My Operation Obligation Journal

Collecting Gifts to Send To Mayan Families

2009-10-10T19:01:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of collecting Christmas presents to send to Mayan Families.

If you'd like to be included on this shipment, please let me know ASAP. I will be sure you have my home address to send items to.

If you would like to also help with shipping or rather help with the cost of shipping, please email me.

armywife573@yahoo.com - subject line GUATEMALA.

God Bless!

Oscar, Surprise!

2009-08-13T14:46:00.002-04:00

August 2009

Oscar received the last box we sent!

Oscar W/ His Report Card

2009-06-23T23:21:00.000-04:00

Oscar, proudly showing his report card.

Thankful - Marcos

2009-06-01T00:21:00.002-04:00

Marcos is thankful for his goodies! (May, 2009)

Thankful - Oscar

2009-06-01T00:18:00.004-04:00

Oscar receives his tote full of goodies! (May 2009)

Oscar - School Supplies

2009-05-18T21:53:00.002-04:00

Somehow, we did not receive photos of Oscar with his school supplies until this week. I am so happy we have the photos... and that he does in fact have his school supplies. :)

Joses Mothers Day Basket

2009-05-12T08:09:00.002-04:00

Jose - Happy About His New Water Filter!

2009-05-12T08:07:00.000-04:00

Oscars Mothers Day Basket

2009-05-12T08:06:00.002-04:00

Marcos' Mothers Day Basket

2009-05-12T08:06:00.001-04:00

Oscar Receives Food

2009-04-20T09:51:00.002-04:00

News on Marcos & Family

2009-04-19T21:05:00.004-04:00

Well, well, well... what surprising news! We found out that Marcos' mother is expecting another child. This will be child number eight. I do know families in the area they are from have many children... there are a few reasons, one of which being lack of education on how to prevent pregnancies... but the main reason is because families here think it is very good to have large families... even if they are struggling to get by.

In more developments, I've found out that both of Marcos' younger siblings are now attending pre-school. This is very good news! I am thinking neither of them are most likely sponsored... if you are interested in sponsoring either or both children, please let me know - I will let you know what you need to do to make this happen. :)

Now that all of the children are in school, all will be able to eat while they are there!

Oscar Receiving Easter Basket

2009-04-17T21:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter, Oscar!

Marcos Receiving Easter Basket

2009-04-17T21:07:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter, Marcos!

Marcos & Family Receive Food

2009-04-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a beautiful photo of Marcos and his mother receiving their food in March.

Marcos, New Table

2009-04-17T21:03:00.003-04:00

Now Marcos and his family have a table to set food on. I am sure this will sit nicely on their cement floor!

More About Jose

2009-03-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

José is 13 years old. His birthday is December 18th. He was supposed to be in 3rd grade in 2009 but unfortunately he did not register in time and he will have to wait until next year.

Jose lives in a small town called Xeabaj Segundo de Chichicastenango. He lives with his mother Maria, 30 years old.

His father abandoned the family 6 months ago. They don't know where he is.

José has 3 brothers and 1 sister. They are:

Tomas is 9 years old. His birthday is December 5th. He was in first grade in 2008. He was supposed to start second grade in 2009 but did not register in time and he will have to wait until next year.

Juan Carlos is 6 years old. He is not in school yet.

Sebastian is 4 years old.

Ana María is 2 years old.

Jose and his mother sell typical clothing in the streets of Chichicastenango and Panajachel. Some days they make $8-10 USD and some others nothing.

They own the house they live in.
They have 1 room and one kitchen.
It is make of mud brick, tin roof and dirt floor.
They do not have a water filter.
They do not have an Onil stove. The mother cooks on an open fire on the floor.
They have 2 beds made of wooden planks.
They do not have enough blankets.
They have one table and 3 wooden chairs.
They have a pila.
They have electricity connected and pay $6 USD per month.
They have water connected and pay $2 USD per month.

The money that they make is not enough to cover their expenses. Their main diet is beans, herbs, pasta and eggs. When they do not have enough money for that they only eat tortillas with salt.

Groceries for Jose and his Family

2009-03-25T21:30:00.002-04:00

Jose and his family receiving their food. I'm sure they have never had this much food at once.

Meet Jose

2009-03-25T21:29:00.001-04:00

Jose is very happy he will be going to school!

Meet Tomas

2009-03-25T21:27:00.001-04:00

Tomas is Joses' little brother. Thank you, Lorie for sponsoring Jose!

Marcos

2009-03-24T07:58:00.004-04:00

Here's Marcos with his new school supplies... check out his new hair cut! He looks great!

More Great News!

2009-03-22T21:20:00.002-04:00

My friend, Lorie and her husband will be sponsoring Joses little brother to attend school!!!!!

Thank you Eric and Lorie!! :)

We Found Him!!

2009-03-22T21:16:00.002-04:00

Patti Mort, with Mayan Families has found this little boy for us! This is fantastic news. Our family will be sponsoring him, we sent in money for his sponsorship, as well as money for emergency food for his family... here's a copy of the email that Patti wrote to me...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His family got in touch and he appeared at my door yesterday afternoon with his mother, the baby in the picture and two other street venders from his area who could write, thank goodness, as neither he nor his mother can and to take down names in Quiche is difficult for me.

What I found out so far is he is 13 years old and suppose to be in 2nd grade but not going to school because his family cannot afford to send him. His name is Jose Zut Tebelan and he is from a small area on the other side of Chichicastenango called Canton Sheabaj Primero.

The family is coming back to my house on Monday morning at 11 so I can take them up to Mayan Families to get their data and register him with a number. Is it alright with you if I give your email address and name and say you will be sponsoring him? That way they will contact you about it.

You should have seen his eyes light up when I asked if he would like to go to school. He also asked if his younger brother could go as well. I said we can start with him and see where it goes.

He must have made an impression on you for you to continue to look for him. Miracles happen all the time around here and you have just helped create another one.

Wanted: Boy With Baby On Back

2009-03-11T22:50:00.002-04:00

While in Guatemala, one little boy touched my heart. I've often wondered what has happened to him.

While on facebook recently, Karen Pickett from Education & More had a photo that caught my eye on her online photo album.

To my surprise, it was the little boy that has been on my heart.

He was sitting on the side walk crying, because his family did not eat that day... or the day before.

He had to sell refridgerator magnets (that's what's in his basket)... he did not sell any that day, meaning they would go another day without eating.

We talked to him, and gave him money. He gave us a magnet, which has been hanging on our refrigerator ever since.

We are now looking for this little boy, so we can sponsor him to go to school.

Hopefully, he will be allowed to go to school. His family may not let him if he has to make a wage to help feed the family.

Please pray that our scouts will find this little boy.

I will keep you updated.

Oscars House

2009-03-11T22:48:00.003-04:00

We still want to raise money to build a home for Oscar. Things have been very busy here, hopefully within the next couple of weeks I can buckle down to get those funds raised! :) I will keep you updated. :)

BTW, I think I've been in North Carolina too long.... I just re-read what I wrote above and think I added a little southern accent. LOL!

Food For Families... And More!

2009-03-11T22:43:00.004-04:00

Tonight, I sent $50 for Marcos and his family for food... and also $50 for Oscar and his family for food.

Also - great news!

We have purchased a wooden table and chairs for Marcos and his family.

I will never forget, they had ONE plastic chair in their house.

Now, they will have a nice table and chairs to go on their new concrete floor!

So far, we have been able to provide the following for Marcos and his family:

2 beds and mattresses
water filter
onil stove
cement floor
wooden table and 4 wooden chairs
food, holiday baskets, totes filled with goodies on several occassions

For Oscar and his family, we have been able to provide:

1 bed and mattress
water filter
onil stove
food, holiday baskets, totes filled with goodies on several occassions

Veronica

2009-02-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

This past weekend, we were given terrible news about little Veronica... please read the following article. Please be aware, the article is very - very sad and graphic. Veronica is now in a much better place. Candace, one of my traveling partners in our 2008 trip to Guatemala fell in love with Veronica right away.... the following letter is from Sharon, of the organization we went down to visit.

In Loving Memory of a Murdered Child
2/16/2009

I have been really having a hard time since I heard this news. Ifeel like someone has kicked a hole in my heart. Veronica, was one of our sponsored students last year. Her mother came to us for help to get a replacement for her own false leg. Everyone told us that the mother was very physically abusive to this child. That she did not feed her, there were rumors that she was selling her. She would bring men back to the room where she was living and leave them alone with the child. There was no proof. We offered to help the mother so as to be able to help thechild.

We found a very loving person who wanted to sponsor Veronica. She met Veronica, she fell in love with her. Veronica was so excited to go to school. She had never been. She was 8yrs old.

She went to school for two days and her mother came to the school and withdrew her.
She told us that the teachers were mean to Veronica. The teachers told us that the mother had mental problems, that Veronica was a sweet girl who was really happy to be at school.

We found out that when Veronica was 2 or 3 yrs old that the mother had tied her up to the beams of the roof and beaten her badly. The court had photos of her badly bruised little body. She was taken to hospital. There was nowhere to send her so they kept at the hospital. The mother, who had been arrested, paid someone off, got out of jail and went to the hospital and took the child home.

There had been many complaints made against the mother, the court had a thick file on her.
When we heard that it was rumored again that she was being prostituted by the mother, we had a social worker file papers asking the court to remove Veronica from the mother and award custody to me. There was no one else that wanted her. Veronica's father had re-married and he was scared of the mother, she was capable of coming to the house and being very violent with his new wife and family. The judge called in the mother, she denied everything, they said that it would be better to remove the child, the police had a warrant to go to her home but she was always moving around, they couldn't find her. We were very frustrated that they gave her
the warning that they would take the child from her custody. She then moved out of the area and no one could find her.

Saturday night , little Veronica was raped , sodomized and murdered at a village around Lake Atitlan, The social worker who came to tell me , said that her little body had been torn up. She
was just 9yrs old, the size of little 7 yr old. She was so little. Her mother says that she was drunk, that she doesn't know what happened.

Even though, logically, I know this wasn't my fault, I still feel like I let her down.

This poor little girl had a terrible life, she was starved and beaten by the one person in the world who was supposed to love her.

I hope that the angels are holding her tight.

Sharon (from Mayan Families)

Great Job On The Book Fair!

2009-02-18T10:31:00.002-05:00

We did a terrific job on the book fair, raising aprox $1,300 worth of books for the kids in Guatemala!

I will send pictures as soon as we get them! :)

Totes Sent To Marcos & Oscar

2009-02-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

The children and I sent out two totes - one for Marcos and one for Oscar.

In each tote we packed as much as we could possibly fit. Washrags, work gloves, pitcher, kool-aide, black beans, book bags for each boy, water bottle, plastic cups, large spoon/ladle, gum, candy,each boy will receive an "American Football."

I am excited for the boys and cannot wait until they are able to open their totes! :)

Upcoming Mission Trip

2009-01-11T10:23:00.004-05:00

Our family will be participating on a mission trip to Guatemala this summer.

We will need to raise a total of $8,000 for the trip.

It would seem impossible if we did not have God on our side...

We will be doing quite a bit of work on our 8 day stay. Our family will participate in a drama five times a day for three days throughout the country of Guatemala as well as many other wonderful things for our 8 days in Guatemala.

We will be going with the ACMA Christian Martial Arts Team... we are so excited to go, and know that God will bless all involved! If you go to the ACMA link, you can see pictures from their 2008 Guatemala mission trip!

If you would like to donate towards the mission trip, please click the donate button to the right of the page.

We are hosting another book fair!!

2009-01-10T11:29:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, in 2008 we had a great book fair. Well, my
husband and I have decided to do it again!

Shipping is free to you!

Please CLICK HERE purchase books, be sure to go to our Wish List. :)

You MUST click the link that says MAYAN FAMILIES - this is SO important.

Then, please make sure the books you order are in Spanish. :)

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to have books sent to
Guatemala for FREE. All you have to do is pay for the books, I will
pay for the shipping.

Also, if we sell over $500 in books, we will get another 50% worth of
books for FREE! So, we really want to sell at least $500 worth of books.

I do not make a profit at all from this book fair. I do not earn free
books for myself. Any books we receive for free, will go directly to
Mayan Families to benefit the kids there.

Please pass this information to everyone you know!!

Again, CLICK HERE to go to the book fair, once you are there be sure to click on MAYAN FAMILIES.

Good News For Rafael!

2009-01-06T20:16:00.002-05:00

Great news for Rafael, a family has sponsored him and I'm so happy! I let Sharon from Mayan Families know that I would sponsor him again if no one else did... money has been a little tight - especially with my husband getting ready to medically retire in the near future. I am so happy someone has sponsored him. We will continue to pray for him, and to send him gifts sometimes.

Upcoming Shipment To Guatemala

2009-01-04T12:03:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share this wish list with you all. :) If you'd like to participate in collecting and sending items, please let me know via email. This post is for Sharon from Mayan Families. I wrote her to ask her what items they need most. The shipment will take place around the end of February, 2000.

Hi Patti, thank you for asking.....of course....there are few things that we can always do with.

We are hoping to get the pre-school children sponsored in Tierra Linda to be able to open the pre-school.......it is something that we are just starting to work on now but we hope that it will come to fruition.

There is a young woman teacher there who has not been able to get a job and it would be perfect for her and for the community.....so we need the same kind of things that we had for San Jorge for Tierra Linda, ...we need educational toys, crayons, coloring books, art materials, a C.D. player, a DVD player, we still need a good second hand t..v for San Jorge preschool so that we can show the kids DVD's occassionally , also one for Tierra Linda, teaching supplies, craft supplies.

We would like to have computers for both schools if anyone has ones that are usable, also laptops.

We need durable plastic dishes, plates and cups for both pre-schools, ( ie: Corelle non breakable dishes from garage sales would be great - doesn't matter colors or patterns) any fun wall hangings, we need pots and pans for both centers, spoons, forks etc.

We would love to have any rugs that the children could play on.

Books in Spanish, music CD's , spanish and english.

Apart from that we need school supplies, backpacks, blankets, sheets, towels, cardigans,

socks, underwear ( clean second hand is fine) training bras for the young girls, bras for older women, once again, all these items second hand are just fine.

We need blenders that we could use for the centers and to be able to have women start a little business. We could definitely do with a Champion Juice extractor because we would like to start making peanut butter that we can have for the children to eat at the pre-schools and also to sell, maybe something that high school students could do.

Any educational computer games would be great.....we are so lucky that we have a computer whizz coming to volunteer for a few months and he is bringing a few computers from Canada....we are setting up a computer lab ( above the office in what is now our storage area) and David will be working there teaching some of the students from San Jorge, Panajachel and Tierra Linda how to use computers etc. ...we will also have Marco there translating for him into Kakchiquel. This is going to be wonderful for the students from Tierra Linda who have no access whatsoever to computers.

Thank you so much for all the generosity from this group , we now have enough computers in the office!!! YAY!!!! No more computer sharing....it is so wonderful!!! Thank you mil veces.

For the animal program we need small to med. dog collars, leashes, flea powder.

For the sewing program, we need fabric materials, scissors, thread and of course, sewing machines!!

We can always use medical supplies such as over the counter meds, we need blue sheets for bedridden patients or plastic sheeting,

Disposable diapers for adults and babies.

Cloth diapers

Shoes, shoes and more shoes, we especially need sizes for older children but there is never a pair of shoes that goes to waste so whatever you have we will be able to use.

Jeans for boys...especially boys in 8-15yr old age group but once again, any size will be put to good use.

We need calculators, glue , colored markers, play dough, just about anything that you can think of ...we can use it.

Warm sweaters, rain jackets, rain boots, baby blankets, fold up umbrellas, flashlights, all these things will go to great use.

Many, many thanks to those of you who are thinking of sending donations!

Photo of Marcos & Family Coming Soon

2008-12-29T07:47:00.001-05:00

Hopefully soon we will have the photo of Marcos and his family receiving their Christmas basket from us! :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T18:38:00.002-05:00

Rafael & Family

Feliz Navidad Oscar & Family!

2008-12-28T15:06:00.003-05:00

Look at how big Oscar has gotten this past year!

Sorry I have Been So Quite!

2008-12-22T13:09:00.002-05:00

I just want to apologize for being so "quite" lately. My husband had surgery last week, after the New Year I will be writing more.

Keep praying for the kids in Guatemala. Hopefully soon I will also have photos to share with you of the kids receiving their Christmas gift baskets. :)

Books...

2008-11-23T21:29:00.001-05:00

Sharon, from Mayan Families took a photo of the books after they arrived. Thank you, Sharon! :)

¡Libros! San Jorge Receives Books!

2008-11-21T20:46:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all who participated in the book drive!

¡Gracias cada uno!

¡Libros! ((Books!))

2008-11-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

The Books Made It Safely!

2008-11-21T20:38:00.005-05:00

The books have arrived at the new San Jorge Learning Center in Guatemala! What a blessing the books will be to the children. Thank you all who participated in the book drive! :o)

Tamale Baskets For Our Sponsored Students

2008-11-20T10:05:00.006-05:00

Christmas Tamale Basket Dinners

A meal of specially prepared tamales with seasonal trimmings is the traditional Christmas dinner of the indigenous Guatemalans. But many families cannot even afford to feed themselves nutritious daily meals. Mayan Families prepares and gift wraps baskets containing enough food to prepare a festive Christmas dinner for as many as 12 people.

Each basket contains oil, 15 lbs of rice, a block of drinking chocolate (the traditional drink at midnight), a loaf of bread with which they eat the tamales at midnight, raisins, grapes, apples, sugar, 5lbs of meat, tomatoes, 1lb of coffee, leaves to wrap the tamales, cloves, pepper, sesame, pumpkin seeds. As an added value, the plastic bucket that holds the groceries is a useful household item after the holidays.

The ladies who sponsor Oscars siblings have purchased a tamale basket for Oscar and his family...

This morning, I purchased Tamale Baskets for Marcos and his family as well as Rafael and his family.

This is great news! All three of our families will have their bellies full this Christmas!

Two Military Families In Need This Holiday Season

2008-11-18T18:14:00.002-05:00

When I started my blog, I intended to write about helping others - everywhere in the world... not just Guatemala. So, here is a post I wanted to share with everyone...

I have two military families up for "adoption" this holiday season.

Two of the families on the Christian Military Wives message board are really struggling this holiday season.

Here is the story of one of the families. An Air Force Reservist was deployed to Iraq for a year. When he came home, he found out that his full time job was no longer there for him. He has only been home a short time, and is searching for a job. His wife is a full time college student. She may have to find a part time job to help them get by. They have three beautiful children.

We also have a small family - a mom, dad and infant. The soldier is low ranking, this means they do not have much pay. Holidays are always tough for lower ranking soldiers.

If you would like to help either family - please let me know!

Merchandise Coming Soon!

2008-11-15T14:12:00.003-05:00

Soon, I will be selling homemade items from Guatemala to help raise money for Oscars home.

Items purchased, support artisans from Guatemala... we support fair trade!

Wreath Totals...

2008-11-15T10:33:00.003-05:00

I am very happy to announce that we have a total of 30 online wreath orders!

Daphne sold 10 wreaths to be shipped for her Playground Project, and I sold 20 online to go to Oscars home.

We were able to sell 15 local wreaths already, Daphne sold 4 local wreaths for her project.

I ordered 15 extra to sell, once they come in I will go door to door selling the 15 wreaths!

Not so shabby for a last minute project! :o)

The Wreath Sale Is Over.........

2008-11-13T15:03:00.001-05:00

The Christmas Wreath Sale is officially over - I will let you know within the next two days exactly how much we have earned towards Oscars home. :)

Food For Oscars Family

2008-11-08T08:05:00.005-05:00

Oscars family, what a huge difference I've seen in them!

Marcos Receives Food

2008-11-08T08:02:00.003-05:00

10/28/08 - Marcos and his mother picking up food for the family...

Raphael Came To Pick Up His Tote Finally! :)

2008-11-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Raphael was able to finally come and pick up his tote! :) His sister had a baby, and it is traditional that they cannot leave the home for X amount of days after a woman has her baby. It was good to see that he was able to come and pick up his tote full of goodies. :)

Out and About

2008-11-03T22:50:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, I will be out and about - trying to sell Christmas wreaths.

Pray that I will do well, and that people will be receptive. :)

Holiday Wreath Fundraiser

2008-11-01T22:12:00.003-04:00

Send a fresh, fragrant, natural balsam wreath – perfect for friends and loved ones, don't forget to order one for yourself!

We are now happy to announce our wreath fundraiser... 100% of proceeds will go to build Oscars home!

* 22”-24” in diameter fragrant natural fir wreath
* Fancy red velvet waterproof bow
* Three white-tipped cones and red holly berries
* Sent via Fed ex or UPS in a holiday gift box, wrapped in plastic for freshness
* Add a gift card
* Delivered between Nov. 27th – Dec. 7th
* Made by Evergreen Industries of Minnesota (making quality Christmas products since 1964)
* All wreaths have an unconditional product guarantee
* Only $34.00 each
* FREE Shipping to anywhere in the USA (sorry, we cannot ship overseas)

CLICK HERE to order...

Food

2008-10-24T13:42:00.004-04:00

This week, I was able to send money to Oscar and Marcos family for food. I will have photos to post soon.

It's almost time to pay for school sponsorship again. I am debating if I will be sponsoring Raphael again this upcoming year.

The main reason, I want to do larger projects that will impact families - such as I did with Marcos floor and building Oscar a home. Raphaels mother has lied saying that Raphaels father was dead, so that her children would be sponsored under Mayan Families. Raphaels father alive - he is a drunk.

Part of me wants to make sure Raphael will be sponsored - however, I am pretty sure he will be - as he is still elementary age (it costs less to spnosor younger students).

I do not feel comfortable giving Raphaels family items that the parents might sell, using the items purchased to exchange for boose instead of bettering their lives.

Oscar and Marcos both have hard working parents that are tying to make a difference in the lives of their children. I know in donating larger items (tables, chairs etc) - that the parents will not sell them. They will charish the items.

I am thinking that I will not renew Raphaels sponsorship right now. If he is still not sponsored in a few months - maybe we can pick him up again.

I would like your thoughts on this please.

Daphne's Blog

2008-10-24T13:39:00.002-04:00

My good friend Daphne is trying to raise money to have a playground built at a Christian school in Guatemala.

She is in the process of selling Christmas Ornaments.

You can CLICK HERE to go to her blog and order if you'd like. :) I ordered one today.

Outside of Oscars House

2008-10-24T13:21:00.003-04:00

Ideas On How To Raise Money For Home

2008-10-22T15:41:00.001-04:00

I'd love to hear your suggestions on how we can raise money for Oscars home! :)

I'm waiting to hear back from a couple of organizations, and also from a newspaper reporter or two... this will help generate publicity for Oscars home.

A Huge Difference!

2008-10-13T21:19:00.004-04:00

BEFORE Photos Of Marcos' Home:

AFTER:

Marcos loves his new floor!

Photos Of Marcos With His New Floor!

2008-10-13T21:06:00.004-04:00

Marcos and his family are THRILLED to have their new floor! Look at how happy he is!! He has on one of his new outfits I sent also! And, he's playing with one of the ballons too! :) :)

Food Needed

2008-10-11T23:46:00.003-04:00

Right now, we cannot afford to donate extra for food for the boys... I am saving up money but, right now things are tight...

If you feel motivated - you can make a donation for food to the families we sponsor.

The amount is $65 per family for all of the basic foods they need for one month. Or, $125 per family that includes meat/poultry as well.

In the past, we normally pay $65. We do not help with food every month. The last time we supplied the families with food was a couple of months ago.

After sending the totes for the boys (aprox $300 for shipping and supplies inside the totes), & paying for shipping costs of the books (aprox $75) our budget is a little tight.

To send donation, its simple. Just email personaldonation@mayanfamilies.org and let them know who you would like to benefit from your money donation... and let them know which student number the money is for.

You go to: http://www.mayanfamilies.org/food.htm and click the contribute button.

Here are the student numbers:

Marcos: 592
Oscar: 594
Raphael: 605

Please let us know if you donate food for the families - so I can post it here and let others know that it is taken care of.

I was just noticing that Oscar looked a little thin compared to last time I looked at photos of him, however - he could just be growing taller.

I do know that the families are lucky to eat tortillas with salt as a meal...

This is a tax deductible donation through Mayan Families.

Excited

2008-10-11T22:58:00.003-04:00

I am so excited about building Oscar a home, I cannot sleep. It's almost 11pm...

Oscar and his family have no idea that by this time next year they will be living in a brand new home.

They are going to know something is up this week, because I have contacted a couple different organizations for price quotes... so the organizations will have to visit the home. I have also contacted Habitat For Humanity to see if we can work with their organization here in North Carolina. I feel like this could be a very good way to raise the money for the home, as Habitat For Humanity is very well known for their wonderful work.

Please pray about this - that everything will fall into place. The sooner everything works out, the sooner Oscar can have his home.

Not only do I want a home placed on their property, but I want to supply them with basic supplies such as a table and chairs (right now they have one table and one chair in their home). This family is very hard working and I know the parents will take care of their belongings. Once their home is set up, the family will be able to really better themselves without struggling to stay warm in the winter, or dry in the rainy season.

Oscar and his family lost a home in 2005 due to Hurricane Hugo. They have lost a set of twins due to sickness... they deserve this new home.

Thank You!

2008-10-11T18:15:00.001-04:00

Late last night, I almost had a heart attack! I thought someone hacked into my PayPal account... stealing $100. Low and behold, someone did not hack into my account - someone DONATED to our cause in Guatemala.

Thank you for the $100. It will go towards building a home for Oscar!

Our Dream, To Build A House

2008-10-08T16:31:00.004-04:00

I really want to build a house for Oscar and his family. I posted that someplace before posting
the photos of the boys receiving their goodies... I did not want this post to drop down to the bottom of the page just yet! :)

Oscars home has all sorts of "issues." Oscars current home has a roof made of tin and a plastic tarp. It is made of wood planks. The wind and rain blows inside of it.

It will be better to just rebuild a home on their property.

For a two bedroom block home, I was quoted a price of aprox. $4,100.

However, this did not include the toilet (not sure why?).

I want to raise $5,000.

This is going to be tough, as our family is on a tight budget right now... but I am hard headed, and when I set my mind to something... it is set.

Oscar And His Photo Album

2008-10-07T16:28:00.000-04:00

I had just enough money left over from our Guatemala trip, to send to Oscar and his family. It was enough for a tuk-tuk ride back to their home from visiting Mayan Families to pick up the tote of goodies. :)

Oscar, His Sister And Mother

2008-10-07T16:26:00.001-04:00

The smile on their faces say it all...

Oscar - School Supplies

2008-10-07T16:25:00.001-04:00

When sending the boys their totes full of gifts, I made sure to include art and school supplies... along with a bright colored towell.

Oscar And His New Clothes

2008-10-07T16:24:00.001-04:00

Oscar And His Goodies

2008-10-07T16:23:00.001-04:00

Oscar, Opening His Tote

2008-10-07T16:22:00.001-04:00

All Kids Like Candy!

2008-10-07T15:40:00.001-04:00

Marcos and His Mom... :-)

2008-10-07T15:39:00.000-04:00

This one, is one of my favorites!!

We Pray For You Every Day!

2008-10-07T15:36:00.000-04:00

Marcos, Very Excited...

2008-10-07T15:33:00.001-04:00

Marcos is very excited to have his new clothes and hats! He even put the soccer shirt on over his school shirt!

Marcos Opening His Tote

2008-10-07T15:31:00.001-04:00

Let's Build Oscar A House!

2008-10-06T20:13:00.004-04:00

Who wants to help build Oscar a house?

The more I thought about it, it would be easier to tear their house down and rebuild a nice, sturdy block home.

Who's with me?

Food Needed

2008-10-06T18:26:00.003-04:00

If you can send a donation for food to any of the three sponsored children - please let me know ASAP.

All you have to do is go to: http://www.mayanfamilies.org/food.htm

Click CONTRIBUTE on the Mayan Families Website.

A contribution of $65 will provide a month's supply of basic food items for an average size family.

A contribution of $125 will add poultry and meats to the basic one month supply.

When contributing, please make sure to email Sharon - sharon@mayanfamilies.org and let her know that the money for food should go to one of our sponsored families.

Student Number: 605 (Rafael; view information about Rafael here )
Student Number: 594 (Oscar - on my heart the most right now; view information about Oscar here )
Student Number: 592 (Marcos - having his cement floor put in on Friday, his dad will be off of work that day... view information about Marcos Here )

Books...

2008-10-06T18:25:00.003-04:00

We raised just over $1,000 worth of books for the children in Guatemala. The books will arrive before Christmas!

New Floor This Friday

2008-10-06T18:24:00.002-04:00

This Friday, Marcos and his family will have their new floor! We will have photos soon! Marcos' dad will be there to help install the floor.

I'm so excited!

More Great News On The Book Fair

2008-09-12T09:45:00.002-04:00

Update! We have raised over $600 in books for MF.... and we will be receiving 50% more books for free! This is a total of $900 in books so far!

~~~happy dance~~~

Book Fair Update

2008-09-11T21:22:00.002-04:00

So far, we have "raised" just over $350 in books!

Let's keep going, once we reach $500 in book sales... we will have 50% more given to the kids in Guatemala for FREE.

http://www.nutsaboutbooks.com (click MAYAN FAMILIES)

Update on Marcos' Floor

2008-09-11T06:37:00.001-04:00

Here's an update on the plans for the cement floor ((for Marcos and his family)):

Hi Patti,

They have arranged to start work the first week of October. It is still raining heavily and it makes travel to Tierra Linda and carrying bags of cement a little difficult but it is easing and they have made all the arrangements. I know that you can well imagine trying to carry bags of cement down that hill to Marcos house in the rain!

It is also a public holiday for Guatemalan Independence Day within the next two weeks and a lot of school activities, combining that with the workers still finishing up the construction in Tierra Linda for the community center we did not have extra people to put on it. But the first week in October it will be done. It should only take a couple of days to do it. We will take lots of photos and send them to you.

Thank you so much for all the positive changes you have made for Marcos.

So glad to hear that the book fair is going so well!

warmest regards,

Sharon (from Mayan Families)

Book fair for the kids in Guatemala!

2008-09-06T15:10:00.002-04:00

I have contacted Sharon, and have had her okay to start a book fair to raise books to send to Mayan Families. Mayan Families will donate the books to schools or children in their area as they see fit.

The book fair begins today, and ends on September 27.

If we can sell at least $500 worth of books, we will then receive 50% in books for free.

Please check out the efair by clicking HERE . You will see MAYAN FAMILIES listed on the right side of the page. Click that link and then continue to shop.

Please pass the word around! Pass the word around. This is your chance to help send books to Guatemala, with no shipping charges to you. I will pay shipping costs in the upcoming shipment! Books start out as little as under $3 a piece on our wish list.

People can either buy books for themselves (and have them shipped to their own homes), or if they click MAYAN FAMILY WISH LIST - those books will be shipped to my house, in return I will send them in the next shipment.

:)

Here's the link:

http://www.nutsaboutbooks.com - be sure to click on MAYAN FAMILIES under active efairs.

It's Past Mid-Night

2008-08-21T00:40:00.002-04:00

Here it is past midnight, and I sit. Lights on, TV on, fan on, air conditioner on, computer on and connecting to the internet.

I just finished looking at the photos I posted earlier of Oscars home.

Am I spoiled? Yes, it makes me sit and think - since I have all of these luxuries, I should do two things.

1. Turn everything off and go to sleep, it will save us a little on the electric bill.
2. I can write this, and urge you to donate something to Mayan Families.

New Photos Of Oscars House

2008-08-20T01:28:00.003-04:00

Here are new photos of Oscars home...

Passing Along Information About Vitamins

2008-08-18T13:44:00.002-04:00

Just passing this along....
______________________________________________

As we all know, food costs have risen dramatically in Guatemala (and everywhere else). In the past it had been estimated that nearly 50% suffered from malnutrition there, today I hate to even think about how high that percentage may go with these prices still on the rise and the scarcity of corn in recent months.

Along with education, good health is a necessary tool to help fight the cycle of poverty. Please consider the gift of vitamins as this shipment will surely arrive to MF in time for the holidays.

We now have a packing date for our Boston mini shipment in October so I'd like to throw a reminder out to anyone that would like to donate vitamins to their students & their families or for general distribution that now is the time to order.

This will be the last vitamin shipment for 2008. I will need to go out of town at the end of September so I probably should say that the 20th is the deadline. To donate a bottle of 1000 tablets costs $25.00 which covers all shipping too.

To donate for general distribution, donations in any amount are always welcomed.

What I will need:

$25.00 per bottle (1000 tabs). You can pay via paypal to dogpatchgreens@... or contact me for my address to send payment.

Student NAME and NUMBER

Please remember that you should expect all members living in the house to share these. You can find those living together listed on your student's page and divide 1000 by that number to know how long they should last (children under 4yrs. 1/2 tab daily). MF will instruct the families about safety and dosage.

Thank you again to all that have participated in the past vitamin shipments, together we really can make a difference!

Sue
www.dogpatchgreens.com

Quilts Coming Soon

2008-08-14T13:04:00.002-04:00

Sharon, from Mayan Families will be sending a couple of quilts my way to try to sell in hopes of raising money for their general fund. Actually, she asked that a small percentage would to go their general fund... and that we could use some of the profits for our three sponsored children.

I have decided to donate 70% to the general fund, and 30% to our sponsored children.

The reason:

Mayan Families general fund is always in need of extra money. For example - Mayan Families had three families come to them this week with medical emergencies. They need money for their medical fund, as well as other emergencies.

I feel that it is important for Mayan Families to be able to help when a serious issue arises. I have personally visited Mayan Families and believe 100% with my whole heart that they use the money correctly. I have no reservations about donating to Mayan Families. They help many people, their business office is small and modest - nothing fancy. The workers of Mayan Families are busy from sunrise to sunset - they do not have fancy clothing or cars.

So, everyone - I hope you will be behind me in this. :)

I will not keep ANY of the profit from the funds raised in the quilt fundraiser.

Local Candy Bar Sales

2008-08-14T13:02:00.000-04:00

I will be selling candy bars locally to help raise more money for Mayan Families.

My son starts football this evening, what a great place to start! :)

Marcos In School

2008-08-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

Marcos doing a little project - July 2008.

I can't wait until he has his new clothes in the tote I sent him!

Marcos & His New Beanie Baby

2008-08-13T12:48:00.001-04:00

Well, it must be very muddy right now in Guatemala. It's the rainy season. I feel really sad seeing Marcos like this, he's pretty dirty and has a runny nose.

He is happy though, he and his friends received new Beanie Babies!

The Quilt Is On It's Way!

2008-08-05T13:15:00.002-04:00

The quilt is on it's way to Aaron and his wife! Thank you once again. :)

Cement Floor

2008-08-03T07:13:00.002-04:00

I am SOOOOOOOO excited! Marcos and his family are going to have their cement floor - courtesy of Aaron and his wife!

I'm sending out their quilt tomorrow morning!

This is going to make such an awesome difference in their lives! AWESOME!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Marcos With His Report Card

2008-07-19T14:31:00.002-04:00

He's just too cute, he is so proud of his report card - and he should be!

Photos Of Quilt

2008-07-19T09:51:00.003-04:00

Here are a few photos of the quilt. The quilt is queen size, it is beautiful! I bought it from a boy who was about thirteen years old.

Totes Ready To Go

2008-07-13T21:04:00.006-04:00

Recently, I was informed that we would be able to send boxes to our sponsored kids. I have the boxes ready to go, as a matter of fact - I used totes, so the families could reuse them. I've been praying about what I should and should not send, money has been very tight - yet I feel like God does not want me to go without giving to our sponsored kids this shipment. Besides, who I am to say money has been tight - when our families go hungry... I can honestly say we have not had to go hungry. I feel that most people who live in America can find food someplace.

When visiting Guatemala, I actually watched as children would sit on the sidewalk hungry... crying in hopes that they will come across someones scrap food that evening.

Here are some of the items inside of the totes:

Clothes Line & Clothes Pins
Bar Soap
Jeans and shirts for the boys
A doll for Marcos' sister - I noticed while visiting, her doll was missing a leg and it was naked
2 Hot Wheels for each boy
Bubbles
Sketch books, construction paper, glue, markers, pencil boxes, pencils, pencil sharpners, crayons
Socks & Under ware
Paddle ball games
Toothbrushes & Toothpaste
3 Bags of Candy in each tote (I know, it kind of counter acts the toothpaste lol)
Ballons
Photo albums with photos of the families and us with the families
Dishtowels
One big bath towel each
Hair brushes
Mickey Mouse Puzzles for each

Quilt Auction

2008-07-12T22:34:00.000-04:00

I'll be auctioning off the handmade quilt I bought in Guatemala. I love it, but feel so guilty having it - knowing I can sell it to put the money towards our students!

:)

I'll let you know when, and I'll let you know the ebay link when it's ready. :)

I'm Pouting

2008-07-09T22:40:00.004-04:00

So, are you wondering why I'm pouting?

Today, I've thought so much of the boys we sponsor in Guatemala. I am just sad that they have to live in total poverty. I'd bring their whole families to come live with us in a heart beat if I could!

I really need to come up with the funds so that two of the boys can have a cement floor put in their homes, and Oscars family needs a bed... Marcos and his family need a table.

I just started making jewelry, so I think I may try to sell a few pieces.

I received photos of Oscar today, they are terrific! I notice he's wearing shirts in both pictures that Candy sent! :)

Have You Noticed?

2008-06-17T22:27:00.002-04:00

Have you ever noticed that Oscar, Rafael and Marcos wear the same two outfits? This is because they cannot afford anything else.

Also note that only very poor families wear "American clothing." Most families who are doing "okay" have traditional clothing.

Oscar

2008-06-17T22:20:00.004-04:00

Well, I thought that Oscars - sisters sponsor had purchased a stove for his family... but, I was wrong.

As soon as I found out they did not have a stove - we scrounged for the money, and purchased one for them.

As you can see, not only does Marcos need a cement floor - Oscars family could use quite a few things as well.

Also please note - FINALLY we have a photo of Oscars father in this photo. He is a VERY hard worker...

Fathers Day Baskets

2008-06-16T22:34:00.003-04:00

Ah, looking at this photo of Marcos holding a picture that he colored made me really tear up. He's such a special kid - that whole family is really special to me!

Well, the families we sponsor were able to pick up the "Fathers Day Baskets."

Although, we don't see the fathers too often - it is because they are working constantly - for a very minimum amount of money.

Soon, we should have a photo of Rafael also... stay tuned! :)

Raising Money

2008-06-06T20:40:00.003-04:00

We need to raise about $2,000 for our sponsored families to purchase items they need - such as tables/chairs/cement floor/electricity etc....

If you have any fundraiser ideas - please let me know. :)

I am going to try setting up an online fundraiser. :)

I'll keep you all posted. :)

Also, if you'd like to make a money donation - and would like it to be tax deductable - please go to http://www.mayanfamilies.org - make sure you write a note that says you'd like the money to go to one of our sponsored students fund. :)

Fathers Day Baskets

2008-06-06T19:39:00.002-04:00

I sent money today for three Fathers Day baskets to our sponsored children... (total of $90)...

Student #:
592- “In Loving Memory Of Grandpa Harold Harrington”
592- “In Loving Memory Of Grandpa Charles Jensen”
605- “In Honor of Grandma Harrington”

Update On Families

2008-06-03T16:45:00.003-04:00

Here's an updated list of what our families could REALLY benifit from:

Oscar #594

They need a bed, a closet, a table and four chairs,
and a cement floor. They also need a small kitchen built. and of course, food.

#592 Marcos

They need a cement floor , a large table and four or five chairs, traditional clothes for the little sister, she is not wearing the clothes from her village but second hand clothing from another village. An traditional outfit for her would be approx. $70.
I am sure that they would appreciate food as well.

#605 Rafael. Their greatest need would be to have the electricity connected.
a table and four chairs, build a small kitchen and of course, food.

While in Guatemala - we had a price quote to cover a cement floor for Marcos, the cost is between 300-400. I am waiting to hear about how much it would cost for Oscars home, as he lives near Pana - and I'm wondering if it will be cheaper because his home is not on a mountain side.

If you'd like to make donations to help these families - please go directly to http://www.mayanfamilies.org/ - when making a payment, be sure to include a note as to what the money should be used for. If you'd like to donate to me, you can do so - but please note it is not tax deductable - however, I will collect money and pool it all together to purchase bigger items (like the floors).

A good amount of food is about $45-65 per family.