News From Guatemala

 Dearest friends,

As this Gregorian Calendar year comes to a close, we are overjoyed to share with you the news we've just received from Maya Elder, Priest and Daykeeper, Don Rigoberto Itzep Chanchavac in Momostenango, Guatemala! 

"Good afternoon, sister Llyn, I greet you with great respect and affection, I tell you that the books have already been delivered to us, today we went to bring it to the press in Xela. Thank you very much for all the great support provided for the publication of the book, greetings from all Family for you and coworkers, happy new year blessings and successes in all your different daily activities."

OMEC began a partnership with Don Rigoberto after meeting with his son Gregorio Itzep Chavanac and Don Rigoberto's wife, Dona Maria Itzep Chavanac, on the 2019 GUATEMALA TRIP.

Together, we - the OMEC community, all of us - are supporting a very important body of work on authentic Maya culture. This predates the historical descriptions of the original indigenous peoples based on the colonial vision written by non-indigenous scholars. This work is based on an old document from the year 1647 containing the voice and stories of a true man who lived during those times. Almost 25 years have been spent studying and deciphering this old document.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your contributions that make this initial publishing possible! 

We've raised $3,250 to date for this project, thanks to you!

There's still time to make a year-end donation toward the goal of $8,000 that will put 2,000 copies of authentic Maya wisdom and history into the hands, hearts and minds of Maya children, parents, teachers and other Maya people in the Momostenango community.

Read more and donate here:

MAYA CULTURE BOOK 

I meet with Don Rigoberto and his family when I'm in Guatemala in March (still a few spots left on the trip!). We'll hear more about this project and its impact on the Maya 'Momo' community - and, upon return will have more to share with you, including video, produced by filmmaker Mitch Mattraw.

Thank you again, I am honored and elated to be in circle with you! I wish you a meaningful entry into this next Gregorian Calendar Year. May it be a portal into the heart of Sacred Time.

From my heart to yours!

Llyn Cedar Roberts and OMEC (I've included a few more details about the book below, which will inspire you.)

MAYA CULTURE BOOK
The book depicts the true history of Don Rigoberto's mountain village of Momostenango and its reconstruction. It emphasizes the importance of respect for the principles and content of the Mayan culture. The goal and objective is to generate voices of wisdom in the conscience of future generations.  

Objective: To ensure that the general population - especially the teachers, children, young men and women - return to or take back their Cultural Values.

Background: Momostenango is a Maya-Kiche village located in the North-West of Totonicapán, in the Western highlands of Guatemala. Its population consists mostly of Maya K'iche' descent. 70% of the Momo people live rurally - most are small farmers growing beans and corn (and some wheat) for their own families and communities. Momostanengo plays an important role as a ceremonial center in the Maya-Kiche world. It has been a ceremonial center for over 1,000 years and is a Mecca of Mayan spirituality. The Mayan calendar is followed more closely there than in any other traditional Mayan community. Momostenango has many outdoor public altars and shrines. Maya daykeepers, priests and community spiritual advisors, as well as those from other communities and tribes, do sacred ceremony in Momostenango, which has been a place of pilgrimage for more than a thousand years. 

READ MORE AND DONATE HERE