Submitted by Carla Cottrell:

Day 3 of our trip began with another delicious breakfast buffet followed by the 45 minute drive up the mountain to the village Juan Lejas, the newest technico, had prepared for us to work in building stoves. Because Luis needed to be with his son, Don Miguel came with us. Anne wanted to form our working teams in the car, and consulted Don Miguel. He graciously reminded her that this day Juan Lejas was in charge and we all needed.to let him have the responsibility for forming and assigning the teams. What a wonderful system of support and training this organization has, and how respectful of the senior most member to defer to the junior most…he demonstrated a belief in Juan Lejas that I wish all businessmen could.

Peter and Susan and I ended up on Don Miguel’s team. Our whole group was divided into four teams, and each team was to be responsible for building a stove in the home of a village family. There are several jobs involved in stove construction…soaking bricks to cure them, wetting cement blocks so mortar will adhere, scoring the house’s floor to allow blocks to adhere, shaving molasses to be added to mortar for added strength, and playing with children to keep them entertained and away from power tools. Our team worked well together, and, by lunch time we were almost finished with our day’s work. So, Don Miguel offered to help another group whose mason has less experience. We did so, and by 3 o’clock we were all ready to return to the hotel.

Again, the lunch was cooked.by the village women, and it was superb. The pricante they offered was made with ghost peppers, and it had several members of the team very enthused. While with our family, one of the younger children, Christian, took a shine to Peter. He began sneaking up behind Peter and poking him, and then Peter would turn and grab him and swing him around. His laughter was such a beautiful sound, and the abandon with which he initiated play was enviable.

I don’t think I have ever been so grateful for high school Spanish! I happened to be the only one of our group that could understand and speak with Don Miguel, and, what a blessing! Senora Fields and Senora Glover, I salute you!

This evening we will again eat together, perhaps play Spades, and certainly laugh! I look forward to tonight’s devotion that will be led by Anne.

God bless you all! Please say a prayer for the stoves we built, the meals that will be prepared on them, and for the families who will benefit from them. And consider a gift of a mission trip scholarship, or a stove, or a tree nursery through AIR Guatemala in the future…their plan for sustainability and care for the communities they help is second to none!

Carla