Internet has been down for almost three days so the reports have been delayed. On Wednesday and Thursday, we had the opportunity once again to visit the students in their classrooms.

Wednesday began with the team getting stuck in one of what Pat calls, “ a typical, inexplicable Guatemalan traffic jam.” We usually arrive at the school at 9:00 am but this time it was nearly 10:00 before we arrived. Because of this, we missed the opportunity to go into classes before their recess began at 10:00.

So as usual, we stood out in the courtyard with the children during their recess and then, at 10:30, we divided the team into three groups and visited the three 5th grade classes. Just as the day before, we introduced ourselves, refreshed the childrens’ memory of our presentations, and then offered them the opportunity to write any question that they had (Grace Talk style) about God, the Bible, our presentations or even about the members of our team.

Like the first session that we did on Tuesday, every student submitted a question in each group (some were simply “Thank You” notes for what we were doing in their village). Every member of each sub-group had the opportunity to address the questions and often we didn’t have time to finish them all.

After our time with the children at the school, we made our way to “the Program” (the temporary name for the soon-to-be church where the children are fed and where we do our VBS lessons every day) for a quick lunch and preparation for the arrival of the children at noon.

On Wednesday, we had three interpreters (in addition to Kevin) who all work with Clubhouse Guatemala. Sandra was with us again as was Donald. We also had the opportunity to see Peter in action. Peter is a 30 year old man from Nigerian parents who grew up in the US and answered the call to Latin American missions. He has been working with Clubhouse for a few years and he and the Dirrims have established a very close bond. Peter is a regular Pied Piper with the children, musical, exuberant, solid theologically and loves the Lord with all his heart. He led the children in music time and the place was rocking.

Krista, as usual, was very prepared and presented her lessons in clear, short, concise “bites” such that the message was very understandable. Again, we divided into small groups after the lesson and then brought them back together for some large group games.

Again, the stove components had not been delivered so we were unable to do any installations on Wednesday. That night, we all piled in for a trip to Pizza Hut (Oh, the tribulations of missions in a third-world country!) and then back to the mission house for a debrief and devotional.

Thursday was much the same as Wednesday except we finally received the stove components so after the VBS (our last session), we made our way over to Pastor David’s house (really a compound of several small buildings behind a wall—many of the villagers live in similar types of “homes”) to pick up the materials and distribute them to the four homes into which we would install them on Friday. Three of the homes were very close to the school and the Program (reasonable walking distance) but the fourth was much farther up the side of the mountain in an area called “Buenavista” (beautiful view). The guys who carried the stove components had to haul them up a long footpath. The work was exhausting since we were already 1000 feet higher up than the already-high altitude of our mission house. We had the opportunity to meet each of the families that were to receive the stoves. Most everyone in the village is very kind and very grateful for our presence.

Friday was “Party Day” at the Program but before that, the plan was to divide the team up and install the four stoves before lunch. Of course, we know what happens with the “best laid plans.” First of all, the stoves we were installing were the “older” version of wood burning stove. The reason we install stoves is that most of the villagers cook their food over an open wood fire and the smoke from the fire fills their house (or the building in which the stove sits). This arrangement requires great quantities of fire wood that the villagers have to forage for in the woods outside the village (you can see villagers walking along the streets with large packs of kindling wood wrapped in cloth and balanced on their head). The stoves we install require half the quantity of wood and they have a chimney that directs all of the smoke out through the roof of the building. The villagers in San Mateo prefer the “older” version of the stoves (we didn’t get a chance to see the “new” version to make a comparison) because it is easier for them to pull out the ashes and apparently the concrete part of the stove top does not get as hot.

Because these were the “older” version, only Pastor David knew for sure how to assemble them and, as it turned out, we had mixed up some of the components delivering too many of one item to one location and not enough of another item to a different location. So what should have been a 45-minute process became a 2+ hour process and we could not finish any of the stoves before lunch. One location did not prepare the stove site (they are told to level the dirt floor where the stoves are to be installed) adequately so we were unable to install that stove at all. We did, however, have an opportunity to speak to each of the families and explain to them that the smoke from the open fire leaves a black place on the walls of their home much like sin leaves a stain in our hearts that can only be taken away by the forgiveness we receive in Christ. After lunch, a smaller contingent of the team returned to the three homes and finished the installations while the rest of us remained at the “Program” to feed the children a special lunch of hot dogs and to “party” with them (balloon animals, face painting, music, etc.).

Finally, the day was over and we said some teary “adioses”. Being with the same kids for five days meant that we all bonded with several of the children. We returned to the mission house and the team went out for a celebratory dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant (more third-world hardships). That night, we had a long debrief time and shared our impressions from the past week. The team was unanimous that this was a week well-spent and that we would definitely return if it is the Lord’s will.

Saturday is our travel day and although we all enjoyed our time here in Guatemala, we are ready to get home.

Thank you to all who supported us on this mission trip. Your generosity had real kingdom impact.