2 Projects down and 2 to go!!!

So we had planned to do one room/kitchen per day...
but with a team of 9 Guatemalan experienced carpenters
and an eager, wonderful, and flexible group from the USA-
we kicked some construction butt!
(Sorry for the blunt expression, but there's no better way to put it!)

Here's how the day went:

7:30 am- Loading up the van with the construction materials 

for Francisca Pilar's new room...

8:00 am- Arriving & unloading at the construction site...

9:00 am- Corner posts up and bases in place!

12:30pm- Only the roof is left to put on!

4:00pm- Room is finished!  

Francisca Pilar had tears of thankfulness in her eyes throughout the whole day.

Although she is "alone", widowed, and at the age 

where her parents and other relatives are no longer with her, 

hopefully today she understood a deeper reality...

that God is always with us and will never forget us.

A deep and heartfelt thank you to all who helped

in reaching out to Francisca Pilar in her need!

Onto project number 2...

 

I am happy to introduce you to Dominga and Marcelo Guoz (ages 80 and 87).
Please don't tell me that this is not the cutest oldest couple you have ever seen??!

As you can see above in the photo on the right,
they were in need of a new kitchen.

So today at 9:30 am-
Another group was beginning to transport the materials
to Dominga and Marcelo's new kitchen construction site.

"Many hands make light work!"

Even the "smallest" and "simplest" of tasks were such a big help
to make the incredible progress we made today!!!

11:00 am- (Above right picture) Old kitchen demolished and new posts secured.

(Above left): Remains of the old kitchen charred from smoke.
Next project for this elderly couple will be putting in a stove with a chimney!

More pictures of the construction progress
of Dominga & Marcelo's new kitchen...

 

... and of course,
why not do a little painting lesson
with the grandkids hanging around as we work?!

4:15pm- Kitchen is finished!

To see the sparkle in Marcelo's eyes
and to hear Dominga say over and over "thank you" in the Mayan dialect
was enough for all the hard work and efforts.
I think all involved would agree that it was a blessed and very joy-filled day...
God is never outdone in generosity!

The following photos are of some of our "random" moments from today...
please don't ask about the van.
It was all I had in order to run errands
and get extra materials that we were lacking.

So how the heck are you supposed to fit 8 boards that are 10 feet long
into a van that is probably only 6 feet long?!

With a lot of joy, optimism, determination...
and by asking some random guys that you find walking by
to come and help you sit on the boards while you drive
so the boards don't fall out of the trunk which has the door open!

4:30pm- Quitin' time!!!

We are all little exhausted.... definitely nasty dirty and sweaty,

but our hearts are filled with joy to have truly given all we have-

working together for the good of others.

Thank you Jesus for such a great opportunity to serve You!

p.s. I really don't like to drive with the doors open and people hanging out of the car...

just for the record! :)

Rebuilding Francisca Pilar's house...

Francisca Pilar is part of our elderly feeding program..

She lives in this house with 7 other family members.

They were kicked off the plantation where they worked and lived,

but fortunately were able to rent this land in San Lucas

for the past 15 years.

When asking her her needs, she brought us into her house.  

As you can see from the photo above, 

the walls were about to fall over.

Francisca is unable to work because of her age

and her children only make enough money to eat with.

The humble living circumstances would move any person

to want to reach out and help....

A group from Minnesota arrived today and are eager and willing

to reconstruct part of Francisca's house.

(Pictures above and below)

The main contractors of the group and myself 

confirming the plans for constructing half of the house tomorrow....stay tuned!

I will post our progress each day this week!

The goal is to rebuild this house and construct 3 kitchens for the elderly.

"Extreme Guatemalan-home-makeover"...here we come!

Two funerals in one day...

Only 1 week after giving both Marcela and Teresa
the Anointing of the Sick,
Teresa passed away this Wednesday
and Manuela on Thursday.

Both of them were widows without children....

but the community responded in charity to attend to them in their last hours of life

and to honor them by attending their funerals...

(Above and below):

Funeral Mass and burial for Teresa...

(Above and below):

Funeral procession and burial for Manuela (today)...

One of the neighbors commented on how beautiful it was to see 

how even though both of these women did not have their own families,

the community came together as a family to love them...

and you can tell by the tears and by the attendance of many, that they were loved...

Teresa and Manuela- may you both rest in peace and please...

pray for us!

Feeding the elderly....

I had mentioned in the first post

"the day has come"...

What I was referring to was that after 2 months

 of visiting the elderly and getting to know their needs,

and then forming a committee of women from San Lucas

to help discern and put into action what we think 

is the best place to start in helping the elderly-

we finally started a feeding program to provide one well-rounded meal

for 50 of the most needy elderly once a week.

Below is a photo of the women who started the feeding program with me:

(Left to right):

Elda, Florentina, Elena, and Maria...

all dedicated, strong, and compassionate women

who have been wanting to help the elderly in San Lucas

and are very excited to begin this journey with me and the Lord!

So, the "the day" that came was July 1, 2015...

we started feeding the elderly on Wednesdays in the south end of town

in the community building in the San Gregorio neighborhood

(pictured below):

The following photos are of our first day cooking!

Above is a photo of our dear Andrés...

the oldest man that I have found in San Lucas....

98 years old with no teeth, and can hardly hear or see-

but he walks all through San Lucas every day and eats like a horse!

 

To those who can't walk to the community building,

we take the food to the elderly in their homes.

On Saturdays, we do another feeding in the northern part of San Lucas.

Above is a photo of the ladies cooking...

Below is of the elderly eating in a small community center

in the northern neighborhood called "Santiaguito"...

Again, we take food to the elderly who are unable to walk...

What a joy this is to do something small, 

but really serving a good purpose to those who have true needs.

No matter how great or how small,

as long as we do everything with love, 

it blesses others and gives glory to God!

What's more important?...My grocery bill or buying a bed for a dying soul?

2 posts ago, I had mentioned 

about an elderly lady named Manuela 

who is suffering from 2 broken hips.

I was informed earlier this week that Manuela is not doing well....

her body is beginning to swell, she is in tremendous pain,

and she tends to fall out of her bed because it is too small.

That was an understatement.  

Below is a photo of the bed she was living in...

It is pretty obvious that NO ONE should live like that...

most especially someone who is embarking on their last days of life.

So the neighbors and I went to try to find the cheapest bed in San Lucas.

We found one for 400Q ($53)...

all I had to my name for the week to live on was 430Q ($57)

As I sat in the store with the neighbors...

and we weighed the situation:

"Grocery bill or a new bed for someone who is dying?"...

I closed my eyes, looked at the Lord and said:

"We're buying the bed!"

Next question was: 

"How are we going to fit a bed in the 3-seater taxi that is our only vehicle?!"

We managed...with a lot of laughter and funny looks!

Neighbors came to help change the beds...

there was so much joy because everyone knew that this was a true act of charity...

reaching out to someone who has no children, 

no family, and no way of helping herself.

This morning, a priest from San Lucas 

was able to visit both Manuela and also Teresa 

as they are approaching the end of their lives

and gave them the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

The reason why I titled this blog the way I did is because the day after buying the bed, 

I received a generous donation 

so that we can continue to serve the elderly...

and so that I can continue to eat!

It was another confirmation that God is looking after each one of us....

and when we are faithful to the simple things He asks of us,

He will bless us.

May we continue to be His hands and feet

reaching out to those in need-

whether it be in our professions, our vocations,

in offering assistance, giving donations,

or just offering a prayer....

they are all needed!