Paige Patet, ‘13, English and COJO

I know how to ask three questions in Spanish: What is your name?, How old are you?, and Where’s the bathroom?  So when I exited the Guatemalan airport alongside my fellow VISION participants with three weeks of sunshine, black beans, and cockroaches ahead of me, I was nervous.  On a trip that is intended for students to explore their spiritualties, how could I continue my search if I couldn’t even understand the community I was living with or even the readings at mass?

I remember asking myself this question early on in the trip while sitting on the roof of our hotel.  I looked out at Lake Atitlan and the mountains surrounding us.  The wind blew empty bottles positioned on standing stakes rattling them like marimbas.  The sun slowly dipped in a sky of pinks and oranges.  In that moment I could perfectly understand God’s presence and it was in that moment that I realized God communicates through much more than words (and that’s coming from an English major).

Suddenly, I began to understand the people of San Lucas through so much more: the smiles of the Guatemalan children that greeted me, the warmth of the homemade tortillas each night at dinner, the vibrant colors of the traditional Mayan clothing still worn, and the murmured ‘Amen’—s of the people as they approached the priest to receive the Eucharist.  It was in Guatemala, where I could barely speak with the people, that I experienced real community, spiritual growth, and love.  I began to understand that God’s language is beauty, something all humanity can speak.  And while I continue to work on my Spanish speaking abilities, I hope to learn this new language.  Who knows what sorts of conversations God has in store?