» Where
is Guatemala?
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the
Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras
and Belize
coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W
» What
is Guatemala Like?
Answer:
The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and
surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D.
After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony,
Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the
second half of the 20th century, it experienced a
variety of military and civilian governments as well
as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government
signed a peace agreement formally ending the
conflict, which had led to the death of more than
100,000 people and had created some 1 million
refugees.
Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands.
» How
many children are in the orphanage?
Answer:
» How do the children come
to the orphanage?
Answer:
They are sent by the Judges, Procuraduria and people
that bring them to the door.
» What
methods of discipline do you use with the children?
Answer:
We believe there is no "hidden sin." Everything we
do affects the others. For this reason, we insist on
the children being forthcoming about what they have
done. The children develop their own ability to
understand what is good for them and what is good
for the community. We explain sin in terms of
sickness, since the children cannot understand sin
but can relate to being sick. Furthermore, for
children, guilt is implied in the word sin, but not
in the word sick. We teach them that they have to
open a wound for it to heal, and have to bring their
illness to the doctor. The doctor is Jesus, and they
have to bring their sicknesses to Him to be healed.
We
address discipline problems in church. We look for
the cause of the problem, and try to reason with the
children. We also try not to let anything pass by us,
and receive daily written reports from the teachers.
Discipline in church is different than the
discipline in school. The children are not obliged
to come to church, but are invited. Those in church
do not want to be bothered or distracted, but want
to pray. We tell the children if they want to be
bother-some, don't come! If they are bothersome,
they are asked to leave the church. To pray (to pay
attention) is hard work. Sometimes the children are
given a treat after a service if they have prayed
and paid attention.
Because the school and church are both right here at
the orphanage, we can be flexible. The schedule of
church services accommodates the needs of the
children, and their school schedule is also built
around the liturgical schedule. We have Matins and
Typika each morning and Vespers and Compline each
evening. On Sundays and Feast Days we serve Hours
and Divine Liturgy.
» Do
the children go to church?
Answer:
The children have come to love the Church. They know
that it is the Church that has brought them out of
hell. We sometimes remind the children where they
came from. We need to remind them so they don't
repeat the mistakes of their parents, not to make
them feel guilty. Guilt doesn't help them. We show
them God's love, God's mercy rather than guilt. We
use reason, teach them that they must lead orderly
lives. We also remind them of the value of families.
Our
children accept that they are different from other
children. The basic trust (of their mothers and
fathers) has been broken. They have suffered so much
that their hearts have become stone. They need to
love others in order to learn to love God. How will
they learn to love God if they have no one to love?
We
tell the missionaries who come to the Hogar to let
the children love them. This creates a little
opening in their hearts. Because the missionaries
are Orthodox like they are, the children see them as
"safe." The nuns [six, including Mother Ines] also
try to be free from administrative work as much as
possible so we can have a presence with the children.
We need time to pray and play with the children.
The
children need to be loved. This is our mission -
just to love them. Our work is very healing . . .
for everybody.
