Day 1

Helping the families here in Guatemala.

We had 2 groups go out to Corrales to build stoves for 2 families while others stayed back and built food kits for the afternoon church service.

Church was very emotional serving the food kits out to the sponsored families. The photo shared is of 4 kids holding their homemade teddy bears.

Thanks Eunice Rahm for making these for the children down here.

Our first aquaintance ...

The first little child we saw on arrival. 2yr old Brenda.

You wouldn't know they are in need as they are always playing and smiling.

Arrived in Guatemala !

Just wanted to let you know that we have arrived and all is well.  We had a great flight, no issues with luggage or at customs on this end.

Loving Arms greeted us at the airport and we rode the wild roads and up the mountains to Parramos.

Tomorrow we prepare and distribute food hampers, build 2 stoves and lead a Sunday School Program with puppetry and crafts for 85 children.

It will be a busy day but we are all looking forward to it :)

We are only 2 sleeps until departure!

The team has packed 22 fifty pound suitcases with supplies for the programs and the people of remote Guatemala that we will be serving over the next 10 days.  We will be visiting La Hermita, Corrales, Parramos, Parrojas, Paraxaj to work in schools with children and the teachers, to build and furnish a home, teaching quilting and sewing as a trade to local women, offer clothing and shoe drives, food distribution and so much more.  Please stay tuned to our blog for daily updates (internet service depending of course).

As a team, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for all of the love and support over the last year in preparing for this mission.  We couldn't have done it without you.  Collectively we have raised more than $33, 000 for the people of Guatemala and enough donated items to make a significant difference in the lives of the Guatemalan people.  What a community we have!!!

We are still accepting your love and support through prayer.  The team will be needing strength and encouragement as we do our best to serve the people of Guatemala.  It also takes a lot of work for the communities in Guatemala that are hosting us, so please keep them in your prayers as we build relationships, spread God's word and continue to do God's work.

In Servant Leadership, 

Juli Conard

Preparations are Underway

We are well underway with our efforts and preparations for Guatemala!  We are overwhelmed with the support we have had from the Greenbank United Church, our communities, families and friends.  We have even had local schools on board with putting together supplies and packages for our Guatemalan friends!

Currently, we are finishing 500 craft kits to do with children in remote Guatemala, and 6 Quilt kits to teach the women in Guatemala how to sew their own quilts.  We have had 4 sewing machines donated, and we will be offering lessons to women in a self-sustainable sewing co-op.  This is very exciting indeed!

We have been preparing a Teacher's Workshop, children's crafts, seniors activities and crafts, as well as a Sunday School Program!  It has been a busy time!

We still have much to do to prepare, building goodie bags for the children, finalizing our work schedule, packing (strategically) all of the donated items and supplies, coordinating transportation, Mission Training, First-Aid and CPR Training, and so much more!

If you would like to know how you can get involved, please contact Juli at JuliConard@gmail.com.We ask for your prayers as we continue to gather donated items, and finalize our preparations for our trip in a month's time.

Stay tuned for regular updates, and (hopefully, internet service depending) daily updates during our trip.

Blessings!

Juli

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

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