Central American Mayan Foundation

Hola! I have been working on an article and I posted it on the Peter Lougheed Leadership College's blog page this morning. I would love if you could check it out! Here is the link: https://pllcstretch.com///life-in-cunen-isabella-de-goeij/... Happy Sunday from Cunén! -Isabella

Hello again! I also wanted to create a special post to congratulate both COMBI's own Miguel A. Kamaha and his daughter, Ennma J Kamajá, for graduating with their Masters degree's this past Sunday in Guatemala City. ¡Felicidades!

¡Buenas tardes! Though Cunén is a small town, there always seems to be lots going on! I have been keeping myself busy helping the English professors with their classes, joining the younger children for the morning classes as well as writing, filming, and playing some futsal. ... Miguel A. Kamaha, the director of the college, took me to a outlook of Cunén last Friday afternoon and yesterday afternoon to "las grutas" of Cunén. Both very beautiful! Last Saturday evening, I went to watch the girls futsal final. The COMBI team won the cup! -Isabella

¡Hola! It was a beautiful evening here in Cunén. Since I last created a post for this page, I survived my first (and hopefully, only) encounter with travellers diarrhea. What a nasty little sickness! I really must be more careful with what I eat and make better use of my hand sanitizer. Though the people here are clean, there is a lot of waste and contamination in this country. Everywhere I look (except for in people's homes) there is garbage. On the streets and sidewalks, in... the creeks and ditches, you name it. Not to mention there is bacteria that my body is not accustomed to! Yesterday and today, I sat in on the English classes that took place. Along with trying to understand what the professor was saying in Spanish, I assisted the professors and students with pronunciation of English words. To be honest, I feel somewhat like an alien occasionally! Many of the children get very nervous and giggle a lot when they talk to me. I've also been getting a lot of stares and been asked to be in many pictures... A unique feeling that I am sure will pass once the children get used to seeing me. I hope you enjoy your evening, wherever you may be! ¡Buenas noches! -Isabella

Hello all! My name is Isabella de Goeij and I am currently visiting/volunteering at the Colegio Mixto Bilingüe Intercultural in Cunén, Guatemala for several weeks. During the length of my stay, I will create a few posts on this page to give you an idea of life in Cunén and at the college. Thus far, all the people have been extremely welcoming and patient with me as I try to learn the Spanish language. Pastor Louis Morin and my grandmother, Ada de Goeij, were with me on the ...first few days of my stay here. We were all thoroughly impressed by the school and all the hard work that is constantly being contributed by community members to educate the younger generations. May 10 was Mother's Day in Guatemala and it is a grand celebration here in this country. Yesterday, May 11, I had the privilege of being able to see the Mother's Day concert organized by the school. In the morning, the youngest kids performed both songs and dances while in the afternoon it was the older kids' turn. There was even a contest on stage between two mothers of who could eat a banana the fastest! Today is May 12, and marks my first post here on the CAMF Facebook page. If there is anything you would like to see me post about while I am here, let me know and I will do my best to do so! ¡Muchas gracias! -Isabella de Goeij