Temporary building

We will be living in the lower part of our property for a few years while they build our house on the upper part, but we have no sewage connections in our community.  We needed to build a "temporary water building" up the hill from the ministry building and classroom so that our gray water can drain into the seepage pit we dug at the lower corner of the property.  The gray water from our "temporary kitchen sink" and our "temporary shower" will pass through a sand filter (see future post), then into the pit.  The water from our washing machine will run over to and down our driveway.  Our toilet is actually a dry toilet (see future post), so it uses no water.

The "temporary building" is just uphill from
the classroom, our temporary kitchen.

There are 4 terraces: the lowest for our
washing machine, then the kitchen sink,
then the bathroom, then the shower.

First the walls and ceiling were covered
by styrofoam.  This is the upper level, the
shower.  Yes, the doors are purple!

The siding and roof are made of steel
roofing pieces.

Water problems

Everywhere we turn we seem to have problems caused by water, non-absorbent ground, and a high water table.

This is our "dry" septic well, where we intended to dump our gray water.  It turns out the water table is very high, causing the bottom of the pit to collapse and fill with water.  As a result, we will have to filter our gray water before dumping it here.  All our neighbors, however, just dump their gray and black water right into the water table in the holes they have dug.

Water was pooling behind our retaining
wall, so they installed a gutter on the edge
of the shed roof.  That helped, but water
still runs down from higher up the hill.

Water runoff was causing the dirt wall behind
our house site, where we will one day install
a retaining wall, to begin collapsing.  Our
workers piled large rocks along the wall
to stop the damage.

Water from heavy rains is pooling
along the classroom building again,
working its way behind the mud barrier
they installed previously.

Water also runs down our driveway, pooling
into mud at the bottom.  Here, they have
re-covered the right half with gravel,
but you can see the left is still muddy,
awaiting its coat of gravel.

Sheetrock

Our buildings are finally finished inside.

Sheetrock has only been used in
Chichicastenango for about 5 or 6
years, on interior walls added to divide
rooms.  This means our workers are new
to the task, still learning about installation
techniques from Youtube videos.

The finished product turned out pretty well
with only a couple of redo's.

Roofs

We've added more roofs to keep us out of the rain.

There is now a roof over the door in the fence.

This is the view from inside.

And here you can see a small additional roof
we added to keep us dry as we come and go
from our temporary kitchen.

Small town

You know you live in a small town when you're driving and there's nobody on the road, so you speed up and feel like you're really flying on the short drive into town... then you look at the speedometer and it says "29."   Ha ha ha ha ha.

Community leaders

When we got to the community meeting on the evening of the induction of the new leaders, we were surprised to find a very religious setting.  There were candles burning and an "altar" set up.  The meeting went on as usual, with no mention of religious topics.  This type of religious setting is very common here and is shared by both Catholicism and the Mayan religion.

The leaders sit up front at the long table.
The audience is generally divided into
men on the left and women on the right.

My (Heather/Erica's) mom, Karen, was visiting
us then, so we took her along to the meeting.
There is a community meeting once a month.

Railings

We added some railings for safety.

This is the ramp between the outhouse on
the left and the ministry building on the right.
This will help make the bathroom wheelchair-
accessible.

This is the ramp by the front fence where
we will be able to come and go from our
house to the ministry area.  The ministry
building is on the right.

This is the entrance to the classroom,
which we will use as our kitchen at first.

English classes

English classes are still in session at our house every week.  Elena teaches two students individually, Jeovani and Haydee, and I (Heather) am currently teaching one student, Joe.

Jeovani, studying English with Elena

Mud, birds, and leaks

It has rained quite a bit during rainy season, and one day we discovered mud had run down the hill and under the door of our classroom building.  Our builder went right to work constructing a temporary mud barrier.  Later, when we have grass in the yard, we will have to divert the rainwater runoff, but hopefully not more mud!

Also inside the classroom building, we found a bird's nest with a dozen eggs!  Our builder got the nest down and sealed up the edges of both buildings all around with pieces of styrofoam.

Then, after a heavy, blowing rain, we discovered leaks in two different windows.  The windows were made here in Chichicastenango and were not sealed well.  Our builder put silicone caulk in and around the window frames. 

So far, so good... no more mud, birds, or leaks!

Forest fires

This summer there were some large forest fires near our land in Chichicastenango.  The fires were likely started by someone burning brush after clearing their corn fields.  Unfortunately, the best time of the year for clearing fields is also the driest and windiest time of year.  We were happy that the fires went out after a couple of days because there are very limited firefighting resources here.  In the whole municipality, there are only about four fire trucks and a couple of water tank trucks. 

This photo was taken out behind our land.

This photo was taken along the drive to
our land.

Motorcycles

When we first moved to Guatemala, I was worried about people on motorcycles because I had heard they would rob your cell phone.  Maybe that is true in Guatemala City, but here in Chichicastenango, my view has changed!

I snapped this photo outside the school on the same street as our house because it is a common sight here.  Now that we have lived in Chichicastenango for over six years, I actually know many of the motorcycle riders in our town.  It isn't unusual for Tomás or Kike or Víctor, who attend our church, or Kevin or Juan or Ernesto, who work at stores in town, to ride by me and shout, "Hola, Erica!"

Hardly anyone here wears a helmet, however.  That is a very unsafe practice of course, but at least I am able to see the person's face as they ride by!  Now, instead of being afraid of unknown motorcyclists, I find myself looking at riders to see if I know them!

A Bible for Ernesto

We ALMOST had another great K'iche' teacher... Ernesto, who is 30 years old.  I (Heather) met him 6 years ago when we first moved to Chichicastenango, where he worked in our town's grocery store.  He was also studying business administration in a nearby university, where they require a few English classes for graduation.  He asked me to help him, so I agreed to tutor him in English.  Then, after his class finished, he agreed to teach us K'iche' once a week.

Michael began by teaching Ernesto the K'iche' grammar rules that we have figured out.  He is very smart and was able to grasp his native language's grammar quickly.  BUT, after only a few K'iche' classes, the grocery store relocated him with an upgrade to a management position in another city!  This is a common practice for business chains here, and Ernesto wasn't able to turn down the offer without losing his job altogether.  Jobs are very hard to find in Guatemala, so he needed to keep his employment.  His wife, Tomasita, who also works in our grocery store and doesn't want to give up her job either, and his 7-year-old daughter, Lindsay, are still living here in Chichicastenango.  They were very sad about the separation. 

I had bought a Bible as a gift for Ernesto, since he isn't a Christian, but the store relocated him before I had a chance to deliver the gift!  His family has believed in the traditional Mayan religion for generations, and this was a great chance to teach him about Jesus since he agreed to help Michael translate the Bible. 

So I ended up giving the Bible to his wife, Tomasita.  She cried, saying there are many people who say they are your friends but don't follow through.  She said we showed we really are their friends by giving them a Bible!  I was able to share with her that if she will give her life to Jesus, he will always be with her.   Then, on one of his days off of work, Ernesto came to our house to visit us and thank us for the Bible.  He also cried when I told him that Jesus loves him and always offers to protect him and his family while they are apart.

Please pray for our continued ministry to Ernesto, Tomasita, and Lindsay, who has become friends with Veronica.  Please pray for their salvation and that a management position will open up here in our grocery store in Chichicastenango.  We would love for Ernesto to move back home so that his family can be reunited and we can have an excellent K'iche' teacher again!

Burglar bars

Burglar bars are common here.

First the bars were fitted,

then painted.

The classroom, sporting its new look.

Windows and doors

The buildings are starting to feel civilized now, with windows and doors!

First the styrofoam and wooden blocks,

then the steel-sheeting frame,

then the installation of aluminum-frame windows,

and sturdy metal doors.

The classroom on left, outhouse in back, and
ministry building on right.

Ramp

For the ramp next to the ministry building, they extended the retaining wall and then concreted the path.

First the foundation,

then the rock and concrete retaining wall,

then the concrete sidewalk,

and last, some steps at the top end.

Someone could use it

I have a different thought process now about throwing things away.  Whenever I put something in my trash can, I know that someone in the local dump is going to go through my trash and see what they could possibly use or eat.  So sometimes if I have, for example, socks that are about to get holes in them, I put them in a separate plastic bag in the trash.  Or if Veronica has toys that she doesn't use any more, I also put them in a separate plastic bag in the trash.   Or if I have some veggies that are still good, but I won't be able to use them before they go bad, I go ahead and put them in a separate bag in the trash.  Hmmm... something to think about.

Big truck

For the construction of part of the retaining wall around the ministry building, we had to order some big rocks.  The truck that came was big, but finally managed to back up our driveway without falling off the 5-foot drop-off on the other side of the narrow road!

Shopping in a Crowd

Shopping in a Crowd - essay by Elena

      Wednesday morning, Mom and I left home on our usual busy shopping trip in Chichicastenango, a town teeming with people. Mom carefully drove our white 1997 Land Cruiser into town, avoiding people, dogs, and bicycles, along with anything else moving down the street. She pulled cautiously into the busy grocery store parking lot and backed into a narrow parking space. I breathed in deeply and hopped out of the car, careful not to slam the door into the rusty pickup truck squeezed in beside us. After Mom had retrieved five colorful shopping bags from the car trunk, we walked to the edge of the road to wait our turn to cross. Several tuk-tuks full of squashed passengers and a large truck full of produce rumbled past before we scurried across the street and entered the meat store on the corner.

      “Four pounds of ground beef, please,” Mom requested, and the agreeable clerk set to work selecting our meat. Huge cow parts hanging from hooks around the counter stared us down as he weighed out six pounds of meat and fed it into a metal grinding machine. Gooey, raw meat oozed out the spout into a plastic bag. Soon the machine finished its job, and purchase in hand, we quickly crossed the street to the plastic store called Decoplas.

      Cheerfully the store clerks welcomed us into the colorful shop. At the counter, Mom asked to buy a large quantity of black trash bags, which are sold individually. “Certainly,” they agreed and set to work folding the trash bags for us. Meanwhile, I glanced around the decorative store. Ceramic plates and bowls with fancy designs sat proudly on the shelf to our right, while plastic containers of various sizes, shapes, and colors stood opposite them. Around the corner I spotted toy riding horses and plastic motorcycles, eager to take a little boy or girl on their first ride. Sparkling hula hoops hung from the ceiling near the entrance, and brooms stood propped up underneath them. My observation ended when we received the folded trash bags and headed briskly out the exit to the G&T bank.

      A stern security guard carrying a machine gun politely opened the front door for us to enter the warm bank. We took our place in the long line of about fifteen other customers, some waiting patiently, and others fidgeting anxiously. More people sat in chairs along each side of the bank, waiting for customer service. After waiting about twenty minutes, we finally received our turn at a teller's window up front. Within a few minutes we stepped outside once more and turned left toward the indoor mall.

      As we walked, we waved to several friends from church; steered around stray dogs, ladies dressed in the traditional Mayan outfit, speedy bicycles, and carts full of produce; and breathed in the unpleasant fumes from huge trucks rumbling down the road. Finally, we reached the office supply store, School Supply Plus, in the mall. Cardboard boxes cluttered the tile floor and sat on shelves reaching to the ceiling. Notebooks, tape rolls, and various other items eagerly waiting to be bought were stacked along two walls, and boxes filled with other school supplies adorned the counters. The friendly store clerk attending us rapidly gathered our request: four glue sticks and three rolls of masking tape, which we promptly paid for and then exited the crowded store.

      Next we shouldered our way into the produce market, stepping around or splashing through muddy puddles; ducking under plastic tarps; and occasionally losing our balance and falling into the closest person, market stand, or post that happened to be there. At last, we arrived at our usual fruit stand. Numerous papayas, bananas, cantaloupes, and mangoes smiled up at us as the fruit lady chose the bananas, plantains, pineapple, and watermelon Mom had requested. The vendor patted both the spiny pineapple and the smooth watermelon to assure herself they were the very best. Then we placed our purchases in bags and heaved them onto our shoulders.

      After saying goodbye to the fruit vendor, we pushed through the throngs of people to our normal vegetable stand. The spacious stand sagged under the weight of piles of cucumbers, green beans, celery, potatoes, and many other fresh vegetables. Mom asked the kind vendor for eight pounds of potatoes, one pound of tomatoes, two red bell peppers, and two bags of carrots. Each kind of vegetable had a turn on the scale to weigh out the correct amount as the vendor hurried to give us our purchase. We added the vegetable bags to the ones on our tired shoulders, now bearing the burden of what seemed like a million pounds. Finally finished shopping, we slowly trudged back up the cobblestone street. After walking what felt like a trip across the country, at last we reached our car. We both sighed in exhaustion when we plopped into our seats, but in great satisfaction as well. We had successfully accomplished another busy shopping trip in the crowded town of Chichicastenango.

How to sneeze

Since we moved to Chichicastenango six years ago, we have noticed several differences between the Mayan people here and ourselves.  Of course there are obvious differences like their darker skin or our taller height.

But one interesting difference is in the way we sneeze!  When we sneeze, it sounds a lot like "a-choo!"; and we might even get our voice into it.  When Michael sneezes, for example, we can hear him from the other part of the house (which makes us all laugh).  But the people here make a small, quiet sound, more like "tch."  Yes, that's all... very little build-up to it and very little noise.

Imagine my surprise the other day when Veronica sneezed and made a little sound like "tch."  Ha ha ha!  What I figured must have been a difference in physical construction of their nasal passages was actually a learned behavior!  Veronica is around Mayan children in our dance practices, in Sunday School, and when we invite girls over to play at our house.  Veronica explained, "You simply close your mouth, don't use your voice, and hold it in as much as you can."  What a humorous cultural experience for us!

Michael's response:  "My sneeze is much more satisfying!"

Trucks and traffic

More and more 18-wheelers, flatbed trucks, delivery trucks, pick-up trucks, buses, tuk-tuks, SUVs, and regular cars are coming through Chichicastenango day by day.  The narrow road through our town forms part of one of the major highways through Guatemala.

We all have to pull over to let the big trucks by.

This decorated bus was waiting in line
behind me.  The guy seemed to find it funny
that I was taking photos of traffic!

Chichi's one small grocery store is to the
right.  Getting in and out of the parking
lot is difficult with so much traffic.

Visit from Puerto Rican pastor

We received a visit from our Puerto Rican pastor, Denis Rivera, and another brother from the church, Miguel!  They traveled to Guatemala City to attend a conference, and then they made a 3 1/2-hour trip (both there and back... 7 hours total) out to Chichicastenango to see us!  What a blessing for us!  We love you, Pastor Denis!

Pastor Denis is on the right, along with Miguel
in the center, and the Guatemalan couple on the
left drove them to and from Chichi. (Thank you!)

Dance

Our ¡Levántate! dance team presented a dance to the song "Tu amor por mí es más dulce que la miel,"  which means "Your love for me is sweeter than honey."

Care package

Our friends and supporters, Bernie and Sally Boudreaux in Austin, Texas, sent a care package to Veronica.

They mailed it to another missionary who is our neighbor here in Chichicastenango but was temporarily in the United States visiting her family.  She brought the package back with her in her luggage to hand-deliver it to Veronica, who was super excited!

Thank you, Grandee Bernie and Grandmother Sally!

Leading worship with kids

Elena and I have been invited to lead worship a few times at our local church.  I love to use the opportunity to invite the children at our church to sing a few songs on stage with me at the beginning.

Birthday celebrations

Veronica just turned 7!  She had several birthday celebrations:

Opening gifts...

Pizza and games with family...

Tamales from a local restaurant...
They are made of mushed rice, tomato sauce,
a chunk of chicken, a slice of red bell pepper,
and a prune, steamed inside a big leaf.

Birthday party games and cake before
dance practice...

Friends playing at our house...

And a nice lunch and another cake with
a missionary friend, Carol.