New Business

This suspicious little honey is named Cristina and she's not at all certain she likes us at Casa Jackson. I hope some fun, some loving, and lots of nutritious meals will have her smiling very soon.

And speaking of Cristinas, here is our own Cristina from California who has been a a volunteer for several months. Sadly for us, she is returning to California next week.
Here she  is with Mario, one of our newbies who has had trouble gaining weight due to an infection in his mouth.  He was feeling crabby in this picture but we expect him to smile soon as well.

Luis is able to walk around by himself already! So much for being wheelchair bound for life. He thinks it is funny to make a mess of the diapers and wipes. He would be content to walk up and down the halls over and over again, checking on  the other kids and smiling, laughing, and giving five to everyone.


 Here is one of our volunteers, Carolina from France. She speaks excellent French and Spanish, but NO English. Here she is with Alberto and Jenifer Susana. She is a world traveller and also does

volunteer work in other central and South American countries.

Palm Sunday is a huge day here in Antigua, marking the beginning of Semana Santa, or Holy Week. You are expected to buy and bring your own palms to church. They are usually adorned lavishly with flowers, little crosses or statues and looped into beautiful designs. The procession scheduled for Sunday night is expected to last until about 2 AM!

Here are plantains frying for the hungry crowds. Places to buy food,

are as thick as at the county fair. There are typical Guatemalan dishes,
sweets, treats, drinks, toys, and Lenten souvenirs. I suspect many people who earn their livings from the tourist trade probably reap the majority of their yearly income during this week, and spend the other 52 weeks in planning.

I hope you will have a wonderful Holy Week as well. There is no school for the elementary kids so I am again attending Spanish classes. I am determined to master this new language whatever the timing. It will be interesting trying to cross streets etc with the huge volume of both people and traffic. More next week. Love etc. Noanie-Joanne