SAT, 10/16: I arrived back in Guatemala City at 8am after a four hour drive.. The city was very busy because everyone in Guatemala works on Saturday as a working day. The wedding was at 11am, in a wonderful, small church. I celebrated the wedding Mass for ERIC & RAE in spoken Emglish, ASL, and spoken Spanish. There was a very good Guatemalan sign-language interpreter who translated me into Guatemalan sign. We had about 15 deaf at the wedding.Some knew ASL. Many had never met a Catholic priest who could sign. Several remembered FR. JOE BRUCE who once worked in Guatemala.
The reception afterwards was wonderful. The "champagne" toast was with apple juice; no alcohol. The meal was simple, but very tasty food. We had a fellow playing music and everyone was up dancing...for hours! Nobody sat down. I had the opportunity to talk with the young deaf adults from Guatemala. Many of them are working, but would like to leave Guatemala. The pay is low; there are no laws like the ADA to protect deaf people. The government of the country does not care about its own people. There is a lot of violence.The gangs there are worse than the gangs here.
Yet, at the same time, these were people who have a beautiful spirit. They smile, laugh, enjoy the simple things in life. They dance, and truly appreciate their families and friends. They have great faith in God. Sometimes in America, we have so much. We forget the simple beauty of life. We forget to be grateful for all we have and the wonderful country we live in. There is much suffering in Guatemala; there is immense faith among the people.
If you wish to learn more about the truth of what the Guatemala people face, go to:
www.nisgua.org wwwghrc-usa.org