Last Day

Today is our last day in Guatemala. When we headed down to Guatemala, I was prepared for things to end up not going the way everyone wanted. That was definitely true as a volcano erupted, tropical storm Agatha destroyed houses and towns all over Guatemala, and we didn't teach at the school for a week.
As today continues, I am struck by how upset I am to leave. At my house, someone is always home to welcome us with a smile and a conversation. Last night, my host grandmother, Amalia, gave me and my roomate Jessica yet another present, a scarf and some postcards, to go along with sevceral earlier presents. The two little girls that live at home, Clara and Amalia, have really started to like us, which is an acheivement from how little they would say to us when we first got here. I am increadibly sad to have to leave and say goodbye to all the amazing people that come and go in an endless stream at home.
This morning, the morning group had their goodbye party at the school in San Pedro. I am part of the afternoon group, so we have not yet had our fiesta. I already think that I will cry when we say goodbye to the kids because even though we did not know them very well and we've only been at the school for a week, they already do care about us. The little girls that run up and say, "Profe juega quien se lleva" or "teacher come play tag with us" will always be part of my memories here.
Overall, I think this trip has taught me more about who I am as a person and what it means to really care about other people then anything else. The Guatemalan people are truely amazing with their ability to continue smiling even though their houses are destroyed and their country is still recovering, and will be, from the disastors that have continuously struck them. As we've driven through Guatemala on our excursions, we've seen 4 lane highways turned into 2 lane highways, and houses covered in 5 feet of mud. The faces of the people are tired and you can tell they are worn out, but they still have time for a smile or a wave, if you give them one. Everything that we've gone through as a group, getting soaked and any problems we've had with each other, is worth it, knowing that the kids we taught will miss us, even though its only been a week, and that we've had at least a small impact on a big problem.