NOVEMBER 28, 2007: FOOD SUPPLIES.
 

Members of the GAFI group who recently visited left money for this old lady and her blind daughter to have enough tortillas for a whole month!  We bought them mazeca which is another product that is used to make tortillas, with Mazeca they do not have to walk to the mill to have their corn ground.  The mix it with water and make their tortillas.  Thank you GAFI!
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Suzanne Revell and her friend, Fredy, visited their sponsored children this week end. The gifts they brought made these children very happy.

The children are pictured with their grandmother. Their mother passed away 6 months ago and the father and grandmother are now caring for them.  Suzanne and Fredy then helped wrap some of the 3,000 gifts that we have to distribute at Christmas. On Sunday they both volunteered to

work at the medical clinic that Rotary held in San Andres.   We saw

over 200 people - it was a busy day and Suzanne and Fredy were wonderful assets for the clinic.

NOVEMBER 27, 2007: Written by a Great Friend and Supporter of Mayan Families, Bonnie!

Dedication to Mayan Families  by Bonnie 11-27-07

                   My Friend Mayan Families

We are a poor and lonely Family who lives far away.

We struggle just to live each and every day.

My children are all hungry and there is no food for them to eat.

Their clothes are all dirty and I have no shoes to put on their feet.

We are barely surviving in our one room run down shack.

There's no glass on the windows or no door on the back.

Our shack is kind of dirty because there is no floor.

But I sweep it every day and throw the dirt out the door.

The roof is very leaky when the wind and rain come down.

The muddy floor is slippery when we try to walk around.

 We sleep on a mat that lays on the cold dirt floor.

We have no money to buy a bed at the store.

There's no kitchen stove to cook on or no food in a sack.

There is no work any where and it's money that we lack.

The water is to dirty for the children to drink.

I can not wash the dishes because there is no sink.

My children are all hungry and they have no where to play.

Life continues like this each and every day.

We are a poor and lonely Family but no one even cares.

They walk right past us and only give us stares.

The only clothes we have are ragged on our back.

My husband died last year of a heart attack.

We live up in the mountains where it gets real cold at night.

And the stars up in the heavens are our only light.

We are a poor and lonely Family struggling to survive.

When tomorrow comes along we may not be alive.

I know you are all busy, but can you hear my plea?

I am sick and very dizzy with no one to help me.

So if you're really out there, and you really care,

Will you please come and help me so no one has to stare?

I kept right on hoping that some one would hear my pleas.

And then one day some one came to visit, called Mayan Families.

They brought some food for us to eat.

And gave us shoes for on our feet.

They gave us warm clothes because it gets so cool.

They even sent my children to learn to read at school.

They took me to the doctor to get the medicine I need.

 They gave me a pair of glasses so I can see to bead.

They gave me a filter to clean the water that we drink.

And now I have water in a huge three section sink.

The fire that I cooked on burned in my eyes and made them sore.

 But I now have an Onil stove that isn't smoky any more.

They gave our house a new roof to keep out the rain.

And on our cold windows they put some window pane.

They gave us a new bed and blankets to keep us warm at night.

 And they connected electricity so we could have some light.

The floor is no longer muddy because they gave us cement, you see.

Mayan Families is so special because they did this all for me.

So when you come passing by, there is no need to stare.

I now have a very special friend that does really care.

I know that they will be back to check on me in a little while.

Because when they left they gave me a hug and a great big smile.

So Thank You Mayan Families from the bottom of my heart.

You got me back up on my feet and gave us a brand new start.

NOVEMBER 26, 2007: MEDRANO SHIPMENT UNPACKED!
Suzanne and all, with much happiness and many giggles the Santa boxes have been opened and sorted out!  Some of the toys have already been wrapped - that is thanks to two volunteers Suzanne R. and her friend, Freddy - who came this weekend to visit their sponsored children and were able to get their presents out of the shipment to give to them.  They then started helping with the very big job of wrapping all these gifts.  Yesterday - they were a tremendous help at a medical clinic that we were involved in with the new Rotary Club that is in formation here in Panajachel.  We did this in conjunction with the Rotary Club - Metropolis of Guatemala - who brought out great doctors and tons of medicines with them.

Unfortunately, I did not get to meet Captain Feathersword - I kept waiting to see him but he was either hiding under the mound of toys or had talked his way out of the boxes on the way down!

We were just amazed at the amount of un inflated soccer balls!!!  Wow!!  I have to say it makes me smile every time I think of the de-flating process! Roberto was so happy to see that there was a pump included!

There are so many great gifts for the sponsored children - there are some very lucky children getting these gifts!

You could feel the fun and love that went into these boxes!!
Photos are coming later today!
Thank you all so much! Sharon

NOVEMBER 23, 2007 MARIA NEEDS HELP!
 

Maria is 44yrs old. Her husband's name is Sebastian. He is 44yrs old.

They live in a very small community of Solola. They have 6 children.

Ramiro 16yrs old.

Leonardo 15yrs old. He is in 6th grade.

Rebecca 13yrs old. She is in 5th grade.

Silvia is 11yrs old. She is in 2nd grade.

Hector is 8yrs old. He is in 1st grade.

Petronilla is 6yrs old and has not started school yet.

This is a very poor family.

 Ramiro went to U.S  in June to try and find work and help his family.

 He was caught working illegally and was deported.  The family had

borrowed money to be able to send their son to the U.S.   He was the

hope that they had for a better future.

Because they could not pay the money back to the money lender, they lost their home.

This family lives in extreme poverty. They do not have enough to eat.

Maria has been sick for nearly 9 years.  Recently she has been very ill, it appears that her lungs are in very bad shape ( probably from cooking over an open fire and inhaling a lot of smoke) .  This has now caused problems with her larynx and she has now not been able to talk for the last 6 months.

The social worker from the hospital called me because she was treated at the local hospital but the family could not afford the medicines that were prescribed.

We would like to bring this woman to the clinic we use in Panajachel and have them give her the medical care she so desperately needs.

If you can possibly help Maria with a small donation - it would be very greatly appreciated.

Please note on your donation that it is for the medical fund - attention Maria.

NOVEMBER 22, 2007: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I just want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!   I want you all to know how much thanks we give for each and every one of you and for all your support.

There is so much to be thankful for!

 We have the Medrano shipment waiting to be opened tomorrow.  We have almost finished wrapping the toys that we already had here and everyone is anxious to open Santa's boxes.   They are so tempting!

We have 8 big boxes on their way.

Ernesto has his house and has received medical care.

We are bringing Rodolfo's wife to Panajachel for medical treatment and will give them food to carry them through the month.

Lucas's children came today and they will all be continuing in school. I was so incredibly proud of Vilma  (and Lucas) - she is the 16yr old who until this year had never been to school and did not know how to read or write ( this is Bonnie's sponsored child)  - she has become engaged to be married - but she told me that her father said that the fiance's family can wait until she is 19yrs old for her to get married.  Vilma wants to continue her studies.  Lucas thought that we would not want to sponsor her if she was going to get married but I told her that it was very important for her to continue - that she will need to be able to show her children how to read and write and help them with their school work. She is so happy to be able to continue studying.

We have started classes in Panajachel for children who did not pass their exams this year.  We now have an elementary school teacher three times a week, for 2 hour sessions. She is helping the children with their math and Spanish.
We are also starting classes this Saturday and Sunday in San Jorge.  Several children there did not pass their grade.  It is very difficult for some children because Spanish is their second language and their parents are illiterate and cannot help them.   So we decided the best thing was to get to the root of the problem.    It is obligatory for children who failed their grade to attend if they want to continue with their sponsorship - it is available for other children who passed but are struggling.

Odilla came today and she is feeling much better, the children are all receiving regular food and she is receiving regular medical care.

We have started clearing the land for the Women's Center.  You will be pleased to know that the man who is clearing it is using the dirt to make himself mud bricks for his house.

We have two new stoves sitting at the house waiting for the San Jorge school to open so that they can go in the kitchen.

We are putting in 25 Onil stoves this week.

We have 300 water filters arriving next week.

Selaine is doing a great job with Mayan Families Healthy Pets - we are now running monthly spaying and neutering clinics to reduce the  amount of animals suffering  on the streets.

We have almost 450 children sponsored to go to school. 

The list is endless, there are so many things to be thankful for but most of all we are thankful for all of you who have made these things possible. You have changed peoples lives here, you have taken people out of horrible situations and given them help and hope.  You have given so much of your time and energy to make these things happen.   It is hard to find the words to express how grateful we are for all that you are doing.  You are all doing so much and in so many varied ways. 

On behalf of all the people whose lives you have touched here, we thank you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Blessings from our families to yours.
Sharon and the Mayan Families Team

NOVEMBER 20, 2007: BLESSING OTHERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
We are busy getting our Christmas Tamale Basket orders in.  We have probably near 160 now.  These baskets for $30 will provide all the ingredients that a family will need to make their Christmas Tamale meal. It will feed a family of 12.

Food costs have risen greatly in Guatemala.  People who were already struggling to have enough food to eat are finding it very difficult to keep their family fed.

Every day we have people knocking on our door asking for help with food.  Sometimes we can help but most of the time we cannot ...we just do not have the funds to do that.

But in the Holiday season, somehow , it is even worse to be without food. 
We are hoping to supply 400 food baskets to hungry families this year.

Won't you please consider donating a basket for  a hungry family ?

If you would like to give this as a gift to a family member or friend, we can send them a card letting them know that you have given this gift in their honor.

Donations can be made through PayPal on our website or you can send a check to Mayan Families, 2609 Hartford St., San Diego. CA 92110.  USA   Please note on the payment that it is for a Tamale Basket. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL. Sharon


NOVEMBER 18, 2007: MAYAN FAMILIES CONNECTION GROUP, HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY
We could not have done it without you!
This is written by Bonnie:

Good morning everyone,

 Happy 1^st Birthday Mayan Families Connection!!

One year ago today I officially started our Mayan Families Connection Group.

 All I can say is WOW! I never imagined that one year later we would have almost 300 members, over 12,000 posts and would make so many life time friendships, or meet so many great people from across the US and abroad.

Now for a little history of our group.

Sharon was the 1^st official member and Sue C. was the 1^st one to introduce herself.

 Our 1^st conversation was about if anyone had thought of or tried to raise Tilapia (a fresh water fish) in the highlands.

Shipments hadn't even crossed my mind but on Jan 14^th 2007 Rhonda G. introduced herself and asked how she could get her extra shoes and socks to Guatemala.

She mentioned that she used Medrano Express a couple of times to send items before at Christmas time and was wondering if we could maybe "do something like this" and "if" there would be someone or a place that they could "drop off a box."  Rhonda said that she could find enough stuff needed to "Fit in That Box". Then she said that this was "just a thought."

 Just ask Jackie W., Suzanne M., Beth M. and Beckster our official shipment coordinators how much they can fit into a box!  Jackie and Becky H. found out they fit in a box too!:)

Well Rhonda, I guess I better say THANK YOU FOR THAT THOUGHT!

Look where it brought us to today! Medrano discussion followed and on January 30^th Jackie decided to make the 1^st of many phone calls to Medrano for some information.

THANK YOU JACKIE!

Then before Easter Becky H. decided to do some clucking and started the Chicken Project. 1147 chickens later we were all clucking! THANK YOU BECKY H!

Then Sharon took a "leap of faith" and told us about an opportunity to purchase a piece of land in San Jorge next to the main square for the Womens Center.  The problem was they were only going to give us a month to come up with the $10,000 or else they were going to sell it to someone else who wanted to pay for it now. Thanks to George Lewis and the Water Filter project along with a lot of generous people and many of us spreading the word, we had the $10,000 in only 10 days.

As the word about our group spread we gained more and more members and more ideas and projects started happening. Flyers and power points were made, presentations were given, Beckster's store was set up, Eileen's spread sheet grew, Carmen's Blogs kept growing   and we just kept looking forward to accomplishing more things.

It is just amazing how many people out there are interested and want to learn about the Guatemalan people or help out in some way.

Thank you everyone for making this group so special.

We have a lot of enthusiastic, energetic, kind hearted fun loving people here all working together to make the world a better place by helping one child and one family at a time. We have had a lot of great laughs along the way and I know that there are many more just waiting to happen.

I would like to Thank Mayan Families for helping us all live out our dreams in helping the people in Guatemala.

Without them we wouldn't be having this much fun or many friendships along the way.

Thank you everyone for joining in.  Without all of you our group would not be here.

I'm looking forward to another great year with all of you where more miracles will happen and dreams come true.

Muchas Gracias Everyone!!!

Bonnie~Mayan Families Connection Group Owner/Co-Moderator with Jackie W.

NOVEMBER 14, 2007

NOVEMBER 11, 2007: MAYAN FAMILIES HEALTHY PETS - DAY OF THE DOG:
  

Saturday we had a wonderful event organized by Selaine for Mayan Families Healthy Pets. This was a day for fun, education and a little fundraising. But mostly it was fun and education.

Lots of people came with their dogs, some beautifully dressed, others being pulled on a piece of string.

We had a dog washing booth, the Kelly girls who are spending some time in Guatemala did a great job lathering up the dogs, they were clipped by Hairdresser Kelly and groomed by other volunteers.  There were some dogs that were really in dire need of clipping , their fur matted  and dirty. They came out feeling like a new dog!

Miguel, the veterinarian was there giving free vaccinations. He brought 10 dogs along that were hoping to find a new home. These are dogs that we have taken off the street, that were injured or sick, they are now healed, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and have received regular feeding so they are healthy.

Out of the 10 dogs, some puppies,  brought along, 8 found homes. Just the two older ones were left sadly at the end of the day.  Hopefully, their day will come.
This Lucky Dog got adopted!

Only these two dogs were left behind at the end of the day. Maybe they will have luck and find homes soon.

There was a food booth with lots of delicious donated cakes and goodies.

There was a hot dog dunking booth for the brave dogs.
Hot Dog Dunking.

Face painting,  a clown who played games, lots of great music, a Dalmatian Astro jump, story telling, a raffle with lots of prizes, a drawing competition and at the end of the day there was the great parade. Prizes were given for the best dressed, the best behaved, the best trick and best of the best. 

The purpose of the day was to let the children  ( and the adults) see that dogs and other animals need to be treated with kindness, that they need food, they need water, they need a warm place to sleep and

that they should not be kicked and neglected.   We wanted to show that animals have worth and that many people think that they are worthy of treating well.

There was great participation from the whole community.  We are hoping that this will be the first Annual "Day of the Dog"!  This was a huge job organizing this and I would like to thank Selaine and all the volunteers who did such a fantastic job!

This January we will be starting education classes in the schools so that we can teach children to treat animals with kindness.

The children here do not usually have that example.  Animals are not generally treated well.  We have a very aggressive program running spaying and neutering dogs and cats once a month. We are doing this to reduce the amount of dogs suffering on the streets. The University in Solola has contacted Miguel and Selaine and they are very interested in partnering with us in this program and taking it all over the lake region. This would be wonderful.

If you would like to help us with this program - it costs us $20 US to spay and neuter an animal.  Please make your payments to Mayan Families  and note that it is for the Healthy Pets program.

The parade and some happy faces!  Everyone won a prize of a stuffed dog and there was trophy for best of the best!

The parade and some happy faces!  Everyone won a prize of a stuffed dog and there was trophy for best of the best!

NOVEMBER 9, 2007:
Saturday we have a very big event happening in town. We are holding our first annual "Day of the Dog". This has been the work of Selaine who runs Mayan Families Healthy Pets.  This is an educational and fundraising event. We are hoping to raise awareness of how animals are treated. We have the use of the outdoor stadium for the day.

 We will be having a clown, Zoe's Astro jump ( which just happens to be a Dalmatian) - we will have food booths, a vaccination booth for dogs and (any brave cats that show up), a washing and grooming booth, we will have dress up clothes for the dogs  and at 2.45 pm. we will have the grand parade of dogs.  We will be having competitions for the dog that wags its tail the fastest, the best dressed dog, the dog that does tricks etc., We have a wonderfully large raffle with lots of prizes and we have printed 3,000 tickets at $0.13cents US. each. 

We have live music , a story telling booth with dog related stories and face painting.  The town has never seen anything like this.  We hope that there will be lots of people and that everyone will have fun.  We have the local t.v. station coming. 

We hope that we will raise the awareness of how dogs should be treated. 

Sunday - we have the pleasure of having the GAFI group arrive! 

 I have to be there at 7.in the morning  so you may not hear much from me for the next two days!! Sharon

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Ernesto's House Update!
There is great news about Ernesto's House!