The CLEAN Bodega!

The CLEAN Bodega!
We worked for three days arranging and sorting things in the storeroom at ASELSI

Grace & Jessica

Grace & Jessica
The girls are talking to a team from Canada.

MJ working on the Blog

MJ working on the Blog
With wireless, it's possible to work anywhere on the ASELSI grounds - even in the dining room.

Boiled Toothbrushes!

Boiled Toothbrushes!
We don't advise boiling your toothbrushes to clean them. They don't work nearly as well.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Our Last Weekend in Antigua -- for now

Our last weekend in Antigua was a memorable one. On Friday we decided that we would finish our homework and ‘play’ the rest of the weekend. We spent the day Saturday walking around the town and exploring new restaurants, shops and ruins in the city. In the evening we went to a concert in the park by the Guatemalan Opera Company.

On Sunday we went to our little local church for the last time. The pastor (who didn’t know that it was our last Sunday here) prayed a blessing over us and our work. It was a very emotional time for us to say goodbye to the people in the church.

We spent Sunday afternoon with our former housemate, Nina, and her mother walking around town and exploring more of Antigua. After dinner we saw the weekly Catholic Lentan procession. In the procession people parade through the streets carrying large platforms of statues of Jesus carrying the cross and Mary in mourning following behind. Each week the procession begins at a different church on Sunday afternoon and slowly moves through the streets to the central park. The processions usually takes about nine hours to move through the city and return to the original church. It is a fascinating custom.

All in all it was a great ‘last weekend’ of fun, friends and good food. Now it’s back to work with the possibility of another exam this week.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Howdy Mary Jane and Suki!!
What an adventure you all have had!
We have enjoyed all your comments and pictures so much! Can't wait to see you both and hear about all your experiences! Praying for your next
Spanish final. Blessings!!
Love, Pat & Roy

Jessica and Grace

Jessica and Grace
These are the two young ladies that we are mentoring. They will stay in Chichi for five weeks after we leave.

Suki at the door

Suki at the door
Getting our house ready for the interns' arrival.

Grace cooking

Grace cooking
We're cooking our meals now. It was a challenge learning how to use the oven.

New Wheelchairs

New Wheelchairs
New wheelchairs in line waiting to be given a home.

Custom Fit Chairs

Custom Fit Chairs
Each person was personally fit for the right chair.

Chairs for Old and Young

Chairs for Old and Young

John and Sharon

John and Sharon
John and Sharon Harvey are the founders of ASELSI

Team Meeting

Team Meeting
We gather each morning for prayer and God's leading for the day

The team at the hotel

The team at the hotel
We usually get back to the hotel in the evenings for a time of debriefing.

John, Sharon, Claudia, Suki & Mary Jane

John, Sharon, Claudia, Suki & Mary Jane
Here we are in front of the house where we will be staying for the next few weeks.

Putting up curtains

Putting up curtains
Mary Jane & Cathy thread curtains on a rod to hand in the house.

The Garden in the Driveway at ASELSI

The Garden in the Driveway at ASELSI
The new driveway is paved with a lovely garden in the middle. We remembered when the entrance was simply VERY HARD dirt.

The Palm Trees

The Palm Trees
This is one of the trees which was planted in the four holes our team dug in the hard ground around the building. According to Miguel, the trees are very healthy.

The New Driveway

The New Driveway
The new pavement goes to the front door now, with planters in front of the porch. It's very lovely. You can see the palm tree planted in one of the four holes we dug last May.

John at the Computer

John at the Computer
John really isn't working - he's playing mahjong!

Sharon in the Kitchen

Sharon in the Kitchen
Sharon really is working. She was preparing lunch for us.