Reflection: The spring in Guatemala

I want to share my one-month experience in Guatemala, known by the motto ‘El País De La Eterna Primavera’ (The Country of The Eternal Spring). I dedicated the whole month of August to learning Spanish in Guatemala. My course was in Antigua (One hour by car from the capital city) at ‘San Jose de Viejo school. I have experienced learning languages, and Spanish is the hardest; however, I did my best. The first week was tough because I had no friends with whom to practice Spanish in the house where I was living. I shared this with Confrere, who introduced me to one Mercedarian priest in Antigua. He was so welcoming and introduced me to their community. Praise God, finally, I had the opportunity to practice Spanish.

 I went to the La Merced community every afternoon to practice Spanish with them. I am very grateful because they welcomed me well and were willing to help me. I was given the opportunity to participate in all the community activities, including celebrating mass in the parish. Every day, I was given the opportunity to celebrate mass together with the parish priest. The experience with the La Merced community gave me a new enthusiasm for learning Spanish.

The Spanish course finished on 30 August. After that, I had the opportunity to visit Quiché and Chahal. In Quiché I had the chance to visit the shrine where the MSC martyrs were killed during their mission. The simplicity and enthusiasm of the people in Quiché touched me. The experience proved that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Christian faith.

In Chahal, I visited the parish and the school where the MSCs perform their mission. There are two confreres in the parish and three confreres in the school. Before leaving Guatemala, I met with the pre-novitiate community in the afternoon.

I want to say that my experience in Guatemala was not only about learning Spanish but also about learning how to live as an MSC. During my time in Guatemala, I encountered a new reality that was very inspiring. I had the opportunity to interact with indigenous people who are very friendly to foreigners. I was deeply touched by their simplicity and how they struggled to survive. Their way of life is an inspiration for me always to strive to be a missionary who is ready for any mission. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to the MSC community in Guatemala, Raúl Ruíz Mena, MSC, Julio Molina, MSC and all the MSC confreres for the hospitality and support during my time in Guatemala, muchas gracias por todo, hasta pronto.

Bram Tulusan, MSC