The paper group is 3 young men who have worked to recycle paper and to hire people in the local village. All 3 young men had been teachers but they learned this trade and spend time teaching the local children how to recycle etc. The process of doing the paper was very interesting. They told how they wet it down, mash it up, put it in a blender and make mush and then dry it in the sun on a screen. The little black specks that are in the paper are actually dried corn hair. When they decorate the front of the products, they use dried leaves. They cut each little piece for the decoration by hand. I will include some photos of all of this.

Cutting the leaves

Rovin showed us some new products and we made an order of some lovely paper products. The country side around San Andres is some of the prettiest I have seen in Guatemala. It was cool and really lovely. I will enclose a photo of it.

Countryside around Sand Andres

We left via pick up and went back to Pana. We needed to meet the spoon group at 2:00. We were also meeting Jennifer from Maya Traditions. We got to the Deli and to my surprise my friend Jane from Maya Traditions was also there. I had thought she was in the states so this was a very pleasant surprise. We chatted with them for about a half hour and ordered our lunch and 3 people from the spoon group came to meet us. We ordered them lunch and chatted a bit. They were saying that they had some problems within the group right now, so we discussed that. Jennifer and Jane bought quite a few spoons and then I bought the rest. We didn't place an order yet because right now the only way we can get wood back is by someone coming back. It is very difficult to send wood. Virginia is going to try and figure out how to do this.

After saying goodbye to our friends, Virginia, Jane and I headed to Maya Traditions to see what we needed to order. This is one of the main groups that we work with and they had some lovely new things. We spent about 2 hours doing an order. After this we left to go to the place where we were staying. We were staying at my friend Deborah's house. She has just started renting a place in Pana right next to my friend Jane's house.

I wanted to meet with Ramona from Oxlajuj B'atz'. Oxlajuj B'atz' is a sister organization of ours and is under the same umbrella NGO that we are in Guatemala. There are only 3 of us under the name of ATUKA. We all did this so that we would be a legal NGO here in Guatemala. Oxlajuj B'atz' works in 4 areas--new artisan skills, health and well being, democracy and group organization and small business and accounting skills. Ramona said the help that she needs is to help set up a web site for them and to do some translating. So if anyone out there has those skills and would like to help them out.

I was particularly interested in what they were doing with their medicinal plant project. They are working with the women to have a garden in their own home and then selling some of them. Ramona is going to work up the proposal for this because I think we would have people interested in supporting this.

After visiting with Ramona I went up to Jane's for a late dinner. The view from her house is magnificent. We ate, talked and had a very pleasant evening. I even stayed up past 10.....

Friday June 30

We headed back to Guatemala City via shuttle. The shuttle went to Antiqua before coming to Guate so we had quite the little ride. We got back to the office and I worked on journaling and Virginia worked on finances since it is the end of the month. Diana is in Santiago so after Virginia left I had the place to myself. It was really pleasant. I tried out our new vonage phone that calls directly to the US. I can hear perfectly on it but the other end is pretty scratchy. It also disconnects periodically... Hmmm... I couldn't get my e-mail to work so poor Brian had to spend over an hour trying to help me figure it out. Good thing the calls don't cost anything.

Saturday July 1,

I am working at the office today. Getting these journals caught up and out.

Rosemary is coming for a little while after her English class. Virginia went to the bank. We are arranging things for our travels to Santiago tomorrow. I am going through all the supplies here and separating what will go to Santiago, what goes to the orphanage and what goes to some of our schools. Virginia says it is hard for her to know what is what because it just comes down in suitcases. Anyhow, that is my job today. Virginia is at the bank right now. I did the laundry and when Virginia comes back we will work together on some budgeting, projects, etc. I won't leave the centre today so that is really quite nice.

Saturday night I went to the airport and picked up Sara Dorman. She is a young woman from Kentucky who came on one of our Sharing the Dream trips several years ago and now volunteers to handle all of our sponsorship programs. I was a bit nervous about going to the airport and getting her because I kept thinking, if she isn't there I don't know what I will do. She was there. I picked her up and we brought a taxi back to the centre. She will be with me the rest of the trip.

Tomorrow we head to Santiago until Wed. We have lots of work there so I am sure I will keep busy.

Hope all is well at home.

Diane

go to July 2