Birds on the Roof

I think that it is so interesting that they use translucent building material here. Because it is basically the same temperature year around, the houses do not require insulation. This is a picture of our bathroom ceiling. You can see & hear when pigeons walk across the roof. It does allow for a lot of natural lighting!

Beggars

I knew there would be a lot of poverty in Guatemala, but I wasn’t really prepared for some of the ways that we’re seeing it. There are a lot of beggars in Antigua, probably because there are also a lot of tourists. Every city has its beggars, but since we don’t have a car here and we go everywhere on foot, we walk past dozens of people begging for money each day. It’s a different feeling walking past them than driving past and looking at them out the window of a car.

I’ve talked about them some with my Spanish teacher. He certainly has a different perspective than I do, since he’s Guatemalan and knows the situation much better than I. He tells me that tourists (especially missionaries) get taken advantage of very often, and that he rarely gives money to the beggars, but when he can he’ll give some of the women and/or children some bread. He points out that there are social services available that many of these people are choosing not to receive, and that some simply don’t want to work.

I know all of those rationalizations in my head, and I know that if I live here long enough I’ll probably become wiser about how to handle these situations. But for now, I’m having a difficult time with it. Even though I know money could be used for alcohol or that the person may be choosing not to work so that he/she can make more money by begging, I never feel right about doing nothing. At times, I’ve found myself spotting a beggar farther down the sidewalk where I’m headed, so I cross the street so as not to have to walk in front of them. I don’t know what the Christlike thing to do is, but I’m sure that’s not it. I can’t give them all money and even if I could, that wouldn’t solve their problems. It’s just tough to look in their faces and walk right by.

It’s the worst when they’re kids. Even if they’re just being used by someone else, seeing kids begging on the streets just screams injustice. They should have nutritious food; they should be in school; they should have moms and dads caring and providing for them. But they don’t.

Kara pointed out that when she sees the kids, she can’t help but think of two of our little amigos at the children’s home, Sammy and Giovanni. If it wasn’t for the home, something like this would be their life- living dirty on the streets without opportunity or real hope for change. Instead, they run around as happy little troublemakers with the other kids and get to remind us of God’s faithfulness by asking us to play cards.

So I have to remind myself that I can’t make a difference in the life of every person in poverty that I see- or hardly any of them for that matter. But as part of the Lord’s work at NLCH, we’re making an incredible difference for some.

Our 5th Anniversary

We had a great weekend celebrating our 5th anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years already. We're both overwhelmed at how thankful we are that the Lord gave us to each other. We got to go eat a really good steak at Ni-fu Ni-fa, the restaurant where we ate with our team from Bright Star last summer. After eating there last year, everyone from the team kept talking about how good it was. Eventually we wondered if that was because we were hungry for a big meal, or because the steak was really that good. Well, after returning, the steak is really that good.

More Pictures...

All of the roads and sidewalks in Antigua are made of stone. It is pretty but can make for some treacherous walking conditions! I am amazed that a lot of Guatemalan women wear high heels. I am sticking to my flipflops and tennis shoes for now.

There are many hardworking people in Guatemala. I couldn't believe this man who carried a heavy dresser on his back, a rope across his forehead bearing the brunt of the weight. I have no idea where he came from or how many miles he carried that piece of furniture.

This is the small patio area that is right outside our room in our host family's home. The umbrella on the table is about 6 feet high and takes up most of the patio area. Our host mother told Daniel that it is a good exercise for his back having to duck so much.

This is the street that we live on.

Standing on top of the roof at our school, a volcano in the background

Dad, these two shots are for you. This is what I was trying to describe to you. When you enter the front door of our host family's home from the street, you enter onto a tile driveway. There are about three cars and four motorcycles that park here at night. To the right of the picture is the medical clinic. In the back is the home. The door that is slightly open above the red car leads to our host family's part of the home. The three doors on the second floor are their bedrooms.

Meals

Several people have asked us about the food here. We have been very pleased! Our host mother is a very good cook. We have liked almost everything that she has made. Above is a picture of soup that we had for lunch one day. The vegetables were not put in the soup so that we could add whichever ones we wanted.

In Guatemala, lunch is the main meal of the day. It is the largest and usually the only one where meat is served. Typically, black beans and plantains are served every night for dinner. It has been a little bit of an adjustment to get used to all of the beans, plantains, and drinking so much hot tea.

Most families here drink hot tea or coffee for breakfast and dinner. Water is served at lunch. They eat smaller portions than we are used to. Most people do not go back for seconds. There are not many overweight people in Guatemala! Daniel and I have both had to tighten our belts an extra notch since arriving here. Well... that could be from the sickness too!

Below is a list of what we ate last week, to give you an idea of what the meals are like here.

Breakfast:
Monday: scrambled eggs, toast with strawberry jelly, 1 slice of pineapple, hot tea
Tuesday: cereal, toast, hot tea
Wednesday: French toast (I don’t know what else was served because I was sick the night before and did not go to breakfast this day)
Thursday: scrambled eggs with diced tomatoes, bananas, papaya, bread, hot tea
Friday: pancakes with honey, bananas, hot tea

Lunch:
Monday: chopped meat salad, small potatoes, broccoli, tortillas, water
Tuesday: spaghetti, salad, tortillas, water
Wednesday: chicken noodle soup, toast, small tacos, 1 slice pineapple, water
Thursday: eggs in a tortilla, broccoli, water
Friday: noodle casserole with red peppers and mushrooms, spinach salad with grated carrots and lime, strawberries, tortillas, water

Dinner:
Monday: chulitos (small tamales), black beans, plantains, bread, hot tea
Tuesday: black beans, macaroni & cheese, plantains, bread, hot tea
Wednesday: black beans, fried rice patties, sliced carrots, broccoli, bread, hot tea
Thursday: black beans, small potatoes, bread, hot tea
Friday: black beans, plantains, bread, hot tea

My New Amigo With Nylon Strings

If Kara has been able to make friends with new dogs, I needed to make friends with a new guitar. I haven't been able to play much since leaving Douglasville, and I really hated not having a guitar here in the country with me.

So Saturday Kara & I walked past a music store and decided to look in- we found this blue beauty and a case for about $73.

Ahhh... I'm much better now.

Herbert

We have a cockroach that lives in a small hole in our shower. I discovered him as we stared at each other face to face, his antennae twitching and protruding from the hole, as I was washing my hair. Needless to say, I was not very happy to see him, especially since there was only about four inches between us. After repeated encounters with him, I decided to name him Herbert, in the hope that by personalizing him I will not be as afraid of him. This morning, I discovered a roach lying belly-up on the floor of our shower. For a brief moment, I was sad thinking that it was Herbert. However, I then noticed the familiar twitching antennae sticking out of the hole. What would showers be like without Herbert?