Tuesday SOLSC - 11/18/13 - Thrivent Build/Habitat - Guatemala - #4 - A Day of R & R

 Our trip was not all work - we got to play in the middle of the week.  We took a boat ride across Lake Atitlan to

One of the volcanos

San Juan La Laguna.  It was a beautiful day to travel by boat and we got to shop while we traveled.

San Pedro

Willie (our Thrivent Build Coordinator) knew two gals who needed a ride to San Juan to sell their wares.  Margarita had table runners - long, rectangular, or square and shawls - all handmade and beautiful.  The colors are very vibrant and yet there are some that are subdued.  As you can see, we had a difficult time deciding which item(s) we wanted to purchase.

 After arriving in San Juan, we walked up the hill, around the corner, up another hill, through a corn field and finally arrived at our destination - New Dawning Christian School.  Willie has had an integral part in the building, growth and sponsorship of students at this school.  Two of our group also sponsored students this past year and were able to meet them.  The school is Kindergarten thru 9th grade and can accommodate up to 300 children.  Most of these students receive a sponsorship - check out this website to learn more http://www.childrenoflakeatitlan.com/index.html.

There is no air conditioning and the rooms are small, but they have a great computer lab (laptops donated by Thrivent), a marching band, huge multipurpose room, playground and a library.  The library left much to be desired.  I thought of the books that I have on my bookshelves and those that in my granddaughters' playroom.  It made me want to collect all sorts of books to fill these shelves. 

One wall of the library

Computer lab

Another bookshelf

Classrooms

Mural on side of building

We were able to bring school supplies to help the children.  They were on summer break when we arrived, so we didn't get to see many of the kids.

Mom & her children

After leaving the school, we walked to a coffee coop for a cup of coffee and then went to see what  finished Thrivent Build/Habitat homes looked like.  Willie had helped to build these homes in 2007 after an earthquake had destroyed many homes.  We visited with a family who occupied one of the homes - it consisted of 3 rooms with a bath, a small garden and kitchen.  The Mom expressed her appreciation and kept apologizing to Willie.   

The kitchen

We found out later that Willie had sponsored her daughter for school, but she didn't pass her last two tests and failed.  The Mom was very upset with her daughter (can't we all relate?), but very appreciative of all that Willie had done.

One street of Habitat homes built in 2007.

We had one more stop before leaving San Juan - that was at the home of a weaver and his family.  Willie helped to build his Habitat home several years ago, but the family had to give up their home because they couldn't afford the mortgage.  Their reason - they wanted an education for their three children and couldn't afford both.

This day of R&R left us with heavy hearts knowing that these were only a few people that were struggling to make ends meet, and it was a very interesting day of learning about the culture of Guatemala.  This day once again made all of us realize how truly blessed we are living in the United States.

Next week, our final day in Guatemala.