day 6

today, I heard something that really resonated with me: I was thinking that tomorrow we return to the “real” world….I was wrong: tomorrow I return to my world, my fantasy world….this place IS the real world…the majority of the world live as the Dominicans and Haitians live on approx. $9.00 a week; American poor live on something like $200.00 a week plus supplements like food stamps, etc….how much do you and I live on per week?… this place, then, IS the real world…the world Jesus lived and walked in….more tomorrow, plus pictures…we all worked very hard today, and it’s up at 3:00am to make our flight…tomorrow, more about today…I will close by observing that, by all accounts, the “Discovery 9″ represented our selves and our church very well…more about that tomorrow….Love to my wife…JW

day 5

very busy day here, doing God’s work…started as usual, b’fest @ 7:00 am, w/devotional, then on the bus @ 8:15, and off to Cealo…chain gain up the hill again, w/ over 170 concrete block, then work on the retaining wall and the single mom’s house…back to the hotel…back to cealo for dinner and wed. night’s open air church service…it was around 95 today, and probably high 80′s or low 90′s at the beginning of the service at 8:00..several songs in Spanish, including,one of my favorites, ” How Great Is Our God”…over 200 present..these people are on fire for the Lord…their service is surprisingly similar to what ours looks like, only all their kids, of all ages are there…no DC Kids…more tomorrow…JW

day 4

tough day…late night…more tomorrow…JW

day 3

brutal day today, doing God’s work…this am lifted qpprox two yards of mixed concrete up a 150 yard hill, at 45 degree slope…took almost 6 hours…trying to build a retaining wall to keep a single mom’s home from falling / sliding down a hill..laid on cold concrete floor to rest my back…first time I’ve made a “sweat angel” we went to another job site and laid concrete block walls for a home for a single mom…pictures tomorrow…Dom, Robert, and all from Discovery are doing well…making new friends from the group we’re here with from the “Gathering”…more later…now to bed…day starts a 7:00 am….JW

Sunday…day 2

sorry this is so late…tech difficulties…same with photos….maybe tomorrow?…up early @ 6:15..b-fast @ 7:00..bus @ 8:00…first church service w/ Haitians…they are on fire for the Lord…speak creole?…next service w/Dominicans…same w/them x-cept they had a better translator….then tour of this complex and work sites….lunch cooked by same women who cooked thousands of meals for Haitians following problems several months ago….rained all day, but didn’t dampen spirits of our group or the Dominicans….dinner tonight @ super food court (?) then meetings about tomorrow and devotional time together….tomorrow’s the first day on the job….more tomorrow…JW

tomorrow’s the day

Discovery’s group depart Orlando tomorrow morning…pray for good weather and a safe trip….JW

29 August friday

last night here in the Guat…..some went to the volcano….4 went to Candida’s…good thing…a number of minor and not so minor problems to fix….rained very hard on those who went to Candida’s, complicating the repairs….party with our team, Candida’s family, IMJ staff, and friends of Candida….thank yous said….final clean-up…..went to a nice restaurant for a final meal here….on the way, saw a guy riding a motor cycle with his dog on the back, that is litterly rear legs on either side of the seat and front legs holding the guy’s waist….too funny….all ready and excited to be heading home…early up, finish packing, breakfast, devotions, a trip to a market or somepace, then the airport….weather permitting, home late tomorrow nite….great memories and powerful moments with those here and our Lord!!!! ….more than a 1000 pictures to sort through… see you tomorrow in the land of clean drinking water and the big PX…

 

JW

28 August Thursday

Today was the DAY!!!!…..we’ve done it !!!!!….completed the project…..turned over the house to Condida and her “family”…..on Monday nite it was looking like we might have to cut or curtail some of our list of rehab or updates to the house…..everyone pulled together, worked extra hard and extra long…..(as I write this, Jim and Dom are performing haircuts of an unusual nature on each other and on Trevor)…we finished at about 6:02pm…Gloria rounded up Condida and her family and we had a “Bus Driver….move that Bus! presentation”…..at the end, we formed a circle to pray…the locals went first, with a number of her friends joining Condida in talking to our Lord….Tom went next, along with some singing “Amazing Grace”…awsome moment…no dry eyes in the group….we have really bonded as a team….much laughing and kidding…serious moments, too…..Upon presenting her new house to her, Condida said (as was relayed by our Guatemalan friend Jonathon), “Your reward is in heaven. I can’t repay you.”…..like I said…..no dry eyes…still some unfinished things on Tom’s punch list…most going to the volcano tomorrow…..some going back early to Condida’s to finish up….”see you’all” tomorrow…..”one day and a wake-up”…

 

JW

27 August – day 8

today was an iinteresting day….all of the team worked hard and long to try to put our goals within reach…..only 1 more work day….it’s been colder and rained (cold) on and off all day….interfered with and slowed down our efforts….all returned to the B&B (nice place, three to a room,early ’50s decor) wet, cold, and tired….roof trusses in place…most new furniture delivered, all hand-made furniture painted and delivered….toilet giving us fits….shower and drains a problem….water on only every two or three days, so it’s a problem to plumb and check things….roaches continue to wander every where…..everything continues to take twice as long as planned…the hour each way, each day, in traffic that’s amazingly dense and nuts, doesn’t help….food continues to be great….team spirits still high…end of trip in sight…”see” you tomorrow

JW

August 26 Tuesday

short blog today….el primo jefe had a discovery style service tonite after dinner….which cut into our time….rained on and off today…much cooler……Dom flooded the casa today, poor supervision on his part….we can’t agree on or find the right table for the house….everyone looked like Santa at X-MAS upon arrival at B&B tonite, due to many large bags of roach infested dirty laundry carried over their shoulders……our new friend Christian went cistern diving after dropping his knife……our on again off again dog friend tried to bite a passer-by, after pooping in Gloria’s fresh pile of stone…..work continues with much painting, shopping, and buying, to include Dom’s favorite Home Depot in Guatemala, where our primo Jefe has also made a new friend……tomorrow promises to be a heavy work day as many of our projects are coming together….only two more shopping days ’til x-mas….”see you’all tomorrow….

JW