RHPC Day 5

Today was the boat trip! After breakfast we walked down to the lake where we hopped on the boat and took a 30 min ride to our first town, San Juan la Laguna. In San Juan we stopped in a store where we learned about the use of natural dyes in the their products. They also taught us how they go about making their chocolate and we got a taste. Everyone then visited a handful of stores where we got a chance to shop.

We then moved on to the next city Panajachel. Our first objective was lunch. The restaurant we ate in gave us the largest plates we had ever seen. They were so huge! We then got a large portion of time to walk the main street and shop so more. Everyone got some cool and unique items from many different stores.

Our last stop was San Antonio Palopo. Here we went to another store where they taught us about pedal looming. They also dressed Katie and Molly in traditional clothing which was very fun. Then we walked to the church on the top of the hill and we're treated to some great views. On our way down the hill we stopped in a ceramic shop and saw some beautiful pottery.

To finish of the day we helped Marbilla make our dinner. Overall a very eventful fun day!

RHPC Day 4

We were back at work on the stoves today in Tierra Santa. All of the groups were completing the final steps which included filling the inside of the stove, adding the stove top, and covering the product with cement. All of the groups were able to finish their stove by the end of the day! We also found time around lunch to play with the children and today we read books with them. We read books such as Brown Bear Brown Bear and 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and had the kids act them out as we read. There was a lot of silliness and laughing through the whole process.

After work we made a stop for ice cream. There were 4 flavors for us to choose from and everyone had a sweet treat after a hard day of work. We then went to the swinging bridge and all walked across for fun. Then we went home and later watched Poverty Inc to wind down for the night. Can't wait for our boat trip tomorrow!

RHPC Day 3

Today was our first full day working on the stoves. When we arrived in Tierra Santa we all split into our groups and quickly got to work. The stoves are constructed layer by layer and all of the groups were able to construct all 4 layers! Some groups even moved on with other parts of the stove moving closer to a finished product. Although we worked hard all day we did find some time to play soccer with the kids after lunch. Can't wait to go back tomorrow!

For our night activity we went to the house of one of the masons we are working with, Santiago, where his wife, Leticia, taught us how to make corn tortillas, a food staple here in Guatemala. None of our tortillas were as good as Leticia's but it was a fun experience. We also learned all about the technology of the stoves we are building and just how efficient they are. It's great to see just how big of an impact this one appliance is making on the families!

RHPC Day 2

Our "day of rest" was definetly not what it sounded like. We started off with a walk around the market at 9 where we got to see everything from puppies to dried fish to shoes and everything in between. We also got a glimpse of the beautiful cemetery.

Shortly after the market we began our hike lead by Goyo. To start off we went down to the lake and learned the story of San Lucas Toliman. We they walked through coffee fields and learned all about the process of making coffee. After some tough hills and a lot more walking our hike finished at the IMAP (Institution of meso-american permaculture) where we got to see how permaculture operates. After lunch we were given the chance to buy some beautiful jewelry made from seeds as well as other hand made articles from families living around the institution.

Later in the afternoon we were given the chance to drive to San Gregorio and meet the recipients of the scholarships our church is providing. They treated us to fun activities such as water balloons and making people mummies before closing out with the traditional game of futbol. It was great to see and hear the difference the scholarships are making in the kids lives and meet the families as well.

Our day of rest definetly was not filled with rest but I think we all were ok with that.

RHPC DAY 1

We arrived safely in Guatemala yesterday to open arms from the Posada de Volacanes staff. Everyone was very tired after a long day of traveling so it wasn't hard for us to fall asleep quickly after dinner.

This morning we traveled to Tierra Santa where our plans quickly shifted to go experience the festivities of water day where the town celebrates the first day they got water from the  mountain. After a very bumpy ride and walk up the mountain we were treated to beautiful views and  music from the celebration. Although it was not part of our original plans this activity turned out to be a very fun and big part of our day.

We then traveled back down the mountain for lunch. After lunch we began the stove building process. Everyone was split into groups of 2 and each group was assigned a house. We cut some cinder blocks and sifted some sand so we could be ready for the building to begin on Monday. We can't wait for that but tomorrow is a day of rest where we have some other fun things planned!