Reflections from Maria Morawa

The following reflection was submitted Maria Morawa.  Maria Morawa was one of our two student leader for the Guatemala trip and was making her second visit to San Lucas.  

"I went both years, and it was really cool to see the way the two trips were so different because of the different dynamics of the groups. It was wonderful to have people recognize me and to get to see all of the beautiful people and sights again. My favorite part of the trip is definitely the people, but one of the moments that sticks out to me the most from both years is the children's mass. Tim and I were running late to breakfast, but we saw children going into the church and so we peeked in and realized it was the children's mass. We decided to stay for mass. The children sing at the top of their voices, and they're all so beautiful. They kept turning around and looking at us and smiling. It was so nice to see children singing at mass and being so happy to be there. It really showed off the grateful and joyful spirit of the Guatemala people, and it's one of the moments I really hold dear. The trip was an experience that challenged me to look at life with grateful eyes and a joyful heart."

Maria Morawa (right) and Carolyn Creneti (left) with a few children.  

Reflections from Kavitha

Kavitha Lobo is one of our freshmen students who participated in the Guatemala trip this year.  She submitted the following reflection on her experience:

"When I initially signed up for the trip to Guatemala over spring break I simply thought I would be doing some volunteer work with some of my peers. I had no idea how life-changing the week would be, although many students who had previously gone had told me it would be. The country had not only breath-taking views of vast lakes and greenery, but also a people rich in kindness and cultural traditions. I bonded very quickly with the other Cornell students as we all learned about a region that is so spiritually wealthy regardless of its economic status. I hope to return to the beautiful country and continue the work which the mission there promotes in order to help the local people and to learn from them how to improve myself and the world around."