Jumping In

We’re back! Yes indeed, after three glorious weeks of holiday festivities and quality time with friends and family, team MPIG and I are back in Sololá and ready for action. It is now 2011, a new year with new opportunities, and we have many exciting prospects on the horizon. Primarily, we have four months of the warm and dry season, which I plan to savor daily by running outside and spending extensive hours on our balcony. Additionally, during the upcoming months, not only are we fortunate to be able to embark on two retreats to the breathtaking Semuc Champey and Rio Dulce, but we will also be able to do homestays with families in our community, the Central neighborhood of the aldea Chaquijyá. The upcoming year will bring the arrival of three groups of short term volunteers in March and 10 individual volunteers in June and July. We also look forward to work with local leaders and organizations to pursue the possibility of assembling a public library in the community. Finally and most significantly, 2011 will see the birth of the first long-term programs that MPIG will be directing in Chaquijyá. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, my fellow PD’s and I will create not only an environmental project, but also health and English education programs that will be up and running by the end of the month. Overall, I feel that the group has a renewed sense of purpose, and I am so excited to see what will come of the upcoming months.