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.