When we were in Guatemala in December 2006, we had hired a tourist company to pick us up from the airport and take us up the mountain. We were a little nervous about this but it worked out really well. This trip we felt that the Lord wanted us to actually have our own vehicle. This would provide us with more flexibility during our trip. We went through the same tourist company and rented a truck. We had wanted a 4 x 4 truck with a double cab so we could fit our entire family on the inside. We were also desiring that it would be a nice neutral color so we would blend in a little. We knew that we might draw a little attention with all the stuff in the back (our 12 very full suitcases etc.) so we were hoping the truck itself might blend! When we arrived at the rental office, there was a bright RED truck with flames on the sides sitting in front of the door. You guessed it! That was our truck - all it needed was a large "GRINGOS with Lots of Stuff" sign!! Take a look.
We had the expectation that we would get lost driving around in the city and our expectations were met! However, we had a lot of fun! Once we got going up the mountain, we pretty much thought we were home free until we were pulled over by the police. They asked us where we were going, for how long, what we were going to do there etc. They also wanted to see Caleb's and Don's passports. They asked Don to get out of the car so they could talk to him. Caleb asked "What is going on???". Lori answered, "I don't know but PRAY!" It was a good chance for Don to practice his Spanish and for the officer to practice his English. Everything turned out 'ok' and we just chalked it up to more adventure!
Having a vehicle turned out to be such a blessing. Once we were further up the mountain and had to drive on dirt "roads", Samuel kept asking if we were on the right "trail". He was right - they were more like trails than roads. Take a look:
One Guatemalan practice that we had noticed on previous trips included giving rides to other Guatemalans in the back of the truck. Don really enjoyed this but often surprised and shocked his passengers by yelling "LISTO?" before he took off. He was asking if everyone was 'ready' which is really not part of the practice. Most of the time the passengers have to really hurry in order to get in before the truck takes off! Our friends the Fickers are shown here, helping their passengers get out before we continued on our way to Chichicastenango.
We were going to Chichi for a "gringo" church service. We were able to go and worship the Lord in English as well as meet many other medical missionaries serving in the area. We stayed at Hotel Casa del Ray (House of the King). The hotel is managed by missionaries and serves as the location for the church as well as many other ministries. It was a really nice time for us. We received the blessing of staying there for free (thank you Matt!). This is a picture of our kids by the fountain near the front of the hotel.
Having a truck enabled Don to work at three clinics a week. One of the clinics was up the mountain to an area that does not receive medical care or many visitors at all. The aldea is called Chiminicijuan. Don, along with the Fickers, would travel as far as they could in trucks and then park so they could walk the rest of the way in. The Fickers' four wheelers are perfect for this terrain; however, they only had one working while we were there. They used it to bring in the portable ultrasound machine, supplies, etc. (Don did get to drive the four wheeler on one of the trips and managed to get it stuck in the mud. He had such a good time!!). The following is a picture of the clinic building in Chiminicijuan that the Fickers are constucting. (Notice the four wheeler!)
Oralia went with Don to this clinic to translate from Spanish to Quiche. She was also the evangelist on these days. She loves talking to others about Jesus and it was so neat to hear her talking to these people, who don't get many visitors, about the love that Christ has for them. She was also the "carrier" of the muffins that they brought for the patients. Good thing - because Don isn't really able to balance anything on his head!
Besides going to clinics, we also had many fun activities for the kids. The picture below is Lorena helping with a purse-making activity for the girls. The day we decided to do this, the electricity was out and we needed to use the glue gun! Lorena decided we could go ahead and use candles to melt the glue and then drip it onto the purse!! Very dangerous but it worked!
The boys also got to do fun things. Shown here are Santiago, Samuel and Domingo Daniel playing with their balloon cars. The boys discovered that they were also fun to put in the water as boats!
It was Hannah's birthday while we were there (she turned six). We had a little party for her with cake and Pepsi! The kids sang to her in Spanish and English. She had a great day!
We were at the Home for about half of our time without a Spanish translator. We really had fun practicing our Spanish and learning new words. The missionaries from Costa Rica arrived on the 22nd and then we started to get a little lazy! Dena brought her son Josh with her as well as Barb (she works at the children's home in Costa Rica). Barb is known as the lady who always sets up the swimming pools for the kids. The kids love to play in the water (ours included!). This year she also brought dish soap to put in the pools for bubbles. The kids had so much fun! Can you pick our son Samuel (the little white kid!) out in this picture??
Paola and Wendy covered in bubbles!
Rosa's private pool!!
Our kids just love the food that they eat at the Home! They also really enjoyed eating with the kids for lunch everyday! It is one of the highlights for them.
The youngest one at the Home is a 9 month old baby. Her mother died when she was 3 months old and her father thought the Home would be the best place for her. Her name is Melissa (in Spanish that is "May - lee - sa). She is a cutey!
Julio, Manuel and Santiago are three of the newest kids. They were taken from their mother because she has a drinking problem. It has been a big transition for them, but they seem to be fitting into the Home really well. Here is a picture of Manuel helping to decorate for a birthday party - his brother, Julio, took this picture.
Here is a video we made of our trip. Hope you enjoy!
What's next? Our hearts are here in the highlands of Guatemala. We are hoping to return for a longer period of time, possibly in the summer of 2008. Stay tuned for details. And please keep us, and our friends in Guatemala, in your prayers.
