Guatemala City and Ready for Montellano

We had a great afternoon in Guatemala City before the rest of the team arrives in the morning.  My Mom was able to come to join us, so that is an additonal bonus!

Jodi arrived in Chichi a few days ago to visit her ABC daughter and another ABC Child. She has spent a few nights in Chichi with Carol and they have enjoyed their time.

Jennifer freed-up her calendar to come and spend the evening with us too. We had dinner at the Barcelo and then walked to McDonalds for a McFlurry..............yum!

We called it an night early and prepared to be at the airport by 1200 to meet the team. We will directly go to Clinica Ezell and prepare to start in the morning.

Winding Up the Placencia Trip

Yesterday, I flew back to Guatemala from Placencia.  I love those small planes and short flights.  I did not have a private flight yesterday but it was fascinating. I watched the reflection of the plane in the clouds, the whole flight.

 It was just beautiful in the clouds as we flew from Placenia to Flores and then on to Guatemala City.

Clearing customs in Flores was a breeze. The flight to Guatemala was beautiful.  It was my first time flying in at night and we flew near the volcanoes.  There was red lava flowing and I wish that I had been prepared to take some photos.

It was a short nap in Antigua and then up and ready to catch a shuttle in the morning.  I went to Los Encuentros and then changed shuttles for Chichi.

I was in the middle, front seat next to the driver. We started slowing down as we were climbing up to Chichi. When I looked to the right our the window, this was my view.

Nothing like being reminded of what can happen on the climb to Chichi.

In just a few minutes, the traffic had come to a complete stop.  There were three vehicles stopped in the road.  One in the right lane, then one in the left lane and then the third was in the right lane.  We had to zig-zag to get by.

So, follow the bus ahead of us as it passed the first truck and now is in the process of passing the one one the left. As he approaches the third on, which is on the right, he has trouble.

He has to back up and make four attempts to pass the trailer.  Needless to say, it was very interesting.

Made it back to Chichi and I was thankful. I had a great time in Belize and will return one day. Now it is time to shift gears and get ready for Jodi to visit us and then had to Montellano for a surgical clinic. It will be a small team but there are several new people on it so it will be nice to meet some new people................plus see some others that I have worked with before! 

Last Couple of Days in Placencia

I took another taxi into Placenia today, even though they told me that most places would not be opened due to being Good Friday. They were correct.  Hardly anyone was in town and most doors were closed. 

I walked along the beach but there were no chairs or hammocks out, as there were yesterday.  I did see one dog on the beach and Carol, I thought it was Suzy.  Then I realized she was not, when she did not come to great me  :)

I looked for a place to eat and the only place that I saw opened was a Thai restaurant.  There is a large Oriental population in Placencia. They own a large supermarket, several restaurants, hotels and spas.

Farther up the road, I saw a small house that people were entering and leaving with boxes of food. I asked if I could eat inside and they welcomed me. The menu was written on an old black chalkboard.  I requested conch soup.  Oh my................it is definitely the best meal I have eaten.  It was thick as a stew, with conch, carrots, potatoes, okra and onion. It came with a side of rice and a fried plantain.  Yes, it was the best meal in Placencia!

When I returned to the hotel, I went to the beach and my chairs were waiting for me. It was  cloudy but a good afternoon to read.  I am currently reading A Lineage of Grace.  I have enjoyed it a lot and have finished the sections on Tamar and Rahab.

I often think of my last trip here and how things have changed.  When I was here before, there were no laptops or tablets.  Most of the people that I traveled with enjoyed reading, so we would make a list of books that we would all take.  That way, we would be organized to swap books and not take unnecessary duplicates. We were all heavy readers, so in three weeks we could finish a lot of books!  I mean, a LOT of books!  Now, we have things so much easier.

So these were my views. Even beautiful when cloudy. There is no one around.  I have the beach to myself.

Very peaceful.

These flowers are beautiful and they are in front of the hotel.  Cheryl is a wonderful host and available when you have questions or need to call for a taxi

The name is High Tide Guest House and it is small. I think she has five small cabins.  They are cute and very clean.

As you can see, I am in the middle of nothing and love it.  It is very quiet and tropical. My purpose in escaping Chichi was to find quiet and solitude and I have accomplished it. I have not heard one firecracker or any bombas........no cows making noise, no howling dogs, no roosters singing at 0400, no birds jumping on and sliding down my roof and no blowing bands!

Placencia is full of color and signs.  All of the houses are colorful and bright.

A good reminder for us.

There is a lot of building taking place.The foundation is only tree stumps and then built with plywood. The houses do not have many windows and they are built built very, very close together.

When it came time for lunch, I tried a place that I had read about. There were raving reviews about a place that had grilled lobster and cheese sandwiches. I have been craving lobster but just can not see paying the prices that restaurants want in the states. They said this place was reasonably priced.  When I found it, I was told that they did not have any since it was not lobster season.........I guess that means that I will have to return when I find out when lobster season is.

So, I went next door and had conch ceviche. It was OK but it was better from the other restaurant.

After I finished, I saw some chairs that were calling my name.  I had heard that today would get crowded so I want to take advantage while I could.

There were some sailboats out for the day. Janice and Barbara, I got so excited since I thought it was a "fanny-washer."

As it got closer, I could see that it was a catamaran but I think we could have handled it!

It was almost time to head in for the evening.........but a purple hammock was calling my name.

A very relaxing view.

That was my last photo of the trip and it was a very good time.  I just need to return before another 20 years passes and research when lobster season is.

Placencia Sidewalk

I took a taxi from The High Tide into Placencia.  The lady that picked me up had heard about me!  It was her husband who drove me to the hotel yesterday afternoon from the airport.  He later told her of how my luggage was left behind in Belize City and he brought it out to me.  I was so thankful to get my other clothes.

I asked the lady if she knew where Sonny's Resort was. She told me that it was destroyed several years ago by a hurricane but she knew where it had been.  I had her drop me off near there and I headed for the beach.

I walked along the Placencia Sidewalk until I saw a restaurant that I had read about, called Cozy Corner.  I had conch ceviche and it was wonderful!

This is the beach in fron of where Sonny's Resort was several years ago.

They have built small cabins like we stayed in but ours were not so close together.

Placencia Road connects with the Placencia Sidewalk.  Now the sidewalk in boarded but when were here before, it was just sand.

This is a soccer field close to where Sonny's Resort was. I remember there being a huge party after a soccer game and the resort not having enough food to prepare for everyone.  I think we ate off the resort that evening. The restaurant had not anticipated having so many people.

Look at the price.....over $5 a gallon.

In the evening, I walked to the other side of the peninsula and watched the sunset.  There is a huge marina with a lot of expensive toys and a dive shop.

Here come some of my friends now.  I sure would love to sleep on that boat for the night :)

OK, time to head in and prepare for tomorrow..................

Belize......After All of These Years!!

I have lost track of how many years it has been since I have visited Belize.  For some reason, it has always stayed on my mind and I finally have a chance to return.  When I return to Guatemala, I will look in my old passport to actually see how many years it has been. I was on a three week vacation  of Guatemala and Belize with Janice and Barbara, who I worked with and also some other friends. I had no idea then, that someday, Guatemala would be my home.

I left the hotel in Antigua at 0400 and made my way to a small plane in Belize.  When we boarded, it looked to small to actually fly.  It reminded me of the flight that I took with Kemmel and Lisa last year to Cozumel to translate at the orphanage.  Flap those arms hard!!

So before take off, he let me jump out and crank the prop!

He ushered me out to the plane and he told me that I would have a private plane for the first five minutes. We would land in Belize City and pick someone up.  He was correct.........it was someone, so this one guy and I had a semi-private flight.

Getting ready to land in Placencia, Belize.

This looked very familiar after all of these years.

I got a taxi to my hotel, The High Tide Guest House.  It is only about ten minutes from the airport.

I got settled into my room and met Cheryl, who runs the guesthouse.  It is super clean and in a quiet location.

I am about half a block from the beach and checked out the surroundings.  I went down on the beach to read a little and then walked down the beach for an early dinner. This was the view from my table!  I enjoyed fish tacos and then a quick swim in the pool. I slept for a few minutes and then was back on the beach!

How could the day gone any better??  Well, they did loose my luggage for about two hours in Belize City but that sure did not ruin my day!  Tomorrow??  Who knows...........but I will keep you posted.

Clinic in Lemoa

Today is Saturday, which is OUR FRIDAY.........................if you can follow that, you are doing well.  When I have clinics on Saturdays, I always joke that this is our Friday and tomorrow is our Saturday.

I forgot to share this photo with you from yesterday.  This turkey, this is not a very good photo but will show the point, is mothering these 9 baby chicks!  She talks to them and they follow her around.  When she loses track of one, she goes back to gather it!

The other day returning from clinic, Martina was making a lot of phone calls. I did not pay much attention as she was primarily speaking in K'iche'.  When she finished, she told me that she was trying to find a turkey egg to place under her turkey. She told me that a turkey will take another egg and care for it until it hatches as if it were her own. I am not a farm girl so I do not know these kind of things. I am always learning something.

We did not have a lot of patients today. We have been announcing and talking about the new clinic on Saturday but it will take some time for people to remember it.  We counted a lot of pills, cleaned, organized and ate.  Manuel took a truck to get it serviced and when he returned, he surprised us with a  morning snack.  It is white corn broth with a few black beans, in which you flavor with anything that you want to use.  Everyone uses the Palitos and then you have options of chili, lime, salt or chicken flavoring.  I like mine with Palitos, lime and salt.........hold the chili and chicken, please.

On Monday, I will continue with the ladies in Chuchipaca. We are studying Proverbs 31 about the Virtous Woman.  We are talking about the manner in which she works and cares for her family.  She is not lazy but works though the day and into the evening to provide the best she can.

The ladies have always enjoyed examples so I try to prepare some for them. So, if you were in the market and wanted to buy something..................would you be more likely to buy from this lady??

Or would you buy from this lady??  Everyone selected the second photo and explained by saying, they would buy from her because she is prepared to sell.

People see our actions and they observe our behavior.  It is obvious the first lady, at the moment that the photo was taken, was not interested in making a sell.

So, that is on the agenda for Monday.

On Tuesday, I will go to Antigua and then fly to Belize.  Semana Santa in Chichicastenango is packed and very crowded.  I am going to make an escape!!

Meet Glenda From Paxot III

Today, we had clinic in Paxot II.  We had a good number and a good variety of patients.

When it was lunch time, we walked to Manuel's home and enjoyed lunch. The kitchen was full of family and we had a great time.  Manuel's mother was in her usual position and served the soup into two bowls. In one bowl was the broth and in the other bowl was squash, carrot and beef. We also enjoyed lime, avocado and tortillas. 

Meals are always interesting in this home.  You can openly see how important family is to this culture. There were seventeen of us and we had a great time.  Lunch went quickly and then it was back to clinic.

It was almost time to close up and then I found out that my newest ABC Daughter was there from Paxot III.  I have not had the opportunity to meet her yet......................so here she is!

Her name is Glenda and she lives down the road, in another community.  She is studying to be a secretary and has one more year of school.  She likes lipstick, jewelry and likes to study.........yes, she IS my daughter!

I asked her if she is studying English and she said yes.  She told me that she had a project from school that she was working on and I offered my help her if she would like it. We will meet for ice cream on Sunday at 2pm and I will help her with her English project.

Armando and Armando Visit Us

Today, was the day that we have been waiting for.

Last October or November, I heard about a gentleman that needed some help.  At first we did not know his name or where he lived. We just heard he was out there. It took about five weeks and we found him and his name is Armando. Early in January, he had surgery to remove an extremely large lipoma or mass from his neck and back area. He did extremely well and is so thankful to Health Talents International for the help he received.

After surgery, his son Armando Junior started messaging Gaspar and me about wanting to meet with us.  They are not Christians and have had more interest in studying the Bible. We have offered them the invitation to visit us when ever it is possible.  The travel for them is about 10-11 hours on a bus.

This morning, they left their home at 0200 to come and see us. I was so excited to see them standing outside of the clinic as we welcomed the patients.  Gaspar welcomed them and told people how far they had traveled.  Armando spoke up and told the crowd about the care he has received and how it has changed his life.

This was the day we had been waiting for.  I spoke with Armando, his son and Gaspar before I started seeing patients.  Gaspar continued with them for almost three hours. When they finished, they came and asked me if I could talk a few miniutes.

They have decided that they want to be baptized and become Christians.  They are returning to their home today, to speak to the other family members and to tell them what they have learned. They are hoping that the others will want to do the same and then they will start a church in the area where they live.  We are all very thankful for their interest and want to help them in any way that we can.

Before they returned to Jalapa, they wanted a photo as today was very special for all of us.......Gaspar, Armando, myself and Armando´s son.  We will be following up with them in the next couple of weeks. I will keep you posted.

The Instant World That We Live In

This morning I went to Quiche to worship.  There was a good number there and as I have mentioned before, the church continues to grow.

The lesson was very good.  He talked about how we live in an Instant Society.  I have thought about this many times.  We are not a patient people.  We, myself included, sometimes want things five minutes ago.  Waiting can be difficult and frustrating for us.

He started naming all of the things we have that are instant. 
  

We enjoy our computers until they are not fast enough.  Instead of writing a letter by hand and having it delivered a week later, we are frustrated if our emails are not sent in a few seconds.

We want success and we want it now.  Generations before us had to "work up the ladder." Now, we have the expectation that we deserve the promotion or the newest and largest account in the firm.

How many young people actually have a used car for their first owned car?  Many people have traveled outside of the states internationally, several times before they are out of college.

If we do not get what we want and as fast as we want it, it can cause frustration, leading to severe depression. We want to give our children the best but is that always the best for them?

Just a few thoughts to ponder on a Sunday afternoon.

Wow, Mactzul I Has Changed

Today, we had clinic in Mactzul I at the school.  It was a good clinic with a variety of patients.

Between patients, Teresa cleaned out the medicine boxes. I would like to be able to say that I helped her but actually I bothered and pestered her more than I helped. I just could not control myself!  I wanted to put dust and rocks in her nice, clean medicine box.  She took it well and teased me back. Manuel even started giving her a hard time but it was all in fun...........

We started this clinic at the school early in 2015.  This section was an abandoned school house that some of our adult promoters were able to study at when they were younger. Most were only able to finish 3rd or 4th grade.  There is a newer section to the school and eventually, this was torn down. This photo was taken in January of 2015.

At this time, there was an inauguration at the school and a ceremony was held to show unity through out the community.  Kemmel spoke and represented Health Talents. He explained that we would be there every Friday and welcomed everyone to visit the clinic. Others from the community spoke, which included a Catholic Priest and a Mayan Priest.

There were several in attendance!The whole front of the new section was full with chairs and then people were also sitting in the backs of their trucks.

The landscaping has changed drastically in the last few months.  They now have cleared away the land in front, laid a cement foundation and have built this enormous cover.  The section of school to the far left is the section that replaced the old school.

For lunch we enjoyed eggs and tortillas.  We finished up with the last few patients and then started packing up for the day.

Tomorrow, we will have clinic in Lemoa and I hope that we have some patients.  I am going to buy pizzas for us and then our friend will deliver them to us to enjoy for lunch.  Really, they are a peace-offering to Teresa for picking on her so much   :) :) :)