The Journey is Over but the Memories will Last Forever

Hola! Albanil Pablo here. Our build trip to El Salvador is over. I think everyone feels that it was more than just a habitat build. Sure, the goal of the trip was to help build houses for the less fortunate but it was a lot more than just that. It was also an opportunity for El Salvador to showcase all they have to offer. We were immersed in their culture, faith, work ethic, hospitality, tourism and friendliness. I have never made such close ties to people that I could hardly speak with. This country is rebuilding after major earthquakes and civil war in the last 20 years, and we were all able to see how well they have come along. We all came on this trip for different reasons, but we were all able to gel as a team, work together, share together and grow together. I feel that I've grown as a person in many aspects and I'm sure everyone on the team can relate. Enjoy the music and sights that we saw on our trip. This truly was an incredible trip. Not only did we help them out, I feel that they helped us out a lot too.

Hasta Pronto

This is Marcia blogging today. We apologize for no blog last night. Yesterday was a very emotional day for all of us. Our last day in Santa Ana began the usual way. Kathleen led everyone in devotion. It was very touching and we learned later, that Habitat El Salvador would like to publish her devotion in their recognition of International Habitat Day. What an honor!!

The morning was warm and the team worked hard knowing it was our last morning at the site. We got to work with two individuals from a radio station, Walter and Marco, who were there covering the work going on in the community. There was also a photographer taking pictures of us as we worked. We were blessed to have International Habitat Day fall while we were in El Salvador!

When noon time came, the masons cleaned up their sites, changed clothes and they all joined us for lunch. After lunch, we toured home number 7,000 built by Habitat El Salvador. The home owner has a salon in her home. Diane J. got a great hair cut for $1.25!! Watch the pictures for the new Diane!!

When we got back from the tour, the masons presented us each with a certificate and a chespa bucket. It was very touching. There were tears and mucho hugs. Habitat El Salvador made sure the tears didn't last long! A mariachi band surprised us and we all danced with the kids and masons.

It was soon time to say our good-byes. I didn't want to say Adios so I asked Luis how to say until we meet again. What he told me was too difficult to remember so he suggested Hasta Pronto. So the tears started again and we said Hasta Pronto to all our new friends, the masons, the children and the people from the community.

We boarded the bus, went back to the Hotel Sahara, cleaned up and boarded another bus that took us to the Los Hojas Resort which is on the Pacific Ocean. We had dinner and reflection time, walked out by the beach, got wet with the waves, swam in the pool and called it a day. What a great way to end our day.

The one where Pablo wants to be demoted.

Kathleen here! Today we headed to the site once again to build. The morning started off with a devotional by Ricardo. I continue to be amazed by the deep faith of those in the community, especially the men who help raise up such beautiful homes. We worked on the same teams once again, and everyone seemed to be comfortable working with their masons. Today I was the main traductora (translator) again, so I bounced around between groups. A little bit of rebar, some chispa (cement) here and there, some mezcla (mortar), and a whole lot of Spanish going on.

I spent some time after our first break with Lucy, Diane, Matoso (one of the masons) and Company. They gave us some fruit which would be the Salvadoran version of our green apple. Nice and tasty. We taught them a few words and talked a bit (and laughed a LOT) before some more hard work. Time seems to pass so quickly working here-- I really feel like we've gotten into a groove: carrying cement blocks, slapping the chispa in, laughing with our masons, sanding down the windows, using our Spanish words, moving dirt... It seems so easy when you're with such a great group of people.

Over lunchtime, Juan (another mason) told us that international groups like us come through the community to help all the time, but that there has never been a week like this one... and that we would always remain in his heart. It was a touching moment for all of us.

Pablo (the gringo formerly known as Dan) decided that being a mason is VERY hard work! Juan and Rafael had him in a hole in the ground digging and hauling metal roofing. At the end of the day, Rafael referred to Pablito as "un pollo loco americano" (a crazy American chicken) for his wanting to step down, and I'm fairly certain the masons will refuse to let Dan leave the community Friday afternoon.

We left the work site around 1:30 and headed for Thermos del Rio, a water park with natural hot springs. Not so fast! We got a flat tire. Ramon pulled into the nearest gas station and pulled the spare tire out of the back, jacked up the micro, and changed it in under 5 minutes total (we have videos to prove it). When we arrived at Thermos del Rio, we soaked in the natural spring pool for awhile, and then some of us tried out the other pools. Eighty cents for a large ice cream cone! Ramon brought us back home to Hotel Sahara where we freshened up for dinner at Lover's Steak House. Felipe and Ana Cristina from Habitat met us there. We dined on soup, salad, and steak. Then, Felipe got most of us out onto the dance floor where we boogied down.

I'm reluctant to go to bed tonight because tomorrow's our last day on site. Before we can hit the hay, we must pack our bags. After work tomorrow there's a farewell and we are off to our R&R before our return stateside.

Intercultural Day

Today was quite the experience. We worked hard this morning doing the daily routine of hauling bricks, hauling dirt, sifting sand, making chespa/mortar and tying rebar. Oh yeh, I almost forgot to mention my favorite job, sanding the side of the house with a rock. Af noon, the work site closed down. It was time for our Intercultural Exchange. First on the agenda was a friendly game of Futbol, better known in America as soccer. The volunteers, workers and masons walked 7 blocks to participate in a soccer match. We mixed the teams up, so that the Salvadorians were not all on one team. They clearly dominated the soccer field. From what I hear, the professional futbol team in El Salvador is not very good. Maybe some of the masons should take up a second job and play professionally. After the game we went back to the work site and were treated to some local music by a group of men that were part of the El Salvador police force. They were amazing. Several of our team members were asked to join them in playing instruments. WE NEED MORE COW BELL DAN!

It was then time for us to share. We chose to share some of our kid's songs and games with them. We showed them how to play hopscotch and musical chairs. We sang Old McDonald and showed them how to sing Row Row Row Your Boat in a round. The children had a blast. We also left a ton of children's books for their child learning center.

We were then treated to a traditional Salvadorian meal which consisted of pupusas and tamales, not to mention some other delicious foods which I cannot pronounce let alone spell. The event ended with the children whacking a pinata.

All in all, it was a very interactive day.

Lynn

Day 3

Day 3 started out like most days; breakfast, van ride, and devotion. But today you could tell when we were working, that we weren't just working. Instead everyone was trying to communicate more. We are beginning to realize that our trip is just not about the work, but its even more about learning the culture, the people, and having fun. Everyone, us and them, are starting to share so much! The day was filled with trying to talk with our masons we worked with. Most conversation revolved around family. Are you married? Do you have children? What are their names? What is the spanish word for rain? Yes it did rain. Around 2 pm there was a downpour and some of were caught in it. I myself learned several new words like "slow down", "rain", "all done", and others that I'm sure I will forget by tomorrow. The only one that I seem to remember is bathroom. My head hurts from trying to translate so much.

We took a side trip to see some Mayan ruins and we had a guide from Habitat explain to us about the history of the temple we were at. Then we had a wonderful dinner with swimming before. It was nice way to cool down and relax.

Tomorrow we have our intercultural exchange where we will be demonstrating some kids games for the children. Games like hopscotch, duck duck goose, musical chairs and whatever we can think of. Then I think we take on the children and masons in soccer.

Day 2 of Work

Hola from down in El Salvador!
Today we worked a little more than a half day. It was pretty much the same type of work: sifting sand, shoveling sand, laying blocks, tying rebar, etc... but it was different today. Instead of everyone trying to work so hard, there was more effort on our part to communicate more with the masons. It was really neat to see everyone communicating. Even if we weren't using the right words, the message was getting across. We talked about our families and got to know more about each other and not just about the work we were doing. We are beginning to learn so much about each other.

In the afternoon, we made a visit to the community that Marcia and Diane helped build houses in last year. The family was so excited to see us. We got huge hugs! The children were especially giggly when having their picture taken. They really enjoyed seeing themselves. Diane and Marcia also showed them a scrapbook from last year... which by the way we forgot halfway down the road from the hotel and we had to turn back to get, but all in all it turned out to be a great day!

The radio stations were supposed to show up today so everyone wore their red shirts. They didn't show and rumor has it they are coming tomorrow. We all considered wearing our red shirts again but they are pretty smelly.

Tomorrow we are finishing an hour early to go check out some Mayan ruins, we can't wait!

Day Of Rest...

Hello! This is Steph blogging today on one of the most relaxing days a person could ever have!

So today, after a long day of building, we were allowed to sleep in! After a great breakfast (where Shelly finally started calling Kathleen Kathleen instead of Stephanie), we were able to partake in a Lutheran El Salvadorian church service. Before the service we met with the pastor of the church as well as the female pastor of a local church. We learned about what programs they had at the church and about how much they are starting to grow and prosper. During the service, Rosalie, Shelly, Lynn, and Dewey all had the opportunity to participate in the service by reading passages. After the service was finished, the pastor announced that the money collected during the offering was used to buy dried goods (rice and beans) for families of the community that were in need of help. We helped distributed the goods to the families and to see the gratitude in their eyes was absolutely breathtaking. Then the pastor gave us all a give of a wooden cross that was made from bits of houses that were destroyed in the earthquakes of 2001. The children of the church gave us the necklaces and huge hugs.

After the church service, we went back to the hotel to grab our swimsuits to head to Lake Coatepeque with one of the families we are working with (Ricardo, his wife Lihia, and their six year old daughter Maria Louisa) It was beautiful! We had an amazing lunch at a restaurant on stilts. That was a bit of an experience because it would sway every now and then with the wind. It was kind of funny because on the ride there we were talking about brats for our Packer party tomorrow night and what did we have for lunch? A brat! Well their version of a brat, you get the idea. After lunch we hopped on the boats and rode to a little beach and swam in the lake. It was great to just relax and enjoy the scenery. Katie played with Maria Louisa by the shore because she was a little afraid to go out in the deep water. We all had a blast just joking around and getting to know one another in a more relaxed setting.

Now we are sitting around relaxing all checking emails and enjoying cervazas before dinner. Don't think this is what we do everyday folks! Tomorrow we get back to work, but it is going to be a special day for Diane G and my mom. We work for about a half day and then we are going to the village that they worked at last year to see the family and house they built. It is also World Habitat Day so we are going to be interviewed by the local and national radio stations. Have a great night guys! Thanks for all the support and the messages you have been leaving. We appreciate it mucho! Buenos Noches!

First Day of Work

What did you do today?
Shelly and Kathleen

First I hauled block. And then Kathleen and I got smart and formed an assembly line to avoid all the obstacles in the way. Then we sifted sand. Then our masons liked us so much they told us to come back Monday. They said we were good workers. I feel like we took a water break every half hour.

Diane G, Dewey and Mary

We hauled brick around and into the roooms of the casa. We tied rebar, put mortor into the cindar bricks of the walls. Sifted sands to remove stones (Mary wiggled her booty ) when sifting. Dewey tried to balance a brick on his head and claims that if the hat he was wearing didn't have a button on the top of it, then he would have been able to walk around. (yeah right!!) Ana (a Salvadoran) was able to walk about without a problem.

Marcia

I started out the day scraping cement off cement block and wooden forms. The block and forms will be used to make posts that were being placed in front of the daycare center. I then went on sifting duty for awhile which was brutal in the heat. I finished the day helping station block at the house Shelly and Kathleen were working at. I felt like a floater today and in the course of the day met many neat people including the masons, Cristo Rey church members and Habitat employees.

Stephanie

I was on team 2 which consisted of Lucy, Rosalie, Maria (a national volunteer), and I. Our main jobs were shoveling dirt into wheelbarrows and bringing the dirt into the house to get compacted into a sort of cushion for any tremors the area may feel. Another job was sifting gravel out of dust so that the dust could be used for mortor, sanding the bricks so that they could be plastered later, and finally, I got to actually pound the dirt with a paint can filled with cement that had a stick out of it to hold onto. It was extremely hot, but when you are working with people that are so passionate and so kind, you really do not notice that you are sweating buckets but actually having an amazing time. My spanish is not the greatest, but what little I did know from high school (and from my amazing college friends) I got to know the mason and his helper and am really eager to get back to work and find out more about them and also the families in the community.

Rosalie and Lucy

Lucy and I began our work day sifting sand. We shoveled gravel into frames of screen and doing a sort of shaking dance to sift out the pebbles. Later Lucy tied rebar--a hardjob, but it WAS in the shade! I removed stray mortar from the cement blocks with sanding blocks. We ended the day back at the sanding site.

Diane J and Katie

Our team worked in a small hole in the ground today. We laid blocks with mortar and tied reinforcement rods with wire. The hole was going to be used for sewage. The two masons that we worked with were very patient with us. We taught each other many words in spanish and english. We laughed together alot as we all said "no comprende" many times.

Lynn and Dan

Dan and I were partners today. Our assignment for the first part of the day was to sandblast the dried mortar of the outside of a 900 square foot duplex. This was to prepare the house for plaster. Our tool to do this was a rock. Yes I said ROCK. We started out smoothing the outside of the house/duplex with a 6 inch rock and by the time we were done smoothing the structure, our rock was 3 inches in diameter. I kept my rock for a souvenir. Dan and I shared lots of laughs and will have many memories concerning this task we were given to do. Dan also did some compacting of sand in the bedrooms using a 40 lb. block of concrete on a wooden handle.

We Finally have Arrived

After a very exhausting trip to get to El Salvador, we are finally here! All of us stayed up the whole night in the Chicago Airport playing some team building games and getting to know each other. It was a very fun time and we learned some strange things about each other. The last 2 flights to Houston and San Salvador seem like a dream, with all of us trying to catch a few winks on the flights.

Once we arrived we stopped at a local restaurant and tried some of the local favorites, pupusas. These are a rice flat bread thats lightly fried and topped with beans and cheese and condiments like hot sauce and pickled cabbage. It was very good. I had 3.... and I hope that doesn't come back to hurt me.

Our final teammate Kathleen made it in around 7 pm after some flight delays and then we went out to eat after a short orientation meeting. We went to another local restaurant that seemed to be comparable to KFC.

Tomorrow we get up at 6:30 for breakfast and head to the site by 7:15 to begin a full day of work. The work planned doesn't sound easy. It looks like we are building concrete block walls and doing cement work. Nothing like getting right into it.

Our Journey Begins

Hola everyone!! This is Marcia blogging tonight because Dan is sleeping on a table! The team is testing their flexibility tonight. Due to bad weather in Chicago, our flight was delayed until 7:30. So 11 people had to scramble to get their flights changed because we were definitely not going to make our connection to Houston. So with the help of a very friendly United ticket counter person, all 11 of us traveling from Appleton got rebooked on a Continental flight to Houston tomorrow morning.

So we are enjoying a lovely night at O'Hare. We are keeping ourselves occupied by playing cribbage, going for walks, eating, and trying to sleep where ever one can find comfort in a busy airport. With the help of a nice TSA person, we found a nice area in the international terminal where we plan to hang out all night until the Continental ticketing area opens.

Stephanie is heading down from Door County and will meet up with us here in an hour or so. The 11 traveling from Appleton are ending up on the same flight Stephanie is taking.

Tomorrow we will meet up with Kathleen at the San Salvador airport which will make our team whole!! We will take a 2 hour bus ride to Santa Ana to the Hotel Sahara. I think there will be lots of tired people tomorrow so if you don't see a blog entry tomorrow night you will know why.

Until tomorrow or Sunday!

Teammates Thoughts the Day Before Departure

Rosalee Roloff

My biggest fear is getting sick--either from exposure to someone on the plane or the dreaded diarrhea from local food and water. I have all precautions in order. I am excited about visiting a part of the world I would never see another way and being a part of this great project to provide housing to people who have a great need.

Kathleen Fayard

My biggest fear? I don't have too many fears, but my least favorite part of traveling (I LOVE traveling, especially the excitement of boarding a big metal bird en route to a foreign place) is making it through security and wondering whether or not my backpack will be violated and my 3 oz. bottles scrutinized.
What excites me: the chance to get to know a beautiful country and its people! Working on my arm muscles! And of course giving back and helping to create something beautiful.

Dewey Carl

My bigggest fear is having to take a 9 hour lay over in Houston prior to flying on to San Salvador. However the excitement is to go and do something for those who have so little. It will be a great experience for all. The opportunity to give back is what is important.

Stephanie Burton

If by biggest fear you mean actual fears, that would definitely be snakes. I am deafly afraid of snakes. As for the trip, I am super excited to meet and work with the family that we are helping out. To be a part of something this huge for a family that really needs it, words cannot even cover how major that is for me. That, and actually seeing my ma in a foreign country doing what she is so passionate about.

Marcia Pethke

My biggest fear is not getting food made for my husband and the possibility that he could starve while I am gone. Just kidding, my biggest fear is that my back will not hold out. I want to be able to do the tough jobs but I also don't want to hurt my back in the process. God give me strength and hopefully the exercise program I have been in engaged in will help too!!
I am excited to see my friends from the Habitat Affiliate in El Salvador again!! Plus, I get to spend an entire week with my daughter Stephanie too.

Shelly Vosters

Biggest fear - Flying into a Hurricane or having some kind of natural disaster happen while we are in El Salvador.
What excites me about the trip - Experiencing another culture and a whole other country with a bunch of fun people!!

Dan Stremkowski

This is kind of my first trip to a place where I don't speak the language. I've been to Canada and have been told I sound canadian so that doesn't count. Man do I now wish I would have studied my Spanish. I'm afraid of not being able to communicate well. I'm also afraid of getting sick and not being able to help. I look forward to the workout in the heat, maybe I'll drop a few pounds. I also will enjoy playing games with the children. Our cultural exchange is going to be kids games! Yeha!

Is It Possible to Pack for 10 Days in just a Carry On?

1 Duffle Bag
pair of work jeans, pair of khakis, 5 pairs of underwear, 5 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of shorts, swimsuit, jammys, sneakers, 4 t-shirts, 2 long sleeve shirts, sport drink mix, licorice, trail mix, jerky

1 Computer Bag
computer, power cord, camera, camera battery charger, hard drive of music and movies, internet cable, working gloves, safety goggles, several hats, granola bars, spanish book, book I can read, journal, pen, gum, passport, money, toiletry bag, ziploc bag, phone, phone charger, flip flops

1 Toiletry Bag
toothbrush, pepto-bismol, IMODIUM A-D, brush, deodorant, ibuprofen, cold medicine, razors

1 Ziploc Bag
skin lotion, shaving cream, carmex, shampoo, conditioner, cologne, aloe gel, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, toothpaste

1 Dan
pair of work pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, belt, underwear, socks and work boots, wallet

What I need to fit yet
mosquito spray, malaria pills, shades, bandana, sandals, kids games

Does anyone know if I can carry on all this stuff? It does look possible that I can carry on enough for 10 days. Unless I'm missing something big! Might consider wearing two pairs of jeans on the plane to make some room for what I have left.... NOT!

I was given some great advice to pack first before I wrote this blog! THANK YOU POLLY!

Good Luck packing Girls!

Welcome to our blog!

Hola!
Diane and I started the journey of planning for this trip almost immediately after returning from our habitat build in El Salvador last year and now we are less than two weeks away from going back!! Wow!! We are extremely blessed to have wonderful, supporting families who support and encourage us to do this kind of work.

Our team is eager and ready to go on this life changing mission. Team members are:

Diane Geurts, Kaukauna, WI - co-lead
Marcia Pethke, Bear Creek, WI - co-lead
Lynn Eckes, Appleton, WI - team photographer
Diane Jonen, Kaukauna, WI
Mary Fritz, Appleton, WI - team photographer
Katie Freiburger, Appleton, WI
Dan Stremkowski, Greenville, WI - our blogger
Shelly Vosters, Freedom, WI
Stephanie Burton, Fish Creek, WI
Kathleen Fayard, Lake Forest, IL - our translator
Dewey Carl, Manawa, WI
Lucy Keuntjes, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Rosalee Roloff, Clintonville, WI

Through our work in El Salvador, another family will have hope for the future and a decent, affordable home to live in. What we will get in return is memories that will last a lifetime, new friends in the warm and wonderful people of El Salvador and a deeper appreciation of everything our Lord has provided to us.

Special thanks to our team members and their families for supporting Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador!!

We hope you take the time each day to follow us as we take this exciting journey!!!

Hasta la vista!

Marcia and Diane