MISSION AWARENESS TRIP TO GUATEMALA
A grassroots movement of love
God’s blessings to you from Guatemala. I am thrilled to see so many CFCA sponsors traveling to visit their sponsored loved ones…to learn more about their families, their country…their culture…to learn more about how our lives fit together in God’s loving plan. I live with a heart full of gratitude for being a part of this grassroots movement of love.
Long term caring
Temporary government housing on the site of the October
I always look forward to meeting the sponsored 2005 landslide which took 17 of our sponsored children
children and families from the area around Guatemala City who come to see us on the first morning of the Mission Awareness Trips. Today we were invited into the life story of Jaquelin. Dressed in her Indigenous guipil from the highland country of
Quetzaltenango, Jaquelin spoke of her early childhood—and about some of the racism she experienced in school.
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Prepared only with a 6th grade education, Jaquelin’s parents were hard-pressed to provide the four children with schooling. They migrated to Guatemala City and sought out the help of CFCA. Sponsor Mary Ann entered the life of Jaquelin more than 15 years ago. Mary Ann continues to sponsor Jaquelin as she pursues her dream of becoming a medical doctor at Universidad de San Carlos. Jaquelin expresses her gratitude in action by tutoring younger sponsored children and illiterate mothers at the CFCA project.
Amazing growth
In Cerro de Oro, one of 74 mission sites served by the Atitlan project, there were just 50 children attending school up to the third grade when CFCA began helping there more than 20 years ago. Now, there are more than 1,500 children. |
Ligia from Nahuala (highlands of Guatemala)
delighted sponsors with her interpretation of Mayan
folk dances.
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May we sponsor another?
During lunch in Retalhuleu, sponsors Mark and Maureen asked to sponsor another child. Immediately we introduced them to Miguel—a four-year-old from Retalhuleu Subproject SAR. The father of Miguel Antonio (Jose) died of cancer two months ago at age 34 leaving mother Blanca Estela, 31, and five little boys between the ages of one and 10. Blanca was born in the rough port of Champerico and never had a chance to go to school. Blanca’s mother abandoned the family; her dad died of alcoholism. Without any schooling and in order to survive, Blanca now prepares tamales in their humble home and goes out each day to sell from house to house…on a very good day she can clear 50 quetzales (about $7). Sponsorship will make a world of difference in the life of Blanca and her five boys...just knowing that the family in Michigan knows about them, cares about them, loves them.
We bid farewell to this great MAT group in Guatemala and hasten with joy on the same day to receive another group in Monterrey, Mexico. We thank you for traveling with us, and we wish you God’s blessings. |
She might be retired, but Sponsor Joy is always
the loving teacher. Comments from other sponsors:
“I’ve never been hugged so many times in one
afternoon." "This is an experience of a lifetime.”
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Bob Hentzen
San LucasToliman, Guatemala
Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2007 |
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