Many of you know, or have at least heard of, our good friend Marco Tulio Maldonado, his amazing spouse Mimi and their bright and articulate son, Alan. Marco is the national director for the Hands for Peacemaking Foundation who oversees all the organization’s operations there. When teams arrive in Guatemala, he greets them at the airport and stays with them until they leave, all the while making sure they have an awesome experience throughout their time in country.
Mimi coordinates meal preparation and support work for the teams during their stay, traveling to the villages with us and making sure that not only are we well fed, but that the meals are top-notch, nutritious, and tasty too. She has worked closely with her husband for years to make sure teams have a wonderful experience while in Guatemala. Fourteen-year-old Alan is also a team favorite, often accompanying the teams to the village and working side by side with us as we complete our projects. Many of us have watched Alan grow over the years – if you have not seen him lately you may be in for a surprise as to how much he has grown!
Marco and family will arrive in the U.S. in late September and stay through much of October, keeping busy with meetings, church and organization visits, team development and fundraising activities. Sadly, their first order of business is to attend the Sept. 30 memorial service for Alan “Pete” Kinch, the 17-year executive director of Hands for Peacemaking who passed on Aug. 18. Pete was Marco’s mentor with the organization and Marco has often said he regarded him as his second father. (Yes, Alan is named after him).
The purpose of this post though, is to invite you to meet with Marco and family at one of two public events, both starting at 5 p.m. The first is on Oct. 11 at 5 Rights Brewing Company, 1514 3rd St. in Marysville. The second is Oct. 19 at the Half Lion Public House, 2019 W. Meeker St. in Kent. These are both informal gatherings, light on fundraising but heavy on fun! We will have an official Hands for Peacemaking trivia contest, serve refreshments and light snacks and spend time with Marco and family. If you can join us, we’d appreciate an email for planning purposes (but not required). There is no charge. We will also be promoting our annual “Heart of Guatemala” dinner, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10 at Sean O’Donnell’s Irish Pub in Everett.
Thank you, and I hope to see you at one or more of these upcoming events!
Brian
Please count me in for attending the October 11th event in Marysville. Hopefully, I will convince my sister, Jeanette Moore, to attend. (That’s 2 people to attend 10/11!)
Thank you, Diane Kinch