July 3rd

CMU, Estamos, and Gratitude

This past fall, CMU afforded me a particularly rich learning opportunity: a spot in the “Estamos” program. Along with seven peers, I travelled to Guatemala City to improve my Spanish, learn about the political environment of the state, and bond with a host family. After two months in Guatemala, I travelled on my own to La Ceiba, Honduras, to carry out my month-long practicum in a peace and justice organization. Setting off on an intercultural immersion experience was something that had been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I was thrilled for the chance to discover how the Guatemalan and Honduran cultures lived in family groups, interacted with systemic issues, and worshipped God.

I developed an especially deep bond with my Guatemalan host family, the Tucubals. My host father taught me about his Mayan heritage, taught me how to cook tortillas and tamales like a proper “Guatemalteca,” and laughed hysterically at all my broken-Spanish jokes and animated body language. He did not work outside of the house due to a back injury he had suffered, but worked tirelessly to clean the house, care for his dogs, and cook for his wife and adult children, who worked 10-13 hours a day to gain a liveable wage.

I learned, however, a more significant lesson from my time with the Tucubal de Paz family than cooking and the value of hard work. The primary lesson I have taken from them is to have gratitude for what I have, no matter my circumstance. As tired as my host family members were from their long days of work, they always came home with a smile and long hug for one another. In the evenings, we would all gather in the living room for a time of Bible study and prayer, which was one of my favourite times of the day. The Tucubals were lighthearted, full of love, and patient with each other, despite their lack of finances, little free time, and various health struggles. They would have been justified in being short with one another amid their money struggles and tiring days. When I asked my host mother whether the family ever fought with one another, that she was taken aback. “Of course not,” she told me. (I probably should have known better than to ask. They were the Tucubals de Paz, after all, not the Tucubals de Violencia.)

Living with the Tucubals ingrained in me a desire to be grateful for all that I have. I think often of my Guatemalan family, and aspire to treat my housemates, family, and friends with the same unconditional love, humour, and gentleness which I saw emanating from them. My cross-cultural experience was a remarkable educational experience that CMU provided for me, one that will continue to shape my thinking and character for many years to come.