Construction Projects in Guatemala 2007  by Frank Lahde, Traverse City

Castillo Fuerte (Mighty Fortress)

Day 1.

     Fred ‘Bill’ Dischinger, Del Tiemann and Frank Lahde of the volunteer team, under the auspices of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, worked here while the medical team saw patients.  Assisting us were three local adults and three members of the local youth group.  We prepared the following walls for painting: two upstairs class rooms and the front and side walls of the open sanctuary.  We also removed one wall pane which was to be replaced the next day.  The original paint on the class room walls up to the chair rail height was a bright purple.  This purple color would have bled through unless painted with a white primer like ‘Kiltz’ normally used in the USA.  In Guatemala they use a black primer with what we thought would be skeptical result.  This black primer was also used to cover over some of the brighter colors on a mural of the side wall.

Day 2.

     With the same group of volunteers, the two classrooms and the sanctuary were painted with one coat of finish white paint.  It was incredible that one coat of white paint covered over the black paint with only one coat.  The sanctuary was finished in time for the church service during which Dr Webb preached in Spanish.  It should be noted that both kinds of paint had a very pungent odor due to an unknown thinner.  (Probably illegal in the US)  Face masks were provided but not every one used them.  The lack of ventilation almost shut the clinic down.  Thought should be given to future projects where painting is required that they be done at a different time as when the clinic is in operation.  We were scheduled to repair the roof of the sanctuary, but a tall ladder required was never provided. 

Santa Cruz (On the lake)

Day 3.

     In the former home of Porfidiao Efcobar donated to the church just two years ago, the same three US volunteers were available to provide construction assistance.  Due to the congestion during the conduct of the clinic at the same time, no work could be conducted inside the home. 

     The construction team effort was with a water supply to the home which had been a big concern since the church received the beautiful donated home.  The water supply to the two bathrooms and the kitchen sink was just a trickle when we arrived and stopped entirely for a short while.  The intake screen at the end of the plastic supply line in the lake, which was the source of the water, was replaced with a screen having much smaller openings.  Our counterparts at this location had replaced the original water supply pump about 6 months before.  It was still under warranty and they had planned to have it replaced with a new one but this would have only provided a temporary solution. 

Day 4.

     We determined that the impeller of the pump was plugged.  We and the local representatives dismantled the pump from the motor and found that the impeller was plugged with larger than BB sized shells ‘Guatemalan zebra mussels?’ These were removed and after reassembly of the pump the water pressure went from 8 PSI to 40 PSI where it should be.  The pressure switch was adjusted to accommodate the pressure change which now allowed the pump to turn on and off automatically as it was designed.  The local representatives now know what caused the problem and how to fix it.  In addition, two defective faucets for outdoor hose connections connected to the same water source could not be turned off which added to the low water supply problem.  New ones were purchased and now all of the sinks and toilets in the home work as designed.  The lake is polluted and this water should not be consumed by US volunteers.  Local people have built up a tolerance for this water.

Santiago Zamora (Remote Mayan village)

Day 5.

    On the first day the construction team assisted the medical team in setting up the clinic.  The only light in one of the examining rooms was a non-functioning fluorescent one which had defective ballast.  We purchased a new fixture and replaced the old one before the clinic opened on day 6.  In addition, our team prepared the sanctuary walls for painting.

Day 6.

    Paint supplies were purchased and the sanctuary walls were painted with a yellow finish coat over the existing yellow paint.  One local trustee and our interpreter ‘Oscar’ assisted us with the painting.  The front of the sanctuary had a beautiful mural on it and a blue two inch border was frame painted around it. 

Day 7.

    During the night before, while we were gone, representatives of the local congregation emptied the furniture from the sanctuary and mopped the floor to prepare it for painting.  We painted the floor of the sanctuary with red floor paint and painted the walls of the double classroom a bright green. 

Day 8.

    Again, during the night before, while we were gone, representatives of the local congregation emptied the double classroom and mopped the floor to prepare it for painting.  We painted the floor of this classroom with the same red paint as the sanctuary.  Our construction team then assisted the medical team in relocating the clinic to the Lutheran Center in Antigua where it opened for the afternoon.