And the BUILD is on...

Waking up to our third day, heading to the build site we have so much to do! The team has decided to not go to the school so that we could have a few extra hours on the build site this week as it is a shorter build time.

At my house we are building a new room for a little boy named Jonny. He has massive respiratory problems and has to be connected to an oxygen tank each night. His health issues also lead into the development of his body and brain. Also in this house there are 5 other children (one who is mentally challenged), the mother, her sister and mother and father...so in this 2 room, 500 square foot home lives 7 children and 4 adults. This room that we are building is for Jonny and his mom to sleep in. So far we have dug the foundation, poured the cement floor, built 3 wall frames, sided the frames and put 2 up. I am soooo sore right now...I can't tell you how many wheelbarrows I have filled with rock and sand...and how many nails I have hammered! Tomorrow we are hoping to have all the walls up with dry wall with the window and door in and hopefully the flooring. We are still hopeful that we can finish before we Friday!

Today was the twins birthday, 10 years old! The family invited us in for some birthday cake and celebration...It is so amazing that any where is the world everyone sings the same birthday tune! This was before lunch arrived and we took a half hour break...so when lunch actually came we were back in our groove and today was a shorter work day for us so we skipped lunch and ate it on the bus ride home.

We got back to the hostel around 3pm and met up with the rest of the team. As I mentioned before we decided against going to the school as it was not a typical school visit. It was more of a agriculture school for youth at risks kids in Santiago. Instead we visited Cerro San Cristobal, which is more or sanctuary on top of a hill in the city core. We traveled up the hill in a vernacular cable car which was definitely not up to Canadian standards...haha! Here we were able to try the Mote Con Huesillo drink (which is cooked dried peaches and stewed corn)! It was an amazing way to see all of Santiago and then some.

We got back to the hostel at 6:30, just in time for pizza take in. We all gathered in our little court yard to enjoy our wine, bought from the wineries, amazing pizza, including one with chicken and cilantro...yummm! Then we walked over to a local market about 10 minutes away from the hostel. On our way home there were 5 of us walking (3 girls and 2 boys) and just out side of the market a team member was mugged! right in front of our eyes! Apparently there was a gang of 7 boys and one came right in between us and tried to rip off her necklace...then when he didn't get it another guy came running up and tried to get it right out of her hands. Dad started to chase the hooligans ready "to kick some street punk ass" but I reeled him in with a stern "Wolfgang...gat back here now!!!" It was definitely an eye opened and a warning notice for us. But all is safe and we made it back to the hostel untouched.

It has been an interesting day for sure...but now I am ready for bed...last night we didn't get back to the hostel as we were enjoying the Chilean night life with some local friends that we have met. Good times had by all but it is not so fun waking up to work in the hot sun all day!

Until next time...stay safe and have fun...miss you!

Good Food, Good People, Good WINE!

First day in Chile was absolutely breath taking! We started out the day with breakfast at the hostel (which is the coolest little place ever) bread and yogurt and instant coffee...some team members are saving the day with the instant starbucks! On a side note I am ending the day with some decaf and Baileys...haha! Not that I haven't consumed enough liquor today!

So we started out with a half our bus ride up to the Maipo Vally at the foothills of the Andes. Here we all got on peddle bikes to tour the wine country. This is super interesting because the last time I rode a bike I sort of fell into the ditch! But I can safely report that I didn't fall once...even after consuming wine from each vineyard we visited. Although I owe all my stellar bike moves to Gayle from the mountain bike training we did last summer in Nelson. I learnt a lot about the process of wine through your tour guides and one of the vineyard owners, Mario! I have a new appreciation for the types of wine and the science that goes into each bottle. I wonder if LIB could import wine? haha

After chil'n in the shade and having some cheese and crackers at Mario's home we then went to a nearby restaurant to try some Chilean food. the restaurant owners let us use their pool out side to cool off and get refreshed!

In response to our missing team member...HFH Chile went to the airport to wait and greet him this morning...they waited there for 4 hours and there was still no sign of him...so we planned to meet back at the hostel and start the emergency phone call process again. But just before we were leaving to head back to Santiago I got a random phone call...it was he...the missing member! He was in fact at the airport waiting for us:( I feel terrible! But he took a cab to the hostel and a member of HFH met him there. He arrived safe, along with the luggage of another team member. So after all of this we are now all safely together and ready for the build day tomorrow!

For dinner this evening I took the team on a little walk about in Santiago to find a cool little patio that was suggested to us. We found it with relatively no problems and then nibbled on some traditional Chilean and Argentinean food. Over a few Pisco Sours we played out the "guess who" game that I made as an ice breaker game. It couldn't have turned out better...we had a lot of laughs and surprises getting to know the team members. My two tib bits of fun facts were: I like to slap out rhythms on my Djembe Drum and that I stayed in the same hotel as Brad Pitt!"!

And now the day is officially over as it is after midnight here...so I better get some good rest for the big day tomorrow! I will give more information on the families that we are building with. We have 3 sites with teams of 4...should be interesting!

Send you Valentines Day love:)
Hugs

Heather

Ps. Here are some random fun pics of the Day:

We Made it!

Hola! so it is now 10:00pm and we are chil'n with a glass of red Chilean wine! It has been a very interesting trip already. So apart from getting to the Calgary airport amazing race style, Dad and I left Calgary around 3pm to Dallas. we traveled American Airlines...and it was aweful! There was no tv's...meaning no MOVIES...what? Yes that means 12 hours of traveling with no movies! Moving on...

So in Dallas we had just enough time to grab a salad and a Starbucks before we had to board the plane to Chile. It was bitter/sweet without the movies becuase I actually slept...but after the fiasco the night before and the early morning at work I slept like a baby!

We arrived in Chile and it took us an hour to pay for our entry and get through immigrations...with no English help I might add. It was now 11am. We found out that the rest of the team that was flying out from Toronto was an hour late departing due to an intoxicated passenger getting removed from the plane at the start of their trip. During their flight another passenger had a heartattack...what a crazy flight for them!

Dad and I waited the 4 hours in the airport for the rest of the team to arrive. By this time the HFH coordinators had joined us. To our surprise only 9 out of the 10 people showed up and we were worried about the last team member...so we hung around the airport a while longer in the event he was tied up some where...and he didn't show. One of the HFH coordinators stayed back to wait for the last member. At this point we thought that he was maybe the one who had a heartattack. By 5pm is am now stressing that I had a man down...after calling the HFH emergency line, the members emergency contact and just short of calling hospitals...we were informed that his flight was the same carrier, number and time as the rest of the team...just one day later! yep...way to go team leader HILD! Lets mark that up to experience!

Anyways...we then went out for dinner with the group and headed back to the hostel for some rest.

Tomorrow is another day and we are heading out on out bike tour of the wine country!

Hope all is well with everyone...talk soon!

xoxo

Heather

Getting Ready For Another Journey!

Well it is that wonderful time again that I get to spread my wings and fly to my dreams! This time my journey takes me into South America...but more specifically CHILE!

I was so inspired by my first build and team leader with HFH that I instantly wanted to become a leader and provide a similar experience to other passionate Friends in humanity.

Since then I have taken the HFH team leader training in Vancouver as well as the St. Johns Ambulance's first aid course. Which was a trip in itself...for those who know me well know that the thought of open wounds makes me want to pass out! Lets just say in the course I was constantly corrected as the let the guy with a "severe neck injury" move...leading to "paralysis". Having said that I think the top of my underwear was showing and I didn't want the whole class to see...so I adjusted myself...oops...haha! Trust me now with your injury? When push comes to shove I am more than confident that I can lead a team through an injury...but I am also praying that an opportunity will not occur.

My Dad is joining me again on this build and I am so honoured to be building beside him. We leave Friday February 12 to Santiago via Dallas (one extreme to the other) There we will meet the rest of our team (10 more members from across Canada) as well as the HFH coordinators that I have been working with over the last 6 months to finalize this trip.

Here is the team "code of arms"

Quote of the Day:

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead