Jonathan's Brake-Burning Stories from Guatemala!

Late this morning I was getting a bit anxious about whether my sweetheart had arrived safely in Guatemala. The last I'd heard was last evening about 8:30 our time, when Jonathan and the crew had arrived at Tapachula, Mexico, near the border, and had picked up some things at Home Depot and were then waiting on pizzas.

They had several hours of travel yet ahead of them. Jonathan texted me this picture of the van loaded with luggage!

I was so thankful for the ding of a text coming in late this morning, and it was this picture from Jonathan he had taken outside their motel room this morning. So I knew he'd arrived safely!

You can see how rough and rocky the narrow road is.

He also texted that there was a BIG story to tell later.

We waited all day to hear the story, and finally after the work day was over, Jonathan was back at the motel to clean up before heading to supper, and he had time to call me. 

Of all things, the owner of the motel they are staying in only arrived there recently, 

after working here in Colorado Springs as a chef!!!!
Now he owns this new motel.

Jonathan wants to get more acquainted with this owner. The motel is so new that it doesn't even have beds yet, or tables or chairs, just mattresses on the floor, but the guys are doing fine with that.

Jonathan told me about the trip last night. He said there were nine American guys and I don't think that included the Guatemalan driver, who had borrowed a van from a friend. It was a new van, 2018, but with 10 guys in it weighing an average of 200 lbs. each, it had a ton in it just with the guys, not counting all the luggage tied on top of the van, probably half a ton more.

Jonathan said to think of the road up Pikes Peak, only make it two or three times steeper and also narrower. All along the way, they would be going through village after village, 

every one of which had speed bumps.

The driver had to crawl over those bumps to keep from bottoming out with all the weight.

And then after climbing up to nearly 10,000 above sea level, they had to start going back down the mountain to their destination village which was about 8,500 feet.

Before long, despite driving in the lowest gear, the driver was having to ride the brakes, and the brake pedal was going nearly to the floor. The brakes were heating up and everyone could smell them. 

The driver pulled over at one spot and everyone climbed out while they waited half an hour for the brakes to cool. After 30 minutes, the brakes were still too hot, but the men got the bright idea

(must have been from the moonlight)

of just going ahead and walking down the road ahead of the van so there would not be so much weight inside.

That would have been okay if Jonathan had been wearing his work boots, but he was wearing his good Sunday cowboy boots, and he said the road was so steep that his feet kept sliding down into the toes of his boots, and he ended up with blisters, which is a big problem because he was really wanting to hike the volcano with the guys after their work project is finished.

You should have heard the children praying this evening after supper for God to heal their daddy's blisters in time to hike the volcano!

Once Jonathan placed his phone on the road to check his altimeter and see what the altitude was, and the road was so steep, his phone went sliding down!

Anyway, the guys were hiking down this steep and rocky road in the moonlight, setting off all the dogs to barking everywhere they went!

By the time the van caught up, they had walked nearly 30 minutes and when they arrived at the motel, the roosters were crowing!

It was probably 3:30 before they got to bed.

 Today, as the picture above shows, Jonathan was framing the steps to the church, ready for pouring concrete later. You can see his yellow measuring tape. Well, it was one he had to buy at Home Depot because his tape that he took along in his carry-on got taken away at the Mexican airport.  A measuring tape is considered a tool, and you aren't allowed tools in carryons.
So Jonathan had to purchase a new one at the Mexican Home Depot. The crew also had to purchase a ladder they needed.

Thanks to John Dykes for these last three pictures.

Below Dave Holderbaum is welding trusses. They got two whole trusses welded today and all the parts ready for the rest of the trusses as well. 

Jonathan said that HIM is helping this church with the foundation, concrete, walls, and roof, but the church will be on its own after that. 

One man who attends church does stucco, hard labor 8 hours a day, and earns $10 a day,

six days a week. 

That's only $60 a week, and Jonathan said that building materials down there cost more than here.

So you can imagine how hard life is down there. 

Prayers for the pastor, people, and Mission Helps crew are much appreciated. 

One of the men was on the floor in pain this morning from what everyone assumed was a kidney stone. That is not fun. 

I myself was hit with a UTI as soon as I got up this morning, and I've been doctoring myself all day with quarts of lemon water, tea and other liquids, and pain meds, and thankfully am doing okay by now. I wasn't drinking enough water, ate too many chocolates (I ate three Salted Caramel Chocolates yesterday) and was pretty stressed with withdrawal symptoms from my favorite man in the whole world.