Here we are, over the hill with more than half of the work finished for the second Guatemala help week. Today the project was in full swing. We raised both houses by several rows of block, filling in the cracks while the Guatemalan crew leaders leveled and plumbed each row. Fred, Ruby, Kelly, and I got a good workout shoveling sand into wheelbarrows and barging up the narrow path to prepare the next batch of concrete. We finally finished carrying all the concrete blocks up as well. I thought I was being impressive by carrying three or four blocks at a time until we saw an older man about half of my size walking up the steep road carrying six concrete blocks on his back as we were leaving. 
By lunch, most of us were ready for a break, but not our crew leaders. Lunchtime gave them a diversion: climbing up a tree with a long bamboo shoot to knock down fruits. They were like children chasing each other around the tree and chasing after the fruits as they fell. The fruits, with a hard peel and similar in appearance to a pomegranate, were called "sapote," with a taste described as "somewhere between a papaya and a pineapple." Only in Guatemala.
Progress has not only been measured in how many blocks we lay on the house, but also how many smiles we create on the childrens' faces and how well we work with each other. Everyone in the family is getting involved in the new house; Helen and Louis Jose, the children, were climbing around with us on the scaffolding after they returned from school. The parents once again helped us to carry blocks and mix cement, and even Louis Jose, as shy as he is, jumped in to fill cracks beside us.
The highlight of
my day was double-teaming the wheelbarrows of sand along with Israel, the father of the family. I was afraid that I would tip over one of the wheelbarrows by accident, but Israel knotted a rope to the front of the wheelbarrow to add his strength to the task. Although we can hardly say two words to each other and often resorted to hand motions, we both succeeded in doing what needed to be done. Despite our differences, everyone at the work site is happy to see the progress of the two homes we are raising together. Almost there!
-Patrick Fuller
By lunch, most of us were ready for a break, but not our crew leaders. Lunchtime gave them a diversion: climbing up a tree with a long bamboo shoot to knock down fruits. They were like children chasing each other around the tree and chasing after the fruits as they fell. The fruits, with a hard peel and similar in appearance to a pomegranate, were called "sapote," with a taste described as "somewhere between a papaya and a pineapple." Only in Guatemala.
Progress has not only been measured in how many blocks we lay on the house, but also how many smiles we create on the childrens' faces and how well we work with each other. Everyone in the family is getting involved in the new house; Helen and Louis Jose, the children, were climbing around with us on the scaffolding after they returned from school. The parents once again helped us to carry blocks and mix cement, and even Louis Jose, as shy as he is, jumped in to fill cracks beside us.
The highlight of
my day was double-teaming the wheelbarrows of sand along with Israel, the father of the family. I was afraid that I would tip over one of the wheelbarrows by accident, but Israel knotted a rope to the front of the wheelbarrow to add his strength to the task. Although we can hardly say two words to each other and often resorted to hand motions, we both succeeded in doing what needed to be done. Despite our differences, everyone at the work site is happy to see the progress of the two homes we are raising together. Almost there!-Patrick Fuller
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