Procession

We were surprised one evening by loud firecracker pops and music outside our house just after dinnertime.

We could see the statue and lots of people
with candles, singing loudly.

It turned out to be a Catholic procession that had stopped to serenade our neighbors as they carried a statue around the neighborhood, most likely transferring it from one house to another.  They made several similar stops at other houses.  There are so many loud happenings with music and firecrackers in Chichicastenango that we didn't even pay attention until it was right outside our house!

Smoking away bugs

There are biting flies on our property which are a nuisance.  Every time we go out, we spray with bug repellent which we brought from the United States.  One time when we went out to check on progress, we found brush burning near the workers.  They were trying to smoke out the bugs.  I don't think it worked very well, though, because they stopped doing it.

We are hoping this bug problem will be reduced when our fence is finished, providing a barrier between us and the neighboring corn fields.

Lemon trees

When we invited our pastor and his wife to come pray for the land, they gave us two lemon trees as a gift for our new land.  I bought some big pots, and we transferred dirt from our land to the pots.  Now the lemon trees are healthy and growing, awaiting their new home.

The pots are heavy!

Veronica makes sure the trees
are well-watered.

Cistern

We now have a cistern that will hold about 5280 gallons of water (about a mile's worth)!  This is important because there are times when the water lines break far away in the mountains somewhere, and it takes the community leaders a while to find and repair the break.

Installing the rebar grid for the
concrete sides and bottom.

Checking the rebar measurements for the lid.

Putting on the finishing coat of smooth concrete.
The cistern will rest and dry for a couple of months
before painting with sealant.

Helping at clinic

Carrie was blessed to be given the opportunity to assist the medical workers at ASELSI's free pregnancy clinic one morning a week for several months.  She called patients' names, poked fingers and drew blood for testing iron levels, tested urine samples, measured tummies, and sat in on many doctor visits. 

Many of the ladies attending the clinic only speak K'iche', so Carrie has become even more interested in learning the local language.  She is hoping to study nursing in a couple of years after graduating from high school.

Fence

Our workers are making progress on the fence surrounding our property.  (These photos are small, but remember you can see them more closely by clicking to open in a new window.)  It is exciting to see some "upward" construction after spending so much time digging "downward."

We had to make several modifications to the
fence location when the workers found
water pipes right where we planned to
put in fence posts!  Rather than bring in the
local leaders again, we didn't request moving
the pipes; we just moved our fence a bit.

The top and right sides are almost
complete, only lacking the sheet metal
along the outside of the fence.

The bottom-side posts are in place. 
Here, Yano is mixing cement.  You can see
the rocks they are putting under
the fence for "digging protection."

Transportation

Here is a photo of how three boys left dance practice one day.

Alan (14), Antony (10), and Alex (13)

Yes, this is a full-size motorcycle, and most riders here don't wear helmets.  The youth on my dance team come and go on their own, either like the above photo or using public transportation or on foot.  I confess I'm still not used to the lack of parental supervision.  I pray for the safety of these youth!