At 1:30 AM the alarm clock on our cell photo started going off. We quickly got out of bed (me not so quickly) and gathered our backpacks. In the dark at about 2AM with a light rain we set out down the dirt road that leads from Unión Victoria through Finca San Francisco winding its way through 5 miles of coffee fields towards Pochuta. Just short of Pochuta at Finca California the bus that the community had hired was waiting with its engine running. We watched up the road until the barely indistinguishable flickers from the flashlights grew closer until there were no more.

The bus was full. Pedro read off the list of those who were going and when every name was called and every presence confirmed the bus crept down the dirt road though Pochuta and off towards Guatemala City.

Being in the capital this time was a completely different experience, no airport, no hotel or shopping center but thousands of Mayans dressed in traditional clothing with a sense of purpose. As Guatemala continues to struggle with its past and work for a better future we are at a very crucial point. A presidential election that will surly set the course for the next steps in post conflict Guatemala will take place in less than three weeks. And with each passing day powerful forces are at work within the country to insure that they and others are never held responsible for genocide and thousands of other human rights abuses. In the face of high crime, drug trafficking, lack of development geared toward the poor and little progress in the pursuit of justice many of the rich and powerful are taking this chance to secure their position in society once again. That is why we were in the capital. As we walked the streets of zone 1 on our way to the Congress building the crowd chanted, “Justice not impunity! Peace not militarization!” To see my normally reserved neighbors stand up to the powerful and demand a better future for themselves and their community’s was inspiring. In the end there were an estimated six thousand people at the march. Several members of congress and Alvaro Colom one of the two presidential candidates addressed the marchers. After a rally and a Mayan ceremony we headed back to the bus for the long ride home.

On the ride home I thought about our time here in Guatemala and how we have come so far on this journey. After 7 years Unión Victoria has a school, coffee co-op, community hall, and housing. After, ten months of continual highs and lows we are beginning work on several projects. One is working on repairing woodstoves (which each family uses for cooking) in partnership with the Women’s Committee and the other, which is just in the beginning stages, is starting a tree nursery focusing on macadamias and fruit trees with an emphasis on both production and soil preservation. These opportunities have only come as we have become accepted as a part of the community. It was a strange feeling as that bus winded its way toward home. So much has been accomplished and so much still remains.

Upon arriving in Pochuta in the rain, the bus driver decided the dirt road was too risky so we began the 5-mile hike up the mountain. Walking with two of the teachers from the community I raised the question, “What do you think the new president will be able to do to change the course in Guatemala and fulfill what the peace accords promise.” Miguel answered, “If the past presidents have spent 10% of their time working for us maybe Colom will spend 15%.” Just a small flicker of hope, that’s what this day was all about. And it’s just a small part of our continuing struggle. Our day ended in much the same way it had begun, walking in rain, watching flickers from our flashlights make their way up the dirt road winding through 5 miles of coffee fields and ending in Unión Victoria.