coming together through literal and figurative storming

One of our main dynamics has been the focus on the Five Stages of a group: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. We're all working through these stages at our own paces, and it’s easy to tell who's at what place. The group has begun to refer to their frustrations as feeling "stormy" at that point in time.

Wednesday was a more relaxed day, starting with a sleep-in and pancakes with Nutella, bacon and plantains. 12:30 we boarded the vans and were on our way to the National Cemetery of Guatemala. At our arrival, we were greeted by a man named Joel Van Dyke and drizzles of rain that turned into a steady thunder and lightning storm. Joel was an energetic man originally from Michigan who moved to Guatemala City 14 years ago. He's incredibly passionate about the history of the area and lives to tell it. The lightning added to the dramatics of his booming voice in the cemetery informing the group about previous leaders, America's interruption to the country, and fun facts.

Everyone running through the deep puddles and splashing around laughing looked like a scene from a movie. Unlike many historical tours, Proctor Guatemala 2017 left in the vans feeling refreshed and informed. We drove to Tita's house afterward to meet and talk to her. Tita is the starter of the whole foundation of Vidas Plenas. Seeing how pleased she was speaking about what she’s accomplished and how far the foundation has come was inspiring.