Well, we traveled to San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala for the weekend, jumping on a bus to Chimal in Guatemala City, then spotting a San Martin bus (very rare), swithing buses and taking a more or less direct to San Martin. Did have to switch buses in Chimal, because the one we were on went by way of several other communities before heading in, so they dropped us right at the other bus. The easiest we've ever make the trip! Still a good 2 hours, and the Chimal to San Martin was up and down the mountain. The damage from mudslides was obvious, including parts of the road washed out. So, the ride was pumpier than usual. Able to get some photos using my phone. Oh, and lost my Guate phone on the way.

We stayed at our usual hotel. No hot water, a sack of lumps for a pillow and thread bare sheets, but the people are like old friends so we felt at home. After settling in we took a TukTuk (3-wheel vehical) to our old house. It is now a store! When our neighbors spotted us the kids yelled, "Marisol!" and the whole neighborhood came running to see her, oh, and us. Our neighbor had a baby boy since we were there last, Justin David, and the girls, Rosita and Carol were thrilled to take us home to see him.

On Saturday we tried in vain to reach the one church contact we have there. Then shopped the market for clothes and toys for the children's home. Spent the afternoon and evening with our old neighbors. The town was celebrating a TukTuk anniversary, so we walked down to watch the TukTuk parade. They were all decorated like different businesses (a banana split, bakery, cable, etc)and covered with balloons. We all ate ice cream and the TukTuks threw candy. Marisol was thrilled and filled her pockets with 5 whole pieces! Got caught in a downpour on our way back to the hotel, par for the course.

That night the TukTuk dance was across the street from our hotel room. No air conditioning, so no closed windows. A big rain storm hit and for about an hour the lights came on and went off, with the lights the crowd at the danced screamed then quieted, then screamed again, over and over. We laid in our room all 3 of us just laughing. Then the lights went out for good, and when the lights go our there is no water, since they use electric pumps. Washing up the next morning was a challenge, wet wipes and bottled water. Cooking was not disturbed as they all use open flames.

Sunday is the real market day, and buses, trucks, vans, motorcycles and by foot the people arrive from the small villages in the mountain. The small city is jam packed and walking is a challenge. During the week the market is pretty much every day needs, but on market day, you name it, you can get it there. Want meat? How? Cut up and hanging on a hook, dried, on the hoof.

Spent some time at the market, grabbed some lunch at the stands, paid for our hotel and jumped the next bus headed back to Guatemala City, standing room only. Still no electricity or water wehn we left. John and I have learned to put our hands on the seat bar in front of us so as we bump along Marisol's head smashes into us and not the bar. The seats are built for 2, but sit 3 each. Children on your lap ride free, so all children are squeezed onto laps. the remaining people stand in the isle or hang out the door. Marisol handles it all in stride, but the return trip she talked NON-STOP!!! I kept thiinking her mouth would get tired, but she was still going when we got home. Pushed our way off at the last stop and hopped in a Taxi to the children's home. Dropped our stuff at the home and went out for a dinner, just the three of us, before going back to 24/7 child care. Great trip, but a little worn down.

While in San Martin Jilotepeque we asked the people we knew about how Tioxia, the remote mountain village where our church is located, fared in the aftermath of Hurricane Agatha. We were told that they were some of the hardest hit. They lost a lot of livestock, which is like gold here, lost most crops, and a house collapsed on a mother and daughter. The mother made it out, but the little girl was killed. For a people who make the equivalent of $5 a week, rebuilding will be very difficult. Our neighbors told us that they have all been in tears, because everyone knows someone who was effected. We continue to pray for the people of the area and plan to return soon. The house is quiet, everyone is temporarily asleep. Ahhh, peace. Love to all,

Our littlest baby is now sleeping for 3 hour stretches at night. He is a very good baby: eats, sleeps and looks around. Marisol likes to pick his clothes and diapers. She wants to see his poop, but then runs off saying gross.

the 3 1/2 year old boy is still have a hard time adjusting. He is delayed in every area and can not understand that he will not see the only person he has known as Mami again. It appears that everything was done for him and he has no idea how to dress, eat with fork or spoon, drink from a cup or hold a conversation. He is content to swing for hours and begins to cry for Mama when every he does not get what he wants or has to be in the house. Luckily we have had longer stretches without rain the last couple of days so he and Marisol could play outdoors.

It has been in the low 60's the last 3 nights and the breeze during the day in nice and cool. All laundry is washed in a cement tub out back and hug around the yard to dry. Intermittent rain makes getting clean laundry very difficult. There is a washer and dryer in the home, but no one knows how to hook them up. When the number of children grows there will be daily laundry and hand washing will be out of the question. We do not want the staff to be responsible for ours and are looking for someone we can hire for that. In the mean time we are out of clothes.

We do not yet have a place to live but continue to look. Marisol realllly needs some only family time. Her emotions are up and down and sometimes she just wants Mami or Papi. We are hoping to have someone cover this weekend so we can take a break and take 2 buses to San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, where we lived last summer, and see how all of are Friends are doing, and how much damage there was from mudslides. We will be dropped at a very busy highway intersection, where we will wait and run when a bus going our direction comes through. Then when we reach Chimaltenango we run to catch one of only 2 buses that heads on up the mountain each day to San Martin. Then we will get a room at the only hotel in town and hope it is a weekend that they have water, hot is out of the question.

We celebrated another staff birthday today. The children loved it! Here they sing Sapo Verde to you, Sapo Verde to you. Translated Green Frog to you. Followed be a traditional Spanish song. The kids sing it over and over on the swings, and laugh and clap when we sing it. We gathered for tostadas with a red sauce and grated cheese or refried black beans, followed by cake.

We have received an abundance of material donations and it is all greatly appreciated, but it will be of little use if we can not pay the rent and salaries. It would mean so much if anyone could donate any small amount or even a monthly donation. It is greatly needed and would further the work the the children's home, www.godblessthechildren.org. Below is the information for donations. You can mail it to the Bank or take the info to any Bank of America bank to deposit money in their account:
Bank of America, N.A.
New York, New York 10001 USA

ABA: 026009593
SWIFT: BOFAUS3N

To be deposited to the account No. 1901734945
In the name of:
Banco G & T Continental
6a Avenida 9-08 zona 9
Guatemala, Centro America
Contact: Lorena Luna
Phone: 001-502-23386801 or 001-502-23386868
SWIFT: GTCOGTGC
For further credit to:55-2800008-1
In the name of: Cinthya Vallefo Morales


A Friend has put out a plea for the donation of a camera to replace the one Marisol broke, and may have found someone who will send us one. You may joke about snail mail, but we are talking 3-4 weeks at least, so sorry about the lack of pictures.

John is feeding our tiniest baby as we speak, so I can finish up this blog. I will update you all when we return from San Martin Jilotepaque as to how the people are doing and the adventures along the way.

I better go help John with the children. Love to everyone,

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't gotten back sooner. I has been a hectic few days. We looked at an apartment...but it comes with an older woman...nice place, but the concept is to give Marisol a place to be alone with just her family after a full day working with a home full of staff and children. The women was very nice, but I dn't know how much she would want to visit, and I like some down time in the evening, and we would be using bedrooms in her home with no real space of our own. Maybe we're to picky, but we'll keep looking.

Our second little boy arrived yesterday, and there is nothing more heart wrenching than sitting with a young child for 2 days that wants his Mami and has no concept of why he is not going back to her. Dropped here with just the clothes on his back and no piece of home for security. In between tears and begging for Mami, he and Marisol have a great time together. They play outdoors in the yard as much as possible, until the daily rains start up again. Then there are the quieter times indoors when the tears well up. John has been amazing with him! He plays with him (DID A CARTWHEEL IN THE YARD!! new pains), sits and holds him, changes his diapers and bathes him.

Cinthya took the children our for the afternoon and gave us a chance to spen some time with just Marisol. It was nice...when the rain slowed down we walked the the corner store for ice cream and then just enjoyed each others company. The down side was the little boy going in a car. He was sure he was going home and you couldn't convince him otherwise. He came back and the tears didn't stop, except while in John's arms, until he went to sleep.

Until a weekend and evening nanny are hired we have 24/7 duty and I am up every 2 hours with the baby. I think my body wants to shut down...but the break today really helped.

We've had wonderful emotional and Spiritual support from our freinds, family and church brothers and sisters from far North America to South America and Argentina. They keep us grounded and at peace that we are where we are meant to be and no negative input can keep us from Christ's work.

One last note...Marisol tested out my camera before bed and dropped it. There may be no pictures for a while.

It has been an amazing day! We all went to bed last night feeling a little defeated...funds were not coming in and it was one problem after another, but today is a new day!

First thing in the morning Cynthia Vallejo, God Bless the Children's founder, picked up John and the two headed out to a wharehouse where they picked up an abundance of soaps, diapers, food, and other goods donated by the wharehouse. They said we could have all we wanted if we came with a bigger vehicle...tomorrow they take a truck!Cynthia had helped there organization a month ago and they called out of the blue to offer supplies. All hands on deck to unload Cynthia's SUV. Marisol put herself in charge of all 48 boxes of cereal, loading them in Luvia's arms and carrying them herself.

While they were gone I received word that donations had come in to help John, Marisol and I with our expenses, and a couple showed up at the children's home wanting a tour. Following the tour they offered to donate medication to be used in the remote communities that are helped by our organization.

Wait...there's more!!Today was Luvia's Birthday. She is the cook and housekeeper. So...we had cake and tea, and sang songs to celebrate. Marisol was thrilled! As we celebrated we received more news...our first baby was to arrive today!!

We were not to be certified for at least another week, but the judge insisted the baby come here because we were the experts with new babies. What a surprise!!! Jose Edwin, 23 days old arrived at 5pm into the loving arms of the entire staff. My blog is late since I spent the evening rocking, feeding, changing, bathing, and burbing. He sleeps like a baby as we speak. Marisol is a great helper. She picks his clothes, rubs lotion on his belly, and attempted to feed him. He is beautiful and very alert. I was the first to receive him into my arms and as I talked to him he smiled contentedly.

Tomorrow we look at an apartment at 11am, but will delay moving in until Jose has settled into a routine and I have trained a night nanny. Marisol loves Jose, but needs a little me time. She switches between loving helper and sudden tears. But the tears are few and far between. A simple hug and being given an important responsibility brings her back to smiles.

Our cup runneth over...we have been greatly blessed this day and will continue to grow as our hearts are filled.

Spent the day organizing the girls room of the children's home. going through donated clothing and sorting it by size. The rain continues...Saw a note on TV about Vocano Pacaya erupting again, hope to hear more tonight. Marisol spent the day having a tea party with her stuffed animals and pretending to send emails to everyone in the office. She is just tall enough, standing on the stairs to peek into the office and she passes books through the window saying they are emails.

We have our first resident in "God Bless the Children." It is a little stray dog, they named Benji. Marisol is crazy about him and loves to play chase around the yard. Since homes are walled in here and there is no air conditioning, the front door often stays open and she has the run of the yard. She is back to no shoes 90% of the time, unless required for a trip away from the home.

Tomorrow we look at 2 possible apartments to stay in while working here. It will be nice to have our own place.

Well...here we are on day 3 and the rain continues to fall. We are stuck indoors with no transportation and no key to the facility if we leave. We won't see anyone else until at least 3pm. Oh well, make the best of it. We'll watch World cup Soccer and root for Espana. Marisol is building a mountain out of sofa cusions and bedroom pillows. Still no place to live, but we'll start a search tomorrow.

My husband, John, and I have been traveling to Guatemala repeatedly since the Summer of 2006. We first came to Guatemala to work with our freind, Ruth Humbert, RN, who was living and working in Guatemala. She set up health clinics in remote mountain villages and trained nurses in each community to eventually serve their local area.

We had raised 4 boys who were no longer at home and were ready to do much more. However...God had other plans, and we spent the next 11 months adopting our beautiful daughter, Marisol Esperanza Carroll. During the process we traveled to Guatemala 3 more times, each time carrying donated supplies to help with the medical work there.

In the Spring of 2009 the 3 of us traveled to Guatemala to lay the ground work for an extended stay that summer. In June 2009 we arrived in San Martin Jilitepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, where we stayed until early August 2009. We had many adventures and became an honorary part of our neighbors extended family, being included in religious and cultural celebrations, learning extensively about the people and culture. During our stay we spent 2 weeks traveling with a mission group, sponsored by "God Bless the Children", a children's home in Guatemala City, including doctors, nurses and volunteers, to set up health clinics, provide basic food packets, clothes, shoes, toys, etc. in remote communities.

Following that trip we were asked to be house parents for the children's home. Their vision was to provide a home, not an institution, for the children, and for that they needed parents. We felt led to agree and have quit our jobs, put our home on the market, left our life in Kansas, and have arrived at the children's home for what will be a 2 year stay. Join us as we live, learn and grow with the people of Guatemala.