On our last night in Guatemala, before we flew home to our individual lives and normal routines, we each went around and said what we will most remember about the trip.  Here are some insights into the experiences and take aways of our team members:

Cassie: After she slipped and fell on a rocky path to one of the homes, a Guatemalan woman offered her home as a place for Cassie to rest and recover

Judy: The people lived with so little, yet were so content and happy with life - a different perspective that she hopes we can all remember when we are back in our daily routines

Megan: During the closing ceremony, a little girl peeked in the door with a smile that seemed to actually light up the room - a bright smile in the midst of poverty

Ryan: All that was going on in the village homes as the stoves were being installed (women weaving bags, children running around, life kept going) - their daily lives compared to ours

Greta: The hospitality of a woman who gave us a place to sit and served us soda to thank us for building a stove for her

Evan: the people of Saqib threw a welcoming party for us without even knowing who we were - they trusted that we were coming to do good and actually help them

West: speaking Q'eqchi phrases from a sheet of paper which broke down language barriers and made him feel connected to the people

Becca: seeing throughout the week that the little we did actually made a difference

Amy: connecting to the mothers - having them introduce their children and then she could introduce her children - seeing that these mothers have the same love and care for their children as she does

Howard: seeing God in the work and faces of people around him

Jen: our group's enthusiasm in everything we did

Jorge: being asked by a grandfather why he did this work - explaining that he wants to be an example to the children in these villages that they can get an education and do something meaningful with their lives like he is

Mary: the support and strong community aspect of this village - their ownership and pride in their new stoves

Each of us was impacted by different people and interactions throughout the week.  These are experiences we will each remember even as we are now thousands of miles away from the village of Saqib.



If I were to use one word to describe this trip it would be: perspective.  Being in Guatemala and spending a week among these beautiful people gave me a new perspective on life.  Next time I am frustrated by traffic on my way to work, I will remember the many people who walk miles and miles to and from markets and villages with loads on their backs or heads...



Next time my stomach growls, I will remember how Santiago's face lit up when I shared my juice box with him...



Next time I throw my clothes in the washer, I'll remember the women who scrub their clothes by hand in a wash basin...



Next time I pull a warm meal (or cookies) out of my oven, I'll remember the 40 families in Saqib who have new stoves and clean air in their homes...



And next time I'm just having a bad day, I'll remember this beautiful face...



Thank you for following me on this journey.  I hope your life has been touched by these people of Saqib as well.  Bantiosh!

Yesterday was the most adventurous and thrilling day I've ever had.  After working all week to complete the stove project in Saqib, our team decided to take a day to explore another part of Guatemala about 2.5 hours north of Coban - Semuc Champey.  Many other teams use this day to travel to Antigua to do a little site seeing and relax.  While Anitigua is a place I definitely would have liked to visit, our team decided to take the adventurous route. And I'm glad we did.

Semuc Champey is pretty much an all-natural extreme waterpark.  Our day started with a trapeze rope swing that we all encouraged one another to try at least once.  It was a great way to get our feet wet (no pun intended) for the day ahead of us.  Next, our guide Carlos took us exploring through a cave where we could take nothing but a single wax candle.  We walked into the dark cave not know what to expect (which was probably for the best) and here are the obstacles we encountered: climbing wet ladders, swimming with one arm while we held our candle up with the other arm, rappeling up a waterfall (I barely made it), jumping into a dark water hole, sliding down a rock while attempting to still keep our candle lit, then sliding down a shute where we were finally able to walk back out into the sun.  It was intense!

And as if that wasn't enough, as we're walking away from the cave (thankful to be alive) Carlos says, "Now we're going tubing and then we'll jump off a bridge!"  I guess our confidence was up and our adrenaline was still pumping, because without thinking twice we all yelled, "OK!"  And that's exactly what we did.  We floated down the Semuc Champey River, climbed out, hike up to a bridge and then jumped off a 30-ft bridge.  I think that morning was enough adventure to last me a lifetime (or at least a few weeks).

This tour might not be for everyone, but it was an amazing experience for our team.  We don't have many pictures to document it (although we each have our share of scrapes and bruises) which makes it a very special day that only we can really share together.

And it was a team-building activity to the max!  Each of us had our strengths and weaknesses throughout the day.  When one person needed help, someone was quickly there to hold their hand, give them a push, or talk them through it.  It was incredible to see the encouragement that was passed around the group.  We cheered one another through every obstacle.  Congratulated each other when we made it through.  And supported each other when we were hesitant or fearful.  Just like a team should.

It was a beautiful picture of what our week of working side by side was all about and how we were able to accomplish all that we did with the stoves.  None of us could have done it alone.  But when we worked together, we were able to look back and say, "Wow, I can't believe what we accomplished.  What an adventure!"


taking in the beauty of God's creation in Guatemala

Wow, what a week of working on the stoves in Saqib and getting to know the people in the village. Our team successfully built 40 stoves in 3 days. I had heard about the problems the old open-fire stoves were causing in the homes and I had read reports on how Medical Teams International is working to improve health by building new stoves; but I had no idea what a problem this was until I saw it firsthand.



As much as I enjoyed visiting these people’s homes, it was difficult to be in the house for more than a few minutes at a time. The smoke made it hard to simply breathe. My eyes would start to burn and I would start coughing. These Guatemalans were using the open-fire stoves to fill a basic need of eating. But in exchange, they were compromising the basic need of breathing clean air. No one should have to live that way. We all deserve a good meal and fresh air under the shelter of our own roofs. I realized that this is a problem that can’t be ignored. What a blessing to be able to offer our friends in Saqib a healthy way to live their everyday life.



Many of the women who received a new stove were pregnant. The babies that will soon be born into these homes will breath fresh air every day. Their mothers will be able to spend more time with them because they will be spending less time collecting loads of firewood.



Today, we celebrated with the people of Saqiib. They could not have been more grateful for this project and we could not have been more humbled and glad to have been able to provide it. The collaboration of this village in Guatemala and this group from the United States could not have been better. We simply helped provide the supplies and simple training; the villagers encouraged one another to take good care of their stoves and to continue using them in order to promote good health. During the closing ceremony, an older woman stood and spoke on behalf of the Women’s Committee, giving her personal testimony of how she has been using her stove and how well it is working. Another of the community leaders stood and wished us a safe travel home. He also said to his community, “We can pray for our friends, too, because we hear on the new on the radio that many other countries have problems too and if we all pray together then we can make a better life for them as well as us. While they are aware of their own needs, they are also aware of the needs of all people around the world. It is apparent that this leads them to be grateful for the little they have and to highly value community and support of one another.



These people are simply beautiful. They have impacted my life and I am forever grateful to have met them and shared a short time in our lives together. They have given me a renewed perspective on the meaningful things in life. And for that I say thank you: “Bante osh.”

Today when we arrived in the community of Saqib, we went straight to work on building stoves.  The best thing about this stove project (besides improving health, of course) is that we are able to enter people's homes and really get to know the families in the community.  These people are gracious beyond belief.  They embody the meaning of hospitality.

The first place we went to this morning was the home of Ignacio and Candalario.  When we finished installing the stoves (which typically takes about 45 mins to 1 hr), Candalario served each of us delicious coffee with sugar and gave a long speech which Jorge translated as saying, "I do not know where you have come from, how long it took for you to get here, or how much money you spent to travel here, but I believe that God wanted you here for a reason. I'm sorry that I can not speak to you in your language, but I want to thank you.  I hope this is not the last time I see you."  I had tears in my eyes (maybe partially from the smoke that still lingered in the air), and although we could not speak directly to one another in the same language, I felt very connected to Candalario. I said, "Bante osh" ("thank you" in Q'eqchi), smiled and gave her a hug - a language we all understand.


Mary, Becca, Charlie, Ignacio, Cassie and Candalario

The next place we visited was the home of Alfredo who has six children an 1 granddaughter living with he and his wife.  This is a family of many talents.  Alfredo showed us the wheel and loom that he uses to make hammocks.  And his daughter Savina gave each of us women an ornate hair tie to keep as a rememberance of her family.  She tied it in our hair and again, we said "bante osh" with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.  The mother served us Tang drink and white rolls before we left to continue our work.  The generosity was overwhelming.







This afternoon, Charlie and Jorge worked really hard while Becca and I worked a little bit and then mostly played with the children (thanks guys!).  The children are beautiful.  I seem to relate most to the children, especially when there is a language barrier.  Little Danny at first seemed shy and timid, but once we started a game of hide-and-seek, he really broke out of his shell.  Literally.  He broke out of it running.  He was a sneeky little kid, but we were able to communicate by clapping, giggling and howling like an owl (odd, I know) to find where each other was hiding.  Danny and I ran all over the hills surrounding his house, and when I finally found him we just smiled at each other and walked back home laughing and looking at each other - our only realy way of communicating.  I wish I had a picture of Danny to show you, but he was so sneaky that it was difficult to catch him on film!

And then there was Aldofo.  A child who only spoke to me with his eyes.  I would call his name and he would simply raise his eyebrows and giggle.  He somehow reminded me of my nephew who, although is blond-haired and blue-eyed, has the same expressions.  It reminded me that children all over the world have that same joyful spirit.



So despite language barriers, today was a day of connecting deeply with the people of Guatemala.  Many expressions of thanks were exchanged for the opportunity to share a bit of our lives with one another.

Today we finally traveled to the village of Saqib to start the stove project.  We drove about 45 minutes outside of Coban up a windy road to this secluded village of about 370 people.  When we arrived, the people of Saqib were standing outside to greet us.  We all gathered into their community center, a cozy concrete building in the center of the village, for a welcoming ceremony.  After the children sang the Guatemalan national anthem for us, one of the community leaders stood up and said, “We are thankful for our visitors.  We do not know where they come from, how far they traveled or how they got here, but we are thankful they got here safe. We do not speak the same language but we have the same God and can pray together."

Hearing these words calmed the anxiety that I was carrying with me: being the Americans who came in to a village who did not need or want our “help.”  But the excitement and gratitude was overflowing.  One of the eldest women in the community spoke and thanked us for bringing this project to their village and so that their children could be healthy.

Our group split into three teams of four, making sure each had a Spanish speaker and a Q'eqchi speaker who could help translate.  The Q'eqchi speakers were men who work for Lola, the Guatemalan company who designed the stoves we were building.  Over the course of the day (which we really only worked a little over half of due to the welcoming ceremony), we were able to install 10 new stoves in the village of Saqib.  That means 10 families were able to cook dinner in a smoke-free home tonight; 10 families will go to sleep breathing in cleaner air; dozens of kids have less risk of developing respiratory illnesses.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a father more excited to welcome someone into his home as Miguel…


Or a mother more anxious to pour oil on a stovetop and start flipping tortillas as Rosario…


Or a mother more humbly appreciative for a gift from strangers than Aralia…

Or a father more willing to help build a healthier home environment for his family than Carlos…  


And you just can’t help falling in love with such beautiful people…

as Sandra and Danny.

Today was another day of travel in Guatemala, but the sun was out and shining and we were able to see the beautiful country.  Charley and I started the morning with a nice jog which was a great way to see Guatemala City as it was waking up.  Our team enjoyed a delicious breakfast at San Martin, complete with bold Guatemalan coffee, before loading a bus and making the 4 hour drive North to Cobán.  It was definitely a windy road, but the scenery was amazing with rolling limestone plateaus and fields of lush agricultural fields.  We went through a brief afternoon rain shower which gave a cool break in the creeping heat, as did our tasty ice cream stop half way through the drive.


ice cream stop at El Rancho

When we arrive in Cobán, our hub for the week, we went to La Plaza food court and ate a traditional lunch which pretty much consists of meat, vegetables, tortillas and refreshing hibiscus tea.  After checking into Hotel Posada de Don Antonio, a group of us walked several blocks to Central Park which seemed to be the city hub.  There were artists, food vendors, children playing, teenage boys skateboarding, and a man in a suit preaching from la Biblia.


Central Park in Coban

We have yet to interact much with the local people, the Guatemaltecos.  Today has been a day to take in our surroundings: the culture, the terrain, the weather, the food, the sights.  Our team is ready to serve.  We want to be active and get our hands dirty.  We want to interact with these people that we traveled so far to meet and begin the project that we've been anticipating for so long.  But I think we are going through the necessary process for serving in a foreign country.  It is so important to understand the people and the country before you can serve them.  What's their culture? What do they do? How do they do it? What's important the them? What are their real needs? How can we best serve them? Where can we be most helpful? Where would we get in the way?

One of the things I admire most about Medical Teams International is their commitment to working in solidarity with the community; as partners.  This evening, a few of our Guatemalan staff lead us through an orientation and presentation of the stove project including health statistics on why this work is important in the specific area of San Juan Chamelco.
Here are a few stats:
-  the #1 cause of death in children ages 1-5 yrs in this community is acute respiratory infections
- according to the International Human Development Indicator, the United States is ranked #4. Guatemala is ranked #131. Zimbabwe is ranked lowest at #173.
- 85% of people in Guatemala City are literate.  Only 44% of people in rural San Juan Chamelco are literate.

I think our team has gained a deeper perspective of why we are here.  We knew that we were coming to build stoves.  But we are realizing that we are here to participate in tranformational development.  Rather than coming, giving a handout, and leaving, we are building relationships and participating in building up a community.  Hopefully in the process we will transform this community through improved stoves, better health, and a sense of value and worth.  While at the same time we will be transformed in our understanding and posture towards this new country and our ability to relate to and learn from our friends in a whole other part of the world.

We made it!  Our team arrived in Guatemala City a little after 7pm Guatemala time (6pm PDT, 8pm CDT).  Jorge and Jen, who work with MTI in Guatemala, met us at the airport and will be with us the whole week.  We all piled in a nice air-conditioned van and checked into the Radisson Hotel in the Zona Viva ("lively zone") in Guatemala City where there are many businesses and restaurants.

So, what are my first impressions of Guatemala?  As I sit here with my laptop in my comfy hotel bed, I honestly feel like I'm just staying at a hotel in any city in America.  Besides the fact that we're not supposed to flush toilet paper down any of the toilets due to smaller sewage pipes and that we are advised to brush our teeth with clean bottled water and that English is not the primary language here, I really don't feel too far from home.  But then again we arrived late at night and have only seen about 5 miles of this country in the dark.  So my first impressions are few, but will be more developed tomorrow.

Our day of travel has been a great time to get to know our fellow team members, though.  We are quite the diverse group.  Here's a little snapshot of who we are:


Judy, Amy, Evan, Howard, Cassie, Becca, Megan, Greta, Charley, West, Mary, Ryan
new friends who are about to become really close!
Not much to report yet, but we are all excited about what the week has in store for us!  Tomorrow we will travel to Coban.  Let the adventures begin!

Chan xawil!  Hello!  Ready or not, in two days I will be on a plane headed to Guatemala with 11 other expectant Medical Teams International volunteers.  This trip has snuck up on me like a bed bug in my sleeping bag in the middle of the night.  (I know that's an odd analogy to make, but when traveling to a new country you never know what little creatures you'll meet!)

I've been bitten with the desire to travel to Latin America, I'm itching to get there already, and I know that this trip will leave a lasting impact on me (hopefully more figuratively and spiritually rather than literally and physically!).

My name is Mary Carter and I am an employee at Medical Teams International, traveling as a "layworker" with one other person whom I know (and is also an MTI employee) and 10 other layworkers who I do not know but expect to know very well by the time I step back onto American soil.  Our objective in leaving our normal lifestyle for a week and traveling 5,000 to the small Guatemalan village of Saqib is to contribute to community health by building vented stoves which help reduce respiratory illness.

That's the main goal, but my hopes and expectations are many.  I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of the beautiful people I meet in this village.  I expect that they will make a lasting impact on mine as well.  I hope to catch a glimpse of the world through the eyes of my Guatemalan brothers and sisters.  I expect that we have more in common that we might have thought. I hope, along with my team members, to feel empowered in making a lasting impact on these people, this country, and even the world once I am back home.  I expect that this trip will impact each of our lives in more ways than we can imagine.  And I hope that you are inspired by the stories I share...