Guatemala – Clothing

Over the next several weeks and months, I will intersperse facts and figures about Guatemala through the blog.  As I share this information, it’s my hope to further understand this country that has captured my heart.  Today, I’ll share about the clothing in Guatemala.  Last week, I shared some information about education (click here).

Photo by Adam Flora

From my experience last summer in Guatemala, the men dress fairly plainly.  I observed that most men wore button down shirts or T-shirts.  I don’t recall seeing a single man wearing shorts.  They were wearing blue jeans or khaki pants.  Many of the men wore some type of hat.  These hats were often fitted with a wide brim which I assume was used to protect them from the sun.

Photo by Adam Flora

The boys in the community where I served (Xenacoj) wore blue jeans, sneakers, T-shirts, and sweatshirts.  Many of the T-shirts and sweatshirts were decorated with American images and logos.  And I’m assuming the community thrived on clothing passed down from the United States.

The woman in the Guatemala dress more formally.  They wear a skirt and a colorful, hand-made blouse called a huipil.  Each town or region is known for its own color scheme.  The women in Xenacoj wore a reddish, purplish top with colored patterns.  These blouses are quite expensive compared to the average pay in Guatemala and often become the most prized and fanciest attire for the women in the villages of Guatemala.

The girls wear a mix of formal clothing like the older women, but they also wear T-shirts and skirts.  Again, I would assume that many of the shirts and skirts come through the United States and more advanced countries (although I would guess that many of these items are made in China).

For more great information on Guatemala clothing, I would encourage you to check out this website.  There are some great pictures and proper names for the clothing that we saw in Guatemala.

On a side note, one of the sad things I saw when we were in Guatemala this summer related to the clothing we wear here in the United States.  In the town of Xenacoj, workers were working ten to twelve hours a day for a few bucks a day making Hollister jeans.  I don’t own any of these jeans, but I’ve been told that they sell for approximately $80 per pair in malls and shopping centers in the United States.  As I think about this, a passage from Matthew comes to mind:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”Matthew 25:31-46

 

Obviously, you and I don’t need to go to Guatemala to clothe the needy, feed the poor, and looking after the homeless, the sick, and the prisoners.  There are people all around us who could use a helping hand.  While our family is looking forward to helping the poor in Guatemala, we are also challenged to look to those around us right where we live.  Hopefully, learning a little bit about Guatemala will give us all a deeper appreciation for what we have an a better understanding of those around us and around the world who are needy.

What’s your favorite piece of clothing?  What’s your most expensive piece of clothing?  Are you willing to give up your favorite or most expensive piece of clothing to help someone in need?

Top 10 Best Things About Being A Seeing Eye Puppy

Tomorrow, Irwin leaves our home to begin the next stage of his journey towards becoming a Seeing Eye Guide Dog.  He came to us right before last Christmas when he was seven weeks old, and we’ve had him for over a year.  It has been our job to help him through his early growing up time.  While our whole family will be sad to see him go, we’re also excited for the future that lies ahead for Irwin and his visually impaired companion.

Before he left, I sat down and talked to Irwin about his favorite things about being a Seeing Eye Puppy.  Together, we came up with this top 10 list of best things about being a Seeing Eye Puppy.

10.  I get to sleep upstairs in Hannah’s room.  She’s so nice, and it’s been comforting sleeping next to her.

9.  I get to go on lots of walks.  I’ve walked through the town of Schwenksville.  I’ve walked through malls.  I’ve walked through the local Target.  I’ve walked on the Perkiomen Trail.  I love the exercise and the chance to experience new places.

8.  I get to go to monthly Puppy Club meetings.  It’s great to hang out with other puppies and training.  At first it was hard to behave during the meetings, but I have actually learned to sit quietly and enjoy the meetings.  Tonight will be my last Puppy Club meeting.

7.  I get to go to special places where other dogs aren’t permitted.  One of my favorite places to visit was the movie theater.  It’s a little noisy and dark, but the smells and flavors on the floor are unbelievable.

6.  I get to play.  People think that training to be a guide dog is a tough job.  I guess it is, but I still get to play fetch and run around.

5.  I get to play with Iso.  Iso is the dog that lives here permanently.  He’s a little slow, and he didn’t seem to like me at the beginning, but I can tell he’s warming up to me.  In fact, I bet he’ll miss me when I’m gone.

4.  I get to look important.  When I proved that I was ready for it, I received a special green vest.  This green vest tells others that I’m in training for an important job.  When I wear the vest, I feel like I’m on a mission.

3.  I get to hang out with a great family.  It has been so special getting to know Hannah, Isaac, Leanne, and Jon.  They’ve treated me really well.  They will be great puppy raisers for the next puppy who will be arriving soon.

2.  Everybody wants to pet me.  I get it.  I’m cute and all.  And I like it.  It’s so nice to get all this attention.

1.  I get to help someone.  The Stolpe family has done a great job telling me that I will be a great Seeing Eye Guide Dog.  I’m excited to learn more when I head up to school tomorrow.

Seriously, we’ll miss Irwin so much, but it’s been a great adventure for our family.  People often comment that it must be so hard to raise a puppy and give it up.  Yes, it is difficult.  But it’s also great knowing that Irwin will literally change someone’s life.

Do you have any pets at home?  What’s your favorite thing about your pet?  If they could speak, what do you think they would say?

Lilies

It’s amazing how often we worry about the “stupid” things of life.  When will we learn that God cares for us?

What are you worrying about today?

Today, I’m hooking up with The Sunday Community and The Weekend Brew.  Hop on over here and here to see what I’m talking about.

John Perry Barlow Quote

Robert F. Kennedy Quote

Ice Breaker – Reading

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question.  The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community.  I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments.  While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

Question:  What are you reading now?

My Answer:  I just finished Quitter by Jon Acuff (see my review by clicking here).  I’m reading Selah a new 90 day devotional eBook by Joseph Iregbu that will be coming soon.  The devotional focuses on GRACE and HOPE – two great topics.  I’ll share more about the book in the coming days as I finish reading the book and participate in the launch team for this soon to be released resource.  What’s next?  Platform by Michael Hyatt is one of the books on my nightstand waiting for me.

There you have it – my answer.  Now, it’s your turn.  Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment.  I look forward to reading your response!

Book Review: Quitter by Jon Acuff

Quitter by Jon Acuff has been on my “to read list” for a while now.  I’ve followed Jon Acuff for several years now as he made the transition from corporate employee and at-home blogger and speaker to full-time writer and speaker with the Lampo Group (Dave Ramsey’s company).  As a blogger myself who works in the corporate world during the day, I was curious to hear more about Jon’s journey and about his advice for someone like me.

In Quitter, you’d expect to hear Acuff push readers to quit their day jobs and jump right into their dream jobs.  His advice isn’t quite so dramatic.  He encourages readers to stay with their day job and to find reasons to like their day jobs.  Then he challenges readers to chase their dreams outside of work with a focus and hustle that will allow the dream to develop to the point of being self-sustaining.  He also shares valuable perspective on balancing our dreams and the rest of our lives.  His confessions of failure along the way hit home for me as he shares how he juggled his dream with his family life, social life, and day job life.

As a blogger, I can obviously relate to Jon Acuff’s personal story.  But I think the book applies to anyone whether your dream is writing, becoming a pastor, joining the circus, entering the education field, or selling cotton candy at your favorite baseball stadium.  I would definitely recommend Quitter to anyone who has a dream they are chasing.

While I’m not anticipating a change in my day job anytime soon, I appreciated the information and stories in Quitter.  The book definitely encouraged me to continue to pursue writing through the blog and through other outlets.  Quitter also confirmed my place in my day job.  And most importantly, Quitter reminded me about the importance of having my spouse on board as I go after my dreams.

What’s your dream?  What’s your day job?  How are you working towards your dream?  When was the last time you quit a job?

(Special thanks to Joe Lalonde.  I received Quitter from him as a reward for being one of his top commenters a couple of months ago.  For great tips and life and leadership, check out Joe’s blog by clicking here.)

Love Works Wednesday Link Up Week 2 – Patient

Last week, I kicked off a series of posts based on Love Works by Joel Manby.  (Click here to read my first post in this series).  A blogging friend of mine, Bill Grandi (The Cycleguy), recently challenged readers to consider linking up with him for several weeks with posts related to this excellent leadership book.  To read Bill’s introductory post for this series, click here.

For today, Bill and I (and anyone else who’s linking up with us) will be posting about the third chapters (Patient:  Have Self-Control In Difficult Situations).  Check out Bill’s take by clicking here.

If you recall from last week, Manby’s premise is that leadership is best when it comes from a position of agape love.  As the book unfolds, he uses I Corinthians 13 as the springboard to talk about love-based leadership.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Since I already read the book, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some of the sentences I underlined when I read the book initially:

• “Embracing patience is not about ignoring poor performance.”  (p. 36)

• “The principle of patience means behaving with self-control in difficult situations.” (p. 36)

• “I determined never to publicly admonish people in a way that would diminish their dignity.”  (p. 39)

• “Whenever possible a reprimand should be given in private, and it should be given in a way that maintains a person’s dignity.  When we admonish our employees in private and in a patient, respectful manner, we go a long way toward ensuring our employees remain motivated and continue to grow.”  (p. 39)

• “We must always admonish with patience and respect.  Our goal isn’t simply performance; it’s to protect the dignity of the people on our team.  Whether we correct and train our employees in public or in private, our goal is always to do so with respect and love.  After all, that’s exactly how we want to be treated.” (p. 41)

• “For praise to be effective, it needs to be delivered by a leader who is patient enough to observe what his or her team has actually been doing and waits for the right moment to deliver that assessment.”  (p. 42)

• “It takes patience to praise with specifics, and praise without specifics can be worse than no praise at all.”  (p. 43)

• “To be truly effective, praise must be legitimate and pointed.”  (p. 46)

• “Admonish in private whenever possible; be stern but avoid malice; be specific; get people “back on the horse” with pointed praise; move on without a grudge.”  (p. 49)

Bill’s post focuses on utilizing self-control/patience when reprimanding someone.  This chapter in Love Works clearly gives some great insight and advice for addressing poor performance.  Another side of the patience spectrum mentioned in this chapter is how we choose to praise someone for a job well done.  Have you ever received a compliment that seemed vague and unspecific?  It kind of seems like you’re being coddled – that someone is just trying to suck up to you.  Manby reminds us that we need to be thoughtful and specific in complimenting someone.  This takes self-control and patience to deliver a message that is meaningful and deserved.

I have been learning how to apply this type of praise as I’ve joined and participated in Matt McWilliams‘ Thank You Thursday Revolution.  In Matt’s initial post about the revolution, he encourages leaders to write handwritten Thank You Notes to deserving team members.  He charges readers and Thank You Thursday Revolutionaries to be specific in reasons for providing appreciation.  As leaders, we obviously need to reprimand, but we must not forget to praise our team members.  There’s amazing power in simple and specific gratitude and it starts with us!

As we continue with Love Works Wednesday, I want to challenge you to think about your leadership from a whole new perspective.  Whether you lead in the business world, the church world, or in another pocket of the world, try leading with love.  Not love the feeling, but with love the action.  Lead in a way that puts other first.  Lead in a way that represents how you’d honestly like to be treated by others.  Lead in a way that preserves the dignity of others.  Over the next seven weeks, Bill and I will continue to explore love based leadership.  I hope you’ll read along, jump into the comments, and maybe even change the way you lead.  Until then, consider getting a copy of Love Works for yourself, and see how this book might change you and your leadership.

What is one thing you can do differently this week to lead people with more patience and love than before?  How have you been led with patient and love-based leadership?

Guatemala – Education

Over the next several weeks and months, I will intersperse facts and figures about Guatemala through the blog.  As I share this information, it’s my hope to further understand this country that has captured my heart.  Today, I’ll share about the education in Guatemala.

According to Wikipedia:

The government runs a number of public elementary and secondary-level schools.  These schools are free, though the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, and transportation makes them less accessible to the poorer segments of society and significant numbers of poor children do not attend school. Many middle and upper-class children go to private schools. The country also has one public university (USAC or Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala), and nine private ones.   USAC was one of the first universities in Guatemala. It was officially declared a university on January 31, 1676 by royal command of King Charles II of Spain.  Only 74.5% of the population aged 15 and over are literate, the lowest literacy rate in Central America.  Although it has the lowest literacy rate, Guatemala is expected to change this within the next 20 years.  Organizations such as Child Aid, which trains teachers in villages throughout the Central Highlands region, are working to improve educational outcomes for children.  Lack of training for rural teachers is one of the key contributors to the country’s low literacy rates.

In a classroom in Xenacoj (Photo by Adam Flora)

While we were in Guatemala this past summer, we had the opportunity to volunteer for a few days at one of the local schools in Xenacoj.  Children go to school throughout the year with different breaks than we experience here in the United States.  The classrooms we saw had desks and whiteboards.  They were constructed with concrete floors, cinder block walls, and corrugated metal roofs.  The playgrounds consisted of a dirt surface and soccer posts.  We also saw basketball hoops in one of the playgrounds at the school.  Soccer is obviously the sport of choice for many of the kids.  And they could run circles around us as we tried to catch our breath at the higher elevations.

It’s my understanding that kids often come to school without breakfast, and they often don’t bring anything to eat for lunch.  While we’re in Guatemala this coming summer, we’ll have the opportunity to participate in a feeding program for 200 school aged children.  This program was recently launched by GO! Ministries and the response was unbelievable.  Here’s a video that shows some pictures of the first day of the feeding program.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ozooX1aRk]

As stated in previous posts, The Stretched Community is joining together to help with this feeding program.  We’ll continue to go after this challenge until we reach the goal or until July of this summer before we leave for this trip back to Guatemala.  To read more, click here.

Where did you go to school?  How do you think your life would be different if you went to school in Guatemala?  What was your favorite subject in school?

Lance Armstrong, Barack Obama, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Lance Armstrong, Barack Obama, and Martin Luther King Jr.

These three names are near the top of the search charts these days.

For Lance Armstrong, he’s facing the aftermath of his admission to doping during his career as a cyclist.  This past week on the Oprah Winfrey Network he came clean about years of “systematic doping” which led to winning the Tour de France seven consecutive years.  He had his Olympic bronze medal stripped from him this past week.  And I’m guessing that he opened the door for countless lawsuits in which people and companies will seek to be compensated for the damage they faced as the hands of Armstrong to their finances, their reputations, and their careers.  It could get pretty ugly for Lance.  I’m sure he could use a little grace and mercy as he faces the penalties and ridicule that he certainly deserves.

For Barack Obama, he’s being inaugurated today for his second term as President of the United States.  He certainly faces some uphill battles of his own in the coming four years.  I’m sure he’s made plenty of mistakes throughout his life including during his first term.  No matter what, some people will love him and some people will dislike him.  With the state of the economy, the situations overseas, and the decisions to be made within our borders, it could be a pretty tough four years for Barack and his family.  I’m sure he could use a little wisdom to go with some grace and mercy as he faces the challenges that await him.

For Martin Luther King Jr., this is a day we remember.  Many will be talking about his famous “I Have A Dream” speech today as they celebrate the man who spoke openly about a dream for equality for all people regardless of race or gender.  Many strides have been made in this department since King said these words as evidenced by the election of Obama to the highest position in our country.  But I’m sure more could be done to bring about equal opportunities for education and career/jobs.  For me MLK Day reminds me that there is still work to be done for his dream and for my own dreams.

So how do these three people fit together.  In a way, I can identify with each of them on small levels.  While I haven’t committed the highly public mistakes that Lance Armstrong admitted to this week, I’ve made my fair share of blunders over the years.  I could definitely use some grace and mercy.  While I don’t hold the responsibility of leading our country, I am a leader in my home, at work, and in my church.  I could definitely use wisdom to go with the grace and mercy.  And as for the MLK Day reminder, I have dreams.  I must continue to go after these dreams with a passion and drive that is relentless.  And I must continue to standup for the rights of those who can’t speak for themselves.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

What are your thoughts on Lance Armstrong, Barack Obama, and Martin Luther King Jr.?  How do you identify with them?  What’s your dream?