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By MELANIE MOORE
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BLACKFOOT — Krystal Keller left the bitter cold of Idaho in February to travel to the South American country of Guyana. She had joined in the Peace Corps, and this Blackfoot resident was on her way to an entirely different world.  Krystal Keller participates in a Hindu holiday where celebrants throw colored powder, called Phagwah, on the participants. The powder represents good over evil. Keller spent several months in Guyana as a Peace Corps volunteer.
“This is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done,” Keller said. “If given the chance to go back, I would do it all again.”
Keller grew up in Blackfoot. She graduated from Blackfoot High School in 2001, where she played basketball for all four years.
After graduating from Brigham Young University-Idaho in Health Sciences, Keller said she was at a point in her life where she didn’t know what or where she wanted to go.
Her mother, Cheryl, suggested the Peace Corps as an opportunity for Keller to travel and experience the world.
Before she knew it, she was leaving for Guyana.
Keller left in February and after hours of flights, she landed in Guyana.
Guyana is a small country in South America which borders Brazil, Venezuela and Surinam. It is the only English-speaking country in South America, but residents speak Creole, which is much different than the English spoken in the United States.
Keller spent the first two months doing training in-country. During this time sheand other Peace Corps volunteers became accustomed to the culture and language used. The culture of Guyana is closely affiliated with Caribbean culture, and the country is made up of descendants of Indians or Africans.
“It was the most difficult two months of my life,” Keller said.
Keller said she had to take classes on the different terms and words the locals use in place of standard English.
“I remember thinking how mad Mr. Gardner, my high school English teacher, would be if he could hear me now,” Keller said.
During her training, Keller stayed with a host family. Her family had three little boys, and made a living selling goods at the markets every week.
After finishing her training, Keller began work in a village called Vreed-En-Hoop. The village was a boat ride away from the capital city of Georgetown.
“I volunteered at a health center for young children and prenatal women,” Keller said. “I would help weigh babies and do health talks about health issues in the community.”
While receiving formal health care training in the United States, Keller was initially shocked by the low quality of care in Guyana.
“The first time I walked through a hospital there I remember when I left I just started crying,” Keller said. “We are so blessed here in our country to have quality health care and personal privacy.”
Keller was also able to experience her religion in another culture. Keller is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I was able to attend church almost regularly,” Keller said. “This was another of the many shocks that I experienced; even though it was the same religion, it was not all the same.”
She said the people in her branch would love to listen to anything she said, and she had the opportunity to teach. She said it was important to her, personally, to help out in any way she could.
Keller spent only seven months in Guyana, and decided to come home early after a dispute between the foreign LDS missionaries and the Guyana Ministry of Home Affairs raised safety cocerns. In September, more than 40 LDS missionaries were detained in Georgetown because the government said their work permits were expired and immigration rules were being violated. The missionaries were forced to leave the country.
While Keller experienced many cultural shocks, she said one of the most important lessons she learned during her experience is how to appreciate diversity.
“Growing up in Idaho, you don’t see much diversity, so this was new to me,” Keller said. “I learned to love people for their different ideas, culture and way of life.”
Spending time in Guyana, Keller was able to develop a different perspective on her life in the United States.
“I think it’s really important, especially this time of year, to really sit down and consider all the blessings we have just by living in this country,” Keller said. “I hope I can always remember this and not take things for granted.”
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