The final Mission Dispatch

This is the last entry into my journal from my Guatemala Mission and it is appropriate as planning is now well underway for the next mission team to go to VHII.  I won't be able to make this trip but I am hoping that at some point I can once again return to Guatemala or maybe another location for a mission.  I was thinking a great deal about my Mission trip here a couple of weeks ago as we were experiencing more than normal rainfall for this time of year and we had a great deal of flooding (http://whalenswanderings.blogspot.com/2010/11/high-water-high.html) and I was able to simply absorb it as it was really nothing compared to what I saw in Guatemala.  That being said a number of my neighbors had their houses severely flooded.  Now I have turned to thoughts of Christmas, and I was wondering how my friends in Guatemala celebrate. 

But I am rambling, this entry was written at LaGuardia airport and then at the hotel in Bangor. It was a long day of travel and I was truly glad to lay my head down, but really wished it was in my own bed.

June 4, 2010
Right now I'm sitting at gate C5 in LaGuardia airport in New York, New York.  Our flight has been postponed an hour so now we have a six hour wait here before flying to Bangor.

The rest of our flights today have been very smooth.  We had to rush to catch our connector to New York after landing in Houston.  I was rushing with Denise and Sarah T as we happen to get through immigration and baggage claims together.  We were rushing so much that both girls ran out of their flip flops which I found incredibly funny.  Sarah was continually saying "this is so intense" and I have to admit it truly felt a bit "Amazing Race"ish.

When we lifted off in Guatemala I felt a huge sigh of relief.  I was sure things would go smoothly, so at present I'm a bit frustrated that once again, we are being delayed.  I have faith though that God has a plan and that there is a reason and purpose for our delay, even if I never know what it is.

I will wait and finish this entry at Bangor, as we have decided to spend the night there and head back to Sussex in the morning.

It is after midnight as I try to sit quietly and finish this entry.  I am tired and I don't have a great deal to express.  I simply wanted to say that I am truly thankful that I made all my flights safely and thank God for that.  I can't wait to get home tomorrow and hug my wife and kids.

It is terrible but I don't make another journal entry after this one.  I have learned a great deal more about myself since returning and re-reading my journal but I have not put any more into it.  This will not be my last mission though and I will fill my book with lots more great stories of how God is working in my life.  I was super excited to see my kids and my wife looked so beautiful when we finally pulled into the ACC parking lot.  It was a happy reunion and everyone had lots of emotion to share.  God can use us all to do great things if we simply give ourselves to him and I am blessed to have been one of his tools.

Love you Mission team, you guys are awesome.

Rainy Days and Memories

I am reposting this picture to illustrate to those living in
Canada's Atlantic provinces that what we are going through
could be worse.  My prayers are with you in your struggle.

Over the past week it has been raining incredibly hard and consistent.  In some areas here they recieved over 300mm of rain.  That could likely be considered close to the yearly average for some places not too far from my part of the world.  Instead of letting the rain get me down I simply remembered what we went through in Guatemala.  There we survived a volcanoe and a tropical storm in much more rugged terrain, so this week here has been a breeze.  That being said I know there are people here in my town who were flooded out of their homes and will have to likely endure the pain of remodeling their basements and such and my prayers are with them.

Since I was thinking about Guatemala I figured it would be a good time to write another one of my entries from my journal.  It is great to see that the experience that I shared there was not lost and that it has allowed me to cope with some of life's challenges here more effectively.  My journal entries are shorter as we are preparing to leave Guatemala after a long, stressful wait for the airport to re-open and book our flights.  The weather has eased and became very warm in Antigua as I start to go into the familiar shell I retreat to when any of my adventures start to come to an end.



The streets all possessed stunning scenery and were very
walkable.  Everywhere God's creation was inspiring.



June 3, 2010

I took it easy today so I would be rested for our long travel day tomorrow.  We went to breakfast at Don Luisa again and once again I was enthralled with the atmosphere of this old restaurant.  Photos and pictures on the wall and the many small rooms filled to capacity, with people carrying on lively conversation (You wouldn't have know that the region was in complete chaos.)  The plants and the openess of the place really appealed to me.



We returned to the hotel afterwards and spent most of our time playing some cards.  It was hot, muggy day and a good day to do little.  Eventually I took some clothes to the laundry mat a block down the street before joining some others for a walk to the grocery store (should not be confused with the market, as they are nothing alike) even though I didn't really need anything.  It was a great day and I didn't want to waste it in the hotel.  We grabbed an icecream cone, two scoops for 10Q ($1.10) and sauntered along the very walkable streets watching the various people walk past or sitting in the shade.

Once again we went to Los Palmas for supper since they had treated us so well the night before.  Again tonight they provided incredible service and great food.  The mood was a bit more sombre tonight as we hoped yet were saddened to think that it was our last night in Guatemala.

After supper we returned to the hotel and packed our bags in preparation for our 3am departure time.  I had a hard time sleeping as I was worried about our flights being delayed.  I was also troubled by the fact that I didn't feel like I had helped the people in Guatemala enough.  I had hoped that earlier that day we could help out again at "Common Hope" or elsewhere but that opportunity never materialized.  I feel that we could have looked into that a bit harder, and worked harder to make it happen.  I was a bit disappointed in myself here, not anyone else.  I should have made my feelings known more emphatically, but I sat quietly and followed everyone else.  When I had the chance to lift my voice...when it could have counted for something...I didn't.  God please help me learn when to lift my voice to serve you.

Heading back to Antigua

I spent this afternoon playing some touch football with a bunch of people from church.  It was a great time filled with some laughs, excitement, and great exercise.  To continue to write this journal is exercise for me, and lately I have been not getting enough exercise of any kind.  If you had of seen me play touch football you would know exactly what I was saying.  I haven't been taking enough time for myself lately and it is starting to take a toll. 



So here is a small leap towards starting to make some of that time.  For this day in my journal I am feeling a bit dull, and I am anxious to serve more.  We are on the road again and I notice the heavily eroded rivers with flowing garbage and become frustrated with the global ignorance and apparent lack of rightous morality.  Why can we not all have enough to live a healthy and productive life.

June 2, 2010


All rivers seemed to have changed dramatically
overnight



I had a great sleep last night thanks to the hum of the air conditioner in this seedy hotel.  We walked to Saritas for breakfast and again like every meal there is no lack of conversation and good natured ribbing.  Domingo was the brunt of most jokes as he always seems to get us "almost there."  He took the teasing with good humor though and apologized for not showing us a better time.  Of course his apologies are completely unnecessary and it made me respect him a great deal for taking our jokes and feeling he had to apologize.

After breakfast we loaded the FH Van and headed back to Antigua and Los Bucaros.  Like the day before, the drive back was sombre and I enjoyed the scenery and changing topography back into Antigua.  Again it was hard to see the eroded rivers and the destruction the mudslides and flooding caused.  I pushed Domingo to see if we can help tomorrow with some of the clean up.  He said he'd see what he could do.



The garbage and amount of mud was unbelievable

for someone coming from the stable environment

I come from.



Once back in Antigua, Chris, Jordan, and I went to the market and I think Jordan is addicted to dickering.  He was good at getting his price and I got some great gifts for family and friends.  Again the Antigua Market is a great place to gain experience and people watch.  My little spanish is improving but language is a huge barrier.



Often this is what river crossings looked like. 
Lots of mud, no pavement, and who knows
what was underneath the van.



The team met at the square again and headed for supper.  Just before we met Jordan, Chris, and I stumbled upon a sports pub that was showing the hockey game.  We checked the score and then tried to convince the team it would be a good place to eat.  Unfortunately everyone had their stomach set on Italian, so Kara led us to Los Lamos which ended up being a great spot.  The service was great and the food was incredible.  I ate way more than I needed.  



After supper we all headed back to the hotel and many of us enjoyed playing catch phrase.  Before long we were tired out and headed to bed.

Another "Almost"

Taken from a van window this was a dramatic peak as we left the mountain
region for the Pacific Coast.

Many times in our lives we are all faced with uncertainty.  Recently, here in New Brunswick everyone was uncertain as to the path of Hurricane Earl, and we did what we could to prepare for the uncertain.  Usually the hardest part about that kind of situation is the mental preparation and not the physical sort.  Another funny thing about most of the uncertainty I typically face is that it is usually brought on by Mother Nature.  In Guatemala the team was faced with great deal of uncertainty and it was strongly influenced by Mother Nature.

The best thing we can do when facing uncertainty is simply put it in God's hands.  I have found that when I do this that I do not stress out as much and that I can more readily accept the end result, even if not a favorable result.  With Mother Nature throwing many things at us, I sought God's Wisdom to determine my next steps.  I believe he guided my mind not to thing to far ahead but rather focus on the moment.  That being said, I was still feeling the uncertainty. 

I have attached the link to the "Common Hope Hostel" in this entry and I encourage you to view that site and take note of some of the Agatha pictures.  They have some great photos that illustrate the devastation caused by tropical storm Agatha.  In comparison, tropical storm Earl paled in damage created.

June 1, 2010

My first time to the Pacific Coast.  A black sand beach with most of
the sand now missing.

Our day started with some confusion as we tried to figure out where we would be spending the next couple of nights.  After some long discussion with the staff at "Los Bucaros" we decided to keep one room there for our luggage and later head towards Monterreco and what is touted as the best beach in Guatemala.

We had breakfast at a McDonald's before heading to Common Hope.  This is the hostel we were to originally stay in while in Antigua.  They had been heavily impacted by mudslides and we were going to help them out.  When we arrived I was surprised to see the place was already very clean, so instead of mopping and shovelling floors we unloaded a truck of bagged water and packed rations for delivery to displaced families in outlying communities.  This was an awesome experience and a great way for us to continue to serve while here.  I think I could almost consider this our best service to date.  The staff at "Common Hope" were glad to have our help and I could have stayed there the rest of the trip helping out there but our plans were to help for the morning and then head to Monterreco.  We left at about 12:00 noon with a heavy but rewarded heart.

These are the first coconuts I have seen up close on a tree.  I think
they make a great picture.

We checked out of all but one room at Los Bucaros and headed towards the west coast in hopes of finding a beach and hotel to stay in.  The drive out of Antigua was very scenic.  We drove past volcanic peaks, raging and new, heavily eroded, rivers, devasted homes, and then the
scenery changed as we left the mountain region.  One last dramatic peak with extreme slopes and topography that fell into lying, flat, fields filled with sugar cane.  The river was now a boulder strewn channel that was ever widening on our left.  Suddenly a large mine or mill appeared on our right, then a refinery, and a shipping yard.  Despite all this industry the people seemed to be struggling as the homes are rudimentary.  Many by this point were flooded and residents were encamped along the walls of a resort.  It frustrated me to see the money that industry had and how little the country's people had.  I question the morals of the federal government and of industry to exist in such an unbalanced manner that keeps itself so safe and stable, while those around it and those who work to keep it struggle simply to live a meager life.

Shortly after the waves knocked me off my feet, I quickly
made my way back to the shoreline.  Sometimes my
foolishness gets the best of me.
 (Picture from L. McCullum files)

The storms had flooded the river and pushed water and waves at these people from both sides.  The river on the east and the waves from the west.  We crossed the river and onto an island in hopes of reaching Monterrecco but the roads here were heavily flooded in places along with many more homes.  We crossed a couple of watery holes but had to turn back with less than 10km to go to reach the beaches.  Once again we "almost" got there.  We did find a way to the ocean but it was not a public beach so we did not stay long.  The Pacific Ocean though literally and figuratively swept me off my feet.  The beach we visited had large waves pounding it and a great deal of sand had already been lost.  This, once again, illustrated the power of nature.  After some pictures, and play time, we headed out to find a place to stay for the night.

After checking out a couple of places,one of which would have created a great horror film back drop, we laid our heads in a seedy hotel in Escuintla, a modest size city with some modern day perks.  The hotel was not one of them though but thankfully it had air conditioning.  After checking my sheets for bugs and stains I crawled in.  I had spent nights in worse places, in fact I had an apartment that might be considered worse.  In any event I spent a more comfortable night than many in Guatemala.

I had a bottom note about singing country music during the driving time.  Music is one of those things that I can always turn too, to ease my mind and relieve stress.  Thanks Denise and Lauren for sharing the head set.

After a long day cooped up in a van, you tend to get a little silly.
Sara T and I were goofing it up before eating supper in Escuintla.
(Photo from files of L.McCullum)

Slowing Down to Serve God

Antigua was filled with old buildings like this one.  It was like walking through
a history lesson.

I am guilty of sometimes rushing through things without really taking care to pay attention to the small details.  I think we are all a bit guilty of this at times.  My journal for this day was very poorly written with many spelling and grammatical errors leading me to think one of two things; I was either very tired when I wrote it or; I hurried through it.  God sometimes gives us a lot all at once and we tend to prioritize things according to our own desires and somethings we simply rush through to get them off our list.  While the Mission Team was in VHII it was simple for me to find time and space to write in my journal, but being in a hotel in  the middle of a bustling city seemed to make it harder for me to make the needed time. 

Since returning from Guatemala I have tried not to load my plate quite so full, but alas, my professional life has stacked up and over the last little while my writing has taken a back seat.  I guess that is one of the things about writing that I enjoy...the paper is always there waiting and can wait until I feel inspired.  In Guatemala every thing was inspiring and I made time to write it down.  I have left in the spelling and grammatical errors for this entry and underlined them.  I hope that it will stand as a reminder that I need to slow down.  I need to make God my first priority even though he will always be there when I need him, he deserves that small sacrifice after all his son Jesus sacrificed for us.

May 31, 2010

The frustration of not being able to get home has subsided a bit this morning but I still wish we could get home sooner then Friday.  I was glad to be able to talk to Seth this morning and I hope it put his mind at ease.  Michelle was very grateful for the call as well and was very supportive after I confessed about being a bit guilty feeling for being here.  She told me to try and make the best of the situation and to keep on serving.

Visually stimulating reminders of the area's stong tie to faith
existed in every park and on every street corner.

While I talked to Seth the team members who were present started to cry.  I "cowboy'd up" and kept my emotions in check.  Seth was his cheerful self and told me a story about a new Dollar Store toy.  Then told me he loved me and missed me.  That is when the team got tear eyed.

Breakfast was late as J.D, L, and DM slept in this morning.  Ray, Chris, and Domingo went early to Guatemala City to check on flights.  So with Kara as our guide we went to "Pollo Campero" for a late brunch.  "Pollo Campero" is like our "KFC" but with a nicer atmosphere and a small desert menu.  We teased Wendy O as she constantly was on her I Pad while we ate chicken and fries.  Over the past two days I have ate alot an probably gained back any weight I lost in VHII.

This had to be one of the coolest places to grab an ice cream
or a cup of tea.  You could sit and people watch all day.

After lunch the team split up with the gals going to the spa while the guys toured the market again.  I picked up a few more things for Seth, Shaylee, & Michelle, and improved my dickering skills.  They still pale in comparison to JD however who Wendy used consistently to get her goods and good prices.

When we returned to the hotel Chris, Ray, and Domingo were back.  Ray had a sample of the ash with him.  It was more sand like than I expected it.  I figured it would be a soft, flake like, material.  I took time to send emails to work and send my regrets to Council for missing tomorrow nights council meeting.  It was a relief to learn that Chris and Megan still have plenty to do but I'm not looking foward to all the work I'll have to do when I return to work.  I'll owe a ton of time.

I loved the contrast that the old, crumbling, dirty, buildings had
created with the well manicured, clean, gardens and lawns.

Our insurance will be covering us for up to $700 for our expenses during our delayed stay.  The church has provided us with some cash to cover these expenses upfront and when our claim is returned we can pay the church back.  This is good because Michelle and I didn't really have any funds to allow me to comfortably stay here any longer.

Supper again was at the "Estancio" steak house and I had an "Incredible Cheeseburger" and it lived up to its name.  After supper I walk with Wendy and Bernadette to the bank as thier security.  They were getting a large amount of Quetzels for the team.  Later we played cards and chatted about our plans to help out "Common Hope Hostel" in the morning before going to the Pacific coast in the late afternoon.

Dickering on Faith and Discussing Faith

Jordan was a genious at bartering with the shop vendors.

It has been sometime since I was able to upload my journal entries from my Guatemala Mission Trip.  It isn't that I am losing interest in posting these updates but rather a case of getting extremely busy at my job.  I work as a Project Manager for a non-proift watershed committee and this is our busiest time of year and so my spare time is more sparse than spare.  It was partially my chosen career though that helped lead me to this Mission journey and the Mission has, I think, also allowed me to perform some of my job tasks with a greater clarity.  In my previous post I commented on the litter and trash that flowed down some of the rivers in the wake of Tropical Storm Agatha, well coming up at work, I will be organizing a shoreline clean-up, and though I have done this before I now have a great understanding of how important such a simple task can be.

As I wrote this journal entry we were safe and sound in a hotel in Antigua, but emotionally it was a stressful situation.  I wanted to be on the road home and yet I wanted to help those suffering around me.  It was a bit confusing with the uncertainty with our flights and such.  The day was still inspiring though as we explored the beautiful streets of this tourist city.

The cobble streets of Antigua along with the old style, colorful buildings
gave it an incredible charm.  I wanted to walk and explore every street.

March 30, 2010

We awoke to a nicer day today.  The tropical storm, Agatha, had dissipated much quicker than anticipated and thus the weather was actually nice.  This was the day we were supposed to visit the market and shop for souvenirs for friends and family, so that is what we did.  Before hitting the market though we had lunch at an amazing restaurant called Don Louisa.  The walk there was amazing as this City is very colorful in day light.  Old buildings, cobble streets, cozy shops, bright colors, and immense mountain back drops.  The most dominant mountain is actually a volcano and was impressive as it stood high over the City and was often shrouded by clouds.  It made me slightly uneasy given the events of the previous couple of days.

The view from the top of the Hotel we stayed at in Antigua.  This was one
of three very noticeable volcanos.

The restaurant was almost as impressive as the volcano, with many great photos of various genres decorating the walls.  Pictures of North America made me homesick.  The dining area was divided into many small areas but hardly any seats remained when we arrived.  We managed to find a small room in the back with enough seats to sit us all and I enjoyed traditional pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  I also decided to have a chocolate milkshake, as I have been craving ice cream.  The shake was so good, I had two.

After breakfast we returned tothe hotel to check on our flight status.  It was confirmed that we have flights booked for Fridaay.  Not really happy about the situation as I need to get home for work and I miss Michelle, Seth, and Shaylee like crazy, but there is nothing I can do about it.  We are truly in God's hands at this point and I pray that an earlier flight materializes.

The market was a wild experience, one I really enjoyed ironically.  Shopping is not my forte but interacting with the local vendors was really cool.  The dickering over prices was a learning experience that will not soon be forgotten.  To see this cultural practice and live it was awesome.  I was surprised, after I made my first transaction, how simple it was.  The vendors were very persistent, especially with the North American clientele, but it is their livelihood so you can't blame them.  I think I managed to get some good deals and I hope Michelle likes what I got for her.  I spent less than $150US and got presents for Michelle, Seth, Shaylee, Mom, Dad, Wendy, and Nancy.  The great thing about that is, I think I paid a fair market value for what I purchased.  That, we were told, is important as we do not want to increase market values for the vendors local clients.

After the market we went to the City Square.  this was similar to Saint John, NB's Kings Square, only larger, older, and much grander.  It possessed more character and many more people were moving about.  It was great to visit such a place and see the variety of people around.  Antigua is a great city with an economy based on tourism so it works to protect their historic feel and at keeping the City clean.  It is a contrast to what we saw in the rest of Guatemala and if I had to pick a place here to live it would definitely be here in Antigua.

Many times locals would come and push goods on you but we were encouraged not to purchase from these people.  It is hard to resist though as they are persistent and look so sad and needy.

We had supper at a steak house amd then spent the evening sorting out insurance and alternative flight options.  A few of us went for a short walk and enjoyed the evening while discussing youth journeys toward faith.  It was a great way to end the day as at this point some would have reason to doubt, but at moments like that, it is important to hold God even closer.
 

Changing Storms

Flooding in Wawa Tenago

Up to this point our Mission trip had been rather smooth with no real hitches or issues to deal with.  Everyone was getting along and had remained relatively healthy with the exception of some stomach problems.  This day, I think, would turn out to be a day that will become a defining moment for everyone on the team.  For me at least it was the first time I would witness first hand and experience the moments of angst, in a devasting natural disaster.  I was oddly in wonder of being there while also feeling helpless, frustrated, and worried for the people of Guatemala. 

In addition to Mount Pacaya erupting, the west coast was also starting to feel the effects of a pending tropical storm, and we ended up travelling through some of the hardest hit areas.  Severe flooding and mudslides were a common sight throughout this day.  No words could accurately describe how the day impacted me and this is likely a good thing because I had very little energy or drive left to write a great deal for this journal entry.  Most of this day was spent in a mini-van driving from Nebaj to Antigua.  What is normally a five hour drive, turned into a 13hour trudge in a crowded mini-van.  Incredibly, with a team of 10 people and one driver and all the potential stress factors around us, we all made our final exit out of the van in good spirits.

May 29, 2010
Rain was the norm for this day of travel and it would turn out to be a stressful day.  Our goal was to go to some hot springs but on our drive we passed numerous mud and rock slides.  We were approximately 1-2km away from the springs but a major slide blocked our path and we had to change our plans.  Now we headed to Antigua, but before we got to far an emergency vehicle passed with injured people in the back.  A sad reminder of what was happening around us and how devastating it was to the families living in this region of Guatemala.

A mudlside completely blocks one lane between Nebaj and Wawa Tenago
(photo from files of L. McCullum)

We continued towards Antigua and slowed a number of times for mudslides.  Every town and village we passed had rivers where roads used to be and some vehicles were completely submerged.  We stopped in Wawa Tenago for lunch and many roads here were running torrents.  Many shops and homes were being heavily flooded and in some cases materials were floating out the doors.  One thing I couldn't believe was the amount of garbage that was being carried down the stream, and in some cases this garbage was causing more issues, especially near culverts and bridges.

Some of us had Chinese for lunch, miraclously many restaurants were still open, while others ran to a nearby McDonalds for a taste more like home.  I chose to stay in the moment for the time being. 

After lunch we continued on to Antigua where we planned to stay in a hostel.  Again we were stopped from reaching our destination by Mother Nature as a bridge had been washed out less than 500m from the hostel.  Domingo, all though visibly worried, remained calm in the moment and made arrangements to put us up in a nearby hotel.  Bernadette could not hold her bladder long enough though and peed along the side of the road while some of the team provided some cover while the rest laughed with amusement and exhaustion.

Once settled in the hotel we all ate pizza and sent emails and phone calls home.  It was a long day and, despite being stuck for over 13hours in a mini-van, the team has been great to one another.  No one is being difficult and everyone is getting along incredibly well when you consider the situation.

God has showed us many blessing and his natural pwers.  We feel blessed to have been granted safe travel to this point and pray for things to work out as the week moves on.  At this point it is looking like we will be staying in Antigua at Los Casa de los Bucaros at least until Monday.  Our flight is being shown as cancelled due to the volcanic ash and a pending tropical storm.  God will keep us safe.   

Celebrating a Deparature and a Birthday

Our last day in Villa Hortencia II is one I will always remember.  It is one of those odd traits I have.  I always seem to remember departures.  The faces on the children that day were so full of emotion and they etched their way into my memory.  I found it hard to believe how much of an impact our being there had for them.  I realized that one person can make a difference.  In this case 10 team members had likely brightened the past week for close to 100 kids, if not more.  It touched me deeply to see how proudly they waved the small Canadian flags we gave them that day.  I have added some of the pictures of kids from the Village to this post and as you look at them please pray for them.  Pray that they continue to feel hope.  Pray that they find a continual strength to face the daily challenges.  Pray for their well being and health into the future.

As you read the last portion of this journal entry, note how casual I mention the eruption of Mount Pacaya.  At this point I have no idea how big of a deal this would become.

May 28, 2010

This morning we got up early and packed our suitcases.  After breakfast we went to a farewell ceremony that the elders of VH II organized for us.  I was very surprised to see how much of an effort they made.  Balloons, flowers, and music created a happy atmosphere around the Village's meager health clinic (where the ceremony was held.)  Many of the elders gave a speech, some young girls sang a touching song through nervous glances in our direction, and a young boy thanked us with a wonderful speech.  I have no doubt the young boy will someday be a leader for his people.  Upon the end of the celebration sadness fell.  Many of the women on the team cried openly and I have to admit, my heart was very heavy as we made the walk up to the house we had been staying in and loaded up the trucks.  Many of the children gathered as we tarped the trucks and you could see that they too were heavy hearted.

We drove out of the Village in the back of the Toyota truck and waved to everyone.  Before long we were admiring the scenery and focusing on what lay ahead for the next part of our journey.  We followed another road out of VH II toward Nebaj, this one led us through some different communities, including a coffee plantation.  It was, in my mind, a great example of greed gone wrong on a social and environmental level.  Poverty surrounded one large house, that which, I assume, is of the owner.  The community was gated at both entry points.  While the owner's house was immaculate and well built and manicured, the staff housing was rudimentary, granted it was still better than most communities, but less than adequate by North American standards.  To top this plantation off, it appeared as though there is a project underway to divert the river into a large canal with in line turbines in an attempt to create hydro power.  There were excavators and dams in the stream, heavily impacting water quality and flow.  This of course irked me to say the least.

Shortly before lunch, which in Guatemala is at 1:00 or 2:00, we stopped in Rio Azul for a sponsored child visit.  The visit was special to Bill as we visited his sponsored child Katerina.  Both Bill and Katerina were all smiles during the visit to this very clean and hospitable home.  Like many of the families we met, I felt this one had a strong family bond and worked well with each other.  It is great to see that even with little, they still have each other.

After checking inot the hotel in Nebaj we joined the FH Guatemala staff for a lunch at a nearby resort.  Music, gifts, and fun was the norm.  We were all presented with greatly crafted and woven shoulder bags.  It will be a great token of our time here.  After a great meal the FH staff challenged us to a game of court soccer.  Even in the rain, and even heavily out matched, we all had great fun.  It brought ACC and FH Guatemala that much closer. 

We spent the evening at Domingo and Kara's celebrating Sarah T's birthday, eating pizza, and discussing the future and various other topics.  A great last night before starting our journey back home.  Unfortunately there will be o hiking to Mount Pacaya as planned.  The volcano erupted on Thursday but despite being disappointed, I'm sure I can someday see a volcano.  Happy Birthday Sarah T.

Reminders of God's Wonderous Work

In the rain forest heading up a mountain, this was
and amazing experience

This past Monday the 2010 ACC Guatemala Mission team hosted an Encounter where we presented our feelings about our trip to Guatemala.  It was a wonderful evening filled with memories and emotions.  My emotions on May 27th were intense according to my journal.  Some of those emotions were very present at the encounter, not just mine but a number of the team wore their emotions proudly like a badge of honor.  Sara T gave a heartfelt version of how she felt and how the trip changed her and through listening to her story I realized maybe, one of the biggest changes that took place in me during the Mission.  It happened so early in the trip that I think I missed it.  It goes back to when to flight from Bangor to New York and the silage bales that read "Gods Wisdom".  From that point I was relaxed and I had decided that I was in God's hands, but it wasn't until I listened to Sara's story of our flight into Guatemala with the lightening and how I had told her "We were in God's hands" and that it would be ok.  This was not something that I would have normally been comfortable stating out loud, but I think seeing that mesage in the silage wraps actually gave me the comfort I needed to make that statement and apparently make Sara a bit more comfortable.  God's work is amazing and I witnessed, on this day of the trip some of his natural wonders.

Standing at the first shelf leading up the mountain in front of the
Mission House, and looking down on Villa Hortencia II

May 27, 2010
Today will be the last full day in the Village and I have a feeling of anticipation and disappointment.  Since we have some cool activities lined up and we'll be heading for home I'm excited to leave, but I also think there is much more to do here.

The pankcakes this morning were great and provided me with the energy I needed to work throughout the morning pouring concrete at the sport court.  I feel great when I can work a solid pace like we have done while here, and to work in such a beautiful place to create such a worhtwhile project makes the work easy.  While Wendy, Sara, Denise, Chris, and I continued to work, the rest of the team went on home visits and visited some of the ladies who will be weaving.  When the team returned we all signed our names in a wet block of the cement.  Though the court isn't complete, it will be awesome for future teams to come and see this team's contribution to the Village.

After lunch the whole team went to VBS and sang songs, told a story of Christ healing the blind, and made crafts.  It was kid chaos as we tried to help them with their crafts.  Some were very pushy while others sat patiently as we handed out the needed materials for the craft.  The language barrier definitely made it harder to control the kids but everyone was having fun and that was the important thing.  After the crafts were complete we took the kids to the sports field (the sports field should not be confused for the sports court) for some soccer.  This was great fun as the kids would scream and laugh, and usually louder if a Mission team member had the ball or fell or something of the like.

Domingo and I had earlier decided we wanted to hike up one of the nearby mountains, so after my team won the soccer game 1-0, he and I, along with Denise, headed out in the rain to try and top the ridge directly in front of the Mission shelter.

When I was struggling simply to stand, this man
efficiently lugged four large timbers down
the muddy trail.  Amazing.

I seriously didn't think it would be a difficult hike but man was I wrong.  The height and distance were deceiving.  It is also tough to walk up the hill while sliding down hill in the muddy terrain.  On the way down though this proved to be really entertaining.  I was amazed as we nearly reached the first shelf of the slope to see a man pulling four large pieces of lumber behind him as sure footed as a mountain goat.  I had a light pack on and I was struggling after only 10minutes into the trek.  I was highly impressed with Denise and her determined effort to move ahead and stay close to Domingo.  As the oldest individual on the trek I felt it my duty to bring up the rear and be a safety net, well that and I couldn't keep up anyways.  We never made the top as clouds moved in and the sun was soon to set.  Disappointed but wisely we headed back down.  The trees silhoutted in the clouds made for an awesome backdrop to the lush green forested foreground.  Once under the canopy of the trees it became dark on the way down but before we got to far the sun broke and the Village appeared far below for a brief moment and the three of us shouted like school kids, claiming a victory to simply be alive in that instant.  We shouted like fools at anyone who might hear us from far below.  The rest of the trip down the mountain was joyous, sliding, fun.  When at the bottom shelf where we had seen the man with lumber, Denise and I had some fun mud skiing down the hill.  We also smeared mud on our faces and gave the rest of the team a little laugh.  Shortly after returning to the shelter and sharing stories and laughs I took a good, but cold shower.

Supper and the evening was a bit of a blur as my body was tired and I was pumping with adrenaline and raw emotion.  Anxious to go home and see my family, but not ready to leave.   

From near the top of the mountain, we
looked far below as the clouds broke to
see the Village and hollered like kids

Some of us faired better on the hike than
others, but from the smiles, you can tell
we all had lots of fun.

Uncontrollable Emotions, Willing Hearts

At this point in the Mission trip I am getting more and more comfortable with the natural surroundings and over the next couple of entries I think I am starting to get comfortable with the people as well.  This has been a difficult process thanks to the language barriers that exist.  The weather throughout this day was cloudy with heavy rain at times but despite this I seem to be in great spirits.  In my front notes for the day (which I don't write here), I noted that I felt blessed, fortunate, hopeful for their future, and proud for "lifting" my voice and for what our team is doing.  It was a great day, possibly one of the most enduring days of the trip for me.  Even reading it now I get emotional as I can instantly go back to some of the events of the day.  This is one day that no words will ever do justice and I will never be able to fully capture how it impacted my in words. 

May 26, 2010

This day will be incredibly hard to put into words.  the previous days I have been working hard on building the sport court and today was very different.  Today I interacted more with the Village and it's people and focused on my one word.

First thing though, I have been getting up before everyone and writing my journal and emailing family.  After that breakfast is usually on.  I find it cool how quickly I have gotten into a rythym here.  After breakfast today we worked on the court for a short period before Wendy, Sara, Bernadette, Denise, and I did some home visits.

The homes we visited were those of children whom members of our church sponsor.  We were able to visit 3 young girls all below the age of 13 years old.  I was unprepared how emotional of an experience this would be for me.  The first home was a large family with 8 children, grandparents, parents, daughter-in-law, and grandchild.  They were a tight knit family that by VH II standards were likely well off.  They had a weaving loom where they produced skirts and sashes for a company in Santa Cruz.  They also had a T.V, and a rock oven.  The T.V ran off a generator and the kids watched videos on it.  The little girl was the youngest in the family and her eyes lit up when we presented her with the bag of school supplies and clothing.

The second family we visited was a smaller and poorer family.  They currently live in the little girl's grandmother's house, but were in the process of building a new home when we arrived.  The father had spent 3years in the US trying to earn money but returned to see his family with little extra to show for his time away.  His two little girls were precious and his wife beamed with pride in her family.  When this little girl tried on her clothes she giggled and lit up a dreary sky.  This is where I cracked and uncontrollably, and without knowing, tears lightly fell from my eyes.  to see this family, who had very little, welcome us into their home, and to see their love for one another, and to provide their daughter with a gift of not tactile things, but hope and a simple smile is an emotional experience I will never forget.

The third family was the smallest with only the immediate family of four living there.  They had a cinder block home, more modern than the others, but we were told it was a government project home and that the family ws very poor.  Catarina was the little girl we were to visit and this 7 year old had a weary tired face that again touched me very deep down.  I was chosen to present her with her gift on behalf of the McConnells and was blessed in so doing.  She was at first a bit timid of me I think because I probably appeared very large to her, but when I knelt down and asked her to sit on a bench beside me she became more comfortable.  She said she was in grade one and that she likes to draw.  She really liked the stickers, paper, and supplies the McConnells donated and finally smiled when I helped her put on the new pink beret.  When I helped here try on the sweaters I thought of my daughter, Shaylee, and how in a couple of years it will be her in need of school supplies and clothes, and again I started to feel tears creep into my eyes and used humor to lighten the mood.  This will be an experience I will never forget.

As we headed back to the worksite I snapped pictures of flowers and the Catholic Church.  Coffee beans, oranges, corn, it is amazing the diversity here, but as you look at the weather it is no wonder.  We are supposedly here during the rainy season but throughout everyday we get clouds, sun, rain, or a combination of all the above.

I helped out a little at the worksite before heading to lunch.  After lunch we prepped materials for VBS before heading to lead the kids.  We estimated over 140 kids sang, cheered, and smiled with us as we told stories about Jesus ability to heal.  This was another joyful moment where God's love could be seen throughout the church, and I hoped he would heal all there if just for a day.

After VBS we met once again with the weaving group and provided some business and Co-op experience.  The president of the group seemed very intelligent and eager to make this project work.  I hope that with a good plan, accountability, and God's will this will provide a great stepping stone toward sustainability.

A young 17 year old girl in this group is helping her father raise her 4 younger siblings as her mother passed away three months after her youngest sibling was born.  She is so young to have so much responsibility, yet she seems very willing and accepting to take on that and more.  It is possible that she very well represents a good number of the Villagers in her willingness to serve family.

Many of the young women stuck around after the tutorial and drew pictures and shared names and words with us with much focus on Lauren and Denise.  The day quickly drew to night and supper was shortly served up.  We prayed and sang some worship songs before heading to our appropriate rooms.

Picture the Little Things

The Mission team got together recently to complete one of the fundraisers we had committed to at our salmon dinner.  We had five cord of wood to cut, split and deliver and we picked a hot evening to complete the task.  Thankfully, Ray offered up his pool, and most of us took advantage of his generosity and cooled down with some fun.  The evening of work really made me realize how much I enjoyed this group and how close we have become due to this experience we now share.  As I stated in my last post, by re-visiting my journal to write this blog, I fondly remember many of the smaller experiences within the larger one.  Day six of the trip was one to remember and I wrote a great deal in my journal.  Guatemala though has a way of throwing a lot at you all at once.  The weather is hot and sunny one minute with pounding rain the next, the forests are so large and overwhelming, while the villages are so minimal.  It is an area of immensity and contrast, a place where you could spend a lifetime and never completely understand the natural wonders, the economic strife, or the complicated simplicity of the people (that sounds odd, I know, but I don't know how else to explain it.)  After walking through the forest near Villa Hortencia II, and having some time to ponder it now, I wish maybe I would have taken time to look at the smaller things more closely.  As you read this entry, you might want to close your eyes and put yourself in the forests of Guatemala and go beyond what I tell you and imagine the bugs, the individual orchids, the immense tree, all of these things God made, and after seeing them I now feel smaller yet stronger.

May 25, 2010

In the morning I was glad to be feeling great and thanked God for the return of my health.  We had a great breakfast of pancakes and bacon and I ate a good fill to prepare my body for the work of the day.

I wasted no time getting dirty at the work site and started mixing cement.  Chris, Jordan, Ray and I lugged 900lbs of cement the length of a soccer pitch using wheelbarrows, with Jordan breaking his wheelbarrow.  My competitive side came out as we raced up the field.  We then went to work mixing it into concrete.  This process is very physical here, like most things they do.  There is no mixer, you simply keep shovelling 8 wheel barrow loads of sand, 16 loads of gravel, and the 9 bags of cement, from one pile into another until the ingredients are mixed.  Then add water and mix a lot more until it reaches a good consistency.  Then shovel it from the ground into a wheelbarrow and dump it where needed.  It took our team all morning to mix and dump one full batch of concrete, but it was rewarding to see the sport court really taking shape.

At noon I shared my one word with the team and told them about why "LIFT" was important to me.  It led to some very cool discussion and I realize from this that I'm not the only one who struggles to lift his voice to God in front of his peers.  I felt proud of myself for being able to share my story out loud with the team.  Later in the day I even prayed over our lunch and again my pride in faith elevated.  Usually I prey on food, not pray over it.

After lunch some of us returned to the worksite while some went to lead VBS.  Some team members were feeling a bit to ill to go anywhere.  Poor Bill spent the whole day being sick and I could sympathize with him.

Again at the worksite, I went to work doing hard manual labor.  I helped a couple of Villagers hammer apart rocks.  The rocks are used to help keep the concrete slabs in place.  They are placed in the concrete forms and then the concrete is poured over them.  This also reduces the amount of concrete needed.  The issue in Villa Hortencia II is that most of the rock is huge, so in order to get smaller rocks, they beat the larger rocks with sledge hammers until they break.  It was great work for me and I challenged myself to break apart an entire boulder.  Luckily I chose a rock that was relatively soft and where ants had already created many cracks so it came apart with only a modest amount of effort.  I noticed that some of the other men were watching and I think they were either making fun of me or impressed with how quickly I broke the rock down.  I was simply glad I could help them and do something to make their jobs a bit easier.

Earlier we had worked our way through all the gravel so we ahd a short afternoon.  Domingo offered up a hike.  Ray, Jordan, Sara, Bernadette, and I all went along.  Domingo was heading out to find some orchids to take home to Nebaj for his Canadian born wife.  We were blessed to meet her and see their home earlier in our trip.  The hike led us down the road and out of the Village.  We hiked into a steep river valley where a large pool provided a chance to go for a swim.  I decided to accompany Domingo and two other locals up into the mountain side while the rest of the team members on the hike went for a swim.

The hike into the forest was incredible.  It was lush green, and fragrant.  Trees grew in all directions, including down the slope.  It didn't take long and Domingo found two species of orchid, not yet in bloom.  They climbed trees and pulled them out of the bark of the tree.  When I realized he wasn't going much further , I decided to head back to the river and go for a swim with the rest of the team that were there.

The river, like the forest, is unlike what we have at home (I should state here that home is eastern Canada.)  It tumbles from pool to pool at a very rapid pace.  The temperature is bone chilling, and colder than what I would have thought.  The color is a clear aqua green tone.  Along the banks, huge, massive trees grow, while vines and shrubs cover the lower canopy.  We rallied behind each other and bonded and gained energy from this shared experience.  Each of us happy that we made the tough hike down and no longer worried about the hike back up to the Village.  I was a bit sad that Dad, Luke, and Chris, couldn't make this hike.  Dad and Luke for obvious reasons, but Chris was starting to feel sick, so he decided to sit the hike out and recover.

Man, I was so eager to talk about the hike, I almost forgot, before lunch today we were introduced to the ladies weaving Co-op.  It is great to see this local craft skill being handed down from generation to generation.  If I had to guess, I would say we had four generations introduced to us.  We hope that the nurse's effort to provide the resources for a weave will lead to the ladies creating a small business and a much needed source of revenue for the Village.  The life in the eyes of these ladies seems to show determination and though they appeared shy, the examples of their work show they have much to offer.

Our day once again ended in games and laughter and though we are all adults I felt like I was at a Scout camp as we all laughed and joked from our beds before succumbing to our exhaustion.