Guatemala Team Reports

Hooray, our Hands for Peacemaking team in Guatemala finished up today! They installed the final 40 stoves in the homes of Esperancita Yulmacap, making it a total of 115 stove and 112 water filter installations in the village. On Thursday the HFPM staff, who has been doing this work as a “virtual” mission project for Marine View Church in Tacoma, will pack up and head home. But not before setting up an eye clinic to fit anyone in the village who needs reader glasses with a new pair brought from a donated stash at the mission house in Barillas.

Remarkably, there is limited cellular service in the village and many have mobile phones and are on social media. One of the villagers spotted yesterday’s post on the Hands for Peacemaking Facebook site and made this comment:

You’re welcome Otoniel.

And here are a few photos sent by the staff this afternoon with the finished products and their happy owners:

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In yesterday’s post we wrote about a man in the village who had done quite well by working in the United States, then returned to become a village leader. He and his family stand in stark contrast to most of the villagers, and in particular a young woman by the name of Magdalena Pedro Francisco.

We share Magdelena’s story an example of how many of the villagers are barely getting by, and facing extreme poverty are not able to get the help that they need.

Three years ago Magdalena noticed some swelling in her leg that just wouldn’t go away. A year ago the wound from a scratch began to get worse and worse. She finally went to the hospital in Barillas, the closest city about a 2.5 hour drive away, but they couldn’t do much other than to send her down the road to a larger hospital in the municipality of Huehuetenango. After some blood tests there, but little else, they referred her to specialists in Guatemala City – a two-day drive from her village. However, faced with the high costs of travel and treatment, she decided not to go.

The father of Magdalena left the family a while ago, leaving her family even more destitute. Her mother, Florinda has to work to provide for their needs. For example just as the team was finishing finishing installing her stove, Florinda was just returning from the cardamom fields, where she had been since 7 a.m. She makes $6 a day doing that.

As a result of her health issues Magdalena is not able to keep up with housework. Her home is in squalor, with the living quarters covered in feces from ducks and chickens. If she walks too much she faints. It’s not only her leg – Magdalena has other, undiagnosed health issues too (as seen in her photo below).

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Hers is a sad, but not uncommon story in the villages of Guatemala. It seems that every year we are there we see or hear of similar stories, although usually not as traumatic. Sometimes we are able to help by taking up a collection. Last year we were able to help cover some of the funeral expenses for the mother-in-law of of a Hands for Peacemaking staff member. Two or three years ago we financed a new roof and some food for an impoverished lady with a severely disabled son. If you would like to help Magdalena, please get in touch with Jeffrey at Hands for Peacemaking and he can get the ball rolling (see contact info at bottom of the website).

Below is a final photo from Wednesday’s installations. As I am writing this a new threat, tropical storm Nana, is about to become a hurricane and is projected to roar across north Guatemala, including the area where our team is working. Please join me in praying that the village stays safe, and that our team makes their way back safely to Santa Cruz Barillas on Thursday. After a hard week in the village, they deserve a good rest!

May God Bless you all,

Brian