Field Based Training

We just got back from a week in the town of Salcaja and other cities nearby. The week was very busy and we spent most of our time preparing lessons and teaching groups of kids about how to make good decisions as well as lessons about HIV and Aids. Along the way we got to see a lot of amazing countryside, a lot of which had been ravaged by the tropical storm. In the first picture you can see an old man wearing the traditional skirt of the western highlands here. The next is of the church and market in Nahuala, where we recorded our public service announcements for the radio. The next is of Tim, Carlos and Laura. Tim works at the radio station and Carlos is our technical trainer. Laura is the volunteer leader.

Here is the radio station where it all went down and another photo of the church.

This was one of many disturbing photos in our hotel. A sample of the road damage caused by the storm and a picture of us in front of the oldest church in Central America with our new friend Carlos. He actually worked at a restaurant in Chicago that our friend Kevin would frequent, small world. He now owns a pizzeria in Salcaja and makes some of the most incredible nachos I have ever had.



This is a day shot of the same church, stolen from my friend Tony's camera. This is the hotel we stayed at...which I would not recommend to anyone. And the church is in Xela, or Quetzaltenango.


More shots of the church and a shot of Liz feeling very inspired.


This is the park in Xela as well as a shot of us in the bus and a shot of the school where we taught the kids about HIV and Aids.


Our Classroom during the presentation.



Kevin smelling the flowers. One of the many beautiful mountain towns and our friend Tony with a drunk guy laying in the middle of the street behind him. He started out on the sidewalk and somehow made his way into the middle of the street.


More shots of the country side. A picture of our first world cup game together and liz in our room with a framed towel on the wall.



We did have the chance to play a mean game of dodgeball at this park. It was a little weird that a tent was set up in the middle of the court, but it was for the upcoming carnival. You can see Liz smoking some kids off the line in a race for the dodgeballs. The other picture is of a giant section of a canyon that collapsed during the storms. This is on the Panamerican Highway.

Liz's group did a teacher training one day...I like to think of her more as a motivational speaker though. The other picture is of us at a different school with Liz teaching the kids about basketball...well, they actually taught her.



I loved the indigenous girls playing in their dresses and sandals with heels. And the last picture is of our group up on a hill overlooking one of the sites here.

All in all it was a great week. One more month and we will be out of training and out in our own sites!!!