Guatemala trip - second half of photos

The second half of photos from our Guatemala trip - enjoy!

Rhonda bought paper, chalk and crayons in the marketplace - the kids loved it! Notice the laundry - there was always, always wet laundry hanging. We just worked around it. In the front is four year old Renee, very naughty! 

An indoor stove - they use these for all their cooking, using a lot of wood that is expensive. The smoke is also not taken out of the building, causing respiratory problems. The missionary we helped is working to get improved stoves into the houses we build, at a cost of $150 each. They not only vent the smoke out, they use a lot less wood, saving the women money. 

Avocado trees grow in coffee fields, shading the coffee plants. Huge avocados were everywhere, for the picking up. How I wished I could bring back some with me. Huge, huge trees!

Our 15 x 20 house, pretty much finished. The women are responsible to put in two windows and a door before they can move in. Very few furnishings will go inside this house - just what is needed. No plumbing or appliances, but some electricity. 

Erlinda (who we built for) carrying toddler on her back, taking food to the celebration / dedication of her home. 

Erlinda at the dedication - unable to even describe how moving this experience of dedicating the home was.  The floor was strewn with sweet grass, fresh flowers in vases, balloons. Everyone wore their best, and they cooked special dishes to thank us. We prayed, they prayed. We cried, they cried. 

I love this man.

Other mother we built a home for. She had one child and the home will be in her daughter's name, so it can never be taken from them. 

Stopping to weave cloth in the afternoon. 

Laundry - always laundry. We were told this woman is about 80 years old. 

Transporting cinder blocks to a work site. Those are coffee plants you see. 

Toot-toots. The Guatemalan version of a taxi. Pedestrians have no rights and these toot-toots will run right over you. Even dogs get out of their way. 

Bananas or plantains everywhere. We ate them fried for breakfast. 

tomorrow's supper

Where Teri, the missionary lives. She has had to build up and up and up because the lake she lives on is formed from a volcano - it's 1000 feet deep, no outlet so it keeps rising. The house was amazing to visit - unlike anything I've ever seen. Reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson. 

We spent our last evening in Guatemala here - having supper on this rooftop, singing, praying, taking communion together. Only light was candles and twinkling lights around the lake. Amazing!