Ok… its time… time to put aside the “how I feel” stuff…. (I am doing much better by the way).   I’m getting really excited for the coming months… Gearing up to return to Guatemala in the fall…. and getting to work here putting together all the intricate puzzle pieces that need to fit together in order for things to happen when they need to and how they need to.  This blog is a bit different.  Since coming home and re-connecting with everyone many questions have arisen… Great questions about the details and its time to be clear on exactly what is happening with the Doppenberg’s & the ministry we hope you want to be a part of both here and in Guatemala!  We are in the process of putting together a website…. but in the meantime…..Time for a little Q & A…. So here we go….

Question:  What projects do you currently have on the go in Guatemala?

Currently there are 4 major things that we are working toward.  There are many minor ones but we have narrowed it down to 4 major.  We have tried to narrow things down as much as possible.  Things that people can choose to get involved with based upon their hearts but without spreading ourselves too thin so to speak.

1. Now that the renovations at the Hospital Infantil Padre Pedro in Guatemala are pretty much complete and the building has been made more energy efficient etc.  We need to get the monthly budget of around $4000.00 covered.  A hospital can only function if the lights are on, the food can be bought etc.   A functional building is only functional if the funds are there for it to be able to be utilized for the purpose in which it was intended.  You get the point.  🙂

2. We are looking to buy a plot of farm land.  To grow nutritious crops to sustain the hospital and provide jobs for locals.  Having the kids at the hospital being rehabilitated is fantastic…. but if their parents cannot make money when the kids go home they end up right back at the hospital in 1 year or less.  We have seen this happen several times.  Buying this piece of land would give the Hospital one more way to become more self-sustaining AND help local families become self-sufficient.  Win/Win!

3. Sponsorships.  These are so important.  We have in place a monthly sponsorship program for both the kids in the hospital AND the Hermana’s.  For the kids, people can donate monthly while the child is in the hospital and then continue that long after the child is home.  Monthly sponsorships will provide care for a bright future for each child.  To ensure that the child’s best interests are served, through sponsor donations we will be providing the sponsor child with a basket every month in lieu of just giving the family actual cash.  In the basket will be all the medicines that he/she needs for the month plus high protein foods and vitamins geared specifically toward their nutritional needs.  It will also contain school supplies, books, Bibles or other things geared toward whatever specific needs that particular child has in order to further their mental & spiritual development. For school age children, a portion will be used to fund school costs which are typically around $80.00/year to ensure that the child can attend school.   Parents will be provided bussing to come to the hospital with the child every month to pick up this basket and that will allow the hospital to do a physical assessment on the child to make sure that their health continues to steadily improve.  Monthly sponsorships will ensure that the kids are well provided for while in the hospital and when they are out through the basket program.   If you want to visit, on the month you come visit your child, we will deliver the basket to their home so you can see your child, their family & see where they live.  We will also be providing people with the opportunity to sponsor a Hermana.  These women give up their lives to serve and we feel that it’s only right that we help them.  One of the requirements of joining this particular order of Hermana’s is that you get an education.  Theology is obvious but they are required to also study something that you can use to glorify God and better serve the poor.  Many choose things like nursing, doctor, translator or teacher.  We helped one young Novitiate (a younger girl who is studying to be a nun) earn her degree in nursing.  What a blessing this was to us to know that we helped her realize one of her dreams and enable her to serve in a way that is much needed.  She now serves full time in the hospital tending to the children and has been such a blessing to everyone.  Sponsorships for Hermana’s will cover the cost of their education or in the case of some of them who have already obtained this degree, a sponsorship can cover things like monthly medicines etc.  They have health issues themselves just like everyone else and these costs can be expensive… many times they do without and this is no good.  They are the ones who run this hospital and they need to be taken care of.  Ever been on an airplane?  They tell you in the safety briefing to put your own oxygen mask on BEFORE assisting others because how can you help those in need if you are not healthy.

4.  And finally…. malnutrition knows no borders.  El Salvador, a small country who’s border lies 40 minutes from our little town of El Progreso is no different than Guatemala.  Hermana Mercedes has always spoken of walking hand in hand with the people of Canada, with God in the lead, across Central America serving the malnourished children.  El Salvador is the first stop in our walk.  We have had the plans drawn up to build a new hospital!!!   A facility that is small but efficient.  There are 2 Hermana’s that have completed their studies in medicine and they are ready to go and begin a 2nd location of the Hospital Infantil Padre Pedro!   This has been a dream that God put on Hermana Mercedes heart over 30 years ago… the time is now and we hope to help this dream become a reality!!!

QUESTION:  You speak of sponsorships.  What is the minimum that I can donate monthly as a sponsor of either a child or a Hermana?

We know that times are tough here in North America and it is tough just to make ends meet.  The average cost per month to have a child in the Hospital is approx $135.00. That includes things like medicines, food, tests, lights, water etc.   That is a large amount for one person to cover.   No amount of monthly partnership is too small…. It is our hope that each child can have many sponsors.  Some of these little ones have no family…. some have families who love them dearly but that are truly powerless at this time to help them in any way…. what a blessing to have many families that they can be connected with, write to, draw pictures for etc.  We would love to see their beds filled with pictures of families that are loving them, supporting them and praying for them from all over the world!  We offer trips too…. so you can always know that you are free to come and visit!   Same is true for the Hermana’s.  They have the heart and the desire to serve…. what they need is a hand up…. a hand of help with finances and prayer.  Even if you cannot support financially…. every child and Hermana would love a prayer partner from another part of the world that they can connect with and write to.

QUESTION:   It seems as though a lot of this is about money?

Unfortunately money is a crucial part of this.  God is what drives all of it…and God is necessary.  In our world,  money is not as important as God but it is necessary in its own way.  None of what they do… what we do… or what you do is possible without either.  It is NOT all about money however.  It is about love… about prayer… about hope… Money is simply something that is necessary to physically accomplish concrete things.  People call money the “necessary evil”… it doesn’t have to be evil.  Money spent in a responsible way can be a blessing.  There are reasons that we were born where we were…. “For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required.” — Luke 12:48    Giving is necessary…. and we ask that you give.  If this is not what God has put upon your heart to give to… and there are many choices out there… we understand… but give… somewhere.  Give of your money, of your time… of your heart… with gladness!

QUESTION:  I get that people there need help…. but what are the Guatemalan’s doing to help?  Surely this can’t be totally Canada’s responsibility?

I love this question.  It makes me so excited.  Excited to go back to Guatemala and get to work.  This past year we have made connections with not only the poor and marginalized people of Guatemala but with government officials, decision makers and people of means.  We have been working hard at getting the Guatemalan people involved in a real way.  We have been able to secure help from the mayor and several families in the region.  It takes time to build these relationships but we are making great strides in ensuring that the people of Guatemala and the people of Canada work together, serve together and give together!  Exciting times!!!

QUESTION:  What happens to the extra money?  Say a project I want to donate to is fully funded already…. what do you do with the money then?

Legal disclaimers…. gotta love them.  Every single organization needs them… To me this is the necessary evil hahaha.  Here goes…. Your donation will be used as designated with the understanding that, if the project is fully funded or discontinued, the remaining donations will be used for another ministry project.  The best example I can give here is, say you want to partner with us to build a new hospital in El Salvador.  By the time we get your contribution we have the hospital building already fully funded.  Well then the money would be used in a different way.  It would be used to fund that hospital’s operating expenses.  Make sense?  We will ensure that the money is used for as close a purpose as to which it was intended.  Most charitable organizations operate this way… and it is a good model in which to follow.

QUESTION:  What is your plan… as a family?

Our plan is …. well, we have learned many times to not rely on too much planning… our plans and God’s plan quite often do not mesh.  But since banks, mortgage companies etc do not really accept the “We are waiting on God” answers we have to have some sort of flexible direction.  Flexible being the key word….  Overall, our flexible plan is to sell everything…  Reduce our stuff down to a few boxes of only the most important sentimental keepsakes and sell all the rest.  Liquidate all of our monetary worth here in Canada and live very simply.  It is our hope to spend the next few years living 10 & 2.  10 months there and 2 here (give or take).  It is very hard to live in both worlds both mentally and financially.  We find that for our family it is very difficult to fund our work with mortgages and such weighing us down.  We need the freedom to take whatever path God puts before us.  It seems that the past few years, doors have closed and others have opened that puts us in the very unique position to “GO”.   It’s scary & exciting… but our entire family feels that this is the best way for us so we are going for it.

Question:  What about your people here… you have an active role in peoples lives here… how will that continue with you gone?

Gone is a very black and white term.  We won’t be gone.  The world has never been smaller than it is right now thanks to technology!  While we won’t be physically in the same room on many occasions we will never be gone.  Keeping in touch and loving people is do-able via skype, phone calls etc.  We offer trips so it is our hope that people will come to Guatemala when they are able.  We will be returning back here for the summers and will be free to spend quality time with people here in Canada.  A big factor for us in our decision was, serving at a pediatric malnutrition hospital is so amazing… but things must be taken into consideration.  Some of these kids are there very long term… away from family who cannot afford even the bus fare to come and visit their children.  Some of these kids have been left behind by their families etc.  So they become very attached, very quickly to those that surround them.  It has been a very hard transition for them to have had a family come and love on them every day and now just be gone.  Also with the plans I laid out in the first question, we feel it is very necessary to be there.  New hospitals, monthly sponsorships etc, are all very difficult to manage from a far and we want to make sure things happen as they were meant to.  Bottom line is that, Our ministry is simply better served with us being on the ground there at this moment in time.  Who know’s what the future holds.  We are trying to not look further ahead than a few steps.  This is right for us for now… but we are very aware that God may have other plans for us and we are very open to that.

QUESTION:  Aside from giving…. how can I help, how can I get involved?

We have so many needs…. we need you to be involved and not only in a monetary way.  We need prayer… we need you to keep in touch with us.  We provide blogs and regular updates…. and that keeps you in the loop with what is happening with us.  What seems to happen is that we get VERY out of the loop in what is happening here with you.  We need you to keep in touch and send us your prayer requests and simply treat us as though we are here…. regular emails, messages etc.   When we were got home this time, many said, “I was going to write but I knew you were busy and didn’t want to bug you”…. nothing could be further from the truth.  Bug us!!!  Nothing helps more when you are away from those you love than hearing from them…. Sometimes you feel pretty alone and isolated when you are away serving and even our boys need and crave the familiar at times…. so keep in touch…. always!

One other way you can help is by spreading the word!  Tell others of the opportunity to get involved with us.  Together we can make this grow and grow…. By making the decision to serve on a more full time basis on the ground in Guatemala we don’t want this to stagnate here because of an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.  Help us to keep things going here… in new and fresh ways.  Fundraising will still need to be done whether we are here or there and we will need all the help we can get spreading the word!!!

One example of what I mean is…. Andy Tallman, a very talented musician and friend of ours,  has been looking for a way to use his talents in a way that can further God’s Kingdom.  He met and is now dating Rachel Fast.  Rachel has been serving with us in Guatemala 3 times over the past 2 years.  If you’ve kept up with my blog, you know exactly who Rachel is.  Andy and Rachel have together decided that Andy’s newest CD which is set to release on iTunes tomorrow and on hard copy CD this Friday, will be used in a Kingdom furthering way.  They are donating the proceeds from the CD and the merchandise to the El Salvador Hospital Project!!!   Visit www.hope-rise.com for more details on these amazing young people who together are trying to be the change.    And don’t forget to get your copy!!!  What this does for us is gets people involved in very real ways… People that we never would have known… it spreads the word and gets people involved without us having to even be in this country.  God is directing this and people are learning about it when we aren’t involved directly.  Its not all about in person presentations and pie charts anymore.  God is leading it to have a life of its own so it can grow and flourish through others.  It’s how we always wanted it.  This ministry might have our name on it…. but that is ONLY because the governments of both countries say that it has to bear the name of someone who can be legally on paper.  This ministry is God’s… and we want all people who have a heart for it to take ownership of it in whatever capacity they want.  We want this to be something that we all do together…. in solidarity… hand in hand….

If you are interested in more information you can contact us at any time via email at ritadoppenberg@cten.org  or  if you are interested in supporting any of the above projects you just read about you can fill out the monthly partnership form from:    http://www.ctenc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Commission-To-Every-Nation-Canada.pdf … print it out….  fill it out… put “The Doppenberg’s in Guatemala” at the bottom & mail it to CTENC at the address on the form.   You can also make a one time gift at http://www.ctenc.ca/ritadoppenberg/   Keep an eye out for our website too… we hope to have it up and running in the coming weeks!

Thanks and God Bless!

Here I sit on an early Sunday morning… I have just said goodbye to Mateo (Matt) who was by our side, serving for the last 4 months.  Somehow, hugging him goodbye made leaving here more real for me.  I have been dreading leaving but somehow I am coming to terms with it.  These past few days have helped.

Several times over the past few days I have found myself sitting somewhere with friends… receiving… People say, “It is better to give than to receive”.  And that is a true statement.  One I have really learned over the past months.  We have given… we have given of our money, of our time, of our blood, of our sweat, of our lives, of our hearts.  We have given gifts, hope, life, love and so much more.  But, when you give a strange thing happens… You receive.   And what you receive is precious and unexplainable.  You get filled up so to speak.  When you pour out, you must fill up and that is what has happened to us these past days…

On Friday we visited Ileana, Hector and their family.  When we arrived they sat us immediately in their outdoor courtyard.  Their son Samuel (16) appeared with a guitar and as a family they began to sing… songs of love, songs of friendship, songs of God.  It was their gift to us…. it was so beautiful.  There is no shame here in not being able to sing well or anything.  You just put your heart into it and let go.  As I sat listening, I thought of what it would take for my own family to do the same?  Could you just break out a guitar and sing for people as a parting gift to them?  The answer for our family is, no, we would buy them something.  Some random trinket…. something that will be long forgotten after time…. This is so much more… something never to be forgotten and is etched in my heart forever.

Last night was our ‘not goodbye’ party with the Hermana’s at the hospital.  We arrived a bit early so Hermana Mercedes quickly ushered us into the dining room where we were not allowed to move so we didn’t spoil the surprises they had for us.  When it was time we were ushered into the formal classroom that had been transformed into a “Grand Fiesta” (Big Party) room complete with a homemade Canadian Flag poster on the wall attached to a homemade Guatemalan Flag poster in a sign of true solidarity!  How wonderful!

The night began, we were all asked to stand, they all put their hands over their hearts and began with a heartfelt Guatemalan Nation Anthem.  It is a long one… but it brought tears to my eyes to hear it and watch them sing it with such heart and pride for their country.  The night progressed with a beautiful hand made booklet of songs and prayers that we could follow along in for the evening.  What a great keepsake!  Groups of Hermana’s and Novitiates came out in turn singing different songs, doing traditional Guatemalan dances etc.   So much fun.  Then dinner arrived, PIZZA!   This is a huge deal here.  No one orders food in the hospital.  NO ONE.  There is not money for that…. but this was a very special occasion and was treated as such.  There were even 2 large Chocolate cakes from Florencia bakery in Jalapa over an hour away.  Hermana Mercedes remembered us mention that it was Zack’s favourite cake.  How special.  During dinner some disappeared to get ready for the Grand Sopresa (big surprise).  As we sat and waited we were all curious as to what was in store.

When they came out, they were dressed in these beautiful handmade, traditional white skirts and blouses.  They explained that they made them in secret with the sewing machine that my in-laws, Leny & Bill had bought for them.  They went on to explain that every time we walked in they had to hide them so the surprise wouldn’t be ruined… and that was a difficult task because we are always freely coming and going there.  How difficult that must have been!  But oh so worth it… they were so stunning!!!

We were asked to stand and it began.  Their hands went over their hearts in a show of respect and out of their mouths came…. “O Canada, our home and native land…..”….  Immediately tears came to my eyes.  I need to explain here…. english is hard.  Learning english is so incredibly difficult.  I have been teaching english sporatically to these ladies for months and quite honestly they have learned very little.  (A side note here, I have enrolled with Zack in a TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certificate course and we will be offering classes full time next year here due to the huge demand.  So many have asked so we will do).   Anyway, as I was saying, pronounciation of english is so difficult.  As I stood there, crying and trying to sing our anthem along with them, all I could think of was how long it must have taken these ladies, with their crazy busy schedules to learn our song…. By the end, most of them were standing with tears rolling down their faces…. but they had been faithful and completed the whole song.  And it was time for them to move… they had their long skirts clutched to the side, folded across the front and with the last note of our anthem they dropped their hands, letting their skirts fall…. and there it was…. spelled out in huge letters across the front of them…. one simple word with a Canadian flag (homemade) in the middle…. “Gracias”  (Thank you).   That finished me and the tears flowed freely now.  For them too.  Hermana Mercedes began to speak…. they had all been narrating the evening with talk of our family (and Mateo)… and how we are an example to them etc etc.  Hermana didn’t get far before the tears stopped her.  Mostly all she got out was basically, “Thank you to your family, for your example… for your love… and to the people of Canada who bring love and hope… without you we could do nothing for the children…. “

Crazy night… all we really said in response was thank you.  Even Geoff couldn’t get too in depth before his voice cracked.  I managed through tears to say that they are our family, and we will always be beside them…. doing everything we can to help them…. and that we love them… and that the people of Canada will never abandon them…. we will see to it.  We are family… all of us… always….

After it was time to lighten the mood again…. so they all did a beautiful dance and song just for me in honour of El Dia de la Madre (mothers day) that we will not be here for.  Some of the novitiates call me “Mother Rita” so it was fitting.  Yup, you guessed it, I cried again hahaha.  During this they brought out an extra dress… for me and I was outfitted then pulled up on the floor to sing and dance with them.  Definitely out of my comfort zone but I let go and had the time of my life.  After a few wardrobe malfunctions where my skirt fell to the floor, lots of mis-steps in the dance, lots of singing and laughter, it was over.  We left and they followed us to the gate as usual…. Screaming and waving our entire walk home from afar.  If you have been here, you have experienced that goodbye and it is so fun and full of joy and laughter.

It is so much better to give than to receive, but in giving you receive…. My dear friend Linda wrote on one of my pictures on facebook, “When you give love, you get love back”.  So true.  And I have gotten the best gift here… love…. There are many people here that I love and that love me and my family… and will forever…. I know they will pray for us… and love us all, no matter how far apart in the world we are…. that my friends is the best gift I could ever receive… they bring ME hope… and I know in my heart that our family will never stop trying to bring them hope… and help.   So be prepared…. the Doppenberg’s are coming back to Canada… all filled up… and ready to fight for what we believe in…. Dios Quiere (God Willing) …..  Are you ready?

Solidarity

The Hermana's singing a song about friendship

The Novitiates dressed as children, singing a beautiful song about reaching out to the poor children that have no voice

Intermission... PIZZA!!!

A heartfelt "Thank you" from the Hermana's to the Canadians

Me and my precious ladies... I love you all....

My family....

A heartfelt "Thank you" to all who help support this ministry through prayer, donations & love... "Gracias" from all of us!

The chaos has come to an end…. all of the Canadian volunteers have come and gone…. that part of our journey is done…. for this year.  I am both sad and elated at this fact.  While I miss the hustle, bustle and noise of a full house I am relieved that it is over in a way.  I feel that our hosting teams was successful.  I believe in my heart that everyone that came here had a good time and their hearts were touched by this place and its people.  I know that people at home write me now… saying things have changed for them just by being here.  It seems they have changed in the same way I was a few years back after I visited here for the first time.  God has touched them through what they saw and experienced here in Guatemala…. in a way that only seeing with your own eyes and touching with your own hands can.  Now I can sit here and breathe…. I have time now to see and feel again… in a way that is harder for me now.  It’s not that I am hardened to what I experience here…. but there is something that happens to you when you are responsible for dozens of people from home.  I became a leader…. and a strong one if I do say so myself.  I kept it together through the annoying…. through the hard…  through the happy…. through the sad….through the fantastic….through the miracles, and I did it for the sake of my friends from home.  I loved every single minute of it too!  Showing people that I care about something that I believe in so strongly truly was an amazing experience for me.  There is something to be said about friendship…

Frank & Lori visited us this past week…. and what a week it was!  It began on their first full day here, a Monday, when we went to dig a trench around a home in the village.  The family would have preferred a new home but unfortunately due to financial constraints all we could offer this family, whose home floods completely during the rainy season was a drainage pipe underground to help disperse the water.  The family was happy for this as it will help immensely with the torrent of water that comes down the mountain straight into their home.  They dug the trench themselves so all we had to do was put in the pipe and carry the gravel to the ditch for the base & then the covering.  It was hard work but with Frank & Lori’s help we were done in a morning.  During our break people came to us… they heard that we had been taking people to the doctor and they wanted help.  This happens all the time…. whenever we are working in a village, word spreads like wild fire and people begin arriving one after the other asking for help.  It’s so overwhelming at times to see this much need.

After digging the trench we were off to the Ruano home that the Thielmann’s built and just simply pulling up to the gate there we knew we were in for quite the afternoon…. Dozens of people were there waiting for us to see if they could see our doctor… all with a very specific need…. all worthy… all legitimate… all next to impossible for us with our limited financial resources…. This is the hardest part of this….  So we sat… we listened… we took notes… and it came down to the fact that we could only pick 5.  Five out of dozens… all with legitimate needs for the doctor…  I cried…. How do we choose?  I am not God.  I am not worthy to choose…  I looked at Lori and her eyes were as full of tears as mine.

The woman who had asked for help for her daughter .. and we ended up paying for a funeral instead was there.  She came right up to me… she told me that she just walked here to thank us… for the kindness we showed her family by helping with funeral costs.  She said she knew that she had said it before…. but she wanted us to know that the hospital did an autopsy on her daughter and found she was pregnant… and that we had 2 special angels looking down on us…. and that …. well that’s about all I heard to be honest.  I cried like a baby…. this woman wiped the tears from my face and held me tight… and assured me, with tears in her own eyes, that I have a friend here in Guatemala that will always love and pray for me.

Friend is defined by Oxford as: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection

A bond of mutual affection…. true, but a friend is so much more to me… a friend is a person who ‘gets you’ .. the real you… the good, the bad, the ugly…. and that is what I have had here…. That Monday was a day I could not have done without Lori… my friend… beside me… ‘getting me’.  Even though the day got so hard that at a point we simply could not look at one another without crying… that’s how much she ‘gets me’.   People ask me all the time, how I can deal with having a house full of people here constantly…. My answer is simply, I couldn’t do this without them.  I need to be surrounded by ‘friends’… people who get me… people who support me… people who know me and love me anyway…. Even people who aren’t here in body…. but send encouraging messages or comments through email, facebook or by phone.  Your messages surround me like a warm hug…. even when I can’t reply right away, I read every one… I read them over and over… when times get tough they bring me encouragement to carry on…. When things are fantastic they make me feel like I have people to celebrate with beside me, even when I am alone….

That Monday night with Frank & Lori was a quiet one.  Some of us broke down at the dinner table during high’s and low’s…. After,  I sat up on our roof with Zack.  He was pretty much destroyed by the day’s events.  There were a lot of “why’s” floating around in his head.  Gabe followed… as did Luke.  Geoff went for a walk to be alone with his thoughts and sort things out.  I sat on the roof with my boys for hours and talked… sorted… shared… they get me and I get them.  Things flew out of us in a torrent.  All we had held in for months came out… We got angry… we were sad…. we celebrated our victories and mourned our losses… When Geoff returned, we sat again and our family shared a moment that night that defined us as not only family… but friends….That is rare in many families…. I am so thankful for the privilege of being here… getting to do what I do… share it with my friends from home…. and my family.

After Frank & Lori left…. Ben arrived.  He is a young man who is living in Columbia right now teaching English… he is a friend from home.  He wanted to spend the Easter holiday with some friends from home… I get that… and we are loving having him.  He isn’t here to work… he is here as a friend to spend time together.  People need people… I get that….I am one of them!

As a treat we booked a bus this week…. and loaded the Hermana’s and our friends from here into it and went on a road trip to Esquipulas.  Esquipulas is home to the Black Christ… a statue from hundreds of years ago that is said to have healing powers.  Most of the people had never been to Esquipulas before… and those that had, like Hermana Mercedes hadn’t been in 30 years.  People come from all over the world to visit this sacred Basilica and yet those that live only hours from it simply cannot afford the money to go.  We did this as a thank you… a thank you to our friends here.  The Hermana’s & Novitiates for all they do, not only for the kids and the poor but for us… supporting, loving, helping… befriending….  Ileana, Hector and their family for opening their home and theirs hearts to us…. being our friends and loving us for who we are…. Sr Chico, Sr Vilma & Fernando for always being friends & family and helping us however we need… and loving us…  The support staff at the Hospital like David, Dominga & their family for always being there with a kind, knowing smile…. Hector & his family….Albero & his family…. Elias and his family…. Caesar and his family….  Mynor & his family… the list goes on and on.  So many people… so many friends… There was a part of me that upon coming here I wondered how I could ever stay for 5 months…. now I wonder how I am ever going to leave….

As I said, I could not do what I do here without my friends from home…. but I have learned something… I can not do what I do here without my friends from here either.  I have formed relationships here… priceless ones.  Other organizations distance themselves from the locals a bit.  I am not sure why… I simply know that we chose a different path… we chose to immerse ourselves completely in the culture… in the neighbourhoods… we jumped in with both feet and hoped for the best.  We chose to not insulate ourselves…. so we feel… and we feel so much that it leaves us raw and broken at times… but we never feel alone… and that is what is important.  We got the best… the best of both worlds… we have friends in Canada… we have friends in Guatemala… real friends… true friends…. friends that will be there for us through thick & thin…. I have to admit it feels good…. all warm & fuzzy to be very cliche.  I could do this no other way…. Thank you to my friends… far and near….  You give me strength… you give me hope… you give me encouragement…..you give me love…. and that’s what friends are for….

Me & Lori

The crowd waits to see who gets medical care today....

The woman on the left is the girl who died's mom.. my new friend

Listening to each person tell their story of why they need medical care....

The trip to Esquipulas with a busload of friends!

Ileana's family & mine together at Esquipulas Basilica

Me & Ileana & the ridiculous traditional Esquipulas hat she bought me as a souvenir