So, it's been a very long while since we posted anything. Being home in Canada for the last 5 months hasn't been much of a vacation. We've spent a lot of time on the road, visiting supporters, both in churches and in homes. Our travels took us from Medicine Hat in the south, to Leader, Sask. in the east, to Fort Nelson, B.C. in the northwest. We've tried to connect with friends and family, but this has proven a little more difficult as our speaking engagements kept us busy on most weekends, when everyone else is home.
Furlough has been interesting. We haven't had as much down time as we hoped, despite staying a month longer than planned. Maybe its been the rush of Christmas, but I feel as tired now as when I first came home. I'm hoping that somewhere in the New Year we can have a week to just relax, but I don't see that happening right away. Such is life!!!
Christmas was busy, busy. We went to Red Deer, where we have a daughter and her family, as well as Tim's sister and her family. We were joined by our younger daughter and a friend, our son and his soon-to-be wife, Tim's cousin and his niece with her family. All in all, it was great to see everyone, and we enjoyed several games of Scrabble, Phase 10 and, of course, crokinole! It was neat to see all the cousins interacting as adults, when for so many years, they were just the "kids".
Next Saturday sees us boarding a plane once again for the trip south. Two years ago, we made the same trip, laden down with ten bags containing the things we needed to begin life in Guatemala. Now we are travelling much lighter, and considering which of the 'things' we took we still need. Some will be coming home with a team that is coming down in February, others will be disposed of. It's really amazing how much you really don't need. I find that housework here is so much harder becasue of all the 'stuff' we have, and look forward to downsizing even more when we return in June for Adam and Laurie's wedding.
Speaking of home, some of you may be wondering... We did have our house for sale, but absolutely nothing was moving at any price this year, so we still have it. Adam has consented to staying here until the wedding, which gives us a bit of a reprieve with what to do with the stuff. We did get rid of an amazing amount of stuff in August, but I was really wondering what to do with my quilts and fabric, as they don't do well in an unheated space, which is all we had for storage.
Well, we'll try to get this blog a little more current in the New Year. Thanks for all the good wishes we've had from all of you, the gifts we've been given and the love everyone has shown. It all means more than you know. Thank you too, for all the prayer that has gone up on our behalf. It has made all the difference!
Blessings,
Sheila

We encountered these little guys well loading up the motorcross bike and food for the family. The machettes are half their size!
Tim

Hi

Just getting to the site was very interesting. Here is a picture of a Nature Defenders employee testing the depth of the water and finding the best route.

The second picture is provided because this is the reason for planting the trees. That is to direct funds into education. Here the Director of the William Cornelius Vocational Training Centre is receiving a donation from Trees for Global Renewal for the planting of the first 2 hectares.

Visit Trees for Global Renewal at www.trees4globalrenewal.net

Today i am off to view some land and deliver some food to a family and buy some wooden fruit. I will be with Ben a Canadian here to tudor english until mid Oct. If you would like the opportunity to tudor english as a second language at the William Cornelius there is room for you. Give us an email at tsjuhlin@gmail.com

All the Best
Tim

Just have to show you a picture of the cable bridge we crossed on the last time I was at this tree planting site. This picture was taken from the new bridge.

The other picture is me with the landowner on the planting site.

T

Hi

Just back from the first tree planting project. Left Guate at 5:09 and arrived in Teleman at 11:15. The road was terrible especially at the beginning. We then loaded up the Nature Defenders motorcross bike in the pickup and headed out to the planting site. Fortunately we did not have to use the cable bridge as the new one was working. We then arrived at the first river and one worker waded into the river to check depth. After much discusion it was concluded that we would try to cross. Water was under a meter deep and we made it ok. Then we travel through the rubber tree farm and arrive at the third river. Now this baby is a bird of a different color. We walk up and down assessing our chances and conclude that there is no way to ford. The rock size is wrong and a good indicator of river velocity. We drive back through the local Finca and head up river to another cable bridge. It is not big enough to drive a truck but we can move the motorbike accross. I get doubled up to the village, whcih is about 5 miles. Meet the family doing the planting and we head over to look at the work to date. They are just starting work on the second hectare. Here are a couple of photos.

One of the land owner planting a tree. In the background starting at his right albow you can see the cleared area where the second hectare is being planted.

The second picture is of the food packets loaded and ready to be carried uphill for the 5 kilometers.

I will try adding a few pictures more as the day goes on.

On the return home the river crossing was a little more scary and we had a blow out. I then managed to back my vehicle into a gate and damaged the same location as last time. Minor but frustrating. I left Teleman at 4:45 and the trip out to the highway tood until 7:30 It was raining for much of the way and the fog came in at dark. I thought the 70 km drive would never end.

Stayed in Tactic for the night and was up at 5:30 for a good hike before starting the trip to Guate. Left at a quarter to 7 and arrived home by 10. It was a big mistake arriving on the edge of the city at 9 o'clock Traffic was backed up for miles and I spent more than an hour turttling down the freeway.

I will add more pictures of this trip soon.


Tim

Hi Everyone

Well today was a big day. I took Sheila to the airport. She is on her way back to Canada to start our busy schedule there.

Recently we were at the William COrnelius for a presentation of some cash that assisted a number of students with outstanding debt. The money was generated through the Trees for Global Renewal program. At this time we have 1800 trees in the ground of 2222 so we are almost finished the first planting. I will be traveling out to the site again on Thursday if the rivers are not too high and will be giving out the food packages to the planters.

Here is a picture of Sheila giving a hug to one recipient of the TGR donation and I am standing with a group who also received benefit from the program.

Tim

Hi tim here

I just picked up some coffee to bring back to Canada. Price is up because of fuel used to roast the coffee and packaging has trippled in one year. If you are desperit for Guatemala coffee let us know. Profits help fund the William Cornelius Vocational Training centre.

I visited Finca Palestine last weekend and took a few pictures. I was really excited about the change in cover trees being used. The attached picture shows the older type of trees which require triming every year and the new trees (which are from India originally) These babys are only 6 years old.

The second picture is of a dad and two sons bringing wood home for cooking.
TIm

Driving down the road from Coban/Tactic we pass by many reforested areas. A fire burned through some young pine in a special area important Biosphere) for the Quetzel. Here is a picture to capture this sad event.

Well visiting Tactic cooperativo I was told about a pine stand 11 years old. On the way there I took pictures of a new cutblock. Logging was completed 3 months ago and the land has been searched for firewood, planted to corn and reforested to pine. I will add 3 pictures on this and if time one of an 11 year old pine stand.

Here are some pictures of unique vegetables:

I have to add them one at a time and this is very frustrating and takes 10 minutes each. There must be a better way!!!
Tim

We just returned from Tactic where we took pictures and learned the names of some vegetables not known in Canada. We will bring back the pictures and use them in a process to try and find markets for the products here. Tactic is located north and east of Guatemala City. They grow 3 crops per year because the climate is so perfect. They are located at about 5000 feet and it rains a fair bit so is not as hot as other places without clouds. We shared a recipe with the growers co-op and were able to see the schools of Impact Ministries, a western Canada based ministry. They have 5 schools and are building a medical clinic. They feed some 4000 meals per week. Good hot food and a great ministry. Anyway we left The Tactic area and headed down into the heat in Los Amates to view and assess a location for a possible greenhouse facility for Trees for Global Renewal. We then drove up the valley to look at an area where reforestation would help protect the local watershed and watersource for several communities. All together the growing and planting of seedlings will provide work for locals from a small destitute community. This will also provide a practical example of Christian works. Well that is the hope anyway and I will be working towards that end when back in Guatemala after our trip to Canada.

We are getting used to being here and on the roads but I must say we,like the Guatemalans are shocked by some of the violence that goes on in this country. Like today we read of a truck full of people stopped and the owner of the truck and 5 other members of the family were all shot. Perhaps they refused to pay extortion money to the gangs. There was another bus driver killed in zone 18 of the city and the drivers are now demanding protection. Soon we will see machine gun guards on every bus.

One has to be careful moving around this country ensuring that this is always done during the day time and on well known roads. Side trips down back roads are not to be taken as common practice unless with a local and even that is questionable. Today while taking pictures of the watershed we may be planting, a toyota drove by with 4 hombres in the back carrying pistolas with good sized clips. We were crossing a large finca (farm) that had grown in recent years because of drug money. The one son who helped enlarge the farm was killed in the big shoot out 2 months ago in Jalapa. Two rival gangs apparently had a shoot out. It can be pretty western out here.

I sure feel sorry for most of the people making minimum sums per day. One missionary told us that native women in his area do not make more than 20 Q per day. That is about $2.80.

We are busy with preparing brochures for Canada and presentations. We are giving up our apartment and will find another in December. Hopefully the new one will not be as noisy as here where the neighbor's car alarm keeps going off.

All the Best
Tim

Hi Tim here.

Today was a big day in that I signed an agreement and paid out money for the planting and stand tending of 2 hectares of ground. This was done on behalf of the Trees for Global Renewal project. This first tree planting project is unique (i.e. not typical) because we have had trees donated and just have to pay the transportation. We will be able to make a nice donation to the William COrnelius Vocational Training Centre which will be used to pay down some student accounts that are in arrears.
One of the areas to be planted is used for growing corn. Here is a picture of that location as it was 2 months ago. It will be cleaned up and planting locations marked before the planting actually starts sometime this month.

All the Best
Tim

Hola

Raining again today. Has been raining most days in the afternoon or evening. In 2 weeks perhaps we have received 10 inches of rain.

Here is a nice picture for you to consider.

Hmm not sure if it uploaded. May have to try again.

Pictures of berry farming.

Hi Here we have a picture of a delicacy in Guatemala. I was at an anniversary and birthday party with friends and these were cooked up in a tomato sauce. Can anyone guess what thy are?

Also visisted a aboriginal community called Chimazatec which means "Land of the Deer" The families here mostly grow strawberries. I will try to add pictures.

Trees for Global Renewal is moving along with the first plantings to happen this month.

Tim

Additional Picture of Leatherleaf and cannery.

Hi Tim Here
Two Pictures one of leather leaf and one of a cannery building.
Boy does time ever fly. It looks like a month has gone by since my last entry. Sorry about that. I have been working on a number of fronts. The first being language acquisition. I am told by some that my Spanish is getting better. I am finding that when I go back to work completed some months ago I am able to repeat the lessons with more speed and cconfidence. Progress is being made but the rate of improvement is personally disappointing. Yesterday I had a friend teaching me spanish, well actually He is here to talk so that I can listen to the pronounciation. Well I made a sentence in my best spanish and he said " Well in spanish we say it like this". Hey that was my best spanish I replied and we both had a good laugh.

Outside of spanish I along with Sheila took a trip to Los Amatos to discuss reforestation around a community water source. This would help students and families associated with an ENDAC school in that town.

Last week I toured a leather leaf finca on the road to Coban and during the process of this 3 day event was introduced to a farm co-op. Well it is hard to believe... perhaps the luck of God?? but this group has a large facility that appears almost unused. The building has an office, large rooms with stainless steel tables, large walk in cooler and large room for storage and a trucking dock. Then the kicker was that one room was locked and only the president of the Co-op has the key, and he was not there. Well I am told that in that room is equipment for canning. Apparently 5 or 10 years ago they had started canning and things fell through it looks like for a time two months of the year this plant is used to sort and wash green beans for shipment. For the other 11 months of the year it sits unused. We are excited about this because of the Vision I had had in the Mid 90's at Sonrise Pentecostal Camp at Alberta Beach. Some of you may not know about that so I will try to post a writeup I prepared last month. Lets see if I can go into a word doc. now and paste it here:

Vision of Christ

A vision of Christ appeared before me and this is how it happened.

Along with my family, I was attending family camp at Sonrise Pentecostal Camp near Edmonton. At that time, (I think it was the summer of 1995) it was called Sunset Point Pentecostal camp. The camp is a week long and runs Christian based worship and teaching sessions for all ages. I was attending the morning service, listening to a member of the staff of Northwest Bible College (now Vanguard Collage) during a morning service. It was a weekday with perhaps 300 people in the main tabernacle. I was in the front row to the right of the speaker when a window or portal opened before me that appeared to have fire around it. Inside, Christ appeared dressed in white and appearing just as I would expect him to look with longer hair, a beard and dressed in a white gown. As he came closer, he opened his arms wide pointing at an aboriginal people group that were very colorfully dressed and arranged in a U shape around him, more or less framing the right, left and bottom of the portal. The following information was conveyed to me.

He said:
Can you do this for me? Build a cannery.
Other information instantly loaded into my brain:
Call it El Shaddai cannery.
Do it for these peoples.
I responded: Yes I can do that.

I looked around and realized that everyone was listening to the speaker. No one else had seen the appearance or heard that I had just spoken out loud “Yes I can do that.” I looked around and when I looked back the vision was gone.

What I did:

I was pumped and very excited, explaining what I had seen to family, friends and Pastor Cliff Newbury from Grande Cache. With some counseling on the matter from Cliff, I headed home at the end of camp prepared to build a cannery. I started a PowerPoint to try and vision cast for support. Nothing seemed to work. One northern missionary couple (recently retired) said that First Nations people hate gardening, so there was no way that it would work in Alberta.

I returned to Family camp the following year and spoke with Pastor Cliff again who said, “Well perhaps it is not for now and you need to wait”. So I set the vision and request on hold.

In 2002, I visited Guatemala and, in particular, the missionaries working there with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. I was working on a final ministry related research project to complete a master’s degree at Briercrest Biblical Seminary. I interviewed Alan and Pauling Slater, Hector Aragon and Cary Goshinmon. While with Cary visiting a Child Care Plus School in the city, I commented on the large vegetables laying on the streets and for sale. He would not allow us to buy any because he said we had no idea how they were grown and he did not want us getting sick. OK, fair enough. Well, we took two days to tour Guatemala a little with Carlos and Laura Motta, who are the parents of Henry Motta, a fellow student at Briercrest Biblical Seminary. On the way to Lake Atitlan, we saw hillsides with watermelons and squashes and old corn stalks burning everywhere and an abundance of other fruits and vegetables. While we were returning from Lake Atitlan, four aboriginal males crossed the road in front of us. It was obvious that this was a father and son group, with the father in the lead and the 3 increasingly shorter children following behind. Each had a hoe over their shoulder. Up the ditch, across the road and down the other side like ducks swimming in a pond, they disappeared on their way to another field. The instant I saw them my heart leaped within me and I exclaimed. “You mean here, Lord?”

What Now?

I am now a missionary in Guatemala with a list of responsibilities associated with the William Cornelius Vocational Training Centre, a technical high school for underprivileged young adults. The Centre is linked to ENDAC and the Child Care Plus school system of the PAOC. The ministry my wife Sheila and I have today is not what it will be in a few years. It takes time to fully develop an effective ministry. I am now deep into the process of acquiring the language and soul searching regarding this vision and the request to build a cannery.


I see fruit and vegetables in abundance in the markets of Guatemala, but many people are under nourished. I have often said that love is seeing a need and meeting that need. As I look at the significant contrasts between the rich and the poor in Guatemala, I am moved to do all that I can to help the downcast up and out of the poverty cycle through education and all other means possible. And you can be sure that practicing the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be front and center in our ministry. And as for the vision and the cannery, I am in a process of counting the costs, investigating the options and making decisions that move our ministry in the direction Christ has requested. The call is to obedience; it is my duty to obey.

Oh, and for the Grace movement I can say this. It is very clear in my mind that what I believe determines my destiny and what I do determines my awards. I am not doing this to gain the favor of God, for he calls me friend already. I also do the greatest work required and that is to believe in the One God has sent. Obedience stemming from a thankful heart is reasonable service in pressing forward to bring the reign of Christ into this and all lands and people groups of the world.

If any of what I have said above witnesses to your spirit, I would love to hear from you. Email:
tsjuhlin@gmail.com.

Walking in the Light of Christ

Tim

Hi
On that same school tour I met an interesting woman. My friend Sig back in the Crowsnest Pass plays a song "Pistol packen momma" Well Sig I think I found her for you!

Found a bullet hole in one of our lawn chairs on the deck yesterday. hmm hopefully it was just a stray bullet but it was from a 22 and appeared to be traveling horizontal.

Very hot these days, we only sleep with a sheet over us. Out for a drive today to look at some land 68 km from the city and close to a greenhouse facility where we may buy seedlings in the future.

Spring time in alberta warm sunny days and the skys are blue then without a warning another winter storm comes tumbling through.

We sure miss our family and friends and Spring in Alberta

Tim

Hi Tim Here

Last week I took a trip with Missionary Hectar Arogon to visit 3 ENDAC sponsored schools. These are the schools that would eventually link up to the William Cornelius. Each school is similar in many ways that are different than in Canada. One expample of this is the selling of food. Each one tended to have a small store or other means of selling food to the teachers and students during their breaks. Here are a few pictures: well actually only one of an inner court yard for a school with the tienda back center.

One reason for taking this trip was to look for opportunities for ministering through short term mission trips. There always seems to be something needed so when we get back to Canada we hope to increase the interest of local churches or other groups to consider coming on a 10 day or 2 week trip to bless the people here. Think about this from your perspective and if you have interest send us your name and we may be able to connect you to a project either at the William Cornelius or at another school project.

Tim

Some of us are short and some tall.

Somehow I do not feel anymore secure with this fine automatic. How would you like this protecting you during your next tip down town?

Here is our brother in law taking risks out on the ocean. I took this with my new camera and a 300 mm lense.
Have been having a good visit with Dirk and today took a look at the School and some of the gym program.
Tim

One example of a loaded taxi truck.
Tim

Here is the local ranger on the left then the director of the Nature Defenders and then the family that will be involved with the tree planting project.
I will try more pictures soon. Tim

This is the location of the first planting site. A chance to take back some agricultural land.
Tim

I cut these down and cut my arm.

another picture. This of the road up to the village and planting site.

More pictures of the trip. I have tried many times to download but can only do one at a time. My 10 Megapixel camera is a challange.

Picture down loads are tough but will try for the 4th time to get some pictures of my trip. Tim

My Trip to Telema’n

I seldom write a journal but decided to on my first trip with the Nature Defenders of Guatemala to visit a planting site. Here is what I wrote.

So here I am after a grueling 7 1/2 hours driving. (four on good highways and three on a dirt goat trail). I am at the Nature Defenders office in Telema’n. Telema’n is located to the north and east of Guatemala City, but on the north side of the mountain range Sierra de las Minas. We are located about 80 km west of Lago Isabela for those of you that have a map of Guatemala. I step out of the vehicle into what feels like an oven, perhaps in the high thirties. We are at an elevation of about 100 meters above sea level. Coming out of an air-conditioned vehicle, the air feels stifling hot and more humid than in the city. The smell of pigs is in the air. The woman in the tienda across the street is throwing water on the road to cut the dust. I take a picture or two of her and picture of the Nature Defenders sign and posters saying “Cuidado”, be careful with fire and “Salvemos Nuestros Bosques” Save our Forests.

The trip here was brutal with the Polochic road off the main highway composed of dust, rock and pot holes (like the first 15 km of the South Castle road, but worse). From a height of land at 1500 meters to this town at 100m there is a significant change in ground cover from conifer and deciduous forest to deciduous evergreens to grazing land to sugarcane fields. The sugar cane is new and its incursion into the area is a sign of improvements to come.

La Tinta, located 14 km to the west, looks like a decent little pueblo but with a dirt road in and out, I would not choose to live there. Driving through the town is nice because of the brick road.

Guatemala is beautiful outside of the city.

Now I am at the restaurant with the director of the Nature Defenders. I am faced with beef, chicken or soup. We are at the Texaco restaurant and there is a lot of beer being served. Outside, the local taxies are gassing up. They are old pickups (usually Toyotas) that have a metal cage attached that allows for lots of people to hang on. How many people can fit in one vehicle?……..Just one more is the correct answer. I saw a Toyota pickup with perhaps 40 people standing in the back. Three were standing on the back bumper as the front end of the vehicle swayed nearly out of control down the road. Everyone was laughing and having a blast. Oh, I ordered chicken because it looked like it was cooked in the oven. I would not trust the soup because of the uncertainty of the water and of course coming from Alberta have no interest in the shoe leather beef served here.

Back to the Nature Defenders office and to the area director’s house. We change vehicles and head out. Lots of dust, and here is the big river (Polochic) and the crossing. I gulp.. it is a narrow cable bridge and all the locals head off the bridge as we drive onto it. It is as if they are expecting it to collapse and want a good view. We stop half way over because the driver has to adjust the planks ahead. I take a close look at the planks, but they are not planks they are slabs from a saw mill. Not nailed together and there are not enough of them so the driver is going to distribute them so we can cross. I look at the two, one and a half inch cables, feel the swaying, look down at the deep water and I decide to walk to the other side and manage one picture before the truck makes it across. A new bridge is being constructed down stream and not too soon I can assure you! This old bridge was constructed in 1960 and is an accident waiting to happen. Off we go through the first crop of sugar cane. We are now at Old Village River (Pueblo Viejo). It is about the size of the Flathead River near the BC/US border during the low water season in late fall. Good potential to be much higher and faster during the rainy season. We approach the ford and I see that the water is crystal clear like the South or West Castle rivers of southern Alberta (when the cows are not wading in it). We complete the ford and travel through cattle land and a large latex forest. That is to say, there are many hectares of old trees all being farmed for sap used in the process of making latex. It is similar to maple sugar harvests I think. The latex finca (plantation) is large. All the trees have a quarter inch tube and a small metal bowl strapped below to capture the sap.
We come to another nice river about the size of the Castle River in late August at the rodeo grounds. This river is also crystal clear with bigger rocks, indicating some rapid movement during high water. If I am to transport planters into this area, this could be a big problem! Apparently the first river we forded has 16 communities along it and this one has 12, but it is obvious that they must be located somewhat away from the river because the pollution, if any, is not obvious like most of the other rivers I have seen in Guatemala. Both of these rivers come out of the Sierra de los Mines protected area where we will be planting..

We start up on an eroded road, bump, bump, up, up, bump, we contour our way past trees and corn crops. I think we are near the end of the world. We stop and take pictures of a recent PINFOR plantation. I take a leak and jump back into the truck. We round the next corner and there is a soccer field with a dozen players. Up and around the next corner, and whoa, a pueblo. There are tinned roofs with a makeshift market in the centre and stores all around it. Very poor, that is obvious. I am thinking that tree planting here will provide some needed work and funds. We stop and get out to meet the local forest ranger (just a mean looking guy with a machete). I point my camera at some kids and they all run and hide. They start peeking around the corner, I point, and again they hide. The place is very poor with chickens and pigs running around freely and some very malnourished dogs. Up another 200 meters we go and below us is a nice soccer field, basketball court and a school. These are real mountain people. Wait, am I hearing banjos??? No just joking. Anyway, we get out and begin walking up the hill through the yards of many people, around sleeping pigs etc. I see barren houses with tin or thatched roofs. We stop and look down a steep ravine, perhaps it is 70 meters across with the sides steep to 70% slopes. They want us to plant this hell hole and explain that the PINFOR reforestation is a subsidy program intended to help reforest these difficult spots. I point to two faces and say okay, but the north facing slope is very steep with lots of wicked brush, worse than devil’s club. I take a machete from the ranger and cut one branch off. It falls onto my arm and I start bleeding. I say “esta es malo”. Which might mean “this is bad” if I have it right. I tell them that there is no way we can plant this hectare as a first planting site and ask if we can view the next site. They point to an area about 300 meters up and across this gorge. We walk further up the trail to the location. I am relieved to see that this piece of ground is 75% corn crop on about 25 to 30 % slope, all cultivated except for one side. Okay, I say, we can plant this site. They will prepare the site and stake the location for all the seedlings. We head back and I take pictures of the native landowner’s family and promise to bring them copies. It is dark when we get back to Telema’n and we are locked into a motel. The roof is very hot and stays that way all night. The food is okay, but there are so many sparrows flying around this third floor restaurant that it cannot be clean. At breakfast, part of a bird’s nest falls onto my plate. I am not that hungry! We travel back to the city and continuing planning for the first planting for the Trees for Global Renewal Project.

Hi Tim Here

Well today I have a Spanish tutor here to help me to move from knowing words and small sentences and into the realm of conversation. I know many words and basic greetings but hearing the language is another matter.

Still working on a TGR planting project but not sure how things will work out. Language is essential and will be my main focus for the next 4 months.

The picture is from the beach where I lost my wallet. We have been to the beach twice since introduced to a good safe location. It takes 2.5 hours to get there so is not going to be a big factor in our ministre. The second time there we were with a team and they enjoyed the experience immensly.

Well off to Spanish I go.
Tim

Hi Again
More pictures for you. Yours truly with bananas and a picture of Lake Atitlan.

Tim

Here we have 2 of Sheila's first tortillas ( I bet you can identify them)and some produced by Rosa, the wife of Ladis. Maria, the younger of the two, is their daughter.
Tim