Students from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon, visit the community of Paxotaja, Guatemala

After over 24 hours of travel, and a drive through windy roads, we arrived in the beautiful mountains of Paxotaja. Through the humidity, elevation, and exhaustion, we still felt the warm welcoming presented by the community. Our first look at the court was an empty flat lot that the community had been excavating for months prior to our arrival. The community’s gratitude was expressed through their words, gifts, performances, activities, and meals they provided. 

The first three days we began working on the court. The community had already sectioned the court off into thirds for us before building. Some of the jobs on the site included, shoveling, passing buckets of sand and gravel, and loading materials into the mixer. This process was repeated over the following three days, and was filled with an abundance of laughter, exhaustion, teamwork, and breaks eager with excitement to continue. Some of the challenges we encountered included fluctuating weather from peak heat to pouring rain and constant exhaustion. We learned that despite the significant challenges, collaboration and teamwork between different communities can form something beautiful. Although there was a significant language barrier, each individual connected and found gratitude and joy within the community while working. 

The principal, Enrique, took us on spectacular hikes through the beautiful forests of Totonicapán, giving us the opportunity to see the natural springs where their water originates. We also saw the temporary play space the kids used, about a kilometer away from the school. We were reminded of our own Oregon forests, allowing us to share our love for the beautiful outdoors and nature. 

It would be a mistake to not acknowledge the effort and love that was put into hosting us. The immense effort was displayed through the long hours of cooking put into our meals by the mothers in the community. These women often woke up as early as 4 a.m. to begin cooking exceptional meals for over 20 people, with 15 hour days. Beyond this, the effort to make us feel at home was exemplified through the comfortable showers they built specifically for us. We collaborated with cultural assemblies that portrayed their values and traditions. While learning about their culture through the performances, they also gifted us the opportunity to share our special traditions, including karaoke, dances, and more. Additionally, they showed immense thoughtfulness through a surprise birthday party they put on for one of our group members. They surprised us and the children with 5 delicious cakes and a piñata for everyone to enjoy. 

After early mornings with challenging work, we enjoyed the afternoons spending time with the children of Paxotaja. Furthermore, we were lucky enough to experience the love and joy the children brought to the community. We were given the opportunity to connect with them through games, chalk, sports, and s’mores. One of the fondest memories was playing soccer in the rain with all the children, despite being worn out from working earlier that day. We learned about their hobbies, families, hopes and dreams. All of these details contributed to the story of each child. Being able understand and create these strong connections with each kid, made leaving so much more difficult. 

All of these factors and memories created and found on this trip, highlighted the values and cultural norms found in this community. We could see their emphasis on hospitality through how they hosted us. We could see the value placed on family and community through the excitement seen in both the parents and kids to make this court possible. We appreciated the work put into the meals and the contributions made by the community for the court and we continue to be inspired by the dedication and communal support to achieve this goal. This unforgettable experience would not have been possible without the supportive, kind, present, humble, and well organized coordinator, Peter! We are eternally grateful for his presence on this trip.

Though no words we say can thank the community of Paxotaja enough, Jesuit High School is eternally grateful for the handful of memories created, bonds formed, and love shown. We are so lucky to experience the hospitality and generosity the community had to represent a small sliver of Guatemala. We hope that this past week has an equal impact on the community as it does on us and may the court symbolize the love and support it was built upon. 

~ Lakshmi Regupathy, Julia Hudnut, Hazel Mackey, Jesuit High School Student Volunteers

Volunteer Quotes:

It is an incredible opportunity to expand one’s horizons while mutually exchanging and learning about other cultures.
~ Octavio Galaviz

I have made so many new connections and great memories on this trip. I have learned so much more about myself and the world. ~ Tessa Nanson

I recommend Courts for Kids because of the love given and received and the amount of relationships fostered that you never would have expected. ~ Fionna Goodman

I really learned how much I valued family. After seeing the connections of the community I saw how important they were.
~ Maddi Fallon

What I learned about myself is I love helping people. This makes me want to help people in the future and genuinely changed my life. ~ Liam Galan

Community Quotes:

This project is an important step forward for our community. Thank you to the students of Jesuit High School in Portland for supporting us and providing this project. ~ Juana Gabriela Canastuj Alvarado, Community leader

Sharing with another culture has strengthened community life, especially for our kids who were able to socialize in a very interactive and friendly way with the volunteers. Thank you, Courts for Kids, for building our court.
~ Marina Rosemary Bulux Tiu, Teacher

We have wanted this project for years, and thanks to God and Courts for Kids for providing this important support for our community. Young people and kids will enjoy this recreational space and be able to practice soccer and basketball.
~ Miguel Misahel Lux Joj, Community member

It seemed complicated but not impossible. We thank everyone involved for guiding this project forward, along with the Courts for Kids organization and students from Jesuit High School Portland, for providing us with this court. The interaction with the community was very important, as we achieved the participation of most parents and students. Our guests left us with many valuable lessons; one of them was sharing, and despite having different cultures and languages, we were able to interact with them in the best way. ~ Pedro Basilio Lux Ixcoteyac, Community leader

Thanks to the Courts for Kids organization for their support in the construction of the multi-sports court at our school. It will be of great benefit to our students in sports and recreation. We will never forget this important support for our community.
~ María Magdaly Quiroa Osorio, Teacher

Thanks to the Courts for Kids organization and Jesuit High School in Portland for this project, which we have longed for for years. Our multi-sports court will improve the conditions for sports and recreation in our community. Our school is grateful for the exchange of knowledge, culture, and the interaction that took place with the Portland community, including parents and students. It has been very beneficial, as it allowed for the participation of the majority of parents throughout the entire process of building the court. We hope to benefit from this opportunity in a future project. Thank you very much.
~ Juan Enrique Calix Lux Pú, Community leader and teacher