My initial plan during these two months was to cook for myself. I did not want to be a burden on Marco’s family, and I figured that I could use the summer to improve my culinary skills beyond my college Read More …
Comforting Food and Discomforting Stories 6/20
The Significance of Persistence
At 6:30 am, I joined Mimi on a trip to the market. In general, the word early is rarely part of my vocabulary. I clung to my blankets for as long as possible before forcing myself to get my Read More …
Let’s Get To Work! 5/18
Today I began my first day of work. I am no longer just a tourist! Marco met with me and Willy, who is the second in command and the head communicator for the HFPF staff in Guatemala. He writes all Read More …
I Used To Complain About 6 Hour Car Rides… 6/16
Just as promised we took off on our 14 hour journey at 5:30 am. While the journey was followed by total exhaustion, it was an incredible introduction to the country. We drove through farmland, rolling hills, urban sprawl, and cozy Read More …
Ordering Chinese In Spanish 6/16
All is well here in Guatemala city! The plane arrived as expected at 11:30 and my bags were one of the first off the conveyor belt. I was lucky to skip a baggage check at customs, and Marco was there shortly Read More …
Fake It Till You Make It 6/15
One flight down, one more to go. It is currently 8 am in Mexico City. The airport is already filled with activity and Spanish announcements that I am trying my best to pick up on. While it is typical to Read More …
A few final thoughts and memories from our mission
A few days have passed since most of our team deplaned at Sea-Tac International late Sunday and resumed our day-to-day lives. Odila and Bilhan, our mother-son pair, return today after staying an extra week to visit family in Guatemala and Read More …
Stove work is done, now on to more fun
The team is well out of Barillas now as we piled in the bus shortly after our 5:30 a.m. breakfast at the mission house and climbed the twisty, bumpy road out of town. It rained hard last night, just as Read More …
A good day for kids and stoves
A regional teacher’s strike means no school this week for the children of Piedras Blancas, but somehow word got out that the Marine View team was passing out gift packs and dozens of kids turned out in the school courtyard Read More …
And the stove work begins
The team broke into five teams today and started the work that we all came to do – install stoves in the homes of the village of Piedras Blancas. We also teamed up with Hands for Peacemaking staff and village Read More …