27 fans and 3 dehumidifiers

We had been told to expect lots of rain Friday, Sept 21 and Sat the 22nd.  We waited, and waited and waited some more.  It was expected by noon, then by 2 etc.

We finally got some sprinkles as I was going to bed Fri nite about 9-9:30.
Slept just fine.

When I woke at 2 as I usually do for just awhile to check the plumbing, I stepped on soppy wet carpet.  I don't know anything that will wake you up faster than stepping out of bed into SOG.

I wandered around the house wondering where the water had come from.  Sky lights were fine, I found no ceiling leaks, but the water was in half the living room, kitchen, hallway to my bedroom, again half of my bedroom, by outside wall, and my closet.  I got out every towel we own and spread them out on the floors to sop up what was there.

cardboard rolls from batting- L and I use as swords- they got wet but are drying.

 Discovered that while the towels were sopping up some, they were not going to fix the problem.

I goggled water removal companies about 6 am and talked to several who promised to come tomorrow (Sunday)-- they were already "swamped" with customers.  I called until I found one company who said they could be at our house between 10-12 this morning.  We mopped and sopped and waited--- Ten came and went,  Twelve came and went- we called the company and they weren't answering.   Called a "restoration" company who was busy, but said they would be finished with their current job about 7pm and would come.  They at least kept in touch by phone, but they showed up at 8:30 pm to do 2-3 1/2 hours work.

Their machine which was in the truck outside removed lots of the water in the carpet, they used a meter/gauge thingy which penetrated the walls telling them just where the wall board had gotten wet-- these they marked with greenish tape.  Before they left they brought in 3 huge dehumidifiers to put around the house which will suck water from the air and dump it via an attached hose in the sinks in the house.

 Huge means larger than a dorm fridge.

They were out of fans, but said they would bring fans the next morning (Sunday) to assist in the drying out process.

I was at worship when they brought the fans and rechecked the wall board.  When I got home they were packing up their truck and trailer.  Left in the house- going at full blast- are 27 (twenty seven) fans.

Hall to bedroom

5 fans between living room and kitchen

Four fans blowing in my closet

 The noise is deafening.   This equipment is situated in the kitchen, the living room, the hall, my bedroom and my closet.  We're camping on the "dry" side of the house.  When we walk through to get something we have to step over multiple large colorful plastic fans.




Cat hates this and refuses to come in the house,  I'm thinking it's not just the blowing air, but also the roar--of all the machines that are trying to dry out carpet and walls.   He stays in the garage and cries LOUDLY when he wants some attention. 

He's been eating outside and when taken into a "dry" room with no equipment, he walks around, sniffing and then cries to be let out.  One of the few times I've ever felt sorry for "the meanest cat in Arlington. His world is not right!

Valley of Peace and Light of the Valley

Before leaving the hotel, we tried to shower but the water system in the city was messed up.  No clue what happened, but there was a trickle in the bathroom sink as well as in the bathtub.  Not feeling especially clean and fresh, we had a quick breakfast and met our  guides from Pathlight, an organization which exists to help students to attend high school (it is not free, here).  At the end of the day, we were given a tour of their office where students whom they mentor and subsidize were working on homework via computers which they do not have at home.

The plan was to go first to the school in Valley of Peace.  After driving about 30 minutes, we arrived at the Assembly of God Valley of Peace school where we met Jesus Catzim, the brand new principal .  He was very courteous, listened to our proposal and told us that he had no information about the community because he was so new to the area.    We thanked him for his time and interest and after taking water samples, and looking at a possible place for an installation.

resorvior for Valley of Peace water

We turned around and traveled back thru Belmopan going the other direction heading to Light of the Valley community (school and Baptist church)

We met with the Principal and Vice Principal for awhile.  Our Pathlight guide had met here before about Living Waters and we were treated very courteously.  We took a tour of a possible installation site and saw where the water came into the campus.

The room we could use as a filtration site.

 I took water samples for testing and we left the administrators with my contact information.  I felt really good about this site.

water faucet between buildings- white doors are bathrooms

I took one minute videos of the rooms at each site, which I can share with whomever wants to see them.


A week after we visited there, I wrote each principal, thanking them for their hospitality, wishing them a good school year and asking if they had had an opportunity to talk to community members about our proposal.  I received responses from each one and felt encouraged about the possibilities ahead.

Thanks for an interesting trip, Kelly, Ken, Greg, Cathy, Bo, Doug and Laura!

Exploring the area

Harry Staley and I had planned to go in search of a place for Westminster to install a system on Monday and Tuesday, but Monday was the first day of school and both places we were scheduled to go were schools, so we waited until Tuesday to go looking.

The Kentucky group was finished with their installation and had a free day, so on Monday, we all headed out to look at another installation they had done and to visit Jaguar Creek Resort.

We've been traveling in a 14 passenger van with the back seat removed to haul our stuff.  I have short legs, and it was difficult getting in and out of the van without a steps tool and grab bar.  We began carrying what I'd call a plastic milk carton (it was for beer) for a step stool, making it easier for short people to get in and out of the van more easily.

After spending time at St. Margaret school, we traveled to Jaguar Creek Resort, where this Kentucky group had lodged before.

Dining room at Jaguar Creek Resort

"Room" for guests to sleep in

Inside "room" just mesh, no glass to keep out elements or bugs

 It is lovely, rustic, very jungley and HOT AND STICKY.  We ate lunch there (our driver, Ken, had called ahead and asked for lunch for 9)











  The food was quite good with an excellent cole slaw, chicken (first meat that was not cooked to death and dry) the obligatory rice and beans( we served ourselves, hence the tiny serving of R & B), plantains, and cantaloupe.  With it was (bottled) water or tamarind juice (yum)

We explored the area some, it rained, and we headed out.

We returned to the Bull Frog Inn, some napped, some showered, some explored, I read--we had a leisurely supper  and prepared ourselves for our last day in Belmopan/Armenia.

On to Belize

My church has been installing water filtration systems in Nicaragua for several years, but with the impending civil war there and the closure of the U.S. Embassy, we can't go back til things settle down.   This change makes me sad and I feel that we are letting our partners in Kukra Hill, Pearl Lagoon, and Orinoco down, but WE CAN'T GO, go we looked elsewhere for another mission field.

Parts of the system which are brought into the country.

Filtration system

We were contacted in early August by a Presbyterian church in Bowling Green, KY about their Living Waters trip to Armenia, Belize.  The felt the need for an experienced 102 (health and hygiene teacher) to assist their two trained 102  members.  I agreed to join the group in Belize with the proviso that a member of my Arlington team could travel with us and that we'd take a day or 2 to scout around for a place for my church to install later.

I usually take a couple of months organizing and creating teaching supplies for the 3 days of classes during the install.  This time I had approx 20 days to get it all together.  The "Kentucky" teachers (really from Florida, but that's another story for another day) were contacted and agreed to make 50 copies of various sheets from the notebook.  I got the rest of the stuff organized and packed.

A few interesting tidbits about Belize--
*They moved their capital city from Belize City (on the Caribbean coast) to Belmopan in the interior of the country, cuz Belize City kept being demolished by tropical storms.
*Every small village has numerous speed bumps to keep car traffic at a slow speed.
*The cities of Belize City and Belmopan have lots of traffic circles (roundabouts).
*Almost every meal we had in the 8 days we were here included beans and rice.
*There is a difference between "beans and rice"  and "rice and beans"  Beans and rice are served mixed together-- Rice and beans are served separately. (or maybe I have that backwards??)
*For those who care, the national beer of Belize is "Belekin"  I was traveling with a number of beer drinkers.

Our accommodations in Belmopan  (The Bull Frog Inn) were outstanding, compared to what we'd experienced in Nicaragua.  (except for the Mercedes in Managua)  We had A/C, hot water, restaurant on site (food VERY expensive and service VERY slow, but it was available- and we had choices)  with maid service every day. 

The one drawback was the fact that we were locked out of the lobby/restaurant area until 7am.    For those needing/wanting coffee earlier than 7, they were up a creek.

Armenia is a small community of about 1500 with a "government" school of about 350 students.  Our filtration facility was to benefit the entire community, but especially the school.

Kids playing the week before school begins

They have governmental health services- with a doctor coming to the community twice a month and a nurse coming once a month.  We taught our classes in the health services building which had a main room with 3 exam rooms off the main room and 2 bathrooms (partially functional)

 Our 3  students were local health care workers who assist when the dr and nurse come.  We were expecting 6 students.





We taught our classes in the morning and met again in the afternoon for the ladies we'd taught in the morning to practice teaching what they'd learned.

Norma, Odilia, Laura (one of us), Filiberta

Adding hand prints to banner to be left in Armenia

 Didn't always work out that way.

We taught Friday (with Thursday for organizing our supplies) , Saturday and Sunday.  The ladies asked to come on Sunday, it didn't seem to be important for them to be in worship, so we forged ahead.

Community library where we met to paint hand prints on banners.