Friday

Friday is always a tough day as we say goodbye to our friends in the villages.

This was the first time we have worked in the village of Dolores. It is a beautiful village, VERY remote, literally at the end of the road. In the dry season there are times when the village has no water as the spring from the hillside dries up. Our construction project was the building of four spring boxes. A spring box is a ten foot by ten foot concrete block square (four feet tall). The spring water is piped into this box so there is a supply of water on hand for the dry season, kind of like a cistern. All the materials, concrete blocks, sand, etc, must be carried up the steep hillside by hand. Each day 50 or so men showed up to help with the project.

The people of Dolores are very grateful for our assistance and the funding of this project. On Friday, the entire village hosted a celebration as their way to say thank you. Kristen, Ann, Michelle, Ellen and Vernon were treated to singing, native dancing and a delicious meal. Gifts were presented for every team member (all 20 of us!) who had worked in the village during the week. Because every family wanted to participate, there were many extra gifts presented.

The rest of us, who weren't partying in Dolores, taught all day in San Lucas, Blue Creek and Otoxha.

We drove the principal from Otoxha, and her two children, back with us to the junction at the paved road (about a 90 minute trip). Of course we have to stop along the way to visit and shop. She needed to catch the bus at the junction. As we approached the cross road, she noticed that her bus had just passed by. So we took off after the bus! With Ann's fine driving skills, we caught up with the bus, waved it down and sent the principal on her way!