Field Based Training- Huehuetenango

It’s been some time since I’ve updated because for the last week I’ve been gallivanting around the western highlands with my training group. We spent 6 days in the department (state) of Huehuetenango (way-way-tuh-naan-go) visiting various municipal development volunteers. We got to see where they live, participate in some of their work, and ask them all the burning questions we’ve had since we started training. Some of the volunteers we visited are ones that will be replaced with people from our group as they finish their two years and we begin ours. So naturally we were all over analyzing everything our Roberto, our APCD (director of the Muni program) said, trying to figure out where he’s going to send us. We’ve all had several meetings with Roberto, telling him what kind of skills we think we have and what type of setting we’d like to live in- hot, cold, mountainous, rural, urban, Mayan or Spanish language speaking, but honestly, none of us have a clue where we’re heading! This was a good week for figuring out what Muni volunteers actually do, and getting ideas for projects and how to set up a life here in Guatemala. We’ll all be leaving again on Wednesday to spend a few days living with a volunteer to see more of what they do, and when we return they’ll be telling us exactly where we’ll be going. It’s really a pain having to wait, but I can’t believe that in less than 10 days I’ll know my new home for the next two years. WOW The week wasn’t all work though. It was great to finally have time to spend with the rest of my training group. We took advantage of our free time at night to chill at cool local restaurants, hang out, and watch movies. On Friday night we stayed in Xela, the capitol of the department of Quetzaltenango and joined a bunch of other volunteers in watching the presidential debates, and after had some fun salsa dancing!



This is the members of a COMUDE (Community Development Council) voting on what projects they´re going to do for next year.


Watching the presidential debates in Xela with other volunteers.


Downtown Xela



David walking in Xela