Tummy ache and prison.

So I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post or not, but when I arrived in Xela both of Archy's sons were sick to their stomachs. I spent the first 2 days playing and helping take care of them and then I finally got the stomach bug Thursday night. I spent most of the night getting sick and then spent ALL day Friday moving between my bed and the couch to watch TV. At first I thought about going back to Pana because usually there is nothing worst than being sick and not being at home. However, I could not have asked for better caretakers than Archy and Jacky. Both of them spent the day checking on me constantly and bringing me anything they thought I needed. Archy kept offering to take me to the doctor or hospital and when I refused he then went out and bought me gatorade and crackers. Then when I refused to drink or eat anything he grabbed my phone and threatened to call my mom to tell her I was being a bad patient. He kept saying that I was his responsibility since I was in his home, so he was going to treat me like a daughter. He then started calling me his stubborn daughter. It really seemed like every time I woke up he was there to check on me and to see what I needed. As always when I am sick I wish I was at home laying on the couch with my cat and pup and having my mommy take care of me. However, being with this family was a great alternative. I even joked to Archy one time when he asked what he could bring me about wanting my cat and he brought me a stuffed animal to snuggle with. I truly turn into a baby when I am sick, and I was really thankful for both Archy and Jacky. It is funny how at home I feel with this family after only being here for a few days. It is really sweet to keep hearing them say that I am part of their family and that they are really happy I am here.

This morning I woke up to Archy asking me if I felt well enough to go to the prison. Before you think you misread that last word, yep we went to the prison this morning. I didn't at all feel well enough to go, but knew that it may be my only chance so I decided to go anyways. Hemberth who is the owner of
Guatemala Tours (the organization that we hire our drivers and translators through) had approached Salud y Paz a little while back to see if we were interested in helping with a prison ministry that his church along with 2 others had started. When Wayne talked to me about it at first I was both really hesitant and excited about possibly starting a new form of teams to advertise to. This morning besides feeling horrible I also was extremely nervous about what to expect. However, once we got to the prison I was put at ease. I went to college in Huntsville and had to tour the prison for some of my classes, so I was expecting a big scary building with cells and prisoners screaming at you when you walked by. I could not have been more surprised by what I found once I got inside.

First step was to get past security. This took awhile because at first they didn't want to let us in. One guard was OK with it, but the other guard didn't know Hemberth so she originally wasn't too happy about letting us in. After some convincing they finally took our IDs and gave us our "Get out of jail free stamps". Both Hemberth and Archy only got one stamp, but I got 2. I kept thinking about a story that my dad has told me several times about going into a prison in Mexico once with Dave Kuhn to hold a bible study for the prisoners and being given a yellow card to get out. He then says that he held onto that card like his life depended on it. Guatemala may be smarted going the stamp method unless it washes off. Glad I didn't have to find out what happens if that was the case.

After we got through the doors I saw that instead of like the cells we have in the States this prison was actually set up more like a home. There was an open courtyard in the middle with rooms on either side used for dorms, kitchen, and bathrooms. Hemberth and I stood in the courtyard and he explained to me why some of the women were in prison. Two of the women who he knew were guilty of murder and kidnapping, but still I felt calm and safe walking around. Maybe it was because they all met my glances with smiles and kind greeting, or maybe it was because I had Archy, Hemberth, and lots of guards surrounding me. Whatever was the reason being there made me feel much more comfortable with the idea of possibly sending in teams.

Hemberth introduced me to one prisoner named Reyna who was referred to as the "jefe (boss)" of the prison. She has been there the longest, so she has been granted permission to open her own tienda (store) to sell random goods to the other prisoners. I spent about 3 hours sitting across the table in her tienda with her hearing her story, asking what life was like for the prisoners, and then asking what services could they use. It was heartbreaking to sit there listening to how hard these women have it. Reyna explained to me that the government only gives then beans and 5 tortillas a day for meals, so any other type of food they want they would have to purchase from her in the tienda. She also said that prisoners had to buy everything from food to personal items (toilet paper, soap, clothes) with their own money. When I asked how they made money she explained that the women made random material goods to cell to family members who came to visit, but that most of the prisoners never got visited by their family because they were ashamed of them. Reyna is raising her 3 year old daughter, Neece, who was born in the prison. The law states that a child can live with the mother in the prison up to age 4, so she is going to have to figure out where to send the little girl in a year. Her husband is also serving time in another prison and she has a son who is about to graduate high school. She is actually saving money from what she sells in her tienda to send money home to her son to pay for a family dinner after his graduation.

I then asked what the system was for medical and dental services when they were needed. Reyna explained to me that when they need to see a doctor sometimes it can take up to 30 days for one to come. Then they are just handed a prescription and have to figure out on their own how to pay and receive the medication. As for dental services there are none. She said that they don't even have toothbrushes or toothpaste. She then took me on a tour of the prison. When we went into the dorms she pointed out that many women didn't have either blankets or a mattress. Their living conditions were hard to see. 

Right before we were about to leave a woman fell down on the way to the bathroom and broke her leg. I was told by Reyna that she was just laying down in bed because she knew that there was no way she could afford to go to the hospital to receive treatment. I then told Reyna that I wanted to buy something that she had made to support her and Neece, but she then suggested that I buy from the woman with the broken leg because she was going to need more money for treatment. I ended up buying this mirror for Q35 (about $4.50) from the lady. 

It was really hard to hear and see the conditions that these women were living in. I really hope that one day Salud y Paz can partner with the churches and expand the prison ministry they have started. I could see the need for teams including obviously medical and dental, but also construction and people to come in with materials and teach the women how to make even more goods to sell for extra money. They also need a lot of donations that you and I would consider basic needs that they could only dream about. I know there is such a need for help there that whether it be through personal donations or Salud y Paz I am eager to see the difference we can make for these women.

Ok... it's getting late and I just finished watching Footloose (for the first time... don't judge) in Spanish. I couldn't tell much about what was going on other than Kevin Bacon seemed to want the whole town to be involved in one huge dance number. I'm still not feeling the best, so I'm thinking it is time for bed. Night blog world.