We were surprised to find a group of folks from Blue Ball Church of the Brethren waiting to greet us at the Newark airport. What a wonderful welcome home!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Welcome Home!
We left Guatemala and flew home to Pennsylvania on September 29. We were grateful for the opportunity to serve with Orphan Resources for two years. It was a privilege and an honor.
We were surprised to find a group of folks from Blue Ball Church of the Brethren waiting to greet us at the Newark airport. What a wonderful welcome home!
We were surprised to find a group of folks from Blue Ball Church of the Brethren waiting to greet us at the Newark airport. What a wonderful welcome home!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Emily's Birthday
Emily celebrated her 13th birthday on September 20. We invited the Freeds over for cake and ice cream.
Wow, a teenager!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Good-by Rosa de Amor
Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon we visited the Rosa de Amor orphanage one last time. I prepared an activity for the kids, as they love crafts.
Maria and Kati
Charlie and Emily with little Rosita.
I also gave each child a coloring book and crayons, thanks to Ron Good and his "coloring book project". Miguel asked Alisha to help him color.
Here I am with most of the children who live at the home. Oh, how hard it was to say good-by!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Roller Coaster
Last Sunday after church we went to the Carrion mall for lunch with some friends from church.
This is the first time we've been to this interesting mall in Guatemala City. There is a roller coaster inside the mall!
Everyone except Maria and Emily went for a ride. Even Tony went, although he told me that he only enjoyed the straight parts.
There were also bumper cars. Tony rode with his friend, Jarod. He had a blast shooting the laser! If you hit the target on another car "bumpers" came down and bopped them on the head.
Charlie and Maria rode together in another car.
There was also something I'd never seen before, huge plastic balls in a shallow pool of water. Tony was the only one small enough to go for a ride inside. He climbed inside, they inflated it, and he crawled around on the water. We really enjoyed our afternoon at this fun mall.
This is the first time we've been to this interesting mall in Guatemala City. There is a roller coaster inside the mall!
Everyone except Maria and Emily went for a ride. Even Tony went, although he told me that he only enjoyed the straight parts.
There were also bumper cars. Tony rode with his friend, Jarod. He had a blast shooting the laser! If you hit the target on another car "bumpers" came down and bopped them on the head.
Charlie and Maria rode together in another car.
There was also something I'd never seen before, huge plastic balls in a shallow pool of water. Tony was the only one small enough to go for a ride inside. He climbed inside, they inflated it, and he crawled around on the water. We really enjoyed our afternoon at this fun mall.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Operation Rescue
On Wednesday, September 1, a group of us visited a feeding center and school called Operation Rescue, located in Guatemala City near the dump. ORI donates food to this organization on a monthly basis.
Monday through Friday the children are bussed in from the slums and the dump. The day we visited 95 kids piled off the bus. We lined up and they greeted each one of us as they entered the facility.
They serve the kids a hot breakfast each morning. We helped serve pancakes the day we were there.
Charlie found two little friends. The kids just loved the attention we gave them.
After breakfast the children went to their classrooms. The younger children, 130 of them, attend morning classes. Fifty kids attend high school in the afternoons.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Rosa de Amor
On Sunday, August 29, our family (minus Nick and Ben) took the teenage girls from Rosa de Amor out for lunch. We were celebrating my birthday and Yolanda's birthday, both in August. We had a fun time getting to know the girls a bit better.
We went to a restaurant in Antigua called La Estancia. I was saddened to realize that of the five teenagers, only one was able to read the menu. These dear girls have had so few educational opportunities in their difficult lives. We were thankful to have one of the orphanage workers along, and she helped them order their food.
We also had two babies along, the girls' children. Little Rosita was an angel the entire meal.
When we returned to the orphanage, I had a craft for all the kids. We made animal masks. Every time I take an activity the teenagers want to participate, too.
Some of the girls proudly wearing their masks.
Tony - the gorilla.
We went to a restaurant in Antigua called La Estancia. I was saddened to realize that of the five teenagers, only one was able to read the menu. These dear girls have had so few educational opportunities in their difficult lives. We were thankful to have one of the orphanage workers along, and she helped them order their food. 
We also had two babies along, the girls' children. Little Rosita was an angel the entire meal. 
When we returned to the orphanage, I had a craft for all the kids. We made animal masks. Every time I take an activity the teenagers want to participate, too. 
Some of the girls proudly wearing their masks.
Tony - the gorilla.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Lost
We saw this truck in San Lucas Guatemala. I think he is slightly lost. Not sure if that message will get delivered.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Iximche
Sunday morning we left Xela and headed for home. On the way we stopped at the Mayan ruins of Iximche, near the town of Tecpan. As with many attractions, we "extranjeros" had to pay five times the amount to enter as the "guatemaltecos". Guatemalans - Q10. Foreigners - Q50.
It was an enjoyable, peaceful place. The children had fun climbing and jumping on the ruins.
The ball court.
The Mayans still hold sacred ceremonies on the site.
Quetzaltenango
After spending time in Panajachel, we drove an hour and a half further north to the town of Quetzaltenango, where we spent another two days. This town is more commonly known as Xela.
We stayed at the Hotel del Campo outside of Xela. It was old and dreary, but it was clean and the price was right...really cheap!
Saturday morning we drove into Xela and walked around the town square.
This building housed several different restaurants.
Taken from Xela town square.
We saw quite a few shoe shine "shops" set up around the plaza. Every town we've visited in Guatemala seems to have shoe shine boys. They are usually young boys or sometimes teens, but these in Xela were older men. It was sobering to think these men have probably been shining shoes their whole lives.
The cathedral. There was a Catholic confirmation taking place while we were visiting. There were Mayans everywhere, dressed in their very best.
One of the girls who participated in the confirmation carrying the gifts she received in the basket on her head. She also had a large bundle in her hand.
Mother and daughters wearing the native dress of Xela.
These three ladies are modeling traditional hair braiding. I think it must be a dying tradition, as I've only seen older ladies wearing their hair in this fashion.
The old part of town consists of narrow, crooked, one-way, cobblestone streets.
We stayed at the Hotel del Campo outside of Xela. It was old and dreary, but it was clean and the price was right...really cheap!
Saturday morning we drove into Xela and walked around the town square.
This building housed several different restaurants.
Taken from Xela town square.
We saw quite a few shoe shine "shops" set up around the plaza. Every town we've visited in Guatemala seems to have shoe shine boys. They are usually young boys or sometimes teens, but these in Xela were older men. It was sobering to think these men have probably been shining shoes their whole lives.
The cathedral. There was a Catholic confirmation taking place while we were visiting. There were Mayans everywhere, dressed in their very best.
One of the girls who participated in the confirmation carrying the gifts she received in the basket on her head. She also had a large bundle in her hand.
Mother and daughters wearing the native dress of Xela.
These three ladies are modeling traditional hair braiding. I think it must be a dying tradition, as I've only seen older ladies wearing their hair in this fashion.
The old part of town consists of narrow, crooked, one-way, cobblestone streets.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Too Much Rain!
These photos were taken as we were traveling to and around Lake Atitlan. This year's rainy season has been unusually heavy, and as a result, there have been many mud slides.
We saw quite a few mud slides on the roadway and several places where the road had been washed away. Notice the waterline in the bottom right. It was staked up with tree branches.
This cave-in was really deep. How do you fix something like this??
The road crew was working on this one, although I'm not sure what they were attempting to do.
This little tienda (store) was washed into the riverbed.
A mudslide swept into this home.
We saw quite a few mud slides on the roadway and several places where the road had been washed away. Notice the waterline in the bottom right. It was staked up with tree branches.
This cave-in was really deep. How do you fix something like this??
The road crew was working on this one, although I'm not sure what they were attempting to do.
This little tienda (store) was washed into the riverbed.
A mudslide swept into this home.
Panajachel
We spent two days, August 18 & 19, in the town of Panajachel on the shore of Lake Atitlan, about three hours northwest of our home. We enjoyed the brief vacation with our friends and fellow co-workers, the Freed family and Buddy Esh.
We left early Wednesday morning - 6:00 a.m. - to beat rush hour traffic in the city. We stopped in the town of Tecpan, which was about the halfway point, and ate breakfast at this restaurant called Katok.
This waterfall is just outside the town of Panajachel. Notice the small figure on the left. That's Charlie! Of course, he had to climb up and investigate.
The first thing we did was visit the Atitlan Nature Reserve. They have a zip line through the forest, and most of our group tried it out.
I stayed with Risa, Emily, Maria, and Tony while the rest did the zip line. While we waited we hiked the forest trails and enjoyed the scenery. There were several hanging wooden bridges that Tony really enjoyed and which made the girls nervous. We saw several spider monkeys and some coatis, which are in the raccoon family.
We stayed in two small houses at a facility called Las Buenas Nuevas. It was really nice. We had kitchens and made our own breakfast each morning. Alisha, Emily, Abby, and Risa are enjoying their breakfast on the front porch.
We stayed on the shore of Lake Atitlan. It is said to be the most beautiful lake in the world. I don't know about that, but it is the prettiest place we've visited in Guatemala.
Thursday morning Charlie, Maria, Tony, and I visited two small towns on the shores of the lake. This is Santa Catarina Palopo, built on the side of the mountain.
There were many ladies trying to sell their handicrafts along the street. This lady is using a back strap loom, a very common method of weaving. I am fascinated with the different patterns and colors; each town is distinctive.
This lady in the town of San Antonio Palopo was using a larger hand loom to do her weaving. The women and girls in this town all wore identical outfits. The Mayan women of each town have their own distinctive pattern of dress, but there is usually a good bit of variation. Not in this town. Most of the women even wore matching headpieces and plastic gold beads.
The lady pictured above asked if she could dress us in the native costume of San Antonio. Interestingly, the men in this town wear black checked kilts. She was, of course, hoping to sell the clothes to us. Sadly (for her), we didn't buy a thing. But Charlie did, however, give her a tip for the photos.
We left early Wednesday morning - 6:00 a.m. - to beat rush hour traffic in the city. We stopped in the town of Tecpan, which was about the halfway point, and ate breakfast at this restaurant called Katok.
This waterfall is just outside the town of Panajachel. Notice the small figure on the left. That's Charlie! Of course, he had to climb up and investigate.
The first thing we did was visit the Atitlan Nature Reserve. They have a zip line through the forest, and most of our group tried it out.
I stayed with Risa, Emily, Maria, and Tony while the rest did the zip line. While we waited we hiked the forest trails and enjoyed the scenery. There were several hanging wooden bridges that Tony really enjoyed and which made the girls nervous. We saw several spider monkeys and some coatis, which are in the raccoon family.
We stayed in two small houses at a facility called Las Buenas Nuevas. It was really nice. We had kitchens and made our own breakfast each morning. Alisha, Emily, Abby, and Risa are enjoying their breakfast on the front porch.
We stayed on the shore of Lake Atitlan. It is said to be the most beautiful lake in the world. I don't know about that, but it is the prettiest place we've visited in Guatemala.
Thursday morning Charlie, Maria, Tony, and I visited two small towns on the shores of the lake. This is Santa Catarina Palopo, built on the side of the mountain.
There were many ladies trying to sell their handicrafts along the street. This lady is using a back strap loom, a very common method of weaving. I am fascinated with the different patterns and colors; each town is distinctive.
This lady in the town of San Antonio Palopo was using a larger hand loom to do her weaving. The women and girls in this town all wore identical outfits. The Mayan women of each town have their own distinctive pattern of dress, but there is usually a good bit of variation. Not in this town. Most of the women even wore matching headpieces and plastic gold beads.
The lady pictured above asked if she could dress us in the native costume of San Antonio. Interestingly, the men in this town wear black checked kilts. She was, of course, hoping to sell the clothes to us. Sadly (for her), we didn't buy a thing. But Charlie did, however, give her a tip for the photos.
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