Habitat for Humanity Jutiapa

Welcome to Jutiapa!

2007-08-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Bienvenidos and thank you for visiting our site. Here you'll find the journal of our Guatemalan adventure -- 17 perspectives on one journey. You can also check out some of the many, many photographs we took.

Some things are so phenominal, they're hard to express in words and pictures. I hope you enjoy our humble attempt.

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

July 28 - August 6, 2007

July 28 ~ Patti

2007-08-24T13:52:00.001-07:00

Our team is flying from all over the United States to gather in Guatemala City for our big adventure: The Habitat Build in Jutiapa.

I took a midnight flight from Sacramento to Huston, then I waited fro my flight to Guatemala. Right now, there are a couple of us already in Guatemala City-Dena and Dave, our hosts, and Mark. Everyone else is on their way to the airport for their flights or already on their way. The adventure begins!

July 28 ~ Nora

2007-08-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! Walking into the airport I felt like a movie star- the lines of people starring at us (some lights & cameras would have made it complete). I am so excited to be back in Guatemala & back in a Habitat community. Let the experience unfold…

July 28 ~ Carley, Chris, and Kellie

2007-08-24T13:49:00.002-07:00

American Flight 983:

Shortly after landing in Guatemala City the captain came on the intercom. He said we had blown a tire and that the breaks had over heated so we might start to see smoke. We were stopped in the middle of the runway to wait for a fire truck. A man in a silver jumpsuit started at the damage for a while which made us all a little nervous. They turned the plane off and taxied us off the runway. Fire trucks came and sat as the man in the silver jumpsuit put on an oxygen tank and the pilots got off the plane to examine the damage. We un-boarded so unfortunately we never got to see what happened.

July 28 ~ Valerie

2007-08-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

The wave of blue shirts welcoming each other with open minds & hearts. Each of us coming for some of the same reasons & some different but all anxious & excited. I am thrilled to be part of this group & looking very forward to getting to know everyone.

July 28 ~ Dena

2007-08-24T13:48:00.002-07:00

We already miss you Ken!

July 29 ~ Chris

2007-08-24T13:48:00.001-07:00

Antigua is a very interesting & intriguing place. It was amazing to observe some of the local children watching us withdraw “Q’s” at the ATM. I am happy that we will have the opportunity to explore Antigua more next weekend.

July 28 ~ Kellie

2007-08-24T13:47:00.002-07:00

A trip to Antigua’s market for clothes with Silvia (Since AA has lost my luggage somewhere): learning how to barter, changing clothes in the middle of a store, learning to measure waist size by wrapping them around your neck.

July 29 ~ Patti

2007-08-24T13:47:00.001-07:00

We’re enjoying dinner at the Hostel del Centro in Jutiapa, our new home away from home. It was a long day, beginning at Antigua , we have had a wonderful “El Tipico” breakfast: beans, eggs and fried plantains followed by a local parade of mini scooters decorated for the Dia de Fiesta of the patron St of Guatemala- St Peter.

July 29 ~ Ken

2007-08-24T13:46:00.002-07:00

Interesting day as I arrived late, alone and was convinced that I would miss everyone. The team waited for me and I ecstatic.

July 29 ~ Erica

2007-08-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

Waking up in Antigua, Guatemala was a fabulous way to start my Golden Birthday! After breakfast, we headed out to the airport to pick up Ken who was already waiting for us! The drive to Jutiapa was pleasant and we stopped for lunch about half way through. Our hostel or hotel there in Jutiapa was very welcoming and I think all of us are happy to be able to settle in for the week. We explored the city today, walking around the main square for the last day of local “ferias” or festival. It was a very lively atmosphere with street stalls and music. Some of us also ventured in the church hall and observed a youth group enthusiastically singing.

At about 4:30 we commenced the official opening ceremony with the affiliate representatives and the families we will be building homes for. We learned a bit about them and they were eager to learn about us as well. Many of the team members were able to put their Spanish skills to good use as translators!

As a team we all learned a little bit more about each other/ some things were very surprising! It’s dinner time now and we’re all realized and looking forward to our first visit to the work sites and 1^st work day tomorrow.

July 29 ~ Alison

2007-08-24T13:44:00.003-07:00

Meeting the families this evening, I was struck by how young they are! I an around the same age and can’t even begin to imagine being in their situation.

July 29 ~ Carley

2007-08-24T13:44:00.001-07:00

Meeting the families I was amazed at what they have to go through to survive. One of the couples hardly gets to see each other because they take turns doing 12 hr shifts at the hospital! During most of the introduction to Jutiapa I played with Ashley, the daughter of the other family. In doing this I also got to talk to the mom. I truly admire her for her aspirations of wanting to go to college in a few years while working and raising Ashley, who’s only 7months right now!

July 29 ~ Valerie

2007-08-24T13:43:00.002-07:00

The team of volunteers are so interesting & diverse, a testament to how full they live life. Everyone is so genuine in their excitement to be here. The families are hard working & seem very worth candidates of a home. I am excited to get started on Monday seeing their dreams come true. Thank your to our organized & generous guides- David, Dena and Sylvia.

July 29 ~ Mark

2007-08-24T13:43:00.001-07:00

Excuse my penmanship; my best class in dental school was how to write sloppy. Seriously, I am loving all the people and personalities on the group. Looking forward to talking more with the families we’re working with.

July 30 ~ David

2007-08-24T13:42:00.003-07:00

Wow, wow, wow! What a fantastic group of people! Its day one of the build and I can already tell that no one is a stranger to hard work. From digging ditches, to handling concrete to breaking up rocks with a pick axe. One of the main reasons I came on this trip was to meet some wonderful people. I have no been disappointed. I am so proud and honored to be with you all on this build…and this is day 3…

July 30 ~ Sam

2007-08-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today was our first day on the site. My first impression was that we are truly in the middle of nowhere and starting this project form scratch. The highlight of the day was interacting with the children. I wish I knew more than just a few Spanish words, but even my broken conversations, gestures, and translated words with the kids were a true joy..

July 30 ~ Ken

2007-08-24T13:41:00.003-07:00

Today the work was hard but fulfilling. We dug, lifted, missed and wore ourselves out. Thanks to Advil we can start all over fresh tomorrow.

July 30 ~ Chris

2007-08-24T13:41:00.001-07:00

Lost of fun but hard work today. I will not forget Dena’s quote to Sam right after his near catastrophe falling into the ditch with a bucked of concrete” “You were the kid with the rings around his neck”

July 30 ~ Valer

2007-08-24T13:40:00.003-07:00

I love this country. I feel like I’m home, a more tropical home, but home none the less.

July 30 ~ Carley

2007-08-24T13:40:00.001-07:00

Today was almost overwhelming. We got to the worksite and the ditches were hardly dug for the foundation. We started off having to remove the muddy water from the rain the night before, then dig many 4in deep squares which proved much more difficult than it looked because of the rocky terrain and the extremely sticky mud. I thought this alone would take all day! However, after lunch we started putting re-bar into the ditches and by the time we left we had mixed and poured a little concrete into the foundation. I left completely satisfied that that kind of hard work and heavy lifting we did today isn’t the kind of you can ever get at the gym because it was full of heart, soul, & purpose.

July 30 ~ Nora

2007-08-24T13:39:00.004-07:00

Taking a glimpse at our worksite this morning I thought- here we are in a cornfield! Then when we ate lunch in the patio & the chickens came to visit us, I really thought there is no division between outside and inside, and it felt really good.

July 30 ~ Jen

2007-08-24T13:39:00.003-07:00

Today I fell in love with the people of Guatemala. Everyone was so welcoming when we arrived at the worksite, and you can tell the family is so excited and grateful for their new home. The area is beautiful beyond words; I can’t stop taking pictures! My favorite part of the day was interacting with the children. There were so many children at our worksite and they were all so full of life. I couldn’t get over how happy and joyful they were! They were so friendly and loved seeing pictures of themselves. It was so fun getting to play with and talk to them-I hope we get to know them better in the coming days. Before coming on this trip, I knew I would have a wonderful time, but I can already tell it will be even harder to leave than I thought! I’m also extremely impressed with the Habitat team David & Dena put together-everyone is so genuine and they are all SUCH hard workers! I am so thankful to be part of this team and am so grateful to share in this experience.

July 30 ~ Dena

2007-08-24T13:39:00.001-07:00

Although a lion’s share of the work fell at first to our amazing team of men- Mark, Sam & Chris. I was so moved by the strong women we have- it is still a wonder to me so much was accomplished today. I am also so excited that everyone is jumping right in with Spanish- we are all learning new words all the time.

Need I say- I love this team!?

July 30 ~ Anna

2007-08-24T13:38:00.002-07:00

Telenovela Section

Episode One

What an amazing day! Who would’ve imagined, as we were knee-deep in mud, that a love was blossoming from afar. It was love at first site for Wilmer, a 17-year—old at our worksite, when he spotted Carley. Within the first few hours he has already told me that she was the one he was going to marry. He knew she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, he had the ring; all he had left to do was learn her name, a task that took almost all day. I will say that I was having quite a bit of fun myself playing matchmaker for the two, through I’m not sure how married life would be considering that he forbids her to work and wants her to stay at home- unless she threatens to leave him. If what he says is true though, he’ll do pretty much anything she asks. He was really shy about talking to Carley, but I harassed him all day to talk to her- without communication who else would a marriage work? He would always tell me that he didn’t want to talk to her because she didn’t understand, but it was really him that didn’t understand when she spoke to him in Spanish. Despite the language difference, he tried his hardest to learn English for her like key phrases such as “Kiss” and “my love”. Though his English was limited they did share a few tender moments in which words were unnecessary. He followed her around all day, mixed cement at her side, and helped her carry a bucket of concrete to be poured. Other times, he enjoyed watching her hard at work while reclining on the rock pile in the shade (despite the fact that he wanted her to stay at home while he worded). His rest was only broken when Carley posed for a photo with Christ and put her arm around him. He knew right away that they must be dating; why else would she have put her arm around him? After learning from several reliable sources, including Christ himself, he realized that Carley was still available and his broken heart mended. With newfound conviction, he stepped up his game, chatting quietly with her alone by the fence and asking for her phone number at the end of the day. It’s a wonder this feat to so much courage considering that earlier in the day, he asked Carley for a kiss. “Maybe Thursday” replied Carley “you have need to know more besides my name and that I’m pretty.” Reminding him that time was of the essence he only had a week to win her heart, I urged him to take advantage of his opportunities with her. He decided to take his chance and prove his love by choosing to be with her over going to school. While he was cutting class, he attempted to impress her and prove his masculinity by sitting on Isidro’s motorcycle for long amounts of time. Will he impress her tomorrow? Will he remember her name? Will he get his kiss? Find out next time on Amor Sin Fronteras, the story of Carley and Wilmer.