Friday, August 8, 2008

Rest, Restaurant, and Restoration-Day 6

8 August 2008

We slept in and had a slow start. We were adjusting to the safety. It was a bit overwhelming for me after the anxiety of the day before. Now that everyone was safe, I realized how worried I had been the day before. Hearing some of their stories didn’t help the feeling that they were in danger, but hearing other stories reassured me that they really had been fairly safe.

After breakfast, we walked up to the Dominican Monastery about a ¼ mile up the road. There was an amazing mural with the history of the Maya peoples and Christianity. While in that chapel, we had a devotion led by Jen on giving and receiving. It was a meditation from Henry Nouwen and it was the perfect framework to discuss the events of the day before. While folks were talking about the 6 hour detainment, it was a strange mix for me of being there, but being apart. Both Ty and I are still equally a part of the whole group, but we experienced this mutual event from the outside. It had its own level of fear for me and yet, even though it was a shared experience, we experienced it differently from the rest of the group. The conversation was rich and meaningful and some extra information was brought forward in an attempt to help us understand the context. A night of good rest had helped everyone be ready to focus on what was ahead, with the understanding that this was an event we would be processing together for quite a while.

We went into town for lunch and then had a bit of time to hang out in town or head back to rest. We met up about 5:30 in the afternoon to discuss our next few days and what the options would be. Lisa is now on crutches and her ankle is badly sprained, though not broken. This limits the hiking she will be doing. That means that there are vehicle options for anyone who doesn’t want to hike. The first 2 days of out next trek will be combined into a 5 hour hike. I opt out because I’m tired of fighting being the slow one. I also realize that I can’t keep up the pace we’ve had and have anything left when I return. I opt to take the truck with Lisa, Wendy, Amanda, and Rob up to Chelemha and meet the group there. Tara and the kids will hike with the group.

In the evening we all go to David’s house for a party and a feast. There was delicious food that had taken hours to prepare. We bought a bottle of rum to take to the party that is aged for 23 years. It was quite delicious. There was some dancing and a chance to thank our porters for everything they did, including carrying Lisa out after she hurt her ankle.

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