March has been a busy month
for me so far. I have gotten involved with a lot of things here in
Guatemala, and at time I feel like maybe I've extended myself too
far. I have a job working as a manager in hotels which pays my
bills. I've also started helping out another missionary couple
expand their project to include a school. I'm planning a trip out to
Solola to visit Juana de Leon and her family on March 19th
to help get a new roof on their house, and I also have a meeting with
the mayor to see what can be done to help the economy of the area.
At the end of February, accompanied by a friend, I made the trip into
the capitol to renew my visa for another 3 months. Basically, God is
moving in a big way and I'm so excited to be a part of it!
John and Judy Prim (One
Hope Ministry), originally from Chicago, are a missionary couple who
are serving down here in Guatemala. They have a home in which they
accept girls from poor, rural families. They provide these girls a
place to live, teach them about sanitary living (drinking clean—not
bacteria-infested—water, bathing one's self regularly,
cutting/cleaning nails, cooking with gas instead of wood, and so on),
and pay for the girls to attend a school which will provide them with
the education to get a good job and help their family escape from the
extreme poverty in which they live. Up until now, they've had about
12 girls living with them at a time. This year, due to a few health
concerns, they scaled back on the number of girls with them (they
have only 5) and are gearing up to build their own home to ideally
house up to 100 girls and school which will also accept outside
students as well. While helping them, I've managed to make a few
contacts of my own which will help to ideally bring short-term groups
to Guatemala.
You may recall the pastor
couple with whom I was working out in Solola. Last I mentioned them,
the situation was a little uncertain. I won't say that it is any
more certain, but there is a family in the United States which has
decided to sponsor one of the families (Juana de Leon and her seven
sons) in Los Encuentros. Ismael, one of the sons of the pastors, is
a community leader in the area, and he has been in contact with
Juana. After visiting her, he went to talk to the mayor in Solola
about this “activist” (me) he knows, and during the course of the
conversation, Juana was brought up. As a result, her family will
also be receiving 10 pounds of nutritious drink mix each month from
the local government. Studies have shown that children who have a
nutritious diet do better in school. I'm hoping for big things out
of Juana's boys! Also exciting is that I am planning for the visit
of two of the members of the sponsoring family who hope to come down
at the end of July.
Additionally, the mayor
would like to be able to send small groups of artesans to the United
States to be able to put on shows (display and sell their wares, and
maybe conduct some demonstrations of how the crafts are made as well
as share a little about their culture). If you are interested, know
anything about this, or know someone who might be interested, please
contact me!
Maybe
a
school
district
would
like
them
to
come
in
and
do
some
demonstrations
in
each
school.
Maybe
a
community
center
would
like
to
have
them
for
a
week.
I
don't
know.
I
do
know
that
as
they
are
from
a
high-flight-risk
country,
they
will
likely
not
be
allowed
without
an
invitation.
Finally,
I have plans to be in the area for a visit near the end of May.
Actual dates have not yet been decided yet.
The
Care and Keeping of a Missionary
You all take very good care of me, and I am blessed to have you as
my sending church. I keep you in my prayers as I know you keep me in
yours. Specific prayer requests are for the growth of the ministry
which has been entrusted to Judy and John, for the family of Juana,
for the residents of Solola, for my general health and well-being,
and that God might work through all of us in at least a small way
during the coming month. Additionally, I ask that you keep your eyes
and ears out for opportunities for the artesans of Solola. If it is
in your ability to look for opportunities, please do so.
As
always,
you
can
read
more
at
my
blog
http://gringaontheground.blogspot.com
and
you
are
always
free
to
e-mail
me
at
asimmer@gmail.com.
I
love
you
all,
and
I
am
glad
to
call
you
all
my
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ.
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