Sun/Mon, 6/23 & 6/24:  The group slept in SUNDAY morning, but we still had a lot of tired kids.  Henrick was so tired he slept through the entire evening service, music included, even though he was about 4 feet away from the speaker!  THAT is tired! 

Update:

We thank the Lord for His help.  It has rained every day since we have been here, but the team members are showing great attitudes.  We had good home visits yesterday, with a lot of grateful families.  Joel, Dave, Jullissa and Fabiola served as translators.  Then last night, Julli and Fabi, along with Raquel Fuentes, translated for the team (separated into small groups) while Dave preached.  After service, we had a pizza supper with the Battz family.  Dave suffered the exquisite embarrassment of having his plastic stool collapse underneath him after 4 pieces of pizza.  He hit his head on the wall behind him, and has a big lump, but no concussion and no headache.  Thick skulls are good for something.

The team today starts helping in medical checkups, and the girls start going to homes to learn how to make tortillas, weave, and do beadwork.  Please pray for our health.  It is has rained every day, and several members are coughing, while others have congestion.  Pray that God will keep us healthy enough to fulfill His purpose here.  Thank you for praying, and for making possible this trip.  In Him, Dave Wilson

6/25:  Today the team helped build the forms to pour the headers for the first floor of the Home for the Elderly.  In the afternoon, the girls started learning how to make tortillas, how to weave, and how to do beadwork.  Tomorrow 2 of the boys will learn what is it like to cut firewood up in the mountains. 

We enjoyed our time with the children in devotions this morning.  We also had more time, which is a  meaningful time, with our Basico (secondary education 7-9^th graders) counterparts.  Thankfully, we were able to find medications for the people who have colds.  Thanks again for praying.  Dave Wilson

Tue, 6/26:  We had another good day today.  It started last night when Erik sparked a very good time of discussion.  Kelly has volunteered to share her testimony in the devotional time tonight. 

Two boys went up into the mountains to cut firewood, and learned just how hard it is.  Several of the girls got to try tortillas and beadwork today.  At the construction site, Quincy finished digging three holes for pillars, which were four feet deep.  We also poured the headers for several rooms this afternoon.

We will take tomorrow morning off, as there is a special parade in San Pedro.  Most of us are ready for break, as it has been very warm here.  The team is also planning a mini-carnival for grades 1-6 on Thursday morning.  We will only have 1.5 hours, and 175 kids, so it will be exciting!  Thank you again for praying for us.  We have had a few scrapes and bruises, but no serious injuries.  Tim´s cold seems to be letting up.  We have a very good spirit and very good cooperation.  Dave

Thu 6/28/07:  We are a very weary team today!  Our hotel, Villa Sol, is only ONE block from the carnival that is set up for the San Pedro fair.  It goes full blast until 2-3:00 a.m. and not even earplugs can drown it out completely!  Tim has had a cold since Tuesday, and has no voice today.  Kelly & others were up most of the night; we are a weary team!  Please keep us in your prayers! 

Yesterday we watched the parade, waiting to see the Colegio Bethel band that had been practicing every day since they arrived.  Unfortunately, they never marched.  About five of us came back to the hotel to walk alongside part of the parade.  The drum players must be permanently deaf!  It is very loud & interesting to watch.

During the afternoon yesterday, we finished pouring all but two of the first floor headers on the Home for the Elderly, before rain forced us to stop.  Last night, I preached for the last time at Bethel Church. 

Today we will work on construction until 10:00 a.m., and then set up the mini-carnival for the elementary kids.  We will have 1 hour for 170 kids, so it will be VERY exciting!  Then this afternoon we will do the last of our construction work.  The boys will deliver the firewood they cut Tuesday and Wednesday to needy families (lots of hard work, great job guys!  The needy families will be so blessed by the work of their hands & hearts).  We are already preparing for the farewells which will start tonight.  Thank you for praying for us!  Dave Wilson

Fri 6/29:  This may be my last update, depending on what I find for internet connection in Panajachel.  There was no Internet access at the hotel in Guatemala City when I was there last.  The mini-carnival as a rousing success!  Team members and kids interacted in an incredible way, and the teachers pitched in to help with the language barrier.  We had 17 stations planned, but very quickly the kids realized which activities were popular and which were not.  The unpopular ones were quickly abandoned, and the team members moved to help the other sites.  The youth team worked very well together.  I now know why so many kids have written, "The teens came from Alaska, and played with us, and we had a lot of fun".  I think this needs to be part of every teen group's schedule, so they can start planning in the US, and bring with them the materials they need!  Everything was cleaned up and put away by lunch time.  Special thanks to Karen for making THAT happen!

The afternoon construction work was mostly rained out by two separate storms, but the team was still able to pour another header.  The boys went and delivered their firewood, and were overwhelmed by the appreciation.  Most of the recipients were elderly people, for whom it is very difficult to get or buy firewood.  The families that received the tortillas were tremendously grateful as well.

The farewell supper was the easiest I have ever been to.  Each pair (Alaska youth team member and youth from San Pedro (San Pedrano-male & San Pedrana-female) came up and expressed their memories, appreciation, and wishes.  Quite a few of the Pedranos confessed to slacking, but several said that they were motivated by their partner’s example.  (A couple of ours confessed to slacking, too! J We got some group pictures of the entire Alaska-San Pedro team.  The only sad part was that one Pedrana was too sick to attend.

We are packing up.  The farewell program starts in 35 minutes.  Our boat leaves at 3:00 (2:00 Alaska time). Thank you again for praying and supporting us!  Dave Wilson