Follow Up of My Trip

I am sorry the last few posts of my trip were not entered until today. But upon my return I was met with the news that my Pastor - the pastor of the church I work at and attend - Dr. Jerry McKinney passed away on Saturday morning. Needless to say, a very hard week. The Memorial Service was on Tuesday.

Finished out the week trying to get a few things done at the office and then this weekend we were blessed with SNOW for the first day of Spring! Quite a difference in temperatures compared to last week ... about 26 for the high with windchills in the teens this weekend and 100-132 last week! But snuggled in at home this weekend in front of the fire gave me an opportunity to put all 400+ pictures from my trip in an album and label them! For that I am truly grateful that is snowed all weekend!

Thanks again to all of you who supported my trip financially and/or with prayer! Both were very important for my mission.

Last year the people on the trip put together a website for pictures from the trip. IF they do that again I will let you know the web address. If not, I might be able to figure out how to upload my pictures to this blog so that you can see where we were and what we did. Senora Alba was so appreciative of all our work and so looking forward to moving into her own home.

Day 9 - Home Again!

Day 9 was Sunday. Up early, got to airport, all flights were on time. Arrived back at DFW and Corrie's husband Pat met us. He took us to our cousin Laurie's house where my car was. Visited a bit with Laurie and Leland and then Corrie and Pat headed south to Austin and I headed north to OKC. I arrived in OKC about 11:15pm and I text Corrie to tell her I arrived safely and she text back that they were just arriving in their driveway in Austin! Safe travels for all of us.

Thank you to those who supported our trip monetarily and for those who supported us with prayer. Both were greatly appreciated. Without prayer support on Thursday I am not sure how we would have survived the 132 degree temps - the breeze was definitely God sent!

Thanks again for all the support! It was a wonderful experience and I am truly hoping to repeat the trip next March. Will let you know when I get the dates and our plans begin.

God Bless

Day 8 - Back to Guatemala Cuidad

It was great to sleep in a bit this morning! Final packing and to breakfast one last time before we leave this wonderful place. Today we travel by van back to Guatemala Cuidad. Enjoyed the scenery along the way. Had a slight mishap with one of our vans - the luggage rack, where all of our luggage - broke. So the first van had to swing back around to meet the other, pull along side it, unload luggage from one to the other. Then the guys took the luggage rack off the van completely, turned it upside down over our luggage and tied it down. On our way again.

Our first stop in Guatemala City was the airport. Unloaded several people and their bags there to meet their flights out. A second group put all their belongings in one van and were headed out to Lake Atitlan, a lake rimmed with towering volcanos for a day or two of sightseeing and the third group - 4 of us went back to the Biltmore Express Hotel to stay the night and leave in the wee hours Sunday morning. Corrie and I settled in our room, Corrie napped a bit as she was not feeling well. Then up and did some souvenir shopping, found a nice little taco place around the corner from our hotel and had an early supper. Bedtime was 7pm as we had to catch the 4am shuttle to the airport for our 6:30am flight to Mexico City and then on to DFW.

Day 7 - A Day Full of Goodbyes

Friday ... today is to be a short day. We, our team, made it a little longer by arranging a early bus to the site so start work at 6:15 with the masons. We so wanted to be able to put the roof on the house before we left today. I started the day, touching up the roof beams and doing more cleaning up around the site. Break time was at 9am - they were mandatory each day. Then back to the site to pick up tools, take pictures of the team; the teams and the masons; the team, the masons and the family receiving the house. Then we went back to the tent/meeting place for the formal presentations etc. Then one more walk back to the house to do the personal presentations to the family - the Bible, pictures of the group that built their house and plaques. Then Senora Alba had presentations to make to us. Some were from Habitat that they gave her to present to us but the friendship bracelets for each of us that she made for us. Then the tears and the goodbyes ... Senora Alba invited each of us to come back next year for coffee and cake!

Back to the hotel - for some it was a quick clean up and on the bus to return to Guatemala City to head for home; for others it was a quick cleanup and on a bus for Antiqua; for Corrie and I and a few others it was relaxation by the pool all afternoon. About 2:30pm Corrie checked and it was 104 but felt like 116 so the pool was the only place to be!!

Get to sleep in until 7 in the morning, breakfast at 8 and bus leaves for Guatemala City at 9 as our trip to Huite, Zacapa comes to a close. It has been a wonderful week ... hard work, high temperatures, more hard work, great food, and wonderful people. Tomorrow ... Guatemala City ...

Day 6 - Looking forward to less heat

For those of you who prayed for us on Thursday - thank you. God was merciful and sent wonderful breezes most of the day and we headed out in the morning thinking it would be a bit cooler 94-96. That was definitely something to look forward to. The morning was mostly picking up around the site unless you were up on the scaffolds. Then in the afternoon they were ready for us to paint the roof beams. Great job for me because I love to paint. First we had to clean the beams with gasoline. For some that was difficult in the heat. Then we started to paint and it dried to fast you could not smooth it out before it dried. We got most of the 7 beams done and it was time to leave.

Got back to the hotel and someone said the temperature at the site was 128 degrees this afternoon. Praise God for the breeze!!! Headed for the pool as soon as we could. Best way to lower your body temperature quickly! Had a wonderful Guatemalan night with a special dinner and local dancers at the hotel. Also had special awards presented. We had a contest throughout the week during our morning break time. It was a contest between the teams (one team per house). It was a different contest each day - each team submitted 1-3 people for each contest (depending on the activity). Each activity had something to do with our building of the houses. Well, our team came in 3rd place and we won the golden trowel! Really neat.

The evening ended early for me because the heat was too hard on my heat rash. I needed to go back to our room. Corrie stayed out near the pool because she was doing some work on her computer and later they all jumped in the pool - clothes and all. Heard it was a great time.

Tomorrow ... our last day ... til then ...

Day 5 - Much More Heat ...

Hot ... Hot ... Hot ...

The morning was comfortable. Small projects to do on the ground but heating up fast. By break time at 10, I had finished 4 - 25 ozs bottles of water/gatorade! Did some more small projects and did some cleaning up around the site. After lunch, a set of verticals needed to be filled in but I could not bring myself to get on a scaffold 6-7 feet in the air. Corrie got up there and finished that row and was down as quick as she could.

Usually she and I stay until the last bus leaves the site, but today we took the second bus. Heard someone on the bus say it was 106 under the tent where we have mandatory snack and lunch. And at the actual house it was 115! That is alittle too much when working outside. Back tot he hotel and into the swimming pool as soon as we could get ready. I have a heat rash on my lower arms so was not able to stay around the pool after I got out of the water.

Showered, rested, and ate dinner. After dinner several were on the internet and the man across the table said it is 97 but it feels like 106 at 7:15pm. Suppose to get down to 67 tonight. Tomorrow the high is 96 but Friday is suppose to be over 100 again. Fortunately on Friday we are done work about 10am because we have the closing ceremony. Please pray for our volunteers and the masons on site - the extreme heat is causing lots of problems and we have work to do!

Day 4 - A Hot One

Tuesday was a very warm day - 96 I think. Up early, breakfast and on the bus by 6:30am. Today work started as soon as we had prayer. Started working with the rebar because during break time Corrie and I were going to be part of a competition amongst the teams to see which team could prepare a rebar the fastest. So we spent the morning with Matt (our third team member) practicing as we prepared rebar for our house. Well, we weren't the fastest but we were the most accurate as are as measurement between "c" clips and the neatness of our ties! We were proud of our work!

NOTE: First day our house already had 5 rows of cinder blocks when we arrived. At the finished of the first work day we had 10 rows.

Today the scaffolding had to be raised so we could add more rows. It is now high enough I can just barely reach up to it to hand up tools or supplies. Guess what? Corrie and I were up there! Amazing to be working that high in the air. Good breeze, good view. Definitely had to step carefully ... really fun when the mason had to move around us to do his work.

Well another great day. Really enjoyed our swim when we got back to the hotel today. Cooled down now and my bed is calling my name!!!

Until tomorrow ... buenos noches.

Day 3 - Work Begins

Up at 5:15am, Breakfast at 6 and the bus leaves at 6:30. At the work site by 7am. Group gathered for introduction to the families and lots of pictures were taken. Then to the site of our house. We were surprised to find our house already started! About 4 ( I will have to check the pictures to be sure) rows of cinder blocks were already done. First job Corrie and I had was to fill in (with cement) the "U" shaped blocks that had rebar going through them. From there I was introduced to working with the rebar - attaching "C" shaped metal "bands" with a fine wire. From there I went to assisting the masons by filling in the vertical spaces between the cinder blocks with mortar. Of course to do that I had to get up on the scaffolding. Well, from the pictures Corrie had last year, I really did not intend to get up there, but it is not as bad as the pictures looked. It really was pretty stable. Break time was at 10 and we took full group pictures at that time. Then back to work until lunch at noon. Overcast all morning and lots of sun in the afternoon - temps in the low 90's! We finished work about 2, collected and cleaned our tools, and then took the bus back to the hotel. Our family stayed with us and helped all day. It was a really great day!

Back at the hotel, Corrie and I hit the pool for relaxation, checked our email, showered and had dinner. Bedtime will be about 9 tonight because 5:15 comes early for our second day! Stay tuned for more news tomorrow!

Corrie has decided not to blog this trip ... just letting me do it! Manana ...

Day 2 - Guatemala!

Sunday morning up early for breakfast and to at join other late arrivals for the 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Zacapa. Nice air conditioned bus for this part of our trip. Gladly it was an uneventful. Arrived at the hotel and our rooms were not ready so unloaded all the luggage in one room and head to Ville Escondido Park for our Fun Day. Beautiful park with swimming pools, gardens, hammocks, and fabulous food! Great afternoon for Corrie as she connected with several (maybe 50) from her trip last year. Relaxing also after our very long day of "detours" on Saturday. Back to the hotel to settle in our room, attend orientation (where we learned which team we were assigned to and a little about the family we were building for), and dinner. Music and visiting was the order for the rest of the evening.

There are 90 people in our group and we are building 8 homes as well as contributing work to a 9th home which is the 2000th home habitat has built in Zacapa. Two other large groups have done work here in the state of Zacapa and they too are going to be a part of building this 2000th house.

We have twelve people on our team - Corrie and I are together with a great group of people! The home we are building is for a woman who has grown children one of which is 27 and lives with her. After her sister died recently she took in her niece, Nicole (5 years old) and her nephew who is 10 I think. She has also taken in a mentally challenged woman who she found wandering the street is Huite. This woman is looking forward to having a home of her own.

Day 1 - Day of Detours

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

This was a day of detours ...

It started when we left my cousin's house in Duncanville to head for DFW Airport ... lots of construction in the area making it necessary to change her direction several times. Finally arrived with still plenty of time to get checked in for our flight. Unfortunately, when we checked in at the self-service kiosk it would only give us boarding passes, no baggage tags. After speaking with the Ticket Agent she finally found out that our connecting flight from Mexico City to Guatemala City had been bumped up 50 minutes and there would not be time to switch our bags from an American flight to a Mexicana flight in such a short time. Therefore we could not leave at 9:30am as originally scheduled. Long story short - we did not leave DFW until noon, arrived in Mexico City around 2 and after speaking to several different people in various areas of the airport we finally got a ticket on the 8:30pm flight which arrived in Guatemala City at 10:30pm. Exhausted we were at the hotel around 11:30! But glad to be at our destination with all our baggage.

The days are getting more and more exciting as I prepare to leave for my first Habitat for Humanity Global Village work trip to Zacapa, Guatemala. Last week I read about how God reveals His plans and purposes for our lives through His Word. It encouraged me to read and meditate on His Word. To ask Him to keep me aware that His plans and purposes and to show me ways I can be used in getting His work done, so that I might bring Him glory. This week I heard a song that said, "You raise me up to more than I can be." I can do so little on my own, but He can raise me up to more than I could ever imagine! I am looking forward to seeing what it is He has planned for me on this trip.
If all goes well, I hope to be able to post at least a few times while I am away.