tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876135485872757412011-11-27T15:50:06.122-08:00Welcome to our jungle adventure. These are the stories and thoughts from our day to day lives living in El Petén, Guatemala. Some things we go through are because we live in Guatemala, other things because of WHERE we live in Guatemala, and the funniest things happen to us just because we're Gringos trying to adapt to a culture very different from our own.Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-4127760124247571942011-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:002011-02-18T19:36:45.403-08:00

We left the border crossing of El Ceibo at 2pm. 5 minutes down the road is a military checkpoint. The military in Mexico is different from the Guatemalan military in that they are very rude. They also ask you the same questions over and over again while at the same time insulting your spanish. They ask to see lots of paperwork that I had but is not really necessary or under their jurisdiction.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-82530488588154287052011-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:55:16.588-08:00

On Thanksgiving one of our missionary friends mentioned that the road was now paved between Naranjo, Petén and the border of Mexico. When we moved to Petén, there was no border crossing with Mexico that you could drive through. Because of this we travelled to Belize to get our paperwork.This new information set me to researching and I found very little information about the border crossing at El

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-39507599718764772862011-01-06T19:03:00.000-08:002011-01-06T20:32:56.379-08:00

I only know what people have been saying...Things have gotten worse here in Petén. It used to be that everything was run by a few benevolent Guatemalan drug cartels. Sure, they killed people, but most of the time it was people who deserved to be killed. They would even get permission from the governor and chief of police ahead of time. Everybody knew who they were and everybody knew how to stay

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-81765509769965710712010-12-07T19:07:00.000-08:002010-12-07T19:07:00.566-08:00

So I had a great idea to build my house a little faster. A couple years ago we saw pumpkins for sale at our grocery store. They were imported from the States and were only $3. Until we got to the register. There we found out that they were $3/pound. No matter how nice it would have been to have had a pumpkin pie for that Christmas, it wasn't worth $30.I then began noticing how much empty space

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-62467325122054986442010-12-03T21:48:00.000-08:002010-12-03T21:48:00.266-08:00

Because of the situation with José, I began again to look for car insurance here. I looked around when we first arrived, but the payments were more than a car payment on a new vehicle. I found that a reputable agency here (G&T) has recently lowered their rates to match their unreliable competition. For full coverage they still want $4,000/year to cover both vehicles (2004 Tacoma and 2007 Toyota

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-12164448425177534602010-11-05T20:38:00.000-07:002010-11-05T20:45:55.665-07:00

Some experiences we've had lately that make me think maybe we've crossed a line...My wife told me today, "I cleaned the bathroom so you'll have to pee outside until after our guests get here."We had left the house and were already on the road. Shelley said to me, "Oh no. I forgot my jewelry, now they're going to think I'm poor." We were heading someplace fancy and they treat you differently

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-8900651883268216752010-10-28T20:47:00.000-07:002010-10-29T07:32:28.981-07:00

So my wife is a very resourceful person which causes me to be always on the lookout for the weird, cheap items that she can repurpose. Now with the boys that has gone into overdrive as she creates a home with warm memories and US traditions mixed with Guatemalan spice. Usually she tells me what she wants to do and as I am out paying bills and doing paperwork I keep my eyes out looking for the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-27079508339507648082010-10-22T21:29:00.000-07:002010-10-22T21:29:00.879-07:00

In September a friend of mine was drinking with his cousin and some other friends at the Texaco station in Melchor (border town with Belize). While they were sitting there, a blacked out car pulled up and opened fire on the group of them. One of the friends was killed, his cousin was hit in the arm and a 9mm bullet hit Luis in the neck, hitting below the chin on his left side and exiting on the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-33299286053962606822010-10-16T22:56:00.000-07:002010-10-16T22:56:00.124-07:00

My parents are here so last Thursday we went to Belize. The main purpose was to get our tourist visas renewed, but we also wanted to go to Spanish Lookout to do some shopping. If you're interested in crossing over, here's how it went:Upon arriving at the border I had to pay Q10 to cross the bridge in our microbus. Then I drove up and past the Guatemalan immigration area and parked in their lot on

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-10361823509909055202010-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:002010-10-08T22:24:00.842-07:00

Some Kekchi friends of ours came over to the house today. We had a lot to talk about, but eventually the subject of the Kekchi Baptist Association of Petén came up. I don't have all the information in order to give you a decent description, but this is basically a group of churches in Petén that broke off of the larger Southern Baptist Kekchi group in Cobán. It makes sense because there were a

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-63905512085660973672010-10-06T19:35:00.000-07:002010-10-06T21:07:19.634-07:00

Jeffrey Lynn Cassman, aka "Mark Francis", aka "Don Marco", the author of the very popular blog "GuateLiving", linked to my blog several times. He found us while making his list of blogs in Guatemala. I have enjoyed reading his blog almost every day for over a year now. Many of his posts were informative, funny, and mirrored experiences we have on a regular basis. He also had a lot of time

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-34653569386576274912010-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:002010-08-23T12:00:02.021-07:00

This statement is made to us on a regular basis. Always by women. When men lie about needing money, they ask for their sick wife. When women lie about needing money, it is for their sick child. Not that needing the money is the lie, but the story they tell that they think will convince you, the merciful yet stupid gringo, to give them the money. A lady whose never talked to us before nor come to

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-27078412819734439282010-08-12T19:52:00.000-07:002010-08-12T19:54:18.724-07:00

I typed up a summary of what happened on our ministry blog for those of you who are interested. Check it out HERE.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-28054304298335426892010-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:002010-08-08T08:43:00.356-07:00

While checking wall construction recently a lady came up to me and asked for Q75. When I didn't just hand it over, she offered me a pet she had in her bag. Apparently her husband had got a whole litter of baby armadillos the day before. The workers were laughing and said they could get a whole one cooked for that amount of money, and that's something you could put on a tortilla...

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-76285832261325324332010-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:002010-08-06T09:00:00.665-07:00

So here's a couple pictures of our wall as it is progressing. I only have two workers on it now, have gone through 70 bags of cement, and since my original bulk order of materials have had to order 500 more large rocks, 100 lbs of steel, and 400 U blocks. I went ahead and ordered another 2,000 block as well because the truck was coming anyways and it's not like I won't use it. I could use more

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-63566552560286830892010-08-03T20:20:00.000-07:002010-08-05T07:19:33.846-07:00

It is one of our biggest fears while driving. José was driving yesterday on a dirt road and as he passed a stopped Microbus, a 9 yr. old boy ran out in front without looking. He tried to brake but couldn't stop in time. They rushed him to the nearest hospital (1.5 hrs away) but the boy died within 30 minutes so they turned around and took him back.It took only minutes for a crowd of thousands to

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-45736997847100624822010-06-16T04:00:00.000-07:002010-06-16T04:00:03.726-07:00

Of course this drama will never end until our house is finished, and at the rate we are going, it will probably be another 10-20 years...So get ready for a lot of blog posts. Maybe I should just start another blog called "Don't build a house in Guatemala" but I'm still sweaty and in Petén, so I'll stick around here for now. When I ordered my trailer full of sand, I was given the options of 32

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-10346791851422085852010-06-14T04:20:00.000-07:002010-06-14T04:20:00.179-07:00

So out of my 4 new workers, only one is worth asking back for next week. I really need two assistants though for my albañil (mason). The guys were complaining about the heat and how they wanted to start arriving at 4am so they could leave at noon before it got hot, but after a long explanation that they didn't understand about how I knew they would take the same amount of breaks, therefore not

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-20995250714370525392010-06-08T20:55:00.000-07:002010-06-08T21:24:18.510-07:00

I know it's soon to talk about another house supply story, but I wanted to share another experience I had today when buying rock. Apparently I need a lot of rocks. These rocks are pieces of mountain broken down to slightly larger than a softball. A large dump truck holds about 1,000. So I arrived at the quarry (this one in Santa Elena because all the other quarries break up their rocks to make

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-38559562826902503842010-06-08T04:27:00.000-07:002010-06-08T08:58:32.900-07:00

I have been running around for the last week buying materials for our wall. Construction started Monday. Last week I bought 2500 blocks, 32 cubic meters of sand, 1000 pounds of 3/8 in rebar, 200 pounds of 1/4 in. rebar, 2 shovels, one wheelbarrow, and one pickax. I still need boards for scaffolding and forms, gravel, rocks, and bags of cement. The cement I can order as I need it so that I don't

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-4447201836344133582010-06-06T15:58:00.000-07:002010-06-06T17:16:15.557-07:00

We've had several teams come and visit us, so we have some sort of a general plan of what to do before a big group arrives. Of course there are hotel reservations to make, but we have to do this 3 times. Once when the group confirms, once the month of the reservation (they start a new hand written reservation book every month, so the first time they write the information down on a post-it) and

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-87924736618387607282010-06-01T08:50:00.004-07:002010-06-01T09:17:53.020-07:00

We've received a lot of emails today asking if we were affected by the storms and stuff from last week. I can happily tell you that there are benefits to being in the jungle! All Agatha did to us was steal our rain clouds for a few days to return us to the blistering hot days of dry season. We don't have any volcanos or even mountains to fall on us, so ha ha to all of you people in Antigua with

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-24018804547624014662010-05-28T09:37:00.000-07:002010-05-28T09:37:00.419-07:00

About a year after we got here they built a big Maxi Bodega grocery store. It changed everything for us. Instead of going to four different stores to find out Petén was out of cheese or chicken and would be for a month, we could now buy Kraft Singles and refrigerated peaches from California. However, it is not perfect and sometimes you find this:

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-87263013108252915862010-05-26T10:17:00.000-07:002010-05-26T18:33:27.161-07:00

Step One: Buy land (oh how simple that looks typed out here...)Step Two: Hire ArchitectStep Three: Fire Architect for thinking that you are stupidAfter his initial self-imposed deadline of a week to a week and a half, Mr. Andrés took over a month to finally get us our plans. And these weren't the 3-D plans like we were promised. He was also short two bedrooms and a bathroom from what we had asked

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-78250930366123615362010-05-24T21:56:00.000-07:002010-05-24T22:28:51.016-07:00

When the team was here I took a few of them by to meet Aaron. You've seen him before on the blog. He is a very talented man who has done amazing things in spite of the hard situation he was born into. His wife died 26 years ago. During the war he met a man who played the violin and taught Aaron some songs. Aaron then set about making his own violin. He used guitar strings for the violin and made

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-21285091206515963782010-05-16T05:30:00.000-07:002010-05-16T05:45:25.315-07:00

We always see certain animals in Tikal, but this latest time took the cake. The best part was that I had my new telephoto lens and have been looking forward to Tikal ever since I got it. Here's some snapshots. The only animal we saw that I didn't get a picture of was the grey fox.This is apparently Montezuma's Oriole (not to be confused with his famous "Revenge") and they have large bag nests all

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-69239696480223846522010-05-13T07:36:00.001-07:002010-05-13T07:51:35.853-07:00

Yesterday, the Mission Group from the States left. That means I have 5 minutes free so that I can get back to blogging. At least I have a lot to talk about and plenty of pictures.When going house to house last week I had one of my boys on one side of the village while my wife took one to the other side. At one Kekchi house, I was asked to come back further into the group of houses to show the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-52973964405178428682010-05-07T05:03:00.000-07:002010-05-07T08:57:51.035-07:00

While most things about our lives are hectic and most days we wake up not knowing what will happen, there are certain things that are set in stone. It does not take people here long to figure out our schedule (which is why our house was broken into a few years ago.) This inevitably leads to people asking us for rides. Usually we can accommodate people by packing them in the back of the truck or

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-72739027612899004242010-05-05T05:41:00.000-07:002010-05-05T05:41:00.255-07:00

So I mentioned it before, that one of my pet peeves is people talking about Missions as if it is a horrible thing that God is calling you to. Some even give the idea that if you are a missionary you will spend the rest of your sure-to-be-short life suffering and miserable. Then you add to this people who think that they are miserable, so they must be called to be a missionary and are just saying,

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-44955926483668947732010-05-03T05:41:00.000-07:002010-05-03T22:39:37.358-07:00

Shaving with an electric razor...in Petén. My first razor ever was an electric Norelco handed down from my dad so that he could get a new one. It was one of those right of passage things as a teenager. He showed me how to do the maintenance and I very deliberately took the thing apart (being careful not to mix up blades) and hand brushed it every week. With the amount of hair I had growing at the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-64350171883917457662010-05-01T05:41:00.000-07:002010-05-01T05:41:00.252-07:00

So last week we met with our architect. We gave him a list of everything we would ever want in a house and asked him to draw it up for us. This is the same architect that designed a nice restaurant on Flores as well as the Burger King and Pollo Campero in Santa Elena. He said it would take a week to a week and a half to have the plans back, so I'm thinking three weeks. He had some really good

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-55916354793626644502010-04-29T05:30:00.000-07:002010-04-29T05:30:01.471-07:00

Recently we received an email from a college student who had been diagnosed with severe depression and after some counseling realized that they were depressed because they were "resisting the call to the mission field" and wrote us to ask what being a missionary is like. Here is my response. By the way, one of my pet peeves is when people talk about suffering and the mission field as if they are

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-54819034048721166662010-04-27T05:22:00.000-07:002010-04-27T05:22:00.374-07:00

The rainy season has started in some parts of Guatemala, but here in Petén we've just had miserably hot days waiting for it to finally rain. There have been a couple days of storms, but it's been a while now. Because it is so dry for so long, you can forget about your windshield wipers. Mine had not been replaced since buying the Micro. Even when you pay for it at the service places, you don't

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-68748932409270607482010-04-25T05:23:00.000-07:002010-04-25T05:23:00.293-07:00

So I got a couple zucchinis the other day that weren't worm infested. By this time we had a stockpile in the freezer, so I decided to make a meal out of things from the garden. I did cheat and use one onion from the store. Here are the green beans frying. Notice the bacon? They're southern style...And here is my second attempt at fried okra. Shelley said they were like eating candy. Here's the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-18386722248211423752010-04-23T05:26:00.000-07:002010-04-23T05:26:00.784-07:00

A year ago we had the transmission rebuilt for our Blazer. I had to ride a tow truck 8 hours to Guate to drop it off, then catch a flight home, then Shelley and I flew back 10 days later to pick it up. The mechanic's name was Hugo and he has his own shop. I found him through a knowledgeable Guatemalan friend here in Petén who had had USA made vehicles worked on by this guy. Hugo met me on the

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-10659105118303285142010-04-21T04:00:00.000-07:002010-04-21T12:42:55.540-07:00

In Santa Elena we had a plumber who was excellent. He really knew his stuff, such as how quickly to add acid to a pipe so that it wouldn't eat the pipe. He was also very slow, but he learned this during his day job working for the local government's water department. He was amazed at every little advancement in technology and especially anything remotely "Gringo." For example, one day he asked to

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-53923419877274369262010-04-19T04:25:00.000-07:002010-04-19T04:25:00.972-07:00

I was sitting on the sofa eating supper while watching a movie with Shelley tonight. Both boys were asleep and we were enjoying the time together. All of a sudden next to my ear I hear a loud thump as if something heavy fell on the sofa. I turned my head and didn't see anything and looked at Shelley who had a concerned look on her face. She had seen something dark fall and hit the sofa as well,

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-59141827361604034332010-04-17T04:15:00.000-07:002010-04-17T04:15:00.220-07:00

It's been a while since I've talked about the garden. We have had a few snacks to whet our appetite, but no huge harvest to keep us eating for weeks. The worms came back to the zuchinis, but we have had a few to eat such as these: (I planted three varieties)Here are some sugar snap peas. These are the first ones which we ate raw. I have three plants and am freezing what I get from them (about

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-90576345323503763212010-04-15T04:25:00.000-07:002010-04-15T04:25:00.722-07:00

Sometimes during the Bible Study, when asking questions, I get some interesting answers to questions. At this point I am happy that they are finally opening up and are confident to talk. Here's a snippet from the most recent adult Bible Study. I am teaching the Ten Commandments (Old Testament and New Testament correlation) and was showing pictures of a chameleon with the projector. I had several

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-88712491816949295552010-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:002010-04-13T06:56:27.184-07:00

Working with the Kekchi people here Petén let's us have lots of fun experiences, and not just the ones where we are trying to adapt and end up making mistakes. Sometimes we get to show new things that they have never seen before, but that which we have always taken for granted. Petén is slowly advancing, and with new changes we have the advantage. I'm starting a new category and group of posts

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-54382588921806713172010-04-11T03:20:00.000-07:002010-04-11T03:20:00.174-07:00

So you have read about Quincho and the plan to buy a motorcycle HERE and about him getting kicked out of New Horizon with us HERE.We decided together that it would be best for him to continue to stay at our house until we got back from the States. Then he was getting a large, lump sum that he could use to buy land and put up a shelter, rather than buy a motorcycle. What good does a motorcycle do

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-81612826846244509042010-04-09T03:31:00.000-07:002010-04-09T03:31:00.153-07:00

Wednesday Mateo came over to work in the yard. He is a 15 yr old Kekchi teen and one of our last remaining friends from New Horizon. Starting last week I asked him to start helping around the yard by chopping the grass, pulling weeds, checking on the bananas and other various things. He needs/wants the money and it is really nice to have some help with work and twins taking up all of our time.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-51989496054479259402010-04-07T04:13:00.000-07:002010-04-07T04:13:00.059-07:00

My wife already wrote about this HERE, but I'll provide my perspective. Last weekend (the weekend before Holy Week) there was a town meeting and I came up again as a topic. Somebody asked if I was was still coming in the village (they had seen me several times) and the town council acted as if that was an impossibility. Of course I wouldn't come back to get my things, even though I asked this

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-91278612986214510272010-04-05T03:41:00.000-07:002010-04-05T03:41:00.273-07:00

So yesterday was Easter. Tonight, Shelley is having a resurrection party with the kids in Santa Rita. It may sound strange to you to have it after Easter, but let me explain some things about Easter here. This is what happens in our small villages, and while similar to the rest of Guatemala in many ways, it is not exactly the same everywhere. First, there is no such thing as Easter. There is no

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-11222992070050525722010-04-03T03:52:00.000-07:002010-04-11T02:12:10.251-07:00

Disinfecting your fruit and vegetables is a must here and has become second nature to us. I don't think we could go back to the States and not wash everything we bring home from the store at this point. The thought alone makes us sick.So you have a few options. There are several kinds of chemicals you can buy at the stores here. They are supposed to be tasteless, but we always had a problem when

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-90279092529421741092010-04-01T03:00:00.000-07:002010-04-01T03:00:06.136-07:00

We have frequent power outages here in Petén. The main reason is that there is no redundancy, therefore we all share one long extension cord, and if anything happens along that cord, everybody afterwards loses power. We are constantly losing power because of something that happens in P0ptun, 45 minutes south of us. Because of this you learn to cope, and you have to realize that after dark, things

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-49235386577724254572010-03-30T03:16:00.000-07:002010-03-30T03:16:00.132-07:00

This has been an interesting week for learning about people's beliefs. First we ran into our lab technician at the grocery store, who had done all of Shelley's blood tests during the pregnancy, and still hadn't seen the boys. So he left his cart and ran out into the parking lot to find her. He has 2 yr. old, twin girls and shared some interesting facts about twins. Apparently they have special

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-5945633149625235822010-03-28T05:28:00.000-07:002010-03-28T05:28:00.633-07:00

I am constantly being called to kill all sorts of interesting things. Most of the time they are hanging out in the shower, but this was on our suitcase as we were unpacking. It wasn't very big and I guess looks like a spider. Anybody know what it is?

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-62889319054842995502010-03-26T05:08:00.000-07:002010-03-26T05:08:00.531-07:00

Since we were no longer allowed to have services inside the community, we decided we should have them outside the community. You can read about our Micro HERE.The only other thing we needed after getting the bus was a carport/roof (to have the services under) at our house. Since we weren't using the building in New Horizon for the foreseeable future, I decided the cheapest thing to do would be to

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-24087266356499268832010-03-25T03:56:00.000-07:002010-03-25T03:56:00.312-07:00

So we've been kicked out of New Horizon before, but that was a long time ago so I'll just write about how we got kicked out this time. For those of you who know the story, here's a refresher so that I can give you the juicy new details in a following post.So you should know that New Horizon is a community of ex-guerrillas (about 500 people) that stated as one of their by-laws that no churches (

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-78409929191570602182010-03-24T03:12:00.000-07:002010-03-24T07:56:04.842-07:00

About a week ago we ate our first zucchini from the garden and it was delicious! Then all of them seemed to stop growing. After a rather violent storm, several were knocked off the vine and that is when I noticed that all of them were infested with worms. I removed about 12, sprayed all of my plants and am now waiting.Here are some of the new, wormless zukes growing. I have three different

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-74204682555717496852010-03-22T03:41:00.000-07:002010-03-22T03:41:00.418-07:00

Ok, maybe more than one. Apparently while we were gone a rat family decided to move in. At first we thought they were just regular field mice that we deal with every once in a while, but then we killed the first one and realized why it kept knocking things off of our shelves. It took a while to find a suitable bait. At first we were just fattening it up with things like cheese, apples and peanut

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-62103309335861446682010-03-20T03:46:00.000-07:002010-03-20T03:46:00.447-07:00

I had to move 11 tables 45 minutes away. To make things secure we used bailing wire to tie everything together and down. Everything got there fine with only minor injuries to the gringo with big hands that kept catching the ends of the wire. In Guatemala this is one of the tamest things you'll see people moving in the back of pickup trucks.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-28469240281934849782010-03-18T05:25:00.000-07:002010-03-18T05:25:00.269-07:00

Right before we came back to Guatemala I noticed a spot on my arm that didn't look right. My mother, of course, wanted me to go the doctor right away, but without the insurance to cover it I decided to wait until I got back to Guatemala. I asked for a recommendation for a good Dermatologist in Guate from a missionary group we are a part of, and received many recommendations. I ultimately chose Dr

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-16601547218688364402010-03-16T03:59:00.000-07:002010-03-16T03:59:00.119-07:00

I guess I brought it on myself. After driving here a while you start to prioritize other vehicles on the road. If there is a motorcycle in front of you and another one coming towards you, it's ok to drive in the center of them both to pass. They will instinctively know to get over. If there is a tuk tuk, bus, or micro, you can cut them off to get in front of them because they are going to be

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-48883308825316275802010-03-14T05:23:00.000-07:002010-03-14T05:23:00.109-07:00

We have been looking for land ever since coming to Petén in 2007. There are a lot of things to think about, and after almost 3 years of being here we think we know what we want. We looked at a lot of different towns here, and have decided that the best place to live the rest of our lives and raise our kids will be in San Francisco (Petén, not CA). It is 15 minutes from Santa Elena and the airport

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-74606606613463471042010-03-12T10:08:00.000-08:002010-03-13T06:18:15.976-08:00

I know some of you who read this blog don't regularly check out my wife's blog too. This is one story you have to go read. Click here.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-49276415238060843152010-03-12T03:11:00.000-08:002010-03-12T05:12:09.313-08:00

I have some really great help at the Bible Studies. Most teens are the typical kind that sit around until you ask them to do something, but we've never asked for help and received a half-way job from somebody. However, children and adults are very eager helpers, usually doing things without us even asking.I was met one Tuesday night by these two little girls who were very disappointed that we

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-54712013124352440182010-03-10T00:23:00.000-08:002010-03-10T00:40:56.269-08:00

Last night, while preparing for our adult Bible Study a lady came by to see how I was doing...well she actually came by because she is a busybody and needed to share the latest town gossip, but at least she greeted me with "How are you and how are the boys?"She shared a lot of information, but you can't trust 95% of gossip and the only truth she shared was that Lukas Macz died in Sayaxché. Also

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-87233382261278262992010-03-08T03:54:00.000-08:002010-03-08T03:54:00.618-08:00

For some reason my truck has a real problem with flats. I think I pick up nails when I take my trash to the dump. When I got home I was shown that one of my rear truck tires had gone flat. I asked how long it had been like this since I was talking to Quincho every week checking on the house. We have friends here who could have come by to get it fixed so the truck didn't sit on a flat tire on one

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-35255581277159941822010-03-06T03:42:00.000-08:002010-03-06T04:30:36.469-08:00

You can click HERE to catch up on part 1. What do you know, the next morning (a Saturday with plans to drive with the family to Guate on Sunday), I called and "fijese" the windshield didn't come. I expected this, so I told them to have my deposit ready and that I was going to come and pick up the Micro and take it to somebody who could do it right.I then set about trying to find a windshield in

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-6826310530947488512010-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:002010-03-09T02:53:15.610-08:00

All of the zucchini's (6 of them from 6 seeds planted directly in the container) have started flowering. Here's a pic of the first actual zucchini growing. This is just 36 days after planting. I know that zucchini is one of the easiest things to grow, but I'm still pretty proud of myself. (Oh, and this pic was the first taken with my new lens. Thanks, Mom!) -Farmer Jim

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-45907079955531200272010-03-04T06:06:00.000-08:002010-03-04T06:48:47.731-08:00

So I mentioned before that I needed to get a new windshield for the Micro. It did have a lot of cracks in it (several that went all the way to the edge and one from top to bottom), but the main reason was that it was so tinted that you couldn't see out of it! During the day it was fine, especially if you want to drive around without anybody seeing you, but at night you could only see if you were

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-65974875232184185622010-03-02T02:59:00.000-08:002010-03-02T02:59:00.660-08:00

To go along with my gardening, I decided to start composting. It is not sustainable to keep importing miracle grow, so we need a permanent solution to better the soil. Plus, I hate trips to the dump and hope that this makes it less frequent. I read a lot online in preparation for this endeavor, but many items in the states cannot be found here, so we had to make it work with what we could find.

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-54208460434628073612010-02-28T03:27:00.000-08:002010-02-28T03:27:00.811-08:00

The other day we had to go to Santa Elena to run some errands. I hate going by myself, so all four decided to go and while we were there we went around to introduce our boys to some of our friends there. We saw our vet, who's wife is very outgoing and talks so much that she knows everything about us and has been DYING to see the boys. We also went by to see our lab technician who is the guy who

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-14797171788295941622010-02-26T02:39:00.000-08:002010-02-26T02:39:00.170-08:00

While in the States we were trying to plan out everything we needed for the boys for at least the next year so that we could bring it with us. In that planning we were talking about baby food. Our plan is to make our own, but it is really hard to find good quality vegetables on a regular basis. Sometimes you have to walk away and come back the next week while you live on potatoes, canned corn and

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-45567763877526261882010-02-24T04:07:00.000-08:002010-02-24T08:54:28.776-08:00

After being kicked out of New Horizon, we had to decide how we would continue to work with the people there. We have some really good relationships and do not want to see the 2 years we already have invested go to waste. Our idea was to sell my wife's Blazer (it can't get fixed here anyway) and buy a micro-bus. That way we could pick up the people on the highway where the town council has no

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-75552270202384879372010-02-24T04:03:00.001-08:002010-02-24T04:15:34.960-08:00

I don't read very many blogs, but the ones I do follow I read every single post every time it's updated. You can see to the right which ones they are but I think you will enjoy by ExpatMom. She came to Guatemala as a single traveler and ended up married with two boys living the life of a Chapina. She writes professionally and has several websites that she works with. I enjoy reading about day to

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-30074385676391283712010-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:12:13.077-08:00

Before leaving for 5 months, the most important thing for us was to find somebody to watch our house (really just our dogs but house sounds better.) We have two big ferocious guard dogs for whom we would trade everything they are supposed to be guarding to keep them safe. If you read this post you can get the background on how much we were paying him. While we were gone he was kicked out of his

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-179273167295688202010-02-22T02:31:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:12:41.784-08:00

So after 5 months we are finally back in Guatemala. We left August 20th so that we could be in the States in case of any complications with my wife's pregnancy. You can read about those adventures on my wife's blog- www.jimandshelley.blogspot.com/Now after being back for a month it is finally time to start blogging again. The goal is a new post every other day. I hope you all come back! Besides

Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03081639456872260329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-56666484156213541532009-09-01T09:05:00.000-07:002009-09-01T12:25:57.163-07:00

The most popular places on lake Itza to swim are San Andrés and it's neighbor San José. Right in between those two cities is the Hotel Bahai Taitza. It is a wonderful location owned and run by Mauricio. He attended english schools in Guate, and actually speaks better english than any other Guatemalan born Guatemalan I've met. Mauricio cooks the best food anywhere and will let you swim and use his

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-30837692083148193962009-08-30T09:38:00.000-07:002009-08-30T09:38:00.751-07:00

A pastor we worked with in Xela wanted to show me his house one day. I didn't really understand because he lived in housing provided by a missionary, but I went anyway. After arriving I realized that construction had just finished on a rental property. I am a big fan of investing in real estate, and had nothing but praise for him and his decision to think about his future. He answered the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-89679915096987152432009-08-28T06:40:00.000-07:002009-08-28T06:40:00.777-07:00

My friend Quincho planted his first 50mx50m plot of corn ("milpa" is when it is still on the stalk.) He was really proud of it and said that any day now the corn would be ready to cut "elotes" (corn on the cob). It would be a few more weeks before it would be ready for the big harvest that they could dry out and save to make tortilla dough. I told him that when it was ready, to let me know and I

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-17740033990464506032009-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:002009-08-26T08:56:00.205-07:00

My mom wanted us to get a shop vac soon after arriving in Guatemala. They aren't very easy to find and it has been a running joke for the past three years. Finally she bought us one from the Sears in Guate. It is a 5 hp, 12 gallon craftsman. Since taking it out of the box 10 days ago, we have had something to use it for every day.The first day I filled it up twice with sawdust from the cribs I

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-78946256843698382602009-08-24T10:32:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:32:00.614-07:00

Here there is at least one holiday every month. The trick is knowing when it is. Also, the days are pretty randomly put together. Of course you know about the main ones like Christmas Eve, New Year's, and Banker's Day... oh, you don't know about Banker's Day, neither did we.Last month I went to the city to get new tires. I made the trip on a bad tire that I had no confidence in. I arrived to find

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-31768102759750052652009-08-22T10:23:00.000-07:002009-08-22T10:23:00.292-07:00

Ok, this might be a touchy subject, but once I understood it, I finally had an answer to the WHY question when we get frustrated with things here.The culture here is selfish. People grow up and live their lives to look out for numero uno. It explains so much. This is so vastly different from the US foundation of Christian values, namely "Love your neighbor as yourself." I'm not exactly sure how

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-62699042864527651202009-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:002009-08-20T09:50:00.174-07:00

Seen on road to Guate from Petén. Luckily I got there in time...so as not to be delayed by cops directing traffic.

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-33567870782014747592009-08-18T09:47:00.000-07:002009-08-18T09:47:00.294-07:00

I had another tire problem not too long ago. While driving around 70 mph, I lost a band on my left front tire. Upon inspection I saw that the metal tire guard had been bent by a mechanic and caught the tire. Thankfully, this happened within 100 yards of a Pinchazo. The man was working with his two sons and there happened to be two other men there that I knew. I was happy to see that the two boys

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-35958210103200140132009-08-16T09:14:00.000-07:002009-08-16T09:14:00.287-07:00

We head to the States on Thursday. There are a lot of things you have to do when preparing to leave for an extended time, but the most important for us is to make sure somebody looks after our dogs. Quincho is a young kid (just turned 20) who has been a great friend. We spend a lot of time with him and he is at our house a lot. He also chops the grass once a week with a machete. Our dogs are

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-49897951098930079232009-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:47:50.058-07:00

Ever since arriving in Petén we have been told about the best meat in the whole world. Keep in mind that this is coming from either ex-guerrillas or Kekchi people, therefore from people who eat anything they can catch (such as iguana, parrots, monkeys, snakes...etc.) However, there is one animal that is better than chicken or deer or even beef.Tepezcuintle here in Petén, also known as a Paca in

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-19695900498005667702009-08-12T09:59:00.000-07:002009-08-12T09:59:00.446-07:00

Ok, so in my last post I told you about THEY. Now we have had another run in with this problem, but with a twist. Because my wife is pregnant with twins, and this will be her first time giving birth, our doctors in Petén, Guate, and the States have asked us to be in the States for the last trimester. Because of this, and regular Guatemalan stuff that happens, I have just now given her the nursery

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-63791345922641828812009-08-10T09:41:00.000-07:002009-08-10T09:41:00.400-07:00

We learned a lesson early on. When you find something you like, buy it all, because the next time you go back it may be gone forever. We learned this well during our first few months in Xela. We went to the grocery store (a really nice one called Hiper Paiz) and bought the reasonable number of two cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup. A week later we were surprised that they were out, but figured it

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-67734980647271340722009-08-08T23:23:00.000-07:002009-08-08T23:29:28.932-07:00

I changed some settings that I didn't really understand, and now commenting should be a lot easier. I have to approve your post before it shows up, but I'm open to opposing views and discussion and will only block that which is offensive or spam. Thanks for reading!

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-60742186254928870612009-08-08T09:07:00.000-07:002009-08-08T09:12:19.478-07:00

One mistake we observed while working in Xela for our first 10 months was the great mistake missionaries make by supporting national pastors. This is an accepted practice that most people take for granted. I can't speak to other countries, but in Guatemala this is one of the most disastrous things you can do to a ministry.First of all, the whole idea of supporting a national is so that the church

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-2570295445211979002009-08-06T11:06:00.000-07:002009-08-07T01:38:33.656-07:00

My wife's favorite restaurant in Flores is Las Puertas. It is owned by Cristina, a Chilean lady who has been in Guatemala for a very long time. She is a wonderful friend of ours, although pretty liberal and an avid environmentalist, and will speak English if cornered into it. Everything in her restaurant is safe to eat, and made from natural ingredients. She labels it "Gastronomical."But if you

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-49182517826187430042009-08-04T09:28:00.000-07:002009-08-04T09:28:00.192-07:00

When you come from a significantly different class from somebody, can they really be your friend? I'm not talking from my point of view, because we care for a lot of people and feel that on our part they are our friends. But we have thought many times that certain people were are friends, only to get burned. Then after you get burned several times, it starts to make you question all your

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-47344399620788667132009-08-02T09:09:00.000-07:002009-08-02T09:09:00.488-07:00

I get lots of people who talk to me about going to the States. Sometimes they think I can get them there easier, or get them a job once they do get there, or something that would benefit them. Other times they just want information. That's why I was pleasantly surprised the other day when one man told me he could never spend even 6 months in the States. His reason was that he could never go

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-28411301123106045272009-07-31T10:45:00.000-07:002009-07-31T10:45:00.596-07:00

For the first 6 months in Guatemala, every time you pass a police truck on the side of the road, you instinctively take your foot off the brake and slow down, anticipating a speed trap. Then you gently chide yourself as you remember that the Guatemalans don't have radar guns, or even care about traffic safety (this is for everywhere except Guatemala City, where traffic cops are a whole different

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-17243641467939102332009-07-29T09:52:00.000-07:002009-07-29T09:52:00.081-07:00

Most people fly up, go to Tikal, and fly back to Guate that evening or the next morning. Tikal is great, and after going 12 times, I'm still not tired of it, but you really can see everything you need to in 4 hours with the right guide. If you've got a few days, there are a lot of activities in Petén that are a lot of fun, but most tourists don't know about. A couple weeks ago I took 21 people

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-53353195354300757652009-07-27T10:23:00.000-07:002009-07-27T10:23:00.892-07:00

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit Spanish Lookout in Belize. It is a community of Mennonites, who have a marvelous story that shows you what can be possible with hard work and the desire to be better.52 years ago 40 families moved to Belize to start a new life, away from the damaging cultural trends and influences they saw in the States and Canada. Unfortunately, once they arrived

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-86809720562391411812009-07-25T09:37:00.000-07:002009-07-26T19:52:54.268-07:00

One thing many people note about third world countries is their lack of traffic laws. You'll generally see it in your first taxi ride from the airport. There is usually some dummy that will cut you off or your taxi himself will create a third turn lane where there is only one. In the mountains, with the chicken buses darting in and out on those mountain roads with no guard rails, a persons life

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-82311932237995419632009-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:002009-07-23T09:00:05.601-07:00

We have been involved in six different medical clinics in our almost three years here now. The first one all we did was translate while another missionary hosted in the mountains. Then we hosted one in the mountains. We have hosted 2 large medical groups work with us in Petén and twice we just went with a doctor where we didn't have much involvement in the actual medical process at all, but we

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-52780512897762389832009-07-21T23:11:00.000-07:002009-07-22T09:28:06.899-07:00

Today I finally had the time to finish my rain collection project. Up until now our only water collection consisted of a bucket under our window air conditioner. Just a little insight into our humidity here. Our 8000 BTU window unit running only at night will fill a 5 gallon jug in two nights. Doesn't sound like much water until you realize it's 3-4 flushes, something we highly value around

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-42237399469043631992009-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:002009-07-21T12:00:03.544-07:00

A teen in one of our villages recently asked me to buy him some shoes the next time I was in the city. He was very specific about what he wanted and told me he would pay me for them when I brought them. He said, "They cost Q30." I mentioned slightly jokingly, "What if they charge me more for having a white face?" He said under no circumstance was I to pay more than Q30. I found said shoes in a

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-13619832193046097592009-07-20T16:26:00.000-07:002009-07-20T16:26:00.902-07:00

We have a personal policy to never give anything away. The main reason for this is for personal effectiveness in reaching our goals. As missionaries it would be very easy for us to walk into a village with suitcases full of clothes/medicine/candy/school supplies and have everybody repeat a prayer after us before we give them anything and tell our supporters in the States of the thousands we have

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-40132330632537348292009-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:002009-07-19T12:15:00.538-07:00

Of course it is a basic necessity. Water. Without it my life is pretty miserable. Ignore the obvious like not bathing or flushing the toilet, but my wife is the kind that relieves stress by cleaning, and is adversely affected by not. Therefore I try really hard to make sure we always have water.When we first looked at the house we're in, there was no water. After talking to a plumber in the city,

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-34287558859802740462009-07-18T22:04:00.000-07:002009-07-18T18:27:17.620-07:00

A country-wide superstition in Guatemala is that anything cold will kill you. I would imagine this started in the mountains and gradually migrated north to Petén. We were told about this, but our first encounter with it was during the first medical clinic we were a part of:An old grandmother brought her two granddaughters with this complaint: "My granddaughters wake up early in the morning before

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-34479052377651002802009-07-17T22:29:00.000-07:002009-07-17T23:12:00.840-07:00

The illegal immigration debate comes up frequently in US politics, but severely lacking is the focus on the consequences for the countries illegal immigrants come from. Here are some of our experiences:The plan is pretty consistent during many conversations with men wanting to go to the US: Pay a Coyote Q40,000 ($5,000). Arrive in the States. Immediately find a job. Stay for 10 years during which

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-66953682402510124892009-04-22T23:28:00.000-07:002009-04-22T23:43:57.200-07:00

Yesterday at the gas station I asked the guy to check my tires. I do this about once a week and give the guy a Q5 tip for the work. While it's only about $.65 and in the states you would think I am offending the guy, keep in mind that for that same amount I can get a guy to mix cement for me by hand for an hour.My tires need to be at 40psi, but after our long bumpy trip last week they were down

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487613548587275741.post-14636974626309700982009-04-22T23:12:00.000-07:002009-04-22T23:28:10.369-07:00

The house we are renting is not the biggest house around, but it is just enough for the two of us. However, now that we are having two more arrive in 7 months, we need to make some space. So I called the owner and asked her if we could build a storage room in the back yard in order to rearrange the house. Worst-case scenario we have to pay for it ourselves, but I wasn't going to offer

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.com2