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Team Guatemala

Welcome to Team Guatemala’s journal! Our team is composed of a group of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans employees and field members who are going down to Guatemala to participate in a Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity worldwide trip. The eighteen of us are going to Sololá to help build homes and enjoy a sightseeing excursion. We don’t have all the details about our build site, but we are very excited about the trip and we’ll keep you posted on details as we learn them. This initial post will introduce you to our team- but you’ll have to wait for pictures until the trip begins. (We didn’t think our employee badge pictures were something we wanted online forever.)

Our fearless team leaders are Greg and Marcus. They have done a fantastic job of trip planning and I think their favorite quote is “be flexible.” They both went on the Thrivent Builds trip to Romania last year and Marcus says he is hopeful that all team members will find this trip very rewarding and have a fun, safe and enriching experience. Greg feels the same way and is also very passionate about helping families have a basic need we all take for granted: a place to call home.

Keturah with kids

I’m Keturah and I will serve as blog coordinator for the team. Depending on our internet access, you’ll see regular (hopefully daily) posts from us. The rest of the team will also be submitting stories and tales of the trip. I’m looking forward to practicing my Spanish and learning about Guatemalan culture.

Kathy is a volunteer puppy raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind. She is looking forward to building wonderful memories and strong friendships.

Darci’s motivation for volunteering was sparked by her daughter’s diabetes. She wants to do all she can to help those in need and give a better life to as many people as she can.

Travis is looking forward to experiencing a different culture and gaining a better appreciation for what he has.

Nancy has some previous Habitat experience from when she and her husband were Habitat liaisons for their church. She also enjoys spending time outdoors- we’ll see if she tackles the volcano climb!

Team leaders Marcus and Greg enjoy a laugh

Martha is one of the two fluent Spanish speakers on the team and hails from a close-knit family in Pennsylvania. She currently coordinates the Thrivent Builds Homes grant program in PA---empowering Lutherans to build 13 homes in our region with local affiliates. Another part of her job is to encourage Lutherans to volunteer for Thrivent Builds Worldwide trips, so this experience will provide her the opportunity to lead by example.

Bob and Barb are married to each other and both work in the field, Bob as a Field Representative and Barb as Lutheran community services specialist. They have four children and seven grandchildren throughout the U.S. They have gone on LCMS mission trips to Alaska and Panama and have participated in a few different Habitat experiences. They hope the trip affords them the opportunity to meet new people and cultures, help less fortunate people, and spread Christian values.

Paul is looking forward to his first international trip and the opportunity to support the very worthy cause of providing decent, affordable housing for families in need. He enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and sports, including his favorite- disc golfing.

Donna grew up on a chicken farm and knows what it is to work physically- and she still enjoys it! She has worked on four Habitat homes in the past and is anxious to go to Guatemala to help someone move into a home of their own.

Dave enjoys most anything outdoors...running, water skiing, snow skiing, mowing the grass, swimming, etc. He has had the joy of working on one previous Habitat home in Wisconsin and sees this trip as an opportunity to help give others the comfort and security of their own home.

Robin enjoys traveling and loves cooking, especially for other people. She is looking forward to seeing the world through the eyes of someone with a different background from her own.

Kirsten worked with the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency for 11 years before coming to Thrivent Financial, truly developing a passion for low income housing needs and leading a home ownership program modeled after Habitat. She is very interested in learning about the housing needs in Guatemala and contributing toward making a difference for low income families.

Chuck is looking forward to his first Habitat experience and his first volunteer experience since he served in the US Army. His army days allowed him to travel to multiple countries and he is really looking forward to this trip.

Melissa is our other Spanish/English Translator. She enjoys traveling, swimming, hiking, biking, camping, volunteering, and learning. She has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Tijuana, Mexico and Hortonville, Wisconsin.

Mary Jo grew up on a dairy farm as the oldest of nine children. Her three sons work with her husband in the family construction business and they are very anxious to hear about her experience building a house in Guatemala. She hopes to return home knowing that she has contributed and helped to make a difference.

So that’s our team- we welcome you to come along with us on our journey to Guatemala!

Thrivent Builds Ken

Saturday

Travel Day in the States
The Minneapolis and Appleton based team members traveled to Atlanta on Saturday to start our trip to Guatemala. I went to Guatemala a couple of days early and Martha, Bob and Barb traveled down on Sunday from the east coast. The Atlanta accommodations were posh, as you can see from the picture of Thrivent Builds Ken, our team mascot.

Arriving at the airport

Sunday

Travel Day in Guatemala
The entire team met in person for the first time today. The team met up with Shannon (our Habitat in-country coordinator) and me at the airport and we all got onto a tourist bus and headed to Sololá to meet the families that will own the houses we help build.

Mayan Women in traditional dress

• Guatemalan people dressed in many styles, but most noticeable are the brilliant colors of ladies´ skirts and blouses.
• Alongside the road: horses, chickens, and cows- oh, my! They serve as grass cutters.
• Extremely curvy, twisty, hairpin turns on a narrow mountainous highway- a major route.
• Arriving at the hotel in the pouring rain and unloading luggage from the top of the bus.
• A delightful dinner with affiliate folks and the partner families- the most beautiful smiles on the childrens´ faces.

Lake Atitlán

Our starting point

Monday

Our First Build Day
We got onsite today. We are working with two families - and their homes are right next to each other. Both families have four children. Miguel and Micaela Sic Cua have Tomás (9), Fernando (5), Domingo (3), and Roxana (8 months). We´ll introduce you to the other family tomorrow. We got right to work after a very brief overview - plenty of jobs to keep everyone busy as we move from nearly bare ground toward a completed house. We started out with a basic foundation laid on the Sikh house and a trench on the other home. As Barb noted, "Two houses, two teams dig in and immediately dive into rebar tying, concrete block piling, sifting black sand for concrete making - everything is done by hand. Short breaks but eagerly working to see the progress of Day 1."

Our eager helpers

We are looking forward to another four days of work!

Tuesday

Begin with a bang

Second day building at site 2

Our day started with a bang - literally! It´s a Guatemalan tradition to light firecrackers at someone´s door on their birthday and we decided Travis needed the experience since he was in another country on his special day. Most of the team knew, but a few were quite surprised (along with Travis) by the loud noise and thought we were under attack! (Don´t worry, we were the only ones at the hotel and got permission in advance. All safety precautions were observed and no one was harmed in the celebration of the birthday.) It was a day of celebration as our leader Marcus celebrated 25 years of marriage to his wife, Shelley, who was kind enough to let him come with us. He did get a chance to call her and wish her a happy anniversary and she sent along a special photo album gift and we got to see their wedding pictures.

Back on the job site definite progress has been made. The great thing about concrete block construction is that you get a lot of instant gratification. The flip side is that it comes at the price of a lot of physical labor. We are building right next to the current house of our second family, the Sic Gutierrez family. Father and mother Gustavo and Soyla also have four children: Florestina (9), Edgar Jose (6), Juan Ramón (4), and Jessica (2). The children watch us from the doorway and laugh and smile as we help build their new house. Their parents have given us permission to take pictures and show obvious pride when we show them the picture on the camera screen. Florestina often carries her little sister on her back in the traditional way.

Florestina and Jessica

Robin had this to say about our day: "Work started out with a sunny, blue sky. We started a half hour early to get a jump on the rain that appeared to arrive every afternoon. It´s the end of the rainy season here, but they tell us our experience with heavy afternoon and evening rain is unusual. Now more familiar with our Habitat families and homes, we eagerly jump into our work. Today is more physical....mixing cement by hand, moving and laying cement blocks, forming lines to handoff buckets of cement to the desired destinations.....tough work, but all agreed it felt good. We take for granted the automation of much of our work at home. We can´t forget the rebar work....lines of reinforcent wiring for earthquake proofing these homes.

The children of the Habitat families are more comfortable with us 'Gringos' today. More flirty with smiles and attempts to communicate in Spanish. The school children passing by on their way home are equally comfortable and inquisitive. Some sheepishly pass by in their colorful native wardrobe, hiding their big brown eyes, while others stop to watch our work and attempt to communicate. Some even speaking an English 'hello!' or 'bye!' They´re all adorable and are perfect photo subjects. It´s become customary for us to snap their photo on a digital camera, then show them their picture in the view finder. I will never forget how they smile in amazement of this technology!"

The families are hard working and get right in there, starting before and ending after we do. I had the opportunity to talk with Gustavo during our rain-induced break and he invited me into his home. They currently occupy a small three-room house. A kitchen area, a shared bedroom for the whole family, and a front room that houses a corn meal grinding machine and a refrigerator that allows the family to make some money by selling cold pop and grinding corn into corn meal for the neighborhood. Their bathroom is across the yard - no running water. It gives me pause and makes me think of all the things we take for granted in the United States. Our access to free, clean, and widely available public restrooms. Our large, comfortable houses that give us clean, drinkable running water, reliable electricity, and windows that let in natural light. Roofs that don´t leak and plenty of space for the whole family to spread out. It´s good for us to see how many people in the world live and consider what we can do with the bounty that has been given to us - and how we can share that bounty with them.

Gustavo's Family

Wednesday
Cultural exchange
Today was a long day for us. It is evident that we are not used to regular manual labor. I will say that I am very impressed with the teamwork shown by my colleagues, however. I had the reflection today and had chosen to do a reading from Philippians 2 which talks about us having the same attitude as Jesus and in humility to consider others better than ourselves and look to their needs as well as our own. I thought that Wednesday might be about the time we would need to hear the message. I am happy to report that everyone seems to have done their homework in advance and we really are looking out not only for each other but also for the workers and families onsite, whether that is Bob seeing if we can give some of our extra cookies to the masons and day laborers, Martha teaching kids to sing English songs, lunch time food swapping, giving up prime seats in the van so those prone to car sickness are less impacted, or simply going with the flow and being flexible when our natural tendency might be to get a little frustrated.

Miguel's Family

Other key moments were captured by Nancy: "Today was also special when the children stopped on their way home from school and sang songs to us, loved having their pictures taken and seeing the results. Several people even played basketball with some kids at the school. We really are feeling the warmth and welcoming of this community. The most incredible part of today for me was the privilege of being invited to see the homes of these families. It was an honor and humbling to see how much pride, life, love and family unity exists in these homes. I feel truly blessed to take part in this experience."

Cultural dancing experience

While it was raining in the morning, it did stop while we were on the job site. However, the rain started just in time for us to head out to culture night - an opportunity for us to share some of our culture with our families and the Sololá Habitat for Humanity staff and for them to return the favor. The Habitat staff told us about their villages. Each has an annual festival (usually on the day of their village´s patron saint). We got the impression this was much like our county fairs. Barb headed up our cultural presentation. Everyone brought pictures of various seasons and holidays which Barb put onto a poster. Martha and Melissa talked about each season in turn and the group sang a song that went with the season. (For example, Take me Out to the Ballgame for spring). I think the pictures of snow skiing and ice fishing got the most attention - not much midwestern winter going on here! After that, we headed upstairs for our Guatemalan culture surprise.

They hired a Guatemalan group that performed music and dance while in traditional costumes. They did a courtship ritual, wedding, and a special rain dance at the end which involved multiple costumes - everything from monkeys to deer to elderly people. At the end of the dance they came to shake our hands. At least, that´s what we thought. What they were actually doing was inviting several members of our group to come up and dance with them. I think we did a great job of picking up on the traditional Guatemalan dancing.

We had the opportunity to present a few small gifts to the families and staff, including Thrivent Builds t-shirts and some sunglasses and candy to the children. Then they surprised us again. The families and staff presented beautiful polo shirts with our names and Habitat embroidered on them. We had the opportunity to go up one by one and receive our present from the families. Then we got to walk home through the rain and try to avoid the rivers through the streets - I guess that rain dance worked a little too well!

Travis, Mary Jo, Kirsten, and Melissa doing mortar work

Thursday
Worldwide reflections
Both houses are in pretty much the same state right now - we are just adding layers of cinder block to the house and there is lots of mortar work to do. At yesterday´s culture night, I talked with Tomás (a Habitat employee) and asked when the houses would be done. He thinks that Miguel and Micaela´s house will be done next Wednesday while Gustavo and Soyla´s house will be done next Friday. (They were a couple of days behind when we started.) While we won´t be able to see the completed houses, at least we know they will be done very soon! We also had the opportunity to see a completed Habitat house today. It is a wonderful testament to the Habitat mission. The house is cheery, bright, and clean and the homeowner proudly showed us a picture of the team that had helped construct their house. We plan to leave pictures of our team as well.

Our team leader, Marcus, wrote down a few thoughts about how this experience is similar to and different than his Thrivent Builds Worldwide experience in Cluj, Romania. "There´s nothing like it - being on a Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip. Similar to my Cluj experience, my Thrivent Financial colleagues (friends) have been awesome! Whether they are asked to haul cement block, mix concrete, dig ditches, or perform some task on questionable scaffolding, they are always eager and excited to help out regardless of the task. I am blessed to work side-by-side with such caring and giving individuals.

Site 1 making progress

The families that I have been fortunate enough to work with have been both gracious and welcoming. The childrens´ smiles touch your heart and leave and indelible mark on your memory. I´ve come to appreciate that most people want the same thing - healthy and happy children, a place to call 'home' and a hopeful future. The Bible instructs us, 'Food and raiment, be thee content.' That is all the people here want. That is all any one of us want. I will never forget Romania and Guatemala."

Miguel and Micaela with their house

Friday
Saying goodbyes
Today was both a joyful day and a sad day as we wrapped up our time on the build site. Kirsten captured it well when she wrote, “I am both relieved (due to the level of physical labor required) and saddened (that we will leave before the houses are completed) to be wrapping up our work. I am amazed that the sights, sounds, and smells that were so shocking and new have become so familiar. Passing the modest homes each day to get to the worksite- the 8’ high corn, the stray dogs, the laundry laid out on the lawn to dry, each pig, each cow will stay with me for a long time. We’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but I’m amazed at how tough situations bonded the team together- we have truly become a highly effective team- each person willing to help one another.”

The entire team processed the finality of the situation in different ways. Some, like Travis, set a goal and pressed toward it. He worked hard all day long with the end goal of completing the eleventh (and final) full layer of brick on Miguel and Micaela’s house. Though our closing ceremony time was slightly pushed back, we got that eleventh layer done and had one final full team building experience as we all came together to haul buckets of concrete and pass them in a brigade to people quickly dumping and using trowels to pack the concrete around the rebar in the u-shaped cinder blocks.

Swingset at the school

Others of us spent time on relationships - our last time to play with the children and have them clamor to see the pictures we took of them. Our last conversations with the families, the masons, and the onsite workers. A subset of our team visited a school near our job site and gave them some art supplies. Barb wrote, “There are 325 children attending the school in Argueta, Sololá, with ten teachers and a principal. We were amazed as we watched the children at recess - surely total free play. There were two small swing sets with at least 50 children crowded around each- was it even possible for a child to swing?” When we returned to the job site, those who had continued working told us about the ice cream truck that had stopped by. Sure they were only kidding, we promptly told them about the ice cream we had eaten at the school. Our playful banter was soon interrupted by the sounds of “the Entertainer” being piped from a truck that passed the job site. As it came closer, we could see something in the back that looked suspiciously like a freezer. Sure it couldn’t be (and hearing what sounded like political speeches piped on the loudspeaker), we went back to work. When the truck turned around and came past a second time, we realized it really WAS an ice cream truck and cones were had all around. Turns out that there is an ice cream truck that goes by on Fridays- the group that stayed behind had just gotten the time wrong!

Gustavo and Soyla with their house

The closing ceremony was poignant as the Habitat affiliate staff spoke, Juana offered a prayer, Greg and Marcus presented Bibles and framed pictures of our team to each of the families, our families thanked us for our work, the masons thanked us for our labors, and we all enjoyed some cake. Even though our work at the sites was done, the houses still have a week or so until completion. Hardly a dry eye remained as we spoke about what the families meant to us and what impact the experience has had. Simple words cannot explain the bonding that happened in one short week- both among coworkers and the Guatemalan and American workers. While they have little in terms of material possessions according to American standards, “our” families are rich in love and are hardworking and kind. They extended kindness and an open hand to us as we co-labored beside them. A piece of our hearts will be left in Guatemala and a piece of the families will return with us to the United States.

Lake Atitlán boat tour

Saturday
Rest and relaxation
Our first day of rest and relaxation began with the opportunity to sleep in. The rooster and the howling dogs did keep that from happening for a few of us, however! We headed off on a beautiful boat ride across Lake Atitlán for an hour of shopping. The water was clear and beautiful, the scenery breathtaking, and the sun wonderfully warm against our skin. As the ride continued, we became quite glad it hadn’t been quite this warm on the work days- we gringos would have melted away! Several bags of souvenirs and another boat ride later, we loaded up the bus to head to Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala. Fortunately, our bags were a bit lighter due to the fact that we were able to donate our work clothes to the Habitat affiliate. They are able to use our things on the worksites around Sololá and it made some room in our bags for the wonderful crafts available such as weavings, carved woodwork, paintings, and jewelry.

The Nuns' Arch in Antigua

Team Guatemala on top of volcano

Sunday
Volcano
A few of our group stayed in Antigua for a relaxing morning and some shopping while the rest of us rose bright and early and headed out to Pacaya Volcano. Melissa captured the experience: “Fifteen brave souls ventured on a six kilometer hike straight up the Pacaya Volcano near Antigua. This is an active volcano with thick, molten hot lava, flowing and creeping slowly and methodically down the mountain. The hike was strenuous enough to warrant an optional horseback ride for 50 quetzales [about $7 dollars] up rugged terrain covered in rich soil, volcanic sand, and cooled volcanic rock from previous lava flows. The end of our steep climb brought us 3 kilometers up the 35 kilometer tall volcano, whose summit was hidden by a sweeping haze of volcanic gas and steam. The active lava flow entranced us all and inspired some to poke long sticks into the sluggish heat to burn up in gaseous flames. Photos cannot portray the power of this surreal witness of magma pouring out of the core of God’s green earth.” We managed to get both up and down the volcano with every last one of us intact (though we did leave a few bits of skin along the way when sliding down the loose volcanic pebbles.)

Thrivent Builds Ken gets a massage

The free afternoon allowed for shopping and city exploration, while a few of us enjoyed a relaxing massage. Thrivent Builds Ken has been an integral member of our team, from carrying buckets of concrete to risking life and plastic limb at the top of the volcano. No one could deny that Ken earned the right to kick back and be pampered.

Monastery dinner

Thrivent Builds banner

Monday
Going home
Travel day started early. Nancy and I wandered out in the streets of Antigua to get a little exercise and eat breakfast. I had a hankering for some homemade granola and milk from a specific restaurant. The only problem was, they were closed when we came by. We walked a bit more, checked out some other restaurants, and decided to head back and see if maybe they opened at 7:30. Since we had to be ready at the hotel by 8:15, that was our only hope of eating the delicious meal. Unfortunately, the door was still closed. I peeked my head in the window, hoping that someone was inside. I saw first a purse on the counter, and then a head. “Señora?” In Spanish, I asked when she opened. “8 o’clock,” came back the reply. Knowing the Guatemalans’ generosity, I asked if she might be willing to serve us since all we wanted was granola, yogurt, and milk. She smilingly opened the door and we were able to have a private breakfast with some absolutely fantastic granola. This kind of experience is typical here in Guatemala- the people are kind and welcoming and happy to adjust time and space expectations for others. You would be hard pressed to find a more welcoming culture.

The rest of the day was occupied by a bus ride to the airport, filling out the customs forms, making airplane flights and connecting flights, and finally getting home. Our long travel day gave us plenty of time to reflect, and as you read our journal, you might be wondering what the point of all this really is. Why would 18 of us give up time from our families, friends, and work to travel to another country to help build a house? Couldn’t the experienced Guatemalan masons do a better and more efficient job than a bunch of inexperienced gringos? Why not just spend the money we spent on this trip and give it to Habitat or simply go on a vacation with those family members or friends? I asked the team these questions and several of us put down our thoughts on paper.

Read the trip members' thoughts.

I personally think that trips like this are important and beneficial for several reasons- partially for what we give but also how we as participants are changed. We can help to raise awareness of the need for simple, decent, affordable housing both in the United States as we tell people about our trip and also in Guatemala (or other Habitat affiliate countries) when we have the opportunity to explain our purpose to people who wonder why we are there and what we are doing. Another reason is that as Americans, we tend to take a lot of things in life for granted and even get upset if something doesn’t go according to our plan. It is healthy for us to see not only the challenges that others in the world face, but also the grace and joyful attitudes they have while handling situations most of us would find untenable. It reminds me of Paul’s comments in chapter 4 of Philippians where he talks about learning to be content in every situation. Seeing people in other lands living this out can help us to handle our lives with more grace. I personally feel I need these reminders on a fairly regular basis. When you first come back from an international trip, it is very easy to see the differences and vow to never forget. I have found, however, that with the passage of time, it becomes easier to shift back to the “normal” self-centered worldview and take things like my family or simple creature comforts for granted. I get frustrated when a public restroom isn’t up to my standards of cleanliness or when something I want takes forever to go on sale. So, I travel to incorporate the reminders on a regular basis. Maybe you have read this blog and are wondering how you can incorporate these kind of reminders or life lessons into your worldview. If you are interested in going on a Thrivent Builds trip, read more details on this Web site. It isn’t as unattainable as you might think. Thrivent Financial has put a lot of support behind this program as part of our alliance with Habitat for Humanity. So, consider your options and we hope that at least some of you reading this journal will choose to take off on your own building adventure, helping to change the world one family at a time and perhaps learning something about yourself along the way.