Journal, December 13-21, 2010

Eight days on the road and I'm going to make it home tonight.

Monday, December 13 - Monday, December 20, 2010

Have you ever spent 8 Days on the road with 3 teen age boys? We had a good time but I think that if I had taken 3 energizer bunnies instead of the boys it would have been more restful. Last Monday Fernando, Bryan. Esbin and I headed out on an 8 day road trip.  Our #1 reason for going was to get up to Playa Grande to visit with 5 sponsored students that we have up there.  Although that was reason #1, reason #2 followed right on it's shirttails, and that was to have some fun.  Normally it takes 2 days to drive to Playa Grande but due to a planned 2 day visit to Champey and a not so planned 24 hour break down of my good old Land Cruiser we managed to get there in 5 days.  

Rule Number 278 - When your Mechanic says he patched up your old battery bracket, Insist on a new one.

Rule Number 279 - Remember that jagged pieces from a broken battery bracket can be sharp enough to  put a hole in your battery and  cut through power steering hoses.

Rule Number 280 - Remember that driving your car for an hour and a half without any power steering fluid can burn up your power steering pump.

 Rule Number 281 - Remember when any Guatemalan (especially a back yard mechanic) says "I Give You Good Price" To ask him weather the price is good for you or for him.

Over all we had a great time though, and we had some wonderful visits with all 5 kids that we went to see and with their new teacher.

The boys took turns driving my car on some of the more remote roads.

Fernando is a kid magnet.

 

Onias with his 

mother, baby brother, 

teacher and me.

Onias and his teacher.

None of these kids 

are allowed to attend 

the school that is 

in their village 

because of their 

disabilities.

No phone service at Mayra's home but

that did not stop us from pretending.

Mario can not talk but

he can certainly communicate.

Felipe with
my 3 boys 

& his teacher.

Update Dec. 23

 Felipe no longer

has a sponsor.

Update Jan 6
Felipe now
has a sponsor.
but we have
more children 
waiting.

Felipe proudly shows us 

some of his school work.

 

Micaela is very shy 

but she is doing great 

with her school work.

Onias' mom prepares lunch for us

It took 8 days 

but my boys 

finally tire out.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

How not to rest up after spending 8 days on the road.

We finally got back home last night.  I thought about resting up today but that got rather boring after an hour or 2.  Besides that trying to rest when all of the kids know that you are back home is an impossibility and will remain so until the kids go back to school in mid January.

At 8:30 AM a pastor that I met a few weeks ago brought a young man who attends his church over to my house.  This young man lost his leg in an accident a few months ago.  If any one knows of someone who can help this young man out with getting an artificial leg please let me know.

At around 9:30 AM Cesar and I headed over to Bethel's wheelchair shop and dropped off some wheelchairs that were in need of repair.  After paying a few bills we picked up Marcos and Headed over to the Orphanage.  Pat joined us and the 4 of us took 4 of the orphanage kids out to lunch.

We do not know who it was but when we asked the waitress for our bill we were told that some one had already paid it.  Wow what a neat surprise!  It is hard to believe that it was not all that many years ago that many of the customers at Camperos made us feel anything but welcome when we came in with the kids from the orphanage.  

When we got back from Camperos Pat did some work with a few of the kids while Cesar and Marcos hung out with Fidel.  I snuck up to the Malnutrition ward and held some of the little ones.

Last week just before I left for Playa Grande Cesar and Marcos's soccer coach told me about a lady that had been hit by a car and needed a wheel chair.  Since  Cesar and Marcos were both with me today we decided that this would be a good day to get a wheelchair to her.  So before leaving Antigua we stopped off a Hope Haven's wheelchair Factory and picked up a wheelchair.

When we got to Chimaltenango we met up with the boy's soccer coach and then drove out to where the lady lived.  After being hit by a car her family took her to the national hospital in Chimaltenango but they released her a few hours later without doing anything for her.  I suspect that she has a fractured and or dislocated shoulder broken ribs and internal injuries but the hospital did nothing for her. She is in a lot of pain.  We are going to see what we can do to get her in to see a different doctor.  Meanwhile she and her family are very grateful for the wheelchair.

I just got through feeding the kids and think that I will call it a day.

Goodnight,

Yours in Christ: Dick