Thanksgiving & Althea's Birthday In San Marcos

Because we have such a large, lovely lawn with our rental cottage on Lake Atitlan, it seemed appropriate to use our home for a few social events. On Thanksgiving Day, which was also our granddaughter, Althea's, seventh birthday, we opened our casa to Josh, Courtney, Althea, Baby Mirabai and their friends. We purchased turkey breasts at an American market in Panajachel, and Gloria roasted them in our archaic gas oven without the benefit of a thermometer. She also baked Jerry's favorite oatmeal cookies with big, native raisins. Courtney baked and decorated Althea's carrot cake with the help of her sweet, little Guatemalan housekeeper/maid, Lydia. Four of Josh & Courtney's friends who attended provided the side dishes. We also took a sumptuous dinner to Pasquel, our faithful guardian, who lives on the property and is the person responsible for our picturesque lawn and flowers.

Mirabai was two weeks old on this special day, and it was Courtney's first outing since the baby was born. She had to walk down many stone steps and steep inclines from their home up on the mountainside, but she's a trooper. Later she said this was her first full, sit down meal without interruption since the baby's birth. We all have so much for which we are thankful.

Althea received several nice gifts and enjoyed blowing out the candles on her cake. Sometimes it is hard for a seven year old to have to share the spotlight with a new sister, but she is handling it well. To make sure she had a special birthday, we held a second party for her and 15 friends the day after Thanksgiving. Some of the children arrived 40 minutes before party time. Courtney and Gloria combined their talents to provide refreshments for the kids and parents, and Josh allowed his "child" to emerge to serve as the master of games. When the two days of celebration were over, Josh, Courtney and the girls moved in with us for a night. We old timers finally just breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "Whew! We made it!"

Cities Visited On Lake Atitlan

So far we have visited four cities located around Lake Atitlan other than San Marcos where we are living. San Juan is known for its lovely murals. We took a tuk tuk (taxi), which is a like a gasoline powered, three-wheeled golf cart. They must be quite sturdy to hold up on rough, cobblestone streets and roads. Our one-way fare was 32 quetzales, or about 10 dollars round trip. The indigenous Mayans pay a cheaper rate. It seemed like many rough miles up and down the mountains and through a couple of towns. While in San Juan we shopped at a small hardware and the Guatemalan equivalent of a super market. See photo of SuperQuic

Another day we took a one-hour afternoon walk with granddaughter, Althea, along a dusty, winding road and up a long hill that juts out into the lake and then down to the dock at the village of Tzununa. Along the way we could see through the security gates of many beautiful, lakeside estates mostly owned by Gringos. Some are used for rentals. An abundance of beautiful yellow flowers were in full bloom and pervasive on every hillside. Guatemalans are skilled at raising corn in small fields that run vertically up the mountain. It is the season for coffee bean harvesting, so diminutive men were filling huge bags with beans and carrying them on their backs. A couple of more fortunate fellows loaded their bags in a tuk tuk. We were surprised to peer through a fence and find an old 34-foot Coachman motor home. We wondered how in the world it could have made its way on narrow, primitive Guatemalan roads all the way from the U.S. to this place a mile above sea level. Later, our son-in-law, Josh, said the owners failed to get the rig around one sharp mountain curve, at which time about 30 Guatemalans lifted the rear end of the vehicle around the obstacle. We assume that it is forever stationary and is serving as lodging for the owners

Twice we have visited Panajachel, a major market center. There is a good grocery and a quality meat market, both owned by Americans. The best way to get to Pana is via water taxi—a scenic, colorful, 40 minute ride. On one trip, there were 30 of us crowded on one small boat. At the ATM, the machine ate our credit card. We waited for one and a half hours for a service rep to come. He found six credit cards sealed by an abundance of Super Glue. The same estates that we saw on our walk with Althea are even more striking from the water.

Last Sunday we traveled to San Pedro. The water taxi ride is only about 20 minutes. Overlooking the city is a grand Baptist Church edifice with a spectacular roof that is visible on a clear day from San Marcos. We attended Sunday school and loved the ladies trio that sang many hymns familiar to us except for the Spanish words. After shopping at the marketplace, we visited a sweet, Christian lady, Lia, whom we met last March. She speaks English and owns a boutique not far from the dock. She gave us a gift which we will always cherish. It is a lovely, woven wall hanging which depicts Lake Atitlan and the words God Bless This Home. Lia’s small home is surrounded by her shop, her parents’ home and homes of other relatives. Guatemalans have a wonderful sense of family that North Americans could afford to emulate.

Our Church In San Marcos

Our daughter, Courtney, and husband Josh own a school for pre-school children through the second grade in San Marcos on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. After our first flight here in March, they introduced us to a small church, Iglesia Esmirna San Marcos La Laguna. It can best be described as a non-denominational, evangelical community fellowship church. On both of our visits, we have attended their services nearly every Sunday. Jerry also went with them to their annual Easter picnic on the beach, and he and our granddaughter helped members pick up trash on the street near the church. Sunday services are held in the living room of one of the member families. There are approximately 70 members of which about half are very active. There is a healthy mix of senior, middle aged, young people, and children. Services are held Sunday mornings and evenings. Pastor Ruth is diminutive, dynamic, humorous, and has a big smile; she truly loves the Lord. We don’t understand a lot that she preaches, but our friend, Carlos, an American who has lived here 14 years, interprets for us. Ruth does not deviate from the Scriptures. The hymns they sing are mostly the same as ours but in Spanish. We are sometimes embarrassed when they ask us to stand for hugs, handshakes, and to say a few words, but they really do appreciate our support and encouragement. Pastor Ruth told the congregation on our first Sunday this trip that when we left in March she felt a void in the fellowship.

The church is building a new cement block structure right on the main street of town. It will have a roomy sanctuary, Sunday school area, and kitchen. They are eager to have a food ministry for the homeless and for derelicts. Overseeing the work is Carlos, a fantastic “design engineer” who is actually a former custom cabinet maker from Pennsylvania. He owns the best looking building, and Internet Café, in San Marcos; he personally designed and oversaw its construction. His current goal is to make the new church structure as sturdy and attractive as his own restaurant. Already, he has insured that the new building is on high enough ground to avoid flood waters during the rainy season. The walls are mostly done, but construction is now stalled. The plan is to build a curved metal roof over the sanctuary. The intended contractor has already built a similar roof in neighboring San Pedro and is the best person in the area to do this job. Before the roof can be built, however, the church needs to raise $10,000 over what they already have. That is a lot of money in Guatemala where the homes of most residents have dirt floors. The average church member probably earns less than $10 (74 quetzales) per day. No member except Carlos owns a motorized vehicle.

If you would like to contribute to this vital need, please email us, and we will tell you how to do it and get a tax deduction at the same time.

Our Beautiful Cottage On Lake Atitlan

We are quite satisfied with our elegant rental cottage in San Marcos, La Laguna, Solola. Courtney and Josh have worked hard for the last few months finding just the right setting for us. We have a young caretaker (guardian), Pascal, who lives on the grounds. A heavy, car-sized, steel security gate opens unto a steep, downward cobble stone drive to the house. A fence and tall, thick hedge surround our lush, carefully manicured property which runs into lovely Lake Atitlan. Just inside our lakeside entrance is gazebo with flower-covered, thatched roof. It’s fun watching the little passenger boats, with up to 18 locals and internationals, going to and fro all day long from San Marcos to Panajachel, San Pedro, Santiago and other quaint villages on the lake. When the whitecaps appear in the afternoon, these speedy, outboard water taxis with their chop-chop, flap-flap sounds break the silence of the lake. The little homemade fishing boats rock in obedience.

Our spacious, lush green lawn gets watered daily, as we have had only one rainfall since our arrival. Many varieties of colorful flowers, shrubs, and trees with huge leaves that fan in the gentle breeze qualify the estate for House and Garden Magazine. Coffee beans, bananas, avocados, limes, and jocote are abundant. On occasion, the afternoon the breeze can become quite brisk. It gathers its force over the lake and rolls in great waves to the shore and into our garden with a vengeance. Leaves and twigs and various fruits blow out of the trees with some landing on our tile roof. The guardian/caretaker rakes the grass almost every day after one of the “winds” visits us. The noon day temperature can be quite warm, but at three o’clock it begins to drop. By six o’clock one needs a sweater and a flashlight.

We are committed to doing what we can to help Courtney, Josh, Althea, and baby, Mirabai, without getting in the way. Althea loves being a helper and big sis, and when she chooses, she can make her way up and down the rugged streets to our house. One afternoon before the baby was born Josh and Courtney brought 13 little children from their school, Escuela Caracol, to our home for outside games and refreshments. Josh is a master at involving kids in fun activities. Most of these children have nothing but rocks and dirt to play on, so getting to run and frolic on a thick, green turf was a real treat. Courtney is getting stronger every day after her delivery on November 13. The baby is a healthy eater, sleeps most of the time, and when she is awake, she has a sweet, contented nature.

Our New Granddaughter In Guatemala

We were last in San Marcos, Guatemala in March and learned that our youngest daughter, Courtney, was pregnant. We arrived back here on November 4, and all of this time we have been waiting (NOT PATIENTLY) for our eighth grandchild. After three days of contractions, yesterday at about 4:00 a.m. things got intense, and Courtney elected to take a couple of cod liver oil and orange juice cocktails. She was really weary of all the waiting. An American-trained midwife, Jenny, was called. Courtney’s water broke at 9:00 a.m. At around 11:30 a.m, the potent cocktails were working well, and as Courtney was leaving the bathroom, the baby made her grand entrance. With Courtney hanging on to the kitchen shelves and husband, Josh, the big event was over in five minutes. Jenny made a fantastic Willy Mays catch, and little Mirabai let out a small cry. Talk about a welcoming standing ovation! She weighs eight pounds, measures 22 inches, has short, dark hair, and even has long finger nails. She is most beautiful, is perfectly formed, and so far has a sweet disposition. She has no wrinkles or blemishes. Big sister, Althea, almost seven, was in Vacation Bible School and went AWOL as soon as someone told her the good news. She had been praying for a little sister; God is good. She announced to her parents, “I told you.” All of us are greatly relieved, as is the whole village. It seems that nearly everyone in this small town of San Marcos on Lake Atitlan knows Courtney, Josh, and Althea.

In case you are wondering about the selection, Mirabai, it is the name of a 16th Century poet from India whose work Courtney admires. Whether it gets shortened eventually to Mira remains to be seen. To all of you who have been praying for our family, we proclaim a hearty, “Muchas Gracias.”

Historic U.S. Election Night in Guatemala

This month-long trip to Guatemala is for the purpose of greeting our eighth grandchild. S/he will be child number two born to our youngest daughter, Courtney and husband Josh. They own a pre-school and elementary school in San Marcos on the Lake. To learn more about the school and city, scroll back to March 2008 when we were last here.

We departed DFW Airport on November 3 using two free bonus-miles tickets from Continental Airlines. The price was right, but the schedule was less than desirable. Landing in Guatemala at 10:30 p.m. is not our idea of a safe destination. But we had lots of people praying for us, so everything worked fine. After getting through customs, Gloria exchanged our currency, while Jerry was hustling our five heavy bags and arranging for a cab. As he was trying to talk to a moving cabbie through the passenger side window, he stepped off a dark curb and fell headlong in front of a dozen startled people. His biggest fear was that the cab would run over his ankle, but the only thing injured was his pride. (Thank you Lord.) We got to our little hotel with heavy security gates and barbed wire overhead around 11:30 p.m. It was located on a dark back-street. After a call on the squawk box, we were greeted by two tiny, sleepy-eyed ladies, neither of whom spoke English. With no elevators, Jerry once more drug the bags up the stairs to our humble room while Gloria got us registered.

Next morning we were served a continental breakfast, consisting of cereal, toast and coffee, by the hotel owner, a very friendly man who spoke English fluently. We watched the news in the lobby on Election Day, lamenting that on this important, historic occasion, we would not be home for all the action. Our shuttle, arranged by our daughter, was 50 minutes late, but that is life in Guatemala. Andres, our driver, took us to Price Smart, an arm of Costco, before leaving the city so we could gather some rations and other things not available in San Marcos. The trip from Guatemala City to and from San Marcos is always a rather harrowing experience. The chicken buses are aggressive, people pass on the wrong side, and speeding, oncoming traffic in the passing lane can be scary. However, Andres is used to the system and is safer than most drivers. His much dented van has lots of rattles and many scars from the streets and highways. On this trip we were delayed at one point for 45 minutes due to a rock slide. Road construction is an ongoing process here. Once we were at our rental home, the narrow cobblestone streets presented many obstacles, but Andres did not faint from the task. We practically got a front door delivery to our lovely cottage on Lake Atitlan. Josh, Courtney, and Althea, age six, were a welcome sight. We met the rental agent, got briefed on the house, and made our way to the home of our children high on the mountainside overlooking San Marcos for dinner.

We learned that an election party was being planned at the Blind Lemon’s Restaurant, San Marcos’s most lovely restaurant. The owner, Carlos, an American, already had Direct-TV broadcasting the exciting news on CNN, as Courtney, Josh, Althea, Gloria, and I arrived right on time. Soon the room was filled with Americans and Internationals. Most were under 40 years old. Vermont went Blue quickly, and Kentucky fell early to McCain, but after that the Obama well-greased machine began to roll. When Pennsylvania fell to the Democrats, the room erupted in a noisy applause. Then Ohio checked in with a surprisingly large majority for Barrack. As soon as the polls closed in California, the BIG announcement came. “We project Barrack Obama to be the next President of the United States. Again, there was a thunderous applause at the Blind Lemon. John McCain quickly gave an eloquent concession speech. Like U.S. Grant, John McCain is always at his best when he is down. Then came the grand acceptance speech from Barrack. He needs and deserves our most fervent prayers. We remember Jackie Robinson breaking the racial barrier in baseball, President Truman signing the U.S. Military desegregation order, the fall of Jim Crow bus seats, the Martin Luther King speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, and the racial integration of churches in the South. Now we have witnessed the defining moment in racial opportunity and equality.