Ah yes, Super Bowl weekend in Miami – the city of sin was sinning more than ever with the presence of so many celebrities (saw one paparazzi at the airport trying to get a photo of a woman and her daughter – she refused, not sure who it was – but definitely someone from LATAM) and athletes gathering in on place.  Happy the Saints won, well deserved.

MIA was a complete zoo this morning – there was a long line for security and a long line on the runway for us to get out.  Coupled with the fact that a navigation instrument had to be fixed before take off (just love those), the flight was delayed for about 1 hour.  Not so bad, spent most of the time emailing and working on various documents.

Flight was very smooth and the food was very decent.  I must say, traveling with people is so much more fun than going solo.

By Jeremy Lapedis, KF9, Guatemala

At the office of FAPE, we had our Christmas party. Tents we set up outside, presents were put on the table. All in all, when looking at it, it reminded me of a graduation party. The weather was 60 and sunny, and spirits were high. And to put the icing on the cake (literally and figuratively) we had Bertha Carmelina– a Kiva entrepreneur who runs a restaurant–cooking our food for us. But before the food came out, there were all sorts of activities that reminded me a of a talent show.

First, came the amigo secreto (secret friend) gift exchange. One by one people were called up to the front to receive and give their gifts. I was called up by Josue, a young man who works in accounting. He gave me a cologne entitled Open In Case of Emergency. I have yet to open it. I had, with the help of a female loan officer, picked out a nice lamp for my secret friend. So I called up Flor, gave her kiss on the cheek, and gave her the oddly wrapped lamp.

Next came the talent show portion. The first talent was a song by a group of seven loan officers from the Sacatepequez region. They got up, stood together, and sang and smiled the entire time. I was able to get a bit on video:

After that we saw a play. It was about a woman at the airport, who had just bought a box of chocolates. She sat down, and started eating them. Strangely enough, the man next to her also started eating them, until their was one left. Which the stranger then took, and split in half. When the women got on the plane, realized that she had her box of chocolates fully unopened, and she had been eating his. It was too late to apologize to the stranger whose chocolates she had just eaten. The moral being that sometimes we often have misconceptions about the world, and the best we can do is learn from the past so that we don’t repeat our mistakes in the future. Lastly came the meal. Some sort of chicken, beef, corn, tomato stew. It was delicious and a little spicy. It’s typical of the food she cooks in her comedor for her customers. Being from the capital city, a lot of people at FAPE had never tried this typical stew from the country. Tje dessert was some sort of green squash-based sweet. A little rare for my tastes, but everyone else seemed to like it. The meal was great: Kiva lenders supporting the entrepreneur with a loan, who in turn cooked for FAPE, and FAPE further supporting the entrepreneur by paying her for her cooking.  Lend to more entrepreneurs like Bertha on Kiva.

ok….trying to play catch-up from this trip…sooo much has taken place it’s just so much to even take in. I truly wish I had been able to come longer than just a week, but I see this time as the Lord showing me a glimpse of what life could be like in the mission field.

Saturday, November 14, 2009: Day 3 – girls trip to Antigua
So…. in lieu of going to Antigua on Friday, Amy decided it would be fun to have a girls day and go on Saturday and spend the day there…and honestly…a day wasn’t truly enough to see all that could be seen but it did give me an idea of what it was like. Modern day monks, three (3) weddings taking place at three (3) different churches (all of which I was going to see – churches, not weddings). It’s amazing at how simple the lives of the people of Guatemala are – the way they work and how hard they work. I learned that the people of this country, quality of service is more important that quantity. The cost of a service here is almost nothing compared to the States. Example: what would cost $65.00/hr to fix in the USA, would cost $10.00/hr instead; however, the part is somewhat more expensive sine it is imported, but at least you’re not getting the double whammy over getting hit with high fees and the service is done right the first time and you’re not being jipped. I got to try a variety of food, lamb stew with rice on the side, zucchini salad, a taco (what we would called a taquito), a papusa (two (2) flour tortillas with mozzarella-like cheese in it). Tortillas are an everyday with lunch thing, it takes the place of regular bread. Lunch is the meal of the day also – it is generally the biggest meal of the day in Guatemala and most of Central America. While in Antigua, there was a Festival for education going on in one of the parks, and I was approached by a Canadian woman who was asking about the verse on the shirt I was wearing, which was our youth SOLID shirt with Acts 26:18 on the back of it – she had a Spanish Bible and was asking about what it meant, I guess she couldn’t translate it very well or her English version was of another religion, praise God for an opportunity to talk in English to someone about God’s Word. I have really learned how needy I really am, even though I have so much, there are things I found in myself that I don’t necessarily “need” but want, which for me, turns into needing and that turns a focus away from my relationship with God. This is not a good need, it’s a need of things of this world. The old ruins of the city were beautiful, the background scenery of the volcanoes and mountains were pretty awesome – the fact that these volcanoes are still active is pretty neat too. God’s creation, AWESOME. Saturday was a long day, but fun to experience with the girls of the house. You’ll see a couple of photos with Hope and I together. Hope is the daughter of John and Amy Banta – she is 11 years old. We were all pretty tired from that day and headed home around 5:00pm and had a small meal. John had a “guys day” with Luke (8) and Titus (7). We, the girls, missed Titus and Luke’s soccer games…I was bummed about that but there will be another time for that.

Sunday, November 15, 2009: Day 4 – church, making galletas (cookies) and visiting the park
Woke up as normal 6am, had breakfast. Sunday school started at 9 and the service began at 10. I went with John and Amy to Pastor Teddy’s class and we studied Jude and he taught about who Jude was and how he introduced himself – he spoke first as a bondservant of Christ, then as his brother and how he addresses those he talked to “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you”. On a cultural note, in Guatemala and some other places in Central America, it is customary to address the person you are writing to in this fashion. We began to discuss the ungodly characteristics, judgment of sin, false teachers and characteristics of a follower of Christ and sanctification. He then challenged the class, which I have yet to do, to write someone a letter and offer encouragement to them, addressing them as the apostles did, even so as Jude did.

The music played during the service had me broken even though I didn’t fully understand all of the lyrics, I knew a few words that caught my eye, and God did the rest….He broke me. it’s amazing what He does even with language barriers! The message from Pastor Teddy, during the actual Sunday service, was out of Hebrews 11 – the stories of faith. It was a perfect message for the time I was there…a reminder of those who were well before me and that it took a lot of faith for me to take this step to go somewhere alone, as sin-filled, broken and really unworthy to even be called, He called upon me to go. He is using someone not great by any means, to do great things for His kingdom. After church, we went back to the house and we had lunch at the house, prepared more galletas for the week to come and then headed to the park to see John play soccer at 4pm. Now, going to this park, I was expecting a sizable park and a grass field, that was not the case: See more photos here. The league John plays on is all ages, various skill levels, but intense. They also have a children’s league and women’s league as well. The kids and women generally play on Saturdays and the men play on Sunday afternoon. This kind of thing is a big part of the culture. You will see families come out to the park and they invite you as well to take part in it, this is a great time of fellowship for them, in the neighborhood you are a big family and that is how you are treated, even the gringos/gringas who come. They really enjoy the time together, all of the kids come out and play as well on the other mini soccer field (also concrete), in the trees, etc. They really enjoyed and get into the soccer games, cheering for their teams, never getting upset at the ref (the players on the other hand do have that tendency to talk to the ref ) I think John’s team lost by one goal to a team who had players half his age. After the park, we headed home to eat dinner and relax a bit. On the way back, I got a frozen choco banana – chocolate covered banana, it was yummy, then we went to the gecko wall and saw one little gecko…looking at the picture – Look on the trunk of the tree at the top of the wall and you’ll see the little green guy – he knew I wasn’t interested in any Geico Insurance so he ran off pretty fast before I could get a full shot of him .

Amy and I got to talk quite a bit about the ministry and then John talked to me about what is going to take place during the week with regards to the camps – how they would be run. We then got on a tangent and talked about the ministry and the vision, which has me still deeply intrigued and I have grown to have a passion for it, because what I see it is definitely only going to be accomplished with God and what they want to accomplish for His glory and to reach the children of this area. I could see myself in a position with this ministry in a variety of ways.

I have really begun to appreciate the things I have even more so and how much I have that I really don’t need or waste in general. I look at this simple lifestyle and think…I could live this way – I only need the minimum. God has given me a heart for simplicity and I am seeing that, all the things I have in my life right now, so much of the “stuff” is just that, stuff, junk, clutter….it’s given me more of a drive to get rid of stuff I don’t need or anything that is just plain ole clutter, that serves no purpose. I don’t need all of the things I thought I did, living just these 3 days with them without all of that other stuff, has shown me I don’t need it. Other things I have learned is accountability. It’s easy to not do your quiet time, have solid prayer, do your daily readings when you don’t have others (friends, family, etc) to hold you accountable – I think I initially thought I was going to be more disciplined on my own while in Guatemala, but that def was not the case. I learned our distractions follow us EVERYWHERE, which is a great, humbling reminder and I am thankful for Him revealing this to me. I knew they [distractions] would, but it had to be shown to me as well – I’m kinda a visual learner .

Love,
Shea

Hi all

I wanted to let you all know, if you haven’t figured it out already, I have arrived back in the States. Needless to say I’m still processing a lot of things. It was a culture shock just returning back home to things that I was used to and I have a gammit of emotions in me, it may have only been 9 days, but it was a long 9 days. I attempted to go back to work on Monday and made it through three (3) hours until the fatigue set in amongst other things and I left work and went home and rested (well slept pretty much till it was dark)

I have finally gotten all the photos uploaded…I also have videos, but not sure when those will go up Photos linked below

Flight photos going to Guatemala: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=344664&id=555125073&l=4fcb848a01

Day in Antigua: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=345668&id=555125073&l=9d4f3f478a

Camp Day 1: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347250&id=555125073&l=bc12fded00

Camp Day 1: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347526&id=555125073&l=5f07fd8f15

Camp Day 2: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347546&id=555125073&l=d99fcaede1

Camp Day 2: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347555&id=555125073&l=fb28a14e93

Camp Day 3: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=348157&id=555125073&l=01901d3c1c

Camp Day 3: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=348172&id=555125073&l=d21089a10b

Camp Day 4: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349131&id=555125073&l=b42e5e9f54

Camp Day 4: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349154&id=555125073&l=3dc3e31e2b

Camp Day 5: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349169&id=555125073&l=8cdc456aae

Camp Day 5: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349512&id=555125073&l=5d10b82736

Going back to the States: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349524&id=555125073&l=beb5c95139

As many of you know my luggage did not make it home until Tuesday evening, November 23 at 9:30pm, it was sitting in Miami Customs, where I should have picked it up – mis-communication in Guatemala

I attached a photo of my Guatemala family – the Bantas and the fellas I worked alongside everyday with the kids.

I haven’t updated the blog since Days 1 and 2…but it will come…maybe check back first full week of December or the new year…I also have to write a story about the trip for GSM

Thank you again for the encouragement and prayers.

Let’s face it: spanish tongue is beautiful, but it has so many accents (according to the place you’re in) and so many differences from country to country that a foreigner may end up more confused.

I mean, if an english speaker have studied spanish in Spain and then this person comes to Latin America, chances are he / she understands half of what people talk. Why? Because Spain’s accent is so diferent from Latin America’s  that it even sounds like another language to foreigners..

Not to mention: accent differences among Central America, Mexico and South America. Totally different. And I have focused just on the accent, what about idioms? You can’t imagine how one word can have so many meanings depending on where are you (Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Argentina).

This is why is so important to focus on what you really need when you’re looking for a translator. For example, if you’re planning to share your website for customers in Central America, it may be better to specify this next time you’re searching for a translation service.

At Mayordomo Fiel you can find english-spanish translations (and viceversa) ideal for all Latin America, and even Spain, for we have had customers from the other side of the ocean, which has been the best way to learn how to write and translate for them.  So, give us a call or send us your inquiry.

For Concierge Assistance visit our special site.

Image: el mundo

After spending a full day doing nothing but trying to get OUT of Guatemala City, I’ve decided that street signs are the main cause for Latin American urbanization.  Obviously no one WANTS to live in a big Latin American city.  They’re dirty, dangerous, and horribly frustrating.  But they’re nearly impossible to escape.  So when some poor soul HAS to go visit the capital (whether to see relatives, conduct business, or just simply sightseeing in the capital) well, they just get stuck.  There are seriously NO signs telling you how to get out.  And there are only a few limited roads leading out anyway.  It’s pretty close to impossible to find your way out.  So eventually, you just need to find a job to pay for a hotel bill, and there you go.  You’re urbanized.

I really can’t think of anything I hate worse than driving in Central American capitals … and so far I’ve only been to one.  It’s seriously no fun.  I’ll try to explain why.

I left Antigua at about 10 AM or so today (late, lazy start, but I wasn’t planning to go that far, maybe 100 miles or so.)  I drove into Guatemala city … about a 15-20 min drive, and guess what.  I’m still here.   At 4 pm, completely frustrated, and with no chance of making my destination by dark, I found the only hotel I could see … an expensive business hotel.  I’m pampering myself.

You’d think that when you enter a city on a road titled CA1, and you know that there’s a road leaving the same city called CA1 that you’re best plan is to just stay on that road, right?  You’d think  so, right?  But you’d be wrong.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a road that goes from one end of the city to the other.   I’m not talking about not FINDING the right road that leads you out … there ISN’T one.  I’m not kidding.  You can’t follow the Interamerican highway through GC because it doesn’t exist inside the city.   It enters the city as a highway, and then just disappears into plain old surface streets … the kind that end after 5 blocks or so.  So, my plan didn’t work.  My plan B didn’t work either.  I kept heading south and east whenever I could because the road I was looking for leaves on the south-east side of the city.  And eventually I did find a road that left the city.  I drove it for about 15 miles before I hit a small village where the road turned to dirt.  There were no turn offs on the entire 15 mile stretch (not paved ones anyway).

It’s frustrating.   So.  In the morning I’ll try plan C.  Plan C is to leave from a completely different road (the one I came in on when I was heading to Antigua last week) and take the long way.   I think I can actually get out of the city that way.  Wish me luck!

These days the word blog has become regular in our day-to-day vocabulary, we follow them, we write them, we share them.. In fact, there are a lot of people out there who call themselves bloggers, who really can  make a living by writing any kind of subject: from politics to science, from cinema to health.

Now, a blog must be taken care of, you can’t open one and never visit it again, or maybe do so once in a month. Specially because if you’re looking forward attracting interest from, say, your customers; you need to have a stable and ongoing communication with them. That’s one of the beauties of blogging, you’re able to create a two-way conversation thanks to the comment area, suggestion, etc.

Among the services a Virtual Assistant can help you with is precisely this: updating your blog. It doesn’t matter if you trust the VA to search and write the post or if you just send her/him the information online so he/she can upload it. The important thing is for you to save time…

There are even VA’s who are able to set up an entire design for a new blog site, or to change the settings, upload new and interesting videos, etc.

So, if you’re neglecting a little your own company blog, give us a call, we might be able to help you out.

At 5am we got out of our van in Santa Maria de Jesus, a small town of almost exclusively Mayan inhabitants on the falda (skirt) of Volcan Agua. The sky was clear, cold, and changing colour in the East as the sun prepared for its entrance by polarizing the distant clouds into dark greys and soft oranges. Our guides, Francisco and Omar introduced themselves and told us we had a nice day to make the five hour hike to the crater of this magnificent, dormant giant that dominates the view from every one of the cobbled streets of nearby Antigua, Guatemala.

I had arrived in Antigua a week or so previously after a 27 hour bus journey from Mexico City. I took an almost instant dislike to it. On the face of it the city has everything going for it: it was the one time capital city of Guatemala after pent up rainwater in the crater of Volcan Agua escaped, creating a vast landslide that devastated the previous capital which had been located on its lower slopes. Thus Antigua was once a great centre of colonial power and this is reflected in the physical appearance of the city despite mother nature’s near constant attempts to shake the place to the ground– hell the place is stunning. Cobbled streets flanked by one story colour washed houses, magnificent palaces overlooking the central park, and everywhere the great volcanoes of the region look down upon this city packed with nice hotels, bars, parks, ruins and churches.

So what then could my problem be? Essentially it all boils down to the number of tourists. The presence of tourists is not in and of itself a negative thing, and I am under no illusions that I am anything other than a number in their ranks. Yet in the case of Antigua tourism has turned a UNESCO World Heritage Site into a pretty vacuous experience. The people that come to Antigua, many of whom do so in order to take advantage of one of the many excellent Spanish schools, are all no doubt seeking genuine experiences of life in Guatemala. However, the sheer numbers involved have induced an industry to spring up in Antigua, and it is manufacturing the easy life for the gringos. Every other door is a travel agent who can ferry you by coach for $40 to the next pit stop on the trail which could equally be reached for $4 on the camionetas (bizarrely decorated ex-US school buses). There is international cuisine. Shops stock cigars and fine wines. There is no evidence of the poverty that affects 75% of this nation. Life is good. Life is easy. Faced with such an atmosphere the tourists do what tourists do when no effort is needed to realize meaningful travels – they drink. They drink and dance badly to US Hip-Hop.

This feeling of distrust toward a place such as Antigua for its plethora of travelers has elicited some complicated feelings for me. One the one hand I cannot ignore my initial reactions to a place, nor successfully intellectualize them away.  On the other it seems mean spirited, in countries such as Guatemala where poverty is a real problem, to denounce a place for its success in attracting tourism. The fact of this success has provided jobs to local people enabling many to lift themselves out of poverty, provided a marketplace for indigenous communities to sell their wares, and even for those not directly employed in the tourism industry there is no doubt a trickle down effect of the imported wealth. When considering this however, I also bear in mind the fact that many of the bars and hotels and travel agencies in Antigua are owned by foreigners looking to exploit the growth in tourism. Additionally there are towns and villages in close proximity that are terribly poor, so the wealth may not in fact trickle down all that far.

Nevertheless tourism in Antigua, for all its warts, must be a positive for the local communities. There is a tendency in me, and therefore I assume in other travelers, to judge  place based on how many authentic experiences it can yield. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, however, I now want to keep in mind that places are not put on this earth only to gift me interesting stories and encounters; people live permanently in the realities through which I pass only fleetingly.  Therefore, I will seek out places that are off the beaten track, yet suppress the urge to begrudge a place its ability to draw large crowds of tourists, as those tourists can inadvertently allow communities to better their own lives.

From Antigua it is possible to take a tour of  Volcan Pacaya. Before I go any further I should declare that I did not take this tour and my therefore ill informed view runs contrary to that expressed by basically everyone that I spoke to who had made the trip. You have been warned.

Pacaya is one of the active volcanoes in the region and it is possible to drive up most of it, engage in a gentle one/two hour stroll with up to 200 other tourists in order to see (hopefully) rivers of magma flowing from the crater. The round trip from Antigua costs around 50 Quetzals (£4).

To me this is almost as adventurous as deciding after a particularly stiff dinner party to shun one’s usual habits and plump for a regular rather than a decaf coffee. Even if I could ignore the fact that virtually no exertion is needed to the reach the summit, I could not enjoy an ancient and powerful natural spectacle such as seeing part of the core of our planet spewing forth from a vent in Guatemala, if I was constantly saying “excuse me” to the hordes in order to get a peak. The various agencies are compelled to give their clients team names so the guides can distinguish between the multitudes!

Thus, when I saw Agua looming over me when I arrived, and, subsequently when I was told that it was possible to climb although tours were rare, my heart was set on scaling it. I made contact with a private guide through a travel agent. The guide would charge £40 for the day to lead an expedition including transport. I needed to find companions not only to share the cost, but to provide safety in numbers as there have been instances of tourists being ambushed on the slopes of these volcanoes. It was now that I began to despair as all the people I approached in the street and bars responded to my invitation, in the main, by looking blank before asking me if I was aware that the Pacaya tour was only £4 and involved only an hour or so walking.

As despair turned to resignation and resignation turned to plans to leave Antigua, I decided to put up an advert in my school and lo and behold five others agreed to climb with me. Result!

And so it was that at 5.15am we were walking through the farm land that has ordered the chaos of the subtropical jungle that covers the lower slopes of Volcan Agua. Tall, slender and eerie, the purple maize plants silhouetted against the slowly brightening sky swayed down toward us. Passing through some narrow tracks we arrived in the jungle proper. The going was hard but manageable. I don’t think any of our group was hugely fit, but we were marching consistently.

About three hours into the hike the landscape changed as we entered the area that was destroyed by the landslide. A huge tear was made in the side of the volcano; no plant life is there, only gravel and large loose stones. This in turn gives way in the final scene change, to pines and also grasses reminiscent of Norfolk sand-dunes. We were now hiking in the clouds, a danger of attempting such journeys so close to the end of the rainy season.

As we approached the summit, we emerged from the cloud cover into blue skies. An infinity of clouds stretched out before us with only Volcan Acatenango being tall enough to rise majestically through the sheets of white. Occasionally the wind would blow a hole in the clouds and Guatemala City would be revealed to us. Another gust and the reflected light of Lago Amatitlan would come shining through. We were alone in the crater where there is a small church. We were isolated from the towns below; above the clouds; 3760 metres above the sea, and 1208 metres above the second group of tours that would have been making their way up Pacaya at about that time.

This was not adventure hiking. The trails were well established and easy to follow, there were other recreational hikers we met on our descent (all Guatemaltecos), and the farmers were running up and down between their smallholdings. Additionally there is a community of less than five men that tend the antennas that have been perched on the crater lips meaning there is a stream of men that hike up to deliver provisions. The volcano is covered in litter as Guatemaltecos think nothing of littering their country, often throwing bags of rubbish from the bus windows, or in this case directly to the volcanic earth.

Despite these things, the breathless hour I spent in relative solitude on that volcano after five hours hiking, a horribly early start, and difficulties in organizing the tour, was the best that I would spend in the Antigua region. We were barely off the tourist trails but it felt like a different world. Little did I know as I gazed upon the temples of clouds that three days later I would be atop the highest point in Central America, in far more extreme circumstances but with an equally imposing, inspiring and private vista.

[The Spanish school I attended was called Spanish Academy Antiguena http://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com/. It costs $160 a week for 4 hours per day one-on-one tution and homestay with three meals a day.

The travel agent who helped me get in touch with a private guide was called Vera L. Castillo of the Hotel Dia Verde. She is extremely helpful and patient and she will be able to help you plan any sort of trip you could desire, plus it will be better value than some of the larger outfits. Email vera12cg@yahoo.com]

Last night I was donwloading the Google Latitute app to my computer (available also for iPhone).  This Google app enables people to connect with other friends online and share their location.  It enables users to connect their physical world to online social networking services.

About Google Latitute

And this morning I woke up with two emails from friends that asked me the same thing:

¿Do you really want to be kidnapped?

And yes, they are paranoic.  But the reason they are paranoic is because I live in Guatemala City.  And Guatemala City is one of the most dangerous city in Latin America (next to Rio de Janeiro as some analysts say).  Last year, more than 6 thousand people were killed in the city (2 people out of 1,000 that lives in the metropoli). An “over the past several years, the violent crime rate has increased in Guatemala. The most pronounced example is the number of homicides, which increased 40 percent from 4,507 homicides in 2004 to 6,292 homicides in 2008, according to official police statistics. The prosecution rate, however, has remained between two percent and three percent. Also, the number of national police officers (PNC) has not increased to meet the growing threat. Guatemala’s homicide rate in 2008 was about 53 per 100,000 persons. For comparison, the U.S. homicide rate was about 5.6 per 100,000 persons. Despite the rising crime rate, there is no specific targeting of American citizens, and tourists of all nationalities accounted for only 0.5 percent of all robberies in 2008.” (more info…)

So, I think I’d better start thinking of a REALLY good reason why I’m still living here.  For all of us to still be living here…

]]> http://loancredits.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/advantages-to-using-credit-cards-with-reward-programs/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:02:24 +0000 loancredits http://loancredits.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/advantages-to-using-credit-cards-with-reward-programs/

Using credit cards wisely is part of an overall financial plan that should include budgeting, savings/investment, debt management and insurance. In your economic life, money is “fungible,” meaning that all these areas are interconnected, and a dollar saved in one area can be spent in another. It all comes out of one “pot,” so to speak, so any time you reach into that pot for more than is budgeted, you will affect your entire financial plan.

That said, there are ways to save money on credit cards – shopping around for interest rates, getting cards with no annual fee, paying your balance off monthly – but there are also ways to make money with them. This is where rewards and/or “points” programs come into play. Remember, though, that credit card companies do not promote rewards programs out of kindness or on a whim. They do it because they can make money doing so. Therefore, you need to know how rewards programs work, and have the discipline to work them to your advantage, or they will just be another expense to you, regardless of the occasional item you get to trade points for (and it may even come in a box with ribbon on it).

Rebates vs. points

When considering what credit card reward programs to join, make sure to research the subject well and think it through. You also need to ensure that the type of program you choose fits your lifestyle and temperament. If you are a bachelor, you don’t need a card that builds rewards points at “Baby & Boo’s Clothes for Youths” or anything like that. You should get reward cards whose advantages that are of real value to you, and valuable right now, not in three years. Naturally, the primary advantage of a rewards program that is well-managed (by you and by the credit card company) is the fact you will be obtaining benefits worth more than the programs cost you.

The two most popular rewards programs are (1) accumulating points toward merchandise or services and (2) getting cash rebates, usually annually. The Discover card is famous for its rebate programs, but the fact is that there are a number of limitations and you have to work diligently to get anything close to the maximum 5% annual rebate. Other cards, from Visa and MasterCard to oil company cards, have rebate programs, too, but most often have points-based rewards programs that are geared to travel or shopping. You need to make this decision, cash back or points, when deciding among the credit cards and rewards programs in effect today.

Tailoring the programs

You may decide that you want a “cash back” card or, better yet, one that does not offer just cash, but also gives you the option of taking rebates in the form of gift certificates or cards. Sometimes, for extra incentive, gift certificates that are used at specified businesses can result in up to double the cash back. If you are a big fan of getting real “bang for your buck,” then you should consider getting a credit card that offers these expanded choices.

Rewards programs in which you build up points can be advantageous especially when used for travel redemption. In fact, among the very first credit card rewards programs were some that let you build up “miles” for use with certain airlines. Today, of course, you can do many more things with your points, and anything you want with your annual cash rebates. Programs run by the different credit card companies share a number of basic characteristics, of course, but then offer incredible variety when it comes to how they operate, what they cost and what they really offer in value.

Making the choice(s)

Whatever rewards program you join, read all the fine print. Make sure you understand what purchases are not qualified, that is, do not earn you any points or rebates. There will always be exclusions. Some cards offer rewards programs with no annual fee, while others will waive the first year’s fee if your spending reaches a certain threshold, but it is very hard to get a no-fee program unless your credit is excellent and your purchases add up to a hefty number.

You should take the time to crunch a few numbers to see if joining a rewards program or two is worth your while. The annual fee, the interest you pay, the amount you use your card – all of these will affect your total cost of membership, and your benefits need to exceed the cost or you will simply be handing over extra money to the credit card company and the bank behind it. Talk to some friends or coworkers about their experiences with rewards programs, and interpret what you hear in terms of your own needs, buying patterns and financial status. The last thing you want to do is make the rewards program a reward for the credit card company instead of yourself!

Credit Cards Made Simple provides information on helping you make the right choice when choosing low interest credit cards and understanding the credit card processing companies.
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The first time I travelled to Guatemala, I was in 7th Grade. Since then, I have been there 7 times, my last trip being May of 2007. That first time, though, was huge. My parents sat my sister and I down one day and asked if we wanted to go to Guatemala. I said yes; sure, of course!   I had no idea where Guatemala was. The idea of some new exotic place to go to was all that my 13-year-old self was thinking. How envious my friends would be! Needless to say, nobody else my age knew where Guatemala was either. Nor were they impressed. Rather, they thought it a little bit nuts-o. Actually, some of my parents friends thought that as well. The reason being, I suppose, is that it wasn’t as if we were going to Jamaica to sit on the beach and tan, or to Europe to see the Eifel Tower. No, no. Our family was going to a Third World country on a medical mission trip. During Spring Break, no less.

I remember the excitement leading up to departing Philadelphia International. I also remember the nervousness when our group finally made it through customs and walked out into the main lobby of the Guatemala City Airport. There were people milling all around, watching people coming through customs. I felt a million eyes on me, and felt like an outsider. I, along with my family and the rest of the mission group, had just become the minority as soon as we walked off the plane. It was an interesting revelation, to say the least.

 Walking out of the airport was an adventure as well, because there were gates keeping people back, and if you didn’t hold onto the person in front of you, you may very well get sucked into the movement of the crowd.

I also remember a distinct smell that reached my nostrils upon leaving the airport. I cannot put it into words, but I have always associated it with Guatemala. Even here in the states, I periodically smell it, and it always reminds me of Guatemala. The mission leaders, a couple by the name of John and Sharon Harvey from ASELSI, met us at the airport with a school bus. Yes. A brightly painted school bus. Decorated with naked women and religious paintings and phrases. I later learned that these school buses are the leftovers from the United States (from the 1980s, I believe) and most Central American countries have them, all painted differently depending on the country.

Stepping onto that bus and riding through Guatemala city marked my first experience with reality of the rest of the world. It is hard to put to words the effect these experiences had, but I will try my best in the coming posts. For now, I will leave you with a nice view of the volcanic Lake Atitlan from the shore town of Panajachel.

View from Road to Panajachel

One of the advantages of hiring a VA is that you’ll be able to reach a wider audience by asking her / him to search and find new possible clients in her / his location…

I mean, maybe your VA is in an entire different continent, which means she / he would probably speak another language besides english, plus, the VA has the knowledge of the culture, market needs, etc.

Also, having someone who can communicate properly with your customers in their own language gives always a great impression.

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Among the services our clients require the most is the translation of short or long texts, from spanish to english, or viceversa…

Now, in this new period, we continue to offer affordable rates in general subjects (not legal or technical subjects) with the plus of a customized delivery period of time, so that you can be sure that you get exactly what you need when you need it.

Also, we can assist you in searching for a particular subject in the web, whether is in spanish or in english.

Need more info? Leave us a comment or send us an email to mayordomofiel@gmail.com

Meanwhile, stay tuned, new website coming soon. For Personal Concierge services in Guatemala visit http://conciergeinguatemala.wordpress.com

BSN Class of 2010 students Molly White and Courtney Cox traveled to Guatemala during summer 2009 to provide care for people living in the poor areas of the country, particularly in Guatemala City and the surrounding villages.

With guidance from assistant professor Chris Harlan, White and Cox

BSN Class of 2010 students Molly White (left) and Courtney Cox (right) worked for six weeks in Guatemala City, Guatemala as a summer externship experience.

coordinated their trip through a Texas-based medical mission organziation called Shared Beat. For six weeks, they operated clinics, provided various types of screenings and distributed medications to people who have very little or no access to healthcare, many of whom had never visited a healthcare provider before.

Shared Beat operates the medical mission in cooperation with Safe Passage, a school open near the main city dump in Guatemala. Guatemala City is a very poor, violent place, and Safe Passage offers children an oasis where they can learn, get a healthy meal and participate in social activities. Many of the childrens’ parents collect recyclables and other materials that they can sell from the city dump.

The Guatemala city dump where many of the parents of children who participate in Safe Passage collect recyclables and other materials for money.

White, Cox and the other healthcare provider volunteers on the trip also did home visits in many of the small surrounding villages. A pediatric cardiologist accompanied them on these visits. The majority of people in these villages were living in primitive conditions. Many allow their chickens and other livestock to run free through their dwellings. Often, according to White and Cox, the animals looked and behaved sickly. Unfortunately, the sick chickens were also the only source of eggs and meat for many people.

White and Cox said that it was satisfying to be able to help individuals who have never had

Molly White (right) sits and talks with a man who has come into the clinic in Safe Passage to receive healthcare services.

access to healthcare before. Traveling to Guatemala either with Shared Beat or through the School of Nursing is something both students recommended to anyone considering a global study externship.

Let’s buy a house together!

We can can buy a house next to the Guatemala City Dump for only $4,000.

Not interested in living there?

OK. We can give it to one of the thousands of families who already live there without a home.

Worried about giving a hand out that might harm do more harm than good? 

Do not worry - this will be the smart kind of gift. 

The church that I am a part of, Elmbrook, has a long standing partnership with an organization in the Guatemala City Dump. Potter’s House is a Guatemalan Christian Organization committed to ministry to the 11,000+ people who live around the city dump. Potter’s House has history and relationships in the city dump neighborhoods. They will work with community leaders to identify the family that should receive the house.Potter’s House will then continue to their holistic care for the family.

I have seen how a house can change the future for a family in the Guatemala City Dump. A house obviously provides the family with shelter from the natural elements and some of the crime in the community. The house also gives the family the stability needed to break the cycle of extreme poverty. I have even seen families use their homes to launch innovative businesses so that their survival is no longer dependant upon picking through the city dump.

If you would like to help me buy a house for a family living in the Guatemala City Dump, please print out, or copy, the section below and send it with your contribution. Checks can be made out to Elmbrook Church, as they are coordinating the effort. Please include the code 99gu36 on the memo line of the check. Do not include my name on the check.

Thank you for partnering with me in this life saving gift! 

ELMBROOK CHURCH: Guatemala City/ Potter’s House Mission  (99gu36) 

Refered by Jim Vining

Gift Amount:

Name:

Mailing Address:

Email Address:

Mail to: Attn – Elmbrook Church Finance Office   Elmbrook Church 777 S. Barker Road Brookfield, WI 53045

Email received from John and Amy Banta:

Hi, everyone. We hope you are enjoy the fall fun. For us, life has been a busy with plans for this years camps. Plans for 12 camps over six weeks time are having the final touches put on this week and next. This means that Monday through Friday, we will be on the field from 8:30-12:00 and again from 1:00 – 5:00. Each camp lasts for one week, with each being either in the morning or in the afternoon. During the lunch hour, we pack up all the supplies, find a bite to eat, and transport all the coaches, helpers, and equipment to the afternoon location. God has done great things through these camps in the past. It is our prayer that He will do the same again… or even beyond our imagination.

Please be praying for protection, safety, cars to run well, coaches and helpers to be sufficient, lunches to work efficiently, and for a great team spirit among all of us working the camps. God really has allowed a great deal of detail work to be done ahead of time this year. Thank you for praying for that. We now are in ‘crunch time’ with just a week and a half to go until we begin.

One area of specific prayer and inspiration has come with this year’s camp snack. We are in the midst of baking 5,000 – 6,000 cookies. Now, these are not just any ordinary cookie…..

These cookies are made from a grain drink mix that enriched with a multitude of nutrients. It is called Incaparina and is a very common drink (or meal) in many of these children’s homes. It is inexpensive and gives a good amount of vitamins and minerals to those consuming it.

Our snacks need to be fast, healthy- in this case high in protein and calories, easy to transport, and kid friendly. Cinnamon and vanilla have helped make them a tasty option. This idea came in response to the president of Guatemala’s declaration last month of a ‘State of Calamity’ for all of Guatemala due to malnutrition. We are so thankful for the funds that have been given to help supply these ‘Energy cookies’ for our soccer players during camps. This has been a massive job to make this quantity of cookies. With the help of a freezer, a small group of US women from Kentucky (Wow! Those ladies sure know how to work!), and many Guatemala women…. we may just get the needed cookies ready for the camps in time! Please pray for a good turn out at this Wednesday’s cookie making event at our church here.
Below is the nutritional information for each cookie given out – just remember, we want high calories here!!!

Also, to help inspire your prayer again – we have posted a reminder video (familiar music, different video) on youtube.

www.youtube.com/user/thebantafive#p/a/u/0/-62qge9v6A0

Please take 4 minutes to give it a look. It may just stick in your heart in a way that reminds you to pray for those attending these camps. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in many hearts to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Blessings to you all and thank you for your faithful prayers and support. John and Amy Banta

One cookie contains-
288 Calories
11 grams of Fat
9 grams of Protein (more when we add peanut butter)
4 grams of Fiber

Percent of daily need:
Vit. A 100%
Vit. C 4%
Riboflavin 35%
Thiamin 41%
Iron 50%
Calcium 16%
Folic Acid 56%
Niacin 20%
Vit B12 32%
Zinc 41%