Chochi

Chochi lived with the Gospel on her lips while putting love into action with her hands, feet and heart.

 

We were very surprised to hear from Sandra tonight that our friend Chochi died. We don't know any details at this point. The first thing that came to my mind on this Christmas Eve is: Joy to the World! The Lord and Savior whose birth we remember tonight is the same Jesus who brought such joy to Chochi. Everyone who knew her knows how much she loved to sing and praise her God, and how every day was filled with showing His love and care to her neighbors, friends and family. She truly lived her faith and affected the lives of so many with God's love. After a hard and challenging life on earth, eternal peace and rest are hers forever...in the arms of her God and Savior.

Fuzzy Blanket Blessings

  A class of children from Pennsylvania wanted to share their blessings with the people of Guatemala, so made two fuzzy fleece blankets and sent them with the mission team from Lawrence Park UMC, Erie, along with a little note that was signed by each of the children. I thought it was a wonderful way to connect kids with kids, so had it in my mind right from the start to give these blankets to two children. When Kevin asked the Guatemalan missionaries who they felt needed the blankets the most, they immediately said, "Manuel, Miguel and Maria," three elderly people who live in Buena Vista. So, with my limited vision, I immediately thought, "Yes, lovely idea, but it has to be kids!"  It didn't take long for me to realize that it was more important to listen to the Guatemalans, who best know the needs of their people, instead of insisting on finding two children.

Miguel lives by himself and has a board, basically, to sleep on. He's thin as a rail. There is barely anything in his small one room shanty. He attends the ministry Faith Lessons most weeks and has an infectious smile. You can see in the picture that, upon receiving his blanket, he is very touched by the gift.

Miguel and Maria's home is sparse, as well. They have very few earthly goods and no comforts in their home. They had a flour sack to cover with when the weather got chilly at night. So the fluffy blanket is such a blessing to them. Because Miguel and Maria's roof was, well, MISSING in some areas of their house, the guys from the ministry took supplies to Buena Vista and, along with the help of some local children, built a more secure roof so they they wouldn't be rained on during the six month rainy season.

So, it was quite evident that God had a plan for those blankets! What a great opportunity for the children in Pennsylvania to see that elderly people need love and care just like kids do, and God has given us all the responsibility to share our blessings and love with them, too.

And me? Well, these fuzzy blankets reminded me that sometimes we, with our limited vision, need to set aside our "we have to do it this way" plans because:
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8

Sponsorship opportunities!

Groundwork Guatemala's sponsorship projects offer an opportunity for you to connect your heart with that of a Guatemalan child or missionary! You will receive correspondence from them four times a year along with their love and gratefulness for sharing your blessings with them. They love to hear from their sponsors, so we encourage you to write notes, send cards or pictures as you get to know each other! Your correspondence would be sent to the stateside base in Arizona, which would then be translated by Rachel and brought down to Guatemala the next time we come back.

Your donation can be made monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or yearly by check, PayPal or arranging an auto-pay with your bank. If you feel called to sponsor one of our children or missionaries, please contact Rachel Stauner at sponsor@groundworkguatemala.org and she will help you get started!

Catch the slideshow at the top right of the blog to see the current opportunities for sponsorship! Click on the little text bubble in the bottom left corner to view names and sponsorship needs.

Water of Life!

If someone offered you a cup of water in Buena Vista, in many cases you might think you'd been handed a cup of tea. The water that the people in this little remote village have been drinking comes from either a well or the river, which is also the place where they wash their clothes and themselves. So from milky white to muddy brown, the water that is ingested by babies, children and adults is far from pure. By the grace of God and a wonderful grant from the Oklahoma LWML, in addition to a generous personal donation, Groundwork Guatemala was able to purchase 120 water purification systems.

For several months and with the help of two of the local teens receiving education scholarships, Julián has been installing about ten systems per week in homes throughout Buena Vista. Off they go with twenty 5 gallon buckets and lids, asking families if they would like to receive a free water filter system. A few have said "No, gracias." Perhaps they're afraid to try it because it's "something new" in this village back in time. Makes me wonder what's holding them back from receiving this free gift. But most people are quite eager to have one installed in their home. Julián goes through the process of putting the system together and talks about how the impurities in the water can make us sick. As the muddy water is poured into the top pail, then goes through the filter into the bottom pail, everyone in the room takes a turn at looking in and is amazed at how clear the water is! Finally, Julián asks for a "clean" glass and has the pure water run into it. He takes a drink to show the family that the water is safe to drink...no tricks. Odd to think they might be afraid of the pure water, isn't it?

When we think about how many times we had told people to "drink more water" in the past, we realize that, while they may have been more hydrated, they were probably ingesting who knows what into their systems. How thankful we are that 120 families with all those little kidlets will now be drinking safe, pure and life-giving water!!

But wait! There's more!! As Julián talks with the family about the need for them to drink pure water, he also takes the time to get to know them a bit, to see if they have need for prayer and to see if they know their Savior, Jesus Christ. What joy to find that so many have a relationship with the Lord! If you've ever gone on a house visit with Julián you've seen his gentle, but passionate way of sharing his faith with his people. So, seizing the opportunity, he uses these filters that take out the impurities from their water as one of the best object lessons I've ever heard. Julián shares with those who don't know Christ how He is the Living Water, purifying us from all our sin so that we can enter into God's holy presence blameless and without impurities. No tricks. Nothing to be afraid of. We don't have to wait until we are "clean" and have our act together. Jesus has done it all for us!!

So, through these filters our friends in Buena Vista are receiving life-giving water for their bodies and Living Water through Jesus for their souls!!

Rainy season? Bring it on!!

There's been a construction boom in Buena Vista!! With the approaching six month rainy season beginning in May, we are very excited that those coming to the Groundwork Faith Lessons will be a bit drier this year. In the past we have set up tarps and pop-up canopies to shelter us from the sun or rain. But with larger numbers attending and our January move to the ministry's little plot of land, we're now meeting every Wednesday under the newly constructed shelter. Chochi, ever on the look out for a good deal, managed to have some of the lamina (corrugated sheets of tin) and posts donated, keeping costs down for the ministry. We're always looking for ways to help the local people provide for their families, so Francisco, along with several other Buena Vista men were hired to do the construction.

As you can see in this picture, our shelter came with a built in (and quite unplanned) sun roof. With a bit of "adjusting" all is well, and will keep the raindrops from falling on our heads!

Of course, we all know that where two or three are gathered together, there needs to be a baño (bathroom)! So, after digging a deep hole and laying the ridiculously heavy "throne" over it, sinking a few posts and adding metal lamina, we have an official one holer!! I guess the two or three need to wait in line! Speaking of two or three, in true Guatemalan fashion, at one point Ody managed to get two or three pieces of 4'x8' lamina transported via bus from Santa Lucia to Buena Vista...I can't begin to know how she pulled that off...

About three weeks ago, a truckload of black sand (looking suspiciously like volcanic ash, in my opinion) arrived. Another of Chochi's deals, to be sure. Keeping in mind that Buena Vista has no running water...just a few wells...Francisco will lay a cement floor under the shelter. He will accomplish this huge task in exchange for some leftover lamina sheets that he will use to put a roof on his house. Much more effective at keeping the rain out than the plastic that he currently has, to be sure.

All in all, this has been quite a project! How blessed we are to have willing servants like Chochi and Francisco and others on our ministry staff to give of their time and energy. And how God has blessed us with the resources to make it all possible!!

Check out our Groundwork Guatemala facebook page for more pics!

Bienvenidos a Ody y César!

Welcome to Ody and César!

We are excited to introduce to you two new friends who are now working with us in ministry.

Ody and César joined Groundwork Guatemala in January 2011. We are blessed to have both of them on staff and part of our family!

Ody, her baby, Friseida, and Kristen, one of her sponsors

Ody oversees the scholarships for all of the children who are going to school. She makes sure that the children have all that they need for their school year. She fits them with shoes and uniforms. She purchases any supplies and books that they may need and makes sure that their tuition is paid. Ody's goal is to develop relationships with the children, parents and schools showing her passion for these children and her desire for them to succeed and move forward in their education.. We are so happy to have her with us!

César and Minor in Buena Vista

César was one of the young men who had a scholarship with us and graduated from high school last year. He had been working elsewhere until he felt called to join the ministry at Groundwork Guatemala. He says that he sees the needs of people and that he wants to be a part of helping them. César is a hardworking young man and will do any job that he is asked to do. He desires to learn English so that he can better communicate with our mission teams. César brings his sense of humor with him every day and it is such a joy to have him as part of our Groundwork Guatemala family.

For those of you coming to Guatemala on mission teams this year, we look forward to introducing you to Ody and César!

Interested in sponsoring one of our missionaries? Contact Rachel at sponsor@groundworkguatemala.org for more information.

Kids, kids and more kids

Eareckson Kendall

We often say that God is running before us at Groundwork Guatemala in such a big and exciting way, that sometimes it's hard to keep up with Him! It has been evident from the beginning that He chose educational scholarships as a big part of how we were to be ministering to the needs of the people we serve. Although public school is said by the government to be free, the reality is that the students need uniforms, shoes and supplies. I would venture to say that for most of us a price tag of $70-100 for a year's education is well within the affordable range, but for most of the families we serve it is a price tag in the "impossible" range. 

Isis Alondra

Hernan Ismael

Vilma Consuelo

So, 2011 has found us with a gaggle of kids!! Or maybe I should say herd? or swarm? Well, anyway, we're very close to 100 beautiful children who are receiving assistance to attend school this year. From the public school in Buena Vista, to the Christian school in Amatitlán, to the private and Christian schools in Guatemala City, and various other schools in each of our sites, we are very excited to offer these children and their families the opportunity to move forward through education. We primarily work with families with which we've established a relationship so that we know there are genuine needs. Throughout the year we work with the families and children to encourage and do all we can to help them have a successful year in school. Given the culture of poverty that defines most of the population of Guatemala, we feel privileged to be called to assist these children and young adults to move forward in their lives, to rise above the high rate of illiteracy and failure.

Llymi Adan

It's just amazing to me how excited these kids are to just be able to go to school. Recently, Llymi (pronounced "yimmie") left for school in El Rincón with a big smile and his backpack. He is 14 years old and in the 3rd grade. It's not unusual for older children to be in lower grades because many have not been able to attend school every year, or at all, unless they had some type of assistance. Kevin said that shortly after Llymi left, he came back home again. Most people here don't have a clock or watch, so it's hard to know what time it is. But Llymi had left for school at 11:30 in the morning. His classes didn't begin until 1:00 in the afternoon! So excited to be able to go to school that he didn't want to risk being late!!

Many have been asking about how they can begin to sponsor a child's education through Groundwork Guatemala. Because there are children attending both private and public schools, there is a wide range of options from which you can choose. From $7 to $30 or more per month, you can choose what amount you feel God has called you to donate and whether you would like to send your donation monthly, quarterly or yearly. Donations can be made by check, bank auto-pay or PayPal. How can you get started? Contact Rachel via email at sponsor@groundworkguatemala.org and let her know what dollar amount you would like to donate, your method of sending your donation and if you have any preferences as to age, boy/girl, location of your sponsored child. She'll take it from there!

Fidelia Esperanza

Four times each year you will receive communications from your sponsored child and soon you will discover how much you have become part of your child's family.

Connecting hearts. It doesn't get much better than that!

School Supplies for Guatemalan kiddos!

It's been a busy January and February at Groundwork Guatemala as the new 2011 school year begins. (The school year in Guatemala begins in January and ends mid-October.) Throughout 2010, our mission teams with the help of their support congregations, friends and families collected hundreds of pounds of school supplies.

Because the public schools here receive little or no funding for supplies or books for the children (an average of less than $5 per student for the entire year), we keep our ear to the ground to find the schools that are most in need of these basic supplies. There are often adults and children who walk great distances to come to the Faith Lessons that Groundwork Guatemala offers each week. So, it is frequently to the remote schools close to where they live that our staff distributes to these children and teachers any donations given above the needs of our sponsorship project kids.

You wouldn't think that a backpack or a Ziploc containing pencils, glue, crayons and scissors would bring such big smiles, but both teachers and students are thrilled to receive these little bags of blessings. So, after Oscar and Ruth told each class that what they were receiving was, indeed, a blessing received from God, hundreds of school supply bags were given to these eager, smiling children.

We are grateful for the gifts of love that so many of you have given to support God's work in Guatemala. Gracias!!

Dancing with all her might!

Her name was Carmen. I never saw her walking without crutches and I always thought hugging her was like hugging a skeleton. We first met Carmen down in La Libertad six years ago as she came for food each day. Or we would see her standing on a busy street corner, supported by her crutches, begging for a quetzal here or fifty centavos there. As the years went by Carmen had been hit by various vehicles, buses, motorcycles...causing injuries that eventually left her completely bedridden...except when her children would put her in a baby carriage and wheel her up to the same busy corner to beg. Nice. As we visited her in her small cement block room, she often burst into tears just because someone came to see her. Her body, now seriously just skin and bones had curled into an almost fetal position. One bone in her leg was sticking out in a strange way that...well, we won't describe that or her bedsores that caused so much discomfort. No longer able to walk, her bed was a disgusting combination of dirt and well, we won't go into that either...

A visit with Carmen always left us feeling a lot of emotions. At times we would cry together for how hard and painful this was. We would laugh together just because we were together. But what always amazed us was when Carmen would read God's Words of hope and peace or would sing a song that showed that, in the midst of this physical pain, she knew her Lord was carrying her frail, contorted body through this earthly life. He was truly her refuge and strength.

And now, He has carried her into her heavenly home. Carmen died in December. I admit, as I would think about her lying there day after day, night after night, that I often prayed that He would take her soon, to free her from this earthly existence filled with pain and agony. But I also had to trust His perfect will and timing. Carmen's life touched the lives of so many of her people as well as the Americans who had come to visit her. Until His purpose for her life on earth was completed, she needed to stay. But now and for eternity, Carmen is no longer in pain. Her body is whole and new and she is dancing with all her might!!

Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning! Psalm 30:5b

Dance, Carmen, dance!!

Volcano Eruption and Tropical Storm Agatha update

It's been two months since Volcan Pacaya erupted leaving a coating of sandy black ash and chunks of hardened lava over a large portion of southern Guatemala. With dozens of canceled flights, the team from Concordia Seminary was blessed to learn a bit more about the "Fruit of the Spirit" that had been assigned to them for their faith lessons the previous week: "Patience!" It didn't take very long for the frustrations of not getting to return home to families and jobs to vaporize as the team went out to assist the people of Amatitlán in the aftermath of the storm. While the giant sinkhole got international attention, little was mentioned about the 200 lives lost in mudslides and flooding throughout the country. The team was able to distribute some bags of water, hygiene kits, t-shirts and food to the people who lived along the "green river" which had swept through their homes leaving mud as high as pilas (wash sinks), or washing them away completely. Hours were spent helping people dig out the mud and sludge. When the road was finally passable, the team worked their way out to El Rincón, our rural ministry site. When talking with families with which we have a relationship, we discovered that a huge chunk of the side of a mountain had roared through an area leaving two teenagers dead. One was a Christian. The other was not. It was sobering to see Sindy, one of our scholarship kids, clinging to her mom in fear with the realization of what had happened. Their house was unlivable, as well. There was one family there whose shanty, simply because of the pile of rocks behind it, was totally spared and untouched. They are going to move because they can't bear to think about what happened to their neighbors. Sindy has just begun smiling again.

So, rebuilding has begun. It is a way of life for many in Guatemala. Hardships like this come so often, they are almost expected. But more than the rebuilding of shanties, the rebuilding of lives has begun, as well. The attendance at the faith lessons in El Rincón has tripled since the storm, bringing 60 or more children and that many adults. It is only God that brings hope in the midst of storms. Both the physical and emotional kind. To Him be all glory.

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord." --Psalm 40:1-3

Challenges and Celebrations

Such a mixed bag, life on this earth, isn't it? There are times, here in Guatemala, that you don't even want to open the bag for fear of "what else could possibly happen to the people here?"

Some of the challenges thus far in 2010:

Julián's uncle and four others were murdered while sitting outside talking in front of a tienda (little store).

Someone next door to Ruth's house, the same block as the above, was murdered the following week.

Carmen, our friend on crutches, was hit by a motorcycle while begging on a busy street corner, and now, the latest news was that she was missing and her family couldn't find her.

Ruth's brother was recently given the ultimatum that "either you pay me Q1000 or you're dead" (about $127, which is not much by our standards, but a huge amount here). As Oscar told us, "We know our people, and they will do to you what they say they will do."

Our friend, Rosa, lost her baby this past week. She was anywhere between 28-33 weeks into her pregnancy (the doctors couldn't agree). She'd been in and out of the hospital since January. One day she realized that the baby was no longer moving. It was a girl. This is the second baby Rosa has lost in the past year, well into the pregnancies. Rosa also deals with off the charts high glucose levels, so is slowly losing her eyesight. Her daughter, Vilma, 13, and her son, Pedro, 14, are more the caretakers of the three of them than their mom is able to be. Pedro works in the dump instead of going to school. He'd be in the 7th grade.

Pretty sobering stuff. But thank God, there are celebrations as well as challenges!

Ruth's brother is still alive. Our last team did some "high powered" bold praying that this enemy would only see God's army surrounding Ruth's brother and their family and run. We thank God for His protection thusfar.

We have already had two unbelievable teams serving with Groundwork Guatemala. The hands willing to do whatever they're called to do. The hearts filled with compassion. The lives changed forever because of what God has already revealed to these first twenty-three servants in 2010.

43!!!!!!!!! For-ty-three!!!!! That's how many children for whom God has provided sponsors! We're just overwhelmed with how He continually surprises us and provides for the kids here. This year we have children receiving scholarships, not only in Guatemala City, but in Amatitlán, and Buena Vista, as well.

As Sandra and Kevin eat tamales with one of the Amatitlán City Council members, they come to realize that we've been watched! But in a good way, leading to a meeting with the City Council and Mayor. Groundwork Guatemala was offered "whatever you need" to do ministry in Amatitlán. How about some land? How about a building? Tell us what you need! We were given the use of a building for the Colorado medical team...complete with two bathrooms that actually worked!! Woohooo!!! Unfortunately, we had to turn it down beyond that because it's too small for our weekly ministry activities... but then again...

Maybe that's not so unfortunate!! While the attendance in the "El Rincón" location (out in the boonies) has remained pretty stable, the Thursday activities in Gonzalez park would blow the roof off, if there was one!! Holy guacamole! Tons of kids. Tons of adults. What a hoot as God is glorified and people's lives are filled with the Holy Spirit!

This celebration part could go on and on...Ruth is in nursing school, Oscar is taking classes to gain entry into the University, Sandra is taking classes at the University for accounting and auditing, Julián's squirt, Jehisy, just turned one (he'd be happy to show you pictures!), Manuel's kids are growing and they all continue to be such a great example of a Christian family. We have fourteen more teams coming in 2010 and seven on the calendar for 2011! This is turning out to be about three blogs' worth, we have been blessed so richly!!!

But I would like to end by telling you about our visit with Rosa on Monday morning. Julián, Manuel, Sandra, Kevin and I went to, well, just tell Rosa how sorry we are that she was feeling such pain and to check on her ongoing health issues. Not knowing enough Spanish, I did the "hold you in my arms and let you cry" part, which I have learned is fine, just fine...because the Guatemalans are the ones who can share the comfort and encouragement of God's Word best with their people. Sandra's words stuck with me the most this week. She told Rosa that when you don't understand why things happen and you are feeling alone and weak, don't just reach out for God. Grab hold of Him and hang on tightly. We may know that you're going through a difficult time, but God knows exactly how you feel and He will hold you and care for you and take that pain away like no one else can.

So, is there someone at work, in your family, church or neighborhood that's hurting? Find them. Hold them. Tell them that God knows their name and He knows how they feel. And HE can take their pain away in the middle of the challenges. Now, that's something to celebrate!!

Mission Completed!!

Mission completed!! Those are the words that were shouted by Edgar Rafael Osorio Salazar and his classmates on Sunday night. Kevin and I attended Edgar’s high school graduation this past Sunday evening, which is an honor in itself. However, when you know where Edgar comes from it jumps into the “this is beyond special” category.

Edgar and his five siblings live with their mom in an area too dangerous for Kevin and me to go into. They’ve even asked that we don’t come down there because any association with Americans would likely mean that gangs would begin to extort money from the family, making them pay to be allowed to get into their own home. For years, two of Edgar’s siblings, a sister and a brother, have had to live in an orphanage because their mother couldn’t care for them. They’ve since been released from the orphanage, because of their age. Oh, how proud Edgar's mom was this night! HER son, a high school graduate!

Earlier in the week, we attended the graduation of three other high schoolers, due to a gift from St. Luke Lutheran Church in Mesa AZ, which helped them with their unpaid tuition and end of the year expenses. Had it not been for this gift, they would have lost the entire school year. One of the girls walked in behind a special flag as she had been one of the best students in her class. How close she had come to not graduating! Thank you, St. Luke congregation, for this amazing gift of love!

In Guatemala, public education ends with grade six. Seventh grade through the end of high school is done in private schools; that is, when a family can afford it, which for the families we work with, is rare. Many of the young boys and girls simply must begin to work to help provide for their families, selling things on the streets or taking care of their younger siblings while their mom tries to find work.

As these great kids walked down the aisle in their caps and gowns, we knew that each step was one of victory over adversity, of success in a culture of failure. When they proudly held their diplomas, they about burst with the joy of accomplishing something really good in a place where life is really, really hard.

To God be the glory for bringing this gift of education to these fine young men and women through the donations of His people! Thank you for helping to open the doors of opportunity for these kids! We pray that each of them will use their education to better serve the Lord as they use the gifts and talents that He has given them. Woohoo!!! God is good!!!