16 March, 2025
This week we heard from a few speakers, one speaking about Mennonites in Central America, another about Catholicism and Liberation Theology, and we heard from a group from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) about their work and opportunities.
It was our last week of Spanish classes and our last week with our host families. Thursday we had our final exams. Friday we had our closing program for class, and in the evening we had a banquet with our families to enjoy our last bit of time together and say goodbye. Then on Saturday, we left for our week of free travel.
This week marked the end of a chapter here in Guatemala. It was the last week of Spanish classes and host families. We said goodbye to the routine that we have known since we arrived here in Guatemala. For me, this week was unlike any other I’ve experienced. It was deeply saddening to say goodbye to the people who have taken me into their family and loved me like their own. During our EMU class this week, Wendell introduced the quote by Ernest Hemingway
when he was answering how he went bankrupt. Hemingway replied, “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” Wendell challenged us to think about the ways that we have seen changes in our experience here in Guatemala occurring gradually and then suddenly.
This made me reflect on my time with my host family. In the beginning, I felt overwhelmed and scared. The communication barrier made it hard to connect. I wondered how I was going to make it through two months of this. However, in gradual ways, I began to feel deeply loved and known by my host family. My host dad brought me an apple every night before bed. My host mom made me a
handmade bookmark when she noticed that I didn’t have one. On 
days when I felt the most tired or sad, they made me laugh. They helped me plan my free travel week. We ate a lot of good food together! Every meal was filled with laughter and story-telling.
Suddenly, it’s my last week with them and the thought of saying goodbye feels deeply painful. With tears in their eyes, they
pulled me in tightly and told me that I was always welcome in Guatemala and in their family. It was hard for me to put into words all that I felt in that moment. Words couldn’t express my gratitude. They have impacted me so deeply. All I did was show up, and they have taken me in as a part of their family. I have felt so seen, loved, and cared for. I want to hold on to this feeling, and I want to make others feel this way too. I have experienced God’s love through the ways they have gradually shown me kindness.
– Zoe Clymer 3/16/25
