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.