More rehearsals

After helping at ASELSI, dance practice continued with lots of fun and hard work!

Playing tag before starting practice.

Practicing the angels' dance.

ASELSI's Christmas party

Again this year, we were blessed to take part in ASELSI's annual Christmas party.  They invited in a few thousand people (who signed up ahead of time) and gave them a bag of food and Christmas gifts for the children.

My dance team of 21 kids, called Arise! (in Spanish ¡Levántate!), met at 6:00 a.m. at a local gas station and walked together to ASELSI.

We joined a group from Texas that came to help put on a show at the party.

We presented our dance to three different groups of attendees.   The kids pretended to be the shepherds dancing for joy with their staffs after seeing baby Jesus.

Everyone had a great time, and the kids and I want to go back next year!

Elsi, Sohanny, Karen, and Sheyla

Brayan, Manuel, Ricardo, and Brandon

Christmas dinner stolen

For the past few months there have been a few hens and a rooster living in the street about half a block from our house.  A family owned them and put out food for them each day.  Having chickens running around isn't unusual here, so we didn't think much about it.  The rooster was noisy with his cock-a-doodle-doo-ing, but we tried to ignore him, since we figured he was about to be a meal for the family that owned him.

Our maid just told us someone stole all of the hens and the rooster!   The rooster was going to be the family's Christmas dinner.   How sad!  Somehow knowing that a thief stole the rooster takes away the pleasure of regaining a quiet street.

Worried parents

Well, maybe the kids are starting to listen... I (Heather/Erica) have been telling them that they have to come to practice if they want to dance in the final performance.  Makes sense to me.  With 22 kids in the dances, they have never all come at one time, and they have never all come ON time.

This morning Michael and I had an interesting visit from the parents of two sisters on the dance team.  They came over to our house, sat down to chat with us, and finally told us the reason for their visit:  their family had an activity during the time of our next dance practice.  They had come to ask permission for the girls to miss one practice!  In fact, the parents said that if I required it, they would send the girls to practice instead of the family get-together.   These are girls that haven't missed a single practice so far and always come on time. 

Wow.  That is very unusual here.  Several of my dancers actually come without the support of their parents.  Not that they don't want their kids to come, they just don't care what they do.  So I am impressed that the kids keep track of the schedule themselves.

I felt bad for scaring these two sisters, but I was glad they wanted to dance!  I reassured the parents (who are actually leaders in our church) that it would be fine for the girls to miss a practice! 

Dance practice

Our dance team, ¡Levántate! (Arise!), has been practicing two days a week, on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.  ASELSI's annual Christmas party is coming up this week, so we are trying to improve the details of our shepherd dance, which we will perform at ASELSI.

The shepherds dancing with their staffs.

All but one came to practice!  Amazing!

We are also working on the dances of the angels and the wise men.  We will present all three dances at our church's Christmas service.  There is dialog in between the dances about the joy that Jesus gives us.  I love working with these kids!

"Truck stop"

We had an unexpected half-hour stop on our way to Mexico.  There was a truck (without its trailer) stuck in the middle of the road.  A dozen men tried to push it, but it must have been in gear because it wouldn't budge.  A few small cars squeezed past, but we weren't willing to risk falling in the huge ditch.  Michael even got out to evaluate the space (tall white guy on the right).  It was a jovial atmosphere, which we usually encounter here when there is a big problem at hand.

 We girls were pretty jovial, too, while waiting in the car.

Eventually, one of the other drivers had the idea to hook up a chain to another huge truck and yank, yes, YANK the truck over a couple of feet.

The guys waved us on through, and we went on our way!  Always something interesting around here!

Dogs!

There are a lot of stray dogs in Guatemala.  On the way to Mexico to renew our visas last week, I noticed that we were passing many dogs by the roadside... so on the way home, we decided to COUNT DOGS.  It was fun, but we were really amazed at how high the number was by the time we got home:  214 dogs!  That seems like a lot for a 160-mile trip.

The market

After walking to the various stores around town, we head to the market to buy fresh fruits and veggies.  This is the part of the market that is always set up and ready for the locals, not tourists.  I prefer shopping here, since no one calls to me to buy their souvenir trinkets.

Many things are for sale in the market,
like clothes, shoes, toys, and food.

Julia is my favorite vegetable vendor.

Elena is ready to carry bags full of the
produce we will buy.

Finally, we arrive back at the car to unload the bags
from our aching shoulders.  I never knew how
heavy fresh produce is!  The store behind me is our
small grocery store.  They have carts... hurray!

Chichi streets

Here are some scenes of the streets of Chichicastenango, where we walk to do our shopping.

The butcher shop where I buy beef.

Elena, waiting to cross the road.

The baskets on the left are filled with produce.

Prayer... everyone?

From our house we could hear the background noise of singing almost all day.  A couple of streets over, by the landslide on the main highway, there was an interesting get-together for prayer.  Everyone was invited:  the Catholics, the Protestants, and those who practice the traditional Mayan religion.  They were gathering together at the edge of the landslide to pray (to whomever they wished) for the edge of the ravine to quit falling away little by little.  Each group took a turn leading the event.  We were struck, once again, by how ingrained and accepted the syncretism is here.

Bus terminal

While they were working on making a detour around the landslide (which closed the main north-south road by our house), the "chicken buses" couldn't get to their normal bus terminal in the town to the north of Chichi.  So they went as far as they could and parked along the road right outside our neighborhood.

That meant I encountered scenes like this as I tried to go into town to go shopping.

Somehow, by easing in and out between the big buses, smaller buses, tuk-tuks, and cars, everyone succeeded in getting by!

Thankfully, they have now opened the detour, so the road is clear again!

Arise! dance group

I (Heather/Erica) have started teaching this year's Christmas dance to a group of kids from our church.  I couldn't believe it, but 25 kids showed up to join me this time!  There are 10 boys and 15 girls, mostly ages 9 to 13, with a few younger ones.  Our dance group is called "Levántate!" which means "Arise!"   It is so exciting to work with these kids!

Parades

We had fun attending two of the three Independence Day parades in Chichicastenango.   For three days, the main highway through town was closed for a couple of hours each day for the parades.

Waiting for the parade to start!

Guatemala's national flag.

High school students dressed up in
traditional costumes.

A smaller version of some of the idols
the Mayan priests transport from place to place.

Monkeys went into the crowds and messed up
girls' hair, which nobody seemed to like.

A Mayan priest.

There were also rows and rows of sweet school children, since every school in town participated.

We were grateful for several mornings of sunshine in the middle of rainy season!

Landslides

There have been two roads closed near our house due to landslides last week.  One is a major north-south highway through Guatemala that runs right by our neighborhood.

In this photo, you can see the hole in the highway, which is at the edge of a huge ravine, hundreds of feet deep.  More of the road has been falling away each time it rains, and we are still in the middle of rainy season.  They are letting people walk really close to the landslide, which is terribly dangerous.  People wanting to travel north or south by bus have to get off the bus on one side and walk across, carrying their heavy loads, and then get on another bus on the other side.  We are blessed to be on the same side of the landslide as town, so we can still drive into town for shopping.

There was also a landslide closing a smaller road leading to ASELSI, which we can see from our upstairs balcony.  This is difficult for ASELSI, which has several medical clinics a week and a Bible school.  In this photo, you can see how they covered the edge with a tarp, and they also dug several new ditches trying to keep the water from washing away more of the road.

Thank you for your prayers for our roads and for people's safety.

ATM scam

We have heard about ATM scams in Antigua, a tourist town in Guatemala, but last week we discovered that our very own tourist town, Chichicastenango, has been hit, too!  We found out firsthand when our ATM card was cloned and used in Spain and Venezuela to drain our account.  Fortunately, our bank returned all our money to us!  So we are no longer using ATMs here and are investigating other methods of getting cash, which is essential in this cash-based society.

Multi-stop shopping

One of the most common differences I encounter between living in the States and living in Chichicastenango is the shopping experience. After shopping at Walmart for 3 months this summer, it was a big change to come back here and take my normal trek through town to gather what I need.

Each store is within a few blocks of the others, but with cars zooming past, broken sidewalks, and air thick with car fumes, it seems like quite a task. I shop each Wednesday, and here is the route I took this week:

1. Parked in one of town's two parking lots.

2. Stopped in Elektra, an appliance store, to see if they had any little-kid bikes. Nope, none small enough for Veronica.

3. Carpentry shop to buy a board to prop up one of our sagging plastic tables at home. The man trimmed and cut a board to the measurements I gave him.

4. Plastic store for clothesline clips and cleaning gloves. They had a cute little bike, which I will get another time if they haven't sold it already. This store sells trash cans, plastic bowls and bins in all sizes and shapes, dishes, disposable cups and plates, plastic sheeting, and an assortment of toys.

5. Ice cream store for a treat for Elena who came with me this week. The girls take turns coming with me for safety in pairs. We don't buy scooped ice cream, but the pre-packaged items seem to be fine.

6. Hardware store for washers to help our car battery clamp fit better. Had to draw a washer on a piece of paper and ask how to say it in Spanish.

7. Plastic-sheeting store to visit the Sunday school director of our church, who works there, and let him know we are back in town.

8. ATM to get cash, which I use at every store except the small grocery store, which fortunately takes a credit card.

9. Store that sells pre-packaged meats and cheeses and yogurt (and liquor) to see if they had any ham in a chunk... nope, just sliced. This store is the only one where I have found decaf coffee, but they were out. If you ask when a store will get more of something, the answer here is always “next week.” I have figured out that means “probably not ever.”

10. Paper-products store for whiteboard markers and masking tape.

11. Things-for-animals store to buy flea powder. I have to keep a fresh supply around the wall near my bed and one of my daughters' bunk beds to keep the bedbugs away.

12. Thread store to buy an embroidery hoop for a counted cross-stitch project for Carrie.

13. Girl sitting in an aisle of the market selling beans. I bought 3 pounds of “piloes,” a type of dried bean they sell here. She held up her balance made of two bowls hanging from a stick with a string in the middle. She put a bag of something in one side (supposedly weighing a pound) then put beans in the other bowl until it was averagely level. I have no idea how much that bag weighed, but the end result looked like about the right amount.

14. Fruit lady's stand in the market for bananas, plantains, pineapple, and canteloupe.

15. Vegetable lady's stand in the market for potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, onion, and a few other veggies. She has an actual scale.

16. Walked past an old lady that is always sitting in her wheelchair in the hot sun begging. I always give her a quetzal, which is about 13 cents. She can hardly talk, but I found out her name is Anastasia and she loves it when I speak a bit of K'iche' to her. I'll have to take her photo sometime and post it here. Beautiful, wrinkly old face with a huge smile.

17. Banana cart for some more bananas. I always walk by this guy and his bananas are small but usually not too banged up.

18. Back to the car to deposit all this stuff before hitting my final stop: the “grocery store.”

19. Grocery store for bread, ketchup, yogurt, chips, cookies, eggs, etc. There is quite a variety, even including some “American” foods, but with American prices, so the locals don't buy much of those items. I was excited to find peanut butter this time!

20. Paid 15 quetzales ($2) for 3 hours of parking.

21. Drove home and spent several hours putting away groceries and disinfecting the fruits and veggies.

After that long list, I will mention a few places I didn't stop this time, which are sometimes on my way, too: the chicken guy, the beef butcher guy, the pharmacy, the auto parts store, the craft store, and the piles of used clothes.   Whew, I didn't really know how many stops there were until I wrote this blog entry!

Car battery search

It has been nice to get home, but also difficult as we face adjusting to a different world again.  When we first returned to Chichi, we found that our car battery had died since our trickle charger had failed and ruined the battery while we were gone. So Carrie and I (Heather/Erica) rode a tuk-tuk into town to check out what was for sale there. We found a couple of batteries that would work, but the newest one was 6 years old. 

Then on another day, Elena and I took a public-transportation microbus to the neighboring town of Quiché (about 11 miles to the north). That was our first time to ride a “minivan bus”, and I thought it was fun. After asking around for car battery stores and walking several blocks to find each one, we didn't find a battery that was right for our car. All of the batteries I saw were 5 to 9 years old. 

So the next day, Veronica and I rode a tuk-tuk back into Chichi in the pouring rain to buy one of the batteries sold there. Michael and I installed the new battery, and what a great feeling we had when, after a bit of hesitation, sputtering, and gray fumes, our car started!!!

Thanks for listening

We are back in Chichi after 3 months!  Praise the Lord for a successful trip back for us and for all of our luggage.

While we were in the States, we were glad to be able to share about our mission in several churches, pastors' meetings, and various living rooms.  Here are a couple of examples:

In Heather's parents' living room.

In Michael's brother's living room.

Thanks to everyone who came to listen to us and partner with us in Guatemala!

Grandparents

It has been super nice to visit with the kids' grandparents!

Playing games with Charlie and Linda Montgomery

Eating out with Richard and Karen Dugan

Presentations

While we are in the States, we have been grateful for some opportunities to tell supporters and potential supporters about our ministry in Chichicastenango.  So far, we have given a presentation in three different living rooms, two church services, and to three pastors.  In the next few weeks, we have one more living room, two more churches, an elders' meeting, and another pastor to visit!

Fun opportunities

Since we have been back in the States for several weeks now, the girls have had fun doing some things we haven't been able to do where we live in Chichi:  ballet lessons, tumbling at a gymnasium, playing at playgrounds, taking baths and showers in pure water, eating salads at restaurants, going horseback riding, and other fun opportunities.

This is a photo of Elena on a horse led by a co-worker of my (Heather/Erica's) mom, who volunteered her time to teach Elena how to ride.  This is Elena's dream!  Thanks, Susan!

Support raising

We have been in the States for a lengthy visit with both sets of our parents.  One of our main goals while we are here is to request more funding from churches and individuals.  We have made a few presentations of our ministry to supporters and to a couple of new church contacts.  Thanks for praying with us that God will open new avenues for support and that we will receive enough to keep us in Chichi for the long haul.

To those of you who have supported us financially: THANK YOU!!!

Differences

There are obviously many differences between Guatemala and the United States.  It was interesting for us to talk as a family about some of the differences that we have noticed:   smoothly paved roads, clean shower water, large open spaces, not having to disinfect fruits and veggies, speaking English, using slightly wet dishes, air conditioning, clean air, setting food near the sink and not worrying about water splashing on it, trying harder to obey traffic rules, no speed bumps! (except in one parking lot), and pushing fruits and veggies in a cart to the checkout conveyor belt.  But each and every one of us misses our home in Chichi!

The whole row

Ever wish you didn't have to sit next to a stranger on an airline flight?   We solved that issue by taking up the whole row!!!   (Okay, no comments about us being strange...)

These seats were cool because they had little screens to watch a movie of your choice on.  Not many good options, but we found a couple decent shows, and it helped to pass the time on our way to the States.

Educational games

Elena helped with a game of Connect Four for two youth, both around age 17, who have muscular problems.  Until last year, they had no educational opportunities.

The girl, Evelyn, played by telling Elena which slot (they were numbered) to put her piece in.  She spoke with much difficulty, but Elena was very patient.  The boy, Eric, was able to point to the place where he wanted Elena to put his piece. 

We are thankful to the missionaries at ASELSI for bringing joyful learning experiences to these precious children, and for letting us help.

Carrie's braces

Carrie is in the process of getting braces!  This dentist's office is in Chichicastenango, and he does all types of dental work, including orthodontics.

Soccer

The girls had fun playing soccer, Guatemala's most popular sport, with a group of kids from a children's home in Chichi and some other missionary kids.

Circus

The Montgomery girls recently visited the circus when it came to town.  There were only a few adults and kid acrobats that entertained us, and no animals, but we enjoyed the diversion. 

Funny (but normal) sight

On our way home from church, we saw this cow outside a school.

In fact, we often see people herding goats or cows on roads near town.  We also see ladies carrying chickens or turkeys, walking toward town.  I once laughed, telling our daughters that farmers in the States don't do that with their animals.  They answered, "They don't?"

Recording K'iche'

Our K'iche' teacher, Carolina, has been helping us record some dialogs that we have been studying, so we can keep practicing our lessons while we are traveling this summer.

Looking at land with José

We mentioned to José, the guard of the local school where we are temporarily parking our car, that we are looking for land to purchase.  It turns out that his brother has a piece of property for sale!  So we went with José to look at it.

Adobe houses surrounded by corn fields
are normal for this area.

Unfortunately, due to the division of land among the Mayan heirs through the years, sometimes including 10 children, the available plots of land are often long, skinny strips.  Michael measured this plot by walking its width and length, and we estimated that it is 15 meters by 120 meters, part of which is separated by a road, and part of which is on a steep hill.  We'll keep looking.