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It was a special day on Tuesday. After emails to the state of Washington and yet more from a cruise ship heading towards the Panama Canal and eventually to Florida, it was all arranged. Rosa and Sahid were going to meet two very special people. They’d seen their pictures, gotten letters and cards from them, but they’d never seen them in person. John and Judy Hill are the sponsors of Rosa Tocay, and their daughter, Jessica is Sahid’s sponsor. It hadn’t been more than a few weeks ago when Rosa asked us, “When can I meet MY sponsors?” She had seen several of the children meet their sponsors throughout the year when they came down to serve with Groundwork Guatemala on short term mission trips, and she wondered if her sponsors would ever be coming down to see her.
Well, Tuesday was the day. The Hills had planned a day trip from their ship into Antigua just to see this child with whom they’d been communicating for three years. With Manuel driving, Oscar, Kevin and I, Rosa and Sahid travelled from Guatemala City to Antigua. We left early because everyone was so excited! We had arranged to meet John and Judy in the Central Park, a place to which we thought anyone could direct them. It was fun as we watched every gringo that walked through the park… “Is it them?” “How about them?” “What color hair do they have?” And finally, there they were. Such smiles and hugs at this great reunion! What a special blessing this was for everyone there.
As we waited for our tasty lunch at the local Pollo Campero, Sahid, who had brought his report card with him, proudly shared his great grades for the year with John and Judy. With Oscar’s help with translating, the kids also shared their favorite subjects in school, what they might want to do when they get older, their favorite food... The Hills told them about their three dogs and three cats and how they all get along so well together. It was just a great couple of hours together getting to know one another face to face.
As we looked out over the city of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz, Rosa found out that John and Judy had to leave shortly to go back to their ship. She was so disappointed that they had to leave so soon. They all agreed that Rosa would learn more English and the Hills would learn more Spanish, so when they saw one another again, they could talk to each other more easily.
The gift of education that is given to these children by their sponsors is pretty indescribable. They learn so much more than math and reading. Most importantly, they learn how to live a life that is pleasing to God, to grow in faith and wisdom, and to have a much better chance at providing for their families. We thank the Hills for giving this gift to Rosa and Sahid. It’s a gift they cherish.
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