January 25-February 12, 2007 Trip to Guatemala

16 of us – from five different states, arrived in Guatemala late January 25, 2007. The following day we were joined by a young 27 year old Guatemalan doctor – Byron Saban, and his wife Judith along with Betty Merida – an Equipo SEPAL (OC International) missionary. Byron had gone with us last year on our short term dental/medical/ministry short term team. Two dentists went with us this year on our short term team – Jack Matthews and Rosalba Bandrowsky. Jack and Rosalba live in Colorado Springs. Two nurses also went with us – Val and Cheri Meister. Val lives in Colorado Springs while her daughter-in-law lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Guatemala 2007 Short Term Dental/Medical/Ministry Team

Two couples – Jack and Sandi Matthews and Tim and Amy Ottaway, have gone with us to Guatemala the past two years. Peg and Jerry Baas – from Minnesota, went back with us this year. Peg and Jerry went with us last year. Our daughter and her husband – Don and Connie Rock, from Texas, went to Guatemala with us this year.

Gary’s sister and husband – Jerry and Peg Baas

After a very short night’s sleep in Guatemala City, we left early by bus on Friday – January 26, for Lanquin. We stopped to eat breakfast at a Saritas – a nice restaurant with very clean bathrooms located at the turnoff to Coban. We arrived at the El Recreo Hotel in Lanquin late in the afternoon.

Riding the Bus

Eating Breakfast at Saritas

On Saturday – January 27, dental and medical clinics were setup in the church of one of the men who is studying in the P.E.B. (

Programa de Educación

) – the Bible education program that has been ongoing in Lanquin. Everyone had their times filled in one or another with either the clinics or with kids activities.

Pulling Teeth

Medical Clinics

On Sunday – January 28, we participated in the church activities in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to Champey – a nearby scenic river, to walk around and to enjoy the sights.

Abbe, Val and Cheri at Champey

More of Champey

On Monday and Tuesday – January 29-30, we had more clinics and more kids activities. On Monday, we had the clinics in the same church that we had the clinics on Saturday. On Tuesday, we went by bus to a community of about 800 people – where we set up the dental and the medical clinics and where we had several kids activities. There are purportedly about 35,000 people living in the Lanquin area. There are just four small churches in Lanquin and four small preaching points in communities outside Lanquin. We were able to encourage the seven P.E.B. students while we were in the Lanquin area.

Community Outside Lanquin

On Wednesday – January 31, we made the long trip out of Lanquin all the way to Santa Clara. When we got to Santa Clara, we found that one of the hotels where we were supposed to stay had already closed and the other hotel only had three rooms. The rooms in the second hotel were on the second floor. In order to get to the three rooms – serviced by one bathroom and one shower, would have meant going through an attic type opening. Even though it was already late, we decided that our only option for a good night’s sleep was to head for a hotel in San Juan. To get to San Juan, we had to go down a steep, winding road that has seventeen switchbacks.

Medical Clinic in Santa Clara

The following morning – Thursday – February 1, we went back up the winding road to Santa Clara to have dental and medical clinics and kids activities in a church located in Santa Clara. A number of years ago, Tim and Amy had worked on the church. Even before Tim and Amy were in Santa Clara – where they have a Compassion Child, I had joined a work team to work on the same church.

Judith and Dr. Byran Saban Doing an Extension Bible Course Together Overlooking Lake Atitlan

On Friday – February 2, we set up clinics and had kids activities in the church of a San Pedro P.E.B. graduate who is the pastor of a San Pablo church. That evening, we went by bus to a nice San Pedro Hotel that is located right on Lake Atitlan.

Murray the Stuffed Donkey Making Sure that Jack Does Everything Correctly

On Saturday – February 3, we set up clinics and had kids activities at a school of about 200 kids that is located right across the street from the hotel where we had stayed the prior two nights.

On the Boat to San Lucas

On Sunday – February 4, we took a boat from San Pedro to Santiago Atitlan. We walked to the area where about 800 people were killed in a mudslide caused by hurricane Stan a year and a half earlier. We then walked through the Santiago market and through the artesian shops on the street leading back to the lake and to our boat. We stayed the night in a really nice San Lucas hotel.

Eating in San Lucas

On Monday – February 5, we went to Antigua. Once in Antigua, we connected with both of AIM’s World Race squads. The two squads were staying almost directly across the street in a church from the hotel where we stay when we are in Antigua. The next couple of days were to be a downtime for all of us. We were given the chance to interact some with the World Racers. We did tour

Las Capuchinas ruins with our team. We were able to meet up with a couple of the OC International missionaries on Tuesday evening for dinner together at don Rodrigos.

January 2007 World Race Teams Camping at the Lutheran Center in Antigua

On Wednesday – February 7, we went to the Guatemala City airport to say goodbye to the team. We then went back to Antigua – where we were able to connect periodically with the World Racers. After spending a couple of nights at El Antono – the nice hotel where we were staying, we had to move over to where three of the World Race squad A teams were staying – the Lutheran Retreat Center. We went with two of the teams on Saturday – February 10, to Panajachel and Lake Atitlan. Both teams went on the boat to San Juan – where one of the teams is staying at the same hotel where our dental/medical/ministry short term team stayed and where they are helping out at the same school where we had clinics and where we had kids activities. We returned with the other team to Panajachel. After connecting them with the pastor of a church in Panajachel, we stayed the night at another hotel – Rancho Grande, where we have enjoyed staying at over the years.

World Race Team Eating a Meal

On Sunday – February 11, we took a mini van back from Panajachel to Antigua and then from Antigua to Guatemala City. We met up with Hector and Patty – who had traveled to Antigua several days earlier to take most of our luggage to Guatemala City – so that we would not have to haul the luggage with us to Panajachel. We treated Hector and Patty to a dinner in Antigua when they picked up our luggage. When we met up with Hector and Patty again, we went with them and their family to a Pizza Hut. We spent our last night in Guatemala City with Sula Crabb – an OC missionary living in Guatemala.

With Hector and Patty

Our time in Guatemala went very well again this year. We are very thankful for those who were willing to leave behind their amenities in the U.S. to enjoy the fascinating beauty that Guatemala offers. Everyone invariably finds the Guatemalans to be very hospitable and appreciative of our being there. We were inspired by the World Racers. Thank you for your prayers.