Saturday, December 24, 2011

Santa Clause Ain't Coming to This Town


Santa Claus isn’t in Guatemala City on Christmas Eve.  It’s too crazy here for him to ride with his reindeer through the sky. Instead the sky is ablaze with the commotion of brilliant fireworks and sparklers. They light up the sky leaving smoky residue in the night air. For about an hour and forty minutes the residents of the city celebrate the birth of Christ with bursts of light and colour and noise. It is certainly a different way to bring in the holiday.

I am lying in my bed listening to the commotion outside. I would love to see the show, but it is just not available to me. Everywhere is fireworks! I look out the small window in my room and I can see the glimpses of the festive lights through the narrow cracks in the walls of the building next to me. The windows are mere slivers of space strategically built to allow air in and to keep people out. In Guatemala, it feels safer to be enclosed, protected from outside activity.

The orthodox synagogue building.
The members of Casa Hillel are generally
not welcome here
The city itself is built like a fortress. The residential area where we are staying is deserted, with people tending to remain in their houses. For many, venturing outside is only for necessity. The streets near us are all but empty of pedestrians. Automobiles are the only means of getting from one place to another. We are warned to avoid using public transportation. It is too dangerous. Aware of the possibilities on the streets, people walk only in large groups.

We are staying with a family in Zone 11. This zone happens to be one of the better zonas. And yet, as we glance down the gated street there is not a car parked anywhere. Garage spaces have been constructed for each house, enclosing the entrances and adding extra protection to each home. Sliding steel doors can be heard clanging open and shut as residents venture out for their daily activities.  Multiple locks on layers of doors reinforce protection. There is no dimension to the streets. Instead long tunnels of steel border the streets and spirals of barbed wire protect each household.

There's a beautiful building
hidden in there
Even the schools look like prisons in the capital city. Sometimes, hidden within the steel fortresses, evidence of beautiful architectural creations peek out through the protective fortress walls. I get the feeling that perhaps the city used to be more vibrant and welcoming. Now violent crime is rampant here and the value of human life seems trite. Few families have not experienced violence close to home. Our host lost one of her sons just last year to robbery and murder. No one is exempt. No one is completely safe.

Military presence is everywhere. Rifles, guns, and other weapons are evident on uniformed men in front of libraries, schools, apartment buildings and on street corners. Even Wal-Mart is enclosed and has an armed guard outside its doors.  I am constantly trying to feel safe!

Once inside, we felt safe!
We are here for the weekend and are spending time working with a small community of Jewish Guatemalans who call themselves Casa Hillel. The work we are doing is rich and we feel blessed to know these people and to be able to share our skills and time and love. We wouldn’t trade this experience for anything and we do plan on returning often while we are in Guatemala.
Guatemala City is not our favourite place in the country, but the work we are doing here is worthwhile and received with gratitude and love! And when we’re done,  we come back to thenatural beauty of the lake. Maybe Santa Claus will wait for us there!

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