Welcome home, All!

If you do happen to drop by this site, Welcome Home Everyone, and thanks for a great time in Guatemala. It was and has been a real pleasure to work and share time with all of you. And, I look forward to the next trip and whoever may be on that one. I hope we can all stay in touch to some degree, this blog site is a pretty good way to do it, if I hear from ya I will answer!

Hot Crew Happy Day

I would camp here in a tent just to use the pool

Book List

Also for whomsoever stumbles through this, my reading recommendation is Tom Robbins' "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates" You will be able to relate to it.

OK, so we have the dry weather we have all been craving. This is the first day we actually had mud come OFF our shoes on the job site. Downside, it is HOT. Got a little too much myself today, slowed me down in the afternoon. Am OK now. Said goodby to Victor and the other masons, had a great time on the build with Victor, very outgoing character. All of them are great guys. Some new pics of the crew and other stuff.

Waiting for Che...Viva La Revolucion!

Tapata in Livingston

My special corner

The banner says it all

Greetings from Guatemala

A friend of mine has a blog on this same site that I follow she is a truck driver and does a real good job of keeping it updated. I am going to attempt the same thing here, although I have never done a blog before. We have been in Guatemala for a week now, and I can verify that Guatemala knows how to rain. I am posting this at midnight on Monday the 21st of March, couldn't sleep so thought I would try to get this going. May not have pics for a little bit, but they will arrive. Maybe I can start by going backwards in time. This past weekend was quite the little adventure. After 4 days of fits and starts at the job site (rain slowed us down or kept us away almost every day) we left Saturday morning for Livingston, attainable only by boat as no roads go into or out of that town, to my So, our fealess leader, Laura, who puts together Really Good Trips (Yeah, You, Laura, You Go Girl)had sered passage for our group of 26 or so on a tour boat out or Puerto Barrios, Teacher Tours I think it is called. We made that boat full, took off across the bay and landed in near Livingston a half hour later, and I cannot remember the name of the hotel on the beach that we landed. It was a rustic location, with various huts and buildings that contained rooms of varying watertightness, all grass roofed, and very simple. On the beach was the restaurant, again very simple and rustic, but the breakfast Sunday morning was great, and the best tasting coffe that I had yet in Guatemala.
After checking in and getting roomed up, we got back in the boat for a fairly fabulous tour up the Rio Dulce river, through El Golfete, to the town of Rio Dulce. Think Mosqito Coast, maybe Apocalypse Now, or any other jungle river movie you have seen. This was a pretty cool ride through some real thick jungle, a protected area that you could feel was just crawling with life, in the water and on the shore and beyond. Well, we got back from that trip just as dark was setting in in Livingston, disembarked and made arrangements for Ricardo to pick us up again at 10:30 the nerxt morning. Of to tour Livingston, which to my mind had the best roads and most orderly appearance of anyplace I had seen yet in Guatemala. It is a Garifuna town to a great degree, descendants of shipwrecked slaves, plus the Mayan descendents and the Creole Guatemalan culture. An iconic hithchikers destination I suppose, Ricardo (our skipper) vividly described the expressive dance and music of the Garifuno, but we did not see that this Saturday night. The rain began, like we don't often see in the northern climes, and we headed back to the restaurant where most of us tried the heralded Tapata, a Garifuna tradition. More on that later. Then, it was how to get back to the hotel. Well, load half of us into an old pickup with a ladder rack on the back, drive the wrong way for half an hour till the streetlights are no more and the road turns to mud and eventually to a trail, where we are met by an emissary with a flashlight from the hotel on the beach, and we follow a path along the beach for a mile or so till we get to the lodge. These words do not adequately describe that trip, I will spend some time editing later, I hope the pics i post can help do it justice. That night, the rain came down fiercely, but the couple of times I woke up it just put me back to sleep and I slept like a baby for 9 hours or so, not my usual habit. Others were not so lucky, disturbed by insects or being directly under too many leaks. The morning dawned with some pretty stiff winds kicking up some pretty good surf under some pretty wet skys, as that pattern continued for a couple of hours after morning light, we wondered of Ricardo would be able to make it across the bay to pick us up as scheduled. All in all, an adventurous little trip to Livingston, a great time on the boat, nobody got sick, and we did get back to Puerto Barrios Sunday afternoon.

See you in 'guatemala

Wow, how cool, next time I set foot outside it will be in Guatemala! And will be meeting friends old and new, in some warm (sunshine, I hope) weather. I brought extra plastic ponchos if anyone needs one...I do believe I left the rain behind, though!

Laura Boag

Hola compañeros! I’m Laura, I just turned 30 and live and work in Toronto. I’m a food fanatic, fitness enthusiast, bookworm, fashion fiend, coffee addict (we’re going to get along famously JJ Bean crew!), aspiring sudoku champion, wannabe world traveler and clearly the ultimate procrastinator. There simply aren’t enough minutes in a day for me to squeeze in all the things I want to do, see and learn. I’m new to the adventures of HFH builds and can’t wait to get my hands dirty, practice my Spanish with the locals and get to know all of you. See you in a week! LB

Carla Froese

Hi! I live in Vancouver, and work for JJ Bean, a local coffee roasting company. I work in the roastery/warehouse for the company. This will be my first Habitat trip, and I'm looking forwards to it!

Katie Prentice

Hey, My name is Katie and I am 23 years old living downtown Vancouver. I manage a coffee shop named JJ Bean in North Vancouver and will be coming with 3 other people from the company.

This is going to be my very first trip with Habitat and I am very excited. I look forward to this experience and meeting you all as well.

Sunny Sunny Suny Sunny Sunny I am so looking forward to sun and 80 plus degrees!!

And meeting everyone!!

JH

John Neath

I am 53 years old, married to Melanie for 30 years, a father of 4 and a grandfather of 3. I am leader of a company called JJ Bean which has 10 retail stores in Vancouver and wholesales to 300 other locations across Canada.

This will be my 4^th Habitat trip and my 6^th visit to Guatemala. Sadly I still do not speak Spanish ...... which is understandable given that my daughter says that I barely speak English.

The picture included is with my oldest son (if there is any confusion, I am on the right).

Looking forward

John

Ron de la Hey

Hi, I'm Ron, a retired accountant living in Virden, Manitoba. Before moving to Virden 5 years ago I lived most of my life in Saskatchewan except for a previous year in Manitoba and a year in Kenya with my life-partner, Jan.

I'm a member of the Habitat Virden Steering Committee which is preparing for Virden's first Habitat build.

I enjoy wilderness canoeing, camping, fishing, cross country skiing and gardening. I like travelling and have travelled in Africa, Asia, Cuba and the U.K. I've been on study tours in Jamaica and Nicaragua. In 2007 Jan and I were on a Global Village build in Honduras ( where we met Doug) and in 2008 I was on a build in El Salvador.

I'm looking forward to being in Guatemala with Jan and our niece, Becky, reconnecting with Doug and meeting the rest of you.

Becky Van A.

Hello, my name is Becky Van Aertselaer. I am 20 years old and was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over the past couple of years I have been on a few disaster relief trips with CRWRC but this is my first H4H trip and I must say I am pretty excited! I was invited to come along with my Aunt and Uncle, though I am finding my life very busy at the moment, what with planning a wedding, working full time at a cafe, and trying to purchase a house with my fiance, I decided this is an opportunity I could not pass up! As well as I whole heartedly believe in helping those less fortunate than myself in whatever way I can. I am looking forward to traveling, and spending time with my Aunt and Unlce as well as the rest of you!

Luc Paquette

Hi, here is my photo and a little about myself.

I am 24 years old and just graduated from University this past December with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. This is my first HFH trip and I am looking forward to meeting everyone and enjoying this new experience.

Luc

Dale Winder

Hi everyone.I own and operate a grain farm about 50KM south west of Saskatoon.I grow lentils,peas,canola,hulless barley and wheat.In the past Ihave grown flax, mustard, alfalfa seed ,sainfoin seed and grass seed.I have some pasture land that I custom graze.I enjoy most out door activities biking,hicking,windsurfing,downhill and crosscountry skiing.I love to travel and have been to Australia,New Zealand,Japan,Europe,Central and South America.I am excited about this project with h4h,my first.I look foreward to meeting all the team members.Dale Winder.

Beth Nicholson

Hi I'm Beth. I'm retired and live in Toronto. I grew up in the country (now part of Toronto) so enjoy being in the outdoors. I like most outdoor activities, cycling, windsurfing, canoeing kayaking, camping, skiing, both downhill and cross country. Randel I even like shoveling snow. I spend a fair bit of time visiting my mother, who will be 105 the end of April. She enjoys having discussion about world events and of course reminiscing. I have a small cabin on an island without electricity. Last summer I spent most of my time at the cottage watching the loons that were nesting in a little bay by my dock. For the past eight years I've been going out west at harvest time to drive the grain truck for Dale. This will be my first Global Village trip.

Doug Clark profile

Hello fellow team members. I am a retired Chartered Accountant and I have resided in Mississauga for the last 23 years.
My wife Terry and I have been married for 36 years and we have raised four wonderful daughters. Last May we became first-time grandparents with the arrival of a son (he's the good looking one in the picture) to our eldest daughter & her husband. If you can't tell by the grin on my face, I can provide a wholehearted endorsement of the benefits of grandfatherhood.

My working career included 8 years in public accounting and 22 years in the construction/real estate industry, most recently as CFO with a large general contractor. I retired from active employment in September 2004. In early 2005, I became involved with the establishment of a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Mississauga. This quickly became nearly as consuming as my paid employment had been but it has been infinitely more rewarding. I am currently the Board Chair of the affiliate - a role which I have held since 2007.

I curl twice a week in the winter and putter around the yard in summer as well as play a little golf. Retirement has also given my wife and I the flexibility to travel more frequently; most often on Caribbean cruises and to Hawaii.

This will be my 3rd Global Village trip and I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with my youngest daughter Tara. The previous trips were to El Salvador in 2008 and Honduras in 2007 (Jan & Ron were fellow team members on that trip).

I grew up on a farm so I’ve had lots of experience using a shovel and wheelbarrow - experience that I fully expect to put to use in Guatemala. I am looking forward to meeting all of you (and catching up with Jan & Ron) and sharing the Global Village experience in Guatemala.

Doug Clark

Jan Van Aertselaer

I'm Jan and I'm a rural dweller. I live in the town of Virden, in Manitoba, near the Saskatchewan border. The population is 3500, which is quite large compared to other places I have lived on the prairies, mostly in Saskatchewan. I'm 57 ... my 58th birthday will happen while we're in Guatemala. I began my working life as a social worker in Winnipeg and then studied theology at the University of Toronto. For thirty years I have worked as a minister within the United Church of Canada. When I'm not working, I love to be in the natural world. My favourite activities are wilderness canoeing, camping and swimming. I am very concerned about the health of the planet and I try to do what I can to contribute to its well-being. I read a lot, and I've had many opportunities to travel in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America, as well as Canada. For a year I lived and worked in Kenya with my life-partner, Ron. In 2007 we participated in a Habitat build in Honduras. I'm looking forward to being part of this build along with Ron and our niece Rebecca.

PAT MOORE

My name is Patricia Moore and I’m usually called Pat. I am a retired teacher-librarian and now do a bit of supply teaching. For many years I worked in elementary schools in Paris Ontario, where I live and also in Brantford, a neighbouring town. As well as doing a bit of supply teaching I am quite involved in volunteering - at the local museum, with the Paris Friends of the Library group, the local horticultural society, and also with meals on wheels.

My other interests include gardening, canoeing, cross-country skiing, skijoring (skiing with dogs) and of course, reading (I am a librarian). I love to travel and if I can combine travel with volunteering, all the better. This is the second time that I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the first time being with a build last May in Paraguay. Previous to that I have done volunteer teaching in China where I taught English to adults. I have been part of an Earthwatch volunteer project in India which involved plants and traditional medicine. I began my teaching career on Manitoulin Island in Ontario teaching grade 8 to native students.

I have a Brittany spaniel and a spoiled cat (no kids - my husband passed away many years ago).

The attached photo shows me in one of my favourite places -beside the Grand River which flows through Paris and is very close to where I live. I love to walk or cycle along this river with Stella, my dog, and in winter take to the ski trail with her. In fact, I’m about to do that again this afternoon. Let it snow!

BIO

Hi, I am the redhead in the middle. I was born in Ireland but lived in England and Australia and have been in Toronto for many years.

I went to Costa Rica in April 2007 with Habitat and loved it. The group was wonderful and we had lots of fun and laughter together.

My passion is the environment and I am lucky enough to be on the Board of the Toronto Green Community. I have been working on a recycling project in a high rise building in a priority neighborhood. The vast majority of the tenants come from outside of Canada and it has been a terrific experience working with them.

In terms of fun, I love to walk/hike. I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the coast to coast in England and other walks in France, Turkey and Alberta. I love to travel and am fortunate to have been to a number of countries. I play tennis and golf and, despite having two left feet, I go to dance/exercise classes. I enjoy good food, wine, whodunit books and gardening.

I really look forward to meeting, working and having fun with all of you.

My name is Craig, I'm from Chatham, Ontario, a small town near the Windsor/Detroit border. I work as a technical analyst. In my spare time I write a little bit, play and watch sports, and I am always on the lookout for unique or unusual activities to get involved in (I took luge lessons with the US Olympic team, attended Space Camp for adults, participated in the Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships, to name a few!). This will be my third GV trip - I went to Honduras in 2009 with Laura, Jim, and Mike, and went to Kenya this past fall. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Greetings

Currently ‘enjoying life’ in New Hill, North Carolina, south of the border. I left the corporate rat race in 2002. I now spend my time working on Habitat projects and building musical instruments while keeping my hand in the engineering profession on a part time basis. I have traveled throughout the world, raised my family and now bring my skills and experience to bare helping with Habitat’s Global Village Projects, Habitat blitz builds, as a local Habitat Affiliate Team Leader, and many other mission building and service projects. I speak a bit of Spanish and a lot of Southern English. I enjoy most all types of outdoor activities (except shoveling snow), woodworking, meeting and helping other people and playing the fiddle. For more details and photos, check out my face book page at: facebook.com/Randel.sink

Team Leaders Brian and Laura with lucy the dog

Hi Team
With only 8weeks to go until our adventure we are both getting very excited about the build and too meet you all. I am an emergency nurse and I have been working with HFH for about 5 yrs now. Brian works for BC hydro and is just starting as team leader. We both love being outdoors as you can see from this photo. We love to fish, bike, hike, ski, swim etc. Brian is into dirt/trails biking and I love mountain biking. We have Harley and love to go off from a weekend on it or just a ride on a beautiful day. I also teach fitness at a local gym. Brian is also a journeyman tile setter. We have three kids all in there 20s now.

Welcome!

Just setting this up ;) Welcome!