences, and restraints to turn it into positive work to help improve their situations. They are a collective of women weavers and they brought some of their gorgeous products so we could have a shopping spree!

Our last visit was of the day was to Jesus Es El Camino, a Pentecostal church just outside of Guatemala City. The young children of the church’s after-school program greeted us with welcome signs and cheers – we felt like celebrities!

We then had a time for dinner, games and conversation with the older youth involved with the famous Utz Pan bakery program. We were incredibly impressed by their maturity and work ethic. Three of these high schoolers have taught themselves English by just using Duo Lingo and watching TV and YouTube videos.  We had a great time connecting with these kids and sharing about our lives. It was a really loud and rambunctious room since most of us speak Spanish!

We were inspired by their motivation and perseverance, and amazed by the support the church gives them to get an education, improve their socio/economic status, work for their dreams and contribute back to their community. 

We came back to the hotel last night exhausted but inspired. Our souls had been filled in a way that we were not at all expecting.