Guatemala trip review: Our Leland students represented our school and themselves very well while soaking up Guatemalan culture, the Spanish language, and the spectacular beauty of Guatemala. Guided by Arely and Katie, our kind and knowledgeable hosts from the Planting Seeds organization, the Lelanders were learning new things every day. They were exposed to beautiful landscapes, lots of español, and friendly, eager students at the Planting Seeds school and Community Center. 

But when they toured the "House of Memory" museum in Guatemala City, they learned about the tragic history of Guatemala, and developed a whole new respect for the people of the country. They also saw the grinding, shocking poverty of regular Guatemalan life; the noisy traffic of endless buzzing motorcycles and ubiquitous, smoke-spewing old U.S. school buses used for public transportation, and tuk-tuk moto taxis zipping all over the place. Each of our students said they would like to help out much more with the local students. 

The Comets worked hard to design lessons and activities for the kindergartners and first graders of the school, and everyone had a blast learning together. The Leland students also spent an afternoon with young adult Guatemalan students who take and teach classes at the Planting Seeds community center in Guatemala City. The locals practiced their English, and the visitors showed off their Spanish! Lots of fun and silliness and mirth ensued. Our kids were impressed by the spirit and kindness of the Guatemalans, all of whom come from very poor circumstances. 

The lessons learned on this trip will stay with our kids for a long time, I am sure. There was lots of fun and sightseeing, but there was also lots of serious learning going on. I like to think that our students came home with a wider view of the world than they had before. Hopefully they are inspired to continue to learn about all of the world's countries and peoples!