.. torn

You know, I was inspired to write this blog by someone tonight who I am actually not a fan of. Someone who wanted to argue with me about the condition of the place I currently call "home." Guatemala has become part of my heart for the past couple of years now, and will forever be in my heart. The times I have visited here, and now living here I have seen a lot of things that cannot be explained unless you visit here. Many people have ridiculed me as to why I feel I need to come here and help when there are several people in your own cities that are hungry. As that may be the case, I find it very hard to explain how much help this country needs help. As many of you know Guatemala has two seasons, a rainy one, and a dry season. We are "supposed" to be in the rainy season, yet there is no rain. Being a third world country, Guatemala is very dependent on this season for crops, a main source of food for a lot of the country. Guatemala is currently on a drought, and I was informed today, has called upon United Nations to help during this time of need. There are 400,000 families that are starving, and many dying because of the fact that they are hungry. It sounds like something that should easily be fixed, but its not. I realize there are so many people starving in cities all across America. Living in an inner city, working in an inner city school, and working in rehab shelters, and food banks of Cincinnati, I saw poverty. I was immersed in it with those I came into contact with. It was a condition that made my heart saddened every single day. We are so fortunate in America to have options though, food banks, shelters, there are people on the streets, there are children starving, and it is such a heart wrenching thing. In Guatemala there is not even conditions for a 'shelter' or a 'food bank.' I guess the more I am here, the more I realize what exactly I am blessed with. For there to be an entire village living in the actual dump itself, scraping for the scraps that have been dug through atleast three times already is something that is so hard to explain. Seeing different parts of Guatemala and the joy that come from people that have nothing at all, is what keeps bringing me back here. These are people who are blessed by family and faith alone. Thats all they have, and that really touches you. It really makes you look at the condition of your heart and all that you have to be thankful for, and is something I have to reconsider everyday.