Teens in Pastores

The mojority of Nicks time with us was spent with a team of about 30 high schoolers in the pursuit to construct 3 homes (2 in Pastores and 1 in Alotenango). Nick fit right in while I ran around trying to manage the 3 sites. Luckily, I had a group of guys there that took control and kept things on track at each site while I was gone to another site. One of the building sites was in a particularly difficult site where we couldn't get the mixer. The group worked hard and mostly got the three homes built. I didn't get many pictures because of the busy schedule.

After the homes were built Heather visited with the kids and we prayed in each room of the homes for the family and use of the home.

Tabacal with Nick

My nephew Nick (my brother's son) came to stay with us for 3 weeks. He arrived on the 4th of July so the office got together for a bar-b-que and hired a "Torito" which is a guy who runs around in a fireworks suit with the fireworks going off... BANG!

A couple days later we mounted the "hero and set out for Tabacal to look at an alignment to run the new waterline and get samples of the water to have examined for potability. Nick enjoyed teh motorcycle ride accross the rivers even though he ended up a bit sore.

In the jungle there are mosquitos... ALWAYS. I was smart enough to bring deet to Tabacal but unfortunately left it in the village when we went out into the jungle and for some reason, instead of turning around right then, the words, "well... it looks like they aren't that bad today" escaped my lips. If this wasn't bizzare enough, I actually believed the words. Nick and I slipped and slided on the steep slopes looking at the terrain for a proper alignment, all the while being CHOMPED by mosquitoes. I actually think we must have lost weight by how much we were bitten.



In one of the streams we crossed we found GIANT spiders that run really fast and can go across the water. In this picture the rock the spider is on was about as high as my hiking boot! We cautiously crossed the streams, trying to limit the number of slips into the water.

Once we finished our evalutation of the terrain we went on to the dam where the spring was to take samples of water. We dug and took samples of water in several locations and then left for home. Unfortunately one of the samples broke on the way back to the city :(


Nick and I returned to Tabacal later with a truck full of cornmeal. He jumped right in and helped unloading the bags in typical style, carrying the bags on the back!

Welcome to Guatemala Nick, You're a great help!

Home in Pixebaj

This past week I constructed the first complete home of the new design. In San Juan Bautista we had already constructed the walls but not the roof and not the stucco. I was constructing with a team I had never met so this was bound to be an adventure!

Pixebaj is an indigenous community up the mountains from Los Encuentros which is on the east side of Lake Atitlan. We built a home three families that had homes on the side of the mountain that were destroyed by the mudslides. These three families were all relatives and Roberto was the patriach of the family. We built a home in a different location on the land of Roberto's brother who was sharing his land next to his home. The families would now live in his home and this newly constructed home.

Luckily the team was primarily skilled labor. (Much more skilled than myself) so it was a good team to build a test home with. The first day was rough with a late start and stiff wind and stinging rain. I had to leave the crew finishing the foundation because I had my van and family up the hill and I feared that I would not make it down again because of the rough dirt road. We left just in time and, though slipping and sliding down the hillside, made it back to the Fernandez home.

During this week we stayed with some friends in Chichicastenango, Carlos and Heidi Fernandez. Heather stayed there with the kids while I worked up the mountain. One of the days Heather went with Heidi to the Chichi market.

It was a hard few days but the home was built in 3 days! It was touching to see Roberto crying in gratitude. He, his wife, and 7 children will be staying in the 320sf home we built.