The last few months have been very busy. My time and mind are often filled with the planning, organizing and problem solving for our various projects. Yet at times the sheer rawness of the experience breaks upon me like a wave. The view in front of me might awaken me to the level of poverty that surround me or the pure beauty of a moment. It might be triggered by clothes that resemble rags or the bareness within a home. It might also be triggered by the beauty of colors, the sound of the rushing river or the contagious laughter of the people or the joy that we are making a positive difference. I, we the people of Xesalli would like to invite you to take a cyber walk and share this experience. May it cause an awakening in you also for the first step of loving is knowing, come and get to know us a little more.
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We have been passing through the community with small gifts. a packet of crayons and paper for drawing, tooth brushes marbles. Each gift brings special joy.
This young boy is not standing in front of a shed but his home
The following photos are of the children of Xesalli. They are truly amazing in there beauty.
Christmas day I was awakened to the squeal of Christmas dinner. It was cold and raining and helping butcher was not my first choice at 4:00am.
There were no present shared in the village except for the backpack we brought.
Merry Christmas a new backpack!
Two boys with a bow and arrows they have made.
I am careful with handing out free gifts. At times I think I am too hard but it is a balance that I am still learning.Free gifts are often not the best way to help. I often see children whose clothes are not even very good rags. In response we brought in some used clothing from Antigua but I decided to “sell” them to the children and accomplish two things at once. The kids had to walk through the street and collect trash in exchange for a marble, a hat and a piece of clothing. Here we go!
Anyone who has visited Guatemala knows that trash is a big problem. This activity gave us a chance to work for change.
It was a fun time with lots of shouting and laughing as the adults looked on and took note. One thing that TRE offers is an outside motivation that can galvanize a group into action. Habits take time to change but we must start somewhere, sometime.
It didn’t take long to make a pile.
My most impressionable moment came when I asked them who cleaned the village and they lifted their hands to the sky and shouted “We did”
The reward
I saw this boy last Sunday once again dressed in his Sunday best, the shirt buttoned to the top and washed white as snow. We gave the occasion for pride and self worth when we shared a few clothes.
Another day we gathered all the young mothers in the village and gifted them with a blancket and some baby clothes.
These blankets where quilted and knitted in the United States
I wanted the women to note not just the colors but the personal work that went into these gifts. This was a gift of one group of women loving another, it was special and I wanted all to be aware of its sacredness
Grateful mothers. This is only half of the group. My office and living quarters is the unpainted room behind the women. In May I plan on builing a small adobe house at the nursery/garden site.
Another day we shared backpacks with 100 school children. Here they are helping us bring in one of three gunny sacks into the school yard.
Careful, careful please! Their excitement is always contagious.
Inside one of the class rooms. The school has three nice rooms and four like this.
Happy, happy children
We placed some pencils pens, notebooks as well as a knitted hat in each pack
These backpacks, blankets and school supplies have all come from Miracles in Action.
Thanks for taking time to pass by our homes and see some of our work.
Take special note of the feet of the girl in the middle. She was born with two large toes.
We hope you enjoyed the tour and we hope to here from you soon.
The last few months have been very busy. My time and mind are often filled with the planning, organizing and problem solving for our various projects. Yet at times the sheer rawness of the experience breaks upon me like a wave. The view in front of me might awaken me to the level of poverty that surround me or the pure beauty of a moment. It might be triggered by clothes that resemble rags or the bareness within a home. It might also be triggered by the beauty of colors, the sound of the rushing river or the contagious laughter of the people or the joy that we are making a positive difference. I, we the people of Xesalli would like to invite you to take a cyber walk and share this experience. May it cause an awakening in you also for the first step of loving is knowing, come and get to know us a little more.
>
This young boy is not standing in front of a shed but his home
The following photos are of the children of Xesalli. They are truly amazing in there beauty.
Christmas day I was awakened to the squeal of Christmas dinner. It was cold and raining and helping butcher was not my first choice at 4:00am.
There were no present shared in the village except for the backpack we brought.
Merry Christmas a new backpack!
Two boys with a bow and arrows they have made.
I am careful with handing out free gifts. At times I think I am too hard but it is a balance that I am still learning.Free gifts are often not the best way to help. I often see children whose clothes are not even very good rags. In response we brought in some used clothing from Antigua but I decided to “sell” them to the children and accomplish two things at once. The kids had to walk through the street and collect trash in exchange for a marble, a hat and a piece of clothing. Here we go!
Anyone who has visited Guatemala knows that trash is a big problem. This activity gave us a chance to work for change.
It was a fun time with lots of shouting and laughing as the adults looked on and took note. One thing that TRE offers is an outside motivation that can galvanize a group into action. Habits take time to change but we must start somewhere, sometime.
It didn’t take long to make a pile.
My most impressionable moment came when I asked them who cleaned the village and they lifted their hands to the sky and shouted “We did”
The reward
I saw this boy last Sunday once again dressed in his Sunday best, the shirt buttoned to the top and washed white as snow. We gave the occasion for pride and self worth when we shared a few clothes.
Another day we gathered all the young mothers in the village and gifted them with a blancket and some baby clothes.
These blankets where quilted and knitted in the United States
I wanted the women to note not just the colors but the personal work that went into these gifts. This was a gift of one group of women loving another, it was special and I wanted all to be aware of its sacredness
Grateful mothers. This is only half of the group. My office and living quarters is the unpainted room behind the women. In May I plan on builing a small adobe house at the nursery/garden site.
Another day we shared backpacks with 100 school children. Here they are helping us bring in one of three gunny sacks into the school yard.
Careful, careful please! Their excitement is always contagious.
Inside one of the class rooms. The school has three nice rooms and four like this.
Happy, happy children
We placed some pencils pens, notebooks as well as a knitted hat in each pack
These backpacks, blankets and school supplies have all come from Miracles in Action.
Thanks for taking time to pass by our homes and see some of our work.
Take special note of the feet of the girl in the middle. She was born with two large toes.
We hope you enjoyed the tour and we hope to here from you soon.
1 comment:
Michael, I was very impressed by your method of having the children "earn" their clothing by picking up trash in the village. Also sharing with the women all the work that went into creating the blankets made them an even more precious gift - woman to woman. My husband and I have been interested in Guatemala through MIracles In Action for several years now. We salute you and the wonderful work you are doing. We hope to return to Guatemala sometime in the next year. Perhaps our paths will cross!
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