5:30am came early this morning but I woke up feeling great, a little rested but I was eager to start my day. Thanks to the roosters for the wake up call! I knew we were in Guatemala for a very short time and rest would come later. We had an important job to do! I joined the team upstairs for breakfast and was excited to see what the cooks were preparing for us today. We even had coffee! :) The sweet children were already up to greet us. Their curious little minds wanted to know where we were going all the time. We shared a word of prayer, had breakfast and then headed back downstairs to pack up supplies for the day. I began loading my pack with face masks, mosquito repellant, hand sanitizer, rubber gloves, sunscreen, and bandaids. I filled up my water bottle and grabbed a snack to take with me. We met the team outside and separated into groups that we would be working with for the day. We were paired with guides who knew the community. Our goal for the day was to go out into the community and build concrete stoves. I was assigned as part of the firebox crew. We had team members installing chimney's, building concrete stove bases, and whitewashing the walls of the families homes. The weather was perfect on this day and we set out to work about 7am. I remember the children stepping in as little "helpers." They wanted to carry everything for us, even the heavy stuff! We had a lot of ground to cover so we all went our separate ways and were to meet up again at lunchtime. Some of the team had to walk a mile or so to get to homes. Some areas were spread apart and some homes seemed to be stacked on top of each other. Each home was very unique. The guides led us through the jungle like it was the back of their hands. This was unfamiliar territory for us but we immediately put our trust in them. They led us through many paths, plants held up on each side with wire, creating what looked like fences. It was comical how the children would run in and out of the paths and come bouncing out of nowhere. They were running, laughing, playing and just so HAPPY to see us. The Guatemalan families were also very sweet and loving and they took such pride in their homes. Sometimes we meet people and feel like we don't have much in common just because of cultural differences. This wasn't the case in Guatemala. Their ways of life may have been a little different but in many ways we were exactly the same. We may have had a language barrier but they knew what we were there to do and they did whatever they could to help.
Our first task was to watch a firebox being built. Several of the team assembled the first one step by step. The video we watched prior to the trip gave some instruction but we really needed to watch this process to gain a better understanding of how it worked. The first home we arrived at was very smoky, ash and smoke filled the home and it immediately broke my heart to see how they were cooking over an open flame. It was hazy and dark and difficult to breathe. Walls were covered with black soot. Food was placed in bags and hung from a rope to keep off the ground. I didn't want to be rude and stare throughout their homes but I really wanted to observe what we were working with. After a few minutes of instruction, the mother who lived in the home approached me and offered me a seat. That was the moment when I started to feel the love and respect of the community. Love should radiate out to all you meet and touch the hearts of people you don't even know.
After successful installation of the first stove, my team member, Mike and I followed our guide to the next home. The first firebox was a bit challenging but after doing a few of them, we became pros. The first step was to place pumice stone securely in the bottom of the stove where the firepit was to be built. We then assembled a clay box inside the stove where the wood and fire would be placed. Each clay piece had to fit precisely together so we had to be pretty detailed. We then filled the rest of the stove with pumice stone clearing out any large rocks and then covered it with ash. We placed the burners on the top and then cleaned up around it before leaving. We continued on to the next home and kept going until we lost count of how many firepits we actually built. We made a stop to the local Tienda for an ice cold cola and kept going. We worked well into the afternoon and then took a short break for lunch. I was amazed by some of the things I saw as I was walking long distances to some of the homes. We passed a dozen types of exotic flowers, banana trees, streams and small waterfalls. "Nature is God's first missionary. Where there is no Bible there are sparkling stars. Where there are not preachers there are spring times... if a person has nothing but nature, then nature is enough to reveal something about God." — Max Lucado
We were showing great progress so we continued on throughout the day. About mid-afternoon, we had a very hard rainfall. The kind of rain that would sting when it hit you. This was when I had my first experience with Central American critters. I literally jumped inside one of the homes because of the size of a spider I saw. I guess the women around me thought this was hilarious as they could not stop laughing. I suppose they are used to the jungle creatures. They paid them no attention so I felt a little more secure again trusting and watching them. I was in their country so I quickly adjusted. The rain seemed like a tropical storm to me compared to what we were used to. The rain didn't hold us up too long and we were back to work. By the end of the day, we were dirty, a little tired but felt proud of the work we accomplished. We found out later that we set a world record with Helps International for installing the most stoves ever in one day....72 total stoves. Wow! I commend the other groups for their hard work too. Building the bases was hard work, very heavy concrete had to be lifted and carried. The chimney work was a bit strenuous as well due to them having to climb on top of the rooftops. The whitewash crew also made great progress. I found it interesting how many of the families wanted to help and jump right into whatever we were doing. It was great working together.
Walking back to the church in the rain was fun! At that time, we didn't have our ponchos with us but it was cool to watch the local people carrying huge banana leaves to cover themselves. The leaves were the size of a boat! The mud on the ground was pretty slick too. I couldn't believe my guide was barefoot and carrying a baby downhill and I had a hard time not slipping with tennis shoes on. Most of the women in Guatemala carry their babies on their backs in a sling. Her son's name was Gaspar and she was absolutely the sweetest mother. She was stunning, had gorgeous eyes and a beautiful smile. How could you not trust someone like this? I went everywhere she did that day. Just loved watching her communicate with the local people. She explained what we were doing to the families and it was comforting having her there.
Late that afternoon, we all cleaned up for dinner, taking one shower at a time. We met upstairs in the dining room sharing another meal together and then came back down to the church for a team meeting. We talked about the day's events, had devotion and then separated some of the supplies. It was great seeing what some of the team members brought with them. We had toiletries, medical supplies, lots of gatorade, silly bands, bracelets, toys, animal figurines, frisbees, soccer balls, loads and loads of candy, and much more. That night we had a little more time with the children. We quickly learned the Spanish name for candy! Dulce! Dulce! The children flocked around us tugging on our hands and clothes calling our names over and over. I will never forget the infamous words, "como te llamas, hola Shannee." Some of the children's names were Ricardo, Diego, Ilda, Maria, Claudia, Gaspar, Eddy, Cristobal, and Fransisco. It took us days to learn all their names and only moments for them to learn all of ours. You could see the love of God all over the children's faces, we didn't even want to go to bed that night.
Stay tuned for Day 4....
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