Summer Adventure

Phil and I have the opportunity to spend a little over two weeks in Guatemala.  We are spending our time in a small town about three hours outside of Guatemala City.  It will be an opportunity to speak Spanish and to volunteer our time working with the locals there - in their schools and in their farms and community.  Today we were contacted by an organization that is going to help us a little financially so we can get there. 

 The place we are staying is a cooperative.  We stay with a host family and our room and board goes directly to the family.  The other fees we are paying are paid back out to the community.  They have adopted three main areas of need - helping children get an education, helping families gain the skills to support themselves, especially families that are marginalized by disability, and they also have an ambitious housing project where they get volunteers and supplies to build concrete homes for the people who are living in straw houses.  So we will be able to work with the children in school and help in the housing projects there.  I am very excited - and Phil being the sport that he is - is excited with me.

I am nervous about leaving my kids.  Yikes.  I have never done it before.  It makes me a little nervous.  But I am excited for the adventure.  Let's hope the adventure doesn't include something horrible like two weeks of dysentry!  Or getting mugged!