We just returned from a mission trip in Guatemala. We have done several of these trips, starting back in 2002. We adopted our son from Guatemala in 2001. When we went to pick him up we decided we wanted to spend time in country, so we could tell him about the place he was born. We were very innocent and naive about the rest of the world, at that time. Neither of us had ever really visited another country, other than Canada and tourist trips into Mexico.
We could not believe how beautiful the country was, and how genuinely friendly the people were. It was also the first time we saw severe poverty. As we toured the country, we did not see poverty in a few places but we saw it everywhere we went. We asked our friend, Juan, about the extent of poverty in the country, and he told us that only about 5% of the people live like we do in the United States. The rest live in either poverty or extreme poverty.
We went home and this weighted on us, especially Michelle, she is very kind and empathetic. She kept coming back to one thought, which was, how are we going to answer this question if our son ever asks "If Guatemala is so poor and the people are so hungry, why didn't you ever help?"
Michelle contacted our friend Juan in Guatemala City and asked if he knew of a project that we could help with. He directed us to the Nutritional Center in the Santo Hermano Perdro Hospital in Guatemala City. The nutritional center is for severely malnourished children. It run run by Sr. Ana Christina. At the time we were introduced to the center, Sister Ana had no employees and had over forty malnourished children. We began by sending her money by Western Union (very expensive). Michelle at the Nutritional Center
We stared doing individual or family mission trips. One of our children could go at a time, but they had to pay their own way ( this usually meant the child would give up Christmas and birthday presents, and solicit money from Grandparents, Aunts Uncles, Pan handle, whatever it took).
In 2004 Michelle met a priest from Food for the Poor. He suggested that we contact them and see if Fr. Marquies of Caritas in Guatemala would help. He immediately started the center on their milk and food programs. This began our association with Food for the Poor. They set up a special account in which 100% of the donations we solicit go directly to the nutritional center, without any fees or the
high cost of Western Union.
high cost of Western Union.In 2005 we did our first group mission trip to Guatemala. We took seven adults, including our priest Fr. Don Geyman. We used our standard rules for a mission trip. Everything you need will fit into your carry on, and we are going to use your suitcases for humanitarian goods. A few grumble the first time, but it always works out.
Food for the Poor considers their trips pilgrimages, because they are inspirational, but you really don't do any work. The trips consist of going to the country, staying in a nice (and safe hotel) and touring their projects. We added on some tourist time. The first trip we went to Antigua Guatemala, the original Spanish Capital.
Fr. Don and Sister Ana Christina
Since the nutritional center is a sister mission for our church we spent a day there. Sr. Ana Christina gives us specific direction to spend our time there playing with and giving attention to the children at the center.
When we are at the center we bring Children's vitamins, preferably with iron, soccer balls, toys, medicine, blankets and hand made sweaters. The women at our church make the most beautiful sweaters for the children at the center. We are asked about this often, since Guatemala in in Central America, Americans assume it is always hot. Guatemala has a lot of mountains, and it gets cold at the higher elevations, where a lot of these children come from. All of the children at the center have families. They usually stay there for 6 to 18 months until they are healthy, and their family circumstances have changed.Fr. Don and kids at the center. The little girl
he is holding is 3 years old!
You never know what is going to inspire someone when we take them to Guatemala. Tom Reder, a loyal member of the Knights of Columbus was really affected by the fact that water did not go to all of the sinks and the bathroom at the nutritional center. As soon as we got home he set up a fund raiser for water at the center. Tom and the Knights of Columbus raised enough money to have water pumped into all of the bathrooms and sinks at the center.
Tom Reder and Sr. Ana Christina
carrying water to the other side of the center.
