We had breakfast and then walked to the docks to catch a boat to San Juan.  We had rented a boat because we didn’t know how long we would be in San Juan.  The ride across the lake was beautiful. San Juan is gorgeous and we work with a weaving group there that grows their own cotton and uses all natural dyes.  They had a nice cotton field on the hillside but  the mudslide 4 years ago demolished it.  We have been working with them to find other land but we can’t find any.   

San Juan is such a beautiful little village.  It is quiet and clean and there aren’t many automobiles or tuk tuk’s.  You have to climb a steep cobblestone road to get to the top, but once you get there the view is worth it.  

This was another sad trip for Diana and I as the young woman Andrea who was the president of the group had died a few weeks ago.  She left 4 boys, her husband and her mother Socorra.  Socorra had started the group and was the person we were meeting up with at their make shift center.  Andrea had been sick with a fever for about a month and then died…    Again if she had access to good medical treatment she may not have died.   We saw Socora right away, Diana and I gave her a hug and told her how sorry we were.  Socorra talked about Andrea and how suddenly it had happened.  Andrea was the one in the group who was learning how to do the catalog, the labels etc.   This was not only a huge personal loss to the weaving group but also a loss because Andrea was the one moving them forward.   It is just so sad…

Socorra showed the group how they process the cotton by hand from the plant until it is dyed.  It was very interesting. She also put the white yarn in the boiling water that she had added plants and how the yarn came out a beautiful red.   This particular group is one that the STDG Design Team identified to have extra help throughout the year.  They have some foot looms but the looms need to be redone and they need to have Clemente come and help them improve their foot weaving.  This has been put on hold since Andrea death.   The Design Team will have to reevaluate what they are doing with the group and put a new plan in place.   This is another group that Our Savior’s in Spearfish is helping.  

We went to their workshop and the group bought a few things and Diana and I bought some items that will be in the shipment at the end of Oct.  We bought some beautiful chenille scarves, shawls and ponchos.

We were wondering how we were going to get our big bundle back to the boat and one of the women just put it on her head and went out to the road and found a tuk tuk.   It would have taken at least two of us to lug it out to the road.   The group then walked back towards the dock stopping at a little restaurant with a great view of the lake for something cool to drink.  The lake was rougher crossing on the way back but it wasn’t very far and we made it in good shape.

When we got back to the center we had lunch, took a little rest, and then had a visit from a young woman named Lucia.  She works for  Oxlajuj B’atz’ but visited with us about her previous work as a social worker in her village.  She told us about how she had only been through 6^th grade when she got married and how she wanted to go on to school.  Her husband keep telling her that school was not important for her.  She kept asking and then told him that he should go to school too.   After several years they both went back to school.  They both finished high school and she is now in college.  He went on to get a nursing degree.  She talked about how the women in the village are shy and introverted and are really dependent on their husbands.  She would eventually like to go back and work with women and human rights. 

We hadn’t realized it but Jose from the Hospitalito and two of the scholarship students had been waiting for us.  We immediately went downstairs to visit with them.  We have one young woman who is going to be a nurse and one young man who is going to be a lab technician.  They had both just finished their first year.   They work at the Hospitalito during the week and go to school on Saturday’s.  We worked with the Hospitalito on choosing students for the scholarship.  This was a great way to help the Hospitalito and also the students. We will also be sponsoring these students for next year.

After this we quickly went to the Open Door Library to take some books and to meet Amanda.  Amanda worked for STDG several years ago and is the director of the library.  It is in a cute little building and is a nice addition to the community.    We didn’t get to spend much time there but I did want to the group to meet her.

We then went back to the Elder Center for dinner.  We were meeting with the Mayor.  He and his assistant came for dinner.  I had some questions for the mayor about the building that we had looked at and also we wanted to ask him about what he thought of the Elder Center and how the town could cooperate with us on looking for addition space.  It was a really good meeting.  The mayor is really positive about the Elder Center and said he would help us however he can.  Chonita does great PR and has been to the mayor several other times.

We had our reflections and included Diego Santiago.  He is Jose the night watchman’s son and one of our scholarship students.  He sat by Miguel and he translated for him.  We had a long day with many things happening so lots of discussion.  Diego Santiago was listening and was very alert.  It is so much fun to see the growth that so many of the people we work with have when we include them in our reflections and discussions.  They become less inhibited and become part of our relationship model.

We all hit the beds and Miguel stayed downstairs and visited with Diego.   Diego will be one of Miguel’s students who plan on learning some English. I am so proud of Miguel.  He has done great on this trip and has been so helpful.