Iglesia Yurrita

The slums sort of...shanty towns in the city.

Iglesia Yurrita. Nuestra Senora de los Angustias.

I'm continuing to make baby steps with the students...a little girl and I played a game of cat and mouse with clay and I turned her into a cat by giving her clay claws and then made a bunch of mice out of clay for her to pretend to attack and eat. We understood each other for a good 11 minutes. Progress! I was trying to make a last one out of clay but I ran out so it didnt have ears and she was like... no orejas?! So I had to scrap it out. Apparently mice without ears doesnt fly. We took them swimming today, mayyheeemm. But complete joy.

This afternoon I went to Iglesia Yurrita. It is this beautiful church, it's all salmon pink and white and gray and the carvings on it are incredible. It was made by a man who was trapped after a volcano erupted, (it was a big moment in history...I should know the name of the volcano) and he was praying to Senora de Angustias, or the lady of anguish, to save him and he promised her that if she saved him he would build a church in her honor. I love that story:) So he did it, and it is incredible. There are floral sculptures and carving and stained glass windows everywhere inside, and it sort of glows purple. And a huge statue of Senora de Angustias. He done her proud.

We also took sort of an informal tour of the city...at one point Virgina said, ok close your eyes, and then when I opened them she said, do you still feel like you're in Guatemala? It was in zone...14 I think? 12? And it is where all the wealthy people live and she was right...it is like being in a completely different country. Everything is huge and shiny and clean and modern. Its bizarre. And there are posters for halloween, which is not a holiday here. She said that only the people who live there celebrate it.

Hope you're all doing well!