!!!!!GUATEMALA!!!!!

January 11, 2013 !!!!!GUATEMALA!!!!!

Hey everyone!,

So tonight Alyssa and I (Cam) are writing the blog.  We all experienced something different today.  The day started with breakfast with a local farmers wife who made us a lovely batch of french toast. Then we started out the day by breaking into our three groups again to do the last part of either construction, textiles, or causemetics.  I (Alyssa) went and made the burlap bags today. It consisted of first cutting out the pieces to sew together from leftover coffee bags that were not used from last year. After that I was able to sit next to one of the farmers wife's while she sewed the bag together. So I (Cam) started my day with causemetics and making hand, face, and foot creams.  We learned about how the Maker of the creams started out and how she had a really rough life and now since she has been selling the creams she has been able to put her kids through school and pay for the house they now live in, which was provided to them by As Green As It Gets after the hurricane Agatha that occurred 2 years ago.  Mom you would be proud and happy to know that I made you some wonderful face cream that you will now be able to use when I arrive home.  Also I was so impressed with the products that I wanted to buy more products to support her, so I bought some foot cream and hand sanitizer.  After we had lunch and I went back to the construction sight to help Matt finish the 7 ft biodigester and I had a great time.  Knowing that I am working for a good cause makes me want to do that much more work down here and I wish I did not have to leave.  While Cam was working at the construction site again in the afternoon I (Alyssa) spent the afternoon doing coffee processing. That consisted of sorting the coffee berries into piles separating the green ones from the red ones. Then putting them through the bike which separated the bean from the pulp. From there those beans are transferred into a bag where they have to sit for eight days to ferment. From that point they will be ready to be washed and laid out to dry. So I was also able to go through the process of putting beans into a strainer and washing them then separating the good ones from the bad ones by putting them in a bucket and if they floated than it meant the beans were no good. From that point we laid them out to dry on the patio for eight to ten days depending on the weather. It was a wonderful day of learning and really appreciating all the work that goes into coffee making. Though I have never liked or really drank coffee it made me appreciate it so much more knowing the hard work that goes into such a long and hard process. Lastly we ended the night by having dinner in the farmers house. Dinner consisted of re fried beans, eggs, cheese, and of course tortillas. On the walk home we were greeted by a LOVELY surprise which was the mythological person that goes by the name of Franklin. We were finally able to put a name to a face after hearing about so many amazing things Franklin has done in the towns of Antigua and San Miguel Escobar. We ended the night with hearing the lovely story of Franklin's life and all the awesome things he has done which truly has inspired so many of us here! Especially inspiring us to travel and get out in the world and do what we love.

Here are some pictures of the lovely day we had

P.S. love Alyssa and Cam...

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