The Walkers
Mike Johnston
Maggie Johnston
Bruce Bushey
Debbie Bushey
Ruth Hershberger
Emma (Ruth's Cousin)
Near Beginning
Hans Vorsteveld
Jason Vorsteveld
Carson Hershberger
Mary Kerr
Marsha Mazeine
The Last Group
Gary Lewis
Betty Lewis
Steve Kayhart
Alexa Kayhart
Wilma Pramuk
Karl Krahn
Bill Mazeine
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Day 9 - Back Home
I had my alarm set for 4:00am, but I slept right through it. I was supposed to wake a couple of other rooms up that didn't have any alarms. At about 4:10am Debbie wakes us up. I remember that I was supposed to wake some others up and I ran through the hotel to get them up, but they were already awake. At about 4:30am we left the hotel and about 5 minutes into the drive it starts to rain. The first time we had seen any rain on the trip and it was the first time our bags were inside a vehicle. All the other times out bags were strapped to the top of the vehicles.
We get to the airport and go through all of the checkpoints with no trouble. We flew to Houston, Texas. Here we had to get our bags and get them checked in again. We had an hour in the Houston airport and we barely made it to our next plane. We then flew to Newark. The plane was behind schedule and about 20 minutes of hanging out at our next gate. At 6:30pm we finally landed in Burlington and were warmly greeted by some families.
We get to the airport and go through all of the checkpoints with no trouble. We flew to Houston, Texas. Here we had to get our bags and get them checked in again. We had an hour in the Houston airport and we barely made it to our next plane. We then flew to Newark. The plane was behind schedule and about 20 minutes of hanging out at our next gate. At 6:30pm we finally landed in Burlington and were warmly greeted by some families.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Day 8 - Back to Antigua
We left Xela around 8.00am and arrived at Antigua around 11.45am. Once we got there we checked into the hotel, dropped our bags and went out to lunch. After lunch we all split up. Some of us went to the local market and bought a few items. Some went to the hotel becuase they were feeling a little sick. And some walked around Antigua to see the sites.
A couple of local Habitat workers met us at the hotel and brought us to a nice restaurant for our last dinner. We had our own room and a band was playing traditional guatemalan music. When we got back to the hotel we all went to bed because the next morning we had to leave to hotel no later than 4:30am.
A couple of local Habitat workers met us at the hotel and brought us to a nice restaurant for our last dinner. We had our own room and a band was playing traditional guatemalan music. When we got back to the hotel we all went to bed because the next morning we had to leave to hotel no later than 4:30am.
Day 7 - Working day 5
This is the last day that we had the chance to work on the houses.
The walking group finished the trench to four feet deep. That was their only task for the day. It was a relitively easy day for them.
The group that started from the near beginning just kept on putting up blocks and got up to the fifth row all over the house.
The last group finished at about the ninth row around the exterior of the house. For the interior we got up to the seventh row.
Our day ended at 2.00 because we were going to the walking site for a closing cermony. The families all spoke about how much they liked us coming to help them build their house. All of the families were given a picture of us and them so they came remember us. Then we all broke up into our groups and the families presented us with some food. My group got a ham and cheese sandwich, pepsi, and a bananna. This entire week for luch we had PB and J, so ham and cheese was greatly appreciated.
That night the hotel gave us a special dinner and we all talked about the week and reflected on it. Then when dinner ended the family that is going to live on the walking site came to say a final goodbye. During the good bye ceremony at the work site the father wasn´t able to be their so he and his family got dressed up nice and came down to the hotel.
The walking group finished the trench to four feet deep. That was their only task for the day. It was a relitively easy day for them.
The group that started from the near beginning just kept on putting up blocks and got up to the fifth row all over the house.
The last group finished at about the ninth row around the exterior of the house. For the interior we got up to the seventh row.
Our day ended at 2.00 because we were going to the walking site for a closing cermony. The families all spoke about how much they liked us coming to help them build their house. All of the families were given a picture of us and them so they came remember us. Then we all broke up into our groups and the families presented us with some food. My group got a ham and cheese sandwich, pepsi, and a bananna. This entire week for luch we had PB and J, so ham and cheese was greatly appreciated.
That night the hotel gave us a special dinner and we all talked about the week and reflected on it. Then when dinner ended the family that is going to live on the walking site came to say a final goodbye. During the good bye ceremony at the work site the father wasn´t able to be their so he and his family got dressed up nice and came down to the hotel.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Day 6 - Working day 4
I was assigned to the last group with Gary. I am the only one with a video camera down here and over the past two days I have been able to visit the other two sites. Yesturday I was with the group that started from the near beginning the work was very similary to my original group. Do a task then wait about ten minutes for the next task. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. But today I went with the walking group. Oh Boy, only time for nothing was when you needed a break. There was always something to do and they didn´t have nearly enough room to move supplies around because their site is built into a hill and at the bottom of this 20 foot hill is a well traveled road. The also have houses all around them.
Today the walking group flattened out another room. Once that was done they had to dig a trench four feet deep for the foundation blocks. All this working with the dirt is not easy. In the dirt is many rocks, lots of trash and it is all very compacted. They have to use a pick-axe to get it all loose. Then the pile where they have been moving this dirt is on the hill down to the road and not more will fit their so they are carefully placing the dirt in the pile.
The group that started from the near beginning got many more bricks up.
The last group laid bricks all day and got up to the tenth row. This row is laid with ¨U-Blocks.¨ In these blocks rebarb is placed and the filled in completely with cement. This long process make the walls even stronger.
Today the walking group flattened out another room. Once that was done they had to dig a trench four feet deep for the foundation blocks. All this working with the dirt is not easy. In the dirt is many rocks, lots of trash and it is all very compacted. They have to use a pick-axe to get it all loose. Then the pile where they have been moving this dirt is on the hill down to the road and not more will fit their so they are carefully placing the dirt in the pile.
The group that started from the near beginning got many more bricks up.
The last group laid bricks all day and got up to the tenth row. This row is laid with ¨U-Blocks.¨ In these blocks rebarb is placed and the filled in completely with cement. This long process make the walls even stronger.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Day 5 - Working Day 3
The walking group did a lot of shoveling today, not as much carrying supplies. They saw a guy who appeared drunk walking through the streets carrying two machetes. The group was concerned about this but the locals thought nothing of it.
The group that started from the near beginning finished leveling all of the floors and then got two to three layers of brick laid.
The last group just continued laying brick. Gary had a job of filling the cracks on the out side of the house. In order to get their he had to make it through some barbed wire. He got his pants and shirt caught in the wire. Another member, Alexa, fell on the ground laughing.
The group that started from the near beginning finished leveling all of the floors and then got two to three layers of brick laid.
The last group just continued laying brick. Gary had a job of filling the cracks on the out side of the house. In order to get their he had to make it through some barbed wire. He got his pants and shirt caught in the wire. Another member, Alexa, fell on the ground laughing.
Day 4 - Working Day 2
We all returned to our sites happily and excited to work.
The walking group continued to to move supplies and also move dirt around.
The group that started from the near beginning layed a couple layer of bricks and started to level out the floors.
The last group continued working on the walls, making them higher and we filled in the cracks while the masons layed to brick. The walls became high enough where some scafolding was need. The idea of scafolding down here is a pile of bricks with a couple pieces of rough wood across it. The pieces of wood were nailed together for some secuity.
A place that we all learned about is a ¨Auto Hotel.¨ The first thought that came to many of our minds is a long term parking garage. Well, not the case. Many homes here have many generations in them and when some need privacy they go rent space by the hour.
The walking group continued to to move supplies and also move dirt around.
The group that started from the near beginning layed a couple layer of bricks and started to level out the floors.
The last group continued working on the walls, making them higher and we filled in the cracks while the masons layed to brick. The walls became high enough where some scafolding was need. The idea of scafolding down here is a pile of bricks with a couple pieces of rough wood across it. The pieces of wood were nailed together for some secuity.
A place that we all learned about is a ¨Auto Hotel.¨ The first thought that came to many of our minds is a long term parking garage. Well, not the case. Many homes here have many generations in them and when some need privacy they go rent space by the hour.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Day 3 - Work day 1
We all went to our worksites. One group had to start from almost the very beginning. The other two groups were starting with the walls up to the bottom of the windows.
One group had to walk to the house they were going to work on. This place is on the side of a mountain and they carried supplies up the hill closer to the house. The supplies were down at the road and some of the members were being honked at...for their looks. Around lunch time Maggie was lying in the sun and fell asleep for a half hour.
The group that started from near beginning had to dig trenches for the bricks to go. One member, Hans, hammered holes in the bricks to go around to rebarb all day.
The last group got to the house and was put to work leveling the floors. When school was out a girl came by who is a neighbor and Gary has been trying to hook me up with her.
One group had to walk to the house they were going to work on. This place is on the side of a mountain and they carried supplies up the hill closer to the house. The supplies were down at the road and some of the members were being honked at...for their looks. Around lunch time Maggie was lying in the sun and fell asleep for a half hour.
The group that started from near beginning had to dig trenches for the bricks to go. One member, Hans, hammered holes in the bricks to go around to rebarb all day.
The last group got to the house and was put to work leveling the floors. When school was out a girl came by who is a neighbor and Gary has been trying to hook me up with her.
Day 2 - More Traveling
We woke for a 700am breakfast. Then at 8am we loaded the vans and drove to xela, about a 4.5 hour drive. On the way we stopped at a ruins site and got to tour around it and stretch our legs. We got to xela and checked into the hotel and they immediatly served us lunch, soup and grilled ham sandwichs. We had a couple of hours before we got to met the families so we went to the local market. Some people from the group purchase items and it was interesting to watch them barder. The communication was hard due to the different languages. We met the families we would be helping and had a big group picture. That night we all became very excited to work with the families to help build the houses.
Last night Ramona wasn´t working well with the high altitude (about 8000ft.) and the smokey smell in the air. She went to the hospital and spent the night there.
Last night Ramona wasn´t working well with the high altitude (about 8000ft.) and the smokey smell in the air. She went to the hospital and spent the night there.
Day 1 - Traveling
The majority of our group left Burlington Airport at 630am. We met our leader, Duane, at Newark airport. Duane brought along his son, Carson, his wife, ruth , and ruth´s cousin, emma . We left Newark and headed for Guatemala City. We were greeted by Habitat for Humanity staff and a couple of vans. The vans weren´t big enough for us and the lugage so the lugage got to ride on the roof. I got in the van and following my habits I look for the seatbelt. To my surprise there wasn´t one. Most of the vehicles down here have NO seatbelts. We then drove to Antiqua and were checked into the hotel. We had orientation with the staff and they let us know about how things work here. The biggest change is that the toilet paper CANNOT go into the toilet, it goes into the trash can. We have to always drink bottled water to be safe. We all went out to dinner that night to a typical Guatemalan restuarant.
While we were in Newark we got a call from the Mazenizes. They got into a car crash the night before. They were not able to join us then but are trying to come down on Tuesday.
While we were in Newark we got a call from the Mazenizes. They got into a car crash the night before. They were not able to join us then but are trying to come down on Tuesday.
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