Well we’re wrapping up our time here in Guatemala and getting ready to head to the worksite for a half day before heading into Guatemala City for the night. We are hoping to finish up the gate for the fence that some of the team has been working on this week, and also get the door to the bathroom at the preschool put up.

This trip has been amazing and I have really been touched by the people of Guatemala. They are so loving and hard working and the hope that they embody is truly inspiring. While I’ll be glad to be home, I’m anxious to get back here and continue to do God’s work and be of help to these wonderful people.

A couple pics from yesterday…

 

Mornings begin with a peak out the window. We’re on Lago Atitlan which is overlooked by two volcanos, and yes they’re still active. Some mornings you can see both volcanos clearly on arising. Other mornings everything is fogged in. Those are the best as I can take my coffee outside and watch the fog lift. It’s beautiful and peaceful – a great location for morning devotions.
Evenings are sometimes the reverse. The clouds roll in and slowly the peaks of the volcanos disappear. When it gets dark you can see the lights of the many towns and villages that line the lakeshore. It’s a great time for evening prayers.

We are winding down our stay in Panajachel and our work at San Andres and Nuevas Esperanza. It has been wonderful to see how everyone on the team wants to finish their projects. We look forward to the smiles of the preschool teachers as they watch our progress. This morning we had another play date with the children. While we couldn’t rescue their ball that went over the fence and into the creek (about a 10 foot drop), we found other ways to have fun with them.

Tomorrow we leave for Guatemala City and the trip back to Indiana. We’ll miss the ever present smiles and greetings of Buenas Dias, or sometimes just Buena. It’s been a wonderful adventure for us all and, as always, eye opening to learn about another culture. I’m looking forward to telling all of you reading our blog about it.

Once we get the gate up, the fence is finished.

Mejores amigos para siempre!

Beautiful waterfall on our way to the work site.

Here at the compound, we are very devoted to keeping our families and the blog in the loop. We only get Internet outside, so we fondly think of the front porch of our house as the Internet cafe. Welcome!

A few things we’ve enjoyed to eat over the last few days… Everything has been absolutely delicious!

Tom Heaton took us out for dinner on Monday night where the owner of the restaurant taught us about the Mayan story of Creation and the history on how the marimba is made. The meal was wonderful and the marimba music, which was played by the owner’s daughters and niece was beautiful. We are truly enjoying immersing ourselves in the Guatemalan culture!

We made tons of progress today on the handful of projects we are working on; the playground fence is nearly complete, the framing for the bathroom doors has begun, the beds are all assembled and nearly sealed, the rebar braces are finished and we squeezed in unloading a truckload of 1000 cinder blocks at Nuevas Esperanza.

We’re back at the retreat center now getting cleaned up, walking the streets of Panajachel looking for the “best deal” and getting ready to enjoy another delicious dinner prepared for us by our cooks. Something you could do for us, head over to Mission Guatemala’s facebook page and give them a “like,” that way you can stay up to date on their work here in Guatemala even after we’re gone.

Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and support. We miss you all and wish you were here with us…maybe next time.