Guatemala: A country of contrasts

In June, Blade Religion Editor David Yonke traveled to Guatemala to report on the efforts of International Samaritan, a nonprofit ministry founded at Toledo’s St. John’s Jesuit High School to help people who work in garbage dumps. Away from the notorious dump neighborhood, Guatemala’s rich history and exotic landscapes create a country of contrasts.CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW FULL PHOTO, START SLIDE SHOW.

Enlarge | Photo Reprints La Merced Church, with its striking yellow-and-white stucco facade, sits high atop the city of Antigua, with Agua ... THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints A young boy crouches by an open sewer in a dump workers' ghetto. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Wooden statues adorned with colorful outfits in a Santiago, Atitlan, church. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Dump workers sort through materials in Guatemala City's Zone 3. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Colorful handmade crafts for sale in Santiago, Atitlan. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints A woman carries her day's haul in the Guatemala city dump. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Even in the ghetto, some people take pride in their homes. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Colors abound in a cemetery near Lake Atitlan. THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE

Enlarge | Photo Reprints Lake Atitlán, a crater lake, is guarded by three volcanoes. Guatemala, slightly smaller than Tennessee, has 33 active volcanoes.... THE BLADE/DAVID YONKE