Gautemala Day 1...the rest of the drive

4 1/2 hours of travel, a couple of restroom breaks and a fried chicken dinner behind us, we are set to leave the pavement.  It is about 7:45 pm, dark and raining.  Norm has prepared us for what may lie ahead as he and Vicki had just come through the mud to pick us up.  The advantage on this part of the trip is that there is now added weight and the luxury of knowing where the rough spots are so we can get the chains on the tires.
We take a moment to bring this last leg of the journey to the throne of grace trusting God to get us there safely.
Carol and I, having been here 9 years earlier were acutely aware of the dangerous nature of this road with its switch backs, wash outs and 200-300 foot drop offs along a good portion of it.
After about 45 minutes Norm and Sebastian (driving the lead truck) decide it is time to put the chains on.  We were so grateful for Norm and Sebastian's expertise in navigating the roads!  The chains were on and off more than once and eventually Norm informs us that the tough part is over....as we turn to the north and see the lights of San Andreas we come upon a vehicle that has rolled into a 15 foot ditch.  After a time of prayer and knowing everyone is unharmed we finish our journey into the city.  A few turns and a couple of blasts from the horn and a set of big black doors open allowing us to enter the compound, an oasis of life and hope for 36 children.

We have a brief meeting and then off to bed, looking forward to all that God has in store for us.

Guatemala Day 1 Cont'd.....

Guatemala…..Day 1 Cont’d

When we get to the customs officer he asks “Do you have any drugs?”  I say, “Yes, for the practice of dentistry.”  I show him my dental license, they x-ray the bags and that's it!  What an awesome answer to prayer!
As we head outside we realize we are really in Guatemala!  We see a hand waving and two friendly faces appear in the crowd.  Our best friends Norm and Vicki Sutton are there to pick us up with a 15 passenger van and a pickup for the luggage.  It is great to see them and after a quick hello we are loaded up and off to San Andreas and it is only 2:30 pm.

The drive to San Andreas will take 6-6 ½ hours even though the distance is only 120 miles.  The first 90 miles are paved mountain roads and crowded city streets and navigating them will take about 4 hours.  The last 30 miles will be on a one lane dirt, or rather mud road since we have arrived during their rainy season, and will take the remaining 2 1/2 hours.

Guatemala....Day 1

Here it is, July 6th - just 3 days after our son Tim's wedding and we are at the airport ready to go to Guatemala. It is 5:30am and we have 5 bags to check - each of them as close to 50 lbs as we can get them.  A quick check of what we are taking includes a full dental operatory with a compressor vacuum and handpieces, clothing, dental supplies/ instruments and Bible school supplies!  After a long goodbye with our daughter Katy it is off to the gate and the flight to Houston before the final leg to Guatemala City.

Having been to Guatemala City 9 years earlier, we knew what to expect, but immediately noticed that the terminal there was much nicer than we remembered.  As we headed toward the baggage claim we asked the team of  10 who were with us to pray that we could get all of our bags through customs as it would be our last hurdle before entering the country.....