Lehman’s Country Life

Bezaleel means “under the shadow of God” and is the name of a school in Guatemala where Galen Lehman did volunteer work in July, 2008. #4 in a series of posts on what he learned there.

People have told me I’m hard-working, responsible, task-oriented. Compliments? Maybe not!

Being “task-oriented” means I measure my worth by how much I’ve accomplished. A day with a lot of things crossed off my list is a good day!

In Guatemala, I learned to measure the quality of my days by how I had strengthened my relationships with others.

Maybe I had no choice! Work in the mountains of Guatemala moves at a different pace than it does stateside. Supplies were seldom adequate. The project leader usually showed up five minutes after the announced start time. Laughter over practical jokes like smearing paint on each other often distracted us. We arm-wrestled for bragging rights, and other things. (I lost the right to carry our room key in an arm-wrestling match. But, at least I didn’t lose my favorite pair of pants, like my friend, Lydell, did.)

After a few days of this, I started to figure out that I needed to focus on the relationships and let the work get done at its own pace. We went to Guatemala to work. But, the real value of the experience was the friendships we made along the way. The best parts of my trip were not “getting things done.” The best parts were things we did together.

Like the afternoon when a few of us slipped away from the group for a long, lazy coffee. Or, teaching our K’ekchi’ hosts to sing “When the Lion Sleeps tonight” in English, a language they didn’t know. Or, when three us worked through a tropical rain storm vainly trying to put a nice brushed finish on concrete we had just poured. In the end, we gave up on the brushed finish and settled for something we jokingly called the “Guatemala Rain Finish.”

Since I’ve been back at my “real” work, I’ve tried to hang onto the idea that it’s OK to settle for second-best if you can have some fun along the way. It hasn’t been easy.

This world is a little more demanding than that world was. And, I’m learning that all my co-workers already know what’s wrong with task-oriented people like me. Apparently, I’m locally famous for charging off to the next task while people are still talking to me and for not hearing them say “Good Morning!” because I’m too deep in thought.

But, I’m hoping I can stick with it. I want to do the best work possible. But, I also want to remember that the people are know are more important than the work I do.

Week: Read about how to make a difference.

Click here for more information on Bezaleel.

Learn more about Mennonite Central Committee, a non-profit relief organization.

Learn about Guatemala.

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Here in the British Isles we refer to our vacations as our holidays. This goes back to the root ‘holy days’, those days within the ecclesiastical and liturgical calendar when even the lowliest of labourers would get their chance of a rest. I’ve just got back from my holiday and my spirit is certainly refreshed and revived.

With the cost of gas being high both in the USA and Europe - we are paying €1.33 a litre - I am grateful that we decided last April to attend a music camp that was less than 100 miles from home. With no wilderness in Ireland to really compare with what is available in, say, the North American West, camping on a low-impact, light-upon-the-Earth site is our homegrown alternative.

The Earthsong Camp is an eight-day music camp and admission includes a smorgasbord of workshops in drumming, dancing and singing. It’s family friendly with a very strict no alcohol, no drug, no cell phone, and no electronic music policy. It was rare to even see someone smoke tobacco.
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In the distant undemanding past, in those trouble-free days B.C. (Before Children), unburdened as we were even by cordless telephones, car alarms or e-mail, my wife and I were given a fluffy eiderdown comforter as an anniversary present. I expect it cost a fortune as my mother, the donor, was typically generous with this kind of thing; it certainly seemed big enough, sitting there all boxed up on our porch one afternoon, like a smallish hippopotamus packed for transport. I fancied the FedEx driver must have felt grateful to get half his van freed up for the trip home.

Interestingly, the comforter after being unpacked started to expand itself even further until it assumed its full pneumatic grandeur, an impossibly soft slab almost as thick as our mattress and considerably broader.  A Colossal Comforter.  We were impressed.

I still remember the look of serenity on my wife’s face when she wrapped the thing around herself to give it a test-drive: the poor woman nearly melted with delight.  She was instantly warm - toasty, snuggly, deeply warm, maybe for the first time since we’d moved up to Northern California from balmy Los Angeles a few years previous.
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Dear Readers,
It’s almost time for back to school! Whether you are relaxing together or working together, time spent with your children talking and listening, is essential when they are young so that as they grow up, they feel they can still come and talk to you about the everyday things (plus the really important decisions they must make). Make sure you take time to hear about their day, any challenges they’ve had and support to get their homework done. Work on building a good routine these first couple of weeks and the rest of the year will go much smoother.

One of the things I look forward to this time of year is working together in food preservation. Breaking beans, husking corn and picking tomatoes have been a regular task done by my mother, my aunt and myself. It’s a lot of work and I appreciate more each year the time and effort that many of you spend to enjoy your results when the snow is flying. I’ve received several calls on tomatoes, specifically on salsa recipes, and thought you might enjoy the following information I found from a co-worker in Huron County, Ohio, Deb Angell.

Tomatoes have long been recognized as a fairly good source of vitamin C and they contain a smidgen of beta carotene. But until recently, we didn’t realize the antioxidants that make them a favored commodity for fighting many diseases. Experts urge people to eat more tomatoes and tomato products, at least 5 servings per week. The key is lycopene and you get the best results from this anitioxidant when it is heated or cooked to release its best form.
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Journal Entry, Thursday, July 03, 2008
Clean, pack, label, lift, repeat.  Not exactly a shampoo bottle, but there is a sameness that is noticeable long about the fortieth time and it’s becoming my mantra.  The boxes that the admin assistant at work saved and sent home with me (bless you, Valda), which seemed far too numerous before, are in danger of becoming too few!

We are in Day 7 of the 9 that each of us has off during which we have committed to getting my roommate of several years moved to a new house.  The layers of Oscar Madison-ness are being peeled away, and although the herniated discs in the bottom of my back are reminding me I should be taking more breaks, the suddenly emerging empty spaces urge me on.
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Bezaleel means “under the shadow of God” and is the name of a school in Guatemala where Galen Lehman did volunteer work in July, 2008. #3 in a series of posts on what he learned there.

Most of the time I was in Guatemala, we were working members of the K’ekchi’ “culture group”.  In North American terms, I suppose you would say they are the “K’ekchi’ Indians.”

They are direct descendants of the Maya, and have a strong and proud tradition.  One of the most entertaining times we had was meeting with a K’ekchi’ elder, told us some of their legends.

According to tribal myths, corn was the food of the gods.  One day, a mouse stole some seeds and hid them in his hole. A fox dug up the seed and ate it.  When he excreted the kernels, they grew and flourished (fertilized, as they were, by the fox’s dung).  That is their version of how corn came from heaven down to earth and how the Maya found it. To this day, corn is a mainstay of K’ekchi’ diet.  We had corn tortillas at every meal.

One of their traditional gods is the moon, whose changing phases were integrated into their calendar.  We learned that tortillas are round and white, and baked on a round stone, as a reminder of “Mother Luna”.

To us, those traditions seem silly.  And, as the elder told us the stories, he laughed and winked as if we were sharing a good joke.  It seemed that even he recognized that they no longer held value for his people in today’s world.

But, outmoded or not, traditions define who we are.  Our connection to the past gives us security and a strong foundation in a world of shifting values.  The K’ekchi family I stayed with (shown here) most assuredly did not believe the old Mayan god myths.  But, they still made round corn tortillas at every meal on a round stone over an open fire, just the way they had been made for the last 2000 years.

Our host family had a traditional home made of wooden slats.  There were no windows, but light streamed in through cracks between the boards.  The floor was dirt.  The roof was corrugated tin.  Corn was planted on every square foot of land.  A single faucet in front of the home provided running water.  The bathroom was a latrine in the cornfield.

Within the last 10 years, they had gotten two things that dramatically changed their lifestyle:

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Note from Web Master: The following was posted as a comment to a post. I have moved it to the questions section. My sincerest apologies to SouthernFlower for the difficulties and will respond personally.

Hello. I am new to this blog, but am not sure how to post a question. Unfortunately, this is not a resonse to this post, however, I am hoping someone can help me with a problem. I have deer getting into my garden. I really don’t want to erect a 7 foot fence or use any smelly chemicals to get rid of them. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Bezaleel means “under the shadow of God” and is the name of a school in Guatemala where Galen Lehman did volunteer work in July, 2008. #2 in a series of posts on what he learned there.

Last week, I wrote how Guatemala’s indigenous people are mostly poor and often discriminated against by wealthy landowners of European descent.

But, there’s another group adding to their suffering. It’s me, my family and my friends! As it turns out, many Guatemalans believe that the economic, military and cultural power of the USA is tearing at the fabric of their lives.

Here are some examples of how this plays out, given to me by my Guatemalan hosts:

- The Free Trade Agreement destroys locally-owned industries by allowing the free import of mass-market goods. NAFTA has been much maligned in the USA, but our hosts told us that the detrimental impact on Guatemala has been much, much worse. It empowers American corporations with tremendous influence over Guatemalan government and policy. Many people in Guatemala believe that the machinations of American corporations helped cause the 36-year civil war that just ended in the 1990’s. They also pointed to new Guatemalan laws that make the maximum penalty for copying DVD’s harsher than the maximum penalty for manslaughter.

- The US military has rights to enter Guatemalan land, air and territorial waters for drug interdiction. Can you imagine the US giving such rights to any other country? Years of paramilitary atrocities by local right-wing militias have terrorized the people. Our hosts told us that just seeing US military maneuvers on their soil hurts Guatemala’s chances for democracy.

- The US cultural influence is over-whelming. The value systems of America’s R-rated movies are replacing traditional values even in remote villages. I saw amazing evidence of this in my travels and will write more about it more in the future.

The Guatemalans I met were welcoming and friendly. They know and love the American people. Unspoken in their warmth was a simple question: “Why do the kind and gracious American people allow their government and corporations to behave in this way?”

They even had ideas on how to help things improve.  For one thing, they begged us to shop locally. They believe the big multi-national corporations are too powerful. By encouraging small family-owned businesses in our neighborhoods and communities, we undermine the powerful and help bring stability to the world.

And of course, this is a big election year in America.  There are many important issues at stake. We have our own economic problems, a health care system in shambles, and a war in Iraq that it increasingly seems no one wants. They asked me to add one more concern:  Remember that the decisions we make in November may affect them and other people in ways we cannot imagine.

What I learned in Guatemala is that I must live my life thoughtfully and remember that lots of good people in many places have a stake in every decision I make.

Next Week: Read about the tug-of-war between traditional values and modern culture.

Click here for more information on Bezaleel.

Learn more about Mennonite Central Committee, a non-profit relief organization.

Learn about Guatemala.

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It’s been said that a great cookbook is more than just a book - it’s a lifetime investment. As cheesy as that may sound, isn’t it true?

Think about your favorite cookbook. Maybe you even got it from your mother or grandmother. The pages start to curl at the edges, you get fingerprints on the cover, you spill all kinds of stuff  - vanilla, Worcestershire sauce, various cake batters - on it as you lovingly cook for your family.

If you’re like me, you make extremely vital notes all over the pages. (In fact, my cookbooks are getting to be more like family history books, as my scribbles tell me that I made this dish for Christmas morning brunch in 2000, tried this new recipe in May and hubby liked it, and experimented with adding extra ingredients to this or that recipe).

And many times, those well-used cookbooks get handed down to the next young cook.

I am lucky enough to have my great-grandmother’s recipe binder, filled with her handwritten recipes (and even one in her mother’s handwriting - my great-great-grandmother!) plus those she clipped out of various publications over the years. Even though it basically contains dessert recipes (she had a real sweet tooth) and about 128 different variations of meatloaf (which my great-grandfather apparently loved), I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
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