Today we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day at our hotel, Torre Fuerte. After a breakfast of pancakes, cereal, bananas, and coffee, Karl and Kent read Psalms 133 and 134. We said a prayer, and headed out for church. The sermon was spoken from the heart by a blind pastor from the congregation. After the service, we were thanked for coming to work in Guatemala. We then went to Maxi Bodega (a Wal*Mart equivalent) to buy snacks. Next, we visited Zacapa's Train Station Museum. Mark offered to take a picture of a group of Guatemalan men who, in turn, thanked us time and again for our friendliness. After saying our goodbyes to these fine men, we headed to a local restaurant for a steak lunch (the meat was imported from Texas). At lunch we were introduced to the women for whom we're building the houses. Through teary eyes, the women expressed their heartfelt thanks. After lunch we rode in the van to the church that we'll be re-roofing in Las Majadas. Robin attempted the moonwalk on the church's dusty floor as the local women laughed in approval. Soon after, Bob followed with the next act: the leg of his flimsy lawnchair splintered and sent him straight to the floor. (He's fine.) After regrouping, we walked down a steep hill to the first house site. A little boy, Marcos, came and hugged each one of us. We walked a few blocks to survey the next building site. We were met by a group of women making maize tortillas over an open fire. They invited the girls to try their hand at forming the tortillas. Laura produced the best one, but it was still not up to standards. Meanwhile, Jack was busy interacting with the dogs of the house, giving them treats and attention. We piled into the van and were transported back to our hotel. Kirin was given the opportunity to drive a moped around the block. The group then relaxed until dinner arrived. Guess what. Steak again! It was a delicious spread followed by a debriefing, prayer, and bed. Hasta mañana.
