In September of 2013, Mustard Seed Peace Project (MSPP) hosted a friend from Guatemala, Ruben Dario Gomez Gonzalez. His trip was sponsored by Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) and Illinois American Water. During his 18 day visit to the U.S. he was able to share the culture of the Mayan people through archaeology, arts and customs. He presented to over 20 groups which included middle school, high school, and college groups as well as the general public. One of everyone’s favorite parts of his presentation was when the audience dressed up in traditional Mayan clothing and he discussed the fabric patterns and colors and the meaning associated with both.
While he was here Ruben also assisted MSPP in raising awareness of the needs in his country by helping with the Water Festival at LCCC and The Mississippi Earth Tones Festival. Both of these annual events are held in Alton, IL and are used to raise awareness of the importance of water conservation.
Ruben ended his visit with a presentation at MSPP’s Annual Harvest Dinner. It was a wonderful night filled with great food, music and friends. Thank you Ruben for sharing your beautiful culture with all of us!
MSPP 