New link in my favorites

Still working on possible plans for a mission trip in the summer. But wanted to share this link with you: http://freedomthroughfriendship.blogspot.com/ Please check it out; Jody is raising money to purchase land in Guatemala for a Women's Crisis center.

Future plans

Hope there are some still following. I try to blog a little about how we are still connected to the work in Panajachel.
As for the future, we hope to be able to return to Panajachel or some other place in Guatemala next summer or in the Spring of 2011.
Currently we are researching programs, currently working in Guatemala that are sponsored through the Methodist church. With Anita's help we have found a couple that may be promising but I still have to find out if they are okay with small children coming along on the work projects. I will continue to update has we move a long in the process towards planning another mission trip. If any one is interested in going along with us to Guatemala, please post a comment on the blog with an e-mail address, or call the church office.

student sponsorship

After our visit to Panajachel; Larry and I talked a lot about what we could do to continue to help. I believe I mentioned in an earlier post about the woman who asked to speak with us; we decided to sponsor her 9 yr old daughter for school. After much checking and gathering of information it was discovered that this child already had a student sponsor. So after a lot of discussion and e-mails; we offered to sponsor the youngest daughter to go to preschool, if the mom wanted her to go. She will attend the new preschool in Pana, that Mayan Families will be opening; should be open in a couple of weeks. Was supposed to have opened a couple of weeks ago but they were informed, after everything was ready to go, that they had to get the go ahead from the board of education. So they are working on that and hopefully will be ready to open soon. I didn't get to meet the little girl, didn't know she was there, but Larry met her. There are so many children in need of sponsors so that they can attend school and have more opportunities when they grow up. Education plays an important part in breaking the cycle of poverty, everywhere.

Receiving Father's day Basket

In the picture is Don Ricardo the elderly gentleman we met in Panajachel. He and his wife received one of the stoves we installed. In this picture he is receiving a Father's day basket of food for he and his wife. She isn't in the picture because it is to difficult for her to walk to get to Mayan Families. The baskets usually have enough food to feed a family of 10.
We are sending what we can to provide food for them but it isn't enough to supply them with enough for the entire month. We hope those of you reading this will prayerfully consider helping us, helping them to have nutritious food on a consistent basis. You can go to www.mayanfamilies.org and click on donate. To donate food for this elderly couple, scroll down to the Family Aid box and put in the amount you wish to donate. There is also a box where you can type in their names so that Mayan Families knows who you are wanting to donate for. In the special instructions box you can type in "food for Don Ricardo and Dona Maria. On Mayan Families website will also find the U.S. address and mail donations if you don't want to do it over the internet. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. May all who continue to follow this blog be blessed, as well as their families.

photo re-post

Wanted to re-post this photo. In this photo is the elderly couple, who received one of the stoves while we were in Guatemala. The woman, Dona Maria, cannot see. Her husband, Don Ricardo, goes out every day looking for work. When he gets work, it is usually a hard labor job that does not pay very much. He can not hear very well and his eyesight is fair to poor. When he cannot get work, he has been seen going through the trash in Panajachel, looking for whatever he can find for he and his wife to eat. They have no family to help them. Larry and I have been sending what we can but it isn't enough to provide them with good nutritious food for the whole month. To help this elderly couple have good food for a month the cost would be approximately $75 to $100/month. Please prayfully consider committing to sponsoring this elderly couple for food on an ongoing basis. This is just one couple of the many elderly who need help in Panajachel. Our pray is that we can start with this one couple and hopefully if it is God's will, that there will be such an outpouring of his blessing, we will be able to help others who are of similar circumstances and need. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I pray God's blessing be with you today and always.

Since returning home from Guatemala, we have been looking over our budget and thinking about how we could help some of the families we met. After a lot of thought and going over our budget we have taken on sponsoring a 2, almost 3, yr. old girl for preschool. We are also sending what we are able to help with purchasing food for the elderly couple who received one of the stoves we installed. When the man is able to find work, the pay is very little, so is often seen going through the trash, looking for food, to take home for himself and his wife. To provide food for this couple for a month cost about $75 to $100. As mentioned above, we are sending what we can but don't have the means in our budget to cover the cost for providing food for the whole month. If any one is interested in helping to provide this elderly couple, please leave a comment here, with an e-mail so I can send you the needed information. We will continue to do what we can but would be overjoyed to have someone to help co-sponsor this couple, so that they can be provided with food to eat, that is rotted and from the trash. God's blessing be with all of you.
You can see a photo of the elderly couple in my post from April 4th, titled "The last 2 stoves. It is the last photo posted under that title.

Some closing thoughts on our trip

This trip was a blessing. We met so many people, who were such a joy and blessing to spend time with. Working with the people at Mayan Families was great. They showed us how to install the stoves and were great about telling us a little about each family. They also told us about the many different programs that Mayan Families has to help give a hand up to the people of the Highland area of Guatemala. We met so many families. It is amazing to see so many who have very little, yet they are happy in the life they have. Makes all the things we consider problems meaningless and trivial.
Larry and I want to again thank all of you for your prayers and support in the planning and during our trip. It has meant a lot to us to have the support of our friends, family and church family, with this project.
We also want to thank Patti, Julio, Carlos, Rudolfo, Juan, Fernanado, and all of Mayan Families for letting us come and work with them on installing the stoves. It was a rewarding experience that we won't soon forget.
We pray that this is a trip we will be able to take again in the future.
Lastly, I just want to leave you with some photos of the beautiful Lake Atitlan, lake of 3 volcanos. Enjoy them, though the pictures do not do the view justice. It is so much more beautiful being there to see it in person.

Our day at Mayan Families/Sharon's

Our our last day in Panajachel, we spent the morning at Mayan Families. The staff was very informative about all the work they do to provide a hand up to the Mayan families they work with.

This is another family, who

was there, giving out shoes

they had collected.

These are some of the women

and children who came to

Mayan Families

on this day.

This woman found some shoes.

This mom found a pair of shoes for
her baby. Shoes we took, thanks
to the donation someone made
to our church and Shelly P.





They are starting to hand out
some of the children's clothing and blankets.




Still handing out children's
clothing.

They have put some things out

on the table for the women

to look through and find things in

sizes they need.

Daniel is hanging out

and watching the activity.

Another photo of the women

looking through the clothing.

Here you can see some of the staff

the one in the photo next to Daniel,

was talking with some of the women.

The last 2 stoves installed.

Sorry there is only a photo of the completed installation. While we did do some of the work, we were also talking with the family and others who came and wanted to talk with us about there concerns and needs. This was outside an apartment in Panajachel.

The completed installation, the family

and us.

This was the last home. They are taking down the
wooden frame work and metal
laminae, where the family
cooked.


making the hole in the laminae
for the stove pipe.

This is the family who received the stove.

Our second day of work

this is where the family

cooked their food.

They are working

on placing the stove pipe.

The finished stove, with

the family and us.

Sorry there aren't more photos of the installation. I was helping with the placing of the blocks, and actual construction, so wasn't able to take photos.

We had to hand the materials

from person to person

to get this one installed.

3 people in this kitchen room

was crowded.

Here is the finished installation

with the woman in the house

and us.

Some children playing soccer

in front of the church,

after school.

This is the school in Tierra Linda.



They have a new preschool here.
There is still work to be done
to finish the building.



Standing on top of the
community center
at Tierra Linda.



This is the community center
that Mayan Families has built
with the help of many volunteers
and donations.

Sorry it has taken me so long to add more photos. It has taken me a few days to recover from our long day of travel on Tuesday.

Here they are constructing the base of the

stove and beginning on the actual

stove parts.

Larry is on the roof, making the hole in the

laminae for the stove pipe.

This is the family with the completed

stove

Walking to through San George

to the next home.

More photos of our time in Pana

Checking to see where to make the

hole for the stove pipe

Checking out the laminae


How the family was cooking
their meals.

putting the stove pipe together

Rudolfo explaining how to clean

and care for the stove.

Stephen, Noah, Larry, me and the family

I can't even express, how much these stoves are really appreciated. They will help improve things for them in so many ways.

The first four stoves were installed in homes in San George. The photos I've posted below are of the first stove that was installed. Sorry I didn't get any photos of the beginning of the installation; lots of people crowded into a small space makes it difficult to take many pictures. With this first one, Julio went through and explained as well as showed us how to put the stoves together. Unloading the stove materials

from the truck.

From here the stove materials will have to be carried up the steep path to the homes where, they will be installed.

Some women of San George, doing their laundry,

at the common wash area. In the bottom you can see

the stove materials on the ground

Daniel looking around the outside area

of the home.

Stephen with the stove, almost

finished. Just need to cut a hole for the top

piece of the stove pipe that goes through the roof.

Julio explaining how to connect the stove pipe.

Explaining to the family how to

care for and clean the stove.

They also were getting a fire going in the

stove.

The finished stove, with the family, Noah,

Stephen, and us.

I will add more of the photos later. In the other stove installation I was able to stop and take photos of the beginning work to put them together.

Our last day with Mayan Families

Today we met Patti and went up to Sharon's, along with another family who had collected shoes, to help hand out the clothing we had brought down. There were several women with their children already there waiting. The staff set up tables to put out the shoes the other family had brought and they began to hand them out. There were so many there, so while doing the shoes, because we had a few pairs of very small boys shoes they started handing out the items we had brought also. Once they had went through the sizes and giving the children's clothing out to some of the mom's with babies, they started putting things out on the table and the women started looking through the items to find things in the sizes they needed. Blankets were very much needed and they went quickly. I did get some pictures at Sharon's as well.
After our visit to Sharon's, we headed back into town, had lunch and waited for the driver who was to bring us back to Guatemala City.
I haven't been able to dig out my camera yet so will upload the pictures from our experience tomorrow.
I have to say again this was a great experience; we have been so greatly blessed by being given the opportunity to come here. Anyone thinking of coming to Guatemala to do some type of service trip, should come; you can't imagine what a wonderful experience it is to meet the people and help in some way. God truly blessed us this week.

Our last 3 stoves

Today we were up and off again to install the last 3 stoves donated by Shiloh. This time we were in Panajachel. It was very hot work today due to the temperatures being very warm. I will post photos, and give a little information about the families, most likely when we get to Guatemala City, sometime tomorrow, where I will be able to use my computer to upload the photos. We also met two families who are in need of assistance asking if we would be able to help them. One is for a stove. The other was from a woman, whose husband passed away and she has 4 children. Right now the children are still in school but she won´t be able to afford to continue to pay for them to go to school. The oldest daughter was to graduate but they could not afford for her to go. Two of the younger children are attending school, one in 3rd grade, the other 7th grade. The youngest is 2 years old and not going to school or preschool yet. Tomorrow we will be going to Mayan Families/Sharon´s and hope to get more information about these families.
This has been a great experience so far. We have been greatly blessed.
Until tomorrow, we hope that every one reading this is have a blessing filled weekend.

First day of work

Yesterday we were awakened by the sound of a rooster crowing, very early. Our work day started off at 10 or 10:30 a.m. We traveled to San George, a small town lying just outside of Pana on Lake Atitlan, to install our first 4 stoves. For the first 3 we had to park near the community wash(laundry) area and carry every thing up narrow paths to the homes where the stoves would be installed. In this task there wasn´t to many things I could help carry because the concrete parts of the stove were much to heavy for me. They seemed heavy for the men who were working with us. Daniel played with the children while we worked. He seemed right at home in the areas we were in.
For the first stove the men from Mayan Families showed us how it needed to be put together and then for the second one we all worked together to install it. The stoves seem to go together quickly. We had installed 3 stoves by 1:30 p.m. At that time we stopped to have lunch.
I forgot to mention there were also two gentlemen working with us, who had come to Pana for the same reason to work with Mayan Families, one from Canada and the other was Czech. The one from Czech. spoke spanish and many other languages.
After lunch we walked to the house where the 4th and last stove for the day was to be installed. The kitchen area was very small and I helped Carlos, from Mayan Families with wire screen/protector to shape it like a tube to place over the stove pipe, so as to provide protection, if touched from the hot pipe. We also worked to put the top on the part of the pipe that would be on the outside.
After our work was finished they took us to see Tierra Linda, another small town, where Mayan Families provides sponsorship to many students to go to the school there. They have also done much work to the school by adding rooms and repairing the roof. Here in Tierra Linda they are working on the construction of a community center also. It is partially complete and we were able to see the work that has been done. From there we returned to Pana and our hotel.
Today we will be working in Pana to install the last 3 stoves.
I have taken several pictures and being the photographer for most of our day, I´m not in many of them. One of the workers did use my camera to take pictures of us with the families and there newly installed stoves at all but one of the homes.

arrival

We arrived in Panajachel, yesterday afternoon, after a long day of travel. Our day began at 3 a.m., when we got up and prepared to leave for the airport. Our flight was slightly delayed due to having many passengers to board. We arrived in Houston with just a few minutes to board our next plan but the gate was very close so it was not an issue. Our drive to Pana was 3 hrs from the city. It was a very scenic veiw, much different from the areas of Guatemala we had seen when here to bring Daniel home.

Our journey to Panajachel begins

We have been very busy this last weekend, getting every thing ready to go. Today was our first travel day. We finally arrived in Chicago this evening, for the first leg of our trip to get to Guatemala. We will fly out in just a few hours from O'Hare and should arrive by lunch time for you everyone here in the states, in Guatemala.
Not sure if I will get to blog here tomorrow but I do hope to take a few pictures of our journey from Guatemala City to Panajachel. Will post again as soon as time permits. Thank all of you for your prayers and support a long the way.

2 weeks and counting

In just 2 weeks we will be flying out of O'Hare, in Chicago, to Guatemala. Time seems to be flying by. Over the past few weeks, I've been finalizing all the little details. Also trying to keep every one healthy for the trip. I'm hoping to get the stuff that has been donated, sorted and packed this week.

I'll try to post more about all our final preparations in the next few days.

Less than 6 weeks

Time seems to have passed by so quickly. It seems like yesterday that we started planning for our trip to Guatemala but it has been a year. Now as we finalize our plans, we are just weeks away from traveling. Our church is sponsoring 7 Onil stoves to be installed while we are in Panajachel. 7 families will receive stoves, and have a safer means of cooking. Our hotel reservations are being firmed up this week. Our plans in place, we are just counting the days to departure.

Thank all of you who have helped in any way, through prayer, purchasing an item from our fundraiser or donating to the purchase of the stoves. Larry and I feel blessed to be given this opportunity and are grateful for the support of our Shiloh Church family.

Less than 3 months

It is hard to believe that in less than 3 months we will be boarding a plane and heading to Panajachel. Time has really flown since we started planning our mission project. Now we are waiting to find out how many stoves our Church Missions Committee and Church family are going to sponsor, so we can pass the info on to Mayan Families. That way they can let the company who produces the Onil stoves how many they will need.

Can hardly believe that it will be March before we know it. We are very excited to be blessed with the opportunity to give do something to give back to such a beautiful country and it's people.