School of Discipleship - 2000 - Habitat for Humanity

Well, we arrived. Eric (below) was the first one through doors at the airport, and within a day we were all on the road to our work sites with Habitat for Humanity.

	We stopped half way for refreshments at a small town "Tienda", and found out that it was owned by the mother of our bus owner. No doubt we made her day ... and her son scored big points.

We had just traveled five hours from Guatemala City to build houses with Habitat for Humanity in Columba, Costa Cuca. (Say that fast three times). Habitat representatives from far away as well as area volunteers had prepared an extravagant welcome program and meal for the 70 or so student volunteers in the town municipal hall. Suddenly, what sounded like ear pounding gunfire filled the room, coming from the direction of the main entrance. At least one of our students hit the ground as everyone's world momentarily lost its bearings and many fears about Third World violence found their root.

Now, Guatemalan's love their fireworks. More accurately, they love loud fireworks... their assumption being (bless their explosive hearts) that everyone must also enjoy it as they do. Throughout Guatemala it is traditional to wake your child on his/her birthday with a 15 -30 second burst of perhaps 100 or 200 powerful fire crackers fused together -- the accepted time being 6 AM. (I have a theory about the stunted growth and shortened life span of the Guatemalan population... but, I digress). In any village in which you happen to be sleeping, on any given morning , you can almost count the number of children with birthdays. Anniversary's, parties, weddings, welcome to town etc. are also all open game... with Christmas and New Years going off the charts.

Then there are the mortars. Heavy pipes two feet long, approximately 3" in diameter, aimed into the sky. They drop a special Guatemalan made explosive with a long wick into the pipe, light it and run. It gives two explosions... One sending the parcel several hundred feet into the air and the other sharing information for five miles in any direction. No colorful lights or sparkles... just raw gun powder designed to blow up real loud.

We recovered from the explosive welcome and worked alongside local Guatemalan families as they built homes with Habitat. Some learned the "Guatemalan quick step" (inspired by dysentery), but for the most part we stayed healthy and in excellent spirits. Student attitudes were fantastic! Lifestyle... to understate the situation, was basic. Yet they saw a world that filled their eyes, hearts and minds with beauty and wonder. Truly, we can never be quite the same.

Starting the year with a bang.
Wally Schmidt
For the Schools of Discipleship,
Canadian Mennonite University

This instrument on the left played by a group of 6-8 people is likely the closest thing to a national instrument.

This whole room was decorated for the arrival of our students.

Kara, our official School of Discipleship translator really lost it with this one local entertainer and had to wipe tears (of laughter) from her eyes as she found herself translating for a man who was doing imitations of dogs, owls, bodily functions etc.
"And now here is what a dog sounds like who has just been stepped on by a young child.....".

The Student Workgroups


mountain road to Chuva, where they lived and worked for two weeks.

		The "men's residence".
		"Women's residence".

Group No. 1 below,(the Rafter Six group), stayed in Columba area, worked on four separate sites and then lived at a coffee plantation.

Fresh picked coffee beans

Above, you can see the local "bus". This is the best vehicle for safely negotiating the local (narrow) mountain roads.


	It's amazing what will all grow on you in this climate.