Home Again, Home Again

For the GS Team, we arrived home shortly after 3am on Monday morning.  A long and greuling trip home, as some were still battling the "bug" and others just battling exhaustion.  Our trip home began yesterday at 5:30am. 

I must say, that I am so grateful to have such a wonderful team of individuals who were so willing and capable to help the people of Guatemala in ways that we couldn't even predict would be needed.  Our team was insightful, intuitive, and showed great initiave in the impoverished villages of Parramos, Parrojas and Parraxaj. It was truly an honor and blessing to be amongst the children and families of these remote communities and to be able to build relationships with them.

In summary, the team was able to work on 8 Adopt A Homes, provided medical clinics all week in Parramos, Parrojas and Parraxaj, 5 Animal Projects, 4 Agriculture Sessions, painted 4 classrooms in Parrojas and 1 school (classroom and outside) in Parraxaj, built 4 Stoves, provided games and crafts to approx. 400 children in 3 different villages, distributed clothing and shoes in 2 of those villages, distributed soup to over 600 families, distributed food hampers to over 70 sponsored families in Parrojas and Parramos, delivered mattresses and bedding to an 3 families in addition to the 8 Adopt A Homes who also received beds, bedding, pots, pans, cupboards and wardrobes, attended the grand opening of the Parraxaj school and washroom facility which had been provided to the community during Loving Arms' Oct. trip, held 3 Sewing Workshops and provided donated sewing machines, conducted 2 Women's Workshops providing much needed nutrition and hygiene information, built a home for one of the most needy families in Parrojas, provided a playground with a swing set, slide and teeter totter for the Parraxaj school and dug trenches and erected walls on Loving Arms' newly purchased property.

The GS Mission Team is a group of selfless individuals, who search not only for the betterment of self, but the betterment of the world around them.  Guatemala is a far off place for many, but after our first ever third world mission, it is a place that will live in our hearts forever.  I only pray that we left as great an impact on the people of Guatemala as they have left with us.

It is with great respect and admiration that I give thanks to the team for their support, hard work and self-less attitudes.  I would also like to thank the many who supported our fundraising efforts, those who donated items and supplies to support the self-sustaining programs we initiated, and to those who prayed for us while we were away.  I would like to extend a personal thank you to my parents, who loved and provided for Tim and my children so that we could lead and participate in this Mission - it wouldn't have been possible without them!

Many thanks for your continued support and interest in the work of the GS Mission Team!

Juli
Mission Coordinator
Greenbank United Church

(trip summary adapted from Linda Conghlin, Loving Arms www.lovingarms.ca)