A group of North Dakota teachers volunteering through a church project has been observing how Guatemalans are getting involved in the upcoming elections. They’ve also decided to register as election observers for the upcoming September elections. With fraud and violence common at elections in Guatemala, these teachers hope to provide some integrity where they are stationed.

And speaking of violence in elections, a Guatemalan congressman’s son was found dead on a rural road outside Guatemala City. Twenty-six year old Leonel Soto del Valle was the second child of a lawmaker killed this month. Over fifty people have been murdered in election related violence this year so far.

One adoptive parent is making an effort to promote and share Mayan art with the rest of the world, and you can view it now at the Stein Gallery in Salt Lake City.

Ada Mae Crouse made her first purchases when picking up her son in Guatemala, and continues to procure art making sure to do it with the approval of the Fair Trade Federation, therefore “every purchase benefits the artists' cooperatives and communities in Guatemala.”

Crouse says that Mayan Culture, “doesn’t separate art from the objects of daily life. They love color and intricate detail.” Many of the paintings she has purchased have markets and festivals as their subjects of interest.

I read a charming article about a Guatemalan child recently brought home from Guatemala. I’m a sucker for these stories; always delighted that someone else got to complete their adoption successfully.

What particularly caught my attention was the mother’s portrayal of Guatemalan children. I don’t mean to ridicule or offend her, but this sentence had me giggling for several minutes. I quote: “Guatemalan children are extremely laid-back, calm and peaceful.”

Just in case you are in the process of adopting from Guatemala for the first time, I would like to be really honest with you: not all Guatemalan children fit this description. Several that I know of personally are exactly the opposite, so you can throw that stereotype away (along with most stereotypes for that matter).

And on one of my favorite adoption forums, there was a lengthy discussion about inappropriate remarks made to adoptive parents. The remark of the week was, “Your child is really lucky.”

I’m sure many of you have heard this or other variations. I’ve had someone say, “When she grows up she will realize how lucky she is.” My response is always that we are the lucky ones, and then I quickly move on, not totally unable to remove the look of disdain that I know is written all over my face.

Do these remarks stop when our children get older? I would love some input from my readers!

Speaking of input, all of us bloggers got new email addresses if you are emailing us directly and not though comments. Mine is: LisaS@adoptionBlogs.com

Have a great weekend.

Related Articles

Learning the language of adotpion: preparing your child's teacher (adoption.com)

The Evolution of Political Violence in Guatemala

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