Recently I traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, for the first time. Although I want to travel all around the world, Guatemala was never on my radar. But it was a “God thing.” I’m writing a Guatemala blog series to show you the beautiful pictures and to share about the amazing things God did there. This is Blog #8, Kim’s beautiful condo home. You can read my other blogs in this Guatemala Blog Series at the end of this post.
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Kim Rogers
Once in awhile, someone comes across your path who powerfully impacts you. Last year, I befriended one such person on Facebook —Kim Rogers. Kim has an incredible story, which is included in the Epilogue of my book for sale on Amazon, Signs of God’s Love: Finding Hope in the Midst Of Crisis
Kim Rogers
Founder, Heart for Guatemala
Known locally as the “Ambassador to Antigua,” Kim has influenced more than 60 people to visit the city, leveraging tourism to share her vision of creating economic and educational opportunities for the people of Guatemala.
Kim is founder and owner of the not-for-profit organization, Heart for Guatemala, which helps to provide disadvantaged children with food, education, and school supplies.
Heart for Guatemala logo
You can donate to Heart for Guatemala here, buy Guatemalan specialty coffee here to help local women who produce it (it is great coffee and comes in a cute, colorful bag!), or take vision trips here to see this beautiful land yourself, “The Land of Eternal Spring.” I traveled there from November 2-10, 2020, the first time I’d ever been there and I hope to go again soon.
Toward the end of my week in Antigua as I was preparing to go home to the USA, Kim and her boyfriend Stan Edwards urged me to stay longer. Kim said a week wasn’t nearly long enough to see and experience Guatemala. She wanted to show me around more. I had booked my beautiful Air BnB only until Sunday that week, and my money was running out!
Stan and Kim with lemonade at Guatemalan restaurant
She and Stan generously invited me to stay at Kim’s beautiful condo home in Jocotenango free, and Stan said no worries, they’d even feed me! (And Stan is an amazing cook!) After praying about it and sensing this is what God wanted me to do, I agreed, packed up my bags, and my driver Allan took me to their lovely house.
It was the right decision, and I am so glad that I stayed! Just one of the unexpected things God did through me while I was there was helping to feed the hungry people at Parque Central with Mario’s Project–what an honor!
I love Kim’s and Stan’s place. This blog post with pics gives you a virtual tour. Enjoy!
Kim had visited Guatemala numerous times, when on her last visit there, she spontaneously decided to buy a house there! With the proceeds of her house in America that she sold, Kim bought a beautiful condo home in Jocotenango, that is about 20 minutes from Antigua where I stayed at an Air BnB. Kim said most of the rental houses and homes for sale come furnished there in Guatemala. Hers did, too. This amazed me. She found the home with the help of her friend Jorge Urratia, who works for the real estate agency, JorgesList.
Her home has a lot of light and terra cotta stone tile, both which I love. Kim has changed a few things since I visited them and bought more furniture, like her desk (which she will use to write her books, hint hint! LOL!). Here is her living room, with lights at Christmas time–so pretty and inviting!
Living room with Christmas lights
These colorful birds on top of the kitchen cabinets are popular in Guatemala. Kim had two already and wanted a third one when I visited her. She bartered with a woman at the local artisan market. I think they look so cute!
owls
I admired so many things about Kim’s home, like the pottery and dishes she had displayed on shelves in her kitchen. Stan had put salt in a little, plain, clay bowl, but I thought it looked so cute.
I also greatly admired Kim’s purple, colorful fabric placemats with matching napkins. She laughed and gave them to me as a gift to take home. I was so happy about this! Guatemalans make beautiful clothing and other items in bright colors. The native dress of the Mayans there, which is called traje, varies by village and language group (22 Mayan groups).
The intent of the way they dress is to preserve their rich culture history. The purple placemats with the other vivid colors is a sample of what you might find for sale in the local markets, along with quality-made, colorful clothing. (Be sure to barter or to have someone barter for you to not get “gringo” (foreigner) prices!)
kitchen
clay salt dish and purple placemats
pretty candle
kitchen window
kitchen sink
Many of the homes in Guatemala, especially among the poorer people, don’t have washers and dryers–especially dryers. You see the women hang-drying the clothes on lines outside their homes. Some women have to come to the park to wash their clothes in the public wash.
Kim and Stan are blessed to have a home with a compact washer and dryer as seen below, a nice fridge and gas stove, and a double sink in the kitchen. I forgot to ask if they had a trash disposal or dishwasher. Those probably would be considered luxuries in Guatemala.
washer and dryer
When I visited, Stan was using the kitchen bar to work on his laptop. The bar came with the wine glass rack and wine glasses, which I thought was so pretty. Stan has now moved his office upstairs to the guest bedroom. When she told me this, I teased Kim, “Does that mean I can’t come visit you any more?”
Kim bought a desk and chair to put in the living room to work on her laptop and moved the pretty Eco water filter by the back door. These filters were made just for Guatemala to purify the water. It is safe to drink the water out of them. She also bought a big white board and hung it above the filter. Her kitchen is painted a cheery yellow.
