Every Stove Has a Story
On this trip, we delivered and installed three stoves and ten water filters in San Jorge La Laguna, which is a town just outside Panajachel on the way towards Solola. If you’re new to our blog or want a reminder of how the stoves are assembled or the justification for the water filtration, please visit a post from last year at this time. In either case, keep reading so that you can hear about the changes implemented in the process and see some of the photos from this trip!
With regard to the stoves, one change from last year was that all of the stove pieces (concrete blocks and stove parts, terra cotta fire box, bag of sand, venting pipes, etc.) were delivered to the homesites ahead of our visit. In this regard, there was less physical labor. Some of those pieces can get quite heavy!
Another change is the addition of the motto “Every Stove Has a Story”, something I heard Omar say at each of the three homes we visited. It’s true though! Since not all locales are equally equipped, there are often modifications to the installation process to “make it work” for the individual homeowner.
Our first stove delivery was to a woman named Iris Judith. She lives a little closer to the main road, at a higher elevation. As such, she has a fantastic view from her front porch! As you step around its corner, she has a place to dry her family’s clothes and catch glimpses of the lake.
When we arrived, she already had some ground space cleared and leveled for us. It was under the shelter of an overhang from a storage space outside and just across from her front door. In order to begin working there, we had to remove a piece of corrugated metal forming a side wall. And, to complete the job, we had to vent the stove pipe at an angle such that the elbow was further away from the unit itself.
Omar did a very thorough job explaining the use and care of the stove, and he demonstrated the function of the tool that lifted the stove plates.
The second place we visited was home to a young mother and three small children. When we first arrived, there was nobody home. We had to wait for her return so that we could begin work, as the stove pieces were behind a locked door. While we waited, we admired the dog (her dog?) and watched an iguana of some sort crawl alongside the wall of the home next to hers.
They did not make us wait long…
While Omar was leveling the ground on her outside front porch, John played peek-a-boo with her preschool age daughter. Sarah and I assembled the stove wings again, as we did for the first stove, and then we watched as John and Scott took turns placing concrete blocks according to the design of the stove’s base. Again, because of the overhang, the stove pipe was vented at an angle, atypical of the more compact vertical method.
The third home we visited was the most “elaborate” but I also think it may have housed the most number of people. This home was owned by a sweet woman that cared for a special needs young man. Their home had two stories, and we were told that they would normally have to go to the upper floor to prepare and eat meals. Because the boy was continuing to grow, it was becoming increasingly difficult for his mother to carry the weight of his body up the stairs so he could eat with the rest of the family. Installing a stove on the main level of their home meant that food prep and dining could be more convenient and enjoyable for everyone!
I said that every stove had a story! This one had a couple of unique factors. First, it was the first time a stove we installed had to be disassembled and reassembled — in this case just a couple of inches closer to the wall. We realized that the width of the wheelchair was not going to pass through the doorway with the stove “wings” extending a bit too far into the open area.
And, when it came time to fit the stove pipe and vent the stove’s smoke outdoors, we literally had to stand on top of the stove and begin climbing the walls to effectively maneuver what we had to!
The family was so appreciative that they wanted to give of themselves something to show their gratitude. Each of us got a small cup of Pepsi poured from a 2-liter bottle and a wafer cookie. So sweet. Both the mother and her wheelchair-bound son thanked us endlessly.
Stay tuned for the next blog post, where I will share a visit to the church and elderly feeding center in San Jorge, as well as our water filter deliveries, and then a bit of scary roadside excitement on the way back to Panajachel!
The “right” opportunity arose when I learned about a travel opportunity for adoptive families which would include volunteer work and cultural sightseeing. Being members of that team had a profound impact on me, Lillian and Andrew. Not only were we able to make a real connection to our son’s birthplace, but we met incredibly warm and generous people, all of whom we now consider to be a part of our “family.” In addition to the volunteer work I shared with the Team, I also was able to “give back” by performing as my alter ego, “Farfel the Clown” at a barbecue for children of The Backyard School. It will remain one the proudest and happiest memories of my life.