I am Coco for Cocoa

 Hola mis amigos

I know I was going to begin or start typing my messages in Spanish- but guess what- I GOT HOMEWORK. I haven’t had homework in over a year, and on top of that, its in a different language. SO, with that said, the homily I wrote for tomorrow (which was the homework) will be posted on the blog- after it is corrected by mi maestra!

Today was another uneventful day to say the least. Yes, I got another opportunity to experience the humility, the pride, and the joy of the Guatemalan people. A number of Seminarians and I, along with the Program Director, Rigoberto, went to a Chocolate Factory. This factory was not even what we would consider a ‘factory’. It didn’t have large pipes with smoke and steam rising from them; the building was not even as big as a small 2 bedroom Ranch house; the machinery was, well, non-existent; and the amount of people working, I mean, could all be counted on one hand, not even. 

This factory was pretty much the size of three-three and a half cubicles in a very small office. The materials needed were basically just the cocoa beans, a pan to go over the fire (yes, no stove or anything, a real, small fire pit), a table for the cocoa beans, a ton of sugar (it cannot be chocolate with out that sugar, and trust me, its ALOT), and grinder machine (ok, well, maybe one piece of machinery, but it can pretty much fit in a Honda Accord). And OH, I almost forgot- your own bare hands! It was incredible to see natural chocolate being made, and the 2-3 people (a father, a mother and a 4 year old son) making hundreds of natural chocolate blocks (or wheels) with such great humility, pride in their work, and to top it all off THEY WERE HAPPY. The expression on their face, that smile, oh what a big smile. this family did this out of their home. A house made of stone walls, thin wooden beams to hold up the aluminum roof, wire and bamboo twine holding it all down, and a very small garden in the middle of the house. 

My friends, this is their lively hood. They are not making six figure salaries, they are not even making 2 figure salaries. They are making enough to get by and save a little. But yet they were HAPPY. It was incredible and a humbling experience to say the least.

Alright, I am done for now, and I will allow for this to melt over in your head (get it melt over- chocolate melts, haha)

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