Finally home!

We finally arrived in Xela late yesterday afternoon just as the rain was starting (former Hoopsters will appreciate this).

But before we got to Xela, we stopped at Iximche along the way for a bit of a history lesson, a bit of getting to know and a chance to stretch our legs. Iximche is essentially where the Mayans made their last stand against the Spaniards and while the ruins aren't as grand as those in Tikal, they are certainly no less historically significant.

While Spanish class and working with the young children in the villages is a HUGE part of our time in Guatemala, so too is learning about the culture of the Mayans. It's important for the students to learn that while the Mayan culture is ancient, there are many living, breathing Mayans today, including our teachers, the children we work with and some of the basketball teams we play.

We had to cut our visit to Iximche a bit short because the storm clouds were brewing on the horizons,

but as we were leaving, one of our students Zion noticed some of the guides playing chess. They reset the board and invited him to play, which he did. It was great. It's really great when students are willing to do things like, to break out of their shyness or nervousness about a new culture and meet new people or try new things.

After we arrived in Xela, the students were all paired up and met their host families for the month. The evening was spent eating, relaxing and getting to know their new families. Early morning reports indicate that while there are some language barriers, things are going well.

Today (Thursday 7/16) is the first day of classes and camps. We'll have a full report tomorrow.