Children of Villa Hortencia

I've been slammed with work which has prohibited me from creating new blog posts. I've been wanting to share pictures of faces from my recent trip to the village of Villa Hortencia.

It's been over a month since the trip. However, these faces share a story that reminds me of how simple life really is and how complicated it can become if we allow stuff to get in the way. I'm sure the people of V.H. have their own complications in life, but I can't help think about areas in my life that can be simplified. In fact, having been on several trips like this, my perception of what is essential has changed. There is much tossed at me in the mainstream that is compelling. Having experienced this village has caused me to become aware of what is really important. It's not the stuff, it's the relationships we build.

Villa Hortencia I, Guatemala

I've just returned from a trip to Guatemala with a group from my church, Chapel Hill in Gig Harbor. We support the village of Villa Hortencia I, "Town of Hydrangeas," through Agros International.

Perched 8000 feet in the Ixil highlands,families have obtained rights to the 688 acres of land in Villa Hortencia I through the government run Land Fund, Fontierras. The families’ principal economic activity is subsistence agriculture with the primary crops being corn and beans. However, due to the poor quality of the rocky land, lack of water and lack of training in knowing how to best utilize their land, the majority of the community still migrates to plantations on the south coast of Guatemala to pick coffee and cut sugar cane three times a year.

In 2006, Agros began working with the families in Villa Hortencia I, facilitating a process of community organization and leadership development. In June 2008, with the support of long-term funding, Agros was able to begin implementing their development model and 120 families now have access to training and support to maximize their productivity, as well as building on their process of community organization and human development.

Our church in involved through Journey with a Village (JWAV), an Agros International program that builds partnerships between rural villages in developing countries and churches, businesses, individuals and community groups that are committed to their support. As the families purchase farmland and build their community, the JWAV partnership supports them in developing a sustainable livelihood, which restores dignity and transforms lives. It takes a community 7-10 years to grow from a loose organization of landless families into a self-governing, self-sustaining and thriving community.

The typical JWAV partner journeys with a village for two to five years. We are in our third year of partnering with Villa Hortencia helping them realize their goal to be a self-sustaining community through funding, friendship and hands-on support. This is my second time to the village and I walked away with the understanding that this life is all about relationships. I had the awesome opportunity to travel with 12 good friends to a village of friends all joined together through the common bond of Christ.

Spring in the Harbor

One of my new favorite running course takes me from my house in Tacoma across the Narrows Bridge and around Gig Harbor. I run by the home of some good friends and decided to stop by to return a phone call in person. While there I noticed all of the daffodils growing wild in their backyard, so few days later I returned with camera in hand.

The Freeze Frozen Yogurt in University Place

I had the privilege of designing the logo for a friend of mine who recently opened a frozen yogurt store in the Green Firs shopping center in nearby University Place. The store has only been opened a couple of weeks and already they have been crazy busy--a good situation to be in. I encourage everybody to stop in and check them out just down the way from Trader Joe's.