Wed.Feb 16,2011

Today the team got to make a personnel connection with their sponsored students and install two Onil stoves. We jumped on the van about 9:30 and headed back to El Barranco. It took the better part of the day to do all of this. Since we had 9 students to visit we were fortunate that it turned out that the 2 stoves were going to two of these families. You know the ol'...killing two birds with one stone.
It is always so heart warming to make that personnel connection with your students but also heart wrenching to see the conditions that they live in. Almost all of the families we visited today were sleeping on boards with a blanket over them...no mattresses or enough blankets. I never stop being amazed to see how this gentle group of people live and still have smiles on their faces.
Everyone brought gifts for their students so their was much fun in seeing the faces of the kids receiving a gift. It turned out to be the birthday of Debbie S. student so she managed to find the pastry shop early in the morning and bought a birthday cake for her student. When that box was opened his little eyes got huge. I am sure it is probably the first birthday cake he has ever had. And she also gave him a soccer ball which he never let go of the whole time we were their.
Not sure if I mentioned before that Denise fell over her suitcase the morning she got up to leave for this trip so she has one of the biggest shiners I have ever seen. I can't help but wonder if her student would know who she is without it. We have all gotten so used to it that it never occurred to me that someone should explain to her little boy that is was not normal.


Debbie L. asked one of her students what she liked to do in her free time...what hobbies she had. Her response was that she didn't have time for that...she had to work when she got out of school each day. Many of these children live lives like this..never knowing what we consider a real childhood. This is the kind of day that changes your life forever.
For any of you who would like to help a child in Guatemala possibly have a better life just let me know and I will get you connected to a child in need. Or if you would like to send a donation we will use it to get the preschool in El Barranco up and running. The preschool will select the children at the greatest risk of malnutrition to be the first to attend since they will be fed each day at school.