In June 2024, fourteen eager and generous people went to Guatemala to further the work of the Esperanza de Guatemala and Cary Presbyterian Church partnership.  We had such a great trip with everyone contributing in many different ways.  Most importantly, we engaged with the people in the community and tackled the tasks at hand.

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We had some challenges, of course!  Because it had rained so much and the rain continued to fall, the roads were challenging.  Sometimes we had to take the bus up the mountain, transfer to local vans, walk through parts of Nimasac and trek up the hill to the church.  The city of Xela had so much extra traffic because one highway in and out of the city was closed.

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But, we accomplished so much, too.

 

Since we had four Spanish speakers among the travelers and two interpreters with us, the meetings with the scholarship students were small enough to have real conversations.  The more experienced students provided encouragement and advice to the newer ones. There was a lot of laughter and joy present, even as students talked about difficulties they experienced trying to continue their education.

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Due to the generosity of our Esperanza PARTners (recurring donors), we were able to purchase and deliver school supplies totaling $3,000 to the four schools in Nimasac. We witnessed the positive impact of the scholarship program through the growing number of students enrolled in the middle school.

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In advance of the trip, we asked for sewing samples from a small group of interested women.  We received twelve purses which the women had designed, sewn and decorated in the region's Mayan style.  We paid them for their work, made suggestions for design and technique improvements, and discussed business and marketing strategies.  Stay tuned for more about the women's economic project--we're just getting started!

 

For healthcare, we held our third Women's Health meeting, sharing information about concerns, best practices and tangible helps. We sent a small delegation to visit a nearby clinic and learned the staffing and equipment had been greatly improved. The women welcomed the possibility of a trip in the Spring with nursing students from St. Mary's University in Kansas.  Planning is in progress so please watch for more information to come.

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Finally, we celebrated the success of the Clean Water Project by reviewing the history of the water situation in Nimasac, from no running water five years ago, to over 350 families receiving their own home-based water purification Ecofiltro system. We awarded the local trainers with certificates and payments for their time. Our visit to a local woman's home to witness the filter in action and hear her talk about improved health and ease of use was quite inspiring!

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Of course, we had fun, too! We ate well, from the hotel restaurant, breakfast at Xelapan, and dinner an upscale Italian restaurant in a mansion once owned by a General. We laughed and joked and were moved by shared devotions in the evenings.

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You, too, can have an experience like this!  Consider joining us for our next trip in the summer of 2025.  Find out more on the "Join Us on a Trip to Guatemala" page.

       Medora Hix, President/CEO

 

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