Thank You T2

Welcome home to all of our teen volunteers!!! You should feel so very proud for all that you accomplished this past week in Tamahú and for the many ways in which you shared your friendship, love, and compassion for the people both in the village and in the mountains. Your hard work in establishing a community garden, teaching the people to compost, assisting in the medical mission and in the food distribution, as well as bringing tremendous joy to the little school children was so very important in helping us to improve the health and well being of the people and was gratefully received by all. Father Blazej was moved to tears by your deep passion and love for the poor. Not one of you will be forgotten, as you will be held in the hearts and prayers of all those whom you served.

Reflections written by two of our volunteers during our journey home:

Eternal Life
(Alina-Ioana Favazza)

I look at these people,
Like my second family.
The love they share with me,
Makes me one and the same as them.

Home is where the heart is,
Where you can be who you want to be.
Some place where you feel complete,
You don’t need technology to enjoy your time,
And you do not want to leave.

From the time we landed to the time of departure,
Time flew by and by.
Everyday I wished time would just slow down,
For more time in Guatemala
To be with the people we have become family to.

They capture you with their hugs and smiles,
Making you feel like you are at home.
It only takes a moment,
To give them your heart,
Always and forever.

Leaving is the hardest part,
Crying until your eyes run dry.
You know your future is to return,
For a longer period of time,
But for now we thank God for them all.

I now know what I would like to do in the future,
Returning to Guatemala with Mir Pace opened by eyes.
I would love to help take younger kids to Guatemala,
With the hope that they will enjoy their time,
And appreciate this opportunity with all their hearts!

I thought I was truly happy in the U.S.,
But I realized that being in Guatemala,
Is what I would like to do.
Being with people there,
Made me realize that there is no greater love
Than the love they shared with me.

You suddenly realize that you do not need a
Cell phone, computers, or a TV,
As long as you are surrounded by people,
Who truly love you and you enjoy doing
New things with them.
You find the meaning of life and love,
And your heart finds the path to eternal life.

Eternal life is knowing that what you’ve done
Has been for the benefit of others,
And you’ve given all your heart to the cause.
You become selfless and you think of others,
Always and forever.

Tamahú, La Nueva Vida
(Bridgit Wald)

We arrive by bus, ever so keen
White faces in a sea of green
And discover what life truly does mean
We will never forget what we have seen.

The people here, so kind and selfless
Qualities I truly will miss
Kindergarteners so eager to kiss
Despite the hardships, life here is bliss.

I see now that I was blind
In the privileged home I left behind.
Life here truly blows my mind
And lessons learned stand the test of time.

As the sun sets each and every day,
I pray, dear Tamahú, never fade away.

April 21, 2010 Food Distribution

Hola for Tamahu!,
Today we helped to distribute food to the people by bagging rice and black beans. We also created sets consisting of vegetable oil, rice, black beans, sugar, and soap. There were so many rows that the entire floor was covered. Many of us went up to the bell tower as well during a short break. After, we formed a makeshift assembly line to pass out the food to the people who needed it. We accomplished this very quickly and had great success. Tomorrow, when we arrive in Guatemala City, the rest of today´s blog will be posted.

From Kris and Lisa!

Tuesday April 20, 2010 Trip to the School

Hola!
Today we visited the local prekindergarten through first grade school. We played with the kids and they made us cards, necklaces, and greeted us with hugs and kisses.You could definitely tell how much being there meant to them and the sisters running the school. One of the sisters started crying because she was so grateful to have us there. They all thanked us profusely but nothing meant more to us than the cards that they made for us. This brought up the whole group´s spirit! What a great day!
Some of us picked up the children who attend the school who live in the mountains. Each child entering the bus gave us a hug and a kiss. They were eager and more than ready to talk to us. All the little kids knew how to whistle using their hands and when we tried to do the same, we could not. They thought that thus was funny and they started laughing. The smiles coming off them made us happier to be with them. The cards that they made will be used to send to the benefactors of Mir Pace.

Monday in Tamahu

HOLA!!
Today we climbed the mountain for the last time!! We taught the people how to properly compost. Then we cleared part of the land, and we planted. Special gratitude to Walker,John, Eileen and our translator Marlin. They worked especially hard today, while most of us beaten from the walk up stayed in the shade. Tomorrow we begin work on a house here in Tamahu for a family whos father just passed away.
Adios for now!!

Helen and Bridgit

P.S
HEY DAD
love Bridgit

Our day at the medical clinic

HOLA!
Hoy, tomamos un día libre a reconocer a los sabbath y se fue a una escuela local que sirvió como una clínica médica para el día. Aquí, hemos ayudado a los médicos a mantener el orden y la paz y la escolta de la maravillosa gente de Guatemala a la farmacia a recoger el persriptions y suministros médicos. Era un día de pena reconizing porque realmente entendía cómo drástica la necesidad de atención médica. Más tarde, volvimos y algunos de nosotros jugar fútbol o futbol con los niños de Tamahú, mientras que Nurry un buen amigo de Mir Pace se unió a nosotros en nuestra · casa · y disfrutamos de la presencia de su hijo, Juan De Marco. Todos estamos de unión muy bien como grupo, y como lugar común que pueda parecer nos estamos convirtiendo en una familia de Mir Pace. Mañana, empezamos el viaje en bruto a la montaña para comenzar nuestro proyecto del jardín de la comunidad. Eran todos tan contentos de estar alrededor de los pobladores de montaña.
Adiós por ahora!

Helen y Bridgit

First work day in Tamahu!!!!

HOLA!
Today we climbed a grande montaña, and it was quite the challenge. The smiles awaiting us at the top were well worth it. First, we attended mass with the Chipacin people, then we had a lunch, gave the children bubbles which created a mass eruption of laughter. Finally, we got down to business and met with the people about nutrition. During this meeting we discovered a way to help the people grow better and more nutritional crops-COMPOST!!! We are going to accomplish composting using manure, and monday we will return to help clear an area and begin the community garden and education about the compost and manure use. Tomorrow we will go to a medical facility and help treat local patients. We will keep you posted!
-Helen, Bridgit, & Walker.

HoLa!
We have made it safely to Guatemala City, and we are going to be helping the missionary sisters today. Later this morning we will start our van journey to Tamahu! The weather here is nice and everything is going well so far! We can`t wait to depart! We will be sure to keep you posted!

Walker & Bridgit :)

In Less Than 48 Hours...

We will begin another remarkable week of service to the people of the village of Tamahu! As last minute details are being finalized and the packing has begun, the excitement is intensifying among our teens. The people of Tamahu are counting the minutes until we are among them once again!! We will be blogging each night during our stay in order to share with you our experiences, daily accomplishments, the remarkable friendships and discoveries that will be realized throughout our stay, and we'll try to post pictures as well. We ask that you cover us in prayer and hope that you will follow us on our journey as we bring God's love to the poor of Tamahu.

Our next greeting will be from Guatemala!

¡Adios nuestros amigos!