Emma Z After Thoughts

"The life without Me isn't life" 

As I rode the plane home yesterday night and ate a four dollar bag of whoppers candy, it really struck me for the first time of the whole trip how lucky and blessed I am. If you can afford to travel somewhere on an airplane and buy food at an airport, you are one of the most blessed people in the world. The people in San Lucas, or San Andres, or Panajchel, or Santa Cruz (where the photo above was taken) may never leave their country, or go to college, or have a big beautiful home, but somehow, unfathomably, their lives are fulfilled. One day while we were hauling buckets of cement, a chaperone from another school was talking to a group of little boys hanging around. He told them that we had come here to serve them and learn about their culture- to learn about what life is all about in Guatemala. So then he asked, "What is life in Guatemala all about?" A little boy answered him, feliz. Happy.
How could someone with so little say that their life was happy? It's incomprehensible to someone with everything. He doesn't have material things, he doesn't have money... so could it possibly be that God is enough for him? People said it and said it and said it but it took me until the plane ride home to understand that most of the people in San Lucas have nothing. God is their everything and all that they need.
As Americans I know we like to think that we're progressive and innovative, and the rest of the world just follows our lead. But... maybe we should look down from our pedestal and take a page out of Guatemala's book, and learn (try to learn) to accept the fact that things don't make us happy, things don't fulfill us, things don't bless us, things don't love us, things don't matter... but God does. A life without God isn't life.
I feel SO blessed to have gone on this trip, and I'm especially thankful to God, my parents, and the people that sponsored my trip.
Thanks to all, peace and blessings,

Emma Zvanovec