Because of RHE

Saturday, May 4th, one of my favorite authors, Rachel Held Evans, passed away. She was 37, a mother of young children, and one of the reasons (maybe biggest) I have not entirely wandered away from the church. Now, don't hear me wrong. I wasn't off gallivanting and losing my moral compass. And I know the Lord works all things for His good and she was a propellant in a bigger story.

But what I read in a post on Christianity Today about her passing and her influence really sums it up best. She was a safe place for those who wander and wonder. If my life can be wrapped up in two words I think wandering and wondering might be those two.

So let me back up a little...

I first stumbled upon RHE's writings in 2012 when she released A Year of Biblical Womanhood. My mom and I pre-ordered the book and read it together in our own little book club. I loved it! (Mom wasn't quite as enthusiastic.)

After that, I'm sure I read some of her blogs here and there but ran back into her last year when looking for books about people who were raised in faith, lost it, and found it again. That's when I came across Searching for Sunday.

Now another needed back up...

In 2017 I started experiencing some serious doubt and disconnect about church, the Bible, and what I just accepted because it was how I was raised. This all started when a friend from work (who is also a wandering wonderer) and I were discussing some theological topic (maybe women in leadership...I don't fully remember) and he asked, "why do you believe that?" to which I responded, "hm...I guess I just always have. I don't know." This led me down a path of why do I believe anything? A mild existential crisis if you will. (mild may be putting it lightly)

After a little while of wrestling with this alone, I turned to some of my oldest and most faithful friends for direction. These friends, of course, were books. I love a memoir about someone else's story. How they got where they are. What they believe. (check out This I Believe on NPR if you do to) Learning how other people understand and experience the world helps me know how I understand and can experience the world.

I read English Lessons by Andrea Lucado, the Most Beautiful Thing I've Seen by Lisa Gungor, Finding God in the Waves by Science Mike, and a few others. But the one that really pressed into me and helped me feel secure though still doubting was Searching for Sunday by RHE.

In just the prologue, Dawn, her honesty and well written thoughts were enough to keep me going. (you can read the prologue in the Look Inside feature on Amazon) She talked about how early traditions in Christianity "bury their dead with their feet toward the rising sun as a sign of hope and with the expectation that when Jesus returns to Jerusalem at the Second Coming, the faithful will rise and look him in the eye." She ends the prologue with this:

"This book is entitled Searching for Sunday, but it's less about searching for Sunday church and more about searching for Sunday resurrection. It's about all the strange ways God brings dead things back to life again. It's about why, even on days when I suspect all this talk of Jesus is a bunch of bunk designed to coddle us through an essentially meaningless existence, I should still like to be buried with my feet facing the rising sun. 

Just in case."

The first time I was in a season of doubt back in 2007, my rescuer was CS Lewis and the character of Puddleglum. Puddleglum made sure to let the underworld folks know that even if there wasn't another option he'd still believe there was. Even if there was no Aslan, he'd live like there was anyway. And that is where my faith draws from on the days when I can't see it and the days when my mind and faith are wandering and wondering.

Maybe this seems unstable to some. Maybe having such a high regard for an author and speaker that has some very different theological views than you might seem unwise. But if I've learned anything in the past 2 years I think it might be that I don't know what I don't know. The world is big. The bible is rich in theology and culture and things we will never understand being from the western world. Everyone has a story worth telling. And the people who tell their stories openly and honestly might just help someone else to live their story more fully.

So because of RHE, I am in a place of belief out of doubt. Openness to tell my story. Sadness that we will not have more of her writing to read. But gladness that I can turn to what she has written on days when I feel this might all be a bunch of bunk.

Thank you, RHE, for writing honestly for all of us who wander and wonder and need to know we are not alone.


*For the record, I have found a church to sink into in order to work through my wanderings and wondering. When it comes down to it, the thing I want to hang my hat on at the end of the day is Jesus, nothing more, nothing less. Some days I work through this well. Most days I go through the motions. But seasons come and go and I am glad to have experienced this season of doubt and searching. As I said to a dear friend (an actual person, not a book) "I just don't know that I can ever get back to where I was." And her response was "maybe you are on your way to something better." So here's to continuing the search in an honest way with hopeful expectation that some day we will see that ever longed for rising sun.

Guatemala 2019: Wednesday

On Wednesday, our team had the opportunity to take a trip across the lake to experience some of the local culture and learn a little about how some of the families support themselves. In San Juan we were able to visit a coffee co-op (La Voz) and a weaving co-op (Casa del Tejido) as well as check out the shops run by local artisans.

At the coffee co-op we toured the grounds and saw coffee plants in various stages of life. We were able to pick a bean off the plant and tasted the nectar that surrounds the bean inside the shell. It was like honey suckle.

While on the tour, I asked Bruce if he had toured a coffee co-op before. And in typical Bruce style, he says, "oh yeah, I interned on one in Costa Rica on a summer break from teaching". Bruce is a quiet guy who goes about his business on the build site without bothering anyone. But when you spend a week with him in Guatemala, you learn that he has stories to share for days and might be one of the most interesting people you've ever met!

We toured the area where the beans are sorted, washed, shelled, dried, processed, and roasted. It was really interesting to see the whole process of how the bean from the plant made it to the drink in my morning mug.

The families that are in the co-op benefit by being able to sell their beans to someone else who can then process and sell the product. To do this on your own is very difficult.

All of us enjoyed a coffee drink at the end of the tour!

We then headed to the weaving co-op. This is the same co-op we have visited each year of the trip. Though I have seen the demonstration 3 times, it is fascinating each time. The skill and artistic talent that goes into the process of weaving and making the textile goods is outstanding.

One of the most fascinating things to me is the dye that changes color based on the moon phase and if it is dyed overnight. They use plants to make their colors and when dyed in a full moon indigo is darker than when it is processed in other moon phases. 

As usual I was the last in the shop trying not to break my bank account with the amount of items I wanted to purchase. I am a sucker for souvenirs and even more so for products that are fair trade and support women in cultures where it is hard to find work and support your family. (And on top of having beautiful products, they take credit cards!)

Once final purchases were made, we headed back toward our water taxi with a couple stops on the way in the shops.

That evening we were able to have a visit with Fredy and hear about what he is up to now. He is focusing most of his efforts on a nonprofit geared toward helping students complete high school. We were able to bring him some supplies for this (and his new baby due next week!) and he was so very grateful. The work and love he has for his community in San Juan is inspiring!

On our trips, I think the cultural days are just as important as our days on the build site. It is helpful to know more about the population we are partnering with and to support the local economy in sustainable ways.

Guatemala 2019: Monday and Tuesday

Apologies for the delay, the internet was not consistent enough to blog and the location was too beautiful to be bothered to stay in the room :)

On Monday and Tuesday I was on the team building stoves. We built 4 of the 6 stoves for the week in a community called Esperanza, which means hope.

Monday our stove teams were divided by a good walking distance and were only together for lunch and the beginning and end of the day. This meant that our translator had to go between sites leaving us to figure out our communication with pointing, gesturing, laughing, and "poquito espanol" for good chunks of the day.

Felipa and Luis

The family I worked with is a single mother, Felipa, with one son, Luis, who is in school. We worked alongside her and members of the community. She was even kind enough to sew up a bag of a team member while we worked.

The stoves this year were a little different than my first. The blocks were smaller (and lighter) but more difficult to cut with a machete. I was so bad at it that our very funny and smiley helper, Clemente, took away my machete and sent me inside to do the mortar. Another change to the stoves was an extension for wood storage right in front as well as a ramp that is built of cement that is right under the plancha/stovetop and allows for better usage of wood. These changes are a great help and cost savings to the families.

Clemente

At the end of the day we gathered with our families and they cried tears of joy for the gift their family received that day. It may seem a small thing, but to them it is life changing! 

Felipa's home, a Habitat Guatemala home

That evening we soaked in the beauty of the lake when we returned to the hotel and ate dinner at Circus, a pizza place in town.

Tuesday we headed to another site to build stoves while the other half of the team continued work at the house site. This stove site was a shared lot. We built one stove for Florencia, Enma, and their son Gamamiel and another for their older son who would soon be married, Jose. This was a fun experience because both stove teams worked as one to complete the two stoves that were separated by a wall.

Florencia, Enma, and Gamamiel

Heather and I were able to trick Domingo, Habitat Guate staff, into telling us we were beautiful just in time for Valentine's day by teaching him English phrases and we had a great time speeding through the build with Gabriel, another Habitat Guate staff member.

For lunch that day we had pepian, a traditional Guatemalan food, and it was just as delicious as I remember!

Though we were distracted by the adorable puppy on this site, we finished our stoves in record time and had time to explore a little in Pana that afternoon. This meant paying an ice cream debt I had incurred months before at my favorite Guatemalan ice cream stop, Saritas. (If you are ever there I recommend the waffle galleta capuchino.)

That evening we had dinner at the hotel and prepared for our next day of learning about the culture of the lake region.

I love building the stoves, maybe more than the work we do on the houses. The stoves welcome us into the homes of hardworking families trying to make a better life. The joy on their faces and which they express makes a short day of work worth more than words can say. I am always amazed at how much can be done and communicated even with a communication barrier of language. Through smiles, laughter, broken English and Spanish, and a lot of pointing and gesturing we are able to accomplish life change. 

before and after

Guatemala 2019: Saturday and Sunday

We made it to Guate! (a couple days ago...)

Early on Saturday morning most of the team arrived at GSP to make our first flight of the trip. We met up with the rest of the team at MIA and anxiously awaited our flight to GUA. As team leader, once everyone is on the plane headed to Guatemala a lot of the weight is lifted. We made it. It is no longer up to us if we get to our destination. The majority of the trip we rely on transportation provided and approved by Habitat Guatemala.

Once at the airport we exchange money and get our bags and head to ground transportation to be greeted by Habitat Guatemala staff. The bus is loaded and we are off to our destination for the night.

The first night of most Habitat Guatemala Global Village trips is spent in beautiful Antigua. It is a colorful city full of shops and good eating and high population of tourists and ex-pats.

After arriving at our hotel, most of the team went exploring before dinner. I, however, chose to take a nap. As team leader and someone who is mostly introvert, I have learned on the last two trips I need to manage my energy and time spent with the large group. I think being team leader must be something like being a parent.

We enjoyed our first team dinner at Fridas, a restaurant we have been to on both trips prior. This year the team enjoyed live music and their first tastes of Guatemala.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hotel and packed up before making our way to Panajachel. As is often the case, we shared the hotel with a team departing from their Habitat trip. We got to share some stories well wishes for our travels before parting ways.

The bus ride took a few hours and we arrived safely at our hotel. No one is disappointed in the location of the hotel. It is right on the lake. We can watch sunset over the mountains and volcanoes. The main street in town is walking distance. And for our first night there was a wedding and an elaborate proposal on the dock.

On Sunday we also got to meet affiliate staff with the Solola Department Habitat affiliate and in Guatemalan style they greeted us with cake and cola. We learned a little more about our projects for the week and made our way back to the hotel to enjoy an evening relaxing before getting to work.

This week we will work on one home and build 6 smokeless stoves.

The team this year is a little larger, but all are having a great time and enjoying getting to know one another and the culture of Guatemala.

Until the internet allows again...


(the internet is not being agreeable for uploading photos to the blog...check instagram for visuals. usernames: hlwick and habitatgvl)

To Guatemala We Go (a third time)!

As it turns out, that snow day I wrote a blog was a fluke...but I still hope to get those other blogs written eventually!

January flew by this year and here I sit, my last day in the office before heading back to the beautiful country of Guatemala. This will be my third trip to Guatemala with Habitat Global Village. Our team this year is 15 people and a unique variety to say the least!

Coming in for landing

I am excited to be returning and getting to stay on the lake in Panajachel. We have visited Lake Atitlan on both our previous trips, but this year our hotel is right on the lake, with waterfront property! I can hardly wait to get there.

On the team again this year, are Steve and Heather. This will be the third trip for the three of us, and I don't think I would enjoy the trip nearly as much without them. They are always giggling and having a great time and I love getting to spend this week with them each year. (we are considering trying out somewhere new on an open team together next year) This will be Steve's 7th Global Village trip! He has the goal of a trip on all continents where Habitat works and the last he has left now is Australia. I can only hope to be as well traveled and active as he is when I reach my 70th year.

I'm sure they will be glad I added this photo

Others on the team are Karen and Stephanie. This will be the second trip for both of them. We have all worked together at Habitat Greenville for a little over 4 years now and all completed our AmeriCorps terms within a year or two of each other back around 2008. Getting to spend time outside of the office with coworkers always makes our working relationships better and of course, they are just fun gals to have around!

We also have a Habitat Greenville AmeriCorps Alum, Chris, joining us all the way from Texas!

A few of our task leaders are joining us (AnnLee, John P, Bruce, Karen G, and Ted) and I love getting this time with our volunteers and building even better relationships with them!

We have two more parent/child sets. One staff member and his mom (Alex and Laura) and a board member and her daughter (Glenda and Meagan). For Alex's mom, Laura, it is a life goal to go on a mission trip abroad and I am so excited they get this opportunity together! And for Glenda and Meagan, Glenda has told us how Meagan pushes and challenges her to do things she wouldn't do on her own and I can't wait to see the fun they bring to the team.

Our week will be spent working on a home and some healthy home projects (stoves and latrines). We will also enjoy cultural activities like touring a coffee farm and weaving cooperative. Some of us even plan to hike a volcano! (Hopefully it won't be cloudy this time.)

I will do my best to post updates here and photos to Instagram (username: hlwick) pending the quality of our wifi connections.

Now off to pack and finish preparations for the trip...

Hasta luego!

December? Already?

It's been a while.
Almost a year to be more accurate.

This year has been...

Well...

it's been a year.

But more about that later...

I plan to try and catch the blog up before heading back to Guatemala in February. I have the privilege of leading the trip again and look forward to visiting a place I have come to love.

(If you want to support the trip, you can do so until tomorrow 12/10 here.)

However, just in case I don't actually blog after today, here is a list of the things I would like to blog about if the muse arrives:

• A year in review
• Books I have been reading
• Home-ownership so far
• Dog-ownership so far (but maybe the dog really owns me)
• Roommates: how to find and keep them 
• Traveling and the goal to better utilize my time off this year
• Trip West (NV, AZ, UT)
• Frontier Airlines now available: GSP to DEN
• Hawaii!!!
• California Cousins and Yosemite
• 50 by 40 - only 11 to go!
• Whole 30 (and how I have basically forgotten all about it during Christmas season)
• FiA and C25k (or an attempt to get back into the shape I was once in or at least be able to run a mile again)
• Death of a grandparent and how cousins are the best thing
• Mental health 
• Church, faith, and finding something that was always there but may look different
• Dating apps (probably won't actually write this one...but I tried them and it was basically terrible. So if you know any reasonable single men between the ages of 30 and 42 I'd take a blind date setup by a trusted friend over a pool of strangers on the internet every time)
• Work, work, work, work, work (New job title, I love my job, coworkers as friends, and goodness we worked a lot this year)

In case I don't blog again before Guatemala, that's a basic run down about what I have been up to this year. I hope the words start to flow because I like when writing is an outlet for me and I know there are at least 4 people who like to read this blog (mom, aunt Kris, Alex, and Spesh this is mostly for you 😊)

But for today, it is one of our rare snow days in Greenville and a good time to make use of time at home that would have been spent doing other things. Until the muse hits...

From travels this year.

Cousins and being an aunt.

The many faces of Max Patch.

We shall see what travels next year brings!

Guatemala: Saturday and Sunday Recap

There is still a little dirt under my finger nails and the slight hint of Guatemala wofting around my house and some of my clothes. But we have been home since Sunday evening. This year our return travel was much smoother and easier to recover from.

I left off with Saturday's return to Antigua. Most of us enjoyed the afternoon walking and shopping around Antigua. It really is a beautiful city! We were also able to go to the overlook near the city to see it from above and get one last great view of the countryside we had become accustomed to over the week. That afternoon I was able to catch up with a friend of a friend who lives in Guatemala and hear a little about what she does to serve a community there. What a neat girl she is!

For dinner we repeated what we had last year and afterward said our goodbyes to Fredy. Some team members thought it would be fun to get confetti eggs to smash and Fredy thought this was fun too. He told a great story of how they used them in school and then showed us the proper way to smash them on each others head, littering the street with confetti.

After dinner we got a few last shopping minutes in and headed back to pack up our belongings.

Sunday morning we were able to have a later departure from Antigua as our flight was not until 2:00. Most of us spent the morning walking around the city a little more and enjoying our last cups of Guate coffee before we headed out.

With only a small hiccup in return travel this year and we made it to the airport with plenty of time and no crazy flight stories to report this year.

Everyone made it back in a timely manner to their destinations and I'm sure slept pretty well for the night after a week well spent and a 12 hour travel day.

I don't think I really knew how exhausted I was until Monday when my rhythm was do a chore, take a nap, do another chore, take a nap then watch a show and fall asleep until Tuesday morning. But I would do it all again and be just as exhausted, if not more.

We are all so grateful for the opportunity to spend the week serving side by side and seeing another small piece of this big big world. Until next time!

Guatemala: Wednesday Evening to Saturday Morning Recap

Currently we are on the bus on the way back to Antigua for our last day/evening in Guatemala. Tomorrow we load up and head to the airport for our return home. As I have said before, hopefully tomorrow goes much smoother than last year.

But I think we left of with Wednesday evening and heading to the home of a Habitat family for dinner. So that is where we will pick up!

Our evening cooking dinner with the family was a highlight of the trip for sure (maybe I have said everything was a highlight so far...which means it has been a pretty great trip!). We arrived to some of the most enthusiastic hosts I have ever visited. Their smiles were beaming with pride to show us their almost completed Habitat home and to welcome us to the home of their mother in law.

The evening was spent cooking pepien and learning to make corn tortillas. Dinner was delicious, but the company was even better! Following dinner we had some of the best hot chocolate any of us had ever had. I'm not sure if the food we eat while traveling is really the best or if it is just the expereience adding to it. Either way, it has all been great!

On Thursday we were back to the build site for more rebar bending, tying, and twisting; chipping, cutting, and moving block; and all the  things in between. In the evening we were invited to a habi-friend's home for pizza and s'mores. The evening was enjoyed around the fire relaxing before our last day on the build site. 

Friday we had breakfast and headed out for our last day on the build site. Moving block and pouring concrete were the main tasks for the day. Work was a little slower as the masons were getting to more detailed items and less hands were needed. The future homeowner for the house made us a morning treat and our caterers provided us with another delicious lunch!

Friday afternoon we had a celebration of the week and the work completed on the house with the family, masons, and local affiliate staff. This is always a highlight of the week as well! They had cake and gifts for us before we said our goodbyes.

One thing we were all amazed at was the way they were digging the hole for the septic. They had to dig 65 feet down and they used a very simple pulley and lever system with some wood, rope, and a bucket. And of course some manpower of a guy to haul the bucket up and a guy in the hole digging. The ground here is different than the ridiculously hard to dig in ground we have in SC because it is a volcanic area. By the time we left Friday, they had dug down about 20 feet and pulled up nothing but soft soil.

After the build day Friday we had time to start packing up and deciding what we would leave behind and what we would take with us. Most of the things we bring for our team, we leave with our coordinator to use for future trips.

Friday dinner was a steakhouse with family stlye options and more great food!

I think everyone has had a great week and enjoyed the work, food, and friendship we have  shared all week.

In Antigua today we will have some free time for the afternoon to explore and shop before our last dinner as a team.

Tomorrow we have a later morning and then head off to the airport.

Thanks for tagging along via the blog this week! Hopefully I will get one or two more posts written about the trip when we return. But if not, again I want to thank those who supported the trip financially and encouraged each of us to go. It has been a truly wonderful experience and I am so grateful to be a small part of the great work that Habitat does around the world!

Guatemala: Tuesday and Wednesday Recap

It is Wednesday afternoon and we are resting at the hotel after 2 days of work on the job site and a day spent exploring a few sites near Xela.

I left off with dinner Monday, so that is where I will catch up from!

Monday evening we went for dinner at a tapas Mediterranean restaurant that was very tasty. Then an early bedtime for me, I think others played cards for a bit too.

Tuesday was back to the build site! We had breakfast at the hotel, loaded up the van, and drove about 30 minutes through town. The day started with more rebar tying, bending, and cutting. Not too long into the day we moved to mixing, moving, and pouring concrete. With our team of twelve, 3 masons, Fredy, and two habi-friends from the Habitat Guatemala national office, many hands made heavy work a little lighter.

Before lunch we had half the concrete for the foundation walls poured. We enjoyed another lunch prepared by our fantistic lunch caterers and shortly headed back to work. The afternoon was more bucket brigade on the concrete and the addition of block brigade to get the masons ready to go for laying block on Wednesday.

Our friends from the national office joined us for the full day. It's always great for me to get to share Habitat stories and comeraderie with like minded and kindred Habitat types.

After the work day we had a little free time and checked out another local spot for cake and coffee before dinner. (I just went with the coffee as we are far from being under fed on this trip!) For dinner we went to a place called Tacorazon which was delicious. It was started by a guy from Boston and is clearly where the expats hang out. I'm sure for the food, but also for the English speaking employees I would guess : )

After dinner there were card games to be had. And miracle upon miracles, 4 of us on the team know how to play euchre! We played a game or two and I couldn't tell you the last time I played, but it was great to play again!

Today was a built in cultural day to allow us a recovery day from the heavy lifting and to stay out of the way for the next step on the house which is a little more meticulous. We had breakfast at the hotel and loaded up to start our exploring.

We first ventured to Cerro El Baul, a suggestion of my local habi-friend. It is a bumpy but enjoyable ride up to an overlook of the city. None of us realized how large the city was until looking down on it from above. It was definitely an appreicated suggestion and must do quick stop when visiting Xela!

Next up was to head to the hot springs, Fuentes Georginas. The drive alone was worth the time. The countryside here is beautiful! There were loads of farms and various crops to see making the landscape look like a beautiful patchwork quilt. We stopped for a good photo op and headed on up the twisting, narrow road.

The hot springs were a hit! After a few days on the build site the hot water felt wonderful to our aching muscles. I have never been to a hot spring, but will certainly make it a travel must do if ever I am close to one again. We had lunch there as well and shotly following lunch started the 45 minute drive back to Xela.

Our last stop before heading back to the hotel was a recycled glass shop. They take glass turned into to be recycled and make it into usable glassware. Having my own home now I find it hard to pass up purchasing the beautiful artisan goods you see all over here! So of course I bought a few items : )

After that stop, we headed back to the hotel. Though the hot springs were relaxing, it seemed that everyone could use the afternoon to rest a little more.

This evening we are going to the home of a Habitat family to make dinner with them and have a lesson on making corn tortillas!

Hard to belive the trip is already half over. Tomorrow is another day on the build site and an evening of pizza and bonfire with our local habi-friends! All team members are having a great trip and learning a lot.

Many thanks for following along, hopefully I will get at least one more blog out before returning home!

Guatemala: Sunday and Monday Recap

It is almost dinner time Monday and I find myself with a little free time and decent internet to write a quick update. (sorry, no photos, check instagram for those. Usernames: hlwick, habitatgvl, habitatgvlrestore)

Sunday was a great day. We started the day with a delicious breakfast and some of that fantastic Guate coffee. We then loaded up and hit the road to head to Lake Atitlan.

Lake Atitlan was glorious just as I remembered it. We did most of the same thing we did last year, which was just what we wanted. We took a boat across, went to the weaving cooperative, and had lunch at the same place. This time though we did things with a little haste to make sure we got to Xela in time. We even got to meet Fredy's sweet wife, Chica, and his son, little Fredy. Fredy spends weeks at a time away from his family to serve Habitat and we are glad to fit in a stop where he can get a quick visit too. The weaving coop was a favorite as usual, and I was even out-shopped a little by others on the team this year! I could spend a whole lot of money there. The items are just so beautiful.

After touring around a little we loaded the boat, crossed the lake, headed back to the minibus and hit the road for Xela.

After about 2 hours of another beautiful stretch of scenery, we arrived. Our hotel is super nice! We have hot water and everything : )

We settled in a little and then headed out to dinner for some delicious Indian food!

After dinner we all hit the hay as we were a little road weary and wanted to be ready for our first day on the build site.

Morning came quickly, but with better sleep than the night before without the noise of our previous hotel's guests.

Breakfast was again great, accompanied by coffee and fresh juice of course.

Then we were off to the build site. It was about a half hour away.

We started the day meeting the local affiliate staff and the Garcia family who will be the owners of the home.

The day was spend cutting and bending rebar and cutting and bending more rebar. Some others shoveled dirt and laid some block. Lunch was chicken and vegetables and delicious pineapple juice made by a local family.

In the afternoon we had cloud cover that was much appreciated! It also came with some very breezy moments that created a few dust devils or as Fredy called them, remolino.

We finished up what we could of the rebar for the day and headed back to the hotel.

Showers were had with much dirt to wash off.

After showers and clean up, some went for ice cream, some went to explore, and soon we will all head to dinner. Tomorrow should look a lot the same with a little more concrete mixing and pouring, but I am sure it will have plenty of excitements of its own.

Hasta luego!

Guatemala: Saturday Recap and Sunday Plan

We made it!

And with little to no hiccups along the way.

Half of Saturday was spent in airports, planes, and a minibus. Our flights were without difficulties and customs was smooth sailing through. As we descended for landing and I could see the mountains and volcanos and buildings upon buildings, I was finally feeling the excitement that I had been holding off. Being team leader, making sure everything was done and everyone was on the plane made for a little more detail thinking than wishful thinking this time.

After passing through customs and out of the airport, we were reunited with our wonderful guide Fredy. We loaded up the bus and headed to our home for the night in Antigua!

Fredy showed us around a little and set us free until dinner.

Dinner was delicious. I would vote it was the best guacamole I have ever had and enjoyed every bite of it.

It was a little chillier than I remember in Antigua, but not quite like the weather expected at home this week.

After dinner was sleep...well as much as we could, our other hotel friends didn't seem to know that it was 3am and others might be sleeping...

But now it is morning. Soon time for breakfast and heading to our next stop on the adventure.

Today we will go to Lake Atitlan to explore a little and then on to Xela where we will work (and play) for the week.

We are all very excited to be here and looking forward with anticipation to what we get to see and do this week.

Until next post (which will depend on fun having and internet connection)!

To Guatemala We Go (Again)!

It's that time again!

We are packing up and getting ready to travel to Guatemala tomorrow to experience the colorful culture and work alongside the local Habitat affiliate in Xela.

This year our team has 3 returners. Myself, Steve, and his daughter, Heather. The rest of the team has never been to Guatemala, one has never been out of the country. Our team is 6 Habitat Greenville staff, 1 AmeriCorps member, 2 Habitat Greenville volunteers, and 3 family members. Most of the team is coming from SC, but we also have members from CO, NY, and NC!

the team!

The trip feels different to me this time. Last year it was new and unknown and dreamed about for a decade. This year it is familiar, but slightly different. Still dreamed about, but a lot less unknown. I have the privilege of being the team leader this time. Last time I was assistant to the team leader.

One of our team members actually speaks Spanish this year!

Upon arriving we will be reunited with our fantastic Field Coordinator, Fredy. We are very excited we were able to be matched with him again!

Flying in.

We travel to Antigua for our first night and to Lake Atitlan for our second day. We will arrive to Xela Sunday evening and meet our family Monday morning. Monday-Friday we will work on one house together as a team with some cultural experiences sprinkled in. Saturday we will head back to Antigua for an afternoon of R&R before we fly out Sunday to return to our respective homes.

I will certainly miss some of the friends we made last year who we will not see, but I look forward to seeing a few familiar faces and the new relationships that will form over the course of this week.

A favorite place to be in life for me is traveling, getting my hands dirty in service to others, and learning what life looks like to someone else. I am so very delighted to be a part of this trip again! Many thanks to all supporters who made this trip a possibility for myself and the rest of the team. Without the generous support of others none of us would be able to do what we do.

The streets of Antigua.

Hopefully I will have internet connection to post a few times throughout the week, but if not, I will certainly follow up when we return!

Adios, mis amigos, nos vemos pronto!

2017: A Year in Review

2017. 

An interesting year. 

To say the least. 

I started the year focused on a trip to Guatemala with Habitat and finished the year planning and gathering a team for another trip to Guatemala which is just a week away! The things in between were a lot of usual life sprinkled with a handful of unexpected.

January’s trip to Guatemala was a highlight of the year and the focus of the month. 

February contained visits with old friends, a Bon Jovi concert for $10, hiking and biking, and the start of new builds at work. 

March was birthday month with treats in the mail, snow days from work, a trip to OH, an offer on a house, an art class with London, and a work conference in Atlanta to name a few things. 

January-March

April, we worked deals on a house and inspected and waited and wondered if this is a good idea at all. There was also a Harlem Globe Trotters event, a super strict eating plan to exercise discipline in life, welcoming spring with its loveliest of greens, and the last week of the month closing on my very own first home!

May was spent packing and moving, meeting a Netflix celebrity, traveling to Haiti, more packing and moving, welcoming summer in the annual fashion of Dolly's and Mexican, a visit to OH to warm my home in SC, and officially living in my very own home. 

June came with settling in, a chipped front tooth, welcoming friends home, going to Ikea, more warming of my home by dear friends, finding the best running shoes (but still not running much), another work trip to ATL, and some art to gift to a friend.

April-June

July had visitors for weekends and visiting on weekends (cousins and dear friends both), another state crossed off the visited states list, a mom's 60th birthday, an alumni build in Raleigh, more hiking and biking, learning sleeping in my contacts was killing my eyes and finally making a better choice to take them out each night, a peace center show by myself (Finding Neverland), and still settling into owning a home. 

August found my living room officially nested and just how I like it, a wedding of a friend, more art being made, honey crisp season, buying a mattress for the first time ever, the building of furniture, making homemade moon pies and watching an eclipse to remember, welcoming new AmeriCorps members, and a trip to OH including a Reds game and Avett Brothers concert (my niece’s first).

September brought some calm and settling back into work and out of summer, lots of volleyball, hiking friends, and a weekend spent in the woods. 

July-September

October was another strict eating plan (that made me feel great), new experiences, music, fields of sunflowers, a photo shoot for head shots, Pretty Place sunrise annual adventure, work special events, a visit with mom and Tim, Avett Brothers again, more hiking and less biking, my first ever sprained ankle (no more running) and recovery from that. 

November had another trip to OH and cousins reunion, new builds and cooler temps, adjusting to being without a roommate, pumpkin pies, rolls, and friends at Thanksgiving.

December was adjusting and redirecting, all the Christmas activities and things, a snowy adventure over the mountain for the newest tiny mug, a week home for Christmas, and welcoming the end of another year. 

October-December

2017 contained lots of activity and new friends and many things not listed. 

2018 looks to offer fun trips, changes at work, and hope of new things. 

I wish I had specifically blogged about more of these things this year, but perhaps the time and words will strike me to recap some of them soon. Until then, here’s to another year completed and new year and new roles and new hope found on the horizon. 

Haiti Bound!

Sometimes traveling seems not like real life to me. How is it that today I am here and tomorrow I will be there? As if traveling is a dream (or the everyday life that is punctuated by the trips is a dream), just doing what needs done until the next trip falls into place. 

This week gets to be one of those weeks. A week where today I am here and tomorrow I am there. Where the trip will fly by, but stay in my memory forever.

Tomorrow I am going to Haiti!

Sunrise from the plane to Haiti in March 2005.

12 years ago, a trip to Haiti was my first time out of the country via airplane. I remember:

• wearing tank tops and skirts that I made myself
• riding in the back of trucks on benches and bumpy roads
• the smell (oh how I remember the smell)
• the beautiful smiles of the Haitian people
• how the people I met didn't know how old they were
• the people lived in huts and cooked on open fire
• it being the first time I had really been out of my culture and comfort
• at the time it made me think I wouldn't make for a good missionary (mostly because of food, I was a very picky eater then)
• turning 21 the day we left and the whole plane singing me happy birthday and a little girl coloring a birthday picture for me
• thinking and daydreaming about going back

Since then, I have become a semi-regular traveler when finances and days off allow. This will be my 7th trip out of the country, but my first time re-visiting a country I have been to before. And I couldn't be more excited!

This is where I am going:

(Link to video: Ikondo Guest Village)

This trip sort of fell into my lap. I have followed and supported the Hands and Feet Project in Haiti for at least 10 years now. (They started in 2004) I have actually tried to go on a trip with them before, but the timing wasn't yet right. 

The timing now, however, seems to be just right. 

Sometime last year they sent an email about an opportunity called "Sponsor and Go". This meaning, if you would commit upfront to a year of sponsoring one of their children, a generous donor would match that with covering your in country costs for a trip, you just needed to be able to get yourself there. (Which wasn't matching but rather almost triple matching the cost of sponsorship) So of course my first thought was, "why wouldn't I do that?! Sign me up!"

The hardest part of the whole thing was choosing which child to sponsor. All are orphans and all are in need and all of them are just too cute to choose between. But I chose and his name is Emmanuel. He is 13 and I get to meet him this week! (I think)

Emmanuel's School Photo

This week looks like a lot of unknown to me. I think I get to meet Emmanuel. I think it will be an amazing experience. I know I am traveling with a group of people I have never met of which I know very little about. 

We will be truly off the grid and unplugged. The location we are staying at runs off generators and has limited access to the outside world. I will not be able to communicate or blog or post photos while there. (Don't worry, mom, I'm sure I will be totally safe.) I will do my best to keep an accurate journal while there and blog about the trip upon return. 

Today will be filled with the usual trip preparation of packing and re-packing and trying not to over or under pack. 

Tomorrow will be filled with travel and new people and I'm not really sure what else!

Until I return...

Guatemala: Follow Up #1 - Privilege

Life after Guatemala has been full. Full hours at and away from work. Full of daydreaming about my next trip. Full of processing a trip that was as great and even better than expected. Full to the brim, life is right now.

To say we had a good time would be an understatement. We learned, laughed, worked, played, ate, explored, helped, and saw the world from a new view. Our team from Greenville was fantastic, our Guatemala staff could not have been better, and our friends we built a foundation and stoves with were inspiring.

The word that resounds in my mind in thinking about the trip is privilege.

It was a privilege to go on the trip and it was revealing of the particular type of privilege we live in every day.

One of the first things our guide, Kayla, said to us was to manage our expectations. To us what might seem dirty or useless might be a prized family possession that we are being offered in gratitude and love. Our perspective of what might be needed may be something that wouldn't be used at all. To manage our expectations we needed to see the privilege in which we were working.

Part of the definition of privilege is: a rare opportunity to do something. This trip, this job, this organization, and this life are just that, rare opportunities to do something: to serve, to love, to lead, to explore, to try, to mess up, to create, to build, to hope.

It was a privilege to be a part of this team and to be welcomed by the Habitat Guatemala community. For me, the desire to go on a Habitat Global Village trip has been 10 years in the making. Just to participate in the trip at all was a privilege and rare opportunity indeed. 

The trip also showed how privileged we are to be born in the United States. Just to have water to drink without concern, a clean and decent place to live, and options at all for what we want to be when we grow up are all huge privileges and rare opportunities compared to what the people of Guatemala are likely born into.

Our rare opportunities throughout our trip included building 5 smokeless stoves and the foundation of a house; experiencing the culture to better understand the community we were serving; getting to know the children, the Habitat staff, the team, and ourselves a little better each day; and many things in between.

Some of these opportunities had immediate impact and some have impact we may never see. That is the challenge and joy of a trip like this: knowing the things we did affect the lives of the community served and participants serving for years to come and in ways we may not even think or imagine.

The trip was truly a privilege and joy to experience. I hope to make it back to Guatemala again sooner than later. Perhaps you could come too! Until then, know I am so grateful for this rare opportunity and the supportive community around me whose impact on my life I may never fully know this side of eternity. 

And now that I am back on speedy (ish) internet, some photos to show a little of the trip:

First view of Guatemala!

Lake Atitlan

First to Last day progress!

The food was so good!

Lake Atitlan

Our new friends! (Jason, in green jacket, is in the doorway of his current home right in front of the new one being built.)

Coffee beans

A finished stove.

Iximche - Mayan Ruins

The Thursday market

A typical stove 

The beautiful corn

My buddy, Jason. Oh how I miss that sweet face.

Silly faces with Jason and Alan (and Edyson).

The team and partner family 

Climbing Pacaya Volcan

Team with Field Coordinators Fredy and Kayla.

Farewell Antigua!

5 hour flight delay made better by free snacks and BINGO!