Saturday, Jan. 13
Guatemala Project 100 began officially at noon on Saturday, January 13th at Continental Airlines. E-mails phone calls and meeting and planning have stopped. The brisk Chicago air seemed to match the intensity and excitement of the group. The day has arrived we are on our way. Eighteen clubs represented, 44 Rotarians were met by Stan Sherman and Carlos with clip boards in hand. I was present and smiling from ear to ear. All were on time!
We arrive full of anticipation, just wonderful intensity and excitement, just like little children read for a field trip and a great adventure.
Our check-in was flawless “Stan is the Travel Man” We were personally greeted by a Continental attendant, while Stan greeted us with his reassuring smile, full of warmth and some what mischievous smile, quite deceptive because we know he is the sweetest! After our baggage check in we got some hugs in. Realizing we already could feel camaraderie, yet most of us just met for the second time at best. Seeing everyone’s faces it was certain this was the beginning of wonderful friendships, perhaps you could say this was just “the Rotary Way.”
I was summoned by Carlos of the Northbrook Rotary; my first assignment was about to begin.
The great money – exchange was about to take place. Days earlier we heard of a problem with the currency in Guatemala, there was both a shortage of currency and our wire transfer could be held up by the Guatemalan bureaucracy—this could prove to be a problem….no money for the Guatemalans meant that certainly there would be no money for us Rotarians. Gov. Dave has gone to the bank with Leadership Team Treasurer Gustafson had changed money for us. We had singles and fives for the ready. We met at the Red Carpet Club and filled our money belts. Richard (Northbrook Rotarian) and his wife realized that we would look like we had pot bellies on our way to Guatemala.
There was a few moments of silence, we looked at each other and then smiled. Yes, this was going to be an adventure….a wonderful, cultural Rotarian adventure.
The plane ride when smoothly we visited each other in the air, smiling reassuringly.
Monday, Jan. 15
Monday we learned how to assemble the ONIL stoves and began the initial project of painting some of the finished houses.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
We spent all day Tuesday painting the houses and getting them ready for the occupants who were anticipating moving in from their temporary housing. Tuesday night we had a make-up meeting with Rotary Club Retalhuleu which was part of a generous and overwhelming welcome. Their District governor was also present.
Sam
Wednesday Jan. 17
This country is really poor. Over the past 2 days, we have been painting houses constructed with international aid for Guatemalans displaced by Hurricane Stan in 2005. Since then they have been living in temporary shacks provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The new houses have 2 bedrooms, 1 shower/toilet area, 1 kitchen area. The families have been waiting over a year for their new homes. Lots of kids helped us paint. One lady was very proud - waiting to move into her house with her husband (working in the sugar cane fields nearby) and 10 children. Tomorrow we will assemble simple yet efficient stoves for these houses.
Richard
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Wednesday we assembled the stoves by each of the houses, and everyone cheered as Gov. Dave put the first cap on the stove we assembled.
Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment