Don't Forget to Drink Your Milk Today

Buenos Dias! Good morning, early risers!

I forget, it's probably not so early when you are reading this. Oh well, it's early here, right now, and I'm unusally alert. I have a theory about why I'm feeling really good this morning, tell you later.

I've not had many disappointing days in Guatemala, but yesterday was one of them, slightly, for reasons I'll explain. I've been taking a lot of pictures of various stuff and I think I'll mostly post a few pictures this morning, with some explanation in the comments. So, this narrative will be more brief - hooray!

Tuesday wasn't a complete washout. In the morning, Keeci and I went down to the Chimaltenango Central Market, where farmers bring in their fruits, meats, vegetables, and grains and sell them in a big roofed plaza. It's crowded, exciting, and fun. If you like farmer's markets, you'd love this one. We bought two mangos and a pineapple. Oh yes, while we were there, we found a Sarita stand and had our recommended daily allowance of ice cream. That Keeci, she has a big allowance!

The other really good thing that happened Tuesday concerned an interpreter. We thought we might be negotiating to buy a goat(s) in the afternoon. Keeci's Spanish is coming along, but she's not so comfortable with the farm terms, and negotiating a deal in Spanish would be really hard for her. So, we needed an interpreter to go along, and we end up talking Tico Vargas into doing it. Tico is the director of this Bible seminary where we are staying. He runs this place! And, this is one of his busiest weeks of the year, they're having a big seminar (huh, a seminar at the seminary!) this weekend. But Tico, just for us, says, "Yes, let's go look at some goats." To spend an afternoon with Tico, well everyone should get the chance. He is an inspiration of encouragement, laughs, and everything Guatemalan, a native of this town. We could have done nothing but just drive around with Tico for 3 hours, and it would have been a good day.

So in the afternoon, we went goat looking with Tico. We picked up Rosendo Roquel, a young guy from a little village around here who is sort of an expert on all things farming. He's raised goats, rabbits, chickens, and more. His current project is raising mushrooms, big flat white ones. (He gave us some.) Rosendo comes from very humble beginnings, but this fall he is starting law school. Remember his name, he could be running Guatemala some day.

Rosendo is picky about his goats. He measures a milking goat by the number of glasses of milk she will give a day. A real good one: 20-25 glasses. And since we are interested in giving goats to families to feed their babies, we want the real good ones.

But Rosendo's first appointment for us is a bust. His contact doesn't show up, and he was the guy who was going to take us to see the "real good goats." So, as we contemplate our next step, Tico says he knows an area that has a lot of goats, an area where he goes mountain biking. That's where we go. To get to it was one of those incredible trips up and down rugged mountain hills and trails where you would think, well, a goat couldn't go.

But, we get there and we find some goats, nice-looking ones, but not so productive. One guy wants over $100 each for a pair of 10-glass goats. Another guy wants that much for a 4-glass goat! Of course, everything is negotiable, we could have bought for less, but I don't really want a 4-glass goat for any price, you know? Rosendo is not impressed with any of the goats, either. He still wants to take me, maybe next Monday if I can beg out of building houses, to see his friend with the 20- to 25-glass goats. So, for now, that is the plan.

I have one other place, near the Mission House, where I have seen many milk goats. We may inquire there tomorrow, when Keeci and I move back over there with the incoming team of house-builders from Memphis.

Keeci, Tico, and I did sample the milk from the 4-glass goat. They brought out a glass, the farmer washed his hands and the goat's teats, he milked half a glass, and we took turns drinking it hot. They say it's good for you. And now you know why I am feeling unusally alert this morning.