Guatemala, Tuesday blog by Pat

Great progress was made as we all completed our 1st cook stoves for our families. We have worked hard and have some sore muscles but large smiles as a result. We were all very interested to learn the process for finishing the stoves with mixes of 50/50 sand to cement and then eventually a top coat with just cement for a smooth finish. Our masons are artists and many of them started learning their trade in their teens. We tried our hands at the mudding of the cement on the brick fire boxes and in the end they looked great! The families were very appreciative. They now need to wait 15 days for the stoves to cure and can then use them. We find it interesting as we meet the families and start to know them as people, can joke with them and with our masons. Some of our worksites have roosters, chicks and dogs moving through them. Other homes have rabbits and one has a pig. We will get a break to see some Guatemalan sights tomorrow and back to build 5-7 more cook stoves starting Thursday.

We were treated to another Perma Cultura farm at a friend of Gregorio's farm which used to be on a plantation, (Finca). When the boss could not afford the workers wages, he paid them in land. This Perma Cultura farm is from this occurrence. Again, farming in a manner that allows multiple plants to help each other and the rest of the environment in small spaces is a great way to farm and permits them to not use chemicals to grow. As Gregorio says, "Think for 5 hours, work 1 hour". This is what Perma Cultura farming allows. Coming back to our hotel our truck, (at 1 point we had 20 people in Or standing on the back of the truck), got a flat.  the guys fixed it faster than AAA could have done. Tomorrow more learning and adventures to come.