The Misfits spreading joy and happiness to all the people in Chiquix!

When the group who call themselves the Misfits arrived in Guatemala, everyone knew that they were going to be a lot of fun. They were going to build a wash station in Chiquix, only a ten minute walk away from where the last one was built. This community had worked diligently to organize and petition for this wash station.

When the Misfits arrived at the community center in Santa Catarina, they remarked on how happy they were to see their second family in Guatemala. It was clear how emotionally connected this group was to the people and the place. They were ready to work as hard and as long as they could to give the community what they needed. 

On July 8, they started contructing the new wash station with Don Miguel directing where to put the cement and cinder blocks. If there is anything this group came here to do it was work. By the end of the day they had completed the foundation for the wash station and were ready to start constructing the individual sinks. Often, this group worked in the fog and rain with many of the men from the community coming to help mix cement or shuffling tools from one place to the other. The Misfits noted how involved the men of the community were in the building of this project. Many of them had been coming to Guatemala for more six years and they were surprised at how many people from the community were coming to help. 

One member of the Misfits, Wayne, was on his nineteenth trip to Guatemala. As a seasoned construction worker himself, he worked with the Skillsaw to cut what seemed like thousands of pieces of wood. While they were able to contribute their physical labor, they were more importantly able to build a personal relationship with many of the members of the community. 

By the end of the week, the community joined together in a touching celebration for the volunteers and the new wash station. After the men and women dressed the volunteers in their clothing, we danced and heard many of the community members speak about how important this project is to them. One man said he cant wait for them to come back and build a roof over the wash station. Needless to say, the Misfits will be back next year!