Hola everyone! We returned safely to Madison by bus last night at about 7. We began our return adventure at 4:15 a.m., when we loaded our school bus (no Chicken Bus) in front of the Hotel Sumpango. From there we took a wild ride down the mountain highway to Guatemala City. But wait ... the bus driver didn't know exactly how to get to the airport. So we pulled alongside another bus to ask for directions. We eventually made it, and had plenty of time to wait for our first flights out.
Long story short, we all met up again at O'Hare at about 5 p.m. to catch our bus back.
The day prior (Sunday) included a great side trip to the beautiful city of Antigua. We all split up to shop, eat and sightsee. Then we headed back to Sumpango for a 6 p.m. service at Los Olivos church.
The church was packed with people, to sing and worship, and to greet us. They started with many songs and a welcome to everyone gathered. Then all 32 of us went up on stage to sing two songs to the congregation. Then the congregation gave each of us a gift. Craig (one of our Door Creek pastors) then taught on leadership. Seven members of the congregation were graduating from a yearlong leadership program at Los Olivos. It was a very special time all around. When it ended, everyone said their goodbyes. There were many hugs and tears all around--between the women and children who met though the VBS, between the women of Los Olivos and our churches, and between the men we worked alongside of at the school site. We got back to our hotel at about 9:30, exhausted and a bit sad about the new friends we were leaving behind.
I will write again, hopefully with a few more stories from the group, in a few days. We had three "official" photographers on the trip. Once they sift through their hundreds of pictures, I will post a few more.
Again, thank you all for your support and prayers. We had a fantastic time and more importantly, we feel we made a difference as well as new friends in Sumpango.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
How we spent our Saturday
Today is Saturday, our last day of official service and work. After breakfast the work team rode to the school site for a half-day of final preparations for the dedication at 5 p.m. Several did electrical work to install florescent lights, while others cleaned up the work site and dismantled the ramps. The whole work crew (local and US) exchanged gifts and took several group photos, which we'll try to post soon.
Women from Los Olivos joined our VBS and women's ministry groups for a picnic. They left in the morning for a miles-long hike up a small mountain trail to a small park. The Guatemalans brought a pinata and led the group in several games. The group returned at about 2:30, tired but thrilled with the time they had together.
After a few hours rest, we are headed to the school for a dedication with local parents, children, teachers, and school officials. We want to let those of you who gave toward either school materials or the "buy a brick" fund drive know that your money will be well spent. We have given all of it toward materials for the school, as well as for any desks, white/chalk boards, or other things they may need. The teacher and principal we talked to were very appreciative.
One thing we learned earlier this week is that the new president of Guatemala recently declared that all children must go to school. Used to be that school cost about $2 per child, plus uniform. Many parents could not afford this, so not all children attended school. Recently, the president of Guatemala declared that all children should attend school, free from cost to parents. The result is that in Sumpango alone, they expect attendance at the school (compound) to jump by about 250 students. The government is starting another two-classroom building near the one we are completing. It still may not provide enough room for all the kids.
Tomorrow we are headed to Antigua for a day of rest and sightseeing. We will attend church at Los Olivos in the evening. Will give a final report on that day after we return on Monday.
Thanks for your prayers!
Women from Los Olivos joined our VBS and women's ministry groups for a picnic. They left in the morning for a miles-long hike up a small mountain trail to a small park. The Guatemalans brought a pinata and led the group in several games. The group returned at about 2:30, tired but thrilled with the time they had together.
After a few hours rest, we are headed to the school for a dedication with local parents, children, teachers, and school officials. We want to let those of you who gave toward either school materials or the "buy a brick" fund drive know that your money will be well spent. We have given all of it toward materials for the school, as well as for any desks, white/chalk boards, or other things they may need. The teacher and principal we talked to were very appreciative.
One thing we learned earlier this week is that the new president of Guatemala recently declared that all children must go to school. Used to be that school cost about $2 per child, plus uniform. Many parents could not afford this, so not all children attended school. Recently, the president of Guatemala declared that all children should attend school, free from cost to parents. The result is that in Sumpango alone, they expect attendance at the school (compound) to jump by about 250 students. The government is starting another two-classroom building near the one we are completing. It still may not provide enough room for all the kids.
Tomorrow we are headed to Antigua for a day of rest and sightseeing. We will attend church at Los Olivos in the evening. Will give a final report on that day after we return on Monday.
Thanks for your prayers!
Photos from Sumpango
The photo above is of the children playing a group "parachute" game.
At right is Oscar, a church board member, who's
helping with decorations at Los Olivos. Below, right is one of the work crew's famous ramps, built over a tall concrete stair in the center of the school compound.
Below, Craig H. helps Brian G. stay cool as he puts the finishing touches on the new concrete school floor. Brian (or Brrrrriiiiaaaannnn, as his Guatemalan buddies call him), really enjoyed learning local cement masonry methods.
Pictured above are some of the puppets from the show given by our VBS group to the local children.At right is another angle on the new school site. Dig the dirt, load the dirt, move the dirt, dump the dirt. Repeat.
We'll write more soon about our last day of work and service.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Christmas in Sumpango
Hola from Sumpango. Actually, right now we are in the home of Armando C., getting ready for a little dinner of pizza and soda. It's been another long, sunny, warm, great day. Breakfast at 7, with Pablo's (our hotelier host) specialty, boiled plantains, frijoles negros (black bean paste), huevos batidos (scrambled eggs), pan y queso (bread and cheese), cafe (coffe), y jugo de fruta (and fruit juice). We spent the next half hour in worship.
The VBS group (Vacation Bible School) group received 220 local children. They played games and heard a message about the death and resurrection of Christ. They also did a puppet show and sang songs. The children made bracelets. The teachers and elders from the church thanked and prayed for the VBS group.
The women's group began decorating El Rajon (the church) for Christmas (they do it early down here!). The women from El Rajon gave a gift to each of the women from our group. The local women led the group in a game that involved passing a small ball from one person to another, through a spoon that each person had in her mouth. They played other games as well. It was great to be able to spend more time with the people everyone had met the day before. The women from the church also served their traditional Christmas dinner of tamales, bread and punch (apple cider with fruit). Both groups exchanged stories of Christmas traditions.
After another hair-raising flat-bed ride through the city, the construction crew once again played in the dirt. We cleaned up the site in preparation for the school dedication tomorrow. It was a long but very rewarding work day. Will report again tomorrow..
The VBS group (Vacation Bible School) group received 220 local children. They played games and heard a message about the death and resurrection of Christ. They also did a puppet show and sang songs. The children made bracelets. The teachers and elders from the church thanked and prayed for the VBS group.
The women's group began decorating El Rajon (the church) for Christmas (they do it early down here!). The women from El Rajon gave a gift to each of the women from our group. The local women led the group in a game that involved passing a small ball from one person to another, through a spoon that each person had in her mouth. They played other games as well. It was great to be able to spend more time with the people everyone had met the day before. The women from the church also served their traditional Christmas dinner of tamales, bread and punch (apple cider with fruit). Both groups exchanged stories of Christmas traditions.
After another hair-raising flat-bed ride through the city, the construction crew once again played in the dirt. We cleaned up the site in preparation for the school dedication tomorrow. It was a long but very rewarding work day. Will report again tomorrow..
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Life in the Guatemala lane
Sorry it has been a few days since we last posted. Our Internet access was down. I am in an Internet Cafe with Craig and Mike. Anyway, on to our report ... (oh, look, a horse just went by the entryway to our Internet Cafe, clopping on the cobblestone street)
Women from our group split into several smaller groups to visit local women in their homes on Tuesday. One group in particular visited a women who has been ill and largely bedridden for 5 years. Several prayed with her. Sue and Gail went to visit two women named Lette and Velma. They, in turn, led them to a 17 year old boy who was recovering from appendicitis. They visited and prayed with him as well. When we got together later that evening, the women from our group said it was very humbling to be invited in to homes. Everyone is very gracious, offering food and wanting to meet and talk with everyone who visits. The building team (18 of us) spent Tuesday morning in orientation with the local men who are leading the construction of the two-room school. After lunch, we moved many, many, many wheelbarrows full of dirt up and down ramps through the school compound out to the street. We dug out the floor of the rooms in preparation for leveling and pouring concrete. Our day ended with dinner at 7. We were very tired and dirty, but satisfied with the new friendships we were making and the opportunity to learn how to build ¨Guatemala style.¨
Yesterday (Wednesday), the women went to Los Olivos church to meet with several women and children. About 150 children came for Vacation Bible School, teaching, games, music and lots of laughter. Some of the children were from the school our crew is building. The building crew graduated to moving sand and gravel. We also moved more dirt. Several of us helped weld framing for the roof. We ¨shopped¨ for two new wheelbarrows and four shovels, for more dirt. We had a great time meeting Reuben, Vicente, Ephraim, Armando, Jonathan, Felix, and Antonio (who speaks english). These guys can laugh and joke with the best of them.
Today, Thursday, was more of the same for the building crew. However, the dirt is done, and the roof is going up. We graduated further into moving 90 pound bags of cement and poured the floors. We met the teacher who had been using the old, tin-walled classroom, today. Antonia took pictures of us and said she was REALLY looking forward to the dedication on Saturday. She teaches 35-40 kindergardeners in a 15x15 room.
Every day begins with a fantastic, traditional breakfast, followed by singing, prayer and a lesson from a member of our group. The lessons and sharing of little episodes from our day are quite moving. It´s hard to express the love we feel from the people we are working with and meeting each day. The pace of life is slow but steady. Everyone greets us. After worship, we pile into a smallish flat-bed truck for the ride of our lives. Imagine putting twenty adults into the back of a truck and then merging onto the Madison beltline, and then doing a U-turn without being able to see oncoming traffic. We appreciate your prayers. We are having a great time.
Every day dawns bright and warm. All day long it is sunny and about 75. Along about 5, things cool off rapidly, to the point where we are all in sweatshirts for dinnertime.
We have been taking lots of photos, but unfortunately there is no drive at this Cafe to upload them. Hopefully tomorrow.
Until then, know that we are all healthy, energetic and grateful for this time with our new friends. We also greatly, greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Women from our group split into several smaller groups to visit local women in their homes on Tuesday. One group in particular visited a women who has been ill and largely bedridden for 5 years. Several prayed with her. Sue and Gail went to visit two women named Lette and Velma. They, in turn, led them to a 17 year old boy who was recovering from appendicitis. They visited and prayed with him as well. When we got together later that evening, the women from our group said it was very humbling to be invited in to homes. Everyone is very gracious, offering food and wanting to meet and talk with everyone who visits. The building team (18 of us) spent Tuesday morning in orientation with the local men who are leading the construction of the two-room school. After lunch, we moved many, many, many wheelbarrows full of dirt up and down ramps through the school compound out to the street. We dug out the floor of the rooms in preparation for leveling and pouring concrete. Our day ended with dinner at 7. We were very tired and dirty, but satisfied with the new friendships we were making and the opportunity to learn how to build ¨Guatemala style.¨
Yesterday (Wednesday), the women went to Los Olivos church to meet with several women and children. About 150 children came for Vacation Bible School, teaching, games, music and lots of laughter. Some of the children were from the school our crew is building. The building crew graduated to moving sand and gravel. We also moved more dirt. Several of us helped weld framing for the roof. We ¨shopped¨ for two new wheelbarrows and four shovels, for more dirt. We had a great time meeting Reuben, Vicente, Ephraim, Armando, Jonathan, Felix, and Antonio (who speaks english). These guys can laugh and joke with the best of them.
Today, Thursday, was more of the same for the building crew. However, the dirt is done, and the roof is going up. We graduated further into moving 90 pound bags of cement and poured the floors. We met the teacher who had been using the old, tin-walled classroom, today. Antonia took pictures of us and said she was REALLY looking forward to the dedication on Saturday. She teaches 35-40 kindergardeners in a 15x15 room.
Every day begins with a fantastic, traditional breakfast, followed by singing, prayer and a lesson from a member of our group. The lessons and sharing of little episodes from our day are quite moving. It´s hard to express the love we feel from the people we are working with and meeting each day. The pace of life is slow but steady. Everyone greets us. After worship, we pile into a smallish flat-bed truck for the ride of our lives. Imagine putting twenty adults into the back of a truck and then merging onto the Madison beltline, and then doing a U-turn without being able to see oncoming traffic. We appreciate your prayers. We are having a great time.
Every day dawns bright and warm. All day long it is sunny and about 75. Along about 5, things cool off rapidly, to the point where we are all in sweatshirts for dinnertime.
We have been taking lots of photos, but unfortunately there is no drive at this Cafe to upload them. Hopefully tomorrow.
Until then, know that we are all healthy, energetic and grateful for this time with our new friends. We also greatly, greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
We're here
One of our two travel groups arrived in Guatemala City at about 10:30 last night. The other (largely Madison) didn't arrive until 12:30 this morning. That's right, after about a 5 hour delay involving mechanical problems, a repair, changing planes and then waiting for supplies, the group on the flight to Miami left long after our planned 5:50 p.m. departure time. We are all thankful everyone (and all bags) arrived safe and sound. And just as importantly, we arrived in a good mood.
Our hosts from Los Olivos met us at the airport. Together, we took a "chicken bus" (look it up) for the 40-minute drive to the hotel Sumpango. The bus sort-of reminds us of a tricked-out Partridge Family bus (look it up). It was a comfortable if not wild ride through a quiet city and countryside. We arrived at about 2:30 a.m. and finally got settled by 3.
The hotel is perched on a hill overlooking the main highway and hills filled with gardens and farmland. In the distance (about an hour away) are several active volcanoes.
We slept in a bit this morning. The elders from Los Olivos joined us for breakfast at the hotel at about 9. Everyone had a great time practicing their spotty spanish or english over eggs, plantains, bread, juice and coffee. Afterward we had a wonderful time of worship together. The day is cloudless and clear. My guess is the temperature now (at about noon) is in the mid- to high seventies.
The construction group took a short ride to the school we are to help build. There we met several of the local men. They have already completed the walls. I'm taking a break at Armando's house to use his computer to post this report. When I left, everyone was working on digging out the floor for the 2-room school, and cleaning up the site. This afternoon we hope to begin preparing to pour concrete (by wheel barrow), and possibly painting and some electrical work. We'll see.
The rest of our group was preparing their puppets and materials for their time with the local children. We expect to hear more and see lots of pictures tonight when we get back together..
Thank you for your prayers!
Our hosts from Los Olivos met us at the airport. Together, we took a "chicken bus" (look it up) for the 40-minute drive to the hotel Sumpango. The bus sort-of reminds us of a tricked-out Partridge Family bus (look it up). It was a comfortable if not wild ride through a quiet city and countryside. We arrived at about 2:30 a.m. and finally got settled by 3.
The hotel is perched on a hill overlooking the main highway and hills filled with gardens and farmland. In the distance (about an hour away) are several active volcanoes.
We slept in a bit this morning. The elders from Los Olivos joined us for breakfast at the hotel at about 9. Everyone had a great time practicing their spotty spanish or english over eggs, plantains, bread, juice and coffee. Afterward we had a wonderful time of worship together. The day is cloudless and clear. My guess is the temperature now (at about noon) is in the mid- to high seventies.
The construction group took a short ride to the school we are to help build. There we met several of the local men. They have already completed the walls. I'm taking a break at Armando's house to use his computer to post this report. When I left, everyone was working on digging out the floor for the 2-room school, and cleaning up the site. This afternoon we hope to begin preparing to pour concrete (by wheel barrow), and possibly painting and some electrical work. We'll see.
The rest of our group was preparing their puppets and materials for their time with the local children. We expect to hear more and see lots of pictures tonight when we get back together..
Thank you for your prayers!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Getting ready to go
The 32 travelers on the Impact Guatemala'08 team welcome you to our trip blog. In two days (11/3) we head to Sumpango, Guatemala to work with our partner church, Los Olivos. We are members of Lake Wisconsin Evangelical Free Church (LWEFC) and Door Creek Church (DCC). I am Brian R., the designated communicator of the bunch. I will do my best to bring you all the news and needs that arise along the way.
Our group ranges in age from a high school sophomore to ... well, let's just call us older adults. We are leaving Monday morning on two flights, eventually meeting up in Guatemala City for our evening road trip to Sumpango. While there we will be staying at the Hotel Sumpango, hosted by friends from Los Olivos.
There are many reasons for going on this trip. Our main service reasons are to help build a school and offer special programs for women and children of the area. We also want to meet and spend time with people in Los Olivos and the surrounding communities.
Some from our group have made this trip before. A few have done so several times, and longed to return. Others of us have been on mission and service trips before, and want to do so again to a new place. Still others are making this their first missions trip. Regardless of our reasons or experiences, we are going to serve Christ. And we all know we will undoubtedly learn more and receive more than we could ever expect to give.
Speaking of giving, we want to thank the dozens (hundreds?) of you who have contributed toward this trip in so many ways. Thank you for ...
• praying for a successful journey and effective service
• supporting those of us who needed help paying for the trip
• contributing to the cost of materials [Buy A Brick] for the school we are helping build
• giving school materials and money to purchase them
We are grateful for you. Please know that we appreciate you and sense your support and presence as we go.
Hope this provided enough background for you. I will try to post daily while on the trip. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep in touch!
Our group ranges in age from a high school sophomore to ... well, let's just call us older adults. We are leaving Monday morning on two flights, eventually meeting up in Guatemala City for our evening road trip to Sumpango. While there we will be staying at the Hotel Sumpango, hosted by friends from Los Olivos.
There are many reasons for going on this trip. Our main service reasons are to help build a school and offer special programs for women and children of the area. We also want to meet and spend time with people in Los Olivos and the surrounding communities.
Some from our group have made this trip before. A few have done so several times, and longed to return. Others of us have been on mission and service trips before, and want to do so again to a new place. Still others are making this their first missions trip. Regardless of our reasons or experiences, we are going to serve Christ. And we all know we will undoubtedly learn more and receive more than we could ever expect to give.
Speaking of giving, we want to thank the dozens (hundreds?) of you who have contributed toward this trip in so many ways. Thank you for ...
• praying for a successful journey and effective service
• supporting those of us who needed help paying for the trip
• contributing to the cost of materials [Buy A Brick] for the school we are helping build
• giving school materials and money to purchase them
We are grateful for you. Please know that we appreciate you and sense your support and presence as we go.
Hope this provided enough background for you. I will try to post daily while on the trip. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep in touch!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)