Cosecha el Mundo - Mission Week - Jobompiche, Guatemala

On Saturday we switched from vacation mode to church mission trip mode. We were invited to join the annual mission trip from First Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Illinois to Jobompiche, Guatemala. The church supports the mission work of Craig and Peggy Harvey. Craig and Peggy have been in Guatemala for 7 years.

We met the group in the airport at Guatemala City on Saturday morning for the flight to Flores. We were fresh and well rested - the rest of the group had been flying all night from Chicago.

We stayed in the town of El Ramate at the Casa de Don David. It is a small 15 room hotel on the shore of Lake Petén Itzá. Nothing fancy but rooms are clean, the food is good and the service friendly.

Here are some pictures at dinner the first night and introductions to the group. From left to right.- Diane Farrell, Dianne Jamison, Cheryl Stohr, Betsy Feagans, Fred Bryson.

L toR : Craig Harvey, Patti Good, Charlene Strehl, and Peggy Harvey. It was a really great group. Everyone got along wonderfully.

L to R: Margot Savage, Debbie Damron, Sue Koestler and Larry Good.

On Sunday morning, after devotions, we headed out to the mission site in Jobompiche. It is about a 20 or 30 minute drive over a gravel road from El Ramate. This is the main mission building. There is also a storeroom and a former clinic building. Craig and Peggy live some distance away although they are fixing up a house on the property so that they can be closer.

The first order of business is to prepare for a series of craft outreach projects scheduled for later in the week. Also, to prepare for a graduation / end of schoool party for the students that are supported through the mission.

Here we are setting up some decorations for the table.

For lunch each day we ate in a local home of a family that is involved in the ministry. I think in most cases, one or more of the children is receiving support for school expenses and participating in after school Christian activities at the mission. Here the ladies are cooking tortillas. Collecting fire wood for cooking keeps a lot of people busy.

Here we are all sitting at the table before lunch. The main sleeping area is behind the orange wall. The sitting area is through the opening. The kitchen area pictured above is to the left of the truck. Tomorrow's dinner (chicken) was wandering through the area. Definitely free range.

Here is dinner. Beef, rice and vegetables. The juice is called tamarindo. It tasted sort of like pear juice. Pretty good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind

After lunch it was party time. Cake and punch, awards, speeches. The cake was ordered from a shop in Flores but if I have the story right it was trucked up from Guatemala City overnight. That is 8 hours - maybe only 300 miles but not the best roads.

Here are a few shots of the students and some of their sponsors.

Here is Craig addressing the invitees. About 65 people attended. Essentially everyone who was invited. It is clear from the way people interreact with Craig and Peggy that their mission is valued in the community and that there is a mutual love and respect.

Here is Craig with one of the students and his diploma.

Here is Betsy with one of the gentlemen who is a caretaker/guard at the mission. He and another gentleman keep an eye on things when Peggy and Craig aren't there. They have a small house they stay in overnight. He is the grandfather of one of the kids, also.

We didn't leave for the motel until after sundown this day.