Guatemalan history is painted with the rich and the poor. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I feel sorry for the poor and get mad at the rich. Who are the poor? I have seen them, I have heard about them, I have listened to their stories of pain, suffering, joy and truimph. So who are the rich? Do I know their stories?
Antonio is rich. Antonio is very rich. He owns a large farm (his farm includes coffee, macadamian trees, bamboo forests, fern plants, etc. The photos below are pictures from his farm) which was passed down to him from generation to generation. He has influence, everyone knows him and he has talked to Presidents. Antonio is a person that I assume is rich and greedy.
Antonio employs about 45 families, which means about 200 people live on or around his farm. If Antonio was a normal rich farmer, he would treat his workers poorly and make money off them by giving them poor wages. But Antonio is different. He is rich but that doesn't mean that he is greedy. And he is not. Antonio has wrestled with how to be a good farmer, a good businessman and a Christian. What does that mean to him? It means a lot. He has lived his life with integrity and love. He loves Guatemala and wants it to be a better place. He could easily escape and live an easy life in America or Canada but he is here in Guatemala making a difference. He respects his workers, gives them fair wages and supports them as well. In return his workers and their families respect him and love him. His workers have even saved Antonio's life. A while back, some bandits came around and wanted to take his land and kill him. But his workers told the bandits that he was a good man and he helps the workers and their families. And so the bandits left. What would have happened if Antonio was not a good man? Would his workers have stood up for him? It's good to see both sides. The rich and the poor. Hearing stories about the rich with intergrity has made my heart happy.
And because Antonio is such an influencial man, he was able to get us into the coolest waterpark for FREE! (photos of the waterpark will be on the next post)
Carolyn
This is coffee berries on the coffee plant.
The coffee is then dried.
Antonio's new enterprise is filtering clean water in bags to sell. His water company name is called Cero Agua.
Antonio took us on a tour of his finca. There was lots to see and he shared with us his knowlege about plants and trees.
The Bamboo forest was very cool! Gareth, Nic and Joel pose for a picture.
Walking along to see our next cool thing.
Ferns are grown and then sold to flourist shops in Europe.
Antonio showing off his ferns!
Antonio has macadmia nut trees and sells the nuts. He gave us some to try and they were very delicious.
Macadamia nut trees.
Macadamia nuts before they are roasted.
Antonio holding some macadamia nuts that have been roasted and now only need to be peeled!
More macadamia nuts!
Macadamia nut trees.
Macadamia nuts before they are roasted.
Antonio holding some macadamia nuts that have been roasted and now only need to be peeled!
More macadamia nuts!
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