Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Mayan Hands Adventure Tour 2009 Tour Leader

Behind every great tour, a great tour leader.

This is Deborah Chandler (be patient, I am securing a photo from Mark), leader of our tour to visit Mayan Hands weavers in Guatemala. She is the Guatemalan Program Director of Mayan Hands and quite a famous weaver herself!

But first, let me tell you that Deb entertained us while she educated us. She was treated with love and respect wherever we went to visit Mayan Hands weavers. This was true even though she had very difficult news to deliver to the groups about lack of work in December. She regaled us with tales of her privileged sighting of a quetzal, the elegant symbol of the Mayans; she shared her concerns about violence in the country; she broke bread with us; she took care of us.

Deb authored the premier book on learning to weave published in the USA. Learning To Weave can be found in any bookstore or online.

Deborah also started Weave a Real Peace (WARP) a not for profit committed to connecting weavers in the developed world with weavers in need of support in the developing world. Find out more at: www.weavearealpeace.org

Thanks Deb for your excellent planning and execution of the trip. At the end we all considered ourselves "a little family." What a gift for us this holiday season: new friends and connection to what matters most, human warmth and the dignity of the work of human, Mayan hands.

Deb, was it as much fun for you as it was for us?

1 comment:

  1. From Deb Chandler who could not post this herself:

    Laura, It might be even more fun for me than it is for you. Getting to show off the country and people I have come to love --- what could beat that? And your coming to visit gives me a chance to go hang out in the villages, which is far more fun than being in my office!

    As for the violence, which is as you say constant and rampant, I think that it is one side of how very alive life is here, for better and worse. Most people are so kind and generous and wonderful, and at the same time there is the sector of people who, as my compañero Julio said after telling me this morning of the rapes of two teenage friends, have "sh*t in their heads". Maybe in the same way that the worst tragedies bring out the best in people, that is true daily here. I don't know, that's only my pondering about it all for this month.
    DC

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