Architecture,  economy,  and humility.

Interesting fact of the day: Guatemala has had 102 M1.5+ earthquakes in the past 365 days. That's about one every 3.5 days, which should be about 8 or so during our month long stay. I wonder if you notice magnitude 1.5?

During our ride from Guatemala City I noticed many partially constructed houses. Almost all construction, especially outside of the city,  is concrete block and poured concrete. This was strange to me,  being more expensive construction than wood frame, and less earthquake resistant.  It wasn't until we had settled in here,  and noticed little tiny ants around the house, that it dawned on me - Termites! You don't construct with wood where there are insects and rotate, moisture. Hence concrete and block.

Why so many unfinished and unoccupied homes? I can only surmise that the economic recession that hit the USA,  has also affected Guatemala. It seems that many structures are unfinished here -two right here in our compound.  Part of the reason may be immediately economic,  but secondary may be that they build as they go.  As they get more money, they add more house.

Many of the businesses along the main highway appeared that way.  Another interesting observation is that these domiciles appear to be constructed with two garage doors on the first floor. Further observation of more completed buildings reveals that these garage doors are in fact business alcoves. A house here is not only a home, but often also a business.

What does this have to do with humility? I've been in architecture for over thirty years and am good at what I do. Yet, I have to realize that I don't know everything. I still have much that I can learn.   The same is true of the ministry.  Although I've been studying and teaching the Bible for over 25 years, I still have much to learn and must remain humble in my approach. It is so easy to feel superior to the people living here,  but the reality is they live and have survived a harsh life that anyone would find hard to bear. I am not better!

Our neighbors across the compound are with Friendship Bridge, an organization that provides seed money for small startup businesses to impoverished women in developing countries. While a worthwhile cause, I can't help but think of a comment from yesterday.   One of the Brothers observed that many families have moved to Panajachel for a better life. Tourism is the main economy, and it is relatively easy to start a business as a vendor or peddler, although still not easy to survive. Though this may represent a better opportunity for them initially,  the problem is that there is a saturation point and the next generation of unskilled labor really has no job prospects. In the end, it may exacerbate the problem, creating more poverty, and worse, contributing to crime and gang mentality.

Back in the thirties,  Pan Am airlines helped to plant bass in Lake Atitlan to promote tourist fishing industry.  This worked for a while, until the basic ate all of the other indigenous species and destroyed the ecology of the lake. It has yet to recover, if it ever will in this system.

Likewise with aid to impoverished women. Truly a good deed, but what really are the long term effects?  Several little boys approached us on the first day soliciting to polish my shoes. Very persistently (most vendors are very persistent).  These boys weren't in school. They were likely never to earn a trade or useful skill beyond street hustling,  which is just one step above begging. They really need education, if not academic, then at least technical or skill of some sort.

Short term economic assistance helps but is only a bandaid. In the long term education is the solution to make all people self-sufficient and successful. This reaffirms the need for divine education as the long term solution to all of mankind's problems, and our mission to teach the Bible, not only here, but wherever we may be, as extremely important.