The Long Long Long way home!!

It is strange how eleven days can change the meaning of such a simple phrase. Webster's dictionary defines "home" as :

1. one's place of residence : domicile b: house

2. : the social unit formed by a family living together

3. a: a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment; also: the focus of one's domestic attention

Eleven days ago twenty-four people set out, leaving the comforts of "home" to embark on a journey to Nicaragua.  As the team arrived in Managua Nicaragua, the members had the opportunity ti come together as a team while putting aside their anxieties.

The team was quickly reminded of where we had landed, as well as what we had all left behind in order to take part in such a great cause.  Less than twenty-four hours after leaving behind all those daily compliants of hardships upon which we tend to focus on in our lives back home in Canada..

...How bad we have it having to wake up early to go to work, Having to put up with the internet being down, the lad at Starbucks taking too long to make our five dollar coffee or finding that the three bedroom - two and a half bath house is too cramped......

Visiting the "homes" of the families that we were about to spend the week attempting to help build a new home for was a great way to quickly regain one's perspective in life.

Being invited into the homes of these two amazing families was such an un-expected experience and a harsh reminder of what a "home" really is.

Imagine having the resilience to wake up every morning, starting your day in a twenty square meter room with clothe walls seperating your space into rooms for your family of five?

Waking every day to a dirt floor, communal latrine shared with your neighbours and doing it with a smile on your face!

Now that we have spent eleven days in Nicaragua, the journey "home" has begun with a new meaning of what a home is. 

It is amazing  what a little perspective can do to a person.  Our issues at home can now be viewed from a diffrent light tanks to our recent experiences, kicking the "whoa is me" square in the teeth.

When things get rough at home we will be fortunate enough to be able to look back at our time in Nicaragua as a reminder of what a "home" truly can be.

Tony and I would like to thank the team for the amazing effort, spirit and teamwork that was putforth all week, it trully makles our responsibilities much lighter.

Hats off to our Habitat hosts Vittoria, Alisa, Scarleth, Nelson and Adrian for a very well organized trip

and a special thanks to Mike, Sheila and the crew at AutoTrim for their ongoing support, The team poseters were a huge hit..

'Till Next Year...

Paulie

Day Seven Friday November 25th

Both teams headed to their respective build sites for what is the saddest day.  We worked on site for the morning.  We busied ourselves trying to get as many bricks installed.  There is nothing more thrilling than seeing those walls get higher and higher and we have made such an impact.  On Team Paulie, our mason, Carlos, told us we saved him 4 days work!  That is huge!  Both teams spent the morning mixing cement, moving and laying bricks.  Some headed to the adobe factory to make more bricks.  Stan & Joanne went along to help set up for the Christmas party planned for the afternoon.   On Team Tony we were lucky enough to have a bit more time to set up a second tattoo booth, color cartoon pages with the kids and actually take a walkabout around the community.  It was an inspiring site, wonderful to see past Habitat houses, painted in different colors, their yards planted with local vegetation, even one house, brandishing the small Canadian flags handed out earlier in the week. 

The best part of the morning was playing with children, chatting with the masons, families and friends from the community.    On Team Paulie, Camille brought supplies for fingerpainting.  Fernando, Anderson, Francie, Fabiola and Ashley spent all morning doing this.  They were thrilled and so was Rosa when she saw their creations.  The people of this community are extremely proud.  They are not looking for a hand out but rather a hand up.  We have witnessed how hard working they are, especially the women.  I think they were overwhelmed by us, not sure of our intentions.  That wall was broken down and we were embraced. This community has taught us so much.

Since Friday was only a half day of work, at the end of the morning we witnessed the children of the communities going home to clean up and prepare for the early Christmas celebration that Habitat had planned at the Adobe Factory.  As we pulled up in our bus we passed local families walking to the Factory.  Upon our arrival, there were approximately 200 people at the site, with more arriving hourly.  We played games such as musical chairs, dance contests, obstacle course and tug of war, all of which we paired with the community and their children to participate in.  Habitat had organized a Christmas gift for all the children in the community as well as a meal after we had departed for the afternoon.   We were all feeling incredibly overwhelmed as we departed at the end of the day, at the end of this build.

In typical tradition, on Friday night, the Starfish poem was read, this year by Morgan, and then we all  shared our favorite "snapshot" stories of the week.... La Gallina has truly touched all of our hearts.  We would truly like to thank the Nicaraguan Habitat for Humanity team for all their hospitality and excellent organizational skills.  Their new day care project for La Gallina will be a tremendous success.

Day Six Tona and Paulie combined update

Today, as like all the days prior, moving blocks was a major part of our day.....11 cm, versus 11.5, versus12 cm, can anyone really tell the difference????  Apparently the masons can....

On both sites today, we experienced scorpions, two on site Paulie, and one on Team Tony.  Luckily for us, Eva, a 9 year old on our site, marched right over to the block with a trowel and sliced off the head of the scorpion and threw it in the bush.  Thank goodness for her!  

On site Paulie, morning time was spent for the kids with puzzles that Rita had brought.  At the end of play time, the children asked if they were allowed to keep the puzzle, to which Rita answered, "of course it is my gift to you as long as they are shared."  The kids carefully gathered all the pieces and disappeared into the house.  A few minutes later they reappeared with a bible as a gift to her.  The children all lined up, put their hands together in a prayer gesture and said "santito" meaning saint.  Scarlett  explained to Rita that she should cover their hands with hers and repeat "santito".  The gift of the bible was touching but the moment of all the children giving the blessing is hard to put into words.  Needless to say, Rita needed a few moments to compose herself! 

Carolyn and Morgan started off the morning with coloring school.  The kids were great and very adept at handling their crayons!  Morgan was the recipient of most of their pics.  The kids have been giving us hibiscus flowers picked from the trees, but today while we went for a walk, they formed two lines for us to walk through and gave us each small bouquets.  The gestures of giving, appreciation, and love are so great.  

We were fortunate enough on Team Tony to be allowed on the scaffolding.  At the end of the day, Jen placed a Loonie in the cement for luck, to be buried in memory of our time here in Nicaragua.  We explained to each of the families that this is done in Canada in order to bring good luck to the new home and the family living in it.  This tradition was started over the last couple of years at each build.  This year Team Paulie used a toonie...team competition continues!  

Tomorrow is the last day on site.  We will be working in the morning and celebrating our work with the families in the afternoon.  It will be incredibly difficult to leave the families, community and children we have become so fond of all week. 

Day Five - Team Paulie

Today was much the same experience as Team Tona...bricks, concrete and more bricks.  We have all become quite adept at using machetes.  We sorted all the blocks, chipped U and L blocks, set up scaffolding, cut and tied rebar, and sifted sand.  Always on the go is the never ending mixing of cement.  All these supplies are necessary for tomorrows progress so we are in good shape.  The time seemed to fly by.  After a lunch of Nicaraguan lasagna, we organized a colouring table for the kids, which was a huge hit.  They were so proud to send us home with their creations.  Got to know the family a little more...mom Rosa showed us her vegetable garden plus the many banana and papaya trees she has growing on her property.  Many laughs, stories and sweat shared amongst good friends and the common gratification of seeing our progress when we leave the site at the end of the day.

The director for Habitat Nicaragua, Frank, joined us for dinner this evening.  We enjoyed learning about Habitat Nicaragua, their ongoing projects and their hopes for future ones.  One of the biggest problems for Nicaraguans is clean drinking water and sanitation and Frank talked to us about their future plans to tackle this.  We had chicken and beans for dinner...we have never seen chicken prepared in so many ways.  Some of us might not lose any weight on this trip because we are being looked after very well!

Day Five, Tean Tona

Hola de Masachapa,

Day three. Today we awoke to sunny skies and the promise of sweat, smiles and growth.
We begin with a healthy dose of huevos (eggs) and friholes (beans) and proceed en-mass to what has begun to feel comfortable, homey.
Team Tony (Tona) arrives fresh and ready to face the rigors that are implicit with any Habitat build. It begins with the creation of a less than perfect volcano which erupts liquid cement upon the immediate area. For those who don´t know a "volcano" is created when sand and  cement are combined and formed into a crater which has water as its center... a delicate shovel dance is then preformed and the result is hopefully a useable mortar mix.
Not only that but Luz Marina (who we are building for),  kicked off her flip-flops and jumped right in to save  the volcano and out danced all members of team Tona!!
I must say that the Nico's do the shovel dance way better than the Gringo´s.

The rest of the build day consisted of bricks being moved and laid. Brick´s being cut and shaped... into U-blocks to accomodate re-bar or into halves, cement being made, sand being sifted and friends being made.

Morgan was again a pied piper and led the local children in a rousing game of duck, duck goose (which cost her a scraped knee) and baseball soccer. She was also instrumental in providing a tattoo clinic for the kids, where all walked away with an RCMP beaver tattoo provide by Cheryl.
Adding to the joy of having laughing, playing children on our site was their gift to us of fresh hibiscus and other flowers that they brought to us in a steady stream.

There  were also several side trips made by members of both teams.
Adobe bricks were delivered to four sites in conjunction with Habitat Nicaragua´s on-going  home improvement program.
In another trip, team members went to the Adobe factory and put together three mixes which made approximately 250 bricks. Our Global Village co-ordinator Elisa, states that we were "Awesome" and set some sort of record as they had never done three mixes in 45 minutes before.

Question.... What do you make when you add bankers, computer geeks, cops, designers, technicians together?
You make... Friends...  a team... a difference.

Never discount what you can do. The power of one grows... infects... until it moves and shapes. Be the mover, the shaper. Be the difference.

Day Four - Tuesday - Team Tony

Site Tony was similar in many ways to the other, mixing mortar, stacking brick, chiseling other bricks to specific sizes and shapes as requested by the masons, however, there were many children running around, wanting to help, loving having their pictures taken.  For a good portion of the day, they took to following Morgan around.Beyond her blond hair and blue eyes, which initially drew them, she had also brought a soccer ball from Ottawa to the site.  It is amazing how one soccer ball can bring such joy to a dozen children.

Scarlet was constantly drawn upon to translate what the children wanted to say to us....at one point, Eva, a cousin of our recipient family, gave a few of us hibiscus flowers to put in our hair.  There were also two young boys showing us their talents by spinning their tops on the ground and then scooping them up in their hands while spinning.

With promises to bring back the soccer ball, the children followed us to the bus, giggling and waving, with all of us practicing our limited Spanish saying ¨a manyana¨ ....can not wait until tomorrow.

Day Four - Tuesday - Team Paulie

This morning we were served a typical Nicaraguan breakfast which consisted of rice, potatoes, cornmeal and pork mixed all together and then wrapped in a banana leaf.  This was then boiled for 12 hours.  It was spicy and delicious.

Arrived at the build site where we divided into Team Paulie and Team Tony.  Team Paulie definitely has the "spa site"...lots of shade, lots of room to move around when working, all surrounded by lovely corn and sugar cane fields.   Our architect, Claudio, was on site, and made good use of his eager volunteers.  He speaks very good English.  The first two rows of blocks were already laid.  While Gerry and Barry helped in laying more rows of blocks along with the mason, the rest of us broke into groups.  Some mixed concrete, some sorted blocks, some chiseled to make "U" blocks, some filled mortar.  The day moved along quickly and we were all happy to see the outcome of our efforts...walls growing higher! 

The most rewarding part of today was being on the build site with our family.  Rafael and Rosa worked along side us while their children, Fernando, Francis and Fabiola played on the jungle gym (a.k.a. the huge pile of blocks).  In no time, their cousins came to play after news got out there was candy to be had.  There is nothing more amazing than giving a small kid candy and watching their face light up like you just gave them a piece of gold!  The other amazing part of today was giving our leftovers to the family.  I know that most of us cannot fathom this idea.  We were well fed at lunch and had lots of leftovers and we couldn´t throw them out. We sorted our rice, potatoes, pork and corn into containers.  We gave it to Rosa and her face lit up.  We´ll just end this post with that thought.

Day Three - Monday

Up for breakfast at 7am for pancakes with fresh fruit and fantastic Nicaraguan coffee.  Off to the adobe factory at 8am.  An adobe factory is not the software but a brick making factory.  Not in a building but out in the open.  This factory is all manual labour.  The only machinery available is to press the bricks, and ours was broken today, unfortunately.  In the meantime there was plenty of work to be done.  In the center of the site was a huge pile of dirt.  Some of us had to break up the dirt while others shoveled the dirt through the sifters.  The sifters are metal frames that stand over the wheelbarrow.  Others in the group were using the sifted dirt to mix the adobe brick recipe which consists of dirt, lime and dry cement.  Others were moving already made bricks onto the flatbed truck to be transported to the building site.  This was back breaking work, even more so in the hot sun.  Because the brick press was being repaired, we broke off into small groups to do other jobs around town in the afternoon.  Some continued to shovel and sift.  After lunch, we were joined by about 30 local families who were there to do their allocated work in order to earn their Habitat home.  All of the women and men showed up wearing flip-flops and not a single hat.  They worked solidly without the breaks that all of us Canadians needed to take.  They seemed unaffected by the heat.  We soon made some new friends.  We needed to sift enough wheelbarrows full of dirt in order to make an allotted number of bricks.  We surpassed the number needed thanks to our new friends.  

Some of the team members who were looking for adventure headed off to deliver materials to other job sites.  They all piled into the back of the flatbed truck....safety standards are not even on the radar here!  Little did they know that part of their job was to change the flat tire they soon had!  A third group of real keeners felt they needed a good workout and set off to dig a foundation.  Not only did they finish the foundation they completed the cement footings!  They worked overtime for this one!

Nelson, our bus driver, brought us back to the hotel at 4pm.  We all headed straight for the pool to cool down.  We had a dinner of chicken, beef, sausage, fried plantain and the best Pico di Gallo I have ever tasted.  After dinner, Tony was able to get the hockey game on the TV in the dining area!  We spent the evening playing Euchre, chatting and sharing lots of stories and laughs.

Day Two - Sunday

Breakfast at 8am...beans, rice and bit of bacon with toast.  The bus picked us up at 9am.  We met Elisa from Habitat Nicaragua.  She and Adrian took us to see the hilltop site of the former presidential palace of the dictator, Anastasio Somoza.  The palace was destroyed by the 1972 earthquake that leveled much of the city.  We also saw the notoriously brutal prison on the grounds of the presidential palace.  We learned about the recent elections and how difficult it is for the average Nicaraguan to have a fair and just vote.
We then departed for the town of San Rafael del Sur.  Our trip took us through the beautiful countryside.  The ride was very bumpy because we realized the whole highway is paved in interlock bricks rather than ashpalt.  Much cheaper!  Our hotel is in the nearby town of Masachapa which is right on the Pacific Ocean.  Beautiful beach and very quiet.

Following a nice lunch and a very informative orientation by Elisa, we headed to the housing development called La Gallina to meet the families we will build for.  We saw where they are living now.  Their new homes have the footings poured already so we have a good start.  Both families will be working with us and we will get to know them better in the next few days.  The community is full of shanty homes, a few completed Habitat homes, and beautiful lush greenery and hibiscus flowers.  It was nice to see that even though these people are living in some of the worst conditions, they still try to make their "home" a home.

We returned to the hotel for some relaxing time.  Many of us took walks along the beach and enjoyed the beauty of Nicaragua.  There were many local families enjoying their Sunday on the beach.  We had a dinner of chicken tacitos which was delicious and are spending the evening with lots of stories, laughs and even a game of Euchre!!   Good night to all at home.
Rita

Day One

Travel day!  Early start for all at airport for 6am flight to Chicago.  Eating and shopping in airports has become the pastime.  Chicago to Miami and then into Managua at 7:00pm.  All flights were smooth and on time.  Most importantly, all the luggage arrived with us.  We were met at the airport by Adrian from Habitat Nicaragua.  Onto the bus for the short drive to our hotel.  Managua was busy and there were some nice looking areas of the city.  We arrived to find Paul, Chris, Andrew, Jill, Mehdy, Barry, and Morgan waiting for us with refreshments on ice.  They arrived last night and prepared the lay of the land for the rest of the team.  After a lovely fish dinner, we spent the evening relaxing and catching up with everyone.  It is humid here.
Goodnight Rita

THE FIRST CANADIAN TEAM TO WORK IN NICARAGUA

2010 El Salvador

The Canadian Global Village program started sending teams around the world in 2006.  This will be a very special trip as we are the first Canadian team to visit Nicaragua.

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS NOVEMBER 18-19

Upon arrival at the airport we will be transported to a hotel in Managua.  On Sunday November 20 we will leave for our build site and our hotel for the week.

Our hotel is on the link below:

http://www.hostalreal.com.ni/losrobles/losrobles_en.html

TRAVEL TIPS

Preliminary needs:

 Passport:         Scan a copy and send it to Paul at tpmack@rogers.com

Health card:    Scan a copy and send it to Paul at tpmack@rogers.com

We will have all the copies with the emergency kit in case of injuries.

 See your local travel clinic re. Shots and meds

2) Packing:

Less is better. Split luggage to include a day’s essentials in carry-on.

Baggage loss and delay is getting common. (No complaining allowed).

Suggested inclusions:

-          Two pairs work pants, two long sleeve work shirts

-          one pair khaki or casual slacks, or skirt, dress tops, shirts for dinner, R&R and travel

-          basic first aid kit, tweezers, travel wipes, hand sanitizer

-          A couple of pairs work gloves, one pair casual/hiking shoes, one pair work shoes or boots (open shoes not allowed on site),

-          wide brimmed hat: Tilley-type, (sunstrokes and dehydration  do occur)

-          sunglasses or safety glasses; bathing suit, sunscreen, bug repellant

-          special foods or medications; travel alarm, tiny flashlight; rain poncho,

-          Spray on sun block is much easier to use on the build site

-          A water bottle that you can refill on the build site

-          Electrolytes replacements..they are available in “jellybean” form, they work great on those days when the tummy is just not right!!!

-          Some snacks of choice (snack or protein bars)

4) Not recommended:

Gifts or toys for locals, on one-to-one basis

Shorts (officially they say no shorts, we have had no trouble with the cargo type shorts) tank tops, halter tops, high heels expensive jewelry, expensive cameras, or video cameras

5) Donations:

 Gifts, tools, books, or toys…may be made through the local affiliate on a group, not individual, basis. It is customary to leave excess clothing behind upon departure.  We have been asked to provide items that would be of use at a children's daycare in La Gallina

6) Research:

Check out Nicaragua as well as the Hostal Real via the following link:

http://www.hostalreal.com.ni/masachapa/masachapa_en.html

Canadian Travel Advisories:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=216000

7) The weather:

Nicaragua has a range of microclimates, and it's always worth checking the weather to see where you want to go first. On the Pacific side, invierno (winter), or rainy season, runs May to November, at its rainiest in September and October when sea turtles nest 3000-strong to a beach. Verano (summer), or dry season, is November to April, the best time for hiking, camping and partying, as it coincides with high tourist season (December to March), most pronounced along the Costa Rican border. As verano desiccates to a close, the Pacific forests lose their leaves and lake levels drop revealing sandy lake beaches that you'll put to good use as temperatures soar from the normal high 20s into the mid-30s or worse.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nicaragua/weather

8) Money: US dollars!!

VISA, Mastercard, and Bank Card. In most places, one of these three works in ATMs , for cash withdrawals. American Dollars are also recommended.  American Express and Traveller’s Cheques are not popular.

9) Waters and Diet:

Bottled water is provided, free, continuously. Katadyn water treatment bottles are handy, if you bring them.  If it isn’t cooked or peeled, don’t eat it.

Smile, and expect the unexpected!!!

Hotel and Build Site Information

We will be building in the area of San Rafael Del Sur Nicaragua:

Within this community, more than 95 percent of all homes have dirt floors with walls constructed mostly of rapidly deteriorating materials. In addition to inadequate structures, this community lacks a sanitary source of drinking water as most latrines quickly deteriorate and communal wells are not completely sanitary. With average per capita income around US$1/day, this community is in great need.


Each house will have a mason on hand, and we will be working in partnership with the future homeowner family, as well as other volunteers.

We will aid in whatever work is needed. Some tasks include digging foundations, laying block, mixing mortar, moving materials or cutting and tying rebar. The work may appear tedious or repetitive, but all of it is necessary for the completion of the house. It normally takes two to three full weeks to complete a Habitat house in San Rafael del Sur.

During our week we will be staying at the following hotel:

http://www.hostalreal.com.ni/masachapa/masachapa_en.html

The Hotel Hostel Real Masachapa will offers the following services during our stay

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Beach Hotel located at 50 minutes by car from Managua. Rooms and cabanas with air conditioning. Seafood restaurant Swimming pool for adults and childrens. Private bathrooms with hot water. Social events service

Wireless internet access FREE 24 hours Security 24 hours for Reception Private parking Transportation service from Managua - Airport - Managua and Managua - Masachapa Beach - Managua. Special rates for long-term stays.

Team Members

PAUL MACKILLOP

Hola Team!!! My name is Paul MacKillop and this will be the third build for Tony and I as team leaders. I'm from Ottawa Ontario and I'm married with no kids.  I can't wait to land in Nicaragua and get to work.   Looking very much forward to experiencing Nicaragua for the first time with our team! 

TONY BENNETT

  Hola. Greetings to our Habitat team.  My name is Tony Bennett and I am from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  I am married to Carolyn and have three children, Steven who is married to Julie, Lauren and Jordan and three grandchildren.  For fun I work in the financial industry as a VP and Regional Director at BMO Harris Private Banking.

This will be my sixth Habitat trip to Central America.  My previous trips have included Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador.  I look forward to experiencing a Habitat trip with all of you.

DAVE GERVAIS

 Hello fellow “Habitatters”. My name is Dave Gervais and I live in Ottawa, ON. I am married with 1 daughter (23 years old) who is currently in college. During the week, I work at TD Commercial Bank…+ 25 years. I love to travel and meet new people, experience new cultures, foods etc…. In my spare time I enjoy playing soccer and golf. I’ve been on several trips with Tony and never a dull moment. This is trip will be my 3^rd with Habitat (ie. previous 2 trips were to El Salvador) and 1^st to Nicaragua. I look forward to seeing my friends from last year’s trip and meeting those new for this year.

JEFF DARWIN

I was born into an entrepreneurial family in Ottawa, where I continue to reside with my wife of 24 years.  Together, Wendy and I have raised three great kids and brilliant student/athletes:  Brad (Aerospace Engineering – Carleton University), Jackie (Nursing – Queens University), and Allie (Journalism – University of King’s College).  This will be my 3^rd Habitat build in Central America, and the 2^nd with Wendy (to do the heavy lifting)!  When I get a chance I love to fly small aircraft.

JANE MARIE OBST

 Greetings Fellow Team Members!!!

My name is Jane Marie Obst and this will be my very first Habitat build experience.
I live in Ottawa with my husband Dwight (27yrs) and we have 3 children, Matthew, Nicholas, and Ellen..  I was born and raised in Newfoundland, completed university there and moved to Ottawa shortly there after.
I enjoy many team sports and have been active member in the Ottawa community coaching basketball at various levels.    As I have said many times in the past... All good teams need at LEAST one Newfoundlander!!! :-))
BTW... I am looking to Wendy to do all the heavy lifting as well...    Looking forward to being part of a GREAT experience.

ANDREW PARKE

Hi everyone… my name is Andrew Parke and I currently live in Toronto working for BMO’s Foreign Exchange Sales Team. This will be my first Habitat experience and I am pumped. I will be landing in Nicaragua a week before our trip so I should be plenty relaxed before we get to work! I am an avid hockey fan who is desperate for playoff hockey in Toronto and spent my summer watching as many Blue Jay games possible. This will be my first trip to Central America and I look forward to meeting every one of you.

JILL WOODLEY

Hi Nicaragua team!  My name is Jill Woodley and this is my second build with the incredible Bennett/MacKillop team.  Last year the build in El Salvador gave me new insight into the power that 20 people have to help make a difference.  My heart was stolen by the culture, the children and the incredible gratitude.  I came away with more than I could have possibly given.  This year I cannot wait to share this experience with my daughter, Morgan.  We hope this is a graduation gift she will never forget. I am a water girl, and building by the ocean will be a dream come true.  I cannot wait to meet the new members, and reconnect with those who I shared such a strong bond with in El Salvador.  Hasta Luego !

MORGAN TESSIER

Hello my name is Morgan Tessier and I am 17 years old in Grade 12.  I go to a small high school in a rural area of Ottawa and look forward to finally doing my part in helping people less privileged than I am.  I have had a very good life!  I am looking forward to University next year, and hope this build will inspire some decisions about my future studies.  I am glad my parents, Jill and Chris, who will be on the build gave me this opportunity for my graduation gift this year.    Oh….and I plan on working way harder than Paul!

  JOANNE WATSON & STAN THOMPSON

Hello, we are a married couple who live in Val des Monts, Quebec on Lac St. Pierre, St.Pierre de Wakefield. We have 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. Stan was born and raised in Ottawa and Joanne grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Joanne is retired from the government and Stan is President and owner of Novel Dynamics, Inc. A very dear friend of ours, Terry Byrne, told us of his fantastic experience last year and we were hooked. We are looking forward to meeting everyone and looking forward to helping those in need. 

CHRIS TESSIER

Hola my friends! I’m Chris Tessier and this will be my 4th build with the stellar Bennett/MacKillop leaders and I can’t begin to tell you what these trips have meant to me. You not only build homes, you build friendships that last a lifetime. I am very excited to be sharing this build with my beautiful daughter, Morgan. She has been a part of these builds through stories and pictures, and I feel so fortunate to be sharing Nicaragua with her. Looking forward to seeing this beautiful country and leaving some sweat behind. I am an avid volunteer in my community and love it, but there is something to be said about challenging your horizon and going global too. I am always inspired by the incredible people along the way. See you all in a couple of months

CHERYL PETIT

Hello all!
This will be my second build....went last year for the first time and LOVED it! I can't wait to share some more time with those of you who went last year, and, of course, meet the new team members. I'll be practicing my digging in the interim!! See you all very soon, cheers, 

JOHN LINDSAY

This is my third trip with Habitat for Humanity. Tony first introduced me to the experience  and I had to go back. The smiles on all the faces during the week we there just makes your day.
During the week I work with BMO Harris Private Banking as an Investment Counsellor. I am married and unfortunately my wife Gail can not attend this trip. We have one son named Grant who is 14 years old.
My other main responsibility is driving Grant from one soccer practice to the other 52 weeks out of the year. Looking forward to meeting everyone shortly,

JENNIFER OUELLETTE

Hola mis amigos!!  Yomellamo Jennifer Ouellette (ok that’s it for the Spanish)!  This will be my second adventure with habitat.  I was fortunate to join this great group of folks last year in El Salvador and I am equally excited to be reliving the fun (and work) this year in Nicaragua.  I have been married to a great guy, John, for 23 years and we have two children together (Matt and Renee).  Can’t wait to see everyone from last year and meet some new faces!!

WENDY DARWIN



Hola, my name is Wendy Darwin and I live in Ottawa with my husband, Jeff...yes, he's the one in the pilot's seat! After the incredible experience I shared with everyone on our team last year in El Salvador, I knew I had to do this again. I'm really looking forward to our build in Nicaragua and meeting those of you new to the team this year. As for the heavy lifting...I just stay close to Chris & Paul!

CAROLYN COLLINS-BENNETT

Greetings. My name is Carolyn Collins-Bennett. This will be my second Habitat Adventure with Tony and Paul.  Habitat has been a wonderful experience for my family. Tony and I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. During the day I am an elementary school teacher (grade 6). My hobbies include running, skiing, reading, yoga, gardening and just staying busy. I love being outdoors during all seasons. I enjoy meeting new people and I look forward to being thrown into the culture of Nicaragua.

TERRY BYRNE

Hola amigos! This is my second build and I am looking forward to it. With Bill Collins not joining us this year, I guess I will be the resident senior. I expect to receive all the honours that are bestowed on seniors on these trips!! I am retired from the Feds, actively involved in the community, writing a second book and living in the bustling community of Clarence Creek. Senor Terry Byrne

CAMILLE EWERT & GERRY ECKER

This is our third trip with Paul and Tony and we are really excited to be going to Nicaragua!  We can’t wait to see the returning crew members from last year and really look forward to meeting the people joining us for the first time.  Gerry works with Habitat for Humanity as the Manager of the Restore in Saskatoon and Camille is a Nurse Aide in Geriatrics and Mental Health while studying for her LPN.  We are in the process of building our dream cabin on a bush quarter in northeast Saskatchewan on every available day off – except for the days we go on the Global Village trips with Paul and Tony!    As in previous years, we will be staying in Nicaragua after the Build is finished to explore the country on our own for a while.  If you have any ideas for interesting things to see and do, let us know!  P.S. This trip is going to change the way you look at your life!

RITA CONTI

Hello Fellow Habitaters! I am looking forward to another trip with Tony and Paul. I was born and raised in Ottawa. I`ve been married to Steve Ryan for 17 years and have two children, Liam, age 12 and Sarah, age 10. When I`m not shuttling kids to hockey and ringette, I spend my days working as an Information Assistant in the Animal Health Division of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. I was on last year`s trip to El Salvador with Tony and Paul. It was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I am looking forward to seeing everyone from last year and meeting all of you new to the team. Much fun and adventure to be had!

BARRY MACKILLOP

Hello all! My name is Barry MacKillop and I was born and raised in Hull along with my little brother Paul . ! After working for over twelve years with the Youth Services Bureau in Ottawa and a couple of years addressing youth and violence issues in Ottawa, I took a position with the federal government. I currently work as the Deputy Director with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. I have been lucky to share my life for the last twenty-nine with a beautiful and wonderful woman and we have two teenagers to keep us busy. This will be my 3rnd build and I am looking forward to what promises to be a great experience.

WAYNE ROGERS

Howdy Fellow Team Mates!!! 
My name is Wayne and this will be my very first Habitat build but hopefully not my last. I was born in Georgetown, Guyana but currently live in Ottawa, Canada and traveled around the world.  I am an avid team sport member (Indoor Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Ultimate, Paintball and Dodge Ball) I also enjoy solo activities such as snowboarding, SCUBA, photography and writing.  I will be bringing my camera(s) to help capture the build (I have done volunteer photography for the Canadian Ski Patrol, Will2Intervene and Youth for Climate Change)  and I also have my advanced first aid skills from 12 years volunteering with the Canadian Ski Patrol System.  I'm looking forward to being part of this FANTASTIC experience and helping my fellow man where I can.

DAVID COLLINS

 Hey everyone, my name is David Collins and this will be my 2nd build. I did my first build with Tony, Paul and Chris about 4 years ago in Costa Rica and now I am due for another great adventure. Between my job and personal life, I have been to a lot of places in the world where you would never think of wanting to go to and others where you want to go back. (Palestine, East Timor, Mongolia, Uganda, Paris, London….) I was a volunteer ski patrol for 10 years where you perform first-aid to injured skier and made a lot of lifetime friends with one being on this trip with me.

During the week I am a Quality Assurance Specialist for an accounting software company that have clients as close as the Federal Government and as far away to many war stricken countries that need to get their financial platform back in order.
I am looking forward to meeting all the new people and reconnecting with the friends from the last one.

MEHDY KHALID

Hola...This will be my first Habitat experience, and I can't wait to get to know the team.  From what Paul and Chris have told me, there will be at least one social gathering!! See you all soon.