Welcome to the Service Oriented Leadership Experience (SOLE) online journal.

From Nov. 10 through 23, five University of Mary occupational therapy (OT) students and Carol Olson, PhD, OTR/L will travel to Antigua, Guatemala to provide services through the God's Child Project. They will spend two days providing OT to children and adults in Amatitlan, a village close to Guatemala City. They will spend another two days helping with wheelchair fittings at Hope Haven, International, an agency that refurbishes wheelchairs and supplies them to people in need in countries around the world.

The group will also break into two teams and each team will spend three days building a 12' x 16' home for a family currently living in unsanitary or destitute conditions. The group then travels to another small village to help with a clothing and health care distribution.

Along with all the work, the students will be able to spend a few days relaxing and having fun traveling to Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango and touring a coffee plantation.

Highlights of the experience will be posted on this journal page. Check back often for new updates.

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November 18, 2009   House Building COMPLETE!     Team A   The past two days we have been mixing cement and sawing many boards by hand. Yes there was no electricity involved. We then framed the house and painted the walls which are made out of a combination of concrete and sheet rock. The walls were painted blue to represent a house build by the Godīs Child Project. It was very hard work, but it was very rewarding after we saw the smiles and tears from the families.

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Previous Journal Entries

     November 21, 2009: "Casa Jackson- FINALE"
 
     November 20, 2009: "Clothing Distribution"
 
     November 19, 2009: "Hope Haven International (Wheelchair fitting)"
 
     November 18, 2009: "House Building COMPLETE!"
 
     November 16, 2009: "First Day of House Building"
 
     November 14, 2009: "The orphanage and Lake Atitlan"
 
     November 13, 2009: "Amatitlan and Nursing Home Day"
 
     November 12, 2009: "Therapy in Guatemala"
 
     November 11, 2009: "We arrived in Antigua, Guatemala"