This week a team from Killearn United Methodist Church in Tallahassee arrived.  This was different from the usual because it was a...

This week we hosted a team from St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee.  We had 19 teenagers.  It’s been awhile since I’ve been...

I thought I would write a short blog about our pets in Guatemala.  It started 2 months back when we got a baby chick and a bunny. Their...

This next month will be unbelievably busy.  We have several teams coming from different churches in the US to help on construction...

Every 90 days Joe and I must leave Guatemala for a couple days.  We decided to go to San Cristobal in Mexico for a couple days.  San...

The new house Today we went to a house dedication for a very special family.  Nicolaus has worked with Porch de Salomon for years helping...

This morning we woke up to another beautiful day.  We have had the best weather – clear skies and comfortable temperatures.  We’ve been...

Our ship docked along the waterfront in Zadar, Croatia Phil & Carol among the Roman ruins Today we arrived at the small town of Zadar,...

And the service from the staff?  GREAT!  Everything was clean, clean, clean.  Room service was quick (and included).  Drinks at the pool...

Seabourn Adriatic & Greek Isles Cruise – Part 1 by Phil Swartz Phil & Carol along waterfront in Venice St. Marks Square Colorful houses...

5th Avenue Playa del Carmen is a city about 30 minutes south of its more famous cousin, Cancun, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. ...

Joe made friends with a little boy named Jesus and his sister, Maria (Spanish forMary).  Their parents don’t make much money and couldn’t...

The week before Easter was a very busy and fulfilling one.  Joe helped finish building two houses for a couple of families a couple weeks...

I took some time away from my blogs, but now I need to get back to them.  There’s too much to say and I have some catching up to do.  To...

Our time in Luxor was my favorite  in Egypt so far. This is partly due to the hotel we were staying at.  It is a cute little budget hotel...

¹adj. One price covers all listed elements in the package, also known as an “all-in price.” “Will I have to worry about racking up a...

Our first full day in Alexandria was an adventure. Alexandria was first put on the map when Alexander the Great took over Egypt and moved...

You can’t complain about spending an entire afternoon out on the deck of your Holland America Line ship while taking in the stunning...

This was a really amazing day.  We hired a car and driver and a guide for the day to see the monuments.  The guide was a real...

Not long after we boarded the plane to go to Cairo, Joe started feeling really sick.  The night before, he bought some fried fish from a...