Saturday, August 21, 2010

Day 8 - Last day of work in Pascagoula

Last day...we slept in until 6:30 this morning.  Everyone was tired and moving slow this morning.

At the work site for 8am again, and it was over 100 degrees when we arrived.  Of course we have the roof to finish - the hardest part because the scaffolding wouldn't reach the far side of the house and there is a deck and porch that sticks out.  We had to assemble ladder jacks and rebuild 3 storeys of scaffolding on the other side of the house.  It was as safe as it could be considering the circumstances.  We lifted all the remaining bundles of shingles up onto the roof once it was tar papered and the drip tray installed.  Lots of breaks today and everyone wore gloves because the shingles were so hot that they would burn your fingers.  Basically, a crew rotated and worked at finishing the roof all day. 

Lisa and Lee went with Joe (a supervisor) to measure the joyces in a few houses - Lisa met a "spider-lizard" under one of the houses. 

Laura, Bre and Emily went with Mark/Ralph/Steve/Elmo to finish cleaning one of the other finished houses for the morning.  After Laura almost fell down the stairs, they called it quits and came back to the main work site to finish up the day with us.  These girls helped with moving shingles, and re-built the back porch and steps on the house.

Kerstie and Jodie ran 2x6 on the top of the inside walls so that the drywall would have something to butt up to.  A hot job as they were up in the rafters...

We finished the day at 4pm and had a sad good-bye circle.  We all really enjoyed working with our supervisors: Jamie, Mark, and Joe and with Michael (an Ameri-corps volunteer).  They made our experience really memorable and they were awesome to work with and for!  Jamie always started the day with a great devotional and prayer, which helped to remind us why we were there and what we were working for. 

We had little time to pack up and shower and evacuate Camp Victor.  We went for supper at The Mellow Mushroom as a farewell dinner - a great place for hoagies and pizza - probably the best pizza I have ever had!

We did get some driving in tonight, we are now just south of Montgomery Alabama - not where we intended to be, but everyone is so exhausted we can't push on any further.  So, nighty night and we will check in again tomorrow.

Good Work Team!
Juli

Friday, August 20, 2010

Day 7 - Work in Pascagoula

Hottest day yet!  115 degrees, and of all things to tackle on a day like today - we shingled 3/4 of the roof on a house that is built on stilts 14 feet off the ground!

Our day started again at 6am, and we were to the work site by 8am.  Because we did most of the "hidden" jobs yesterday, we got to tackle the stuff that is visible and makes it look like you had a productive day.  So we worked in groups to shingle the roof once everyone passed the "shingles test".  Doug, John and I did one side of the house.  Bill, Lisa, Pat did the front side of the house.  Lee was a seam cutter on the corners.  Kerstie and Jodie handed up all the shingles onto the roof. 

The cleaning crew; Laura, Emily and Breanna all went to clean 2 more houses with 2 local ladies who were finishing their "sweat equity" with today being their last shift.  Now that they have completed their 250 sweat hours, they have to take a few mandatory courses that Habitat offers.  For instance they might be courses on financial management, homeowners management and family planning.  Once they have completed all the set our requirements by Habitat they will be able to move into their home.  They were pretty excited, as they have been working for a year now to complete their required hours.

The afternoon, as it got up to 115 degrees, really got the better of a few of us.  We moved to shingle the front and side of the house we were on ladders and perched on the roof.  Both Doug and I got what we call the "black blink"  which happens right before you either passout or go down with heat exhaustion/dehydration.  It comes on really fast, and when it hits, you get to the ground as fast as you can.  Pat experienced it later in the day too.  Everyone was drinking oodles of water, but we sweat more than we were drinking for most of the day.  Needless to say, everyone couldn't wait to submerge in the ocean to help bring our body temperatures down to a normal range again.  Each person drank about a gallon of water today, and hardly anyone peed all day - that just shows you how much we each sweat!

We must have done more than what they were expecting us to accomplish this week as they had to order more supplies and matierals to have at the worksite for us for tomorrow so that we have something to do.  Everyone is working so well together as a team and really enjoying each others company and friendship.  We are all really lucky to have each other here...we have become quite a team and we work very effeciently together! 

Half of the group stayed and had dinner at Camp Victor (chili dogs and mac and cheese) and Bill-asaurus, Lis-asaurus, Doug-asaurus, John-asaurus and I all went to Aunt Jennies for supper.  This is an all-you-can-eat local shrimp and catfish restraunt.  Doug might have been fascinated with Bill's 8 plates of shrimp and catfish...the waitress couldn't wait to see us go!  I guess Canadian's don't have the oppertunity to eat like that anywhere at home!  Basically, we ate the place out of shrimp...and catfish...and hush puppies...and sweet potatos!  Now we are all so full and bloated we will have to roll into bed!

Go team!

Juli

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Day 6 - Work in Pascagoula

Today was stifiling hot!  It was pushing 110 degrees - and when you are working up in the rafters it was certain to be over 120 degrees!  We wore bandanas to keeep the sweat from dripping into our eyes.

Again we started our day at 6am and were to the work site by 8am and ready to go.  Today was a lot of finishing jobs that were hard to see progress with.  Doug and John worked with re-aligning the fascia along the roof and putting up the finishing fascia for most of the day. 

Laura, Breanna and Emily went to 2 finished homes are were the clean up crew.  They are working with Mark -  a real southern comedian! 

Pat worked on hammering the rest of the roof down and getting the tar paper on it and ready for shingles tomorrow.  Kerstie and Jodie framed in an interior wall.  Lee finished the blocking on the inside roof trusses.  Bill worked on the roof and perfected the roof line angles - we had a roof inspection today - so it was all hands on deck to get the roof ready to pass inspection so we can continue with shingling tomorrow. 

Lisa and I built a "rat run" on the inside roof trusses and reinforced the trusses the full length of the house with a "v" on both sides...a very tedious and HOT task.  For a couple of girls we did a great job...all but one seam, which got the better of us and where only 2 nails should have been 6 now reside!  It was pretty funny...but exhaustion does crazy things to you!!!

Doug says "It was a very rewarding day today...we got a lot of work work done, and accomplished so much.  It is great to have a full day of work in, hurt at the end of it, and feel like you have accomplished something.  This is definately a 'young mans' job!  And I am feeling it, in my arms, my hands, my legs and my fingers!!!"

We did finally get our van fixed - we have 2 new tires - and an alignment...good to go!  Bill took the van into the shop today and while it was getting fixed he got a Mississippi haircut...which as he tells the story, sounds like quite an experience! 

Since we have been here, I think 6 pairs of sunglasses have gotten broken - Bill has broke 3 himself, one of mine, one of Lisa's and one of Tim's (who isn't even here with us)...so he also picked up new sunglasses for himself ...only to return to the work site and both Lisa and I broke ours today!  This is not a good trip for sunglasses!!!

Work finished slightly early today, as all the contractors had a staff meeting, so in our wet, sweaty and stinking clothes we went to the Gator Ranch and everyone held an aligator, hiked the bayou, and went on an airboat tour through the swamp.  It was pretty amazing, and a once in a lifetime oppertunity for most of us.

We had supper at the infamous "The Shed", who boasts the best ribs in all of the USA.  We all tend to agree that they have the best "rack" in the world!  We had 2 friends from Baton Rouge come to meet us for supper - they drove over 2 hours to come and see us.  Kara and Courtney worked with us last year when our team came to work with Habitat, and we have stayed in touch over the last year.  It was so great to see them!  Also, one of the supervisors that we have been working with, Mark/Ralph/Steve (no one knows his real name) came along too to show is thanks for us coming so far to help his community.  It was a great night...and we all over ate for sure!


Juli

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Day 5 - Work in Pascagoula Mississippi

Wake up call at 6am, breakfast, packed lunch, loaded the van and on the road by 7:30am.  We were on the worksite and rearing to go by 8am.  Today was a big work day - we had to make up for lost time yesterday!  It was sunny, and hot today 92 degrees plus humidity - was well over 100 degrees today!

We started off completing the third story of scaffolding, so that a team could nail the sheets of pressed board onto the roof.  In the hot, direct sun - Doug, Jodie, Lisa, and Kerstie hammered for the entire morning. Pat worked on the inside of the roof line putting in center supports at the peak.  John and Bill tied the new structure and the old structure of roofing together - in a small tight space.  Lee and Laura went to work with Joe and they went to 3 finished homes (where people are already living) and crawled under the homes into the crawl spaces to take measurements to see if the beams were bowing or not.  It was a post construction inspection of some kind.  Lee blocked all afternoon - reinforcing each truss on the inside roof - a very tedious job where he had to hang like a monkey to hammer the blocks in place.  I was the cutter today did all cuts on the chop saw and the circular saw for all the different projects that were taking place. 

Laura, Emily, Breanna went with Mark/Steve/Ralph (he won't tell anyone his real name) and went to a finished home that is almost ready for a family to move into, and they cleaned it - washed baseboards, cabinetry, vaccuumed and cleaned the house of all dust so that it will be ready for a family to move in.  Breanna and Emily finished putting all the strapping on the inside walls to the trusses - I think each girl probably put in a couple hundred nails each today!  And guess what????  EMILY SWEATS!!!  For someone who has never sweat before - she was just as shocked as we were when she discovered that her shins were sweating!!!

In the afternoon  a problem arose with the fascia board on the end of the house - for some reason it didn't align with the roof line, so Pat, Lisa, Kerstie and Jodie had to take off the fascia board and raise it up and re-tack it so that the roof line could be attached to the house.  Everyone had a job for the whole day - there wasn't any down time - as as we got to clean up time it started to sprinkle and then we had a torrential downpour - so everyone got soaked on top of their sweat and dirt! 

We did get the van into the shop and the tires have been ordered - we will be having them installed tomorrow while we are at work - thank goodness!

The rain doesn't last long here but it is scattered all the time and you never know when it will come again - we went to the beach right after work (since we were wet anyway) - Pascagoula has just finished their re-furbish of their waterfront since Katrina, so we went to check it out.  A quick swim, with the crabs...and a very entertaining faceplant by Kerstie and we headed home to clean up for the night.

Dinner tonight was red beans and rice and carrots with a garden salad.  A typical southern dinner.  Everyone is exhausted and is sure to have an early night!  Another big day tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

Juli

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Day 4 - Ocean Springs to Pascagoula Mississippi

Early morning wake up call - 6am ... breakfast was grits, biscuits and gravy - we had to pack our own lunches for the day and were on the road to our work site by 7:30.

We are working on a site that is about 3 blocks from the ocean.  There are quite a few homes that are missing (you can see where they once were as the footings are still there), there are some that are still damaged and probably won't be fixed unless a program like Habitat steps in to help.
We are working on a relatively new kind of project that Habitat has started here that is custom to this area.  They take mobile homes that were sent down here after Katrina and are raising them up, above Katrina's flood level to meet the new building codes.  Then they put additions onto them.  The house in Pascagoula that we are working on is built on 14 foot stilts, it was about the size of a single wide trailer, and is now about 1200 square feet.  The shell of the house is complete, framed, trusses are in place and there are sheets of wood on the roof.  There is a large set of stairs going to the house and a porch (but no railing yet). 

When we arrived, we began with safety procedures, the list of things to accomplish this week, prayer and devotional.  Laura, Emily and Breanna were assigned the clean up of inside the house.  There have been large amounts of rain the last week, so they had to sweep and squeegee out all the water inside the house.  Then they had to hand hammer in all the strapping for the trusses on the inside of the house.  Bill and John worked on finishing the roof and getting all the sheets up there secured.  Pat worked with an Americorps volunteer named Michael (who we worked with last year) to reinforce the trusses.  Doug, Lee, Lisa, Jodie, Kerstie and I disassembled the scaffolding on one side of the house and reassembled it on the other side of the house.  Now this scaffolding is 3 storeys high - remember that the base of the house doesn't start until it is 14 feet in the air...it means that everything we will be doing this week will be up a ladder or on scaffolding!

Unfortunately, the heavens opened up and we had torrential down pouring mid morning.  We actually had so much rain, that our supervisor, Jamie called it a day and sent us all home.  Talk about being disappointed!  We just drove 23 hours to work, and we only worked for 2 hours!!!  Well, what do you do when mother nature isn't in your corner...wouldn't you know it?  God is!  Our van has been making a terrible whirling sound and we thought that maybe a wheel bearing was going, so having a free afternoon turned out to be a blessing in that we could take it into the shop.  Turns out that it isn't a wheel bearing, but the tires on the front are cupped.  So new tires have been ordered, and we will be having them installed before we head home!  Thank goodness!

We did go to the outlet mall this afternoon too and did a little shopping - always a fun experience - and a great way to support the local economy!  We also took a drive out past our work site last year to see what the community looks like finished.  People have moved into the homes that we were helping build last year and it looked completely different from when we left here last year.  Pretty rewarding to see a community built by Habitat volunteers!

Tonight, we participated in a Memorial Service as today marks the 31st anniversary of Hurricane Camille.  We met up with Rev. Harold Roberts (Kelly Monkman's uncle) who gave us his story and account of Hurricane Katrina following the service.  It is 10 days shy of the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and it is amazing to me how many people are still so emotional when they tell us their story.  I can't imagine leaving your house in perfect condition when you are evacuated and returning a few hours later to absolutely nothing.  The ocean literally washed everything away! 

We visited the Hurricane Katrina Memorial and were hoping (odd, I know) that this year we would see the names of those who perished in Katrina posted on the wall, as the wall was intended when it was built by Extreme Home Makeover.  Unfortunately, those names have not yet been etched into the beautiful memorial.  Nevertheless, it was a very moving experience.  The wall of the memorial is as tall as the water line when Katrina hit. 

Today was a long day, and I was really hoping to post a picture of our house for you to see, but the pictures for today were taken on Doug's camera, which are really good, BUT we don't have a cable to get them onto the computer...so tomorrow we will use another camera that we can transfer pictures onto the computer.

Please pray for the rain to stop, so we can work tomorrow!!!

Juli

Monday, August 16, 2010

Day 3 - Montgomery Alabama to Biloxi Mississippi

After a wakeup and a quick breakfast at the hotel (with a waffle machine that was way more complicated than it needed to be), we were well on our way on the road again.  We made good time only stopping once at the state line of Mississippi for a washroom break and a picture at the "Welcome to Mississippi" sign.  And finaly after the last 4 hours of our 23 hour drive, we arrived at Camp Victor.  After a quick tour of Camp Victor we made our way to the beach for a quick swim, and managed to make it out with only 3 jelly-fish stings and a bit of unexpected rain.  Lisa got into a fight with a jelly fish and we all know what happens when you get stung by a jelly fish!  Bill was the lucky guy!!!  And it worked!  Other than a few red whelts, the swelling and sting is gone!

All in all it has been a good day!  Oriantation will be at 5 o'clock, and dinner shortly after that-- I think we're having Pasta.  Then to bed soon, becuase it's our first 6am wakeup call of the week tomorrow. 

We will be working in Pascagola, about 1/2 hour from here, where we will be working on a re-furbishing program and rebuilding existing homes according to the new building code.  Will have pictures and an update tomorrow.

Thanks!
Lee and Juli

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Day 2 - Cave City Kentucy to Montgomery Alabama

Today started with a cool dip in the pool for Bill and Lisa ... continental breakfast for everyone - Kentucky apparently boasts the best mushroom-gravy for breakfast, yummy on biscuits.   After that we went off on our adventure to find a Save-a-Lot, but we ended up going to Family Dollar (They had ‘Big League’ chew, we got some) to restock on water and snacks for the ride. 

Soon we were off to our 4 1/2 miles/hours tour 300 ft underground at Mammoth Caves National Park.  It was pretty incredible and a lot of walking.  Originally Mammoth Caves, founed in the early 1800's was named after the man who found it, “Flatt”—but the news paper reporting on it decided that ‘Flatt Caves’ wasn’t a good enough name for the size and scope of these caves, so they used the name ‘Mammoth Caves’ instead. And so the name stuck. There are 392 miles of tunnels and caves explored and charted, with another estimated 600 lying undiscovered under the earth—thus making it the longest known and charted cave system in the world. On our trip though the tunnels we saw many amazing sites, such as the “Frozen Niagara” of Stalactites and Stalagmites, flowering crystal formations of Gypsm covering the walls and ceiling, and the “Grand Canyon” a giant dip approximately 100 ft deep along the path that we had to walk down...and back up.

 The tour guides were great, aside from the terrible geography jokes, but we did learn from talking to one of the guides that the caves used to be used as burial grounds—and that the staff working there claim that it’s haunted after lights out. Most of us have never experienced underground hiking before - we even had lunch in Snowball Cavern!  It was 62 degrees down there, and when we came back out our cameras, glasses and bodies went into shock with the heat!  Around 90degrees today.

Then came the 6 hour "party bus" ride to our next hotel.  We stopped at Shoney's and had all you can eat buffet for supper and back on the road - final destination for the day - Montgomery Alabama.  Only 6 more hours of driving until we reach Biloxi - orientation is tomorrow afternoon and everyone is getting excited to get to work!

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Lee Garrett, Bill Conard, Laura Pelletier, Juli Conard-Myers

Day 1 - Home to Cave City, KY

So the day started out exciting with everyone anticipating an awesome trip - we were on the road around 8:30 in our 12 passenger "party bus".  The drive is gonna be tight - but we will definately all know each other by the end of the trip!

We ran into a huge delay at the border where we were crossing in Sarnia.  The wait was over 1 1/2 hours to get over the bridge and to customs.  Long story short, we were detained at customs until after 5pm last night. After much delay and a re-route and a plan hatched by the team that was a little in the grey area, we crossed the border shortly after 6pm - some 6 hours after we arrived at the border.  Nevertheless, we have a story and an experience that will stay with all of us forever.  Thankfully, the good Lord knows that our intentions are good and our Mission is important!  Needless to say, it was a very stressful experience for everyone, but a HUGE celebration broke out in the "party bus" once we were granted entry into the US.

Our hotel arrangements were cancelled - as we didn't know how far we would make it - but we are troopers and drove until 2:30am (your time) to Cave City, Kentucky where today we will be visiting Mammoth Caves National Park as our "free day" activity.  We have crossed a one hour time difference and are on central time now for the rest of our trip.  Everyone crashed - and was thankful for a safe and eventful day!

The members of our GS Mission Team for Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Gulf Coast are:
Emily Anderson-Brodie
John Yeaman
Laura Pelletier
Lisa Mantifel
Doug Watson
Lee Garrett
Pat Wattman-Mackie
Breanna Piney
Jodie Schuyler
Kerstie Millar
Bill Conard
Juli Conard-Myers

Thank you for your continued prayers, and support (apparently we really need it!)...

Juli

Monday, July 19, 2010

Mississippi Mission


Mississippi Mission 2010 Participants:

  • Emily Anderson-Brodie
  • Lee Garrett
  • Kerstie Millar
  • John Yeaman
  • Laura Pelletier
  • Heleena Howsam
  • Jodie Schuyler
  • Breanna Piney
  • Patrick Wattman-Mackie
  • Doug Watson
Coordinators:
  • Juli Conard-Myers
  • Bill Conard
Departing August 14, 2010, these 12 participants will be driving to Biloxi, Mississippi where they will be working with Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Gulf Coast in an effort to help re-build from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina almost 5 years ago. 

We are currently seeking donations for sponsorship, and holding an ongoing penny drive to help raise funds to offset the travel expenses of the trip.  If you are interested in contributing financially to help the GS Mission Team in its latest venture, please contact any of the members or email Juli@portperry.com for more details.

The team will be participating in a memorial service for Hurricane Camille as we will be there during the 31st anniversary of Camille making landfall (August 17, 1969).  We will also be in Biloxi, a mere week from the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005).  We will be visiting both memorials while in Biloxi.

Please stay tuned for our itinerary, and updated blogs while we are away working.

Many thanks for your continued support!

Juli

Friday, May 28, 2010

Pacaya Volcano Erupts

This week a volcano in the area that the GS Team recently visited, hiked and roasted marshmellows on the lava, erupted.  For photos and an update on the activity, please visit the link below.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100528/world/guatemala_volcano

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Post-Trip Presentation

We would like to invite you to join us on Monday May 31 from 7-9pm to meet the GS Mission Team, peruse some pictures, sample authentic Guatemalan Coffee, see traditional fabrics, and the process of weaving and much more. 

We have been so blessed with the support of the community, the prayers of the congregation, and the donations from family and friends to make this trip possible - we would like to share with you where your donations went, and how your financial support impacted the Guatemalan community.

Please join us for a time of sharing!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Home Again, Home Again

For the GS Team, we arrived home shortly after 3am on Monday morning.  A long and greuling trip home, as some were still battling the "bug" and others just battling exhaustion.  Our trip home began yesterday at 5:30am. 

I must say, that I am so grateful to have such a wonderful team of individuals who were so willing and capable to help the people of Guatemala in ways that we couldn't even predict would be needed.  Our team was insightful, intuitive, and showed great initiave in the impoverished villages of Parramos, Parrojas and Parraxaj. It was truly an honor and blessing to be amongst the children and families of these remote communities and to be able to build relationships with them.


In summary, the team was able to work on 8 Adopt A Homes, provided medical clinics all week in Parramos, Parrojas and Parraxaj, 5 Animal Projects, 4 Agriculture Sessions, painted 4 classrooms in Parrojas and 1 school (classroom and outside) in Parraxaj, built 4 Stoves, provided games and crafts to approx. 400 children in 3 different villages, distributed clothing and shoes in 2 of those villages, distributed soup to over 600 families, distributed food hampers to over 70 sponsored families in Parrojas and Parramos, delivered mattresses and bedding to an 3 families in addition to the 8 Adopt A Homes who also received beds, bedding, pots, pans, cupboards and wardrobes, attended the grand opening of the Parraxaj school and washroom facility which had been provided to the community during Loving Arms' Oct. trip, held 3 Sewing Workshops and provided donated sewing machines, conducted 2 Women's Workshops providing much needed nutrition and hygiene information, built a home for one of the most needy families in Parrojas, provided a playground with a swing set, slide and teeter totter for the Parraxaj school and dug trenches and erected walls on Loving Arms' newly purchased property.

The GS Mission Team is a group of selfless individuals, who search not only for the betterment of self, but the betterment of the world around them.  Guatemala is a far off place for many, but after our first ever third world mission, it is a place that will live in our hearts forever.  I only pray that we left as great an impact on the people of Guatemala as they have left with us.

It is with great respect and admiration that I give thanks to the team for their support, hard work and self-less attitudes.  I would also like to thank the many who supported our fundraising efforts, those who donated items and supplies to support the self-sustaining programs we initiated, and to those who prayed for us while we were away.  I would like to extend a personal thank you to my parents, who loved and provided for Tim and my children so that we could lead and participate in this Mission - it wouldn't have been possible without them!

Many thanks for your continued support and interest in the work of the GS Mission Team!

Juli
Mission Coordinator
Greenbank United Church

(trip summary adapted from Linda Conghlin, Loving Arms www.lovingarms.ca)

Day 9

Day 9 began peacefully and quitely in the town of Panachel at our villa where all 37 team members lodged together.  It was a grab and go kind of breakfast as many of us were off on a boat tour this morning around Lake Atitlan.  First stop was a little remote town of San Jaun to walk the village and see how they create their own threads, fabrics and products.  It is so labour intensive -w e all could really appreciate their hard work, and many of us bought our souveniers from the ladies of this town.

Next stop was the hot springs of Lake Atitlan!  The water was so hot that it would burn your skin!  It was a really bizzarre sensation though, I must say, as waves of cold lake water would come in and mix with the heat and give you a bit of a shock now and then!  The hot springs are created by the intnese volcanic gases put off by the surrounding volcanos around Lake Atitlan.  It was absolutely rejuvenating, and none of us were ready to leave.

Back to Panachel for lunch and then some went off to the market, to barter and buy, and others went fishing or rather harpooning for the afternoon.  The weather was fantastic, which was great as it made up for our lack of success harpooning dinner.   Good thing there were restraunts in this town for supper!

Our last night, with a dozen people still down sick, we had dinner out as a team to celebrate our successes and committment to the people of Guatemala.

Our night was a fairly early one, as departure time for the airport tomorrow is 5:30am.

See you all soon!
Juli

Day 8

Day 8 began bright and early, we had to be packed and loaded and out of the hostel by 7:30am.  We left Antigua for Chimaltenango Hospital, where a painting crew uplifted a room, a team went to Pediatrics, the play center, surgical and to the Maternity Ward.  Each group experienced something different.  What I can share is where I visited, the Maternity Ward.  Here there were about 30 women with infants less than 24 hours old.  These moms were all in one large room and the babies swaddled lying with each mom.  2 women had lost babies in the night and they were recovering amongst the women with babies.  You could feel their broken hearts.  Jane and Betty spent time holding their hands, singing and comforting them during this time.  Angela, Lisa and Charlene massaged all the women, their feet, hands and legs.  Others washed their feet and faces, brushed their teeth  and combed their hair.  Joan, Kathleen and myself assessed each baby and put together packages for each infant, a cloth, reuseable diaper, an outfit or two and a blanket, booties and a hat.  The mom's were so grateful, as often they take their babies home in simply a piece of cloth, or nothing at all.  It was quite emotional, but also very rewarding.

Of all places to eat, we had lunch at the local "Booger Kin" (Burger King) before starting out on the 2 hour drive to Lake Atitlan where the team would have the evening and the next day to relax and reflect on our work and experiences.

Bill, Wes, Lisa, Rachel and Jon prepared supper for everyone - beef kabobs, chips and salsa ... very tasty!  Unfortuantely a wave of illness swept through the villa dropping a dozen team members to thier knees in the banos.  We cannot attribute it to the cooking, or water, as yesterday we saw a number of very sick little kids with stomach ailments.  Who knows what it was, but it was violent and nasty!

Exhausted, those that weren't sick turned in for the night around 11pm. 

Thanks for another awesome day everyone!

Juli

Monday, May 10, 2010

Day 7

Well today was truly one of celebration. We awoke to the beautiful sunshine once again, refreshed and ready to go. We arrived the the small mountain village of Parraxaj, to the sound of a band playing and excitement in the air. Today was the official opening of the village school and the people were ready with great anticipation. They delayed this celebration until the Loving Arms team arrived so that we could share their excitement and joy. A tent was set up for shade and streamers and baloons were everywhere. The mayor arrived, along with the new Parramos ambulance, then the festivities began. Each class put on their own bit of entertainment, much to the delight of the parents and visitors alike. Speeches were made and gifts of appreciation were exchanged.   The GS Team commited to build a stove for the school, as the moms of the village prepare lunch for the children everyday over an open flame fire pit.  This will be built in the weeks ahead.  A delicious soup was served to all the guests by the village women and then we headed back to Parramos.


The afternoon found us in two adopt-a-home projects, medical and dental clinics, clothing drives, food distribution, games, crafts and the team putting in their final hours of labour on the property site. Thirty yard of cement has been mixed and poured, and the foundation laid. It is so exciting to see what was a dream becoming a reality. The adopt -a-home projects continue to humble each one as we are invited into the home of these dear people, who have absolutely nothing and yet are so happy. It was wonderful to see the families supported by the sponsors back home, but we were also extremely aware of the desperate need for more.

The clothing drive was especially moving for many members who surrendered the shoes off of their own feet to give to those who didn't have any, or to those who's shoes were too small.  Dave sat and washed children's feet as others fitted them with shoes.  It was quite emotional to experience.

The father of one of the adopt a home families made a speech at the food distribution about how grateful he was for the support and the love he recieved this week.  He is a widow with 6 children, and works very hard to support his family the best he can.  That very day, a family member of his passed away, and he adopted or took in their child too.  Now he is responsible for 7 children, all on his own.  Thankfully, team members have sponsored this family and they will now recieve ongoing support. 
Tonight, we ended the day with an appreciation dinner for all our Guatemalan volunteers who have helped so much, not only this week, but each and every day.

“To everything their is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” We have been priviledged to be a part of this season and time in Guatemala, and continue to look forward to being a part of God’s purpose in the days and years ahead.

This will be our last entry and we look forward to sharing with everyone when we return home.

Adios from the team.

Joan and Juli

Day 6

Day 6 began an early day...but a "shocking" day for me.  My fingers were slammed in the door of the van, and were stuck until someone came to the rescue to open the door for me.  It was pretty scary, as we thought that they were broken.  Luckily, there was cold water close by, and prayer always helps, we were able to control the swelling and the pain.  It looks like I will lose my fingernails, but it could have been worse! 

We dropped the Property crew off to being their work day, and continued on to Parraxaj where we held medical and dental clinics.  Built a playground for the school (it was hard to keep the kids off of it until the cement footings were dry), Kathleen and Charlene ran a sewing workshop for 5 women, a group led crafts, games and football outside while the school classrooms were being painted, a team went to clean and furnish a home (cornstalk hut) and another team went to build a stove for a family in need.  We also had a crew out in the agriculture program weeding and planting, beautiful and perfect rows of peas, cabbage, squash, corn and tomatos.

This was a great day for everyone - especially Tim and I who bonded with a family, actually the family that recieved the adopt a home program earlier in the day.  The children are precious with infectious laughs and their presence in the world simply brightened our day.  Thank goodness that Tim speaks spanish well enough to carry on conversations!

After our team dinner, most went to a beautiful monestary which is illuminated in the evenings.  Absolutely breathtaking!

Will post more soon.  Thanks for reading and supporting!
Juli

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Day 5

Day 5 has been an awesome day!  Stove program, piggy program, sewing workshops, dental and medical clinics, property maintenance, agriculture ... clothing distribution, food distribution, presentation from the children of the community.  It was a really great day.  Everyone is extremely tired today from the heat, and a few are sick and spending a lot of time in the ¨banos¨.  We are having an early night.  Will update tomorrow.  Hope all is well at home!

Juli

Monday, May 3, 2010

Day 4

Woke up to the rooster crows this morning. For breakfast, we had a nice plate of fresh fruit. We headed for the town of Parrojas, and stopped off at Parramos to pick up Alicia. We didn´t quite make it up the hill to Parrojas, as the vans couldn´t handle the steep incline. Some of us walked the rest of the way up the hill, and , some got a ride up, and some even ran up. The view walking up the hill was amazing, mountains, volcanoes, and farmers fields, like nothing we see in Ontario. We were able to stop off at the new school being built. They were saying it will take about 8 years to be finished. The government is paying for the construction of the school, but will only give money a little bit at the time. There are some cinder blocks at the base, with rebar as supports and that´s pretty much all that has been completed so far. We made it the rest of the way up the mountain and found that it´s much easier and a better view if you walk uphill backwards. We were greeted by the people in the town as we arrived at the community center, which was a simple cinder block structure with surprisingly beautiful tiles. As we separated into our groups for the morning, some went off to the Adopt·A·Home programs, some went to help with the dental and medical clinics, and others were helping with the children´s rotations.  The rotations included crafts, hockey, soccer and games. The kids loved going to the different stations, and when they were not at a station, they were entertained with ¨Follow the leader¨ and ¨If you´re happy and you know it!¨All those who were helping truly enjoyed building relationships with the children. We helped to put on a soup kitchen for the school children. They were also given apple snacks and a loot bag. In the afternoon, we were split into different groups again, going off to work on the property, paint classrooms, mom´s workshops, and more Adopt·A·Home and Animal Programs. For the Adopt a homes, we brought furniture, linens, pots and pans, hygiene kits and clothes and games for the kids. Some of the houses were a little difficult to get to, but the families were so grateful for what they were given. In one of the homes, as soon as they put the bed in the whole family jumped on the bed, and could not be more happy. For others, as soon as they were shown what the cupboards were for, they immediately filled them with clothing and anything else that would fit! Some of the ladies were shown how to use the sewing machines, and how to create a drawstring bag. The end of the day came quickly and we made our way back to La Antigua. Some stopped at the market, and got some steals. Bonny is the person to be with if you need to bargain. Had a fabulous supper at the Oakville team´s hotel. A group of us went out in search of a good coffee shop and some ice cream and were surprised to find two in one shop. We enjoyed cappaccinos, milkshakes, ice cream and crepes. Slowly made our way back to our hotels, and enjoyed the night air.

Kathleen

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Day 3

Great breakfast!  Black beans and eggs shortly after the rooster crowed.  Our first stop of the day was in Parramos at the new piece of property that Loving Arms had recently purchased.  This property will be used for ongoing dental and medical clinics, training trades center and eventually a children's home for orphaned and abused children.  We did a ground breaking ceremony with photo's with the contractor and mason that will be assissting our team this week as we begin construction.

We ventured up the mountain to the little town of Parraxaj where we were greeted by about 10 families.  We brought with us a bed and linens for the "host" family who has been sponsored through Loving Arms.  It was so rewarding to move the bed in, assemble it and make it for them.  The two other beds in this home had blankets, but the base was made of tin and no mattress.  The children were so excited to lay in the bed - they were all smiles!

Carmen Sanjay toured us through her crops of peas, cabbage and corn, that were planted up the side of the mountain.  We hiked the mountain appreciating the work of hand planting all of the crops in perfectly cared for rows.  The children ran along side us so proud to show us their crops and lifestyle.  We then went to the local school where the bbq was being prepared.  The main school house was made of cinder-blocks, and the second school house was dirt floors and corregated tin.  The children learn both in Spanish and English and their work hangs proudly on the walls.  A group immediately started playing football (soccer) and another group played bubbles and taught the kids to fly a kite and we colored on the tarmack with sidewalk chalk.  The children were so grateful for the attention and the goodies - but their excitement EXPLODED  when we hung up the pinatas!  Such a joy!

They served a traditional lunch of chicken, rice, salads, tortilla, and fresh vegetables.  It was absolutely delicious! 

We went to church at 4pm in Parramos, where we sang Jesus Loves Me in Spanish and If You are Happy and You Know it, and performed a skit for the kids.  Linda spoke, Charlene shared a beautiful message and Bob led in prayer.  The congregation celebrated both Bob and Juli's birthdays and they served cake and a drink to about 200 people.  This congregation was invited to come to visit us on Thursday at the clothing drive that we will be hosting.  The children ran and sang and played with us for a long time following the service. 

The day was absolutely incredible.  You can't even describe the connection that you can make so easily with people who you don't know and don't share a language with.  The locals are so friendly, and outgoing and eager to meet and spend time with you.  Today was an awesome day, and we are really looking forward to tomorrow when the real work begins!

Edgar made lasagna, salad and bread for us for supper, we broke into small groups and called it a night.  Looking forward to tomorrow - stay tuned for our latest updates!

DAY 2

Day 2 began at 5am with a Guatemalan wake up call courtesy of Tim "Wake up you lazy Canadians!" as be banged on pots and pans.  Breakfast at 5.30 and then off to hike a volcano.  The journey was a little longer than we anticipated, one of the two vans broke down and we had to wait for a replacement.  Once we arrived, we were each given a bag lunch and a hiking stick to begin our trek.  We all protected Caitin from the horses that followed us up the mountain as she has a severe allergy.  The climb was 2300 meters and it wasn't a winding path.  Straight up.  No kidding, it just about killed us!  We had multiple people so short on breath we thought we were going to lose someone.  As the air got thinner, the lack of oxygen was replaced with volcanic gases.  After climing to the base of the lava rock, we  had lunch and then continued up another hour hiking on the rock to the lava itself.  This volcano has been active for the last 2 months, and as we got higher, spots of heat and gases rose from the rock beneath our feet, and we had to keep moving so that our shoes didn't melt.  Good thing our guides brought marshmellows, we all got to roast some at the top over the red hot lava!  Pretty incredible experience! 

We hiked through several climate changes.  It started off hot and humid, then we got into fog and a mist of rain.  Then we hiked through cool, wind and rain, then it cleared for an incredible view, then as we got to the top of the volcano we experienced torrential downpours, high winds and extreme heat rising from the earth.  As we climbed back down, we climbed out of the rain and wind and fog, and the sun was shining for our trek down the mountain.  This was an experience that none will soon forget.

Exhausted, we all headed back to our hostel, where some drifted to explore Antigua, some went to experience a Mayan Massage at a local spa, and some napped!

We finished the evening with a team dinner prepared by Edgar, and turned in early for the night.  A great end to our "free day"!

Today we venture off to Parramous and Parraxaj where we will be participating in a community bbq and leading the church service.  We will definately be updating our experiences with the locals so stay tuned!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

WE HAVE ARRIVED!

We arrived safely to Antigua last night, after an hour delay in Miami.  72 of our 74 suitcases of supplies arrived with us.  Dianne, Bill and Tim drove us from the airport in Guatemala City through rush hour traffic, in what is supposed to be 3 lanes of traffic, which was more like 5 lanes of traffic.  It was very stressful keeping all the vehicles together, watching for the motorcycles weaving in and out of the stopped lanes of traffic.  If ever there was mayhem - we experienced it last night!!

After arriving we were treated to pizza and then we were off to sort.   We sorted all of the suitcases into daily activities and supplies for the clinics. Everyone was extremely tired, so we retired by 10.30. 

The people are extremely friendly.  This morning we were up at 5 am, breakfast at 5.30 and off to a volcano hike for the day today.  Rainy season has arrived, but it is warm and humid about 70 degrees.  The time change is 2 hours behind home. 

We are staying at a very primitive hostel, 4 bathrooms for the 15 of us.  Hot water on occasion, no electrical outlets and rooms only big enough for a bed.  Doug is thankful for the coffee - as it is very GOOD!  Casa Jacaranda is very clean, very friendly  and very kind to have coffee and tea for us first thing in the morning.

Everyone is extremely excited to explore, and get to work.  There is a lot of anxiety and excitement - our work week starts tomorrow! 

Thanks for reading - will post more later!
Juli

Friday, April 23, 2010

Sleeps until departure!

A team of 36 from the Oakville area and Port Perry area will be leaving Toronto on Friday April 30, 2010 to go to remote villages in Guatemala to serve the indigenous peoples. A strong and determined team have come together as strangers to work together planning, organizing, sorting and packing for this 10 day trip. Now a family, these 36 individuals are about to embark on a life changing adventure where a number of planned activities and events will help support and encourage life sustaining and self-sustaining initiatives for local Guatemalans.

The current schedule includes such activities as:

• Leading women in hygiene, empowerment and sewing seminars

• Painting classrooms in a local school

• Holding a soup kitchen where 1000 women and children will be fed a hot meal

• Organizing soccer and hockey games for children

• Assisting in both medical and dental clinics

• Furnishing 8 sponsored homes, including building beds, shelving units, and building brick stoves

• Building a playground for the local school

• Launching an agricultural program involving pigs, where fenced in areas will be built

• Hosting a clothing distribution program where children will be fitted for shoes for school

• Their bean and pea harvest will be ready for picking, so we will be aiding in the hand picking of their ripe crops

The team will also be visiting a hospital in Chimaltenango where the team will deliver teddies and clothing to infants, who often don't have a new outfit to go home in.  They will also visit the children's ward, and play games, and offer one on one support. 

The teams will be participating in a church service, a traditional community festival among other important events while visiting Guatemala. The families that we are working with are families that have chosen to be a part of the support offered by Loving Arms. The intention of the team is NOT to change their lifestyle or culture, but to assist them in efficiency, offer them healthcare and a base of knowledge so that they can make changes in their own lives as they see fit.

On April 17, the team gathered together at Loving Arms’ storage facility to sort and pack donated supplies and resources such as: medical supplies, dental supplies, craft supplies, hygiene items, school supplies, food, clothing and shoes. They were able to fill 74 suitcases to 50lbs each! Quite a feat! It is such a blessing to have the continued support of the community to help Loving Arms make a difference in the lives of so many impoverished families.

Many thanks for your support!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Sunrise Service 2010


What is Easter Morn?



It is God's promise of a new day.
It is God's promise of a new life.
It is God's promise of a new world coming to pass in our midsts.


Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.


Praise be to God for his great love!
And to the Spirit,
All three in one.


Amen.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

A Class Act Dinner Theatre

Thank you for supporting the GS Mission Team and our upcoming trip to Guatemala.  We sold 90 tickets to "The Sensuous Senator" at a Class Act in Whitby last Sunday March 28.  We were able to raise $2250 through the sale of tickets, and an additional $510 through a 50/50 draw, which was donated back by the winner Bill Conard.  Thank You!

Thank you to Bonny Rahm for taking the lead on this fundraising activity, monitoring the ticket sales, creating the seating arrangement and keeping everyone up to date on the progress of the event.  Doug Watson, took lots of pictures for us and will be displaying them ahead of church on Sunday morning.  And thanks to Caitlin and Laura for selling the 50/50 tickets.  I would also like to thank Nancy Gleed from A Class Act for being so flexible and fun to work with - thank you for the oppertunity to host a fundraiser at your respectable venue!  Thank you to all who participated, helped and supported this event! 

In gratitude for your continued support,

Juli

Monday, March 22, 2010

I realize that this is a personal post, but it is a description of how our Guatemala Mission came to be.

I am going to be an audience member for the 3/27 A taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and recieved an email regarding the topic of what people have on their "list" of things to do before they die. I am responding to that with my story, what I want to do before I die:

I am a youth coodinator at the Greenbank United Church in Greenbank Ontario, Canada. Working with youth has always been a passion and an integral part of my life. Even as a teenager, I was leading teens, teaching Sunday School etc. I have always wanted to be able to provide a place for youth to come, where they can have good clean fun, no pressures for drugs, alcohol, sex etc. That they can have an oppertunity to be "real" with who they are, and get to know themselves better while making meaningful and deep relationships with others. What I found working with them, listening to them, and identifying with them, was that they were looking for "goals" or projects. Youth ministry seems to be becoming "task-oriented". Now, Greenbank is a very small town of about 150 families, one church, one store, one bakery, one small school (130 kids), one little community hall; so finding goals and projects to help others in the community was never really that hard, because we all grew up together, knowing each other and knowing when someone needed a helping hand. But, what I found with the teens was that they were looking for broader, bigger things, things that would take them beyond our little town. I, myself, as a teen, had always dreamed of participating in Third World Mission work, but small towns often limit dreams.

Last year, the teens and I set a goal to go to Biloxi, Mississippi to work with Habitat for Humanity Gulf Coast, in an effort to help re-build communities that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina over 4 years ago. So, a team of 12 teens from our small town piled into 2 vans and drove 1100 miles down to Mississippi and worked in the sweltering August heat (110degrees, 100% humidity) for a week building a home for a family still recovering from the devestation of Hurricane Katrina.

Let me tell you why this trip was so much more than we anticipated…although our intentions were to go and build homes, we built relationships, and bettered ourselves along the way. This experience was life changing, in the sense that we were able to experience how others lived, how others suffered, how a group of people with different backgrounds, and some who are complete strangers can come together for a common goal, for a greater good to make a difference in a community that isn’t even ours. And yet, after volunteering our time, it will be forever be a part of our history. These teenagers are individuals, who are not afraid to charter unfamiliar territories. They coordinated the heavy lifting of an entire roof of trusses, 2x4’s, and 2x6’s, comforted other volunteers who suffered heat exhaustion. They moved scaffolding, helped educate each other on the difference and the use for several different kinds of nails, screws, power tools and saws. They were a part of building a roof, building a deck and building a shed and other important tasks. They each took on a leadership roll for our team, began projects from scratch, assembled a teams to help and saw it through to the finish. All for a family that they never met.

So, I will admit that I underestimated these youth. When we first arrived at camp, we finished our orientation, I had left to go and sign some papers, when I came back for supper, do you know who was in the kitchen helping to serve the other volunteers their dinner? Our team. Our team, worked hard all day at the job site, came home to work hard serving each other and other volunteers. They did it all week long. They amazed me everyday with their compassion and care for one another. Their willingness to overcome their own personal fears to help and support others.

They impeccably represented themselves, their Church, thier community, this province, this country – and that is a tall order! It was very obvious that our supporters made a sound investment in Habitat for Humanity, AND at the same time, invested in our Youth, in our community, and they WILL go on to do good work, in our community here at home. Even though this was a mission that benefited a community over 1100miles from home, I believe that it had an even greater impact here on our local community, and through our youth we will see these benefits for years to come.

On our long, grueling drive home from Mississippi, a conversation took place in the van that I was driving, about how this could just be the tip of the iceberg for us. That this kind of work is so important, perhaps we should do this again, more often? I remember driving, and thinking back to my dream as a teenager, to have the oppertunity to do third world mission work, and I had an "Ah-Ha" moment. I realized that the only reason I wasn't doing third world work, was....ME! I was the only thing standing in my way. Sure, there are other responsibilities, other limitations, but all of that can be overcome, with dedication, determination and drive. So, upon arriving home, a series of events unfolded to bring me into the Loving Arms Caritable Organization, an organization that works primarily with children and youth in remote, indiginous Guatemala. I pledged to go with Loving Arms this April on a Mission Trip, and when word spread through our little town, I was met with support, interest and desire to participate. Within a few weeks, we had established a team of 15, both youth and adults to embark on our communities very first Third World Mission Trip. Our goals are to teach self-sustainment, and build confidence, and efficiency within their communities. Our intentions are NOT to change the indiginous culture, but to support it and support them in maintaining their culture. We leave on April 30, and will be there for 10 days. These are some of the things that we will be doing:

· Leading 150 women in hygiene and empowerment seminars
· Painting classrooms in a local school
· Holding a soup kitchens where 1000 women and children will be fed a hot meal
· Organizing soccer and hockey games for children
· Assisting in both medical and dental clinics
· Furnishing 8 sponsored homes, including building beds, shelving units, and building brick stoves
· Building a junglegym/playground for the local school
· Launching an agricultural program involving pigs, where fenced in areas will be built
· Hosting a clothing distribution program where children will be fitted for shoes for school
· Their bean and pea harvest will be ready for picking, so we will be aiding in the hand picking of their ripe crops

You asked, what are the things that you want to accomplish before you die? And for me there are many. There are places that I want to travel, certain career accomplishments I want to acheive, and material things that I would like to buy one day. Ask me if they are high on the priority list, and I will tell you that they are there, but they aren't the things that create passion and joy in my life. What creates passion and joy for me, is providing oppertunities, for others to learn, grow and challenge themselves to know themselves, love themselves, and by extension honor their neighbors both far and wide. What I realized coming home from Mississippi, is that small town or not, your dreams can be as big as you ALLOW them to be. We are our own boundary keepers. If we can have the courage to dream, somewhere inside is the courage to follow through with those dreams. My life purpose or goal is to fortify the courage and strenth upon our youth's journey. I commit to support, love and nurture their talents, gifts and purpose for the greater good of humanity. Simply, what I want to do before I die - make a difference.

Thank you for the oppertunity to share.

Blessings,


Juli Conard


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Soup and Sandwich Luncheon

March 28, 2010
12pm-1pm
Greenbank United Church

Join us for a wonderful soup and sandwich lunch at the Greenbank Church on Sunday March 28.  Lunch is prepared by the Fidelis Unit and served by the GS Mission Team in an effort to raise funds and awareness for our upcoming mission to Guatemala to work with the charitable organization Loving Arms.  Please consider coming out to support our cause!

Donations are greatly appreciated!