Our Family's Mission in Guatemala

Day 10 - 8/20/09 - Thank You Lord...

2009-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lord, for having brought us to Santa Maria de Jesus. Thank you for the friendships we have made and strengthened through this journey. You brought our families together to bless us all with your grace, for we all have walked away filled with many gifts to last our lifetimes. I now pray to you Lord, that this experience be of lasting joy, inspiration and motivation for each of my children and for us, as we continue on our lives' journeys. I don't know what is in store for us in the future, but I pray we listen to your calls and your guidance. I feel we have done so in this case and the outcome reflects your grace.

On this day, I feel completely blessed by Jesus in our lives...

Day 9 - 8/19/09 - Welcome to your home!

2009-08-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

I find myself up an early this morning, eager to write the final(?) chapter of this blog. I was so emotionally drained yesterday from the events of the day... I found myself in the evening going through some sort of "slide show" in my mind and heart of all we have experienced here in Guatemala these past few days.

Yesterday morning started out with much excitement. We had breakfast and gathered all the goodies we purchased for our Guatemala family, as their house warming gift. We hopped onto the truck, pinata and all, and headed to Santa Maria de Jesus, for the last time... this time around. When we arrived we were greeted by all the children, very happy and excited to see us. We were equally excited as we knew much would be taking place on this day. The task for the day would be for us to prepare the paint, paint the inside and outside of the house, while our team of FHTH workers, Edgar and Juan, would place the roof (sheets of tin) and also the window and door. Our Guatemala family picked a terracotta red for the outside and a beautiful yellow for the inside. The house next to it (being built by the Napolitanos, Bakers, Carolyn Barrett and Gina's niece Maria), to be painted yellow on the outside and light blue on the inside. The house being built by the Sibona families, to be painted blue on the outside and orange on the inside. Since the 3 houses are so close together, from the heavens I am sure it looks like a beautiful and colorful quilt.

We all got busy - the kids just so thrilled to be a part of the painting as well. Since we were painting on cement block, it did not matter which direction one painted or how you went about it; perfect for the kids. Each of them developed their own strategy and off we went. Our Guatemala father so humbly and with many apologies excused himself by saying he would not be able to help us much on this day. I saw him running in an out of his corn shack home multiple times, as did Elizabeth his wife. They were on a mission of their own. You see today, they would offer us a home cooked meal in gratitude for us building their home. Around 1pm, we were pulled away from our work for lunch. The 3 Guatemala families had set up a row of tables along the path of their homes, with stools and chairs and tablecloths. In much commotion we all sat down, our families and the FHTH workers, while the Guatemala families served us a most precious and delicious meal. You could feel the love and the effort with which this feast was prepared. They passed down coke bottles for each person, and a nice size bowl of delicious chicken soup, with rice and tortillas. My heart ached at the thought of how much they must have spent to offer us all this meal. It was obviously a huge cost to them, who barely make it day to day with that they earn. That effort made that meal that much more delicious and enjoyable to all of us. Any concerns of potential "stomach" issues cleared away and most left a "clean" bowl :o)

After the meal we went back to painting and finishing up the house. When we were close to finishing, I picked up the broom and started sweeping the floor; Mario asked me to give him the broom so he would sweep, but I did not give it up. It was my hope that they would enter their new home, finished and clean. I felt such a sense of peace and satisfaction as I finished sweeping the floor; it felt amazing. I truly feel how much better it will be for them to live in this beautiful new space.

Around 3:30pm Joe and Oscar showed up with the dedication plaques for the closing ceremony. All of the families gathered in a large enough area where we proceeded with the closing ceremony, all 3 homes to be celebrated at the same time. I was ready to video tape when Oscar asked me to please translate what he was about to say. In so many words and many, many tears from ALL, our hearts were poured out in gratitude. Each of the Guatemala families spoke, thanking us over and over again for what we had done for them. They said they had no words to express their gratitude. Mario said he had prayed to God to send angels to help his family, and we were his answered prayers. Another Mom, she has 5 children, had been hoping to get on the "list" for "block" homes for more than 2 years. This day was also her answered prayer. Oscar told them that they would not have to pay any money for these homes but he would ask of them two things: to keep the homes clean and beautiful and take care of them with pride and love; he also asked that as we had helped them, they needed now to help each other, to be there for one another, not in the ways of money which obviously they did not have, but in the ways of community support, neighborly support, which is what would continue to help improve the lives of the people in Guatemala. Last, Oscar said that Guatemala is a beautiful country and many people come to visit its beautiful sights, but not many leave behind what our group of volunteers had; so Oscar asked them to pray for us, and to ask our Lord for many blessings to our families. So they did; and then thanked us, over and over again...

I have no idea how I, or the others got through that ceremony. I don't even know how I managed to translate. I felt I needed to reach deep down within and be sure that I conveyed as accurately as possible the words and feelings of gratitude that these families were, in tears and emotion expressing to the volunteers. As I translated back to the volunteers I was faced with their own expressions of gratitude, their tears, how touched they felt not only by what was being said at that moment, but by all that had taken place the past few days and the amazing bond that we all had developed with all these spirits and souls present at that moment. Lucas was sobbing, Ken, Mitchie and Teresita with tears streaming down their faces, as all others.

When Oscar was done, Joe proceeded with presentation of the plaques which dedicated the homes. The Baker/Napolitano crew dedicated their home to Gina's Mom and her sister in law's Mom, both who recently passed away. The Sibona families dedicated their home to the family for whom they built. We dedicated our home to: "The Baker family, who continually inspire us to do divine works, affirming that with God, all things are possible." We are so deeply grateful to them, for it is through them that Jesus called us, the Folan family, to travel this amazing journey...

Next came the presentation of the keys to the homes. Representatives of the families (mostly children) approached each Guatemala family to hand the keys. Many more tears and hugs were shared as these keys, symbol of new beginnings, were handed to the families. We chose to have the five of us and the two FHTH workers, Edgar and Juan, to present the keys to Mario and Elizabeth. Edgar and Juan became part of us in this journey as well. We shared many laughs, much work and we are bonded to them as well, for life, through this experience. They worked very hard and without their guidance and hard work, we would have never been able to build this home. Once again, many hugs and tears...

Finally, to wipe all our tears, it was time for pinata! The kids lined up, eagerly waiting their turn to whack the Winnie Pooh pinata. It made it through about 5 kids. Each time a few pieces of candy would fall, all would jump in to grab the candy, as if that would be the first and last piece of candy they would ever get their hands on. It was indeed a great closing to the ceremony. We then asked Mario and Elizabeth to go into their new home, where we wanted to offer them a few things we had gotten for them, including a cross I had brought for them from NJ, for their new home. I had asked Edgar to please put a nail by the entrance, above the door on the in side. Once there, we hung the cross, as a reminder that Jesus was indeed the source of all that had taken place amongst our families. I told them it was our prayer that they would continue to keep Jesus close to their hearts in their new home, to love each other and to nurture their beautiful children in this new God-given home. It was then that they once again, poured their heart out in gratitude to us. Mario and Elizabeth are both very young, humble, quiet and "shy." At this point, however, Elizabeth seemed to "step out" from within her and in tears thanked us for what we had done for them. Then Mario presented each of us with a beautifully embroidered piece of cloth which read "Recuerdo de Santa Maria de Jesus." One for each of us, also accompanied by a handwritten note to each of us, with beautiful words and a spiritual drawing. All day, they worked hard to prepare that meal for us and to leave with us these beautiful messages and tokens of gratitude. I will never forget it or them. Not much later, it was time for goodbyes; we hugged and thanked each other once again, as we tried to hold back tears, unsuccesfully.

For a final closing, the workers invited us once again, to go to the field for a final soccer game. So we did. Ken and the kids and I had an amazing time and it was such a happy way to end the day and our "Santa Maria de Jesus" experience...
In the evening, our volunteer families gathered for dinner and to simply recount the amazing experience we had all shared. Again, I felt like an on-going slide show was playing through my head. So many people, so many beautiful memories. I can't wait to organize all the pictures and create either albums, or slide shows, or whatever I can, to ensure that we have ample opportunity to relive this amazing experience in the months and years to come...

Day 8 - 8/18/09 - Almost there...

2009-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I woke up at around 2am this morning and was unable to get back to sleep until almost 5am. By 7am, our usual time to get up, I felt really tired. Yesterday was a hard day and I think all the aches from the volcano hike are now catching up with me. Aleve, here I come! Then, we all had breakfast and by 8:50am headed over to the plaza to get picked up. The skies looked very cloudy, but it looked like we'd have a good chance to dodge the rain.

The plan for the day was to go to "Cambiando Vidas" which is a small school started by a wonderful woman named Janeth. The school has about 50 kids? - I believe - and is currently running in very tight quarters. As I understand, Janeth had this vision of starting the school a few years back. She found this location and is currently paying rent for that space. When we went in, there were about 30 children at the time. There are about 4 small classrooms. Again, space is very tight and the lighting is poor. And from what I understand, FHTH has helped them a great deal already in improving the conditions of that location since the landlord refused to do so. In spite of the obvious physical condition of the location, the essence of the school is truly remarkable and radiates goodness, hope and opportunity. The teachers are obviously adequately trained and the classroom walls are decorated with beautiful works by the children. One of the teachers gave us a tour and explained to us their teaching philosophy and principles. Again, the "outside" view is very "limiting" but the heart of the school is extraordinary. In the back is a small outdoor area which is their playground. I chatted a bit with the teacher who was there at the time with a few little ones. She told me she started the very early childhood program at this school, as part of her "practice" year before she does her thesis. She mentioned they not only give the children much needed physical stimulation, but most important emotional stimulation. She mentioned that many of the kids who come in are for the most part, very introverted and behind in development. She mentioned most come from rural areas where there is a lot of physical and emotional abuse in the home. The mothers are usually the ones at the receiving end of the abuse and are therefore, unable to offer the needed care and attention to the children that they need. Part of the program is bringing the moms/parents once a week to teach them how to help their kids thrive and how to stimulate their development. I was surprised to hear about the abuse because the kids we have seen so far seem to always smile and be generally happy. Then again, abuse is not something that takes place in the presence of others... it is touching to see the school's efforts of change all this...

While we were there, the kids had the chance to proudly show us their "English" progress. I was asking them to tell me the colors in English, names of animals, etc. Then, I asked them if they knew the days of the week. At that point they broke out in song singing "The Days of the Week." I asked them to please sing another song and they sang the cutest song about Jesus putting all kinds of fish in the sea; little ones, big ones, thin ones, chubby ones... it was so cute. I of course was in my glory to see that faith is a component of their learning experience at school. They also made their hand motions along with their singing. They did such a beautiful job! A bit later, Sam presented Janeth with a check, the money he raised so that Janeth in turn will be able to get backpacks for all the children with the school's name on it. What a wonderful deed. Janeth was so grateful and the kids clapped and then almost knocked Sam down as they attempted to hug him to show their gratitude. Then Judy broke out her banana bread and gave it out to the kids. Before they ate, the teacher asked them to pray; at this point, they placed their hands in prayer and said the most beautiful blessing. At some point, Joe asked me to go into their main office, where he pointed out on the wall, the school's organizational chart. It was a "business" type chart in the sense that it appeared to have been prepared with some sort of computer application. Now here again, and affirming the source of their spirit, the chart had at its top, "DIOS." God is at the top! I couldn't help to think how their schools are in such need of our dollars, yet our schools are in such need of "their" faith; how ironic...

The heart-warming part of this story, the part filled with joy and hope (and I think due to the fact that they are allowing God to be their leader), is that Janeth was able to get some land from the Mayor (for a period of 25 yrs) where she could build a school; a new location for her school. Her efforts to raise money in Guatemala were not very successful. She came to Joe for help and Joe, through FHTH, has been able to raise the needed funding for the new school building. Construction started about a year ago and the new school will officially open in September. So, our second stop this morning was that new school work site. This new location is by far better and safer. There are about 7 classrooms and it is their hope to add a school grade each coming year. So this year they will have 2nd grade and then 3rd and so on. The best word to describe all this is definitely... HOPE. The school could not have a better name: "Cambiando Vidas" which means "Changing Lives."

After visiting the school we headed over to the work site; it was about noon. The task for the day was to prepare the top row of blocks for placement of the roof (that will take place tomorrow) and also to do the floor of the house. Most of the work entailed mixing the cement, filling in the buckets, passing them (assembly line mode) into the house. Two of the workers, Juan and Edgar took care of pouring the cement onto the ground and ensuring it was properly leveled. Then empty buckets were passed back out to the refilled. That's it. We broke for lunch around 1pm. Joe ordered Domino's pizza for all, including a team of volunteers who are building a home up the road. It was a lot of fun and it was evident the great relationships which have been developed in the past few days. It will definitely be hard to say goodbye.. We finished out the day and headed back to the hotel. A bit of rain but not much, thanks to be God.

This evening after dinner, most of us headed out to "La Bodegona" which is a store where one can purchase groceries, clothes, stoves, motorcycles, drum sets... get the picture? We all gathered a number of household items to present to our Guatemala families tomorrow. I got a large bucket, shaped like a laundry basket, and between Mitchie and I we tried to pick things we thought would be of use to them: a couple of pillows, plates, silverware, a couple of pots, a stove range; my favorite of all, an album for a number of pictures from the past few days that we got printed today. We also picked up a huge pinata for the kids for tomorrow's closing ceremony. When we got back to the hotel, Mitchie and I sat at a table, went through the pictures and placed them in the album. We also placed three of the pictures on frames for them; one of their family (Mario, his wife Elizabeth, their two year old son Daniel and their baby son Joel). The other picture is of the four of them and the five of us. The last picture is of Daniel alone, in a cute football frame. As Mitchie and I glanced through the completed album, it started to feel like the "wrapping up" face is upon us... I know it will be emotional, I know we will cry...

Day 7 - 8/17/09 - Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2009-08-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Another challenging day, this time due to the rain. It rained all evening and it was raining - a lot - this morning. We got ready and ponchos on, we were ready to go by 9am. We walked over to the plaza were the trucks were waiting for us. There was a lot of discussion amongst the workers and we were told that it would probably not be feasible for us to work with the rain. The cement would soften too much with the rain, and since we were still in the process of building up the walls, it would compromise the structure of the house. We all kept saying how badly we wanted to go to the work site, even in the rain. They said they would wait a while and see. I told Joe, I felt God would get us there somehow and all would work out. A bit later it cleared up a bit, enough for Enio, the foreman, to give the OK to head to the work site. Yuppie!

When we arrived, the ground was muddy but it looked like it would just continue to clear up. We were so excited to get back to work, we just got busy right away. The scaffolds were placed a few feet higher, and off we went laying the block and filling in the spaces. It got very warm and the sun was shining brightly. Wow, I thought, couldn't have been better. While I was filling block at a spot where our house is back to back with another, Enio and I just started chatting. I commented on the bright and hot sun and he said, there was a lot of rain coming our way. No way, I said, and I joked with him about keeping his day job because he would starve as a weather forecaster. A while later, the skies began to get gray and Enio asked that we just continue working and wait until 1pm to break for lunch. So we did. At 1pm we broke for lunch. I had a conversation with a beautiful 12 yr old girl, a cousin of the kids for whom we are building. She asked me to teach her English. I taught her a few words and then we just chatted about our lives; it was such a great conversation, I wished we could have just chatted longer... We quickly got back to work and not much later, the rain started coming down. We grabbed our ponchos but these became a nuisance after a while, so we just took them off. We worked as hard as we could. We needed to complete the height of the wall. So we did.

With quick goodbyes, we hopped onto the truck and headed back to the hotel. As we were taking off, we were waiving goodbye to the kids and some adults who usually like to send us off with their warm smiles. We also brought back with us a couple of women who sell their crafts and needed to get back to Antigua. As we drove off, in spite of the wetness, the cold clothes and the rain still coming down, the kids waiving and smiling was a touching sight. We noticed a few kids chasing the truck, which they usually do when we leave at the end of the day. This time however, two of the kids just kept running and running towards us. As the truck drove off, the distance kept getting bigger and bigger, but they were not giving up. After a while, we realized that maybe they needed to get back to Antigua, so we asked the driver to stop. The kids ran so fast towards us until they caught up. One of them, with a big smile on his face, clearly happy that he had reached us, handed us Teresita's name tag, which had probably fallen when she was getting into the truck as we were leaving the work site. I just could not hold back the tears. All that running to give to us name tag left behind! Says so much... As I write this, I feel my eyes tearing up again. We continued on our way back, as I chatted with one of the women on the truck. She has had a hard life. She has five children and struggles daily to keep her family "above water." She told me she has asked to have a home built for her but she has not been selected. She kept asking me questions and trying to figure out how we got to the family for whom we are building. "We don't decide that" I told her. I explained that many, many people are in great need and that Joe is trying to have more and more houses built. I asked her if she believed in Jesus, she told me "yes." I asked her to please not give up hope... I felt so sad for her and could not help but wonder how come there is so much suffering within our human control. Tragedies and suffering resulting from natural calamities are so tough, but they are beyond our human control, at least at this point. This type of struggle is in the hands of humanity. There is so much of it... it's overwhelming. I pray for more people like Joe Collins, the Bakers, our outreach ministries, and the many who continually inspire so many to make a difference...

Day 6 - 8/16/09 - It's Zipping Time!

2009-08-16T21:17:00.001-07:00

Talk about an action-packed weekend! Today we had the "Zip line" adventure. This time all 22 of us went (a bunch were coming for the 2nd time). We met these "army" trucks at the main plaza which took us to a farm called "Filadelfia." It is a beautiful resort-type place, in the mountains. At the bottom of the mountain you basically pay for your tickets and sign a weaver (scary!). There are also bathrooms and a restaurant. Then you go on the trucks up the hill, above 6,000 meters. It is a very steep ride and looking down can be scary at times, as there are no rails on the side of the dirt road; the view nonetheless is breathtaking. When you get to the top you are equipped with the appropriate gear and then the guide gives you instructions on how to "zip." You are basically in a harness that gets clipped to two chords and then you "Tarzan" your way down the hill in 6 segments. The first segment is the shortest and easiest. Besides saying that it was not the hard physical experience of our prior day volcano experience, I am afraid I don't have many other words to describe this adventure any further. When I have the opportunity, I will post the pictures and video which relate the experience in great detail. All I can say is there was plenty of screaming, laughing, praying and again, lots of screaming!

After zipping our hearts out, we headed back to Antigua for lunch with the Bakers and with Oscar and his beautiful family, at "Pollo Campero." It was so nice to get to know them better; I can't help but feel that they could be my own relatives. After lunch we headed back to the hotel and up to the roof top for more chatting and fellowship. Very nice and peaceful...

We closed our day by going to Mass at 7pm. The church was very pretty and very big. No need for church expansions in this area :o). We went straight to the front, and believe it or not, they must have gotten word that the Folan front pew must be available if the Folans are in town. Front pew it was. Two special divine messages: on the wall to our front-right side, a beautiful painting of Jesus opening that door... "Ask, seek, knock, and the door shall be opened." I leaned over to Ken as I whispered to him, if he could recall how a while back at our breakfast table we had talked about searching for an opportunity to do outreach as a family. This journey to Guatemala is clearly the Lord's response to our prayer, and then some... unimaginable blessings each step of the way. The second, a woman approached us before Mass and asked if we could bring up the gifts to the altar during the offertory... very special.

After this amazing weekend, we are looking forward to picking up where we left off on our house project. It will be nice to see our Guatemala family again, and all the others, with the beautiful smiles that never seem to leave their faces.

Day 5 - 8/15/09 - Volcano Time!!!!

2009-08-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was too exhausted to recount the day's experience yesterday, so here I am up nice an early...

We spent the morning walking around the town of Antigua. Saturday is a day when many of the Mayan vendors come to sell their crafts. Lots of little children with their shoe-shinning boxes, women and little girls with their bundles on their heads, all doing anything and everything to get you to buy from them. Joe (the founder of FHTH) has a very young friend here, Roberto, a young boy Joe met at the park when Roberto was about 4 yrs. Joe has become sort of like a mentor to Roberto and tries to help his family as much as he can. Joe had told us that Roberto's Mom comes to Antigua on the weekends with Roberto and his sister Leticia to sell their crafts, so if we could help them out that would be a blessing. So I held until yesterday to do my shopping. I am not by any means a big shopper to begin with, but it was the best shopping experience I've had in a while. It was good to see Roberto again (Joe had recently brought him to the US and we had had the opportunity to meet him). His Mom was so incredibly grateful; she gave me a small token of appreciation for saving my shopping for her...

Ken made arrangements earlier for our volcano experience. A total of 15 from our group would be going on this excursion while the remainder were going to Filandelfia, for the Zipping Line. So, both Sibona families, Folans, Bob Baker and Carolyn were on for what would be one of the most (if not the most) challenging "vacation" experiences of our lives. We got picked up at our hotel at 2pm (all 15 of us squeezed onto a van). We rode for about an hour in what seemed to be a never ending travel on "The Long and VERY winding road." As we arrived to the beginning point of the excursion, we were bombarded by little kids trying to sell us walking sticks, marshmallows and getting us to rent horses from them. You could barely walk amongst them. Because I had not been feeling that well in the morning, I decided I would ride a horse. The kids also wanted to ride. So I rode with Lucas on one horse, Mitchie and Teresa hopped onto another. Ken wanted to hike with Phil and Matthew. The rest also rode horses. The hiking/horse trail lasted about 2 hours. It was very steep going up, but our hikers were holding their own. I was so proud of my hubby! At times I felt like I wanted to get off the horse and hike along but I was afraid I would be too tired to do the second leg of the excursion, were no horses are able to climb. It was really neat to see the nature of the soil and rocks on the ground, and how it changed as we made our way up the mountain. The air felt very fresh and cool - well, at least for some of us; Jessica was on a horse and Ken happened to be hiking behind her. No sooner does she say, "Oh, this is the coolest and freshest air I've ever breathed, than her horse released gas, to put it nicely, and dropped a huge load! That's all my poor hubby needed. No fresh air for him...

As we kept going up, it was very foggy. I realized we were actually going into the clouds. It was unbelievable. It sort of killed the visibility at that point but being in the midst of those clouds what something I had never experienced in that manner other than being on a plane. We took a few short breaks along the way to give our hikers a break and take a few pictures. It was fun chatting with our Tour guide "Roberto" and the guys who were guiding our horses. Our guide's name was Eric and his horse (Lucas and I on it) was "Chispa." After about two hours, the point were we needed to get off the horses and do the second leg of the climb, the skies suddenly opened. What came next, I could not believe, this HUGE, breathtaking sight of the volcano was, what seemed to be, right before my eyes. It was truly spectacular. I noticed that there was a "moving line" of white dots going up its side, what appear to be a line ants. These were actually other people ahead of us, climbing up the side of the volcano! It was very exciting to know that we would be that line of aunts in a matter of time. To the left of the volcano was one of the most beautiful rainbows I have ever seen. I felt God's presence and the immense beauty and power of His creation. It was truly majestic, so beyond our humanity; like being in the heavens, right here on earth...

From that point on, it was by foot, climbing through very rocky territory. It was extremely difficult. Thank God we had our work gloves because many times our hands were the saving grace from a fall - those rocks are very rough and sharp. I was very concerned for the kids, but they were ahead of me and doing quite well. For a brief moment I questioned if I'd be able to make it through this difficult hike. However, in an instant I would say to myself, "no way will I quit at this point, after being so far up; plus, how could I go back to the US without making it to the top?" Up we kept going, for about another hour until finally, we reached our final destination. We were not at the top of the volcano because it is literally impossible to go any further. This was somewhat of a flat area - OK not flat but at least not an incline. It was very rocky and the most amazing view of dry lava which looked like it was a snapshot of moving lava, except for its grayish color. As we walked on this "frozen" lava, we could feel the heat coming from the inside out through the rocks. Then, looking a bit further, we could see selected spots of "glow." That lava was "alive!" Since it was getting dark at that point, the view of that glow was just extraordinary. We got as close as we possibly could. The other amazing sight, of course, the surrounding landscape from that very high altitude. Truly breathtaking. I quickly grabbed a couple of small rocks to bring back to the US. I turned around and saw Mitchie looking for his perfect rock to bring back and show Mrs. Pantina, his science teacher. Well, he had a pretty big one which he could only hold with both his hands. I tried to talk him out of bringing that big one, thinking we'd have to carry it all the way down, fit it in a suitcase, etc., but my efforts were fruitless. He said he would carry it himself but that was obviously not going to happen. So goes the rock into my backpack and off we went. We all gathered and started making our way down the volcano, with the growing concern of making our way down in the dark. It took us about an hour and 40 minutes to walk, crawl, and/or slide on our behinds. It was kind of scary because more than half the time we did this in complete darkness. We were exhausted... I felt just so proud of the kids who hung in there for the entire time. I guess, like us, they felt there was no other way to make it down... We made it to the bottom in total and complete exhaustion, got onto the van and headed back to the hotel, which took another hour back. Teresita fell asleep on my lap and Lucas laid his head on my shoulder. Mitchie had his head on Ken's shoulder. The ride back was filled with relief for having made it through this excursion safely, but equally, with a strong sense of peace and gratitude for the blessing of yet another experience our family considers truly a "once an lifetime..."

Day 4 - 8/14/08 - And God said, "Play Ball!"

2009-08-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that even my fingernails ache; but as tired as I am, my heart has been once again blessed by an amazing day. Both Lucas and Mitchie are feeling much, much better. That alone made our day a whole lot better :o). We started with our little routine of yoga on the roof - and by the way, the usual glance towards the volcano yielded the most spectacular sight with a beautiful cloud surrounding its top and then a shooting stream of smoke; even this far away, you can see the traces of lava down its side. Can't wait to get to the volcano!! We proceeded with breakfast, with the usual stream of joking around and lots of laughter. A conversation I held with one of the group participants was really interesting as he shared how much being a part of this experience makes one think about our daily lives back in the U.S. and perhaps question the "real" value of our lines of work. This type of experience, as basic as it sounds, is indeed life changing. I feel blessed to be doing in my life exactly what I love to do. However, being here in this journey makes me feel the need to search more often for these opportunities to do God's work. In a selfish way I feel as well, the need for Ken and I to search more for these opportunities that have a divine impact on us, our relationship and the relationship we have with our children. Some of the other families with us have teens, which is always a scary stage of life for me as a parent, to look forward to. Seeing how these teens are energized, motivated and just opening their hearts to the entire experience is amazing. It is the perfect time to do it! It is a treasure to all...

Anyway, from a work point of view, we laid 5 more rows of blocks. It was a bit easier on the back as the height of wall rises. We had a great rhythm going and it seemed things went very smoothly. We now can see where the window will go. The family receiving the home gets to decide the colors of the wall. When I asked our Guatemala family what colors they would pick, they said, "What do you suggest?" That touched my heart... Elizabeth was also happy to see Mitchie was feeling much better but shared with me her heartache of thinking that the "guisquiles" (a green vegetable treat) she had prepared for us yesterday, had made him sick. I told her no way and to please not feel that way. They then proceeded to ask me what we can eat... What I realized is that they are already preparing for the closing day, when they lovingly will offer us a meal. I can't express with words the expression in their faces... if I was to describe with a single word these people, the word I would use is humble... a million times over...

We all helped each other today and the day went by what seemed to be quickly. The chatting and joking around is pretty must non-stop. While working really hard, Ken has basically not stopped joking around with the workers for a single moment. They all have nicknames for each other and Ken jumped right into it. They bust his chops constantly and it seems each smile, each joke is just another drop in this amazing bucket of friendship which is growing so beautifully. The kids seem more confident speaking Spanish but the biggest source of bonding with the guys has been soccer. They were thrilled to find out that the end of the day would bring them once again to the field for another soccer game. On this day however, God's plan was reaching out further. You see, the Sibona families had brought bats and wiffle balls from the US, for the kids at the work site. They had hoped on that day to get a game going with the kids from the work site. Unfortunately, there was not enough open flat space to play and it was not feasible to bring the kids in the truck to the field were the others were going to be playing soccer. Bummer! I felt sad for the Sibona's as I knew they were clearly disappointed. The first truck left heading back to the hotel, with some of the volunteers. We then left on the second truck, off to the field. The Sibonas and a few workers were waiting for the third truck to arrive. Not much later, after we had arrived at the field, I noticed the third truck pulling in. It was the Sibonas with a couple of the FHTH workers. I thought to myself, who are they going to play with? Well, God had a plan and He would definitely deliver "the goods." In a matter of minutes kids came from all directions, more than enough to get a game going. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so I ran down to play with them. What an amazing time we had! Although these kids had never played in their lives they picked up the basics of the game immediately. They were so good! The magic of childhood... At the end of the game we lined them up and did the traditional "shake of hands/good game" deal and then we set them up for a group pic. Matt Sibona, one of the teens volunteering, couldn't have said it better: "I never had so much fun playing wiffle ball!" The soccer game was equally rewarding. The joy-filled faces of my husband and my boys said it all. My boys truly appreciate playing soccer with these guys. To them, these are the real soccer players. To them, it's like you never truly play soccer until you play with these guys. As we walked away from the field, much laughter and kidding around about scoring goals, losers and winners, future baseball stars, etc. We hopped onto the truck and I quickly realized only the women and kids were in. The guys stayed behind the truck, until the yelling began: "Empuje, empuje!" meaning "Push, push!" They were grabbing onto the back side of the truck and pushing the truck down the hill so the engine would start running! So they did, when the engine got going, they hopped on!!! A sight to see and I've got it on video :o)

What a wonderful day. We are going to rest and hang out tonight, up on the rooftop while we grab something to eat; I believe Domino's Pizza is on the menu!!!!! LOL!!!!

Day 3 - 8/13/09 - The walls are rising up!

2009-08-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

So here we go on our second day of work. It was indeed a challenging one but God never said the journey would be easy. Anyway, I woke up and looked at my watch and it was 5.50am. When I was just about ready to turn the lights on and wake everyone else up, I realized I didn´t change my watch to Guatemala time, so it was actually 3.50am. I think I would have been killed by my husband and kids! Around 5.45 am Teresita woke up and asked if she could get ready for yoga class. We kinda slowly but surely started getting up one by one and except for Mitchie, were up on the rooftop for Jess¡ca´s morning yoga session. We were all much more vocal than the day before with a whole lot more uhhhhh's and ouch'es. I do have to say that the stretching was very, very helpful. We had breakfast and were by the fountain by 9am, when once again, met our pick up truck ride to the work site.

It was exciting to arrive and greet all the folks we met yesterday. They were excited to see us. Us, ready for another fulfilling day and looking forward to a different type of task, now that the foundation had been laid the day before. The kids quickly got down to business, getting cinder blocks ready and us mixing cement, ready for the task of the day, to lay down 5 rows of block walls. When I saw Judy´s pics from her house building experiences last year, I always imagined that the hardest part of that phase would be the picking up and carrying of blocks. That is actually not the case. It is the bending down to a feet or so below ground level onto a ditch, to start the first layer. Very little room to move around and you cannot sit or lay or put any pressure on the bricks that had been placed. Our job was to place cement in between very tiny spaces between the sides of the blocks. It is hard to explain but all I can say is that it was really hard. The day was also a very hot one so that made it a bit more challenging. The more difficult part was that Mitchie ended up not feeling well and that in turn worried me. He was unable to do any work after lunch and basically just tried to rest. I felt so bad and worried for him... I wanted to take that awful feeling away from him. I also felt anxious because I knew the goal was to lay these 5 rows and we were somewhat behind the other two houses. A huge blessing, many of them came to help us out when their share for the day was accomplished. It was very uplifting. Gina also gave me some Motrin for Mitchie and after about 15 minutes, I saw a smile on his face and I knew he was on his way to feeling better.

Unfortunately, I had very little opportunity today to take pics or record. I did get a few, and actually it was Mitchie who took the last couple of pix of the house at the end of day 2. We can already see where the door will be... just made me think of the day when Ken and I bought our home and we walked through that front door. The feeling was amazing... I can´t imagine what we will feel, what they will feel, on that they when this cute little house will be done. But I can tell you that when I think about it, I feel my throat closing in on me...

Yes, another day of hard work but another amazing feeling of accomplishment. As my son struggled, I prayed for help. Jesus answered. Elizabeth, the mother shared my worry as a Mom. She came to me multiple times to ask if there was anything she could make or do for Mitchie. As Moms, we connected. She knew how I felt. She cared for my son whom she just met the day before. She is so grateful. I see it in her eyes. She cares for us. I see it in her heart...

Another gift of the day, our turn to treat for ice cream. Ken handled the honors and when it was all said and done, he had bought 300 ice creams! 300 for about $35. I think the smiles on the kids faces made for those $35 a darn good deal! Unfortunately for us, we think it´s the ice cream from the previous day that made Mitchie sick today...

We closed for the day around 3.45pm. Came back to the hotel, showered and Ken and I decided to head over to the church for Mass. We have so much to thank God for... we walked over to the beautiful church, right into Adoration and Benediction. The church is truly spectacular and the way they had the Blessed Sacrament exposed was so beautiful. I so badly wanted to take a picture!!! I didn´t... but I´m definitely going back to ask for permission to do so. I can´t explain the amazing feeling of peace as the five of us sat on that pew. I heard this beautiful female voice behind me and when I turned around, it was this very, very, very old woman, singing her heart out! What spirit! Mass followed Benediction and I was surprised to see how much of my Spanish prayers I remembered. I can´t deny how much I thought of our beloved priests, Fr. Jude and Fr. Justin. We certainly missed them but I just thought they would have appreciated so much to have seen this amazingly beautiful and majestic small town church and the Adoration and Benediction. The acoustics are also amazing!

Well, it is 9.25pm and I can´t wait to hit the sheets. Mitchie is feeling a whole lot better and so is Lucas. Yes, Lucas also had an upset stomach but he is also feeling better. Thank you Lord, for another amazing day!!!

Day 2 - 8/12/09 - We meet our Guatemala Family

2009-08-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Started our day at 6:30am on the rooftop of the hotel where Jessica gave us an awesome yoga session. We then had breakfast, up on the roof top (where we got the most amazing view of a couple of volcanos) and were ready by the fountain by 9am, when we were picked up by Joe, Oscar and the other workers, to bring us up to the work site in Santa Maria de Jesus. All 22 of us in the back of 3 trucks. Awesome!!!

Wow, I thought I had worked in my life. We WORKED today! Yet, as tired as I feel at this moment (nearly midnight our time), I feel just as good! We started building the house today, from scratch. Among all of us we are building 3 homes and it was a nice surprise to see that all 3 homes are basically right next to each other. It made it so much fun and just totally overwhelming to see so many people that you usually don't see doing this type of work. We see each other socially, at BBQ's, driving around, dropping kids off, picking them up, but never, never in the way that was seen today. It was truly overwhelming...

As we arrived we entered the work site and in a matter of seconds we were surrounded by the families for whom we will build. We had by mistake gone to another area and as I was introducing myself and trying to remember everyone's names, I was quickly pulled to another area where our family was actually supposed to be. I headed over to that area where I quickly recognized the faces that have been on our refrigerator door for the last month (Joe had sent us their picture; in turn, Ken sent Joe a picture of us so that they would know we were the family coming to their home). I later found out the parents, Mario and Elizabeth, saw us and started saying, "No, no, no alla, ellos vienen aca, ellos son de nosotros!" meaning "No, not there, they come over here; they are ours!" Well, what I was faced with when I finally got to where "our" Guatemala family was, totally touched my heart and just about brought me to tears. They had our family picture that Ken had sent Joe, hanging by the entrance to their home in a home-made frame: the bottom of a cardboard box which was covered with see-through plastic to protect the picture. It was so special that they already considered us "theirs..."

We were then introduced to Edgar and Juan, two of the workers from FHTH who would be directing and working with Ken, the kids and me. They started us off by having us move cinder blocks from one spot to another and then hammering holes into them. The kids jumped right in and I was just thrilled to see there would be plenty of work for them to do as this would make them feel truly useful and a full part of the mission. A little while later Ken and I started shoveling dirt/sand (6 wheel barrels of it) to create a big pile. That I thought, was hard and couldn't imagine doing a full day of that type of work, basically hoping it would get easier! Well, the hard work did not stop. We then had to pour 3 cement bags onto that pile and then 3 wheel barrels of small stones. While Ken and I were doing that, the workers were laying out the perimeter of the house to be built and started to dig the ditch that goes all around that perimeter. Then we moved onto that area to help with the ditch. Shovels and all, we all dug dirt out and poured onto the sides. Mario and Elizabeth helped as well. Elizabeth, this small framed woman, with her 6 month-old son Joel on her back wrapped up in a bundle, carried blocks and did whatever else she could to help. Mario was a huge help as well.

All this very hard work, I must tell you, was surrounded by constant, and I do mean constant laughter and joking around. Juan and Edgar jumped right into it and before we knew it it was like we had been around each other for a long time. I did get to take a few minutes here and there to take pics and video record and to translate for the others who not only wanted to make sure they understood building instructions but also wanted to get to know the families for whom they were building.

I unfortunately missed the highlight of the day, when the ice cream "truck" stopped by. I hear that in matter of seconds, kids came from all directions as they found out some "gringos" were buying ice cream. When all was said and done, I hear 220 ice cream cones were served. No typo, 220! I missed it 'cause I was working!!!! OK, not missing that one tomorrow.

By 3:30pm, we pretty much closed the work day, after much cement mixing, shoveling cement onto buckets, passing them on in assembly line mode and dumping evenly onto the ditch. As the other groups finished their task for the day, they quickly came over to our site to help as we were behind (we have fewer adults working on our site...). It was just so wonderful how all, as tired as I know they felt, just kept on until we finally got done for the day. Most of the crew went back to the hotel but a bunch of us jumped onto the back of a truck and headed to some other place where the workers, Ken, Mitchell, Lucas, Teresa, Bob & Sam held an awesome soccer game. Apparently, this is something the workers usually do on the first day of construction; sort of a tradition for them and they allowed us to be a part of it. What a great gift to our family... I went up on the hill to cheer and take pics. They had a ball, and Mitchie just wants to do it again tomorrow. And by the way, yes, Teresita not only played but she also scored a goal!!!!

When we arrived home, dirty as we possibly could be, we could not wait to hit the shower. Such a rewarding day could be felt on each bone and muscle in our bodies. We took it easy for the remaining of the evening, just chatting with the others about our first day experience and our new Guatemala families. The kids gathered in that center "hanging out" spot to play Rummikube, joined by some of the adults as well.

I know I am leaving so many of the wonderful details behind, and eventually, hopefully with pics and video, the full story may be told. I am so grateful that Jesus spoke to us and led us to be here at this time. I know I will treasure every moment, as I know how much it will mean to Ken and the kids. I can't say for sure what our Guatemala families think, but if I can read their eyes and constant smiles correctly, this is just as special for them. It's a WIN/WIN situation, no question about it...

Day 1 - 8/11/09 - Travel Day

2009-08-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful and joy-filled travel day, which started at 4am. Gina picked us up around 5am and by 7am we were basically on the plane, everyone's faces filled with total and complete excitement and anticipation.

Before the trip we had been busting Gina's chops as she had mentioned at the picnic that she liked Zac Effren. I had even posted a pic on our joint blog of Zac in Guatemala (the beauty of Paint Shop!). Anyway, it was just perfect that the movie they would show on the plane was "17 Again" with Zac. Well, poor Gina could not possibly hear the end of it :o)

When we finally arrived in Guatemala, Joe, the director and founder of From Houses to Homes, was waiting for us, along with Oscar and Alfonso. With a bus load of people and two trucks full of luggage we headed to Antigua. It was about a 20 minute drive. All on the bus were so excited; the kids were singing, screaming and all just joking around and busting chops.

Antigua is a beautiful small town which seems time just left behind... just beautiful. It so reminded me of my beautiful Colombia and the small towns I often visited when I was a child. The mountains are beautiful and the sights of the surrounding volcanos are just spectacular. The hotel is cozy and has an open (no rooftoop) "gathering space" in the center with tables and chairs, the perfect spot for just chatting and hanging out.

The remainder of the day we spent walking around Antigua, the small shops and of course, THE FOUNTAIN!! My husband's dream come true. There are many natives, especially women and children walking around selling their crafts. They are very friendly and make every attempt to communicate in English. The women carry their babies in their sacks wrapped around their shoulder, or they carry their bundle of crafts in that way.

We finally went to bed totally and complete exhausted, yet filled with anticipation for the coming day, when we will get to start building these homes. We can't wait!!!!

August 9, Packing, packing, packing...

2009-08-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we are only a couple of days away from our trip. This weekend has been dedicated to packing and packing. Once again and with the help of loving friends, I was able to fill 2 x-tra suitcases with clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and some "treats" for the kids down there. I was so happy this morning when I found a bunch of "faith" little treats which I had leftover from my "Cherub Choir" days. I loved finding them because there are lots to share with many kids and they are a reminder of Jesus in their lives +. Teresita remembered she had her backpack from 2nd grade still in really good condition and asked me to please pack it along for the kids... not a big thing but nonetheless, I was touched by her spontaneous desire to contribute...

We have another blog going (http://fhthguatemala2009.blogspot.com/), where all the participants of this "traveling group" get to post their thoughts, etc. It has taken a life of its own! The joking is totally out of control. We have laughed so hard... just an indication of the joy this trip is already bringing to our lives. The kids have contributed to the blog, and to just about every aspect of this trip. It is an answered prayer to be able to share this amazing experience with them.

We went to 9am Mass this morning - last Sunday before our trip. Judy, Sam & Marissa were there as well. At the end of Mass, Fr. Justin called us to the front and offered us the most beautiful blessing for all of us going on the mission. I can't express how deeply touched I felt by his words, the power of his blessing and the blessing hands of our parish members present at that Mass. Now, we are definitely well-equipped to accomplish this mission :o). Thanks be to God!

July 18, 2009 - Mission Picnic at the Bakers

2009-08-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Bakers offered a picnic for all the families involved with this mission trip. We gathered today at their home: the Bakers (Bob, Judy, Sam & Marissa); the Napolitanos (Gina, Carmelina & Alfonse); the Sibona’s from Morristown (Jessica, Phil, Chloe, Molly); the Sibona’s from PA (Michelle, Matthew & Chris); the Barretts (Jim, Jeanne, Caroline); the Folans (Ken, Cristina, Mitchell, Lucas & Teresa. We were missing a couple from our travelling team: Michelle’s husband (Mario?) and Gina’s niece, Maria.

What an awesome day! Some of us knew each other but many did not. So we started sort of “quiet” and proper and by the end of the day… well, my stomach hurt from so much laughing. We picked on many (OK, “only the popular ones get picked on!”) Carmelina's laugh, Phil "2-time," Ken's obsession with the fountain, Gina's adoration for... OK, Zac Effron, and much, much more. It was awesome how we all bonded really well. I am left this evening with a feeling of ... what an amazing trip this will be; God is already showering us with blessings of joy, friendship and fellowship… simply because we said “yes…”

July 11, 2009 – Garage Sale Part 2

2009-08-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

We decided to go ahead and give the Garage Sale another try. New signs, lots of left over stuff, had to be done. Could have cared less about setting up special areas… we just wanted to get rid of the stuff!

We were blessed to have much nicer weather this time around (couldn’t have dealt with another rainy day-garage sale ordeal). We were a lot more “generous” in our pricing (OK, we were begging people to take the stuff!) and when all was said and done, we had collected about another $500.

It was actually really awesome to be able to be “generous” with the stuff – we had to basically get rid of it, so the Bakers could have some sort of driveway/yard back and we had already met our initial goal. The blessing was in being able to give the stuff to a number of special folks who clearly needed it… One particular family came and we basically filled up the back of their truck with furniture, toys for their little girl, DVD’s, puzzles, etc. We wanted to get rid of stuff… they were driving away with what may have been to them the blessing of the Lord.

June 20, 2009 – Garage Sale Part 1

2009-08-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Judy came up with the great idea of having a garage sale, offering the families involved in the mission to join in on a “huge, multi-family garage sale.” She offered her yard for the big event. We jumped at the opportunity, although I had huge reservations about my ability to be of any help. I’ve said it so many times… I can’t ask for anything to save my life. This time however, it would not be as tough as I would basically be asking friends to simply get rid of their unwanted stuff, for a good cause. Many responded and donated some really good stuff. I felt truly blessed by their generosity which in turn made me feel that we could make a bit of difference in raising some more money towards the mission.

We worked really hard on Friday, moving and setting up tables, carrying boxes, and carefully laying out the garage sale plan. In anticipation of rain, Bob set up tarps and canopies so most of the stuff could be protected in case of rain. We had designated areas for Christmas stuff, kitchen stuff, toys, puzzles, books, DVDs, videos, etc. We worked really hard and I finally felt like I was starting to contribute in some way…

We had early birds and people stopping by on Friday, and sold a bit over $100 before the official start. Saturday rolled around and we got a bright (OK cloudy) and early start, with the help of Gina’s coffee, bagels and fruit extravaganza. “Let the selling begin!” We had a ton of fun and we all worked really hard. The kids helped as well, moving stuff, selling treats, bracelets, etc. Judy was “key” in the pricing area (one bracelet for $2, two for $5). OK Judy, we’ll never let you live that one down!

To my surprise, my Spanish came really handy. I spoke up a storm and no Spanish-speaking person on that yard walked away empty handed. I realized as well that bundling was they way to go. So don’t ask me about the price of an item… “Bundle up what you want and then we’ll talk – I’ll give you a great deal!”

Although we had agreed to stay away from selling clothes, a few people donated some which we simply hung out to sell. Well, so many people came looking for clothes that I quickly went home to grab a couple of bags of clothes that I had in the garage. Just about all of it was sold!

Around 1pm the rain began and it basically did not stop for the rest of the day – and it poured and poured. But God’s grace has no limits… We had fun, we were exhausted, and we had raised over $1,500!

January/February 2009 – Fundraising begins

2009-08-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

We kept trying to brainstorm different ways to raise money… Not long after, the kids decided that for their birthdays they would ask family and relatives to make a donation towards the mission as opposed to giving them birthday gifts. All were so generous with our children and inspired by the kids’ cause. After we were done with birthday parties, the kids had raised over $700. We are so grateful for everyone’s support!

Teresita used her God-given artistic talent and made a very special drawing with the theme of a Guatemala “From Houses to Homes” house. Truly beautiful and reflecting what stayed in her heart from what Judy has shared with us about her experience… Sam with the kites and soccer balls, the chickens and baby chicks, little kids playing in the front, lots of color and beautiful flowers, just a touching landscaping. I scanned her drawing and made it into a greeting card which we decided we could print several copies and sell as well, to help raise money. In asking for a quote about getting the cards printed (as opposed to me spending hours printing from my computer), the Stringas family generously donated the printing of about 200 cards. We have bundled them up and are now selling them. Again, I am not the best at selling stuff, so they are not selling as fast as I wish… but I have realized that the best way of using them might be for personal purposes and then raising awareness towards this important cause – a different type of help but nonetheless, just as important…

December 2008 - The Journey begins...

2009-08-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Deeply inspired by the Bakers and their witness and sharing of their experience in building homes in Guatemala, our family finally decided that we needed to make our desire a reality. So, we said, “Yes! We are going to Guatemala to build a home!” We weren’t quite sure how we would raise the money (airfare for the five of us and then $1,500 to build a home). With faith, we put ourselves in the hands of the Lord, who quickly manifested He would be with us each step of the way…

Ken dove himself into research and found us some amazing airfare rates and with Frequent Flyer points we were able to cover the balance. Now, we would need to raise the $1,500. Made me very nervous… I have never felt comfortable asking people for money… I would starve to death if my live depended on it. We’d see…