Reconnecting With Guatemala

By Mary Morales, Former Guatemala Program Coordinator

Looking out the plane's window as we begin to land, we are filled with nostalgia. The sight of majestic volcanoes and rolling green hills spark warm memories of past trips to Guatemala. We remember the diverse landscapes, the friendly faces, and rich culture of this land. We can only feel excited about being back in this beautiful country.

Marta Velez, another WHFC Program Coordinator, and I travel to Guatemala 1-2 times each year to re-connect with Guatemala. Traveling to the country only adds to our ability to help families through their adoption process. Each trip is meant to continue to strengthen our relationships with our attorneys, foster families, and the U.S. and Guatemalan governments. We also feel that it is necessary to explore Guatemala outside of the capital in order to experience the culture. Our most recent trip took place this past July. As always this trip enlightened us even more about the people and the sites of Guatemala.

Each trip is usually fast-paced and always filled with adventure. This trip was no different. As soon as we arrive in Guatemala City, we are greeted by Oscar Miranda, one of the favorite guides and translators for our adoptive families. Instantly we feel welcomed. We are quickly driven to our hotel in zone 9 of Guatemala City. Within minutes we are heading directly to Attorney Ana Maria's office to start our visits with the foster families. Our attorneys are Ana Maria, Rosa Maria, and Olga Eugenia. While in Guatemala, we can see how hard they work on a daily basis and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wide Horizons is very fortunate to have attorneys that are so dedicated.

When we arrive, Ana Maria's office is filled with happy and mostly sleeping babies. The foster mothers are eager to give us news about the babies for their parents in the U.S. We speak to each foster mother individually and take photos of the baby. The foster mothers talk with pride about the babies. They treat each child as a member of their own family. The children are happy and usually chubby. The enthusiasm of the foster families attests to the good care the children receive. The following two days are filled with more visits with the foster families and children. Sometimes we have the opportunity to visit the foster families at their homes. As always, we are welcomed as if we are a dear friend or extended family member. This is our favorite part of each trip. It is so fulfilling seeing the love the children receive from their foster families.

Another purpose for this trip was to research possible humanitarian aid projects around Guatemala. Marta and I were able to visit with three orphanages and a home for disabled children and adults. This experience is unforgettable. The two orphanages located in Guatemala City and Antigua were wonderful. The children, mostly infants, were receiving such good care. Most of the children were waiting to be declared orphans or in the process of being adopted by foreign families. For the most part the orphanages were in excellent shape. However as in most orphanages in Guatemala there is always a need for something. For example, we were shown a baby with respiratory illness that did not have the proper nebulizer for treatment. In the other orphanage, the needs ranged from shoes and clothes to oxygen masks and over-the-counter medicines.

Another day we had the opportunity to visit an orphanage for HIV-positive children and birth mothers. This home was in great need of everything. The bedrooms were cramped with bunk beds of three levels. We noticed that two children were assigned to each bed. In a nearby room, a birth mother lay in her bed so weak from the disease. Birth mothers and children are given HIV medication by physicians and nurses. They also do outpatient consultations for people living with HIV and AIDS. We felt so sad for these children and promised to help the orphanage director make this home the best possible place for these children.

The last place we visited was a permanent home and hospital located in Antigua. The home was massive with many different wings which they divided between men, women, children and adults. The children and adults here have mental and physical disabilities. They have been abandoned by their family and will remain at this place permanently. Some of the babies with malnutrition or cleft lips and palates are there temporarily until they receive medical care and surgeries that normally would not be affordable. There is so much need at this home. Even though it is a desperate situation for these people, we are comforted by the fact that this home has existed for so many years. The workers here will be dedicated to these children and adults forever.

The adventure part of the trip is always a surprise to us. Our attorneys feel it is their duty to show us their beautiful country. If our trip includes a weekend, we are able to do sightseeing. This time we boarded a tiny plane to Tikal, Guatemala, an official government reserve filled with rain forests and ancient Mayan ruins. Every day we hiked 3-4 hours through the jungle to see the Mayan ruins. We could not imagine how the Mayans could have built these temples with only basic tools. As we walk through the rain forest the guides nonchalantly tell us that there are jaguars and pumas that roam freely around us. Marta nervously asks one guide, "What do we do if we see a jaguar?" One of the attorney's sons yells out "RUN!" Besides the fear of being eaten by a jaguar, we are stunned by the beauty and mystery of Tikal.

We are grateful to our attorneys for sharing this part of their country and another piece of their culture with us. Guatemala is a country we hold dear to our hearts.

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