The view from here this morning
It’s Friday morning and as I write this I am on the land sitting on my folding chair at my home made wooden table/desk. I’m situated at the far end of the site right where the third family home will be built. In front of me, the neighbour’s buckwheat coloured horse is grazing. At my feet, Tika is patiently waiting for me to throw her red frisbee. Her blue frisbee has long since disappeared off the cliffs.
The progress we’ve been making on the Village has been incredible and very exciting. We celebrate each accomplishment as they take place; the laying of the first earth-bag, reaching window level, pouring the cement collars, erecting the roof trusses, etc. etc. People are so encouraging and excited about our progress. And this is part of the fuel that keeps us going.
Do you hear a “but” in my above paragraph? I wouldn’t exactly describe it as such, but there was a day last week when Greg and I both arrived at the same insight. This progress is great but this isn’t an architectural project. It’s not an earth-bag demonstration site. It’s not a place to show off bamboo roof trusses. This is a Children’s Village we are building.
Always patiently waiting for someone to throw her frisbee!
So where are the children? It has taken us three years to arrive at this point and we have lots to be pleased with but it is obvious that we need to keep being patient. We are in the process of working on the application to receive children. This will take as long as it takes with the Guatemalan government. We will complete two homes and have a third one started by the end of 2011. Last Sunday we held our first Community Kids Day on the land. We invited the children from Chivarabal (the local community of 900) to come for activities on the land. Fifty five children showed up. Each child proudly presented us with an eco-brick as their entrance “fee”. For me, seeing children playing and smiling on the land is the ultimate fuel to keep moving forward at this time. With every little foot that steps on the land, the place is infused with the sweet energy of children. It seems to prepare the land for what is coming.
Juan and Angelina arrive with their eco-bricks!
We will continue to celebrate each milestone that passes. We come from a society of people in a rush to get here, to get there, to get this done. It’s about now. But ironically is not much about living in the now. If there is one thing working on this project has taught me is that it takes patience. Lots and lots of patience. And it takes remembering to celebrate each step along the way.
-Heather Alicia
This is so true, their energy and presence makes the village come alive. What a fun day to have spent it with the children there. The progress is definitely something to be proud of.