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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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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