Earthquake Update

The group that traveled with me to San Marcos with Hermano Marco.

Last Saturday, I traveled to San Marcos, Guatemala with five of my friends. This is the area that was badly damaged by the Nov. 7th earthquake. 

This is a house that was badly damaged in a  village 15 minutes outside of San Marcos

 My goal was to find a family that needed our support. With the help of many of you, I had raised $640 to donate to these people who were in need. My idea was to meet people and buy them whatever they needed. We would do this until the money was gone. 

Pictured here is Hermano Marco and a  family that lost their house in the earthquake. The metal behind them is a makeshift room where they are currently sleeping until they find the money to rebuild.

If someone needed a bed, we would buy them a bed, if they needed food, we would buy food. However, there was something grander on the horizon. 

Demoler is the Spanish word for demolish. This was written on so many buildings.

One of my friends had heard there was a pastor that was looking for help so when we arrived, we found him. He explained to us that most of the aid was going to those that were in shelters and there wasn't much help for others. 

Not an uncommon sight in the town of San Marcos.

He spoke of twenty families in his congregation that had been affected. We were able to visit with two of these families. The houses we saw had suffered so much damage that they would need to be rebuilt.

It was incredible to see that along the same road, one building would be completely fine while the next was in shambles. 

 The problem in Guatemala, most people do not have insurance for their homes. These people would be unable to rebuild their house. I asked the pastor how much it would be to rebuild, and I was amazed when he told me that with $500, I could buy enough cement blocks for a house. 

This is a house that had already been 'demuelio'. It belonged to one of the members of Hermano Marco's church. 

We came to San Marcos hoping to make a difference by making a families life more comfortable, we had no idea that with the money YOU donated, a house would be able to be built. 

A view from the inside looking out.

So, now you may ask what will be done? Because this earthquake received little to no international coverage, the foreign aid is not present. The Guatemalan government is there, however, they are just passing out water and food baskets. They are not able to give supplies to rebuild houses. 

Houses and buildings made out of the traditional adobe where the ones that were the most damaged.  These houses will be rebuilt with cement blocks to help this not happen again in the future.

 I still have $140 to donate but I am hoping to raise an additional $360 to add to that amount so that another house can be built.

Even though this building is still standing, it is unsafe to live in. It will be demolished soon.

 If you or anyone you know would be willing to donate to this cause, it would be greatly appreciated. You could be a part of rebuilding these peoples future. Money goes so much farther here than in the states. 

This is the remains of a room of a family that lives outside of San Marcos. The money that you donated purchased block to rebuild this.

If you are interested in helping, you can donate by clicking on the 'donate' button at the top of the page. Make sure you include your email so I can stay in touch with you about how we are using the funds. 

This is the family that you donated to. There are many others that also need our help!

Heidi and her dog, Scooby. 

Regardless of losing so much, these children still had smiles on their faces and greeted us with open arms.

An update from Hermano Marco:

Hna.  Liz :   Que la paz y la gracia  de nuestro  Buen  Dios  esté  con  usted  y las  personas  que  están  a  su  alrededor.    Quiero  compartirle  que  la  primer  ayuda  que  usted  con  todo  su  amor  donó  a  mis  hermanos  que  están  sufriendo la perdida  de  sus  viviendas;  el lunes  compramos  los  primeros  1,000  bloks  y  fueron  entregados  así  :    Primero  al  Hno.  Mardoqueo  Orozco  de  la  aldea  Loma  Linda  donde  tuvimos  que  caminar  u  conocer  su  necesidad,  a  él  le  entregamos  500  blocks.   2,  Segundo  al  Hno.  José  Domingo Escobar  los  otros  500  blocks  es  donde  está  la  ardilla  asustada.   Por  este  medio  queremos  agradecerle  este  primer  donativo  y  los  hermanos  manifiestan  lo  mismo,  están  conmovidos  por la prontitud de la ayuda  recibida,  Dios  les  siga  bendiciendo  ricamente,  Hasta pronto y  Bendiciones.

translated roughly:

 Sister Liz: May the peace and grace of our good Lord be with you and the people around you. I want to share with you what the first aid that you gave with love to my brothers that are suffering the loss of their homes; on Monday, we bought the first 1,000 blocks and they were given as follows: First, brother Mardoqueo Orozco of the village of Loma Linda where we had walked and you saw the need, there we gave 500 blocks. Secondly, to brother Jose Domingo Escobar, we gave the other 500 blocks (they were the ones that had the frightened pet squirrels). I hereby want to thank you for this first donation and those that donated as well. The brothers are moved by the promptness of the aid received, God will continue to bless you richly, soon and Blessings.

Vos is One!

Time flies when you are having fun. I can't believe that my little guy is one today! Happy birthday Vos dog! You have brought so much joy to my life!

Earthquake Help

Hello all.

This blog will be a bit different than most because I am asking for your help. As you may know, Guatemala was struck with a 7.4 earthquake yesterday morning. Because Guatemala is such a small, third world country, it often does not get the exposure that others do. This quake has brought many homes down and turned pueblos into rubble.

(Pictures taken from CONRED and Nuestro Diario Facebook pages)

I was at school when the quake hit (I was actually using the restroom but that is a totally different story!) The school is in order and all buildings are structurally sound. Our teachers did a wonderful job with keeping calm and leading the students in the correct manner. I couldn't have asked for a better situation while being responsible for 180 children! Luckily, when I returned home, I have found all of my belongings safe and sound. However, just 40 miles away, San Marcos had major damage (see images above). I have done a bit of research and I have found that there are a few places that are collecting items to be donated to people in need. 

I am planning on going and buying some of these things to donate this weekend. That's where you come in. If you would like to help out as well, please send me an email (liz.cromwell@gmail.com) and let me know how much you would like to donate and I will go buy that amount of goods. To make this easy, once you email me, I will send you an address in the states and I will be able to deposit the money into my account that way. I know this isn't the best way to go about it but I figured I would see if any of you would be interested in helping the people of Guatemala out as well. Please keep in mind that even $5.00 would be a huge help. Money goes much further here than in the states!

More than anything, please keep Guatemala and it's people in your prayers! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Liz

A morning at El Baul

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know." - Rene Daumal

Successful Sunday?

I think so!

Fall

"In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October, when the trees are bare to the mild heavens, and the red leaves bestrew the road, and you can feel the breath of winter, morning and evening -- no days so calm, so tenderly solemn, and with such a reverent meekness in the air." 

-Alexander Smith

I miss the fall. It is true. 

October. 

Leaves changing color. 

Oklahoma Football (BOOMER SOONER). 

Pumpkin Spice Lattes. 

Changing temperatures. 

Bond Fires. 

It's just not the same in Guatemala.

Colombian Tribal Dancing

“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.”
― Rumi

Anyone want to go to Colombia and learn some tribal dancing? It was the most impressive dance I have ever seen. These people can MOVE!

Rain, rain, GO AWAY!

I have been back from Cartagena for almost two weeks now and I feel like I need my scuba gear here more than I needed it there. There has not been one day that it has not rained (and I mean really rained) and I'm just about sick of it. I have decided that I will never live in the Pacific Northwest and if I am ever talking about moving there, just remind me of October 2012.

On another note, Colombia was beautiful and I learned so much. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to go and meet so many wonderful educators from this part of the world. And, it doesn't hurt when you are in a place like this...

Playa Blanca, Isla Baru, Colombia

One good thing about this rainy weather is the fact that I have a little companion that likes to snuggle up to keep warm. I have donated one of my old soccer jerseys to him to help him stay warm. It just goes to show he is truly a Guatemalan!

I will try to remember to check in again soon and put a few more pictures up from Colombia. I hope all is well with everyone!



Playlist
Wordsworth Ridge by Sufjan Stevens
She's Everything by Brad Paisley
Let's Go by The Cars
Your Smiling Face by James Taylor

Cartagena

Hello there, I just wanted to take a moment and share my reality with you.

I'm in Cartagena, Colombia for a conference. I had the opportunity to come in a couple days early to see the sights and go diving. I won't be able to upload pictures while I am here but I may try to tell a few stories. Stay posted!

Experiencia Fotografica

Last weekend, I have the pleasure to participate in a photo weekend. One of Guatemala's top photographers came to Xela to teach us techniques and share in a truly memorable weekend. We were able to go places that are normally not open to the public for photography. These are just a few of my favorite shots from the weekend. If you are interested in seeing some of Ivan's photography, just click here. 

Enjoy!

What my grandmother called Japanese Hollyhocks

Recycled glass at the glass blowing factory

Teatro Municipal en Quetzaltenango

Teatro otra vez

A Captive Audience

Natural Beauty, Man-Maded Destruction

Xela's cemetery at night...spooky!

Paparazzi flattering Angela

Angela and her Apple

Snow White, Watch Out!

A True Beauty

Home

I have been giving a decent amount of thought lately to the concept of 'home.' I have come to realize, I am absolutely confused of what the actual meaning is. In my life, 'home' has consisted of family and friends, an actual building, as well as a few of those special places where my heart has been fully content. How can one word represent so many different different things?

When I was in college, I would always say, "Home is where my bed is." And yes, that was correct. I am a huge fan of sleep so regardless if I were living in the upper thicket at CBS, the Kappa house at OU, or crashing at my dad's, I always had a bed to call home.

Somehow, the concept has grown in my mind. I am no longer content with just a familiar pillow and blanket. I need more than that. I imagine home being where loved ones greet you at the door, where creations cook in the kitchen, and scraped knees heal with a kiss and an extra cookie. This is the kind of home that I grew up in and I thought it would always last but I was wrong. As I have grown older, I have had to create my own homes. I've attempted to make the environment that I live in similar to the places I have lived before.

When I think about home, many things come to mind.

Oklahoma is the first that I think about.  There are times I find myself deeply aching for the red dirt roads and driving through wheat fields blaring Tom Petty. The 'windshield sunsets' and 'big Oklahoma skies' are unmatched and this Oklahoma girl will always crave these things along with the smell of a June rain right before harvest or the smell of fall during a night game in Norman. I love the way the concrete on the driveway feels after a night run during the summer or sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee when you are snowed in.

There is also a corner of the world known as the texas hill country that is always inviting as well. The scenery is beautiful, the lakes are full of fish, and I feel like this is the place that I grew from an awkward teenager into a more confident woman. There were nights spent swimming in the lake, sitting on a back porch examining life and God, and lifelong friendships formed. This was home for six years.

I now live in Guatemala in a fantastic little house with a lovely yard and a very energetic, protective Boxer puppy. I have been here for almost five years and I have grown to love the moments that I am caught in a downpour with my rain jacket, the times when a cute little girl convinces me that I do need 25 limes so I purchase them for all of $0.60, or when the power goes out and I have nothing to do but sit in the gorgeous mountain sunshine.

Maya Angelou stated, "The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." She also said, "I love, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself." The idea of being completely yourself or finding yourself is an interesting way to define home. But I think she is right on target. All of these places that I have mentioned above have been locations where I have discovered something new about myself. I have been completely honest with who I am and who I want to become. Those around me have also aided in this by holding me accountable and also accepting me just how I am.

Because of these things, I have many homes. And I'm sure I will have many more along the way.

Playlist:
You're my home by Billy Joel
No Place Like Home by Bri Bagwell
Home Sweet Home by Carrie Underwood
My Way Home by Citizen Cope
Don't Leave Home by Dido
Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros
Honey Come Home by The Head and the Heart
Take Me Home, Country Road by John Denver
Bring it On Home by Little Big Town
Finding My Way Back Home By Lee Ann Womack
I Feel Home by O.A.R.
Long Ride Home by Patty Griffin
Home by Phillip Phillips
I'm Coming Home by Robert Earl Keen
Home by Sheryl Crow
Home by Tandy
I Ain't in Checotah Anymore by Carrie Underwood
Fly Over States by Jason Aldean

September is upon us

I sit in my chilly apartment under a blanket, listening to a new favorite "The Lumineers," longing for a fire in my fire place. I decided that August is too early to have a fire. I needed to wait until at least September. Well, friends, September is tomorrow so you better believe that I will be firing it up and enjoying the first fire of the season with a nice glass of wine mañana. September is a month that I have been looking forward to for awhile now (not only because of the fires) but because we have a three day weekend for the country's independence celebration. I will also be participating in a full out photography weekend next weekend and I travel to Colombia the last week of the month. The school year is now in full swing and I feel like it will be over before any of us know what happened. I have been very happy with how everything has started and how well the teachers have adapted. Rumor has it that there is a chance that starting on Monday, the electric company is going to shut off the power to Xela. I guess the mayor and the company have differing ideas about how much the bill is. No worries, the difference in amount is only Q500,000! Don't believe me? Check out the article here. Despite the issues that might bring, I am focusing on some of the highlights from the first three weeks including

• I walked into the first grade classroom today and they cheered. 
• I had a middle school boy come up to me after school two days ago letting me know how mysterious I was.
• I dealt with an issue with some boys that I had worked with many times in the previous years and all three of them immediately took ownership over their actions and gained big points in my book. 
• There is a very special pre-k kiddo that has been causing some problems so we have been working on some interventions. I have been taking him out for 'movement' breaks and everyday as we walk to the stairs that I am going to make him run, he bends over and picks a flower for me. I have started a small collection in my office.

These are just a few of the things that put a smile on my face. I feel incredibly blessed to be apart of this school year with these kids and this staff.

August. 2. 2012.

Holy Cow.

I am amazed that not only is it August, but it is also 2012. I am now closer to 30 than I am to 29.

I am almost three weeks into what could be my last year in Guatemala. I look around my room and see an incredible shelf of books, my awesome dog, paintings on the walls, and a well stocked 'emergency cabinet' (mom and dad always taught me to have extra TP, toothpaste, and hot sauce. Just in case.) Everything you need to claim a well established life in a place.

The longer I have been here, the more comfortable I have become. I live well here. I have wonderful friends, a great job, and the security of knowing a place well. But I still feel like something is missing. I have no idea if relocating will fill that gap or if it will be something that I will have to eventually just come to the realization that it may be that way forever.

The more you travel, the more frequently you fall in love (with a place). The more you fall in love with a place, the more you miss it and those that make that place what it is.

But life must go on. I cannot make decisions based on what will hurt the least (as I have done in the past). There are things that must be faced and must be communicated with honesty, regardless of what the outcome may be.

Going back and reading this, I sound a bit out of it. I'm not. I have just been spending time processing things lately. However, right now, I have a soccer game that I need to go watch! I have a few good friends that are waiting for me with a cold cerveza!

Cheers!

Playlist
Snow - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Violet Hill - Coldplay
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell

The joy of a puppy

Last update - Nov. 2010

Where have I been and what have I been doing? I cannot believe that it has been 14 months since I last updated this blog. Once again, I will attempt to be better. I figured the best way to catch up on 14 months was to post one picture from each of those months to give you an idea of what has happened!

November 2011 - This was actually from Oct. 30. Two of my dear friends were married and we had quite the time celebrating.

December 2010 - The family and I headed to Belize to celebrate Christmas. We had a white Christmas, just not the traditional snow covered plains, we spent it laying out on the white sand beaches of Caye Caulker! We had a great time snorkeling, walking on sandy streets, and eating roasted pig!

January 2011 - My old roommate, Randi Johnson, came down for a friends wedding and to be here for New Years. It was great to reconnect with her. We had lots of fun star gazing on the roof, seeing friends, and making new memories.

February 2011 - Inter American School Staff retreat at Irtra! This is always such a treat to have a day off school and be treated to a beautiful time relaxing with my colleagues.

March 2011 - Four day weekend at Monterrico. This is the 'nicest' beach in Guatemala. We were able to release baby turtles into the pacific.

April 2011 - Spring break in London with Mamaw, Emily and Mom.

May 2011 - Spending time with the Brodbecks (Diane and Michael pictured). They are a big part of my experience here. Lots of laughs and good times are always had when we get together.

June 2011 - Time at my mom's on Lake Bisteneau is always a treat. This year we had a few visitors that made the trip extra special. Good thing we ended up not going under!

July 2011 - This summer was filled with many friends and family. I was fortunate that I was able to visit the Hargetts. (After trying to sum up the summer in two pictures, I have realized that I will have to write an additional blog just about summer 2011).

August 2011 - Another Guatemalan wedding of two of my close friends. I am blessed to have such a close group of friends.

September 2011 - Guatemalan independence day is September 15. We had a 4 day weekend so Nicole, Diane and I decided to head to Lake Atitlan. It was a fantastically beautiful day!

October 2011 - I attended an educational conference in Panama City, Panama and I was able to come in a few days early for a nice dive at Coiba National Park. Incredible diving with tons of sharks!

November 2011 - I moved out of my apartment that I had lived in for three years. I traded in a loud church, crowded parking and a downtown location for this view, a yard, and wonderful night noises and star gazing!

December 2011 - Christmas at Lake Bisteneau is always full of adventures. Richard (my sisters boyfriend) and I tried our hands at frying a turkey. The results were delicious, the process was a little messy!

January 2012 - January gets two pictures because I had two wonderful thing happen during this month. My mom and sister came to celebrate my 29th birthday with me. Also, I got my precious dog, Vos.

I am going to try to be better about updating this blog. I will intermittently fill in holes from the 14 months that I missed. I have some great stories and many more pictures to post! I hope you all are doing well!

Playlist

Fractal - The Neighborhood

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

Vienna - The Fray

Walk Back In - Keb' Mo'

All Deliberate Speed - Mae

So Long - Rilo Kiley

Hotel Song - Regina Spektor

BBQ Stain - Tim McGraw

I've Got the World On a String - Michael Buble

To Bob Ross With Love - Gym Class Heroes

Falling - Ben Kweller

Pencil Thin Mustache - Jimmy Buffett

A Little More of You - Little Big Town

Paperback Writer - The Beatles