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We arrived at the Grande Tikal Hotel around 2, rested for about 15 minutes & then took off to shop for things only available here and/or at bulk prices. Imagine after driving over 6 hours of difficult roads...Energizer Bunny Annie was ready to shop!  Back at the hotel before dark for pizza...our last supper  together.  Sister Liz's & Annie's eyes sparkled as they talked about how much they've relished traveling the world (they've been to Africa, England, Italy, Egypt, Mexico & probably more) and especially being able to help the poor people with the basic of needs...their health.  They have been together for over 40 years and built 5 missions that are all still flourishing & healed untold numbers of the most needy.  I have had but a taste of their rich lives...just enough to feel their joy and understand the satisfying glow it brings.  Just before they left at 7 a.m., Sister Annie took our picture with Sister Liz who grinned and said, "This has been the best two weeks in the last 5 years."  Not sure who was saying Thank you more...us or them.

My Final Thoughts

Grateful for another amazing & enriching adventure.  Sorry I lost my camera but lucky that was the only problem.  Confused by how much I have and how little so many have.  Blessed to have spent quality time with Paula, Sister Ada, Sister Annie & Sister Liz...and Rog.  Glad to have enjoyed 2 months in warm vs. freezing weather.  And ever so anxious to get my arms around my grandkids and kids again!

Roger's Final Thoughts

It was good that we visited Belize before coming to Guatemala because we anticipated worse conditions and more danger than we found in Guatemala.  Several people in Belize were concerned for our safety as we left there but fortunately, we had no problems.  It was good to be able to speak English to everyone in Belize & Tobacco Caye was a tropical treat.  Hopkins (drumming center) was very friendly and we enjoyed daily bike rides to the bakery & internet cafe.  A pleasant stop in a country with great potential for future tourism as it is close, tropical and English speaking.  At San Jose Clinica, finally a mission project that challenged me to use my skills with tools!  Sisters Annie & Liz had a list of jobs that they needed us to accomplish and they had quality tools & the necessary parts to complete the work.  Working just 5 to 6 hours each day, we completed the work and added many more...like soaping the drawer bottoms to make them slide easily.  The Sisters appreciation for our work felt good and we marveled at their endurance and commitment to the indigenous people.  Guatemala was a pleasant country to visit with mild temps during the day (even at the Clinica which is 9000 ft above sea level), interesting land forms (volcanoes, lakes, hot waterfalls, jungles, and high plains), cool nights at the Clinica made us grateful for warm electric blankets and....helpful, pleasant people!

Home

We had a uneventful flight home, Ben was there to pick us up in his warm car & we spent the night in his warm house....thankful we had just missed 2 month of the worst winter in Michigan since 1950!

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The last couple days at Clinica Jose were filled with touch up jobs, putting away tools & cleaning up the messes we'd made.  We seemed to linger longer at the kitchen table savoring our time together...and munching on the 10 doz cookies I'd made...most put in the freezer as a sweet reminder of us.  By 7 a.m Fri morning, we were on the road heading toward Guatemala City.  As usual, the Sisters...who have been in this country over 20 years now...explained much about what we saw out the jeep window: 

-mostly new cars because several years ago, Guat gov't passed a law not allowing used cars older than 5 years to be imported (those all went to Belize probably)

-wood is still the main cooking fuel and no fuel is used for heating in most the country

-soil on mtn side needs lots of fertilizer provided by the gov't for low cost

-gov't clinics provide minimum care...but are run by many money hogs that overcharge and mostly prescribe vitamens

-many evangelical churches are springing up led by more money hogs

-but the worst money hogs are the gov't officials who care little about the indigenous people (80% of population) so very little $$ trickles down to most of the people & their villages

-most babies are potty trained before 1 year old.  Bare bottomed baby is propped between mom's legs & she sways back & forth (while she works) until baby goes.

-if you see a nice new house, most likely someone has been or is in the USA working

-education outside the large cities is very poor--teachers can call off school for any reason they can think of including protesting about low pay or recent law requiring them to get 2 years of college to be a teacher.

-young people are getting tired of putting all their income into the family food pot...instead are buying cell phones instead

-no jobs is the biggest problem outside the big cities and crime is the biggest inside the big cities

-change is slow as the 80% indigenous stick firmly to their old traditions...vs. USA whose rich diversity spawns new ideas

-very few couples actually get married officially so no paper work...girl just moves in with boy's family...makes it real easy for boy to be unfaithful and/or desert girl & children

-field work is mostly done by hand (only saw 2 tractors & it's planting season

-most small stores don't have change for 20Q ($15 USA)...which we experienced many times

-NGO & foreign aid pour into Guat but of often used for projects that are poorly planned and don't take into consideration the culture.  Ex:  500 2 hole outhouses were built up on a platform with lower doors where waste could be removed once dried & used as fertilizer.  Problems:  waste doesn't dry as too much ground water and rain,  people don't believe in handling human waste (just like in China), elders can't climb steps up, often built too far from house to use during their often very cold nights and finally, since maintenance is not routine to most, once bottom board rots...it is useless...except for storage unit which many are used for.

-biggest & usually only birthday party is their 1st...celebrating the fact they they are still alive 

-malnutrition, burns, machete cuts & diabetics account for most of Sister Liz's patients while Sister Annie does all OB work

-banana/palm leaves & paper have been replaced by styrofoam & plastic so tossing them out windows isn't seen as a problem yet...except by a few like the Sisters:  Since I was trying to take pictures of the gorgeous view of the volcanoes & valleys ( with Sister Annies's camera)..Annie was looking for a place to pull over and said she didn't want to stop by a garbage dump to which Sister Liz frankly responded, "Can't stop along the road anywhere then." 

Can you see why we love being with these two????