New link in my favorites

Still working on possible plans for a mission trip in the summer. But wanted to share this link with you: http://freedomthroughfriendship.blogspot.com/ Please check it out; Jody is raising money to purchase land in Guatemala for a Women's Crisis center.

Future plans

Hope there are some still following. I try to blog a little about how we are still connected to the work in Panajachel.
As for the future, we hope to be able to return to Panajachel or some other place in Guatemala next summer or in the Spring of 2011.
Currently we are researching programs, currently working in Guatemala that are sponsored through the Methodist church. With Anita's help we have found a couple that may be promising but I still have to find out if they are okay with small children coming along on the work projects. I will continue to update has we move a long in the process towards planning another mission trip. If any one is interested in going along with us to Guatemala, please post a comment on the blog with an e-mail address, or call the church office.

student sponsorship

After our visit to Panajachel; Larry and I talked a lot about what we could do to continue to help. I believe I mentioned in an earlier post about the woman who asked to speak with us; we decided to sponsor her 9 yr old daughter for school. After much checking and gathering of information it was discovered that this child already had a student sponsor. So after a lot of discussion and e-mails; we offered to sponsor the youngest daughter to go to preschool, if the mom wanted her to go. She will attend the new preschool in Pana, that Mayan Families will be opening; should be open in a couple of weeks. Was supposed to have opened a couple of weeks ago but they were informed, after everything was ready to go, that they had to get the go ahead from the board of education. So they are working on that and hopefully will be ready to open soon. I didn't get to meet the little girl, didn't know she was there, but Larry met her. There are so many children in need of sponsors so that they can attend school and have more opportunities when they grow up. Education plays an important part in breaking the cycle of poverty, everywhere.

Receiving Father's day Basket

In the picture is Don Ricardo the elderly gentleman we met in Panajachel. He and his wife received one of the stoves we installed. In this picture he is receiving a Father's day basket of food for he and his wife. She isn't in the picture because it is to difficult for her to walk to get to Mayan Families. The baskets usually have enough food to feed a family of 10.
We are sending what we can to provide food for them but it isn't enough to supply them with enough for the entire month. We hope those of you reading this will prayerfully consider helping us, helping them to have nutritious food on a consistent basis. You can go to www.mayanfamilies.org and click on donate. To donate food for this elderly couple, scroll down to the Family Aid box and put in the amount you wish to donate. There is also a box where you can type in their names so that Mayan Families knows who you are wanting to donate for. In the special instructions box you can type in "food for Don Ricardo and Dona Maria. On Mayan Families website will also find the U.S. address and mail donations if you don't want to do it over the internet. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. May all who continue to follow this blog be blessed, as well as their families.

photo re-post

Wanted to re-post this photo. In this photo is the elderly couple, who received one of the stoves while we were in Guatemala. The woman, Dona Maria, cannot see. Her husband, Don Ricardo, goes out every day looking for work. When he gets work, it is usually a hard labor job that does not pay very much. He can not hear very well and his eyesight is fair to poor. When he cannot get work, he has been seen going through the trash in Panajachel, looking for whatever he can find for he and his wife to eat. They have no family to help them. Larry and I have been sending what we can but it isn't enough to provide them with good nutritious food for the whole month. To help this elderly couple have good food for a month the cost would be approximately $75 to $100/month. Please prayfully consider committing to sponsoring this elderly couple for food on an ongoing basis. This is just one couple of the many elderly who need help in Panajachel. Our pray is that we can start with this one couple and hopefully if it is God's will, that there will be such an outpouring of his blessing, we will be able to help others who are of similar circumstances and need. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I pray God's blessing be with you today and always.

Since returning home from Guatemala, we have been looking over our budget and thinking about how we could help some of the families we met. After a lot of thought and going over our budget we have taken on sponsoring a 2, almost 3, yr. old girl for preschool. We are also sending what we are able to help with purchasing food for the elderly couple who received one of the stoves we installed. When the man is able to find work, the pay is very little, so is often seen going through the trash, looking for food, to take home for himself and his wife. To provide food for this couple for a month cost about $75 to $100. As mentioned above, we are sending what we can but don't have the means in our budget to cover the cost for providing food for the whole month. If any one is interested in helping to provide this elderly couple, please leave a comment here, with an e-mail so I can send you the needed information. We will continue to do what we can but would be overjoyed to have someone to help co-sponsor this couple, so that they can be provided with food to eat, that is rotted and from the trash. God's blessing be with all of you.
You can see a photo of the elderly couple in my post from April 4th, titled "The last 2 stoves. It is the last photo posted under that title.

Some closing thoughts on our trip

This trip was a blessing. We met so many people, who were such a joy and blessing to spend time with. Working with the people at Mayan Families was great. They showed us how to install the stoves and were great about telling us a little about each family. They also told us about the many different programs that Mayan Families has to help give a hand up to the people of the Highland area of Guatemala. We met so many families. It is amazing to see so many who have very little, yet they are happy in the life they have. Makes all the things we consider problems meaningless and trivial.
Larry and I want to again thank all of you for your prayers and support in the planning and during our trip. It has meant a lot to us to have the support of our friends, family and church family, with this project.
We also want to thank Patti, Julio, Carlos, Rudolfo, Juan, Fernanado, and all of Mayan Families for letting us come and work with them on installing the stoves. It was a rewarding experience that we won't soon forget.
We pray that this is a trip we will be able to take again in the future.
Lastly, I just want to leave you with some photos of the beautiful Lake Atitlan, lake of 3 volcanos. Enjoy them, though the pictures do not do the view justice. It is so much more beautiful being there to see it in person.

Our day at Mayan Families/Sharon's

Our our last day in Panajachel, we spent the morning at Mayan Families. The staff was very informative about all the work they do to provide a hand up to the Mayan families they work with.

This is another family, who

was there, giving out shoes

they had collected.

These are some of the women

and children who came to

Mayan Families

on this day.

This woman found some shoes.

This mom found a pair of shoes for
her baby. Shoes we took, thanks
to the donation someone made
to our church and Shelly P.





They are starting to hand out
some of the children's clothing and blankets.




Still handing out children's
clothing.

They have put some things out

on the table for the women

to look through and find things in

sizes they need.

Daniel is hanging out

and watching the activity.

Another photo of the women

looking through the clothing.

Here you can see some of the staff

the one in the photo next to Daniel,

was talking with some of the women.

The last 2 stoves installed.

Sorry there is only a photo of the completed installation. While we did do some of the work, we were also talking with the family and others who came and wanted to talk with us about there concerns and needs. This was outside an apartment in Panajachel.

The completed installation, the family

and us.

This was the last home. They are taking down the
wooden frame work and metal
laminae, where the family
cooked.


making the hole in the laminae
for the stove pipe.

This is the family who received the stove.

Our second day of work

this is where the family

cooked their food.

They are working

on placing the stove pipe.

The finished stove, with

the family and us.

Sorry there aren't more photos of the installation. I was helping with the placing of the blocks, and actual construction, so wasn't able to take photos.

We had to hand the materials

from person to person

to get this one installed.

3 people in this kitchen room

was crowded.

Here is the finished installation

with the woman in the house

and us.

Some children playing soccer

in front of the church,

after school.

This is the school in Tierra Linda.



They have a new preschool here.
There is still work to be done
to finish the building.



Standing on top of the
community center
at Tierra Linda.



This is the community center
that Mayan Families has built
with the help of many volunteers
and donations.