Jesuit High School students from New Orleans serve in the vibrant community of Santa Maria Chiquimula, Guatemala

At 7:30 at night, the rising senior students from Jesuit High School in New Orleans arrived in Santa Maria Chiquimula, Guatemala for a week of collaborative work and cultural exchange with the local community. The bus was filled with almost twenty students, two teachers, and a Courts for Kids representative from Guatemala. We, the students from the United States, all from different backgrounds and cultures, came in to do a job, a calling – to help another community. 

The community was bustling and full of people with true, authentic values. The community members are of Mayan descent, and many speak Spanish, as well as the native tongue of the region, K’iche. The members of the school community were all respectful, humble, patient, helpful, and creative, from the students to the staff to the parents. The school, Fe y Alegria No. 49, was full of vibrant life and beautiful architecture. The school had many classes and even offered trade classes, such as agriculture, cooking, welding, and carpentry. We were even able to participate in the trade classes, with some of us going to cook a traditional dessert taught by a professional chef, and the others going to learn how to weld different objects, including crucifixes, that they took as souvenirs.

When we arrived to this village, some of us were expecting a mud hut with no electricity and ice-cold bucket showers. However, we were very pleased to find out this expectation was far from the truth. We arrived to a beautiful school with traditional Hispanic architecture, with electricity and working showers. We were also very pleased with the weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from the 50’s to the 70’s, and cool rain in the afternoon. This weather allowed the work to be much lighter on us all, with the chill temperatures making the work easier and lighter. The work included carrying concrete bags, shoveling sand and rocks, and carrying buckets back and forth, all split up through groups and 10 to 15 minute breaks. 

Furthermore, this experience offered many moments that brought out the best of everyone. These moments included visiting the local community outside of the school, and trying authentic Guatemalan cuisine and getting to experience the daily life of the locals of Santa Maria Chiquimula. We were also able to talk with the students of the school, and exchange cultural facts about each other’s food, music, and slang. We played chess with the students and staff, and some of us even got to visit an English classroom in the school. During the visit to the English classroom, we taught the students some English words and even played musical chairs, at the request of the bright-eyed students. 

Another major aspect of this trip was how we were treated by the locals and school community. Most of the locals in this community were astounded when they saw us, as most of them have never seen this many people who look different from themselves. Nonetheless, we were treated with loving, open arms by the locals. The hospitality with the food and shelter from the staff, along with the patience from the local people as we tried to communicate to them in Spanish, provided a lasting impression on us all. And even though communication was a barrier, we were still able to blend our cultures and come together for the greater cause.

The members of the community were always smiling and more than happy to offer a helping hand. We learned many lessons from this exchange as well, including that God does not solely reside with us in our hometown, but also thousands of miles away, with a completely different group of individuals. We also learned the very valuable lesson that money does not, and never will, buy happiness and that faith, compassion, community, and love buy happiness. This was a lesson taught to us by the school community, who were always excited and ready to learn and express themselves and their culture, unapologetically. 

We were lucky enough to learn many lasting lessons from this experience, including taking life one step at a time, to not take what we have for granted, and to stop and enjoy the simple pleasures that God has given us. From the love shown to us by the locals, to the life lessons we learned from this trip, and to the fun we had with every step, we will never forget the wonderful memories we made with the people from Santa Maria Chiquimula.
~ Jake Flores, Jesuit High School Student Volunteer

Volunteer Quotes:

I learned so much from the community but the one thing that will stick with me is how they live life and how they are always happy. The community lives for the present and for happiness and that made me think about how I can change my life.
~ Johnny Nyein

I feel like this trip made me much more open-minded. Also it’s made me so much more grateful and appreciative for what I have.
~ Cameron Cockrell

Life in my eyes was plain and I was pretty much ungrateful before I went on this trip. Living in Santa Maria Chiquimula opened my eyes to how privileged I am and how life is so different in my plain world.
~ Sam Mann

The biggest lesson I have learned is that this trip was never about me, Jesuit, the workers or the community. I learned that it is about the meaningful engaging connections made. The gratitude that is made through these connections keeps the world happy.
~ Alex Sigüenza 

I learned a few things from the community. One thing I learned was that they value family above most things.
~ James Breaux

I learned that I enjoy helping others and that my generosity and attitude can affect people for the better.
~ Jake Flores

Community Quotes:

We express our sincere gratitude to all the people who made the construction of the court possible. This project represents much more than a physical structure; it symbolizes a commitment to the well-being, health, and development of our population.
~ Monica Santos, School teacher

We wholeheartedly appreciate the donors for giving us a perspective of equality, as we have exchanged and shared parts of our cultures. The smiles of our kids upon seeing this completed project will remain etched in our hearts. Honestly, there is no way to express our gratitude enough.
~ Marcos César, Community member

We are very grateful to Courts for Kids and are committed to making good use of this court. We are also confident that this court will bring many benefits to kids and young people, strengthening their mental health.
~ Josefa Elena, School teacher

As parents, we feel very happy and grateful that this court was built for our kids and will bring so many health benefits. There are no words to express our gratitude for what Courts for Kids and the volunteers from the United States have done for us. We ask God to bless them in everything. Our kids will be very happy to be able to play sports on this court. We are very grateful that you chose us to build a court in our community.
~ Andrés Toribio Carrillo, Parent Leader