THE REST OF THE CREW HAS MADE IT!!!

The rest of the Guatemala crew made it safely this afternoon. It's great to have everyone together safe and sound!

While the remaining crew were on their way to Guatemala, Jim and Greg had a day of back filling and demolition. Greg said when they returned to the hotel, the others had already checked in and were off to get items (phones, money exchanged, etc). He and Jim walked to the bank and saw Dawn Walton and her son Andrew. Greg and Jim said it was great to see familiar faces. :) They will all have dinner together tonight.

The plan for tomorrow is for the group to divide up. Some of the crew will remain on site to help with the construction, while others will go to houses and help with the removal of mud caused by the recent mudslides.

We hope to have pictures soon! Please continue to pray for the members of our church family while they are there.

Today's Guatemalan Fun Fact...

Tourism in Guatmela (taken from http://www.helium.com/)

The countryside is mostly mountainous rain forests. The beautiful, lush jungles are a popular ecotourism destination. Ancient Mayan ruins, including large pyramids, can be explored by the adventurous vacationer. The most notable Mayan structures are 2 large pyramids (Monos and El Tigre). Both Pyramids are about 250,000 cubic yards, or about one fourth the size of the larger Egyptian pyramids.

El Tigre Pyramid

Guatemala is a beautiful country with much to offer American tourists. It is relatively inexpensive, offers mountain hiking, beautiful beaches and modern resorts. It is quickly becoming a popular vacation destination for many Americans.

Monterrico Beach in Guatemala (Black Sand Beach)

Peten Rainforest

MONDAY'S WORK and PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for Mayra's son, Marco. He had an appendicitis attack last night and was taken to the hospital around 2:00 a.m. this morning. He had surgery today. Please pray for a speedy recovery. :)

Jim and Greg dug up more dirt today and leveled dirt for the floor. They also worked on the footing and made ties for the rebar. They returned to the hotel around 6:30. One of the masons there has become one of Jim's friends. He gave Jim a note today with his e-mail address and wrote positive things about the guys. One cannot help but wonder if this will eventually lead to Jim and Greg moving there! :) After all, they both have commented that if they had a job, they'd be moving!

Greg said that during lunch today, one of the working students (affectionately nicknamed "Knuckle-head" by Jim and Greg) offered to pray for Marco. Greg said this young man prayed for at least 30 minutes! Jim and Greg were really moved by this young man's faith.

Jim has been showing off his police badge. Greg says this is very funny. The kids circle around him and think he's pretty cool!

Jim and Greg have also been playing jokes on the older students who have been working. They take the boys to the market each day to buy them drinks (they always get Cokes). Yesterday, they took them and after everyone set down their items on the register, the cashier told them how much was owed. Jim and Greg stepped back and looked at the boys as if to indicate they (the boys) were supposed to be buying for everyone. Greg said their eyes got really big. Then they realized Jim and Greg were being funny and they had a good laugh.

Also, Greg said they were all talking about being paid for working. One of the boys, Juan, looked at Greg and said (with a huge grin) "You Cheap!" Greg replied, "Yep... I am!" Greg and Jim thought this was hilarious!

Tomorrow will be the last day of just the two of them working. Although the others will arrive tomorrow, they will not actually begin working until Wednesday. Please pray for a safe flight and a safe trip for all of those who are traveling.

Today's Guatemalan Fun Fact...

There are 5 active volcanoes in Guatemala
(taken from www. geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/world.html)

They are as follows:

• Volcán Santa María (located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala - near the city of Quetzaltenango)

• Volcán Pacaya (located 19 miles southwest of Guatemala City and close to Antigua - most recent eruption was May 27, 2010)

• Volcán Fuego (located near Antigua and is one of Central America's most active Volcanoes - spewing smoke daily)

• Volcán Tacaná (located in the Tacaná Municipality of San Marcos and the Mexican State of Chiapas - 2nd highest peak in Central America)

• Volcán Cerro Quemado (located south of the 2nd largest city in Guatemala, Quezaltenango)

¡Feliz Día del Padre!

Happy Father's Day!

Jim and Greg enjoyed a Father's Day breakfast this morning with Mayra's dad, Jose. It was just the three of them. It seems they may be getting quite attached to him. However, Jose is very easy to get attached to. He's a wonderful example of what being a Christian man should be.

The guys were not able to attend services this morning, instead they went back to the school for more work after breakfast.

The Guatemalan workers began building a wall today. Jim and Greg worked on digging holes for columns. They also mixed more concrete for the columns and the footing. Greg said they carried buckets of concrete after they were mixed and they were quite heavy. He sounded very excited about the work. A quote from Jim today... "If work is fun, we're having lots of it." They left the school to return to the hotel around 6:00 p.m. They really are enjoying themselves.

Greg said the married men of the Guatemalan workers receive lunch from their wives each day. Their wives actually fix it for them and then bring it to them when it's time for them to eat. Greg went on to further state this was much like their (his and Jim's) wives in the USA! :)

Two more days until the others join them in Guatemala! Everyone is getting very excited!

Today's Guatemalan Fun Fact...

Father's Day (Día del Padre) in Guatemala is celebrated the same day each year -June 17th.Father and Son playing the Marimba together in traditional Guatemalan clothing, Antigua, Guatemala (taken from rutahsa.com)

THE FIRST SATURDAY IN GUATEMALA

Today started a little later than yesterday - Mayra's dad picked Jim and Greg up around 8:30 a.m. As they did yesterday, they ate with Mayra's family before starting the work day.

When they arrived at the school, they finished the rebar. Once this was complete, they poured concrete for the footing. And, just in case yesterday didn't consist of enough digging for everyone, they ended up doing more (this is done with shovels, not equipment). The guys returned to the hotel around 7:30 p.m. Another day of hard work has made them even more excited about the project than before. They were, however, exhausted when they got to their hotel (much like yesterday).

They really enjoy working with the kids who are actually part of the work crew. Today they switched "head gear" with a couple of them. Jim and Greg wore bandannas to begin with, the kids wore caps. Before the end of the day, Jim and Greg had the caps on while the kids had their bandanna! :)

They are hoping to attend church in the morning with Mayra and her family. They are looking forward to this worship experience. :)

Today's Guatemalan Fun Fact...

About the Guatemalan Flag (Taken from Wikipedia)



The flag of Guatemala features two colors: sky blue and white. The two sky blue stripes represent the fact that Guatemala is a land located between two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean sea; and the sky over the country. The white color signifies peace and purity.

In the center of the flag is the Guatemalan coat of arms. It includes the Resplendent Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala that symbolizes liberty; a parchment scroll bearing the date of Central America's independence from Spain, 15 September 1821; crossed rifles, indicating Guatemala's willingness to defend itself by force if need be; a bay laurel crown, the symbol for victory; and crossed swords, representing honor.

THE WORK HAS BEGAN!

Mayra's father picked Greg and Jim up this morning around 7:15 and took them to their house for breakfast. After breakfast, they headed to the school to begin work (about 8:00 a.m.).

First they knocked down two walls with sledge hammers. After the walls were gone, they began shoveling out dirt for the foundation of the new addition. They (along with the help of some of the older students from the school) tied rebar to prepare for the concrete which will be laid tomorrow. They were excited to spend some time with some of the kids from the school. Greg said one of the students looks a lot like his 8 year old son, Keegan. Needless to say Greg already loves that kiddo!

They finished around 6:30 and headed back to the hotel. They were both EXHAUSTED. Greg said it felt like he had just mowed 8 yards, back to back, with no break. Needless to say they will sleep good tonight. :)

They both sounded so excited about the work today and are looking forward to seeing the rest of the crew on Tuesday.

Guatemala Fun Fact for Today...

The national bird of Guatemala is the Quetzal and it is absolutely beautiful.

About the Quetzal... (taken from http://www.stanford.edu)

When the quetzal flies, it’s long tail streams behind it’s blue/green body, making a motion that is almost serpentine. This observation by the Maya and Aztec lead to the creation of the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl who represents light, love, happiness and all which is good in life. The quetzal makes appearances in many Maya Legends. For example, the red breast of the quetzal came from landing on the wounds of slain Quiche prince Tecun Uman after the prince was killed by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado.

Today the quetzal has become the nation symbol of Guatemala. Images of the quetzal are everywhere, including the basic unit of currency. None the less, as a result of habitat degradation quetzals themselves are becoming increasingly scarce. The quetzal resides within the misty depths of high altitude cloud forest and is known to shy away from the prying presence of visitors. Unfortunately, as in other parts of the world, habitat loss is the main reason behind a decrease in the population of this species. Still, while sightings are rare and the bird is threatened, like many aspects of Guatemala's culture, the Quetzal is holding on.

THE FIRST TWO HAVE ARRIVED!

Greg and Jim left for the airport around 6:00 this morning and arrived in Guatemala around 2:00 this afternoon. They checked into their hotel around 4:00 p.m. They walked around Antigua, ate at Pollo Campero (a popular chicken franchise in Guatemala) and are practicing their Spanish. Mayra's family will pick them up in the morning to begin work. They are ready to get started! :)

Antigua, Guatemala (Where the crew will be staying)

A Brief History of Guatemala (from www.worldrover.com)

More than half of Guatemalans are descendants of Mayan Indians. Westernized Mayans and mestizos (mixed European and Indian) are known as ladinos. Most of Guatemala's population is rural, though urbanization is accelerating.

The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, into which many Indians have incorporated traditional forms of worship. Protestantism and traditional Mayan religions are practiced by an estimated 30% of the population. Though the official language is Spanish, it is not universally understood among the indigenous population. However, the peace accords signed in December 1996 provide for the translation of some official documents and voting materials into several indigenous languages.

The Mayan civilization flourished throughout much of Guatemala and the surrounding region long before the Spanish arrived, but it was already in decline when the Mayans were defeated by Pedro de Alvarado in 1523-24. During Spanish colonial rule, most of Central America came under the control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala.

The first colonial capital, Ciudad Vieja, was ruined by floods and an earthquake in 1542. Survivors founded Antigua, the second capital, in 1543. In the 17th century, Antigua became one of the richest capitals in the New World. Always vulnerable to volcanic eruptions, floods, and earthquakes, Antigua was destroyed by two earthquakes in 1773, but the remnants of its Spanish colonial architecture have been preserved as a national monument. The third capital, Guatemala City, was founded in 1776, after Antigua was abandoned.

Guatemala gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.

GUATEMALA HERE WE COME!!!

The Students of Kairos School

It's hard to believe in just a few more days the Guatemalan crew will be Guatemalan bound! The crew consists of Pastor Cliff, April Jones, Carolyn Caton, Dawn Walton, Andrew Wyrick, Brad Padley, Michelle Padley, Sara Kelloway, Jim Wallace and Greg Huff. They will head out on June 22nd (Jim and Greg will actually leave on June 17th) and return on June 28th.

Make sure you check back daily to find out how they are all doing and to see the work God is doing through FCC!