Guatemala, Day 6

Day 6: Sunday,01/07/07

Dani spent some time sketching out in front of the hotel while we waited for our morning pick-up. This morning we were going to eat breakfast out at the house and then go to church with them in the center park square of Santiago. Tom and Susan tried to find an established church to join, but they all conduct their services in Tzutujil, so Tom decided to lead church in the park.

Thank heavens Noe was feeling better this morning! He wasn’t going to be able to go to the park, but at least he was able to eat and drink and keep it down. Susan told him that she would need him to stay home with her to help guard the house since the local man that they hire didn’t show up today.

We had plates full of eggs, biscuits, and melon for breakfast. The kids went off to practice their drama and their songs, and Tom asked Dani and me to sing as well. We picked one that we could do a cappella (”Unfailing Love”), and then Tom asked us to sing “Blessed be Your Name” along with a cd they had. Sure, why not? After we practiced a bit, Dani went off to draw and I went off to snap some more photos.

These are the eucalyptus trees that line one of the pathways up to the house.

All of us piled into two vehicles (yes, really!) and headed into town. Three year old Victoria sat on Mike’s lap in the front seat. Now we know we’ve had the true Guatemalan experience in travel! Once we got set up (Nate was the equipment man), Tom preached from a flip chart that Deborah held for him. He alternated preaching with having the kids do their drama and sing songs that they had prepared. There were quite a number of them who were very anxious to perform: Tom apparently never has a problem with getting volunteers!

He also never has a problem getting a crowd! People came and went as the service progressed, but there was always a very respectable crowd listening and watching. The people were very interested in the songs that Dani and I sang in English. Tom gave them a translation so that it wouldn’t be a total mystery!

Here’s the drama crew:

The party-girl

The angry young man and the drunk

The religious hypocrite

One of the kids’ favorite songs:

Mike spotted Salvador, from the hotel there with his son watching the service. He was wearing his fabulous embellished dress shorts. Wives or girlfriends embroider these, starting at the bottom and working upwards over the years.

Lunch on Sundays is always very late, and supper consists of just popcorn and hot chocolate. While we waited for the hamburgers, homemade french fries, and salad to be ready, I decided to brush the dogs, especially Chispa since she was unable to pick the burrs out with the bucket on her head! Cecilia helped me, and seemed to be very fond of the dogs. They really need someone to work on grooming them regularly, and to try some basic training. Maybe Cecilia…

After lunch, Nate wanted a crash course on everything that he would need to know to live on his own back in the States. His current plan is to leave Guatemala this spring. Late in the afternoon, the kids settled down for a movie, and the family decided to watch the second half of “Anne of Green Gables”. Just a lazy afternoon, and very pleasant. Nate had suggested that Mike and I take Tom and Susan out to dinner, and that he and Dani would stay and help Deborah with the kids. Everyone was in agreement, so around 7pm the four of us headed off to the hotel restaurant for a meal. Funny that Mike and I had never eaten anything but breakfast there until now!

After dinner, Tom and Susan drove back to the house, leaving us there at the hotel. A few minutes later, Nate showed up with Dani, and the four of us spent one last little bit of time together. Dani, Mike, and I would be leaving in the morning, and who knows when we would next see Nate?