Almost....

Well, we almost made it home! 15 of the 17 of us traveling home today didn't quite make it yet. It was one of those 'interesting' days. We started off by heading to the airport at 7 AM. The bus was on time for pickup for a change and we even left a bit ahead of schedule but then half way to the airport Al says "hey, the fan belt broke and the engine is overheating." Yeah, right, Al - quit kidding around, except he wasn't kidding. So we drove slow for a mile or so and the bus driver called in to his company for help. Fortunately, and maybe because the little old lady prayer warriors at the church here have been constantly praying for the group, there was an empty bus close by. The spare bus caught up to us within about 5 minutes and we did a really quick change and made it to the airport ok.

Then, as we were all breathing a collective sigh and contemplating the past week as our airplane taxied away from the gate, the Captain comes on the PA and says "an airplane ahead on the taxiway is dealing with a security issue and we'll be experiencing a slight delay." The security issue turned out to be a bomb threat to that flight and caused the airport to close. We had to return to the gate and were delayed over 3 hours. Hence, most of us missed our connections in Miami. So here we are roughing it at a Double Tree Hotel courtesy of Avianca Airlines. Sorry to all our families for the delay and there were many thoughts of disappointment among the group because they weren't able to get home tonight.

Someone in the group reminded us how thankful we really should be - no one was hurt when the neighbor's wall collapsed while finishing the water system hole dig; no one was electrocuted when the transformer exploded and an electrical wire fell on the bus; we made it to the airport even though our bus broke down; and we weren't on the flight that had the bomb threat. Wonder what else we don't know about that our prayer warriors prevented?!

Home tomorrow.

Dave for the Colombia Team.

R and R

We're back safe in the hotel after a relaxing day in Cartagena...which is about a 2-hour bus ride from our hotel in Barranquilla. We spent the day on the beach and by the pool, doing a little shopping and seeing the historic city center.

We returned to our hotel to find Ed doing much better and he recovered fast from whatever he had - most likely dehydration. Too bad he and Ellen weren't able to be with us for the day but so good to see him bounce back to good health.

So many stories to tell...so many details to finish and haven't even started packing. We leave at 7AM for the airport so signing off for now. Will attempt to do one more post of pictures when I get home and have some pictures from several other photographers.

Thanks again for your support and prayers. We definitely felt the power of prayers this week as we had a couple of near incidents (wall collapse and an electrical cable fell on the bus - like I said, we have stories yet to tell!) that could have been much more serious. Also, for the most part, the group was very healthy all week and many details came together to enable a successful finish.

Dave for the Colombia team.

The Finale

Click here for updated photos from today.

Today was our final day at the Rose of Sharon School. It was a very emotional day as we said goodbye to many new friends from Colombia. The project went great and today we were able to see the water flow. For me this was a very special moment. The Aquascape Foundation has completed it's second project in a third world country. I am so thankful to this team of people who have joined us on this trip. I am also thankful for the families of our teammates for the sacrifices they have made to make this trip possible. This team worked so hard and so well together. I am so proud of the work that they did. Many have signed up to sponsor children from the community so they can attend school. What a blessing it was to see these boys and girls at school because of their new sponsorship. Tomorrow we will drive to Cartagena for a day of shopping and hitting the beach. The team deserves some relaxation. We are all looking forward to heading home on Sunday. Please keep our team captain, Ed in your prayers tonight. He has a 103 fever and is not feeling well. Thanks for all your love and support.

Carla for the team.

Fiesta!

Today we joined in a grand fiesta on the opening day for this school year. The kids performed a traditional dance, the teachers were introduced and led various fun activities and a skit, and some team members were even, eh, encouraged to join in (like Diane and Carla in the picture). It was a great day and the staff and kids really thanked and honored the team for bringing clean water to the school.

Small jobs on the system are still going on but all should be finished tomorrow. At the end of the afternoon some of our group headed to the football (soccer) stadium for a game between the Barranquilla team and a team from Uruguay. Colombians LOVE football and the stadium here seats 65,000 and is the largest football stadium in South America. It was an amazing cultural experience and the game ended in a last minute goal by Barranquilla that ended the game in a tie.

We all returned to the hotel quite late this evening so only a few new pictures to post but we'll hope to get some more up tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, you can click here for a few more shots from the day.

Thanks for all your support and prayers!

Dave for Team Colombia

We Have Water!!!!

Click here for updated photos from today.

We are so happy to report that the Rose of Sharon School finally has water. The children will be coming tomorrow. Our water truck arrived this afternoon with 2,500 gallons and will return in the morning to fill it completely. We are so thankful to everyone who donated. We appreciate YOU being part of the solution!! The team is tired and sunburned. We moved 25 cubic yards of sand today and I for one have a mean backache! Tomorrow we will return to the site to move one more truckload of sand, finish up the ionization system, distribute clothing and school supplies and clean up the preschool play yard. We need to move quickly because we will be leaving around 3 to attend a soccer match between Barranquilla and a team from Uruguay in the South American champions league. Thanks again for your participation in making this trip a reality. That's all for now.

Good night from the team in Barranquilla.........

Carla

Great Progress...and the Reason Why

Click on the picture at the left to see updated pictures from today.

Our progress on the project went very well today. While certain things took longer than expected, it is really starting to look like a system that will provide clean water. The system is enclosed and ready for the water truck. Thank you to all who made the generous decision to donate towards providing water. Please keep the donations coming! We are so grateful.

While some worked on the system, a few spent hours going through an enormous amount of shoes and clothing. We are so excited to distribute these items to the woman and their children who desperately need them. So many of the children don't have a simple pair of shoes. Thanks to the Aquascape family and their friends, we have hundreds of pairs of shoes to distribute.

Half of the group went into the community today. Their situation is so extremely horrifying. Their homes have dirt floors and are made out of tin. A typical home has about 10 people living in a one room home. The school has capacity for 700 children, but unfortunately the families cannot afford what is necessary for their children to attend. The I.N. Network has a sponsorship program, and many of these children are just awaiting sponsors like you! A few members of our team have sponsored children and when the school year begins on Thursday, these darling little boys and girls will attend school. They are so thrilled!!! We spent the evening at our host and hostess' home. They made us a great dinner and we were all very honored to be invited. They are such amazing, generous and loving people. Thank you all so much for your encouraging emails and generous donations. We are seeing firsthand the need here and I promise that your donations are going to such a worthy cause. Remember.....water is life!

Carla for Team Colombia

Finally some pictures!

Finally have a strong enough wifi signal to get some pictures posted. Click the image on the right to see the photo set at Flikr.

Someone asked why we need a water truck since we're installing a water system. Short answer is that the community water system has been off for several days, which is common, and we need to test the system and get the school water for the start of the school year on Thursday (different schedule than in the US and Canada). The system harvests rainwater so after a short time with some rain and also using the community water system, when it works, a reserve will be built up to satisfy the needs of the school. It will be a HUGE blessing to have this in place since it is so hot here and almost 600 students in a small facility with no water is approaching dangerous and requires classes to be canceled too frequently.

We'll be trying to post pictures daily if we're able.

Dave for the team.

A big first work day

Today was our first day on the job. The team worked great together and had a great time! The day began trying to clean up the prep work and putting together Aquablox. About 10 am disaster struck! One of the walls surrounding the hole literally crumbled and crashed. Thankfully, everyone that was working in the area jumped to safety. This set the project back about 3 hours, but as most of you can imagine this team adapted and figured out solutions. We are all encouraged by today's progress. Our team has a request. Barranquilla has had a terrible dry season. It has lasted longer than usual and the community has spend days and sometimes weeks without water. As our team worked today, there was no water or working toilets available. The school depends on this water to operate the school and cook food for the children. The school has been forced to shut down due to the lack of water. Our team would like to purchase 10,000 gallons of water to be delivered to the school when the system is complete. This will last until the rainy season begins and enable the school to remain open. We are asking that 16 people donate $25.00. With this money we will be able to supply this school with the precious water that they need. If you are interested in helping out, please visit our website at www.aquascapefoundation.com and donate via paypal. It's so easy and will make a difference in the lives of children living in a refugee camp in this area. Your participating is so very appreciated. Water is life!

Sincerely,
Carla for Team Colombia

Sunday

Day 2 in Colombia was fantastic! The team was well rested and ready to have some fun. The day started with church for some and R and R for others. We visited our job site this afternoon. Although some prep work has been done, we certainly have our work cut out for us. I have taken some photos of the job site and of the side of the building where the gutters need to be hung. You be the judge! The weather is very hot with temps in the 90's. There is a nice ocean breeze, which helps a lot. I have also posted a picture of Martha, our hostess. She is the nicest woman and known around the Barranquilla slums as "Mother Theresa". She has dedicated her life to the plight of the poor in this area. Tomorrow the day starts early. We are all very excited to begin working. What a great opportunity for us to use our skills to serve others.

Until Tomorrow.......
Carla for Team Colombia

Hi everyone, This is my first official blog ever so hopefully it will all work according to plan. Not much to report so far. Our team has made it to Colombia safely. We have checked into our hotel and had our first dinner together. Currently some have turned in as most of us got up at 3 am. About half of us have gathered by the pool to relax. Tomorrow brings us our first full day. After morning church we will visit the job site. We will measure the roof and check out the prep work that has been for us. We are looking forward to seeing the school and preparing for the week ahead. We will have an opportunity tomorrow evening to spend some time shopping and seeing the city of Barranquilla.

Thanks for checking in with us!
Carla for Team Colombia

Credit Cards and Cash

Probably a good idea to give your debit card and credit card providers a call to let them know your travel plans (some provide that ability online). We'll be at a mall on Sunday evening and they have ATM machines there which is the easiest way to change some dollars to pesos. Shouldn't need credit cards unless you buy something more costly at the mall but good to have for contingencies.

I'm thinking at the end of the trip I'll collect your extra pesos, give you a receipt and send you a dollar check once we get back.

Daily Schedule

Here's a draft of the daily schedule:

Saturday, January 23
4:37 PM Arrive in Barranquilla, Colombia
6:00 PM Arrive at Hotel Dorado – settle in
6:30 PM Evening Meal – Hotel Dorado
7:30 PM Meeting – project overview, briefing with Jose and Martha
8:30 PM Free time

Sunday, January 24
Option 1
9:30 AM Depart for church (church is on the same compound as the school)
12:30 PM Meet up with the rest of the group for lunch
Option 2
AM Free time
12:00 PM Depart for lunch (pick up group 1 on the way to lunch)

2:00 PM Work site walk-around, school tour
3:30 PM Market shopping
5:30 PM Supper – Buena Vista Mall
6:30 PM Free time – Buena Vista Mall
8:30 PM Return to Hotel

Monday, January 25
7:00 AM Breakfast (optional devotions each morning at 6:45am)
7:45 AM Depart for work site
4:30 PM Return to hotel
6:00 PM Depart for supper
7:30 PM Bus returns to hotel (part of group may return later via taxi)

Tuesday, January 26
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Depart for work site
4:30 PM Return to hotel
6:00 PM Depart for supper
7:30 PM Bus returns to hotel (part of group may return later via taxi)

Wednesday, January 27
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Depart for work site
4:30 PM Return to hotel
6:00 PM Supper at hotel
7:30 PM Free time

Thursday, January 28
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Depart for work site
4:30 PM Return to hotel
6:00 PM Depart for supper
7:30 PM Bus returns to hotel (part of group may return later via taxi)

Friday, January 29
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Depart for work site
2:00 PM Inauguration Fiesta
4:30 PM Return to hotel
6:00 PM Depart for supper
7:30 PM Bus returns to hotel (part of group may return later via taxi)

Saturday, January 30
6:00 AM Depart for Cartagena (time TBD based on boat departure time)
10:00 PM Arrive back at hotel

Sunday, January 31
7:00 AM Depart for airport (allow time for loading bus and checkout)
10:00 AM Flight departure

Some Answers

A few questions that have been asked are probably good for all to hear the answers:

Is there access to laundry facilities at the hotel?
My hotel info says they have a laundry service but I’d be pretty sure there wouldn’t be access to a washer/dryer. While the laundry service probably wouldn’t be that expensive, by our way of thinking, I just am not sure how much trouble it would be to coordinate. And there’s always the sink…

Are the power outlets the same as here?

Yep, power is 110 and same plugs as we have. However, wise to have a 3 to 2 prong adapter because most plugs are 2-blade only with no ground.

Seen a weather forecast?

www.weather.com is predicting 89-92 degrees for highs and 76-77 degree lows with 20% or less chance of precip. Another site is talking about some rain. Not a bad idea to think through what you want to do about working in the rain. On the one hand it's warm enough to just get wet and maybe bring along a change in a small backpack each day or a light-weight rain jacket might be your preference.

More Etiquette Clues

I don't want to over-talk about etiquette so you're paranoid, but Wikipedia has some decent information about some things to think about when we're in Colombia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Latin_America

I'm guessing I'll get the question about whether or not shorts are acceptable to wear after reading at the wikipedia site. Our little Go Global guide pretty much says they are fine in most situations but the caveat is that while folks from the US and Canada can get away with it, most places in Latin America wear shorts much less frequently. For example, you'll see very few people wearing shorts at the mall where we will be going on the first Sunday evening. Shorts at the work site will be fine if you don't mind getting dirty - will be hot but sandy dirt doesn't stick to pants as easily as sweaty skin...just sayin'. Shorts for the day in Cartagena would be great since we'll be joining thousands of other tourists!