March 2012
1 post
If you are looking for the most recent updates from my life, I’ve transitioned into a new blog at loverescuemekc.tumblr.com in order to reserve this blog for my Guatemala adventures. Enjoy!
June 2010
13 posts
Day 31
Saturday
I’m sitting in Guatemala City packed and waiting for tomorrow. The end of this journey is unavoidable. The last week has been painfully good. We spent everyday with the team from Heart to Heart working, then I would return to Patanatic in the afternoon to try and wrap things up there.
Each day I found myself saying goodbye to another person or family. Through the tragedy of Agatha,...
Day 28
Wednesday
The last few days have been a blur. On Sunday, a group of volunteers arrived to spend the week with us. Their arrival was a little bittersweet. Many of my friends are part of the group, but I knew that their arrival signified the final chapter of my time here. Not entirely willing to accept this, I talked with Jorge immediately after her arrived about the possibility of staying another...
Day 24
Saturday
Where do I begin. Tropcial Storm Agatha. Three days no electricity, no water. A whirlwind of activity, and Heart to Heart is able to purchase the materials to replace the broken water lines. An assessment trip to San Antonio Palopo. San Antonio suffered a devastating loss; 19 dead, 2 missing, and an estimated 150 families without homes.
We returned to San Antonio on Thursday, and were...
Day 21
Wednesday
Hello all, sorry no updates recently. We have been without power. Here is a report I submitted to Heart to Heart of the events from the last days. Thanks for all your prayers!
To Heart to Heart, and whom it may concern:
This is a recap of the events from the last few days. Saturday morning, Dan Cool and I received word a tropical storm was headed for Central America, and Guatemala was...
May 2010
17 posts
Day 16
Friday
Two weeks of Spanish school. Done. I’m feeling as though my skills have improved a little, either that or people are talking more simply to me. As least I can manage my way around town and am able to coordinate plans with Cesar.
As I was waiting for the bus to leave this morning, the sick father that I have been visiting arrived at the bus stop on his way to work. He said he was feeling...
Day 14
Wednesday
The clouds rolled away this morning and revealed the majestic volcano, San Pedro, on the other side of the lake. The view was the clearest I have seen it since I have arrived, and it was a nice view as I sipped my café.
School seemed to go very well, and quick, this morning. I went to Mike’s coffee shop on my break for a cinnamon roll. As I was snacking, a man came in and asked Mike if...
Day 13
Tuesday
“Erik, I think I am going to need some help.”
“Okay,” I said as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I heard Dan outside my room rustling around. I opened the door to find him at the sink of the bathroom looking in the mirror and holding tissues to his face. Dan likes to get up early and ride his bike before many people get on the road. Unfortunately, this morning Dan took a bit of a spill.
I...
Day 12
Monday
Spanish school. Spanish school. Spanish school. Is it bad that I loathe it? Maybe that is a strong word, but beginning to strongly dislike it. I don’t know why, I really want to learn Spanish. Maybe it is because I’m not learning as fast as I hoped to. At any rate, this is my last week so I better take advantage of my time.
Okay now the real reason I am here: health assessments. Open up the...
Day 11
Sunday
Another pleasant morning with the chance to sleep in a little. No plans really, just to prepare for tomorrow and help Dan out with a few projects.
In the afternoon, Dan wanted to map out the entire town on GPS. So we set out with GPS in hand and walked through the town. We started up, as high as we could go. The road lead us to the top of the mountain, with a view of the surrounding...
Day 10
No school. No meetings. Just a date with my bed, which lasted until about 8:30 AM. Dan made us a tasty batch of pancakes complete with baking powder and a nice cup of coffee.
The plan for today was to go down to Panajachel, buy some more food supplies, and have lunch with Mike and his family. By 11 Dan and I were scouring the town looking for certain things for the house, such as Tupperware and...
Day 9
Today was a fairly uneventful day. Spanish school, go to the store, study. I think I’m getting into the pattern.
Dan is fun to have around. He is in the process of finding a motorbike to purchase. Today he borrowed one from Pedro to drive around for errands. We took it back up the mountain to Patanatic. Unfortunately, Pedro’s moped didn’t quite have the power Dan is looking for. We putted up the...
Day 8
Another day bumbling in Spanish class. I feel like my stamina is slipping more each day and I keep checking my watch again and again. But I have to stick with it. No negotiations. Health assessments start Monday, and the way things are shaping up, I will be the only one doing the check ups.
After I got out of school, Pedro showed up and said he needed my help to get a bed for Dan and to take it...
Day 7
One week on my own. And yes, I am still breathing. Although Spanish school has an interesting way of sucking the life out of me. But there is no other option but to trudge on ahead. The little nursing knowledge I have is useless, unless I can somehow communicate with the people here. So I think that is enough to get me motivated.
Today was a very simple day. Spanish school in the morning. A quick...
Day 6
The rains fell hard all through the night. I woke up a few times, wondering if the mountain was going to be sliding down on top of me. Luckily it didn’t.
The second day of Spanish school went smoothly. Talking with Gladys (my teacher) was strangely fun as I fumbled through my Spanish vocabulary. Somehow, I discoverd her husband likes U2, Coldplay, and believes in aliens. I think we are...
Day 5
Day 5? Already?
The rain is flowing tonight. Its officially the rainy season as it has rained for the last three days. The mornings are fresh and bright, and the by the afternoon the thunder clouds roll in bringing torrential downpour. This is a cycle I can get used to.
I traveled to Panajachel today to begin my Spanish lessons. It works like this: I go for four hours a day, Monday through...
Day 4
The sickness persists, so I stated my first round of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the events of the past two days have left me very paranoid of any food or drink that I come across. Cesar and I went into Panajachel today to visit the market. Fruits and vegetables stretch as far as the eye can see. Pineapple, strawberries, mango, papaya, and many other fruits I can’t even begin to identify. I...
Day 3
Generalized weakness, body aches, diarrhea, and slight fever. It hit me last night about 3 AM like a freight train. By the time I crawled out of bed in the morning, I had lost count of how many times I had been up to the bathroom.
I called Jose first thing and told him I wasn’t going to be able to make the trip with him. Then I made my way to the kitchen to try and regain some of the...
Day 2
5 AM roosters are crowing. There is barely light outside so I roll over and drift off to sleep for a few more hours. When I rise, I immediately check my email for instructions from Jorge. He tells me I am supposed to meet a teacher name Elva at the school. Jorge tells me it is okay if I’m not ready to teach today, I can just observe and see the flow of how school works. Thank heaven.
I...
Day 1
Well, many suggested that I start a blog while I am here in Guatemala. So here we are. My team left yesterday at 11:00 AM. There I was at the airport in Guatemala City alone, except for the driver that took us to the airport. Luckily Pedro spoke some English and we could communicate the bare essentials.
Heart to Heart is shacking me up in a house in Patanatic. It is at the top of the village and...
