Boulder, CO RTD Station (bus terminal)
Arrived at DIA, Denver Int'l Airport
we brought along lots of extra items as our 2nd checked bag, including wheelchairs, school supplies, shoes, ... I hauled a suitcase packed with 45 pounds worth of crayons!
on the underground train from the DIA terminal to our gate
on the plane to LAX
Arrived at O'Darkthirty in Guatemala City to board a fancy chickenbus; the "Nino" - with Anderson as our driver
among the thousands of political graffiti painted all over creation along the roadways in Guatemala, reminded me of highschool political campaigns...
FRG was rather prominent in the mountain parts; i.e. the party that was in power during the oppressive 30 year war in that nation.
the hotel in Chichicastenago where the St. Luke's contingent stayed.
Mark Ely at the orphanage in Lemoa
the classrooms at the orphanage which we stuccoed
walking the grounds of the orphanage
the lake of tears in Lemoa where the Methodist retreat center is located. This lake is where the Mayans held out toward the end against Spanish conquest.
a campfire at the retreat center
a visit to Chichicastenango. Here we see a Mayan ritual on the steps of a Catholic church
the Market - what a colorful bizzare!
lots of haggeling : )
meeting the Maryknoll sisters in Lemoa, true angels in our midst
Sunday morning worship at a Methodist church
ready for our first day of work!
doh... the pump in the pumphouse died... had to wait 2 days for showers!
the bathrooms which we installed a cement ceiling/roof over.
the hardest (literally) thing I've ever done.... (and perhaps most in vain) (chiseling out hardened concrete from an existing wall in order to expose the rebar for us to wire into... I have a much greater respect for people who break free from prisons now... those HAVE to be some pretty industrious fellows who have much to offer society! ; )
taking stock of the 45-60 lb adobe blocks we used to help build 2 adobe houses (this is at "Adobe 1 kanobee")
The daunting double black diamond hill (aka Kilamangaro) at "Adobe 2". We made MANY trips up and down that hill to get water in buckets to make mud for the mortar.
American Gothic, Guatamalan style. You can take the man out of Iowa, but you can't take the Iowa out of the man.. ; )
Sebastian looming away.
preparing for the Bible School experience (chaos - like herding cats). We played with and loved on 500 kids from the surrounding area over several days but communication was challenging as they don't speak either English or much Spanish, instead, they speack Queche! oy vey..
talk about multi-tasking... she's weaving while carrying her child
the boards in place to form the mold for our cement roof
the daily tortilla making process, yum!
Doc Doug tending to an urgent medical matter ; )
can anyone say Williamsburg?
no comment... (getting under a soffit in order to wire rebar in place)
me after throwing my back out after swinging heavy buckets of cement from the top of the ladder to the folks on top - for WAY too long. I shoulda traded with someone else earlier in the day! ....
what I was doing for way too long...
the roof is done! : )
boys catching fish
students learning how to wash clothes in the lake
pants on fire!
the John Wesley school, quite a place with a promising future! A true beacon of hope in that area.
kids meetings their sponsors
porch in place
blast off!
too cute
a freshly stuccoed classroom
Antigua!
purple banners up all over for Lent/Holy Week
a failed proposal...
voices of angels
a well deserved rest..
