Juan

lost fifty-four members of his extended family

I didn’t know Juan in 2005 but I remember well the horror of Hurricane Stan which hit just after about a month of steady rain. The earth at the top of one of the volcanos surrounding Guatemala’s Lake Átitlan let go in the middle of the night creating a massive mudslide which effectively eliminated the village of Panabaj, just outside of Santiago Átitlan. Many, many people were just buried alive. Juan was born and grew up in Panabaj but gladly that night he was across the lake in Sololá where he was going to school. Also, gladly, his parents and siblings had been uneasy the night before about all the rain and had left the family home which was nowhere to be seen the following morning. Some fifty-four members of his extended family were not as fortunate. Juan was about to leave for the United States as he had a full scholarship to attend Brigham Young University but he cancelled those plans to assist his family, many of whom were illiterate, with the endless paperwork.

Juan is Maya Tz’utujil and he was number six of eight children. Before he was born Juan’s father had a problem with alcohol but then the Mormons knocked on their door. Because of their success in getting his father to give up alcohol the family all became members of the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Juan on a fundraising trip to California.

Juan was able to attend school in Panabaj as, by the time he was of school age, there was a primary school close to the family home. His older siblings never had the chance to attend school and today remain illiterate Tz’utujil speakers who work in agriculture. His father obviously recognized Juan’s potential and sold a piece of land so that he could continue his education on the other side of the lake where there was a secondary school. Juan became fluent in Spanish by attending school. Upon completing his secondary education Juan was offered the chance to do a mission trip for the Church of Latter Day Saints. He spent two years on the US side of the border perfecting his third language, English.

Juan with his mother and one of his sisters who make their living by weaving.

And then there was Hurricane Stan which cost Juan the US university education. However, he continued taking courses, especially in the area of technology, which eventually led him to working with Israel at Mundo Posible. Juan is passionate about the work they do bringing computers and educational resources on a server to rural schools without internet. And often without electricity as both the servers and the Chromebooks have eight hour batteries.

Juan hard at work in a rural schools in Guatemala.

As a result of his work with Mundo Posible Juan has worked on projects in Panama, Nicaragua, Canada and Ecuador as well as many in Guatemala.

Juan and his wife who is Maya Kaqchikel (their common language is Spanish) have six children all of whom will no doubt receive a good education. They live in Sololá overlooking Lake Átitlan.