We Have Arrived (At Our Final Destination)

Fire crackling in the fireplace. A bowl of fresh fruit on the table. New curtains in the windows. Bedrooms. A house! We are in Chichi. 

And, we've been here for a whole week! I would have updated before now, but very unfortunately, our computer harddrive gave out on us and we've had to get it replaced. Thankfully, it's up and running again, but we've lost all the pictures from this trip that didn't make it online (which means we lost a LOT!), as well as a bunch of music, documents, etc. Such is life! Speaking of life: We said good-bye to the rest of the Tzul family (the name we came up with for the Noriega and Bontrager clan) last Wednesday morning, Jan. 8th.

(Julie had left, the previous day, with Joe and Bethany to do some touristing in other parts of Guate). As we pulled away from Chijoj, then Canilla', one of the boys made a comment that seemed to sum up how most of us felt: "I'm not ready to leave." Nevertheless, we had our last destination to get to and we had to move on. Three hours later found us in Quiche (kee-chay) where we stopped to visit a mechanic with whom we've become good friends over the years. Martin and his wife were as happy to see us as we were to see them; before we left they told us that we always have a place to stop in at their house. 

When we drove into the driveway at Monte Flor, the compound in Chichi, we had to remind ourselves that this beautiful place would be our home for the next two whole months. Up and to the right of the hill, Ron Morin, the founder and director of Manos de Jesus, was waiting for us outside of one of the houses. When Ron had talked with Dad about us being here for two months, he said he'd have a room or two available for us but we might still need to use the bus, as well.

Imagine our surprise when he took us on a tour of the three bedroom house (complete with living room, kitchen, and laundry room) and told us that it was ours for as long as we're here. A real kitchen! And separate bedrooms! After two months of living mostly in the bus, we were overjoyed at this surprise! 

Since then we've taken our time getting settled in (tonight is the first night that all of us can sleep in the house due to the freshly varnished floors that took longer to dry than expected) and have started on several small projects.

Dad and Lewis have been working with several of the guys, putting in the ceiling of Ron's son's house right next door to ours.

I've sewn some curtains for our living room and have started on a big drape for one of the rooms in the dental clinic (located on the premises). 

Joe, Bethany, and Julie got back from their traipsing on Fri., then spent the weekend here; Joe and Bethany flew home on Monday. It was so much fun having them around! The next time we see them will be only a week and a half before their wedding. Wow!

And...I can not conclude this post without showing you a picture of the pizza party we had on Sunday with the other families who work and live here. Pizza...how good can life get?! :)

There's so much more, so many little things, that I wish I could add without having it sound like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but, not surprisingly, words just aren't adequate. Maybe, somehow, they'll find their way into some of the other stories that will unfold while we're here. Stay tuned!