Stocking up

The main road through our community, which actually connects our town with another, is a dirt road, with only about 500 meters at the entrance paved with paving bricks, and another 500 meters or so paved with concrete.  This year the community decided to pave another 500-meter portion with concrete, but it is past where our road connects and hasn't affected us.  However, there remains a portion between the already-paved portion and the upcoming concrete installation which is still dirt.  Our road is connected to this portion.  When they eventually pave that portion, we will be blocked in for at least 3 months.  (There is a small back road, but it has dangerous edges and tight spots.)

Preparing the road

Our most reliable informant in the community, Sebastián, told us last week that he heard a rumor that plans had changed and they were about to block us in immediately.  So we headed to the grocery store to stock up on non-perishables, planning to hire someone with a motorcycle to bring us fruits and vegetables during the blockade.

But then our informant decided the rumor was baseless and our road wouldn't actually be blocked for a while, and the start date is yet to be determined.  At least we are stocked and ready when the time comes!

Windows... finally

After waiting 4 months for our 17 windows to be made, we had the sum total of 1 working window and 6 partial windows.  They don't sell "factory-made" windows here, so the windows had to be cut and pieced together by a worker.  We had only been occasionally texting the contractor to ask about progress, and we decided it was time to get more serious.  So starting in January, we began texting the contractor daily!  It still took another month of constant text-badgering (politely of course) and stopping by the workshop once a week, but we finally received delivery of the remaining parts of the partial windows and the other 10 windows and frames. 

In fact, we were so disappointed with the shoddy job of installation that the workers had done so far, we told them we would install the remaining windows ourselves!  The original windows were also variously wrongly-sized, so we gave the contractor a list of our own measurements for the remaining windows, frames, and screens.  Fortunately, he only made a few mistakes in following our measurements, and we will be able to make do with what he did produce.

On Valentine's Day, we gave each other the gift of working together to install our first window!  Michael held things and measured, and Heather used the drill and tools.  The window is still lacking sealant and a screen, but at least it's a start!  We had to make modifications to the improperly-sized latch openings the worker had cut, which slowed us down a bit and will have to be fixed on the remaining windows, too.  But, a little progress is better than no progress!!!

Andrew and Carolyn's visit

We had a wonderful visit with our oldest daughter Carolyn and her husband Andrew.  They came for a week and a half, and it was fun to have them here! 

Carolyn grew up in Guatemala from age 11 to 16, so she liked introducing Andrew, who had never been to Guatemala before, to her hometown of Chichicastenango.  Andrew seemed to enjoy his visit to the market, shopping in town, attending a church service, and going with us up to the next town with a bigger grocery store than ours.  He was shocked by the crazy traffic and bus drivers and laughed at seeing a pickup truck with two bulls in the back parked in the grocery store parking lot.  

Following Michael through Chichi

Choosing Mayan fabric to purchase

Buying vegetables in the market

Laughing about bulls in a pickup

Noticing the parking lot attendant's big gun

Shopping in our small grocery store

Attending church together

Stopping by a plant nursery

Enjoying ice cream from a neighborhood snack store

Visiting the neighborhood sports court

Andrew was intrigued by the men calling, "Dale! Dale! Dale!" (which means, "Come on!") whenever any vehicle needed help in getting through some tight situation.  It was fun seeing Guatemala through the eyes of the uninitiated!  Fortunately our cable TV was working, so Andrew and Michael were able to get in some football games while they were together!

And during the visit, we recorded a video for all of our supporters, thanking you and giving you some information about our ministry:

"Jesus is Christmas" dance

We had a special Christmas service at church a few days ago, and my two dance teams did a dance together called "Jesus is Christmas."

"Blessing" dance

I have been teaching both of my dance teams a "tutting" dance (hand motions).  They presented it at church last week and will do it again this coming week.  This photo was taken right after the performance... I think they had fun!

Paint for desks

We donated toward a local public school's efforts to paint their old desks.  The school didn't have the funds, and the parents weren't able to donate enough to cover the project.  One of our church's elders, whose daughter Laiha is in my dance group and attends preschool at that school, came to us for help.  We were glad to be able to share with the community!

Cleaning desks

Painting desks

Happy kids

Two classes of 31 children were blessed.

Laiha is in the front on the left.

Youth group and dance

Our church in Chichicastenango recently started a youth group which meets every other Saturday.  I arranged my dance practice to start one hour before it, and we have had a couple of practices so far.  After dance practice, Veronica and I stay for youth group. 

Clockwise around the circle:  Gerónimo and Alicia (church elders), Heber, Abdi, Byron, Axel, Tomás (youth group leader), William, Dasha, Ani, Mayli, Naya, Veronica, and me.