Day Two

On the second full day in Guatemala the group had breakfast at the hotel and then we went down to the docks and boarded our launcha for the trip across the lake. Mayanfamilies general manager Julio and my friend Louise accompanied us. When we arrived at Santiago Atitlan we hired a pick-up to travel Guat style to the villages of Chuk Muk and Panabaj.

In the village of Chuk Muk my friend Louise and her husband have worked tirelessly to make improvements in the school and homes of the people there. They are mostly the displaced people who lost their homes in the mud slide in 2005 as a result of hurricane Stan.

She took us to two classrooms of the school to meet the children and participate in her efforts to teach the children good dental care. She demonstrated how to brush their teeth to the amusement of us all. Then we handed out toothbrushes and toothpaste that she got donated.

We also visited the home of a widow with 5 small children whose husband had been murdered. She had 3 small rooms and a kitchen out back. None of the beds had mattresses. They are sleeping on the support boards. Cory and Brandy generously gave them money to buy food. A side note...Cory tends to over tip from a generous heart but I think he is going to end up with a fan club that will be following him everywhere. We then visited the village of Panabaj where the mud slide happened. They still have about 1000 people living in a refugee camp here since 2005. The plan is that they will all be in the govt. housing of Chuk Muk by June. Many of the children and women there make items to sell so there were purchases made.

Back in the pick up to go see Maximon, the Mayan god. Each Easter someone earns the privilege of housing him for a yr. That privilege comes by who can come up with the most money.

We then went back into Santiago, visited the church and new town square where they have built a small park, and then had lunch atop a restaurant with very good food. Then the shopping started. I took them first to meet a family that have beautiful textiles. The woman there wears the traditional tocoytal head piece of that village which consists of 12 yrs of 2 inch woven fabric. She uncoiled it and demonstrated how she wraps it around her head. Several of the girls had to try one on for size.

Back across the lake, photo op on the dock then to Crossroads Cafe for coffee before we went to mayanfamilies headquarters. We sorted through the tubs of donations that everyone brought with them. We will be handing some of the things out tomorrow in the village of El Barranco where we will be installing a stove.

I am writing this at 3am so if it doesn't make sense sorry. I will attempt to journel each day to keep you all posted as to our adventure. Thank you all for your support and prayers.