the differences between our lives in Canada and Guatemala

These facts are strictly based on our observations and experiences. We are not implying that these facts apply to all Canadians or all Guatemalans. The following list is what we found to be the differences between Canada and Guatemala. We have purposed to enjoy the difficulties as well as the simplicity of our days in Guatemala.

Canada

has hot water
houses made from wood
homes have heat
electric panels are adequate
power in homes is constant
elec. panels located safely
has many closets
internet is very fast
they flush toilet paper
have water most of the time
garbage goes to landfill
recycling is practiced
catalytic converters a must
most dogs are inside pets
streets are in good condition
streets are paved
speed bumps in parking lots
use of horns is moderate
fireworks are for Canada day and illegal to buy
buses are reserved for people only
the amount of people in a car is limited by the amount of seat belts
hanging out of moving vehicles is dangerous and illegal
you must stop at all stop signs
lumber is dried, shipped and stored at stores or lumber yards
gasoline is sold in liters
Currency is in dollars
kids are not able to work until they are on average 14-15
16 yrs old to get your begin drivers license
meat, milk, mayo, eggs and much more are refrigerated
you can not buy goat heads at the local market
walking down the street with knives is illegal
guns are illegal
security guards have flashlights
don't mix water and electricity
elevation in Vancouver and Windsor 0'above sea level
the only thing you put on your head is a hat



Guatemala

very few homes have hot water (electric shower heads are optional)
houses made from block and concrete
homes do not have heat (frost in Dec,January)
electrical power is not sufficient(lights flicker)
lose power frequently
electrical panels are located in showers
our house has no closets
internet is not fast
toilet paper goes in trash can
frequently have no water
not uncommon to burn garbage and recycling
they don't even know the word recycling
nope....man I see a lot of black smoke
most dogs roam the streets and are treated bad
u can get lost in some of the holes in the roads
some roads are paved and some are dirt
speed bumps are in the middle of the road for no reason and are huge
horns are a constant background noise all day
Fireworks are used for any reason and can be bought at corner store
buses included people, iguanas, chickens, dogs, etc
the amount of people in a car is only limited by imagination
people hang on the outside of vehicle when no room inside (bumpers,roof, etc)
stopping at stop signs is rare
lumber is custom cut from trees while you wait and is not dried
gasoline is sold in gallons
Currency is in Quetzales
kids as young as 6 yrs old are working in the fields or on the streets selling stuff
18 yrs old for drivers license but 12 yr olds drive school buses often....for real
markets do not refrigerate meat, milk, mayo, eggs and a lot more
you can buy any animal head at the market
a lot of people carry swords (machetes) every where they go
guns are not illegal
security guards carry big rifles and shot guns all the time
you must wire in your shower head which has water constantly running out of it
elevation where we are 8800' above sea level
people carry everything on their head like groceries, tables, big bags of stuff etc.


We hope this puts a smile on your face and provides a snapshot of the world around you. The people here are amazing, so loving and we can't imagine being anywhere else other then Latin America.

Thank you so much,

the virags

WIA
151-10090 152nd st
suite 314
Surrey, BC, Canada
V3R 8X8

If you are donating and would like a tax receipt make the cheques out to WIA. Do not put our names on the cheque, simply drop in a quick note allocating the funds to the Virag family.

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What you've done to the least of them...you've done it to me....first outreach done

We just got back from our week in Mexico and man it was good. I was invited to preach at a conference with my friend Miguel who translated for me. The theme was "Putting God First". They thought I would be a great person to share on this topic because we decided to serve as missionaries. So I shared. I preached the first night to approx. 300 people and everyone said it went well. The next morning I did a bible study and talked about being redeemed and if we realized what Jesus had done for us it is easier to put Him first. Chantelle said it was awesome and so did the people. It is only God, I take no credit for it. The last night God lead me to speak briefly on having a testimony. I then opened the microphone and the people came. We had testimony after testimony about the goodness of God. We had salvations, restored marriages and many people wept. It was a great conference and I enjoyed meeting some new friends.

We also had a great opportunity to go out into the community and do what we came to do, serve.

We had met many families the last time we went to Mexico who live in absolute poverty. No running water, no heat, no shoes, no food, etc. They drove us around for days about 2 weeks ago to show us all the needs in hope to get us to help them. The people who drove us around were just as shocked as I was. They were moved so much that they decided even if we couldn't help these people that they were going to. The need was so big that they couldn't wait... they had to help. So, Mario Alonzo and Miguel decided to buy 2 families food and medicine. When we heard about it we said our family would love to help out as well. Our 3 families pooled our money together, went out and bought food, medicine,candy and toys for the kids. We also donated 1000 pesos to each family. The food is needed because they just don't have any. The medicine is needed because the people have parasites. It is common for most of the people to get parasites because of the conditions. If they are not treated they can get very sick and even die. We also decided to size all the children for new shoes while we were there because they didn't have any. Tamara, Oriana, Chantelle and all of our children had a great time doing games with the children. We were so proud of Addison, Carsten and Emma for loving the kids.

Miguel, Mario and I spoke about the living conditions as well.

The first family we visited live in a 1 room house with a grass roof and partial bamboo walls. The man is handy and has started to build a block house but it has taken him 1 1/2 yrs to do very little. The reason it is taking him so long is because he makes the blocks by hand and only when he has a few extra pesos.

The second family's house burned to the ground a little while ago and they also live in a 1 room house, with a grass roof and bamboo walls. Just a quick story about this second family.

We visited this family unannounced the first time and they had almost no food. As I mentioned before it is customary for people to cook or present food when visitors come, but this lady had none to share. It bothered her so much that she didn't sleep that night. The next day she asked God to please bring us back so she could prepare her best for us. When we came this second time she was not expecting us. When we showed up, she was so happy. She knew the other people were coming so she had prepared her best, chicken and turtle head soup. This is a huge deal for these people because turtles are very expensive. When she saw us come out of the car she knew God had answered her prayer... we came back for her best! When she shared this story with us near the end of the night it gave me a lump in my throat. We ate her chicken and turtle head soup with smiles. It could have been dirt soup, we would have eaten it anyways.

They are all hoping we will come to Mexico and minister there. I shared with this lady a promise. If God calls us to Mexico and we get a home, I would love for her and her family to come for dinner so we can give her our best.

The conditions of both the families' homes are not good. Both of them have started to build new block homes on their land.

It won't take much if we all get together and pitch in. I am willing to run both projects as well as help with the labour. We have 8 other men who we found that will also donate their time (plumbers, electricians, bricklayers etc). Between all of the men, we have the labour needed to finish these 2 houses for free. All we need now is a bit of money.

We could finish building both homes for $3000 US. Our prayer is to have both homes finished by Christmas. If you would like to help either one of these families out please consider donating below. Please specify Christmas homes if you want your donations to go directly to these projects. We are also contacting organization in the Vancouver area to help out. Please pray for these two families and the projects.

By the way. We found a company who has donated a brand new bible in Braille for the blind Pastor we met a few weeks ago. Thank you.


Thank you so much,

the virags

WIA
151-10090 152nd st
suite 314
Surrey, BC, Canada
V3R 8X8

If you are donating and would like a tax receipt make the cheques out to WIA. Do not put our names on the cheque, simply drop in a quick note allocating the funds to the Virag family.