Parliament and Things that Bring Us Pain

Good afternoon from Georgetown! I write this blog post with a belly full of Anthony's wonderful food.

Our activities this morning were a little different than usual. Instead of our typical gym shorts and t-shirts, we all got dressed up- women in long skirts or capris and men in long pants and sneakers. (The men aren't used to dressing conservatively though, so the heat was a little new for them.) everybody looked fantastic, nonetheless. Rather than heading to a service site, we were off to parliament! 

Our tour of the building was quite nice, and I think I speak for the entire group when I say the air conditioned areas were especially pleasant. We got to see the library, and we just happened to meet in passing the runner up for Miss Guyana (who surprisingly lives in Virginia!). It was great to see another historical aspect of Guyana and to learn more about Guyanese politics. 

This trip has certainly been an adventure so far. I think most of us are being exposed to things we've never had to experience before. Professor Kirby shared with us during a class session the other night something that one of her professors told her, and I haven't been able to stop thinking of it since. As I understand it, there is a difference between being hurt and being pained. While some of the things we're seeing may be difficult for us, they don't hurt us. Things that hurt us are things which cause us harm. Many of the people we have had the privilege of meeting in this beautiful country have been hurt before in their lives. Our difficult experiences here only bring us pain. They have the potential to make us better in the end, and I'm sure that they will.  

Now we're heading out to visit some of the new friends we've made here. I've been taking lots of pictures, so check back later when I have a second to add them to this post. To my family, I miss you and I can't wait to share with you this wonderful, crazy adventure. 

My love from Guyana,

Jessica