Serving in Guatemala: September 2008

Serving in Guatemala

In February 2008, we moved to Guatemala, Central America, to live out our dream to help the poor communities living in this developing country. It is difficult to leave our family and friends but we know that this will be a decision that we will not regret.

Almost 60% of all Guatemalans, or 6.4 million people, live in poverty making less than $2US per day. Approximately 16% of this number are in extreme poverty living on less than $1US per day. Furthermore, more than 50% of the children are malnourished and have no hope for a better future. Reasons for the continuous poverty in Guatemala include illiteracy, lack of access to health care and low levels of education. The Arms of Jesus Children's Mission (AOJ), a private non-profit organization, has responded to this need by creating a school with specialized educational programs, meeting the daily nutritional requirements of the children, and offering social support to families. We feel very fortunate to be working with an organization that is dedicated to meeting the basic needs of the poor communities in Guatemala. For more information on AOJ, you can visit their website through the hot link on the bottom right.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Newfoundlanders Introduce Tiddley to Guatemalan Village!

In September 2008, a team of 14 brave men and women with tremendous hearts trekked all the way from Newfoundland, Canada to the land of Guatemala to meet the needs of the poor. They built six houses for needy families who needed shelter, prepared more than 100 food bags for needy families who needed food, freely gave away much needed clothing for needy mothers and their newborn babies, and, if that wasn’t enough, taught an entire community of village children a great Canadian game…no, not hockey…Tiddley!

I know you are probably asking, what on Earth is “Tiddley”?? That is exactly what we were asking, and much to the disappointment of our Newfoundlander friends, we have never heard of such a game. However, admittedly we are not very familiar with Newfoundlandiana (See: www.heritage.nf.ca-dictionary)

Tiddley, originally a children's game enjoyed by both boys and girls, is played where a stick, balanced on a rock or over a hole, is hooked or flicked into the air and struck with another. It’s played by using two sticks; one about a foot long (the tiddley stick) and another about three feet long. Two stones are arranged so that the ends of the tiddley stick rest on them. The other stick is used by the “batter” to flick the tiddley stick as far as possible (this action is called a TIDDLE). If a member of the opposing team catches it, you’re out. The batter also has 3 chances to hit the stick before being called out. Points are measured by the distance the tiddley stick is flung from the batter, which is marked by rocks.

When the team visited Pampay, a small indigenous village in the middle of lush trees and rolling hills, a couple of the men on the team decided to play soccer with the local children. It wasn’t long when the soccer ball got punctured and the game was over. Since the children were still itching to play and were getting bored, these same men came up with the brilliant idea to teach them the game of their childhood. The best part was that no equipment was needed. They simply found some sticks and a rock nearby and suddenly, Tiddley was born in Guatemala!

Below are exclusive photos of the first Tiddley game ever played in Pampay, probably even in Guatemala (to our knowledge). As one team member prophesized, don’t be surprised if in a hundred years you will note a reference in the pages of Guatemalan history of how the world-renowned game of Tiddley was first introduced to Guatemala by a band of 14 Newfoundlanders on a routine mission trip. You read it here first!