Hello 2008

The year 2007 is behind us and it is time to crank up 2008. It is January 3rd and we are back at the Guatemala City airport to pick up Patty Noverr and her two adopted Guatemalan boys, Douglas and Stephen. This is the first time they have been back to their native country since being adopted as young children. An eye-opening experience awaits them. They come bearing suitcases loaded with clothes from her church, Temple Terrace and an exceedingly generous gift from Tom and Tricia Jones to help buy what might be lacking. The following day as Cassidy and Patty sort clothes into different sizes, Dylan and Austin introduce Douglas and Stephen to the locals. The afternoon brings an anticipated horde of villagers to the clinic for the clothes hand out. Douglas and Stephen handle crowd control. The boys usher in three villagers at a time that are seated on a bench. The rest of the gang works on fitting them with shoes and clothing into the night.

The next day will be used as a school project for the boys. We have set aside the day to visit homes and take a hike to the sister mission in Matasana. The familys often live in groups with the parents, children, and grandchildren residing within yards of each other. The first such commune has dirty barefoot children peaking out from different structures, several lurk in an opening in the adobe hut while others are in the doorway of a bamboo hut. Chickens and young pigs run at will where ever they please. An 8 year old boy who is accompanying us wants us to go to his house and pray for his Grandmother. Upon arriving we are ushered into a dark adobe hut. On a small bed we see a frail old woman who has been severely beaten. One of her eyes is swollen shut and her cheek is badly bruised She explains her husband often beats her when he is drunk and refuses to let her have food or water. The boys stand guard and protect her while I run to get food and medicine. When I return, Patty has already confronted the husband who is now also inside the hut. After feeding and nursing the woman we have one more conversation with the husband before the long hike to Matasana.

It is January 10th , we’ve dropped off our guest and after a 6 hour drive from the city we’ve arrived back at the mission to find our solar was no longer working. The inverter had taken a bath when a hot water line coming from the propane water heater, affectionately known as the widow maker by the Guatemalans, had exploded several months ago. The inverter had been working erratically but now had given up the ghost. It would be candle power and flashlights to drag our tired bodies to bed.

The following day is spent working alongside my little buddy Minor. He is working off his taking of Cassidy’s purse and 170Q’s. Today we will remove worms from the castings to prepare organic fertilizer for the different agriculture projects. As I’m preparing lunch for Minor I can hear our normal lunch guest, Sophia, murmuring outside the door waiting her turn. This little old woman can eat more than most football players. I would love to match her against the Asian hot dog eating champ. She would be a sure bet. Not only will she eat you out of house and home but she carries a bag with her that she would also like filled. The day ends with Julio telling me that the new Pastors house has plumbing issues. With tomorrow being the day I’ll bring him and 6 other Pastors to the mission Dylan and I work into the night with Cassidy mopping up the floors the next morning.