Our time here in Scotland is almost at its end. To say the time has flown by is an understatement. We have done and seen much but would have like to have seen more. Howie and Ryan built the obstacle course for the Missions Training School in less than 2 days! Then they worked on one of the many projects here at Overtoun House before the group arrived to attend training with us on the 13th.
We went to Edinburgh and enjoyed seeing the Castle and city. We enjoyed the walk up to the cliffs near Hollyrood, the Queen's residence when she is in Scotland. It is an old and lovely city with much history. There are pictures posted.
We made a day trip to Inverness in the Highlands. There was snow in some of the higher and protected peaks. It was breathtaking! I posted pictures of this. We got to see our friends, Paul and Christine and they graciously hosted us for a few hours before we returned to Dumbarton.
The training has gone by incredibly fast. It has been a good mix of classroom study and excursions. The first week we went on a group hike for 5 1/2 hours with one of the locals, Ronny. He is an energetic 50+ man who has the gift of encouraging people to go beyond their comfort zone. He is also a great story teller and kept us interested and entertained. We were tired at the end of the day but it was a wonderful experience.
Our physical training began at 6:00 every morning with stretching followed by push-up & sit-ups or running the 128 stairs from the basement to the tower. After that we either did a timed mile-run with a half mile warm up and cool down or the obstacle course. Because my right wrist is weakened from a fracture, I opted for "the run around the challenge" for the hurdles and the high bar crossing. While this sounds easier it takes a bit more time to go around something than going over it. My beginning time was 1:44 and my best time was today at 1:28; an improvement of 16 seconds. Howie's beginning time was 1:36 and best time was today at 1:26; an improvement of 10 seconds. The obstacles start with a vertical ladder, then 2 hurdles, horizontal ropes that you run through lifting your legs, another ladder with greater distance between rungs, 2 small hurdles, a tiered balance beam with staggered heights, and the high bar cross. Everyone improved their time and we all enjoyed the camaraderie that comes from encouraging one another.
The mile run with only a half mile warm up is tough. Howie and I started out at the same time of 8:36 then decreased it to 8:28, He did not run the last 2 times because one was optional and the last one he opted out because he overdid it the day before with some physical labor. I ran Wednesday by myself in a time of 8:23 then yesterday I lead the group start to finish with a time of 8:15. Not blistering but I am happy with it.
We took a walk around the surrounding area one day to see places where God has been at work here over the centuries. We ended this by visiting a church that sits on the same spot where another church was built over 12 centuries ago and this church itself is over 800 years old now! It is humbling to think that people have been worshiping there for so long.
Monday of this week the plan was to divide into 2 groups and sail or walk around an island each spotting sites along the way. Howie and I opted out of sailing because he was not feeling quite himself Sunday. Because the forecast was for foul weather the numbers per team needed to be reduced and by us opting to stay on land, Glenn and Grace could go. We were not part of the 2 teams because we could not sail but we walked with each team and saw some incredible wildlife and scenery. I am posting the pictures tomorrow. Check out the Golden Eagles! We were blessed to see 4 of them at different times in the afternoon! Our hikes had us covering almost 19 miles in one day. We were a bit tired but enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Yesterday the team set out to play paint ball. We opted out of this activity too as Howie was recovering from over exerting Wednesday when the team moved 12 sheets of plywood and 60 2x4x12 planks up 4 flights of stairs; followed by Howie helping chop wood. We did go along for the ride and got to see some of the games. I am just as happy to not have joined in as almost everyone still has HUGE welts.
We leave for Turkey to see Dan, Angela and the girls. We will probably need a day to rest as we have been pushing it here the past 2 weeks. We are excited to see them after more than a year an one-half. I am sure the girls have grown by leaps and bounds. It will be nice to enjoy being grandparents and seeing Turkey with all of them. Dan and Angela are great hosts and tour guides. They have set up an incredible itinerary. It will be a memory making experience for sure.
I'll write more from Turkey.
Love,
Nan
We arrived in Scotland on the 2nd. We are here for 4 weeks. Howie is building an obstacle course exactly like the one he built in Nicaragua last year. Then we are attending 2 weeks of training. We hope to do some sightseeing and play 1 round of golf before training begins on the 14th. We could not come here and not play golf.
We are staying in a castle but it is called a House here; Overtoun House. It looks like a castle to me. It was built around 1850 as a second home for a wealthy family. We hope to see pictures of how it looked before but are not sure any exist. What a pity that would be for sure. It served as a hospital during World War I. It is in the process of being converted to a home for unwed mothers and their children. There is a tower that will be converted to rooms for a Bed and Breakfast which will help support the ministry. The materials for the conversion finally arrived from the US a month or so ago. It is harder to ship here than it is to Central America.
The cost of things is double the US but the wages are only a 1/3 higher. I do not know how people manage to pay for things. It appears to be a society similar to the US in that there is middle class; not just extremely wealthy and extremely poor. For example a lock set for a door cost $24 and would cost $8 in the US. Movie tickets cost $12 but would cost $7 or in the US.
We rented a car for a day only. We found out that the insurance that comes with credit cards only covers that things that the rental car insurance does not like loss of time while the vehicle is being repaired. The cost per day for insurance alone is $28! We decided that we could hopefully use public transportation more cost effectively.
The electricity is 220 here not 110 as the US. We bought what we thought was a converter according to the salesperson. I plugged it into the wall with the appropriate adapter then my surge suppressor. I was happy that I did not plug in a computer or anything else because sparks flew from the surge bar. Good thing it is designed to work the way it does as there was no damage to it. Howie read more carefully the materials and it is not a converter at all. We were saved by our hostess as she has an actual one that we are using to plug in our surge bar. I was a bit nervous until I verified that the bar was not damaged as we could not have gotten a 110 bar here until the end of next week with some of the other training attendees. (Thank you God for looking out for me)
We hiked (not walked as Howie hates walking you know) yesterday for several hours nearby where we are staying. It reminds me of Vermont and New England. The sun was out and I even managed to rest in the sunshine near a reservoir. Howie took a picture. There are lots of sheep and some cattle. I have pictures form our excursion posted.
The time difference is 5 hours ahead from Vermont and 7 from Guatemala. The sun sets at 11:00 p.m. and raises around 4:00 a.m. this time of year. We are having a hard time acclimating to this. Last night we went to bed at 11:30 but actually fell asleep at 2:30 this morning. I awoke at 6:30 but was able to go back to sleep until 8:45. We are told tomorrow will be the worst day then it should get better.
I will write more in a few days when we have done more.
Love,
Nan
I participated in Whiteface Uphill Footrace today. Peter was completing his 30th consecutive one so we planned our trip to the US to end with this race and join him and others in a celebration of this accomplishment. He completed the 8 miles in 1 hour 35 minutes and I did it in 2 hours 1 minute. It is 8 miles uphill with the average grade being more than 8 1/2%! I have done it before so I knew what to expect. The weather was ok at the bottom but the last mile was brutal; 35 degrees and 40 mile per hour winds. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and shorts. I was quite happy to see Howie approaching me about one tenth of a mile from the finish line. Miles 4-6 are the steepest and we had wind in our face which was tough but not like the top. Around 6 1/2 miles we take a sharp turn and the wind disappeared for 1/2 mile; I was thankful for the respite. All in all it was great to finish it. However I do not recommend flying the follwing day and sitting on an airplane for 11 or so hours total. I was a bit uncomfortable and could not seem to find a good sitting position which is a problem under normal circumstances.
We returned from Northern Maine on the 27th of May. It was great to visit with family and play golf. The weather was not as cooperative as normal so we play golf 4 days; but those days the weather was ideal. We played more good golf than bad this year. I typically only play golf when we are in Maine anyway but usually play well. This year I found extra distance off the tee. I was slicing the ball which is unusual for me but I quickly realized what I was doing wring and corrected it early. Howie was driving the ball and hitting straigh shots most of the week. The greens were VERY slow so we both were coming up short on our puts.
Howie managed to do some repairs for Uncle Arnie and Aunt Brenda. He likes to keep busy as you know. He fixed the entryway door that Aunt Brenda had to break through this winter when she locked herself out. I daresay that if this happens again, she will not be able to break through so easily. Howie surprised them by installing new panelling near their dishwasher. Aunt Brenda wanted something different but could not quite figure out what would look the best. Howie knew the perfect product and installed it. They were thrilled.
I'll write in a few days from Scotland.
Love,
Nan
We arrived back in Vermont late on the 10th. We went to church then celebrated Mother's Day with mom, Annette, Nicole, Lynnae and Ceri in the park. The weather was lovely and we had a lovely picnic.
This trip has us seeing our medical doctors for annual exams and such. I began by having a mammogram the 2nd day back and will end with my annual physical. I am sure I am healthy.
I did see my Physical Therapist, Mike, on the 12th as well. He said the problems I have been having are caused from a collapsing right arch. He recommended a custom orthotic which he will construct and have ready for me when we return from Maine on the 27th. He also said that I have opposite muscle weaknesses in the right hip flexor and left quads. He gave me 4 specific exercises to strenghten things. He suggested that I continue with my stretching exercises and not run for 2 -3 weeks. I discovered that walking or racwe walking are not affected so I am a happy camper. Perhaps I will only run short distances and train to race walk the marathon in October.
I purchased new running shoes and walked 6 miles without a problem. Let's pray that the exercises and orthotics correct things and I can resume training.
I'll write more after we leave Maine.
Love,
Nan
April 27, 2008
I spent most of yesterday and today hobbling about. I finally saw a Physical Therapist Thursday. She is US Certified and Trained with a Masters Degree. Her name is Micky and I like her very much. My knee pain problem is caused from a leg length discrepancy with the right being 1/2 longer than the left. My muscles need to re-learn their proper position. She deep tissue massaged and manipulated both legs Thursday. She said it was a good thing that she was doing the work because the Guatemalan women who work for her would stop going deep if I let one that it was painful. To say that it hurt would be an understatement. She explained that things needed to be worked deep and with this comes pain. She said I would feel sore for a couple of days. I guess maybe she was telling the truth because I could not get comfortable Thursday or Friday night. Just when the butt was finally feeling better the knee pain returned with a vengeance yesterday. Micky told me not to run until Saturday then do my normal thing as see how it goes. The first 6 miles were comfortable with a bit of a twinge going downhill toward the end. I took the down hills easy as they are quite steep. By the end of 10 miles I was in trouble. I still had 3 miles to go and walking was excruciating! I was with my friend, Tami, and we walked very slowly the last mile to the main road where we hopefully could catch a Tuk Tuk (a 3 wheeled cab). We finally flagged one down and I rode home. I stretched, iced, elevated and used an ace bandage without success. Finally I could no longer stand the pain and called Micky. She said that the leg was probably back where it was before or even more so. She walked me through a couple of things I could do to relieve the pain, which thankfully worked. When Howie returned home he helped me with one of them that requires each of pushing towards the other person with the right leg at a 90-degree angle. Viola, it worked. We have repeated this a few times when the knee begins to hurt as it makes a big difference. My side sleeping seemed to aggravate it last night so I slept on my back as much as possible. I did not sleep well. I have another appointment tomorrow. We will decide how much time off from running/race walking I should adhere tomorrow. I am bummed as I enjoy running now that I am in shape and especially enjoy the company of my girl friends.
Speaking of girlfriends, Nancy is having a worse week than I have had. Her husband, Pastor Mike, was in a motorcycle accident Thursday night. Every wife’s nightmare came true when he was VERY late getting home. We always think something bad has happened like an accident. Another motorcycle ran a stop sign. The front ends hit and his left foot was crushed between the 2 machines. His shoulder was bruised as he landed on it. He had surgery to repair the foot. The doctors placed plates, pins and screws. He went home today with instructions to stay off the leg/foot for 6-8 weeks. At the end of that time, they will remove the pins and place him in a cast. Pastor Mike, like many of us, does not like to be kept down. I just pray he follows orders. A few weeks of inconvenience can save a lifetime of problems. This is easy for me to say, as I am not the one going through it. Perhaps I should take this same advice and back off from running and ease back into it. What do you think about that?
Howie and I went on a road trip this week with Dick to places I have never heard of. Dick is a great travel companion as he stops often for restroom or stretching breaks. We brought along one of the children who have adopted him, Carlin. He is a good boy and we had fun sitting in the back together Carlin speaks English and translates for Dick when it is necessary. Dick is going to one-day study Spanish he tells me but I am not holding my breath. Dick is too busy to study and loves getting out where the people are.
Our first stop was to see a little boy, Kenneth, who needed a new walker. The road to his home was like driving through any forest in New England. In fact, we stopped for a picnic there on the way back. The little boy has been attending school using the walker to get there and his wheelchair once in the building. Dick asked me to invite the little boy and his parents to attend a summer camp for disabled children. Dick asked them last year but they said no. It appears the reason they do not accept was they did not have the funds to pay for the bus fare. Dick said that this could be taken care of for them. It was settled that he would be invited. Dick will stop back in September and give them the formal invitation. I hope to travel with him during some of these visits.
Our second stop was to see a little boy, Lusbin, who has Muscular Dystrophy. We took this little boy and his whole family to dinner at Pollo Campero about 20 minutes from their home. There is always room for one more with this sort of thing. We piled in and I sat with one butt cheek on the seat and the other on the door handle. I later found out that this probably did not help my knee and hip pain. From there we delivered some walkers and children’s wheelchairs to Julia. the director of a school that has special education and able-bodied students. This is not normal here; the laws prohibit discrimination of special needs children but the practice is not allowing them to attend school.
We spent the night in Rabinal in one of 2 available hotels. Surprisingly it was clean and comfortable. We even had TV. We slept well and got an early start the next day.
Julia, has been instrumental in advocating for these children, accompanied us the next day to visit another little boy, Emilin, who desperately needed a wheel chair repair. The drive from her village to his was incredible. It is hard to describe the terrain, bit to say it was steep and dirt. Dick, Carlin and Howie did some adjustments and moved the axle so the little boy could reach the wheels and move himself.
The last stop was to deliver a wheelchair to a little girl, Maria, who is physically and mentally handicapped. Emilin's father joined us on the hike to Maria's house. It is easier to assemble a new wheelchair and then carry it up the path. As you can imagine a wheelchair is heavy and lugging it uphill for a mile or more is not small accomplishment. Emilin's dad took off with the chair slung over his head like it weighed nothing. We crossed a stream and he still was not challenged. This man probably weighs 130 pounds! Maria is a lovely child who was born blue and this seems to be the cause of her disabilities. She has an older sister who also is mentally and physically handicapped, probably from menigitis as a young child. The sister learned how to walk. The sister met us along the path to her home and wanted Howie's water bottle. He politely said no and held it out of reach. Unfortunately he did not do so long enough because a few minutes later she was happy drinking the contents of the bottle. He set it down and before he could blink she grabbed it. Oh well, it was good we were going back downhill and not uphill. Maria had a wheelchair that she has outgrown and was ill fitting. Dick asked if he could have it to re-fit for another child. The mom, Enma without hesitation said yes. This is not always common as people here do not like to give up or give way their possessions. Enma, gave me green beans straight from their garden and I was touched by her generosity. I wanted to pay for them but it would have been an insult. We are eating them tonight in a stew.
Our ride back to Antigua was VERY long and bumpy. Dick selected the scenic route, which took us up, over and around mountains and valleys. It rivaled the previous one except it was much longer. Carlin was a bit restless for the last couple of hours and kept tickling me. Boys like to tickle and tease everywhere I discovered. We all had dinner together at a mall in Chimaltenango. Howie decided to take the more traveled route through Antigua, which was a good thing because the car just coughed and died about a mile from home. If we had taken the other route, we would have been in a less than ideal location. The fuel gage said there was 1/4 tank but it really felt like a car that has ran out of gas. We did however try to jump it without success. Howie left me in a well-lighted entrance to the Nestle Plant in the car while he hiked the 1/4-mile to the gas station. It was quite comical coming up with something to put gas in. We finally decided the water jug would work if he cut off the cap at the station. Getting the gas into the tank was another challenge but we used a squeeze cap water bottle. Howie’s hands smelled like gas for a day at least. Normally a car that runs out of gas does not like to start right away but I believe God helped with this.
I am always humbled and grateful to visit the people here. It reminds me why we have been called here - to serve and help them in practical ways. Delivering wheelchairs, walkers, water filters, and building houses are definitely practical ways.
I am reminded that I need to speak Spanish daily so that I can keep up with my skills. I always want to be able to translate and communicate for myself or someone else.
I have spent the past few days getting our local church transitioned from Excel to QuickBooks. I have been working on this for a few weeks doing the preliminary stuff. It is good to see the end of the tunnel. I wrote out procedures for things and will take screen shots tomorrow of actual examples and print off the manual. I will complete odds and ends Tuesday and begin training Ana and Steve Wednesday. They will maintain things while I am away. I will do the financials, bank reconciliations and audit things when we return here the end of July.
Love,
Nan
April 20, 2008
This week has been filled with highs and lows. I'll describe the highs first.
Howie went to the village where we were a couple of weeks ago to help build the house for Julio's family. Julio is the 10-year-old boy who weighed 17 pounds and was placed in the nutrition center here in Antigua about 6 weeks ago. He is doing well and gaining weight. Howie had been to the house once but was not 100% sure of the directions. He did fairly well and only missed one turn on the way down.
Howie worked with Ben, Chris'15 year old son, Pastor Juan and Saul. They got the land prepped and the block for the footing in place. Howie decided to return to Antigua to get a good night's sleep and bring me back the next day to help. The directions on the road back near Esquintla do not say Antigua so he ended up going through Esquintla and getting a bit off track. Notice I do not say lost as he was only on the wrong road. He called me to say he would be late but sounded in good spirits even though the error would add time to the return trip.
We left early the next morning after confirming that we could borrow a ladder from Pastor Mike. Somehow one was not sent on the truck. It is hard to put up the structure without a ladder. In actuality 2 would have been better. We arrived in less than 2 hours. We mixed sand, cement and stone to make concrete for the floor after I spent time with Ben tamping the dirt in place. There was only one tamper so I improvised and used my feet. I am participating in a 1,000,000-step program in 100 days so this really helped with the number I think. It was a great cardio workout for sure. I actually helped to mix the material, which is hard work to say the least. Howie is REALLY considering purchasing a small electric cement mixer and generator. It is amazing to see how quickly the floor got poured with 5 people working together. Once the floor was done, we could not walk on it until much later in the day. The next step was to begin assembling the walls. Howie and Saul worked on those together. Did I mention that the structure is made of metal/steel framing? It is provided by a business in the Florida. The materials come in bundles that are marked as to the size and good instructions. This house would have a porch, which is the first one. Pastor Juan, Ben and I began to get the post ready to support the porch. It was cool to use string to make sure things are level, to use the Pythagorean Theorem to make things square and then explain to Ben and the others the reason why. After Pastor dug the first hole, I decided that it would better use of his time and efficiency if he worked on the more technical part of laying the block in the hole. Ben and I sifted sand then added cement to it to make mortar for Pastor. After that I took on the role of digging the 2 remaining holes. Ben and Pastor were discussing the distance from the first to the second and I could tell that there was a miscalculation as the second hole's location was way TOO close to the first; there would have been 4 holes based on the calculations. We measured and realized that it is not easy to change one's thinking from meter to feet. I dug the remaining holes equally distance apart. During this time, Howie and Saul continued to build the framing for the house. The porch required some discussion between the men and finally they decided that they needed to adapt things; this meant having to cut some of the materials sent. The rule was to calculate, recalculate and recalculate again because if they cut a long piece that was meant for something else, they could not put it back together. Saul and Pastor worked on the porch and came up with some inventive ideas to make things fit. Howie and Ben worked on getting the insulation and siding up on the walls. Ben did the drilling and hung in there to the end. He is a small youth and had to really use his muscles to work the drill. I suspect that he had some sore muscles the next day. Unfortunately we did not stay to the completion, as it still needed a few hours of work. The others were staying in a hotel nearby and would work late that night and finish the next day. It did not make sense for us to return the next day as we would spend more time traveling to and from than on the project itself. We left at 4:30, as we wanted to get past the place where Howie made the error in the daylight. I am happy to say we did not get lost. I convinced Howie to stop for dinner along the way. We were both filthy and smelled awful but I was hungry abd tired. Howie changed his clothes as he had some and I just went as I was. I am sure they have seen worse. The food was delicious and I did not have to cook after working all day. Our lunch consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so I was ready for something a bit more substantial.
I am still training with Nancy. Tami, a friend, returned from the US last week and she decided to join us and we will all train for the Guatemala City Marathon October 5th. I suspect that by now you have guessed that we have made the decision to return here. I worked with Continental to change a return portion of an unused ticket with only a small change fee per ticket. We are returning on the 29th of July.
Howie will continue to work with Chris and Dick on the home building projects and anything else they have in the shop. He will also coordinate team construction projects for Iglesia del Camino (IDC), our church here. I will resume my bookkeeping work for IDC and YWAM as well as be free to join Howie when he travels to build homes.
We are renting a house in the same complex as Pastor Mike and Nancy. The rent is MUCH cheaper than San Lucas last year. The current tenants are moving out before we leave. The ironic part is that we know the husband, as he was the architect that Howie worked with on projects for LWI. The house needs a new roof, which means it cannot be occupied during the installation. The custom here is to take anything with you that you personally install so the current tenants are removing the cabinets. This means that new cabinets will be installed as well. Also, the house never had any closets installed; the current tenants used armoire furniture. The landlady said I could select the wall colors as they are in need of some repair and new paint. So to sum it all up, the house will have a new roof, new cabinets and new closets and freshly painted walls when we return! The landlady agreed to hold the house for us with a security deposit and July's rent. This is also unheard of, as they normally would ask us to pay rent from the date the current tenant moves out. God's hand is all over this.
We will have to for the first time furnish a home since coming to Guatemala. We always lived in furnished places before. I am putting an appeal to all of you to dig deep and help us come up with the $8,000 we estimate it will cost to pay appliances, furniture, and home furnishings. If you are in a position to do so, you can send your check to:
Globe International
PO Box 3040
Pensacola, FL 32516
PLEASE be sure to indicate that it is for us.
Mom was admitted to the hospital this week for 2 days as she is having high blood pressure and low heart rate problems. No one contacted me. My twin sister contacted my brother but no one thought to send me an e-mail at least. I found out she was in the hospital after she was home! I worry about mom often and have been calling her more frequently to just say "hi" and touch base. As many of you know, she has diabetes and lost both legs to this horrible disease a few years ago. Diabetes takes a HUGE toll on your body and mom is suffering from many diabetic complications. Please pray for her health.
This incident reminds me that I should again provide a phone number as I have a Skype account that you can leave voicemail for me. The number is 802-659-0131.
Here is a high and a low at the same time. My niece, Lisa - Annette's daughter, went into premature labor this week at about 7 months pregnant. Lisa lives in Maine, while mom and Annette live in Vermont. Because mom was in the hospital no one could reach her and because Annette's phone was not ringing into her house, she could not be reached right away. Alise, Lisa's sister, called my daughter, Lynnae at 11:00 p.m. to inform someone in Vermont who might be able to reach mom or Annette. The doctors stopped Lisa's labor for 48 hours to administer antibiotics to her for an infection and prednisone to help develop the baby's lungs. They allowed the labor to resume as the amniotic fluid had been leaking for about a week and the baby must be born within a certain time after this happens. Unfortunately, both mom and baby were experiencing distress and a c-section was performed. Baby Tucker was born on the 18th at 6:18 p.m.; weighing just over 5 lbs and 19 inches long. I just spoke with Lisa. She is tired and sore from the c-section but doing well. Tucker was given oxygen initially bit is breathing on his own. He has an infection and is on a feeding tube, as he is not tolerating formula. He is tired and cannot actually nurse properly. Lisa is hopeful that this will change soon. He will be in neo-natal unit for a few weeks. Please pray for them both in this very trying time. I praise God that Tucker is healthy.
Love,
Nan
April 6, 2008
I think I forgot to send out the note that I had posted a blog with pictures on Easter Sunday.
John, Howie’s brother, arrived in Guatemala on March 25th and left April 3rd with 10 men from our home church, 2 other churches near ours in Vermont and a couple of business acquaintances of John. Their project was to re-build the feeding in Zacualpa for Living Water International (LWI); the ministry we served with for almost 2 years. Howie and John had a brief visit the 26th to exchange a cell phone for John to use while he was here and baking goods that John brought me. We met the team in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan about 2.5 hours drive from here Tuesday the 1st. We had a lovely visit, had dinner with several of the men and caught up with people about their experience. The project was not completed but it was not intended to from the outset. Many of the men saw their sponsored children and more were sponsored during the trip. We returned early on the 2nd so that Bernie could spend more time in Antigua. Bernie lived in Guatemala for 3 1/2 years serving with LWI. He has many friends here and is a representative for sponsoring children in the New England area. He has a TV program on public access in Vermont and wanted to get some footage and interviews for his program. Bernie keeps a car here in Antigua and is generous to allow us to use it when we are here. We pay the insurance to LWI, the annual taxes and any repairs. It is a good arrangement. When we are not here another former LWI missionary, Jeff, keeps it as it home in Ciudad Vieja. Right now the car does not always start. This happened about a year ago and we replaced the battery and it worked just fine. I think the batteries here are inferior quality as they do not last very long as we experienced this with other vehicles at LWI and our truck.
We met a friend, Dick, Monday who then took us to meet another missionary, Chris, to make a road trip. The purpose was multi-purpose. Dick wanted Chris to speak with Howie about helping with their ministry, which I believe is called Bethel. Chris and Dick work together distributing wheelchairs to those who need them as well as maintaining them when they need repairs. Last year they distributed over 1100 wheelchairs! This means that over 1100 families lives have been changed; think about that for a moment. Dick also rescues starving children and brings them to Hermano Pedro Hospital in Antigua where they have a nutrition facility. Towards the end of last year, a businessman and Christian from Florida began donating materials to build steel structure houses for the poor. The man’s business has something to do with this kind of construction. The houses look like a shed or storage unit to us but is a palace to those who receive them. The same man donated the materials to re-build a roof on the warehouse/ministry office that stores, builds, refurbishes and repairs wheelchairs. Think of a warehouse and you’ll have the general idea. The ministry added providing homes to families with disabled children, widows with orphans and elderly. Chris wanted to see if Howie would be interested in doing work at the warehouse/office to remove Adobe walls, add platform shelving, re-do electrical, complete the office and some other odds and ends AND help with coordinating and constructing the houses. We visited the warehouse the following day and Howie will be going there tomorrow to begin work. Perhaps God has opened the door we have been waiting for as far as ministry for Howie. Howie will work along side Chris the next few weeks and see.
The second purpose of the trip was to visit a clinic in La Gomera to bring them supplies. The doctor is from Cuba. He came a couple of years ago with a project and decided he needed to stay to help the people here. As you might guess, he could probably serve the needs of his own people, as Cuba is a poor country as well. This is not a private clinic but a public one with no outside funding so Dick brings in extra walkers, canes, wheelchairs and such. This time Dick also had a true Medical scale that measures and weighs people. The excitement over the scale was just delightful to see; like Christmas morning.
Dick just happened to mention to me that he has been looking for a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope for the clinic as the one they have is not working. He had the doctor show me it and it was VERY old and the tubing was full of holes. It is VERY difficult to inflate the tubing with holes in them. I told Dick that we have a very good blood pressure cuff and stethoscope we purchased at a Medical Supply Store in the US that I would donate to the clinic. Howie did not know that I gave away HIS blood pressure cuff and stethoscope as he was speaking with someone else. We can get another one in a month or so; the clinic needs it more than us. As you might have guessed, Howie was fine with this.
We left the clinic to visit the home of Julio, a 10 year old boy that Dick rescued a month ago and brought to the nutrition clinic in Antigua. Julio weighed 17 pounds – yes 17 pounds at 10 years old! He has almost doubled his weight in a month’s time at the clinic. Dick wanted to visit the family and have both Chris and Howie along to discuss building a house for Julio’s family. The idea is to build a home then return these children to a healthier environment, educate the family about hygiene, provide anti-parasite and anti-amoeba medicine and improve the overall health of the family. Chris is fluent in Spanish, as he has lived in Latin America for 20 years. Chris brought a Guatemalan pastor for the visit and another errand they would run later.
Dick wanted to build a house for Julio to return to as the one the family is living is falling down and has holes in the roof and walls. Dick suspected there was a problem in the family with regard to land and building so he asked Chris to join us. He was absolutely correct in his intuition. The conversation started out with Juilo’s parents. The dad assured Chris that building a house on the lot was not a problem. Chris’s instincts were this was not the truth. Sure enough, the brother was not a happy camper. The mother of both men owned the land and gave each brother a portion and kept a portion for herself. Julio’s dad sold his land years ago and the other brother did not feel it was right that he should build a house when the others were living in shacks including their mother. There was a lot of heated discussion with Julios’ dad reminding the other brother that for many years he has taken care of the family land and sold his land to provide for ALL of them and the profits paid off the rest of the land. The Guatemalan pastor waited until just the right moment and spoke. I could not hear what he said but the whole atmosphere changed immediately. The conversation changed to that of how they could work together to have the house build and use the porch as a common kitchen for all 3 families. By the end of the conversation, they were working together and it was agreed that the construction would take place in a couple of weeks. It was so COOL to see God work in the situation; how He used the pastor to smooth things. Each man needed to state his position then they could work out things for the good of everyone. One day Dick hopes to build a home for the grandmother of Julio. Howie hopes to be part of the construction.
The final purpose of our road trip was to pick up Mario who is 3 years old, has cerebral palsy and weighs about 12 pounds. Dick tried to have him placed in the nutrition clinic the week before but Mario had a fever and open sores on his body. The doctor said he was too sick to be admitted to the hospital. It sounds odd but they do not admit sick children to the nutrition clinic only malnourished ones. I guess their resistance is low and the other children might catch something and die. The doctor sent Mario back home with antibiotics and cream. We were bringing Mario back to Hermano Pedro and hopefully he will be admitted this time. Dick has a wheelchair he has been custom fitting for Mario. Mario’s mom, Gloria, and other son joined us. Mario has been held most of his life or laid flat on something; I held him and felt like he would break in 2. His body is very rigid and his head and feet want to bend backwards. Dick explained this is common with CP. The good news is that a wheelchair and getting him to sit up more erect will help reverse this. I am not kidding when I say that I fought his body to keep him from bending backwards for the better part of an hour when he finally fell asleep. The reason for the struggle is that his airway gets cut off when he tilts his head backwards.
When I held Mario I was reminded that I have 5 healthy grandchildren and one is a few months younger than Mario, Ceri. I think about the robust health they all have and my heart constricted and it was hard to keep my emotions in check. I spoke with Gloria throughout the drive back and she is happy that Mario will be getting a wheelchair, medical and nutritional care. It was a privilege to hold Mario, carry some of her burden for a brief time and be part of the effort to improve all their lives by touching Mario’s.
Dick wrote an update and Mario was accepted even though he still had a slight fever. The same doctor saw him both times and was willing to bend the rules as Mario had improved.
People often wonder why I would give up being in the US with my children and grandchildren. It is hard to explain the reasons, as they are not always tangible. I know that God has placed us here to affect the lives of Mario and Julio and other children like them who would die of starvation if someone did not help them. I know that my grandchildren will not die of starvation but so many children here and around the world do. If we can make a difference in the lives of some of them then the sacrifice is worth it.
Love,
Nan
March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
Today is the reminder that God so loved us that He allowed His son, Christ, to be born, live among us, minister, perform miracles, die for our sins AND rise from death to ascend to Heaven. When I reflect upon this I am reminded just what a privilege it is to be here.
We met Alex last Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the park as scheduled but his brother, Julio, was not with him. Alex says he told Julio all the things we said about not being old enough to live on his own, the dangers of illness and safety, the loneliness and such. Alex claims that Julio could not be convinced to return to Antigua. Both Howie and I were a bit disappointed. We took Alex and Carlos to lunch anyway. Alex agreed to meet me Monday at 8:00 so we could inform the authorities what happened.
Carlos claimed that he was attacked the same night we gave him the money for his new shoeshine kit and the money was stolen. He certainly had been in a fight with someone as he had scrapes, cuts and bruises. Howie at first said no more money for Carlos. He relented and said if Carlos could find a kit in Antigua, I could meet him then check it out and pay if it was worth it. After much discussion Carlos and Alex felt that the ice cream vendor might have one for sale.
We all agreed to meet at 8:00, look at the kit then Alex, Rosenda and I would go to the Procuraduria General’s office.
Rosenda and I arrived on time but neither Alex nor Carlos came. We finally decided to keep the 8:30 appointment. We spoke with Alejandra and explained what we knew of the situation. I then asked her what would happen about Julio and she said that she would contact the local office near Julio. A social worker would make a home visit and remove Julio from the home. He would be brought to Casa Alelujah to live. We agreed that we would not say anything to Alex about this, as he would most likely inform Julio, who then would probably go into hiding.
As Rosenda and I were walking to the office Carlos tapped me on the shoulder. He wanted me to look at the kit. I explained that we had an errand and would return to the park in about 30 minutes. I reminded him that he was late and now he must wait. He was a bit annoyed for a moment but realized that I was correct.
We returned to the Park to find that Alex had materialized. He at first avoided us but I coaxed him over to me. I suspect that he did not think we would be in the Park at 9:00 as I have school. We had a long chat and the truth started to surface as to why Alex did not do a good job convincing Julio or show up for our meeting. Many of the street kids told him that orphanages are like prisons and provided very convincing “horror stories”. I explained that some orphanages are better than others and Casa Alelujah was not like the stories he heard. Rosenda again reminded him of the positive and negative aspects. He then sat beside me and asked me if I would take him there to see it first. He was quite scared that if we visited it would be to leave him there. I reminded Alex that neither Howie nor I have EVER lied to him; if we say we are taking him for a visit then it will be a visit. I explained that I would have to coordinate the visit and get back to him but felt it would be this coming week. I was right; we have an appointment tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Please pray that Alex shows up to meet us.
Rosenda stayed with Alex and Carlos as I made plans to go the City with Nancy. She negotiated the price of the kit for Carlos with the vendor. She was not impressed with the representation of what the kit actually came with. Rosenda told me the next day that she was not 100% sure the kit was not the Alex owned. Something was not “right” but she could put her finger on it. I looked for the boys Tuesday and Wednesday but only saw them from a distance. Both times only one had a kit. Finally we ran into them both Friday and they each had kits. I will ask Rosenda if the one purchased for Carlos had covered sides as the one Carlos has was VERY old and in horrible condition. We will not call Carlos on it however as I am selecting my battles.
Training this week has stepped up considerably. I walked quickly or ran 1 hour with Howie Sunday, 2 hours Tuesday with Nancy, 3 hours yesterday and did a speed work out with Howie and Nancy Thursday. I am not as sore as I thought I would be. The 3-hour speed walking yesterday was on a VERY hilly route. Nancy and I kept our heart rates up the whole time except for the cool down part. We figured that we maintained 12-minute miles, which is great. Howie is coaching us as well as training somewhat with us. Nancy wants to do the Denver Marathon October 19th. I have decided to train with her even though it is unlikely that I will do the race. When we are away from here, Howie will set up a training regime and schedule for us. We will use Skype to talk and encourage each other.
This is the end of Holy Week. Every weekend from the one following Ash Wednesday, there are processions that weave their way from villages nearby and end in Antigua. The theme of the procession changes week to week. Last week, it was reenactments of Christ arriving in Jerusalem. This week on Thursday and Friday were reenacted the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ; yesterday was the mourning of Mary and Christ’s other followers and today will be the Resurrection. The procession has at least one float with statues of the representation. These floats are HUGE and are hand carried like funeral caskets. We counted 45 men per side on one of them this week. The procession walks over carpets made from colored sawdust, fruits, flowers and such. Some of them are EXTREMELY beautiful. We asked one group how log it would take to complete their carpet and were told 8 hours. I have pictures of it on the website. (Yes – I finally have some pictures; not many but some). The procession passes over the carpet and what is left is not recognizable. It is a tradition going back hundred and hundreds of years.
Howie and the team for the US worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday half-day on the house construction project. They got a lot done but not all of it. The men were a bit disappointed. Part of the problem is that the team arrived around 9:00 most days, had a break at 11:00 and 2:00 and a large lunch from 1:00 – 2:00. The family felt they had an obligation to feed the men. The men could not refuse the food without offending the family. The actual amount of time spent working was not as much as Howie hoped for. I understand the importance of building relationships in villages but a balance can be met in my opinion. The family will not have use of their kitchen until the project is done. Because the men arrived home between 5:30 and 6:00 each night, we ate dinner between 7:00 and 7:30 and as late as 8:00 one night. Howie, Forrest and Chad will return tomorrow and hopefully get things in a state where the family can use the kitchen. The remaining work will be to put a finish on the block surfaces and paint.
Howie has the floor plans for the Missionary Housing Project. The missionary, John, returned to the US as his wife is due to have a baby this week. They will use e-mail and Skype to communicate. I probably mentioned this project will be like construction in the US as it is wood. It is also similar to building a new home for someone in that they are not involved in the day-to-day work.
I asked my brother to help me figure out a way to import pictures to my Vox site in bulk. What I have discovered is that if I use Flickr, I can import only 1 picture at a time. If I use Vox I can select 3 at a time. I have posted my pictures on Flickr but cannot get the direct link to work. I am sure Joe will have some ideas. Once this is done, you will see pictures going back to the beginning of our time in Guatemala, Nicaragua and some family pictures (still organizing these).
Happy Easter and have a great week.
Love,
Nan
March 14, 2008
God increased my faith incredibly this week. Let me tell you the story (look for the word “happened” as I no longer believe in coincidences). I believe God is behind coincidental things.
Many of you may recall the 2 shoeshine boys, Carlos and Alex, we have been nurturing since our first trip here in 2004. It came to our attention that Alex’s mom passed away while we were in Nicaragua. We have since found out that Alex and Carlos are first cousins. It is amazing how much they have NOT told us. Their mothers were sisters. We had not seen Alex until last Friday, as I just happened to encounter him in the street as he was getting off the bus from Quiche after being there for more than 3 months. In fact, he did not know we were in Guatemala and was so surprised to see me. I inquired about him and how he was doing. It was all he could do to not cry. We agreed to meet for dinner so that Howie and I could speak to him. At dinner Alex finally began to give us the story of his life since his mom passed away. His older sister borrowed money from a lawyer to pay for the funeral and used the family land as collateral. The note is due at the end of a year, which we think is probably in November. The interest on the note is terribly high. He worked for several months 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset for about $3.00 per day to pay for his and his younger brother’s, Julio, living expenses including the money to pay for Julio’s school needs. Alex returned to Antigua to earn money and to return to school 3 days a week. A US ministry is providing free education to both Carlos and Alex. Alex looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. I hugged him often and both Howie and I assured him we would help him out. We asked what his immediate needs were. He needed to pay a month’s rent, buy a shoeshine kit, money for food for the next few days and to send some funds back to Quiche with a reliable vendor to cover the cost of food for Julio. While I continued to comfort Alex, Howie went to the ATM and withdrew about Q600, which is about $80. We gave him the money for the rent that night and met him again the next morning to give him the balance. It was quite late and we did not want to give him more than he needed in case someone decided to rob him. I discovered that Julio, who is 9 years old, lives in the house alone with a neighbor cooking his meals she has money to do so. It really bothered me that Julio was in Quiche by himself.
I was discussing the whole situation with my teacher who just happened to know that the director of the school has just completed his training to be a family law lawyer. We spoke with Jorge who just happens to know the law. He explained to us that the lawyer who loaned the money for the funeral against the land did so illegally. Many lawyers do this but the law expressly prohibits this as so many of the indigenous have lost property because lawyers approach them in the desperate time of need; when they are vulnerable. He also told me there are laws to protect the boys. The first step is to go the Office of the Procuraduria General (something like Child Protection Services) and report the boys are orphans. The lawyer will work with the courts to appoint a guardian to protect their interests and find them a placement in a home or orphanage. Jorge encouraged me to do this sooner than later. This is Tuesday and I do nothing, as I am not sure how to proceed.
Thursday I finally discuss the situation with my teacher again and we decide that we need to do something sooner than later. Rosenda, my teacher, speaks with Jorge. He happens to know the Procuraduria General personally for Antigua, as the man was one of his professors. Rosenda and I go to his office and have just missed him by a few minutes. His secretary gives us an appointment for 2:00 p.m. We decided it was the time to find Alex in the park and discuss options for him and Julio. I just happened to receive a phone call from someone who felt he could meet me in the park to discuss options about the boys. Marco arrived and while we spoke for several minutes, Rosenda had the opportunity to discuss with Alex the pros and cons of living in an orphanage. The pros include not being financially responsible for himself and his little brother, having a roof over their heads, having food on a daily basis, being able to go to school every day, having clothing and shoes when they are needed, etc. The cons for Alex are that he would have to live in a place where there are rules to follow and he could not come and go as he pleased. Alex agreed to meet me later and see what the lawyer had to say.
Alex and I arrived on time but the lawyer would be a half hour late. We walked around the ruins as the office in inside the ruins of a convent. We happened to have this time alone to talk about Alex’s questions. He wanted to know if he truly would not have the financial burden of providing for them, if we would have his own bed to sleep in, clothing and shoes when he needed and such. I spoke very honestly and openly with Alex and reminded him that it would be a big change but for the better. He could concentrate on school and just “be” a child. There would be plenty of time to be an adult in a couple of years.
When we met with the lawyer, he was ABSOLUTELY wonderful! His assistant joined us as well. They gathered the information needed from Alex and began working with us. The lawyer called his counterpart in Quiche and confirmed a few things. He told us that the land could not be used as collateral for 2 reasons; 1 the sister did not own it; 2 the lawyer acted illegally just as Jorge had explained to me. He said that the court would appoint someone to protect it until the boys come of age. The assistant, Alejandra, and Alex connected immediately. She spoke softly and comfortingly to Alex. She assured him that he and his brother could be placed together. We discussed the fact that I had made some inquiries about a Christian facility. She told me to pursue my resources and let her know by 10:00 a.m. today if I had found a placement. If not, then she would find one. We agreed that Alex would return to Quiche today and get his brother as opposed to someone from the office in Quiche just show up at the door. We left the office feeling like things were moving in a very positive way. Alex was relieved to learn that the land would be preserved and the boys would live together. We agreed to meet for dinner.
Howie and I took Alex to Pollo Campero again. It happens to be his favorite restaurant. We discussed the way God is in the middle of the situation. We gave Alex about $60 to cover the bus fare, food and shoes for Julio. Alex will take Julio to the local market tomorrow to buy him his first pair of new shoes! This is just way too cool. We will meet Alex and Julio Sunday at 1:00 to have lunch and make final plans for Monday.
Last night I spoke with the missionary, John, Howie just happens to be building housing for starting the end of next week as he works with Casa Alelujah. This is the orphanage we felt would work for Alex as it has a technical school. John called me this morning at 7:30 to say they just happen to have space for both boys. John and his family happen to be in charge of the house where Julio will live.
God used lots of people leading up to yesterday to set things in motion with Alex. A few months back 3 women we know ministered to Alex when his mom died, this week He used 2 of these women again, He used my teacher, my school’s director, the lawyer and his assistant, the missionary we know at Casa Alelujah and us to show Alex His love in action.
We were walking back from dinner with Alex when we happened to run into Carlos. I have been looking for him for almost 2 weeks. He told us he was coming back from school as he has classes Thursday and Friday afternoons. He told us the reason we have not seen him is his shoebox broke (it actually disintegrated). We asked him if he was hungry and of course he was. We returned to Pollo Campero to give him dinner. The waiter did not even raise an eyebrow when we returned not 5 minutes after leaving. We fed Carlos and gave him the money for the new box then decided to return home as we had run into both boys, fed them and took care of their needs.
Yup – it has a been a great 2 days!
If we accomplish nothing else while we are here, we have done much in just getting Alex and Julio placed in a safe environment.
It breaks my heart that there are so many Alex’s, Carlos’ and Julio’s here. We can only help a few but it is worth the effort and sacrifice of leaving our own children and grandchildren.
March 2, 2008
I have tried all week to upload photos but our internet connection has been very slow and weak. I hope it gets better this week. I will post pictures as soon as possible.
I have finished my first week back of Spanish classes. It went well. It is still a bit challenging to carry on a conversation for almost 4 hours in Spanish. My teacher, Rosenda, is fantastic and very interesting to speak with. We spent the first 2 days just chatting so she could evaluate where I was at with language. The last 3 days we reviewed some tenses and began to really study some we only glanced over before. The next 3 weeks will be interesting as we are going to tackle the Subjunctive tenses (4 of them). People say they do not exist in English but this is only partially true. We speak in the subjunctive we just do not label it as such. For example, I wish that you were here with me is subjunctive. Friday, we played Scrabble as is our tradition. We did not discuss this on Thursday so we did not have a game board. Rosenda has one we gave her a couple of years ago, but did not bring it to school and I left mine in Nicaragua at the Orphanage. We did however find one in the game room. It was a version for the Netherlands. There were a few challenges to overcome like the board is much smaller, the tiles are cardboard, the tile holders are very flimsy plastic, and the letters are very different; no l’s, and very few of many of the common letters in Spanish and English like r, t, n, etc. It was a windy day and when the wind gusted, the holders and game pieces blew away. We had to reconstruct the board a couple of times. It was fun nonetheless.
Howie and I have been running consistently and each time we are able to go further without stopping. We completed the loop he wrote about last week 12 minutes faster. The altitude is great for training and will pay off in the end. The race I am participating is next week so I need to get altitude acclimated this week. It should be fun as it is Avon’s Race for the Cure and only for women. Our pastor’s wife and my good friend, Nancy, and I are doing it together. Howie is driving us to the City as the race is on a Sunday.
We are meeting with Pastor Mike Wednesday for lunch to discuss getting plugged in into our areas of expertise. Pastor Mike mentioned that he has some bookkeeping he wants me to tackle. I am also going to do the bookkeeping for Higher Grounds Coffee House, which is a Youth With a Mission Ministry here in Antigua. I will be baking for them Monday and possibly Thursday this week in the afternoon. I finally got my food preparation and serving card Thursday morning. I am set until next year now.
This weekend we have been attending a conference for Missionaries in Guatemala. I realize that we know many more missionaries than I would have guessed. The workshops yesterday were great. I attended one for women about the dangers of overextending ourselves and another one about being an effective leader. The speaker for both, Bobbie Burks, was wonderfully witty and charming. Her information was practical and well presented. The conference guest speaker, Stephen Strauss, is captivating and uses great examples to get his point across. The listener is on the edge of their seat waiting for the next line to see where he is going. The organization of the conference in general is VERY good. Things start and finish on time. Next year we will stay overnight at the conference to take advantage of the full effect. The price for food alone is almost the same price as attending so staying makes sense all around.
Howie had to travel to San Pablo la Laguna to look at a project there with a friend. The only day for transportation was yesterday so he unfortunately missed the workshops but was home in time to attend the evening session and we stayed for the Hymn Sing. It was so cool to sing many of the Hymns of my youth. We sang one of my Nana’s favorites, The Old Rugged Cross.
Howie’s trip yesterday was interesting. The driver and leader of the group woke up sick so another young man from the team drove. Howie was the navigator as he has been there twice. A Guatemalateca, Juan Luis, was with them so between Howie and Juan Luis they were on track and arrived safely. They did however get stuck for an hour and 20 minutes waiting for a one-way road to re-open to their side. They missed the passage by about 5 minutes. The road is VERY dusty and the driver left his window open. Howie said he inhaled enough dust for a lifetime or something like that. When they got to the top of the mountain road that leads back down to San Pablo, the driver said something like, “Holy Cow”. The first time we made this same trip I recall thinking the same thing. Picture a mountain road that is narrow and steep without guardrails with an elevation change of several thousand feet over a few miles. Thankfully they arrived safely, looked at the project and returned without incident. Howie will not be working on the project as what is needed is funds not workers. The project is to build a church 50’ x 50’. The work so far is good and can be completed with local labor.
Howie will be going to San Cristobal, near Guatemala City, to work with a team from New Foundland to see if he can assist them in the construction of cabinets for the Technical Training Center I mentioned in a previous update. The missionaries and leaders are just wonderful. Howie enjoyed working with them a day or 2 last year.
The 2nd story building project begins on the 13th with a team coming in from the US, 2 other missionaries, Howie and Forrest. The family would like to begin sooner and are excited to have more space for their large and extended family. We saw the husband and wife, Carlos and Victoria, yesterday. He and Howie were discussing logistical things. I helped Howie break the news to Victoria that since her stove is located in the area of construction, she would not have access to it. Victoria was great and said she could use her mother-in-law’s stove during the construction. She reminded us that her responsibility is to provide lunches for the workers. I made a mental note to ask Carol about compensating her for food. I am confident that this is how it is done. This family could possibly have the resources to feed 8 extra gringo men.
We are starting to make the contacts we believed would happen and starting to do get about God’s work. I am confident that I will have contact with more Nationals as I plug into Iglesia de Caminos and Higher Ground as well as work with Carol in the villages nearby.
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