A Look Back and Holiday Wishes

Christmas is but 2 days away and the end of another successful year for Hearts & Hands. My! where did this year go ? When I look back it seems a long time; but when I think of all accomplished, I shake my head with wonderment. Most of all I am so filled with gratitude for the blessings I have been given in this work. I have no doubt I was given a mission and I am reminded that everyday with the successes and people it has brought into my life. Why me ? I no longer ask that question but an thankful I was chosen. May I continue this work for many years to come.

At this time of year it is easy to be philosophical about many things. There are many “whys” to ask about how our world has become so frought with problems whether economical, social, spiritually, or psychologically. In my 70 years I have seen changes and trends come and go. However; I have never seen such pesticism and cyncism about the conditions we live in, especially in my home country of USA. The politicians in Washington have lost their ability to com-promise  and instead push a platform that has loss what the founding fathers wanted the USA to be- a country of pluralism where differences would be settled for the good of the country. That seems to be lost and the needs of the general populace unimportant. It is difficult to find a politician that one can have faith in and one who really believes in what is good for the country and not just party dogma.

Canada has been fortunate not to suffer the economical problems as their neighbor. Being Canadian for 32 years now, I am grateful for that. However, I do not think we will escape the change that has to come for societies around the world, especially North America. Since the late 60′s we became a society that increasing as we made more money, had to have everything bigger and better. We gradually became a debt- ridden society living on credit that gave us bigger homes, more cars, and all the things we thought we needed to have be happy. It began in the USA; but as everything, it soon follows in Canada. When will our time come for the collapse. When will we stop needing ultra mansions, 2 or 3 homes scattered around, SUV’s, expensive holidays, and giving our kids everything. When will we back to some old values of being satisfied with smaller homes that are actually better for the environment, smaller cars, and saving the way our parents did. Not buying anything till you could pay cash.

These are my thoughts as I look to the future. I am not pessimistic as I believe in the ingenuity of the American and Canadian people. Since doing the work in Guatemala, I have seen the goodness of people and the caring most have, both Guatemala and Canadian.  That forever fills me with hope and dedication to carry on as I know we are making a difference. It is so important for cultures to learn about each other while sharing work and time. It is time for all of us to work for peace and abandon war as a means of solving problems. It is time to work together through education and a desire to share work. The modern wars solve nothing except lose lives and cause suffering to families.

So as we all pass into 2012, I hope we all can remember what is important and that is family, friends, and community. That community extends to local, national and global. The world is becoming smaller all the time and we need to celebrate that and appreciate our differences. May we all benefit by a better future.

I wish you A “MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR”. Please remember our Guatemala families whom are less fortunate but happy people. Be talking to you in the new year.

Blessings, Jan

Time to Write Again

I just returned to my desk after a visit to Indiana to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving. I guess I am at the age where I often feel nostalgic and cherish memories of my childhood years in Ohio. This visit was special in that I was re-uniting with my “siamese twin”, my friend for 18 years before I moved away from Ohio. We  had lost contact and re-connected several times over the years. Both of us not living in Ohio at different times. She was my friend who shared everything, good times and bad. We had similar family issues to deal with and always found comfort in each other. Nancy and I re-connected about a year ago. It was so great for me to talk with her again by phone. She had found me through my sister. We made plans to spend time together when I came home to Indiana. My sister kindly hosted both of us at her home for the 10 days.

Nancy met me at the airport with my two sisters. It was good to see she had aged as I had. We both were not the slim figured women that we had been, but who is ? It was not long before we felt the old connection that bonded us for 18 years. We reminisced and recalled memories we both hold dear. Laughter was frequent as we remembered our foolish pranks and silly times. I had so much joy in just hearing her remember and recalling the old dreams we both used to share. It was a great visit for me and I left Indiana feeling a little sad, but so grateful. My sadness came from hearing about how difficult Nancy’s life had been at times. None of her dreams came true and bad luck seemed to be more the case than good. She now has several health problems and has difficulty getting around. Worst of all, a month ago she lost her 47-year old daughter who died in her sleep. She still awaits an autopsy report to determine cause of deatn. As she struggles to cope with losing a child, it was difficult to find any words to give her comfort. I could only give her my love and allow her to cry the tears whenever she needed. I felt so helpless when we parted. My prayers now include her every night in hopes she will find some peace with her remaining daughter. May God give her some special blessings.

The gratitude I came home with is for how lucky I am to have had a relatively good life. I was fortunate to achieve an education, live many places, travel extensively, have 3 great sons, and good health. I went home also to celebrate my birthday. The week before I left, my annual physical results were all positive saying I am in good health. Seeing my friend and hearing about her unfortunate life reminded me of how blessed I have been in so many ways. I had to pinch myself when I thought of all the blessings I have received through my work in Guatemala. I was reminded of all the friends I have there through the emails I received wishing me happy birthday. I am one fortunate woman and for that I am thankful

Now it is time to prepare for Christmas. I am trying to get into the spirit by putting up the tree. It will be my first time to have an artificial tree. I have to say it does not excite me the way a fresh one does. Oh, well ! everything changes. In addition, the January group is coming together. It seems people are wanting to go at the last minute. In the last 2 days 4 people have signed up. The March group is coming together also. There will be 16 students and 3 teachers from Rundle College as well as the dental team.

That’s all for now, till later-

Jan

UPCOMING PROJECTS FOR 2012

January 27 – February 10, 2012                                                                                   Stove building and 15 Septiembre inauguration

March 22 – April 5, 2012                                                                                            Rundle College stove building

October 19-  November 2, 2012                                                                                   Stove building and scholarship students graduation

Home Again Tomorrow

After a month in Guatemala, it is a pleasure to look back over the last 4 weeks and reflect. It was a good group that installed stoves in Los Chivitos. I have been back to the community 3 times since then and the families are so happy with their stoves. The last group left a lasting impression and that includes the nutrition team. I have yet to decide what the next step will be in this program as there are lots of options and possibilities. It is definite that we will build more stoves in Los Chivitos in January 2012. Dona Chuz was very happy with that decision.

The Festival de Artes co-sponosored by Corazones y Manos was a huge success. Participants from about 20 communities competed either in song, dance or recitation. The gymnasium where it was held was full to capacity of 700 people. I was a judge for singing and it was a difficult role. Many were so good.  It was so good to see the children perform with so much pride and confidence. Communities cheered on their specific participants and what fun it was. No doubt the Committee did an excellent job and all look forward to next year.

We enjoyed the 2 days with the Ripple Effect Program and the representatives from CRCID. We learned lots from them and they mutually learned lots from us.

I survived lots of meetings and some were definitely very productive and meaningful for our future. I am most exited about a meeting Rebeca and I had with the Department Director of Quiche of the Ministry of Education. I left the meeting feeling that cooperation was a very real possibility in the future.  

Meetings with both scholarship programs is alway fun. How great it is to see the degree to which the students are maturing. Uspantan students are quickly becoming a close group and enjoy their time together. How surprised I was when they gave me a surprise birthday party. I was given a beautiful bag and nightgown. It was a fun time for us all. IMMBI Band was present to play for us.

While in Guatemala this time I have had to cope with horrible weather. First, it was an earthequake just a couple days after we arrived. Thank goodness it was in the south of Guatemala, so we suffered no effects. It has been the rain that has been the problem. In a month there has been only 3 days that had no rain. It has been heavy rain that usually comes early afternoon and lasts all night. The volunteers worked in very muddy conditions and it has gotten much worse since they returned to Canada.  The roads are horrible and mudslides and many. There has been a hurricane sitting on the Pacific coast which has brought heavy, heavy rain to Uspantan and the western highland region. We drove from Uspantan on Tuesday and the mudslides were so many and it was very dangerous.  Thank goodness we only planned to drive and overnight in Chichi as we could not get any further. The rain was coming in torrents. We saw mudslides as they were happening. It made me very nervous with fear of being buried in one. We drove to Solala on Wednesday and found Colegio Maya closed due to the hurricane and danger of mudslides. Pana again suffered a washout of the road and is unreachable. We finally reached Guatemala City around 5pm  and I was much relieved to get here. Today it continueas to rain and is supposed to for another 48 hours. I cannot imagine the destruction from mudslides when it is over.

Tomorrow I leave early for home. It will be nice to escape the rain and dampness.  I have had a cold since the 1st week here. It just keeps hanging on like the rain. I will miss my friends here, but will return in January with another group.

Till next time,  Jan 

 

 

Another Group Completed

Hearts & Hands 22nd group returned home yesterday. Four teams completed 60 stoves in the community of Los Chivitos. It was not an easy project due to lots of rain during the week. It made for very muddy, wet conditions. However; enthusiasm did not wain and despite awful conditions, the volunteers worked on. It was a very fun group with all but one being repeaters. Rebeca and I have an easier job when the group is volunteers who have come before.

During the 8 days in Uspantan, we had 2 inaugurations of schools- La Lagunita Chipaj and Baxil. These events are always full of speeches  and food. I really appreciate the volunteers attending these events as they tend to be long with many speeches. Guatemalans like to give thanks through words and food. It usually is 3 to 4 hours long. 

These two schools complete the first group of 4 with our partners of Rotary Clubs, Municipality of Uspantan, and the COCODEs and residents of each community.  We have another inauguration on Oct. 4th at Chipaj. The exciting news is we will be able to start construction on the next school- 15 Septiembre immediately. It is good timing as this one must be done while the students are out of school for the year-  October to January.

Our visits to the schools with Bill Lawless was lots of fun. It is so rewarding to see how the students are enjoying the new classrooms. We had an especially good time at 15 Septiembre where some students performed dance and songs for us. What a group of talented kids ! Most enjoyable !

Our step into the world of proper nutrition was successful. Nancy Hayes began a program in Los Chivitos of good nutrition to the principal, teachers, parents and students. She was assisted by our staff, Bety, and Delores, a resident of the area. They made a fantastic team and opened the door for us to continue this program. Many thanks to all three for getting us started. Good nutrition is so important to having healthy kids that will attend school and learn easier.  Hopefully, many more good reports to follow in this area.

I am in Guatemala City resting for 2 days. Rebeca and I will return to Uspantan on Sunday. We will be accompanied by the Ripple Effect Program administrators, and 2 Canadian government reps that will visit all our schools for 3 days. Victor Hugo Figuero, Mayor of Uspantan, will accompany us as well. 

Will end for now. Much more to report after the next 2 weeks. Hope the volunteers returned home safely.

Jan

 

A Wonderful Visit

After all the hazzle of obtaining Canadian visas, our two scholarship students and Rebeca Galindo arrived for a ten day visit. What a joy to watch the girls experience wonder over so many things. They marveled at our beautiful Bow Valley and all its splendor. Thanks to John and Mary Cranston they had the thrill of a rafting trip down the Kananaskis River. Despite being frozen solid, they really enjoyed the experience. I had an added joy of having my 2 sons and sister here for a surprise visit at the same time. My family was such a help in entertaining the Guatemala guests. It was an opportunity for my natural family and my Guatemala family to get to know each other and better understand each others culture.

We took the girls to the Canmore Highland Games. They were blown away by the bagpipes and the marching bands. We spent 2 days in Jasper with stops along the way to photograph glaciers, falls, and Ice Fields. The girls had to taste snow since this was their 1st time seeing it. Thanks goodness it was a warm day at the Icefields. They attended the Canmore Rotary Club and were warmly welcomed. Doug and Lynn Jones took them to tour the Calgary Zoo which they loved. They saw animals they have never seen before.  They rode the gondola up Sulphur Mountain in Banff. We enjoyed some hot chocolate and muffins up there as it was a very cool, windy day.  It has actually snowed the night before on the mountain. They canoed on lake Louise. They chose to canoe rather than hike to the Tea House. Cannot say I blame them. We had a fun barbecue at my house for them, H&H Board members, and some scholarship sponsors. It was a really fun night. The girls did a presentation about Guatemala which everyone enjoyed. There were several dinners with family and friends that filled almost every minute of every day.

Would I bring scholarship students again to Canada ? You bet I would. The best outcome was these girls learned so much about Canada and Hearts & Hands. The visit gave them a better understanding of me and the country of the volunteers they meet 3 times a year.  I think they were sometimes overwhelmed by what they saw and experienced. Someone asked me if I was concerned about them being unhappy with their lives after they see  our affluent lifestyles. The answer is no. These girls are so well grounded in their family and their country and the desire to help their communities, they did not go home with any envy or unhappiness. They were just overjoyed to have had this opportunity. They are safely now back home and I am sure trying to encapsulate all the things they learned and saw. They must a little tired because I know I am.

Now it is on the the next event. Our annual fundraiser is this Thursday(15th) and then off to Guatemala on Friday with another group.

Till the next time,  Jan

At Last !! Canadian visas obtained

After weeks of frustration, Canadian visas for Rebeca and our two students arrived yesterday. I was scrambling all the afternoon to get flights booked. I finally was successful and they will arrive on August 31st. I am so excited to have the students visit Canada and see our beautiful mountains. Of course, there are mountains where they live also. I am sure they will be amazed at the glaciers and gorgeous lakes.  One cannot help but be in awe when one sees the blue water and the natural beauty of our area. It will be an unforgetable experience for me.

I will look forward to putting the experience into words after September 10th.

Busy Summer

Here we already are into the month of August. It seems like summer just arrived here in the Rockies. I have said it before, but I cannot help repeating myself about what a beautiful area in which I live. I so enjoy sitting with my cup of tea and watching the sun rise on the mountains on my front deck in the early mornings. What a blessing and an energy booster for the day. How lucky I am to live here in Canmore on Silvertip where nature is alive not just in beauty but wildlife as well !

I just had a week of enjoying my great-granddaughter staying with me. She described it as grandma and grandaughter time; just the two of us alone. How special she makes me feel because it is so important to her that she have that time with me. She is a precious 6-year old that I had the honor of holding in the labor room. I saw her come into the world and we have had a special bond since the first time I held her. She makes me feel like I could live forever just because I am her grandma. I am amazed at her intelligence and maturity for a 6-year old. She holds me mesmerized when I listen to her bedtime prayers.  Her request to God for  the well-being of everyone in her life, and some she does not even know; touches my heart so deeply. It ignites such pride in me for the blessing she is.

Chloe is lucky in that she was born into a family that can give her the important things in life- food, education, and a good home. She will have many options for a good future. It will be her choice. I am grateful she has the life she has. I hope I am around the see her life unfold.

As I watch Chloe grow, I cannot help but think of all the Mayan children that I wish I could give the same options.  I guess that is why I am so driven in our education programs. In my first visits to Uspantan, the lack of schools and quality education tore at my heart. Everytime I had to look into those little black eyes that so desperately wanted an education, it tore at my heart. I was so blessed to grow up in a country where I could have  good education that was a given, not a luxury.  Now I live in Canada where the value is the same and kids are so fortunate to have schools that have computers, smart boards, and things I do not even know how to use. I walk into Lawrence Grassi Middle School here in Canmore and am blown away each time. I wonder if the students there realize how lucky they are ? I think they do, because they raise money for us and are a sister school to our junior high in El Pinal. I would give anything to see the children in Uspantan be so fortunate.

H&H Foundation has a great deal to be proud of. Recently, I was developing an accomplishment list of our projects since 2005. It was amazing as I put it together and remembered the projects that seemed like a million years ago. When you move from one project to the next and are so busy, you tend to forget eveything except the present project. Putting the list together actually made me feel tired, but oh so proud !! Not only did results come to mind, but faces of those who helped make it happen. There are many who can claim credit. I am so grateful to everyone of those persons and blessed for them working with me. 

I am so pleased that we were able to construct 2 junior/senior highs in one year. An amazing feat  and a dream come true. It is looking good for number three to be started this year or early next year.  We have built classrooms on 5 elementary schools with the help of Rotary Clubs, Ripple Effect Program, and a Rotary International Global Grant. Our programs to supplement our wholistic education program to ensure a better education for the kids of Uspantan are having an impact that is apparent now. The professors for the University of Puerto just completed a week of workshops for our schools, and it was a huge success. They want to return every year and continue the partnership with us.  We are on the road to giving those little black eyes a chance for a better education. I am finally able to sleep better at night knowing we are beginning to address the issues of a good education for the kids of Uspantan. Those little black eyes do not haunt me as much.    

I am looking forward to the rest of the summer and the visit of our 2 students  and Rebeca from Guatemala. How exciting ! Will defintiely generate words for the next blog. Till then, I wish everyone a great summer.

Blog Time

It is a pleasure to write this blog, but sometimes it is not easy finding time. I definitely think it is important to keep our supporters informed of our activities. In addition, I try to write of personal accounts also.

I will be heading to Guatemala on June 16th to accomplish work I could not complete in April. There is so much work to do on all our programs. It will be fun to travel to Uspantan in our new pick-up. Rebeca says it is a joy to drive.  We will be deciding which two of our scholarship students will be coming to Canada in August.  A decision of where we will build our 3rd junior high will be made. I will attend inaugurations of 2 elementary schools where we constructed classrooms. With many admin meetings scheduled, my time will be hectic and busy. The 2 weeks will fly.

There are 3 upcoming events I would like to mention. First, is the visit of the 2 students and Rebeca in August. What an exposure the 2 students will have. Many activities are planned for them. In August also will be the annual alumnae picnic held on Saturday, the 20th. Particulars will follow at a later date. In September I will be leading another team from the 16th to the 30th. This project will likely be constructing stoves and working on an elementary school under construction.  Many of the volunteers on this team are repeaters.

I am looking forward to seeing all my friends in Guatemala. Our partnerships are many and have produced good cooperation and mutual respect. All the time spent networking and in meetings has given us

Where is the summer going ?

I cannot believe summer is half over for us Canmorites. June was little resemblence of summer. My trip to Guatemala at least gave me some warm weather, but also had rain.

It was a productive trip to Guate. There were many highlights for me during the two weeks. When I go without a group, my time is completely filled with meetings and administration activities. The more we keep growing, the more the work increases as well. However; it is all exciting and challenging. Of course one exciting event was the inauguration of the classrooms at Xejul. After 4 hours of celebrating, I felt so satisfied with the project and especially the happiness of the community to have a school that almost accomodates all the students. Because of the Familia Progresso program in Guatemala, more kids are now going to school. Since the program came into existence 2 years ago, enrollment is increasing quickly. Keeps us on our toes to be able to forecast the possible growth in each school. In any case the inauguration was great fun. The IMMBI Band gave a great concert and entertained us all.

I spent a couple days visiting schools we constructed last year. Most are doing well and very happy in their new classrooms. Our partnership with the University of Puerto Rico Department of Eduation will be a great contribution to our teacher development program. All professors have doctorates so should be a great quality conference. Enrollment is 175 teachers. How exciting ! Happening this week. Upgrading the quality of teaching for the students is so important to H&H.

I was a judge along with 4 others for the final step of the H&H scholarship student competion. It was amazing to see the effort some students put into their 500-word essay and 10-minute oral presentation. Many did a great job and I was happy with the participation. The winners were Ventura Yolanda Yaxon and Juana Angelica Martin. They will travel to Canada on August 18 with Rebeca Galindo. Iam so excited to entertain them and share the experience with many volunteers.

I am preparing the September team. This team will have 3 projects- stoves, school construction, nutrition program. All but one of the volunteers are repeaters. It will be a fun group. There are some vacant spots; so if interested, contact me.

It is raining cats and dogs right now. At least for the last 2 weeks we have had summer in Canmore.   It is so great to sit on my front deck and look at the Three Sisters mountain. I live in a beautiful place which never fails to amaze me. It is one of the many blessings in my life. I wish everyone a great summer with good health, blessings, and good times.

Jan