Home in the great white north

The trip home was a many stage event. The first stage was the trip from Tactic to Antigua Guatemala. This was a long hot trip with a delay from construction on a hill just outside Guatemala City. We arrived in old Antigua Guatemala (old Guatemala City) in time for a very nice dinner in a beautiful old restaurant. Eric took us on a tour of cathedrals and a small artists market. That night we stayed in a gorgeous old inn which we had all to ourselves. It had a courtyard and a rooftop veranda for us to worship on before bedtime. In the morning Les hired a guide to take us on the official tour of the old capital. The first capital was built in the 1500's, but it was destroyed when a volcano erupted close by and covered it in a mudslide. They moved the capital 10 miles away and rebuilt. In the 1700's there was a massive earthquake which destroyed many of the cathedrals and convents (24 in the city of 11 square blocks). They rebuilt most of them but they moved the capital to the present-day Guatemala City which is a much more stable area. We had pizza for lunch (the kids were so excited) and then went to the artisans market where they sell all kinds of crafts and clothing. The exciting thing for most of the kids was the bargaining with the merchants. They would ask the price and the merchant might say 120 Quetzals and we would counter with Q40. Back and forth it would go until you bought a hammock for Q75. Which seems a lot until you convert and realize you just bought it for $12.10 Canadian. That night we had a wonderful time with Rita (Les' wife) and his daughter Jessica just home form a trip to Canada. The worship time was awesome, we each spent time praying for each other’s needs but it was off to bed and try to get some sleep before the 3:00 wakeup call. The trip back to Canada was like coming out of a time traveling tunnel. Slowly with each stage we got back to where we came from. The Snow storm in Calgary was an interesting way to finish it off as we boarded the plane back to Regina. The greeting at the Regina Airport was very nice and helped us realize how much people missed us and were praying for us. Thank you. We are planning on more get together this weekend to help in the transition back into regular society (but not to completely back) but this will probably be the final entry in this blog. Praise the Lord for a safe and productive trip for the Guatemalan people and our team.

The Last Entry

This will be the last entry from Guatemala for this log. We will be leaving Tactic tomorrow morning and traveling to Antigua. This morning we traveled to Coban and visited some caves. This system was only discovered 8 years ago after hurricane Mitch. It was an incredible experience to go about 200 meters underground, turn off our lights and sing songs in total darkness and feel the hand of God with us. They have built a park near the caves which is very pretty with little huts and picnic areas by a little stream.

After we left the caves we went into Coban and had dinner at Comparo's again. They should open up a franchise in Canada, they would drive KFC out of business. After lunch we visited the children's wing of the hospital. Most of the children we saw were not in life threatening conditions but it was still sad to see. One group prayed for a little boy and his father, after the interpreters were talked to them, they gave their lives to Jesus, right there. Way too cool.

After some ice cream, we were back to Tactic to get ready for the summit series. (Canada versus Guatemala) in soccer (Football to most of the world). There is an outdoor, lighted court with indoor outdoor carpeting near the dorms. It is about half the size of a real pitch. After a shaky start and some timely trades (Tim and Scott were benched in favor of a couple of teachers from the school here) we pulled off the upset of the century. Our girls did not need any trades and they ended in a tie.

For supper we had tamales. Corn mash with a piece of pork and some peppers, wrapped in a banana leaf, boiled for 2 hours and served with hot sauce. Sounds interesting, but it was very good.

It was with great sadness that we held our last devotional with Les tonight in Tactic. We have come to love the times with him and his stories and how he challenges us to be bold and confident in our faith. We will spend the next 2 days in and around Antigua, before leaving early Friday morning and starting our journey back. It has been a life changing experince for the whole team. Expect to see a difference in the boys and girls that left and will be returning young men and women. I think that Scott may have gone the otherway and discovered how to be young again.

The Start Of The Last Week

Today started very early. The sun comes up at 6:15 and we were up with it. The Boys devotions started at 6:15, breakfast at 6:40 and out the door to walk to the school by 7:10. There were some sleepy kids. We were privileged to share the morning devotions with the kids at the school. I wish that I could so openly and passionately worship like they do.

Later we went to the work site for the last time. This was the first time were it was very hot and sunny. We did not accomplish near as much and were very thankful that last week was cooler. It was very satisfying to look out over the site and see so much accomplished.



After lunch we visited some of the sponsored kids here in Tactic. It was so neat to see their faces and the faces of their families as we gave them the cloth packages and the other gifts. We were able to give all the kids in their families some toy.

One of the highlights of the day was when we visited the home of a friend of Les' that weaves beautiful cloth for a living. After showing us the "Back loom" we were sent with a bucket of corn to a mill a few blocks away. We watched the process and some of us even got to participate in grinding it.

After bringing it back, the lady of the home mixed in some chicken bouillon and let us make the tolliolos (sp). Which are small (4 inch in diameter) tortillas.

We then added some cheese to the center and folded them over like a porogie. She then fried them in oil and we ate them for our supper. They provided a hot drink which was very tasty. We asked what its name was and they said "rice with milk" to which they added cinnamon and sugar.

Kind of like a late'.

Easter Sunday In Foreign Lands

Today was not your typical Canadian Easter. In Guatemala the evangelical Christians do not celebrate Easter as anything special. The Catholic Church has turned it into such a spectacle that the evangelicals have chosen to stay away from that. Instead they celebrate every Sunday.

We started the day by visiting a sinkhole. What an experience. It is a very old and stable formation. Les used the time in the 150 foot deep cavern to discuss the flood and its influence on geology which was sitting right in front of us. The hole has been used for centuries for the worship of many Mayan traditions. In fact the whole interior is so covered in soot from years of fires that it does get treacherous to walk around, as some of us found.


After lunch we were divided into teams of 5 and given 100 Quetzals (about 15 dollars) and a list of items to obtain from the local market. What a blast, the locals were laughing themselves sick watching us wander back and forth asking Yucka? Yucka? It turns out that they are not in season and there was none. We found some very helpful people, especially children that could read and guide us to the right stall.














At 4:00 we went to the Bershaba school for a service. It started about 4:20 and the singing finished around 5:30. After 1/2 hour of sharing Les started preaching in English (for our sake) and Vicky translating into spanish for the locals. He finished around 6:30 with and alter call which our kids helped with by praying over the people that came forward. It was a fantastic experience as they sing with such abandon. We walked back to Les' again for supper and then off to bed. (we are planning to be up at 6:15 tomorrow)

Visiting Day

Today we visited homes of children in the village of San Antonio. This was very eye opening that people really live this way. However, even in this desparate poverty there is beauty and happiness. One home with a dirt floor and mud walls had the most beautiful flower garden in a yard of swept dirt. At another place the children picked bouquets of flowers and gave them to our girls.

Other inconsistancies keep popping up, in the mountains with people who have nothing there is a great basketball court. Just don't miss or you will need 1/2 and hour to retrieve your ball because what you cannot see is the sharp drop off just past the end line that goes down a steep hill 2 or 3 hundred feet.






Several of the homes were made of mud and sticks. Where the mud had fallen out as in this picture they had covered the holes with plastic seed bags.







We gave a package of clothes to each family (there were five we visited) then our kids gave some gifts (dolls, candy or Regina Pins). We then prayed for them.







Later in the day we visited the site where the new school will be built with a medical clinic and a highschool on the top of a hill.

We also visited a coffee plantation that produces very high grade coffee beans.



One of the more interesting visits was to the local Catholic church in Tactic where they have a disturbing mix of Christianity, Mayan and witchcraft all practiced at the same site which now have mixed together until you have shrines in the church to the corn god.

Just another day in paradise

The day started at 7:00 with breakfast and devotions. By 8:30 we are in the vans going to the new school site to work on more digging of ditches and septic holes. The first stage of the septic holes (5 x 8 by 5 feet deep) was completed and the main hole was half done (8 feet in diameter and now 8 feet deep... only 7 feet more) The new water line was dug in at an average of 3 feet deep for about 150 yards) the foundation and grade beam drenches were also finished for the bathrooms and the first 3 classrooms. Lunch was an amazing cabbage dish, and tacos covered in homemade sauce. After lunch we made the trip up to Checalte' for a grand fanalie with the kids (and adults) that we have been working with this week.

The Pastor invited us to his home for a drink that his wife and sister had made for us. With a lot of misgivings we went with him and had a cup af "mosh" a corn based concoction mixed with sugar and cinnamon. Most of us were able to finish it. He then asked some of us to pray for him and his family which was exciting to do.





Les had said that we would probably get 10-20 kids the first day, double that the second and maybe 100 by friday (today) we were overwhelmed by the responce. Today we had at least 300 people at least half of them adults and teenagers. We had a program with testimonies (It is slow going as we say something and Vicky translates that into Spanish and then Pastor Francisco translates that into Achi-Regonale) after that they showed the Jesus video (Children's version) with a projector in the church.
The response was undescribable as many people mostly adults came to know the Lord and be prayed with by our team members. It is something we will never forget. Of course the service ran long and we had an interesting trip down the mountain in the dark.


Les had a surprise for us after supper as he had a package of firecrackers for each of member of the team. The night finished off with a bang.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting the homes of some families that are /will send students to his school, and give them some of the gifts that RCS has donated.

Let's Do it again

Today was unbelievable!!

In the morning we spent 3 1/2 hours digging at the new school sight.







After another great meal prepared by Carmella at Les' we went back up to Checalte' where we sang songs. (They thought we were crazy doing the totsi wotsi song) There were about 100 kids and 60 adults. When we started colouring pictures of Noah's ark we were amazed that the adults including a couple of very old gentlemen coloured too.



















On the way back to Tactic God treated us to the most amazing rainbow show. Doubles and even a full one that streatched from Tactic deap into the mountains. That evening we were treated to a more traditional meal. Fried banana's with cream, scrambled eggs and black beans. Most of the team went back for seconds and thirds. Les' devotionals each night are another thing that we all look forward to just before we are sent back to our dorm like sleeping quarters.