The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Two years ago, fresh out of school and admittedly green to travel anywhere outside the realm of Manitoba, Snow Lake's Jonathan Foord embarked upon a journey that would open his eyes and his heart to the joys of helping those who are less fortunate. "I realized that the only way to strengthen my faith was to test it," explained Foord in speaking about the three months he spent in Guatemala, doing missionary work and building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Foord said that he had been thinking about going to a bible college for his first year after high school, to allow a transition year of sorts. However, the program he ended up enrolling in meant moving beyond the world that contained all that he knew, and involved immersing himself in the unknown and uncomfortable. "For a person who had never been farther west than Saskatchewan, farther south than Minnesota, or been on an airplane, this was the program to broaden my horizons," he added in describing his situation back then. Foord, a 20 year-old who is currently a first year engineering student at the University of Manitoba, left Winnipeg for Guatemala with 36 others in January 2002. Through a program sponsored by the Canadian Mennonite University of Winnipeg and through donations from family and friends of the group, the students were provided with the opportunity to build nine houses in Guatemala with Habitat para Humanidad (Habitat for Humanity). "I did have to pay for tuition, medication bills, and airplane tickets," said Foord. "However, thanks to the members of the Snow Lake Christian Centre, the cost of my trip was reduced significantly." The costs of the overall program were subsidized by donations to the Canadian Mennonite University. Foord said that being in Guatemala for three months allowed him and his group the opportunity to visit a lot of different places. The first place they spent time in was a small town in the mountains called Chuba. "This is where my group had the opportunity to help build four houses with Habitat for Humanity," said Foord. "It was hard work hand-mixing cement, and building a house out of cement blocks; however, the experience was rewarding. And even though the houses were quite simple, they were quite a step up from the shacks that many of these people would normally live in." Although the group worked throughout the week, most weekends were free and Foord says he spent his first free weekend on an island in the Pacific. "I had the opportunity to sample fresh coconuts, walk on the black volcanic sand beaches, and get four stitches in the back of my head while attempting to surf," he said. After two weeks of working with people they were unable to communicate with, Foord says the group headed to the town where their host families were situated, a community called Jocotenango. Here they would take Spanish lessons for four-hours a day. During his time in Jocotenango, Foord had the opportunity to volunteer in a day-care, orphanage, and a hospital. Also, while there, he states that his group enjoyed a cultural studies day every Wednesday. "This was when we visited many of the historical sites and, in doing so, were able to gain a better feel for the people and culture around us," said Foord. His last week in the country was spent working with Habitat for Humanity in Quetzaltenango, (Xel) where he was able to help others begin the construction of another house. See 'View' P.# Con't from P.# While there, a few of his group climbed Volcan Santa Maria (Volcano Saint Mary), which has an altitude of 3772 m. "It was quite the hike, but the view was absolutely amazing," said Foord. "Volcan Santa Maria was inactive, but the smaller volcano beside us would continually blow clouds of smoke up from below giving us yet another amazing view." Other than a steady battle against mild dysentery (Foord lost 15 lbs while away) the young missionary feels that the time he spent in Central America was beneficial in every aspect. He says that he didn't have a main focus before leaving for Guatemala and didn't really know what to expect, what it would be like, or how he would adapt. "I think my main focus while I was there moved more towards how my life and future would evolve based upon the insights I gained while there," said Foord. "Service also became a focus, as it was rewarding, and seemed like we gained more than we were able to give." Currently Foord lives in Winnipeg and is closing in on his first year of engineering. He hopes to eventually get into Civil/Structural Engineering and be done with school in 2008. "But I'll see what happens," says Foord with a smile. "When I'm done, I hope to be able to travel more and possibly work in a variety of countries. But my life is not my own, so plans could change."
