THE END IS NEAR!!!

Or so say the ancient Mayans, groups of extremely anxious doomsday sayers around the world, and of course, actor John Cusack. Unfortunately, you and I are going to be hearing a lot more about the END OF THE WORLD for two more years. That's right, folks, the world is going to end in December, 2012.

The ancient Mayans, of whom Guatemalans claim their ancestry, used a very unique and interesting way of counting days, and according to the cyclical Long Count Calendar, our days are up in 2012. Hollywood, in normal fashion, has

jumped all over the upcoming hysteria with the movie, '2012' (just as they did in the year 2000 - remember those duds?)
I'm not quite sure why human beings are so obsessed with the world ending, and especially why so many want it to end in such dramatic fashion (fireballs from space, flesh-eating locusts, etc. etc.). There seems to be, however, something in us that craves some sort of end or resolution to time - even the ancient Egyptians and more recently the ancient Maya had calendars that "ended."
Don't worry though, according to conversations I've had with people who read and understand the Popul Vuh (Mayan bible), the world isn't necessarily ending around Christmas 2012, it's just "starting over." Good luck to everyone! ; )

Or maybe it IS the end!? As you may have heard, 2012 started early in Guatemala. Several days ago Pacaya Volcana erupted, spewing inches of ash all over Guatemala City and the airport runway, killing 3 people (this is the volcano where Carey and I roasted marshmallows).

Then 3 days ago the rains started and haven't stopped yet (from Tropical Storm Agatha). In my village of Panjachel the lumber yard and a few homes couldn't withstand the force of the river. Mudslides and flooding have killed over 20.
The worst news came last night when I had to cancel the surgery team which was supposed to start work today. Now 80 people will not receive the operations they needed. I literally felt like crying as I made the calls to give them the bad news. Ugh - the poor just can't catch a break sometimes.

THE END IS NEAR!
Unfortunately for Carey and me the end really is near. With mixed emotions we leave Guatemala on July 18th. It has been an amazing and life-changing journey but the time has come to return to the States and jump back into our careers, bringing with us what we've learned and many cherished memories. It's not goodbye, though, just "see you later."

Peace,
Jay

How Do You Spell S-u-s-t-a-i-n-a-b-i-l-i-t-y?

Carey and I want to make ourselves obsolete in Guatemala. Since we arrived here, an important aspect of our mission has been long-term sustainability. It goes back to the old saying, "Catch a fish for a man and you've fed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime." We've always known that Project Salud y Paz belonged in the hands of Guatemalans, not gringos, and so it is our hope that within a few years this will become a reality.

This is Jose. He has been with the project for several years now, first as a driver and registrar, then as a pharmacist, and now as the Team Host-in-Training. I have been training Jose to eventually take over the management of our mission teams, and so far he's done a great job. I guess it doesn't hurt that he's fluent in English, Spanish and K'iche.

This is Mary. She's one of the most natural teachers Carey and I have ever seen. She was the first teacher Carey hired and will eventually be the director of the preschool. Her love for the children and her community plus the speed at which she has learned English make her the perfect choice.

This is Janet and Wayne. When Carey and I leave in July they'll take over our positions. We are super lucky to have them and they're excited to get started. Wayne and Janet will continue training Jose and Mary in order that they'll be prepared to take over for them when they leave in a couple years. It's all about sustainability!

Salud y Paz,

Jay

Raising Arizona?

Carey and I are moving to Arizona in August. It's unlikely we'll see any of our new friends from Guatemala there.
As you know, Arizona just passed the nation's toughest bill on illegal immigration with the purpose of identifying, prosecuting, and deporting more illegal immigrants. From my understanding, the bill will give law enforcement officers in the state the ability to request citizenship papers from civilians to verify their legal residency (however, apparently the bill was recently amended to say police could only request papers from "suspicious" individuals or individuals whom they've stopped for some other infraction of the law or crime). Many in the US and abroad have responded strongly to this new legislation. For Carey and me, it's become a personal issue as well.
During our time in Guatemala, we have met many wonderful people - some of whom will be our lifelong friends. As we've gotten closer to them, a few of them have revealed that they have either lived in the US or at some point been tempted to cross into the US illegally. These confessions have brought the issue closer to home for me.

Until I lived in a country south of the border, I guess I never thought much about the individual people and families who make up the estimated 12 million illegals currently in the US. They are guys my age without much education who go to find work. They are men desperate to provide for their families. And they are families looking to escape corrupt governments and militaries.
Now, I'm no fool. I also recognize that there are criminals, drug-dealers, and people who will take advantage of the welfare system among them too. And I also recognize that this is a very contentious issue, without any easy answers or solutions. However, I can't help but cringe when I hear lawmakers in Arizona call all illegal immigrants the "bad guys."
I say this only because I recently started thinking about what I would do if I were in their position. Admittedly, this was uncomfortable for me to do, because it made my morality a little less black and white. But Carey and I will have children one day (yes, mom, soon - we promise!), and we'll want to do everything we can to provide them with opportunities (education, health, jobs, safety) to live a happy and well-rounded life. With this thought in mind, the issue comes down to only one question for me: "If I happened to be born on the south side of a border instead of on the north side of a border and desperately wanted to provide these opportunities for my family, would I take the risk of crossing that border in order to ensure that happened - even if I my action would be considered illegal and I would be termed a 'bad guy?'"

Yes, I would.

Peace,
Jay