Bellarmine Preparatory High School Spends Spring Break in San Rafael Racana, Guatemala
From flight to flight, bus to bus, each filled with anticipation, 23 student volunteers and two chaperones from Bellarmine Preparatory School walked up a dirt path to a school in San Rafael Racana. We were greeted with a big speech from the school principal, a black back drop decorated with a sign reading “Bienvenidos” in sparkly letters, and hundreds of members of the community—children and parents alike—smiling and waving at us. Despite the language barrier, it was crystal clear that we were welcome.
Our first day was a different kind of work; it was less than that of our hands but that of our hearts. We took a bus into the bigger city of Momostenango to spend the day adjusting to the altitude and exploring. We walked up to a Mayan temple, navigated a vibrant, crowded market and attended Mass at the Catholic Church. Each experience pushed us to be more open to the Guatemalan community.
In the following days, we worked on building a court at the school. Yet our work days were not simply passing down buckets of gravel and sand to the concrete mixer but also a time to learn and exchange smiles and knowledge. Each day, we were put into pairs and challenged with something different. Whether the challenge was to find out about the gender roles and day-to-day life of the locals, challenge the kids to a thumb war, learn a traditional dance, give someone a piggyback ride, or compliment everyone on the team, everyone was excited to give their challenge a shot. These challenges expanded our knowledge of the community, allowed us to learn more about the culture, and connect with the locals.
Another cultural exchange was between us and the food. (Well, mostly it was us eating the food.) From breakfast to dinners, from fruits, juices, chicken, beef and potatoes, to pancakes, eggs, yogurt, bread, tortillas, and lots of plantains, the Bellarmine community was nourished with traditional Guatemalan meals. Even during work breaks, the teachers of the school served the most delicious juices and cut up fresh fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and papaya to offer their gratitude towards all of us working on the court.
During the next three days after our lunches, we experienced more of the local day-to-day life. We visited the Racana river which runs through the town and learned that this river is why the town is called ‘Racana’. More afternoon activities we participated in were soccer with the town on their field, a vicious splash fest in the community pool, and a hike down to a local hot spring.
We connected with the children here during our scattered free time throughout the day. Between basketball, soccer, volleyball, and teaching card games, everyone grew a deeper connection with the children that live here. Even with the language barrier between English and Spanish and Kiche—the local Mayan language—the volunteers from Bellarmine were more than excited to get to know the community. In return, the community was very patient with our broken Spanish and gave us grace as we maneuvered this linguistic challenge. In the end we learned that a true connection doesn’t need a phone, or the ability to fluently speak to one another, but just to have good intentions, determination, and an open heart.
When we finished the construction, there was an opening ceremony to celebrate the court. We were surprised with the amount of people who attended, since there was triple the amount we had interacted with during our stay. There were kids, families, teachers, and government officials, including the mayor. But even more heart-warming than the sheer number of community members in attendance were the activities that the community had prepared for the celebration: traditional dances, song, poetry recitations, and speeches, all to show their excitement and appreciation about all the hard and earnest work—by both ourselves and the community—that went into completing the court.
While we as Americans may materialistically have “more” than San Rafael Racana, they are so rich in generosity, love, and care for each other and their common home. Every person we met throughout the day greeted each and every one of us with “buenos dias” in the mornings, “buenos tardes” in the afternoons, and “buenos noches” at night, highlighting that greetings are not limited to the people you know, but also to those you don’t. Welcomes aren’t supposed to be a one-time thing, and they shouldn’t be reserved only for whom we already know. Welcomes should be the default, not the anomaly. Acknowledging the presence of others and wishing them well—strangers and friends alike—is but the tip of the iceberg of a truly rich community, a community like that of San Rafael Racana.
This trip is more than just the construction of a multi-purpose sports court; it’s also a cultural exchange between foods, languages, and values. San Rafael’s open arms and kind hearts gave us a sense of belonging and showed us what it feels like to truly connect with those in your community, how to truly love your neighbor. So, when at the opening ceremony one of the teachers at the school stated that she had no idea on how to repay us, inside we all knew that this town had given us so much more than we could have possible imagined: delicious meals and refreshing snacks, playing volleyball with the local children until it was too dark to see, and visiting one of the kids named Brian and his grandfather at their shop each day. These are but a few of the memories they gave us, memories full of love that will last a life time.
During the first night of the trip, our Courts for Kids representative Pedro, or as we call him, Peter, asked us: “What day is the best day?” He then said that yesterday is in the past, tomorrow is unknown, so today is the best day, that is why it’s called the present, because it is a present. After realizing that today can only be the best day, we lived each day in San Rafael Racana as the best day and put our all into connecting with those around us, truly learning in to the beautiful gift that is the present.
~ Liana Williams, Student Volunteer
Student Volunteer quotes:
“This trip changed me by making me think about what I have, how interact with others and what it means to be a community. Going back home I think I’m going to be more open and friendly to everyone.” ~ Kelani Comer
“This trip was a lot of good lessons and gives you a lot of new perspectives. You also make amazing memories and meet so many wonderful people.” ~ Ava Harrison
“Going home I hope to take the true aspects of a connected community with me. I want to try and say “hi” to people I meet and to learn their names a long with attempting to create more meaningful, long lasting relationships with others.”
~ Isadora Cool
“From my Courts for Kids trip I learned that in the whole world home is not a warm bed or the place you were born, but it’s the people you surround yourself with. The people of San Rafael Racana have made this clear to me through their love and welcoming nature to us all.” ~ Quin Kanno
“Due to several experiences this week, I intend to be more mindful of my words, actions and be more kind. I believe that this trip will be marked forever in my life as a time of social growth and mindfulness. For that I cannot be grateful enough.”
~ Jonah Bleinberger
“This trip changed me for the good. It really taught me how to live together in a community with others as well work on my work ethic and really built o my character and improve for the better.” ~ Hayden Vance
Community quotes:
What the community liked most about the project was being able to work as a team with the volunteers, everyone working toward a common goal as equals. This experience will go down in the community's history, and generations will enjoy playing sports on this court. ~ Maribel Celestina Ajanel Abac
One of the things that impacted us the most was getting to know the students, sharing our customs and traditions, and having them share a bit of their culture with us as well. Despite the language barrier, we were able to successfully share, so nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it. ~ María Demetria Sontay Quiej
The Court for Kids organization came to strengthen the practice of various sports. Our children were incredibly excited about the project, and as the date approached, their excitement grew even greater. We are very grateful, and we have no way to repay them, but they should be satisfied with the good deed they came to accomplish. ~ Coraima Estefanía Quiej Abac
The experience we had with the project was incredible. The volunteers are very humble people with a passion for helping the community. The impact the court will create will surely be felt in the short term, allowing kids to have fun and play sports. It will help kids develop healthy relationships. ~ Sandra Maribel Ajxup Avila
