Lauren's Life in Guatemala

The Kids @ Los Palmares

2009-05-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

There is a daycare about a 5 minutes drive/25 minute walk from my house that Hearts In Motion (HIM) has been supporting from the beginning. The teacher, Maria, had polio when she was young. HIM flew her to the states where she lived for an extended time with Karen, the founder of HIM. She wanted to give something back, so HIM set up a daycare in her home that happens to be located in one of the poorest villages in the area. She has 13 children daily, with the help of each mother on different days to prepare food for the children. Maria speaks fluent English and teaches the children words, songs and phrases in English. When groups come to visit, we always take them by to see Maria and her class. The children put on a wonderful presentation for us. I have come to love the kids out there. With time they have all learned my name and call me "Laura." Whether I drive through their village of walk through, there are children running up to me, after me, high fiving me, hugging me, or shouting "Laura" or "Gringa" (white girl). I know I have helped them by setting up this program, however, I'm not sure they will ever know how much their love has affected my life. How much I cherish the hugs I received from them, or even being called a "Gringa." These children, though they have very little, know the meaning of life. They know what it means to love, learn, respect and cherish. Wearing the same 3 outfits days after day, I still don't hear them complaining. Running on the hot asphalt with barefeet, they are still smiling, and they are still teaching me! I will miss these smiles!

Though Shy, Fernanda is the sweetest little thing.

Edison, Victor, Fernanda, Roxana & Yeiner

Maria's daugher, Gabby and I

Beautiful Sonia.

No matter how far away I am, if she sees me, she comes running to give me a hug!

My precious & one of my favorites, Tatiana.

She saw me at someone elses house and came running, with the smile and affection she possesses, there's no way one could resist her.

Tati & I

David and Myra

David is the child my parents sponsor

Dulce Maria, Tatiana, Joana and their mother

My 3 favorite sisters in all of Guatemala.

Tati, Dulce and Joana

Victor, Edison & Sonia playing in the 4-Runner

Berlyn, Edison, Sonia, Victor, Tati & Dulce

Delivering baskets to some of the families

Fernanda's mother and all the girls helping me

A Piece of My Heart

2009-05-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing how much one family can touch one’s heart in such a way... this family and these boys are keeping a piece of my heart when I return home. When I first came and started the sponsorship program, we made rounds to each of the children’s house’s that attended Maria’s daycare. She gave us the name of brothers, Abel and Ubaldo, said they used to attend her school, but their mother pulled them out because at 4 & 5 years old, she needed their help at home. They needed to take their father lunch in the fields, take corn to be ground, and run other errands while she took care of house chores and cared for their younger brother. Though they weren’t in the school at the time, we created profiles for the two older boys. With time, we found sponsors for each of them and they returned to school. The sponsors were able to pay for uniforms, school supplies, shoes, etc to help the family. Now after 10 months, all three of the boys are attending full time school and all three have sponsors. From the first time we visited the family, I took a family picture and all five of them had the most beautiful smiles. Most Guatemalans are shy in front of the camera, but they seemed so very happy. Since that day, all I see are their smiles. Every time I saw Abel he was so affectionate. Constantly hugging me and sitting on my lap. I always called him "mi amor" (my love), he eventually started saying it back to me, "Laura, me amor". Then Ubaldo started and every time I’d see them I’d be fortunate enough to receive hugs, kisses and to be called their loves. They soon became some of my favorite visits to make. Their family has been in a tight position the last few months and have racked up a tab for groceries. The person they borrowed money from took the papers for their house and gave them 4 months to pay them back. The 4 months were up this Saturday. Ubaldo’s sponsor, who happens to be in here at the moment, has a beautiful heart and some extra money to share. So for $200, they were able to keep their house. We took the two oldest boys this afternoon for lunch to Pollo Compero. They not only had soda, french fries and chicken, but also played in the jungle gym, and rode with their heads out the window. I adore these boys like they are my own. None of us choose where we are born, or how our cards are dealt, but we figure it out and we work together to make it through life. This will be far be the toughest family to say goodbye too!

Abel & Ubaldo

Ubaldo, mi amor

Abel, Sergio & Ubaldo in front of their house

Besos de mi amor
(kisses from my love)

Lunch at Pollo Compero

Beautiful Ubaldo

Happy Abel

Coming down the slide

Ubaldo in the balls

Feeling the wind. It's a rare occasion to ride in a car.

My precious Ubaldo lovin' life

Is he not precious?!

Ubaldo playing with my camera

...And my glasses

I love these 2 and wish they were mine!

Amazing how life brings people together, no matter how little we can communicate.

I will always love this family and they will hold a piece of my heart forever!

Weekend Travels

2009-05-06T18:12:00.001-07:00

After being able to sell some pictures, make a little money and have a traveling companion, I was finally able to get out and see some of the beautiful countryside Guatemala has to offer. Kara and I left 4 weekends in a row, sometimes just the two of us and other times accompanied by others. We traveled to Roatan, Honduras, Semuc Champey, Livingston, Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango, San Marcos, & Antigua. Along our travels we met some really quality people that shared their travel and life stories with us. After being here as long as I had, I was getting really antsy to see more. Life can be pretty slow in Teculutan. It is not safe to go out at night, even if it was, there is still nowhere to venture to. So the chance to get out and away from the everyday life, was jumped upon. I have been so fortunate to have Kara here. She is a few years older then me, a realtor from Wisconsin, and a great time. We get along so well and it has been an absolute pleasure to be spending so much time with her. We’ve decided that being at the house all the time can become quite boring, as there is only so much we can know about each other. Nonetheless, we have made many lasting memories and finally experienced more of Guatemala.

On our way to ROATAN, HONDURAS

eating a Lychee fruit I bought at a stop light

Kara and I on the ferry from La Ceiba to Roatan

A the top of the hill we walked up to

At the restaurant where we met Wazza (photos to come) in West Bay

Walking back to the West End at sunset

Kara, Wazza and I

The last show after being in Roatan for 7 years by this band! You better believe we sweated and danced the night away.

Kara and I sweatier than ever before, wearing the kickin glasses Dave (picture to come) was packing around the world with him.

Kara, Dave-the Australian Pirate and I

I met him on the ferry over and we hung out the whole weekend! A top quality guy!

Our last day together

Dave, Pepe (My personal Salvadorian jewelry maker), Kara and myself

Pepe and I

Kazza, Dave and Loza

The Hearts In Motion crew we bummed a ride from

Robin, Dan, Kara, Barb and I

Edy, whom I met in September and her son Jayden.

SEMUC CHAMPEY

The boys fixing a pinchazo (flat tire)

Julio, Julio, kara, Eric, and I

We met the 2 boys in the blue and hung out with them the whole weekend!

The rest of our crew at the pools

There are 7 natural pools that flow into each other. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was beautiful. Lots of people since it was Semana Santa (Easter holidays)

Kara, Me, Julio

Julio, Eric, Myself & Kara

I kept noticing that Eric was always looking right into my eyes. On the last day we were together he told us that his younger brother had eyes like mine. In September, robbers broke into their house and his brother tried to stop them. They shot and killed his brother and his uncle. It was a compliament to say the least.

Our humble abode

The river

LIVINGSTON

Me, Beth, Kathleen, Kara, Julio & Bert

Getting ready for the boat ride from Puerto Barrios to Livingston.

Another of the dangerous duo, only this time a little wind blown.

Our tour guide, Diario. Everything was "Rastafari" to this guy.

We left the taxi and had 15 minutes by foot along the beach to reach our hotel

Walking down the beach

Myself and Bert

Our private hammock bungalow over the water

Payback to the little crab that tried to attack us.

PANAJACHEL/LAKE ATITLAN

Our first visit to Pana

The main street

2nd visit to Pana, little lady trying to make a living

LAKE ATITLAN

3 volcanoes surround the lake. This morning, for the first time in 3 days we had been here, the skies were clear and we were able to see them. Not to mention the cloud resting right on top.

CHICHICASTENANGO

The largest artisan market in all of Central America

Cemetary

Wood carved masks

WITH PLENTY OF THE MAYAN CULTURE

on the front steps of the church

Inside the church

Calla Lillies

2 generations

I paid this little girl and the next little girl 1Q to take their pictures

Little carrot eater inside the produce market

Indoor produce market

Traditional dress - shirts

ANTIGUA

Kara & I right after she chopped her hair

Antigua by night

A week with my family and new friends

2009-05-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks of 10 days trips overlapping one another, the 4th and final week finally came. I was so excited for this trip, because my parents and sister were coming for 10 days to help with the Plastics and Dental team of 70 people. This was also a fun trip because my parents brought down 9 PUC students with them along with 24 bins of donations. Amazing work done by all of them to say the least. While my mom went to the hospital most days to help with cleft lip and palate surgeries (she is a retired OR nurse of 18 years), my dad and I went to the different villages where we held dental clinics. Though not a Dentist by profession, last year, my dad was awarded a Dental Diploma to practice Dentistry only in Guatemala by the 4 Dentists on the trip . My sister being an ER nurse, switched between clinics and the hospital, helping as a Translator, Recovery Nurse, Dental Assistant, or wherever else she may have been needed. Me, being as far from medically inclined as a person can be, typically stray away from blood and such. This trip, I was shocked at my daily progressions working in the mouths of our patients and assisting the Dentists anyway I could, from translating to shoving gauze in a bloody socket. My whole family was amazed at my progression through the week. The joke for the week was that I was going to go back to school for Dentistry. The thought was fun to entertain, however, this will never happen... I have bigger and better plans for my future! It was such a refreshing week to spend quality time with the people closest to me. For them to see where I was living and get a sample of my life here was awesome!

The whole group

My Dad, sister and I after we "cleaned" this man's teeth. We weren't actually offering teeth cleaning, but when he came in with a huge gun on one hip and 2 clips in the other, we decided we'd be happy to clean his teeth. He happens to be a bodyguard for a top drug dealer in the area. He was honestly an extremely nice man!

My mom with her sponsored child David

Myra (David's mom), David, and my Mom

Mom at the hospital with a little angel

Surgery

Kristin (my sister) and my mom

Kristin and her favorite little boy

Old mate puckering up

Mike, Lauren aka Dental assistant and Kristin

Kris helping Mike

Pat the Gautemalan Dentist and one of the PUC students

Dr. Patterson

With his prize

Kara and I helping another Dentist

A crew of us

Dad and his girls

Sisters

Kara, Mike, Me, Patrick, and Kristin

A hike to the cross in Antigua, with the volcano behind us

2009-04-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

At the end of January, I realized I was going to have to do something to make money if I wanted to stay longer in Guatemala. One night I was going through my pictures and had an idea... I emailed my thoughts to our office to see what they thought and to see if they may be able to help me out. They loved the idea to say the least. The timing was cutting it close and I had 10 days to organize and order my pictures, find decent mats and plastic coverings, order them and get everything delivered to the office before my boss left to come to Guatemala. I made it happen and started selling my pictures to the volunteers that came down on the 10 day trips. For the most part they sold well, and it was fun for me to sell my work, as this has been a dream of mine for quite some time. It afforded me the opportunity to stay longer without having to ask family and friends for more money. I was also able to get a little bit of traveling in on the weekends. Mind you, it was budget traveling, but fabulous experiences and wonderful memories were made. Here are a few of the pictures I have taken during my time in Guatemala. They all hold special stories to me, thus I had them printed and decided to share them so others could also enjoy what I have seen and captured through the lense of my camera.

Project Pueblo Modelo

2009-04-22T18:39:00.001-07:00

On the OB/GYN trip we did a clinic in a village by the name of Pueblo Modelo. As we entered the village it was obvious just how poor the people here were. There were homes made of sticks, plastic, cardboard, material, pieces of wood, tin, pretty much whatever could be found to make walls. When we got the the school where the clinic was to be held, the children were filthy. Absolutely adorable, but extremely dirty and poor. The school was in decent shape, but we didn't know the half of it. We started asking the teachers questions and ended up having a little meeting with a few teachers to learn more about their program. These were our findings:
There are 12 teachers working at the school teaching grades preschool - 6th. The state has promised them supplies, but thus far they have nothing. In the 3's classroom there are 37 children, Pre-k has 33 children and Kindergarten has 27. All these children are in the same classroom with 3 teachers and very little supplies. 1st grade is broken into 2 classrooms, has 4 teachers and a total of 120 children. 2nd grade has 2 classrooms, one is inside the building and the other is set up on the front porch/sidewalk of the school. There are 43 children combined and 2 teachers. 3rd grade has 1 teacher and 33 children that are packed into one classroom. 4th grade is actually taught down the dirt road a little ways in a tin shack because there is not classroom for them in the actual school. There is 1 teacher for 28 children. The children learn shoulder to shoulder with virtually no air. I was shocked at the heat inside their "classroom" But they were so excited to learn! The 5th and 6th grades are combined with 1 teacher and 30 children. As you can see, the numbers drop significantly from 1st grade (120 students) to 6th grade (15 students). There are differet reasons for this, but it is something we would like to see change. In March we had a group of education majors here for a week. We spent 2 days at the school making different art projects and sending penpal letters to a school that had written them from Wisconsin. The Education students from Arcadia did a fantastic job and the teachers were so very thankful. We have taken them school supplies twice now and will continue to take what we have when we have it. The teachers are amongst some of the most dedicated I have met! They have virtually zero supplies but continue to come day after day after day! Please take a look at how the people of Pueblo Modelo live their lives. If you are interested in making a difference here, please let me know!

PUEBLO MODELO

The School & children

Houses

The school kids with the Arcadia group saying goodbye after 2 fun-filled days

1st grade

2nd grade

4th grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

Preschool & Kindergarten

Penpal Letters

5th & 6th grades

5th & 6th Class

2nd grade class with their letters on the wall

OB/GYN/Bomberos Trip Jan 30 - Feb 7, 2009

2009-04-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from my first week back with the OB/GYN/Bomberos trip. It was a great trip to start the year with and to be a part of. I met some amazing people and with their help, we were able to accomplish some amazing things for the Guatemalan people. We always keep a tally of how many people we see throughout the trips and here are the numbers from this trip.

*Totals for the week:
General Medical patients seen - 1,621
Cervical Cancer screenings - 239
Cryos - 12
Surgeries - 19

As you can see, it was a busy week, and just a touch on how much Hearts In Motion is able to help the Guatemalans. What a beautiful thing to be a part of.

~THE TEAM~

~VILLAGE VISITS~

Getting there and meeting people.
(This little girl looks almost identical to me when I was little.)

My tour guide around one of the villages. He was persistent to stay right with me but never spoke. When I asked him his name, I learned he was mute and unable to speak. So much love shined from his eyes though.

Freezing in the rain, but still waiting to be seen.

A typical shot of Jose with his patient.

The line for the General Medical Clinic

A home

Kara and I

John and I

John has done fundraising to get clean water to places in the world that do not have the privledges we do. This was his first trip to Guatemala and he brought 3 water filters that him and Kara set up in different villages. A huge help to the village people that often have no other choice than drinking contaminated water.

2 Firefighters from California with some of the Guatemalan Bomberos

Doing a training on decontamination

Then simulating Mass Decontamination.

The 4 firefighters from the states, 1 translator and all the local Guatemalans that participated in the days trainings.

Pins that were awarded to those Bomberos that had trained in the states with Hearts In Motion.

The group that has had the fortunate opportunity of training in the states.

First of the Year Excuses...

2009-04-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is where I take time to come up with all the excuses, I mean reasons as to why I have not made one post since December. I came back to Guatemala at the end of January after spending 6 weeks at home for the holidays, a family vacation and a little time to come up with more $$ to live down here. I returned the day before one of our biggests groups came in. A 60+ person OB/GYN and Bomberos (fireman) training group. I flew in at noon on a Thursday and that night I met 2 of my friends at the ariport. Kara, a new volunteer coming to spend 6 months of her time here in Guatemala whom I had met in October for the first time and John, whom I met in person for the first time that day, but had spoken with several times since December. We sat around that night at the hostel we stayed at catching up and getting to know each other better. The next morning we headed back to the airport to meet the group and head back to Zacapa. In my following posts, I will share more about this trip. Between Feb and March we had another 5 groups come out that we hosted and shared a bit of Guatemala with. My following posts will talk more of these trips as well! In essences, what I am trying to say is that it has been a very busy first part of the year and I appologize for those of you that have stayed tuned to my life, and I have not shared it with you. I hope you will check out my posts that follow so that you can catch up on the lovely life of Lauren in her final months in Guatemala!

Our work in action...

2008-12-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

We held a clinic at a village in the mountains on our October trip. While there, we met a mother of 3 children, ages 3 mos, 2 yrs, and 3 yrs. The 2 youngest children were severely malnourished. Since the baby was still nursing, we didn't want to take her from the mother. After seeing this little girl, her hair falling out, terribly under weight, sores all over her body, we shared with the mother the severity of her daughters condition. The mother is 21 years old, and not very educated. She told us she would talk to the father and let us know. After discussing with not only the father, but also the grandparents, all parties decided it would be best for the little girl to come to the nutrition center. Our center wasn't quite up and running, so we took her to the nutrition center in Teculutan. She was there for 3 weeks, went home for 2 weeks and has been at our center all week. Look at the difference....

Our first encounter at the village at the end of October.

Aura this week at our center! First week of December.

She is the funniest little thing and absolutely loves to cuddle, which is my favorite.

She eats like a little piggy and feeds herself.

We are told that in many villages, due to the shear poverty, mothers will make beans and only give the youngest the broth, rather than any beans. They feed the older children and themselves the whole beans. This upon giving their babies coca cola in bottles, and watered down milk, then adding several scoops of sugar, will never make for a healthy child. The lack of educated individuals is almost uncomprehendible.

Feeding Program

2008-12-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

On November 5, 2008 we started a feeding program for the local children that live near our nutrition center. We have a list of 50 of the poorest kids in the area and they come for lunch every Wednesday. They were all weighed at the beginning and will be weighed through time. It is a great day for our staff as well as for the kids!

Dan checking the names off prior to entering the feeding.

Lynda making sure all kids wash their hands.

Our gracious and hilarious cook, Yoli

Preparing lunch...

Me, Karen, Bert, Yoli and Lynda

Berto sneaking a quick snack... caught in the act!

Waiting for lunch to be served

These girls are so precious. Little twins!

This was probably taken just after we said prayer before the meal.

The little guy loading his tortilla.

Lunch time!

Each child cleans their own plates when they are finished.

Between Lynda and I, (both teachers) these kids have no choice but to have manners.

More cleaning

After lunch the children are allowed to play in "The Patterson Playroom"

This name is not just a coincidence...

My parents donated the money to build this section of the center.

Coloring

A little dramatic play in the house.

The kids love to stick their head through this hole and have their photos taken.

The boys putting a puzzle together.

This little girl... adorable.... precious... all of these things!

She is notorious for bringing a little black plastic bag to every lunch, eating half her plate, then putting everything in her bag. She was dragging it with her on her bike, you just aren't able to see it in this shot.

Need Your Support!

2008-12-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share of a friend I made tonight! I had heard of this guy that was going to hike the Appilanchian Trail in hopes of raising money for water. I had never met him and truly just met heard about him within the last 2 weeks. Tonight was my lucky night to chat with my new inspiration named John. He is an incredible guy with very much the same life goals that I have. His mission is inspiring and I just wanted to share his website with you! Please do your part and help us spread the word in order to help those less fortunate. His website is www.hike4water.org When you have the time, take just a minute to read about John's plans for the next 6 months and his plans to hike 2,200 miles, all to help get clean water for those that are not fortunate like us! Thank you!!

Thanksgiving Feast...

2008-12-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

Being away from home for Thanksgiving is not always the most fun, however, when a girls second option is about as good as the first, life isn't that bad! We had such an incredible meal! Good company, lucky for me the company also filled the roll of good cooks! Everything was made from scratch and was just as good as home! We all shared the things we are thankful for... so many things in this life I am thankful for!!!

These pics will show a bit of our day. My camera lense was foggy so the pics are a bit foggy (imagine that... I amaze myself sometimes.;)) Our meal was followed by a good game of Uno and another game called Settelers, which I had never played.

I hope your Thanksgiving was just as good if not better then ours!

THANK YOU for you support, love and prayers while I have embarked on this journey!

Our gorgeous brand new kitchen at the nutrition center. A much better option for Thanksgiving dinner!

Dan is half brilliant sometimes!

This was a "last photo" just in case the oven blew up on it's first time being turned on.

Heaven!

A delicious cider we created!

The 4 of us with our warm cider!

2 of my favorite boys so excited!

Dan, caught eating early, with his friends from home, Clay & Kristi

So good!

The crew of us, minus Norma and Luis who joined us later!

Shoe Donations

2008-11-28T10:56:00.001-08:00

My little Tatiana with her new shoes!

This was by far one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences I have had so far. We finally got around to delivering and fitting the children with the shoes that many of you from home donated. As you can see from the first picture, we laid the shoes out and let the children pick which pair they wanted. We tried them on, if they fit, they were theirs, if not they picked a new pair. They were so happy to get new shoes. Some kept them on, others put their old pairs on, or went barefoot and held their shoes in their arms. An absolutely priceless experience!

DeAnna picking her favoite pair. On the right is their teacher Maria and her daughter Gabby.

Checking the size!

Little Sonja with her new shiny shoes!

Dulce Maria with nothing but pink... her favorite!

This is Maria's nephew who was lucky enough to be at the house this day. He picked the Indredible Hulk shoes. Too Cute!

I love this little guy. Randy getting sized up by Julio. Check the smiles!

Guadalupe "Lupe" should be a model, look at that arm and smile!

Edison with his new spiderman sandals to match his outfit!

Another favorite... Estefanie with her new little mermaid sandals.

DeAnna posing with her shoes

My adorable girls away from home. I have 3 sisters at home that I adore and that are the same age as these 2 in the picture plus their little sister who is at home with mom. They have choosen to sponsor these girls which is awesome! So when I can't be with Sofia, Gianna and Angelina, I get a close runner up with their 'new' sisters, Dulce Maria, Tatiana and Jaqueline!

So HAPPY and SOOO Priceless!!!!

All the kids watching as Julio fits a little sister with new shoes.

The most precious thing was when they left school they carried their new shoes in their hands. Either wore their old shoes, or went barefoot. Heaven forbid they they get their new shoes dirty! I LOVE IT!!

Sponsorship Program

2008-11-04T16:01:00.001-08:00

Though we have a lot of fun here, believe it or not, we work even more. The best part about it is that work is fun, therefore LIFE=FUN!

On the Ortho Trip we stopped by one of the daycares we are working with to sponsor children. While there the children sang for us, should us the english words they were learning, hugged us and smiled with us. We gave each child a special little gift... a stuffed animal. The smiles on their faces were contagious and did nothing but warm the heart!

The children singing for us

Nothing but smiles from Sonja!

Look how excited Tatiana is!

A hug for the cheetah

Dulce Maria with her stuffed animal.

I'm very excited to say that we are in the process of sending sponsorship packets out to individuals and families that are interested in sponsoring a child. If you are interested, please either contact me or the office to get more information. It's only $30 and month. Some of these familes live off of close to $30 a month.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Halloween

2008-11-04T15:29:00.001-08:00

Dan and I were determined to have a Halloween party and decided that everyone HAD to wear a costume. We had to find items and make them into a costume and this is what we came up with...

Dan the "Pirate", Bert the "Mexican", Lauren the "80's Rocker", and Julio the "Computer"
Rockin out on his keyboard

The big guy working

The chef at work

Norma and Yoli help us here with cooking and cleaning. The house I live at is also where Norma and her family live. (Norma is in the red) This was a little game we played. It caused quite a bit of laughter.

Dan and Christian

Me doing what I do best!

The crew from left to right, starting in the back row.

Luis, Norma, Yoli, Vivian, Christian, Julio, Dan, Bert, Nicole and I

Best shot of the night... Julio bobbing for apples

Bert going for the kill and me laughing hysterically

Too fricken funny for me!

Introducing smores in Guatemala.

A good time had by all!!!

Sausage Time

2008-11-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

On our way to Billy's for some sausage making fun!

Bert, Dan and I
Boys with their toys

This is Dan's dog Oso, we took him for a little getaway, and left him with a new home. 800 acres to run on and other dogs to play with... and a 2 year old to torture him. ;)

A view one way out over Billy's 800 acres.

A porker that is lucky to be alive. His pigs usually grow to be 700lbs

I think our faces say enough in this picture. I was distgusted, Dan was excited and Bert was just happy to be there.

About to get our hands messy.

Billy supervising, Dan and I working and Bert, doing something... I'm not sure what.

Proof that I tried it. The flavor was delicious, the texture, not to sure about!

Making the longiniza. We made both Chorizo and Longinza.

Making the sausage segments. That is Billy's wife Xiomara and one of his workers.

What an experience!!!

Orthopedic Trip

2008-11-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

So some of these pictures are a little backwards, but that's how it works when I don't pay attention. These are some pictures from the group that was just here a few weeks ago. Though I spent a little time at the hospital, I didn't get any pictures there, so what I have are pics from the clinics and such!

These first 2 pictures are the Guatemala staff and volunteers. We are at breakfast the morning that we dropped everyone off at the airport!

Me, Bert and Julio
Lynda, Robin and Dan

The cutest thing ever at the nutrition center. She actually has no hair, this is a little hat she wears! Precious to say the least!

2 sisters at a clinic in one of the poorest villages I have been to. Most of the houses are built with sticks as a base, with the walls made of plastic, tin, cardboard, and anything else that would make for a good wall.

Alberto working with people that had severe pain. A neat addition to this trip!

This little girl we met at a clinic up in the mountains. She is 2 years old and suffering from severe malnutrition. She was loosing her hair, had open sores on her body, was unable to walk and just looked awful. After sharing with the parents about her condition, we offered to take the little girl to the nutrition center and get her back to health. We just picked her up yesterday and brought her and her dad back. Her mother is 20 years old and her father 24. There are 3 children in the family. A 3 year old, her and a baby brother that was 2 months. Luckily we found her when we did!!

Little eyes peeping through the wall of a clinic.

A church at a very poor village in the middle of the mountains. We saw over 300 people here!

Sisters leaving a clinic we held at the old persons home. This will be my sister and I one day I hope!

Precious little thing getting fitted for glasses.

Take a look at this 94 year olds shirt. "Hottie"

A little girl in line at the dump while we passed out sandwiches and milk.

The cutest old man. He was so thankful for the glasses and care we gave him. Then he saw Breanna, Karen's newest baby!

It's been a while....

2008-11-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sorry that it has been so long since my last update!!
Time has been flying by with places to go, people to see, and fun to be had... Unfortunately, there is not a lot of time in between to sit on the computer. So now... here I am!
This month has been full of fun adventures, I went home for about 2 weeks for my cousins wedding, which was fabulous. The day I came back to Guatemala we had a group of 50 volunteers come down for a 10 day Orthopedic trip. It was a great trip and I met some very wonderful people. I will post pics from the trip in another posting!

A few weekends ago Dan, Bert and I went up into the mountains, about and hour and a half off road to a farm that was owned by a man named Billy. Billy hooked us up with one of the villages we held a clinic at on the Ortho trip. He invited us up to slaughter a pig and make sausages. Not really what I would say is up my alley, but I'm not Guatemala, half the time "it's" not up my alley. So to put yet another experience under my belt, I went. More from that night to come as well!!

We had a fun little halloween party at the boys house. We made our costumes and played fun little games! Always a good time when we are together! Pics from that night as well!!

I am leaving on Friday to spend some time with my sister, a friend and my cousin in Spain! I am trying to get things together before then, but time is flying. I will be back here for 3 weeks before flying home for Christmas. The good news is that the sponsorship program I have been working on is finally up and running. We have been sending packets out to people which is very exciting. If you are interested in sponsoring a child for $30/month. Let me know!!

I hope all is well for everyone at home, or where ever you might be! May God bless each one of you individually and enrich your lives in ways you would never dream of. All the best!!

Honduras

2008-10-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Below the pics you will be able to read a better description of our time in Honduras

Sunset on the last night
Stunning

Julio, Dan and I on the ferry going home

The view from atop a hill of Roatan

Just caught my eye

I think this little girl is stunning

And this little one I adore. This is from the clinic at the hosp in Roatan

Precious!

Getting ready to be varnished

The Guate Crew
Dan, Julio, Robin and I
On the ferry towards Roatan

La Ceiba

A beautiful old dock. It was like playing russian rullet walking down it.

Not sure which bored will break next

School girls and I at the clinic

The varnish line
-Karen (the redhead) is the founder of Hearts In Motion-

Me varnishing teeth

A brief education on why brushing is important, and about the varnish

This is the group in front of Doris's hospital. She is the lady in the middle wearing teal. From switzerland, but has lived in Honduras for roughly 10 years

And the karoke show Dan and I gave

Hi All,

I know I haven't written anything for a while, but that's because I've been vacationing in Honduras. It was certainly a working trip, but so gorgeous it could have been considered vacation too! That and I love the work we do so much, that work is a vacation in itself! So last Friday morning 4 of us set out in 2 vehicles, a trailor full of supplies, medication, speculums, dental supplies and whatever else is needed to preform surgeries, paps and dental varnishings and a van to pick up our remaining crew. We drove about 6 hours to San Pedro Sula where we stayed in a hostel. Went to dinner with a german girl Dan had met in Guate and sang a bit of Karoke. In the morning we drove a half hour to the airport where we met Doris and her friend Lucia and picked up the 11 Americans that were flying in to run the show. We drove about 31/2 more hours to La Ceiba where we stayed for 4 nights and worked at Doris' hospital preforming 6 surgeries. The 5 of us that are not medically inclined went into the mountains and did dental varnishing on the school children. On Wednesday half took the plane and half the ferry to Roatan, an incredibly beautiful island about an hour and a half ferry ride from La Ceiba. On Thursday we went to the hospital and had 2 clinics running at once. One room was for Pap smears and the other for varnishing. I will say that for the first time in all my time ever in Guatemala, I kinda worked with the Doctor & Nurse with their paps. After sitting in the wrong location for the first patient and seeing the examination, I got light headed and almost passed out (which is why I DO NOT DO medical stuff) I moved locations and sat on the same level with the patients head so that I could see NOTHING!! Sue, the Doctor asked if I wanted to see as she was describing what she was seeing... I kindly declined and held fast to my chair with no view! Though I will say it was very interesting being in the room and watching them work! I'd do it again! That and we had A/C in our room. Next door where the varnishings were taking place, where I also helped out, they were sweating bullets! Shirts were soaked, hair drenched, and beads of sweat running down their faces! But the children... a much prettier sight then that in the other room! ;) Some of the cutest kids I've even seen. I was loving the sight from behind my camera lens! After a very FULL day of 65 paps and 350 varnishings, we had a free day on Friday! The majority of us went Zip Lining which was a fun activity. Saturday morning the 11 from the states flew out from Roatan, but the 4 of us from Guate stayed an extra night on the island. Sunday was a very full day, up at 5:30am, caught the 7am ferry, loaded our supplies at the hospital, headed out of La Ceiba at 10am, and arrived home at 9pm. But with good company, time flies! This was one of the best trips! If you ever get the chance to make it to Roatan, I would highly advise you do so!!!

The meaning of life...

2008-09-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

As I lay in bed trying to sleep, I can't! Good thing I can't because now a rooster is cock-a-doodle-dooing... I have news for that rooster, it's 11pm, and certainly not time to wake up. Had I been asleep and it woke me up, I would have made my way out back and had some words with that rooster!!!

As I lay here, I am thinking... I had a conversation with a girlfriend the other day about the meaning of life, why is she teaching? Why am I here in Guatemala? Who knows, but I keep pondering this thought. My uncle emailed me a few weeks ago and stuck a sentence in that I have had on my mind since...

"I think what you’re doing envelopes the meaning of life at its best."

About 10 minutes ago, I had my headphones in being sung to sleep by Sarah McLachlan, but my mind wouldn't stop thinking... so I checked my email in hopes of some answers and in hopes of not typing at all, but I don't think I will be able to sleep until these thoughts are written for all to see!

Why have I been so very blessed in my life to have more then 1 pair of shoes? Crap, I have way more than 1 pair... I don't even wear all the pairs I have. I have an education, therefore can read and write. My math skills might be less then desirable, but I suppose I can't be perfect, right? We did a visit to a house a few days ago. A little boy of maybe 5 answered us when we asked what he wanted to be when he grows up... "I want to go to college so that I can read." I'm sorry, you're 5... what do you know about college? I did the bare minimum in college, and that's what he wants to do when he grows up? Where have things gone wrong??? For us... or for them?

At another visit we went to leave and there were 2 little boys playing in the middle of the road. I told Julio I would get them out of the road so they wouldn't get run over. I tried to converse, but it was a joke as I wracked my brain with, how in the... do I say "get out of the way boys... look out, the car is coming..." I felt retarded, and they just stared. Luckily a woman came out next door and told them before it was to late. In the mean time, part of the reason I couldn't come up with the correct words, was because I still don't know the correct words and because I was in awww of what they were doing. I'm still kicking myself for having put my bag in the car with my camera in it!! Picture this... These 2 boys, maybe 3 and 4, absolutely filthy, barefoot in heavily dusty dirt, squating down around something. When I got close enough and spoke to them, they looked up, didn't move, just stared at me and protected their 9 marbles by a circle they had drawn in the dirt with a stick. (that is the shot I wanted and have engraved in my mind.) They looked at me, and kept protecting their marbles. When they were told to move in a language they understood, up they went with almost all of their marbles, leaving 3 behind. As the van started coming back, the littlest boy runs back, could care less about the van, grabs his 3 marbles, and went on to play in the dirt with his friend or brother with their marbles. Again I ask... where did things go wrong? For who? Them or us?

You're absolutely right, these poor people are filthy, with no shoes, no showers... or course, life went wrong for them! But I beg to differ... Yes, they have a tough life, but do they know the meaning of life? Are they happy? Do they smile? These kids are happier with 9 marbles than I've seen kids in the states, in my classrooms that have any and every toy they could dream of. What would kids in the states do with 9 marbles in the dirt? How long would that last? Yeah, about 5 minutes, onto bigger and better. I hate to say this but it's alarmingly true and I hope it doesn't come to a shock to any of you... kids in America are spoiled rotten. They are brats, they don't appreciate their toys or the food they are given. If they keep getting away with murder and running the show at home, they will never understand or appreciate what life is about. Sharing, what's that? Vegetables, not a chance! What if that was their only option... then what? I may never have the chance to teach again after that comment, but at this point, it's a chance I'm willing to risk. Some of you have no idea what it's like to come from seeing these kids fight over a pb&j sandwich and gulp a bag of rice milk down so fast that they never even tasted it, to a classroom of kids complaining their parents didn't give them dessert, or that they don't want their string cheese. Please educate your children in a way that they appreciate life and what they have.

Do we as adults know what its like to actually 'PROVIDE' for our families? Do we know what it's like to work to survive. And I'm not talking about working in an air conditioned office in our suits. I'm talking about WORKING. Hiking into the hills to collect wood in order to make food for supper while sweating buckets. Besides camping for a weekend and making a fire to roast marshmallows, how many of you have had to get wood to survive? Not to mention, you have an entire village and all of them need wood, after a while, one's going to have to hike a ways to get their wood. Do you hand wash your clothes? Maybe occasionally. Let me tell you, I tried just to wash some underwear the other day... I think I need lessons. That is some hard physical labor, and I was washing in my sink with running water. I didn't carry a bucket on my head full of my families clothes a mile to the river, to stand in the river for over an hour scrubbing my clothes against the rocks. Then hey guess what, hope your not to tired after that, because you get to carry it all back home now. Maybe wet, maybe you had time to let it dry. Do you appreciate your closet & dressers full of clothes? I hope so, because they have a basket of clothes on their floor, and that is it! I can guarantee that they appreciate their clothes a lot more then you. Even though they wear their 4 outfits over and over and over. Who's life has more meaning now? I'm not saying ours has lost it's meaning, I'm just still wondering the meaning behind life and behind all we have. Does it make us better then them? Absolutely not! We are more fortunate and that's about it! Otherwise, we have lost all site of life. We are greedy, selfish, unhappy, materialistic & fake - complainers with everything! It's a shame you might want a nicer car cause I saw a little boy on my run yesterday that was riding a bike that was 8 sizes to big for him. He could peddel, but had to stand the whole time and I think his crotch was probably hitting the bar with every push! But, it beats walking everywhere! I still have no idea what the meaning of life is, and to be honest, none of this was going through my head before I couldn't sleep. If you have insight, send it this way. I am now heading to bed after an hours worth of a detour I wasn't even planning on taking! Goodnight and love to everyone! Enjoy the lives you live and appreciate what you have!!

video for HIM

2008-09-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Jumpcut - Love
Click on the "Jumpcut - Love" link above to view the video I made with pictures of the children here in Guatemala!

Houses & Familes

2008-09-10T20:59:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from our house visits of families and their homes.

As a single mother, doing domestic work for others, this mother provides for herself and her 3 children off of $45/month.
Victor & Sonja (4 yr olds in the middle) go to school together and live together. Their are 10 people total that live in this 2 bedroom home. They have 2 mattresses and 2 hammocks.

Their kitchen

Wood they have gathered, cut and dried in order to cook their food.

2 families combined in this house.

This mother pulled her 4 & 5 years old boys out of school so that they could help her at home. They are able to run errands and take their dad lunch in the fields, while mom stays home with the baby. If they were not the most fun to take pictures of... look at those smiles!

Another kitchen

A family of 8 all sleeps and lives in this 1 room house.

Another favorite family to photgraph.

This mother does not know how to read or write and was unsure if her daughter was 5 or 6.

They were beautiful!

One family's toilet

Another house

Lauren's Papusaria...

2008-09-08T23:20:00.001-07:00

So at my last preschool, I had 2 children in my class that were from El Salvador.

Their moms both taught me how to make papusas, and I love them.

Tonight I decided I would be domestic and try to cook the boys some nice papusas...

We ate them, but they didn't compare. I would say it was a good try for the first go.

It can only get better from here!

You should be proud Noemy & Silvia!

My work station.

Our tour guide...

2008-09-08T23:14:00.001-07:00

I have to take a moment to introduce you to the cutest girl around!!

This is Gabby. She is the daughter to one of the teachers at a daycare we are working with.

We had 13 children to do interviews with and Gabby came with us, showing us where each house was. She held my hand into every house, and was a fabulous tour guide.

I'm not sure I know any 5 year old that could take me to 13 of their friends houses, but that's the way they roll here in Guatemala!

By the way, could I be any greasier? I never stop sweating!! ;)

The Beauty of Creation...

2008-09-08T23:05:00.001-07:00

Julio and I had a bit of down time today before our afternoon family visits, so we went out the the waterfall not far from the house for a bit of rest and relaxation. While he had a little siesta, I got bit by ants! But the whole time I was there I couldn't help but think how amazing God is! It was absolutely stunning!

Malnutrition...

2008-09-08T22:34:00.001-07:00

At the Nutrition Center in Teculutan

Here's a bit of information about malnutrition that I have found.

Please take a moment to read this!

Guatemala ranks 6th in the world for chronic malnutrition, with about 50% of Guatemalan children under the age of 5 suffering from chronic malnutrition, affecting their mental and physical growth. According to UNICEF, Guatemala has the worst malnutrition problem in Latin America, even higher than Africa. 57% of the population currently lives under the poverty line and cannot afford an adequate diet. Mother's are often unable to provide breast milk for their infants due to malnutrition. 75% of the primary indigenous rural population live on less than $2 per day.

This precious little girl is 1 year old. She was just brought to the nutrition center a week ago. If you notice her hair is completely blonde at the roots and her body is very swollen!

She is adorable!

The rest of these pictures are kids around the center having snack or hanging out! There are currently 22 kids that they care for at this facility. They stay here for 3 weeks, then go home for 1 week. Often a vicious cycle... the children will gain weight and become healthier, and in the week they are home, they will often drop back to where they were at the beginning of the 3 weeks.

Absolutely Beautiful!!

A Few Thoughts...

2008-09-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

As I sit here listening to Ben Harper ~

"if you listen close you will hear the words he used to say, I've got a picture of Jesus... we've got a picture of Jesus, with Him we shall be forever blessed... in His arms, so many prayers... with Him we shall be forever blessed..."

~ I started thinking... I AM BLESSED!

Julio and I visited about 10 families yesterday...

-Picture this-

A family of 9 living off of less then $150/month...

A mother who didn't know when her son's birthday was...

A mother who could not read or write, therefore was unsure of her daughters age...

A father in jail...

A family of 8, all on ONE matress...

An 8 year old sister that looked about 3...

An hour walk to and from school, everyday...

Lice crawling in hair and eyelashes, yet it doesn't seem to affect them...

And...they still SMILE!!

The part that gets me is that we are all still complaining, I am still complaining!

The night before we visited these families, Julio and I were watching a movie and the power went out in the last 5 minutes of the movie, right at the climax, good guy against bad guy... You have got to be kidding, how sucky is that?! So I quickly thought, I'll get my computer, we'll watch it on that. Well, tough to get a DVD out with no power. So we decided to wait it out... after waiting an hour and a half and still no power, we called it quits and went to bed. Is it really that big of a deal that I couldn't finish my movie? No, but we were still complaining. These children love to watch TV, yet they don't have one, nor do they have power or running water in some villages! But I can choose between my TV and Computer? And still don't seem to always have a smile on my face! Just think about that and remember...

YOU ARE BLESSED!!

Taxi Service...

2008-09-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

This was one of the funniest things ever...

We switched cars with Dan during our house visits, from the back of the truck, to a 15 passenger van. The taxi/bus service are these same vans, typically the sliding door is taken off, and they drive on the side of the road making stops where ever neccesary. A man will be standing halfway out of the van yelling whatever their destinitaion is. These kids got in the van so excited and immediately their heads were out the windows yelling all near by town names. "Zacapa, Zacapa, Guatemala, Zacapa, Chiquimula, Zacapa." They were loving it!!

Car Rides - A Hot Commodity

2008-09-03T20:31:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure life could get any better!
Caterin and I

Ever: Wild, Yet precious!

Most of these families do not have vehicles, so these kids love when they get the opportunity to ride in a car. When Julio and I get to our first preschool today, we set out to visit the mother's at each individual house, so we loaded the 6 kids in the back of the truck and started making our rounds. I sat in the back with them, they were laughing the whole time, a constant smile, through the yells at people we passed! I would say we take a lot for granted!

The little things...

Not my favorite...

2008-09-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

While I love the simple life - windows open and fans on, these things I could do without!

Doesn't look so bad from far away, but when that thing was looking down at me while I was brushing my teeth... Gross! You should have see me with a little box trying to catch it. These little guys move like you wouldn't believe. I finally just let him share my room with me for the night.

Contact Info while here...

2008-08-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

I know several of you have asked for my mailing address and such, so here it is...

Casa Corazones en Movimiento,

Barrio Nuevo

Teculutan, Zacapa

Guatemala

And that's all it is I'm told. Thanks for your support!!

Hope all is well back home! God Bless!!

Adorable kids

2008-08-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Is she not precious?!
Adorable sisters

This little one is possibly my favorite ever!! Look at that face!

Sweetest thing I've ever seen...
He was asleep with his shoes on, and I watched a little girl that was barely as tall as the table take off each of his shoes and socks and set them there next to him.

So once I saw this was blury, I couldn't figure out how to delete it, but CUTE!
Anderson and Alex.

Priceless shot! The kids adore Julio. When we pull up, they all shout his name, and the same when we leave! He is awesome!

The group at El Arco daycare

And he is just to cute for words!

My humble abode

2008-08-29T17:19:00.001-07:00

My shower, only cold water and a stream that comes out at about half that from a hose... but I love it and am glad I have a shower period!
The rest of the bathroom... toilet paper only in the garbage can.

The view from my bed.

My bedroom, good news... I have room for company!

The kitchen/common area/work room.

The lounge area.

I am very fortunate yet again. This place is like a palace compared to most places here!

Life is Good!

The first week

2008-08-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

I have now been in Guatemala for 5 days, and I am loving it! The first night was a bit lonely, however, this is typical when ones life changes such as mine. However I have adjusted quite well at this point. I am living in Teculutan at the HIM house. Hearts In Motion has a house here that a Guatemalan family lives in and takes care of. Norma cooks for the people that come out on trips and Luis drives the bus for the trips. They are fantastic and very welcoming. There are two other volunteers who also live here. At the moment they are both in the states for another couple weeks.
After having some time to adjust, Julio, my sidekick/translator/driver/and plain old cool guy and I started making our rounds to a few of the daycares we will be working with. We have interviewed most of the older children (ages 5-7) and gotten a feel for who they are and what they enjoy. Our next step will be to make house visits. I am very excited about this step. Most people that come to Guatemala don't get the opportunity to see inside the lives of these families. After this I will be creating packets about these children and their families and sending them to the states where they will then be found a sponsor.
The children are absolutely adorable and hilarious. I usually miss out on the initial laughter of what is said due to language barriers, but to see Julio's reaction... I can laugh all the same. It kills me to sit and talk to them... I am constantly swating the flies and bugs away and they sit like nothing is happening when I can see the lice and little bugs crawling in not only their hair, but also their eyelashes. It's very sad, but a reality to life down here.

I want to thank everyone who has made this opportunity for me become a reality. For the support and love I've been shown. The emails have been great and thus what is comes down to... God is Good!!