Friday, October 23, 2009

Feeding program update.


While we were in Guatemala, we started our toddler feeding program. I will show you some pictures of it next blog. Some of the same moms with toddlers come to our infant feeding program. We have about 25 moms now getting formula for their babies and want to offer this in another community we know of that is struggling with starving infants. Here are 3 of the moms that get the infant formula and 3 of the precious babies.


My family is spending Christmas in Guatemala. We leave on the 15th and will be there for a month. While there we will give a Christmas Party for the kids. If you want to send donations, send them now so you don't have to do priority mail.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Update from Vicki (Safe Homes For Children)

We are home. We accomplished so much. Here are some pictures of the kids from the tutorial program. They had a welcome time for us when we first got there on Fri. They had a bunch of pictures and sang us some songs. They love us and appreciate the help we are giving them. They are such sweet children; at least when I am around. We were tired that day so only stayed an hour. There is also a picture of the wonderful cabinets that Guatemala Children's Project made for us. They are full of the donations they gave us. If I had not had kids here in states that I love and precious grandchildren, I would have stayed down there.

Vicki
Director Safe Homes for Children


Monday, September 21, 2009

Casa de Sion PASSED inspection!!

Great News!!! One of the orphanages (Casa de Sion) we are working with that has been trying to get it's doors open because they were waiting for government inspections has just been cleared by the inspectors. This is wonderful news that will allow them to open their doors very soon to take in neglected & unwanted children. With this news our need is greater then ever for financial support. If you are in a position to give any amount please do so today by clicking the donate button above.

Thanks for your support
Mike Mangum

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Great News!

Great news everyone, The baby malnutrition program has been in need of baby formula and it has been difficult to get it there because of the size and weight of it so we were going to send money to buy it at the super market but fortunately Ken has found a supplier in Guatemala that we can buy it from at a discounted price. This is great news because it will ensure they won’t run out. We have a lot of babies relying on our program, without it many would surely die of starvation since their mothers can not produce milk for them.

We appreciate all of the past support from many of you. Since we can purchase the formula in Guatemala for less then it costs here your financial support is more important then ever before. Please consider donating today.

Friday, August 7, 2009

New Logo!


As part of the changes we are making to our organization we have changed our logo.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

THANK YOU!

Dear supporter of Guatemala Children’s Project. I would like to personally thank you for your generous contributions over this past year. Much good has been done and the lives of the children that have been abandoned in the orphanage have been changed forever. It is truly something to feel good about.

Guillermo and Mandy are currently managing, directing and running the orphanage 100% on their own. If you would like to contact them for any reason their contact information is. Info.gozo@gmail.com Niños de Guatemala hogar 03 avenida 05-68 zona 1 Quintas los Aposentos Chimaltenango, Guatemala 7839-2060.

We have transitioned away from the day to day involvement with the orphanage, still I am confident that the children are being cared for and are certainly much better off than so many others that are much less fortunate.

Also, we have been asked to help another organization with a most urgent need. Semillas de amour is a new orphanage under construction in the mountains near lake Atitlan. They have purchased property and erected a perimeter wall and the main building has been constructed with others in progress. They expect to have authorization to begin receiving children soon. We have already donated bunk beds, furniture and much needed supplies. We anticipate helping with future construction projects there. They have also initiated a community outreach program to help new mothers and infants who are unable to nurse, mostly because of malnutrition. When these mothers can’t produce breast milk the infants will die because of the lack of availability of formula.

We have been asked to help provide the necessary formula and have begun to do so. We would like to be able to continue to make a difference in this impoverished community. They are also currently providing lunch at the local school twice per week as most of the children do not live close and subsequently go without. It would be great to be able to help provide lunch every school day.

Now with our ability to help various organizations, when you help with donations I would like to ask you to please let us know where you would like your donation to go specifically. We feel a great responsibility to use your money to benefit the children of Guatemala exactly how you would like to. You can indicate which of the three projects you’d like to support.

Niños de Guatemala Hogar orphanage.
Semillas de amor orphanage.
Malnutrition community outreach program.
If you would like for us to determine where it is most needed you can indicate that or simply not specify and that is what we will do.

Again, thank you so much for your financial support. You are making a difference on the front lines where it is needed most.



Ken Mangum

GUATEMALA CHILDRENS PROJECT

THIS IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON WHAT THESE CHILDREN FACE ON A DAILY BASIS;
Click on the image below or paste the link below in your browser.



http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/guatemalachildrenfoodcrisis.htm

Update

UPDATE: Guatemala Children's Project is expanding our reach. In an effort to help more children in Guatemala we are working with orphanages, schools and organizations that are in need of assistance. We are in the process of relocating our volunteer house to better serve the children we are helping. Because of this our "Volunteer Program" has been put on hold until further notice. We hope to have it going again sometime early 2010. Check back here for the latest news. If you are interested in volunteering in the future you may contact Debbie Clark (click on her name to send an email) for more details.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Volunteer Program posted by Debbie Clark

Guatemala Children's Project is proud to announce the introduction of the “Volunteer Program” for the first time this year. We currently have three young women from CANADA.....Gina Primivera, Emily Schnoor and Becky Smith, who have selfishly given up their summer to come and volunteer their time to the children of “Niños De Guatemala”. All three girls arrived May 14, along with Kevin Callahan, President of the Board. We were so fortunate to have Mike and Ken Mangum (Board members) arrive a few days earlier and worked to get the Volunteer House clean and ready for the girl’s arrival. We are so fortunate to have these men on the Board.

I arrived Sunday, May 17th. I was there to train and teach the girls their “daily” responsibilities. Volunteering is a very hard job to do at times. You have to get up early everyday, be prepared with projects, games, etc...for the children. All at the same time teaching them to brush their teeth, clean their rooms and do chores. Oh...and give one on one attention...the kids LOVE attention. Even the babies demand your attention. Most days the volunteers are exhausted when it is time to leave. I can tell you while I was there seeing the girls in action, the joy, love and attention they gave non-stop, was amazing. They had to learn quickly and even do things that they have never done before. Oh...did I mention the girls are also responsible to keep the Volunteer House clean at all times. They cook their own meals, shop for food, wash their own clothes and keep track of all donations that are being taken up to the orphanage house. They have had to learn a lot of things in such a short period of time. The children oh my goodness....LOVE the girls...they don't like it if the girls are not there...the girls do get a day off once a week...to do site seeing, shop for souvenirs or if they want...just SLEEP all day.

Through the remainder of the summer we will have two other volunteers join the first three girls... Jamie Robinson from St. George, Utah and Rebecca Hainey from Washington, DC. Their journey will just begin...but, I have three girls who can teach them the ropes. As I left to go home to my family, Monday, June 1st…I felt like a mother who didn't have to walk her children to school anymore....they were ready to be on their own. We have been so blessed to have these three girls in our program. THANK YOU girls.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Baby update

We are missing Joséctio since he went home, the orphanage is not the same without him. It was so much fun how much he was starting to talk and walk. But being home is what´s best for him.

Alejandra is learning to talk a little. She can say mama and papa and si and no. She is so much fun to play with and she laughs a lot.

Levi is starting to learn how to crawl and he can sit up all by himself now. He looks different with all his top teeth in. His mom came today and told us that she wants to keep him here until he is 18 years old. She says he has been raised here his whole life and he will have a better life here, where we will be able to take good care of
him and provide him with an education.

José is still as wild as ever. He is also going through this phase where he likes to take off his shoes and socks and walk around barefoot. Every chance he gets he takes them off. Also he has turned into an eating machine. As soon as he wakes up the first
thing he asks for is food. Whenever someone has food, even if José isn´t around, as soon as they open the package José magically appears asking for some. He is always eating.

Brandon is still doing great and still loves his music and singing. He is getting along well with the other kids and he loves having his sister here.

We took them all to the swimming pool the other day. It was a blast. José and Brandon had a ton of fun on the slides and swimming around. I took Alejandra into the water and she hated it. She cried and cried until I took her out. She spent most of the day playing in the shade. Levi loved the water. I swam around with him for hours and he never got tired of it. It was a lot of fun.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

New update from Mandy

Here is the latest update for you on the babies. This one is going to
have to be a bit quick...

Josécito went home to his family yesterday. It was really sad to see him go but I can tell his dad has changed and they all seemed really happy. I am glad for him and I hope he has a better life.

Alejandra is doing great and we are starting to teach her how to walk.

Levi is starting to sit up on his own. All of his top teeth have come in.

José is starting to talk more and more. He is learning to say the names of animals. I have a hard time getting him to pronounce things properly. I can tell he understands what I´m saying when I talk to him but he isn´t able to form the words. I am
going to have to start working with him a little more to get him talking.

Brandon is still a ton of fun. His family came to visit the other day and that was nice.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Baby update

This an update from Mandy of the babies at the orphanage.

Josécito has learned some more words and the other day we taught him how to wave. Now when someone leaves the room we tell him goodbye and he waves to us. Also this week Aury and I were walking with him and he took his first steps by himself. It was pretty exciting. He will be walking soon.

Alejandra is starting to talk a little as well, she can say mama and papa. Lately she has started to scrunch her nose when she smiles and it is the most adorable thing ever. She has the cutest laugh.

Levi is pretty content. I am trying to teach him to sit up on his own. I have been noticing that whenever we play with him and stand him up it is hard to get him to bend his legs to sit down. He keeps them straight.

José loves trouble. But he is so affectionate and loves to give hugs. I taught him how to give butterfly kisses the other day and he loves it. Yesterday I put the radio on in the kitchen while I was cleaning and when José heard it he came running in and we danced around the kitchen. It was really cute.

Brandon is doing great, he is always happy and cheerful. We have a lot of fun with him. He loves it when we put on his music, Vicente Fernandez. He says it reminds him of his dad. He is always asking us to play it for him. The teacher took him swimming the other day and he had a blast.

There haven´t been any updates on the adoption laws. It is really too bad, because I know that there are good families that want to adopt the kids we have who will never go home.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Fun Kids- Post by Mandy

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This last week has been crazy...

The other day one of Guillermo´s kids, Mangy, drew ALL over Brandon´s and Jose´s faces and bodies with a permanent marker, then drew all over herself. It took me hours to scrub them all clean. At first I was mad, but Brandon and Jose thought it was so funny that I had to laugh too.

Last week someone in the ward here who sells diapers for his job gave us a call and told us that he would donate however many diapers we want or need every month. He also wanted to have a little party for all the kids in the orphanage with a piñata and cake and everything. So on Monday morning we were rushing to get all 15 kids and 6 babies and all the things we needed to bring ready, which was slightly stressful. Well, right as we were ready to leave (a little bit late), Brandon came up to me with a huge wad of gum in his hair. So it took us about another half an hour to get all the gum out and in the end we ended up having to cut all his hair off, poor kid.

Yesterday, we all made ice cream out of coconut and put them in little plastic bags to freeze. When they were done we gave one to each of the kids. Jose ate all of his ice cream...and he also ate the plastic bag.

The house is a little stressful sometimes with so many kids... but they are fun!

Monte Ricco- Post by Mandy

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Yesterday we took all the kids in the orphanage to the beach, Monte Ricco. It was so much fun. The kids loved the the waves. I even took a couple of the babies into the water and they loved it. Levi didn´t have too much fun, it was pretty hot for him and he got sand in his diaper, but I gave him some watermelon and he was pretty content. I spent most of the time in the water with Jose, he loved the waves and he would stand there and hold my hands and wait for the waves, then he would scream and laugh when the wave came in. We gave Alejandra ice cream for the first time, and she loved it. By the time we went home she was covered in ice cream and sand. After we had played in the water for awhile, we all had a big game of soccer and by the end of the day the kids were all so tired that they fell asleep in the back of the car on the way home.

Christmas- Post by Mandy

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas was so much fun! I had such a good time with the kids. It was cool to spend Christmas with them. We had a big supper and we invited a family that was reunited a little while ago, the two children, Anita and Geovany, were two of the first children in the orphanage. It was so good to see them again. After supper we had a piñata and we hung it out in the street and broke it with all the neighbour kids and did fireworks. After that, at midnight, we went up to the Christmas Tree and opened presents. The kids were so excited to see their gifts. I missed my family a lot, and it was hard to be away from them, but was a good Christmas.

THANK YOU!!!!

We are extremely grateful to Cody and Debbie Clark for funding the costs it took to fix little Jose's 4 teeth. They were infected and desperately needed to be pulled, and has since had them pulled and capped. He is now a much happier boy and cries less because his pain has subsided. We are so glad there are kind people willing to fix a little boy's mouth to improve his quality of life.
THANK YOU!!!!!

Friday, January 23, 2009

A letter from Volunteer Debbie Clark

My thoughts and experience with the GCP organization:

I can’t believe that I can go on and on (those who know me, are saying, “No Deb, we know how you can go on and on.”J) about what I experienced in Guatemala in just 7 short days. I was amazed how quickly I fell in love with these children. I felt very fortunate to have Guillermo take the time and with his heart tell us their “stories”. One can only have the desire to do more and more once you know what is behind all those beautiful faces. I love how no matter what age a person is, doing service is such a learning experience. Here are a few of the lessons I learned:

“One’s junk is another’s treasure”….the children are so grateful and love anything you give them, brand names, sizes, colors are not a concern to them. It’s all WONDERFUL to them.
Hard, long hours of physical labor, and little sleep. Who would ever think that one can find joy and happiness in the following statement? “Whew…. We put in a good’s days work today!” The sorting, cleaning, and organizing never ends… Thank goodness.

The REWARD?…. the children. The “Icing on the cake” is to be wanted, loved, kissed, and hugged 24-7 by these children is the best feeling in the world. And did I mention “perks”? … the bond and friendship you make with the other volunteers is priceless and lasts a lifetime. It’s so amazing what we learn and see what we are capable of doing together, working for the same goal and all at the same time laughing, crying, and learning…….how blessed are we. Not to mention the example of showing that the love, hard work and having just plain fun is showing the children just how much they are worth. They know they are loved by someone and life can be good. We become the “light at the end of the tunnel” for them.

Guatemala…. I’ll be seeing you soon!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

{Marta's Journal} Volunteer Trip: January 9-15th

A week ago today, I returned from my trip to Guatemala. It seems like forever ago that I was there, but I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know what a wonderful trip it was for all that participated. I'm still not sure the best way to document the week, so here are excerps from my journal while I was there. In the following week or so, I will also be adding letters written by other volunteers that were with us telling about their experiences.

Journal Day 1-2: Friday and Saturday

Last night we arrived at the airport and we were met by Mandy, Guillermo, President Rivera, and his son Angel. We loaded our ba-zillion bags and headed for a Wendy's. It was alot of fun, and we were all a little wired with excitement.


Today was my very first day at the orphanage. I don't even know where to start. We're staying at the volunteer house down the street from the orphanage, and it's really small but I'm actually enjoying being able to step away from the chaos and decompress at the end of the night.

Today all the volunteers worked at the volunteer house setting it up for ourselves, and future volunteers. It's much more comfortable and feels very safe in the gated community which has a security guard at the entrance. So, while they were working here, I stayed behind to help at the orphanage with the children. It was crazy with a total of 18 kids, but it was great because it really gave me the opportunity to get to know all the new arrivals since my last trip.

Brian is still here. I was so happy to see him again, and give him a big hug. Abigail is also still here. She spends the majority of her day helping take care of the other kids. I was ecstatic to see Jose, and he is cute as ever!! He seems even happier than the last time. The most changed was baby Levi. When I was here last he was 5 days old....and SOOOO tiny!!! He's now 4 months old and the sweetest little thing I've ever seen. In fact, all of the babies are unbelievably good and cry very little.

It is incredibly hard work at the orphanage and I'm so drained. There are just so many children, and they all want your undivided attention. The language barrier is so frustrating, because even though they are children, they want to tell me all kinds of stuff, but I have no idea what it is they're trying to say. It's really exhausting piecing together the little spanish I know to make sense of it all.

I had lunch with the children today and it was some type of watery soup with noodles and green liquid. Alejandra prepared all of it herself, and it was really pretty good. Granted I was hungry soon after because I'm not used to such light meals yet, but that girl is such a great aid to those children. At only 15, she acts like a mother when Martita the cook is gone on the weekends.


Journal Day 3: Sunday

This morning we got up, Kevin and Jesse made us Breakfast and then we got ready for church. When we got to the orphanage almost all the kids were ready and they were anticipating our early arrival. We stayed there for a little while and took pictures with the kids and then we all left together to walk into town to go to church. Luckily it's almost all downhill, because we ended up having to carry some of the smaller kids. Every adult had a child hanging onto each of our hands, or one in our arms. Mario is one of the oldest boys and he is absolutely adorable. He immediately came to me and linked arms with me with Wilson holding my hand on the other side. They did it in such a loving brotherly way, I felt like they were my protectors. They did not let go until we walked onto the church grounds.

The kids were fairly good during Sacrament meeting. Like most kids it's a struggle for them to hold still and that one hour seems endless.
After church we gathered all the children and somehow got them home without any problems. They were pretty energized and were running everywhere. I only had a few moments of panic.

We invited Erica (She has been an orphan her entire life, but has recently moved out on her own) over to the house for lunch, and I gave her a bunch of school supplies to help get her through the next school year. She was really excited and I know it will help her alot.

Later that night, Kevin made stew and we took it all up to the orphanage to feed all the kids. They LOVED it!! He packed it full of vegetables and beef steak. It was really good. After dinner we played with the kids until bedtime, and then we headed back. Then we headed for home again, and while I made brownies everyone else cleaned up the mess from dinner.

We had a organization meeting while we ate our brownies. It went on for quite a while, and there were times when it got a little heated, but we all have opinions about the way we think it should be done. It's hard sometimes when there are so many adults, but it's good because everyone's input is valuable and it's great for brainstorming. We all have different experience and different skills to bring to the table. It all ended on a good note, but I was so tired I was having a hard time thinking straight. I think I'll have to inquire about it later.

Journal Day 4: Monday

This morning we went to the orphanage at about 8am. We helped them do their chores, swept the whole orphanage and courtyard, played games and read to the children. Kari and I opened the little school room and got a few of the games out. They will sit down forever with us and play a simple game. I think they love the one on one attention. We read books, and I was happy to see that they really enjoy reading.

Erica called at about noon and asked if we could take her to the College to register for school. Kari is the only other one who speaks spanish, and I'm the only other person she knows.....so we took the 4-Runner with Erica and off we went. Kari did a great job driving, because I would have been freaking out. The absence of stop lights makes it total chaos on the roads. Erica's school is near Antigua and it's a pretty drive about 45 minutes away from the orphanage. The school is very nice....in fact much nicer than I anticipated. She got herself registered, and she's basically good to go now.

Lunch Time: Ahhhh....my favorite activity. We worked so hard all the time that it seemed like we were hungry all the time. Kevin, Jesse, Kari and I went to the corner Tienda to get Tortillas. Ummm....they were sooo delicious. We walked in and this adorable little old lady was making them as fast as she could and we wanted to give her some business so we asked for 100 tortillas, thinking this would be a great profit for her. When we asked how much they were about 20 quetzales, which is about $2.50 in U.S. dollars. WHAAAT??? That seemed so cheap it was almost cruel. It would take a long time to make 100 tortillas. Not to mention tortillas are bought daily, so she would never get orders that big. We told her we wanted 100, and she was really excited. She couldn't figure out the math though, so when she gave us our order, Jesse handed her about 55 quetzales which is about $7.00 in U.S. Dollars. She was soooo happy, and it made us feel good too!! Just think about many orders ahead that small $7.00 put her for the day. It's crazy!

After lunch, everything that was received from the cargo box was packed up from the orphanage and taken to the volunteer house. It was so awesome to see all the things we collected here in Las Vegas.....there in Guatemala. I would say at least 80% of what was there was from Las Vegas. That felt great, and I know I have a responsibility to show everyone that donated supplies, the results of their generosity.

After that, Jesse got ready to be "Penny Man" for the kids. (A little background on the "Penny Man" costume. Sunset Elementary did a fundraiser for the orphanage. To jump start the program they had an assembly with all of the children and explained to the kids about these orphans living in Guatemala, who don't have the luxury of living in a place where an education is something that is giving to everyone. They explained that Knowledge is Power, and they can help provide books for these kids so they can learn too. So in the assembly they had "Penny Man" run out and get everyone pumped up and excited about the program. Over the course of I think 4-5 weeks, the kids were to bring One Penny for EVERY page that they read. They raised $1,200 dollars....just from reading!!! It was AMAZING, and with that money they got Brand new books, school supplies, and different kinds of educational material. So.... we made a little video with Penny Man to show at an assembly so the kids can see it on the receiving end and feel good about helping others.) So, Jesse gets in his costume, drawing attention from all the neighborhood kids.....they thought it was soooo great that a super hero was in their neighborhood!! We had all the kids waiting for him to come in the house, and he sat them down and explained what the kids at Sunset Elementary had done for them. They were in awe of how much money was raised. Then "Penny Man" passed the books out and they were esctatic!! Brand new books for each of them!! Then he read them a story, and called it good. The kids thought it was awesome, and they were going crazy. I think it was like Christmas for them!

After "Penny Man" I pulled Alejandra aside with her books and I gave her school supplies that I had brought for her. I have her an organizer, folders, pencils, erasers, stapler, pens, staples, paperclips, notecards, sharpener, and a few misc. items. It was soo cute. Every time I would hand her something she would gasp and say " Oh, Thank yOU!!!". When we were done, she turned to me, put her hand on me and exclaimed, "This is like a DREAM!!!". It was so cute I wanted to cry. I have never known a 15 year old to be so excited about books and school supplies. It was really humbling.

For diner Kevin made us tacos. THis was his recipe for the ground beef. *1 pound Hamburger Meat. * 1 cup Chili Powder. He thought it was like taco seasoning.....he was wrong. We all had heartburn for the rest of the night.


Journal Day 5: Tuesday

This morning Kari and I stayed at the Volunteer house to sort, organize, inventory, and put away all of the donation items that were needing to be stored. This turned out to be a much bigger project than I had anticipated, but it was great because I have a REALLY good idea of what we have, and what we still need.

We worked hard until noon, and then everyone returned so we could run to the market and get the things that we need to continue working. We went first to the Guatemalan Wal-mart. I didn't even realize that it was wal-mart until I saw the logo below one of the signs. It was a stange store, but like the wal-mart here....it carries a little of everything. We were able to find the things for the orphanage inventory, and needed baby supplies. One of the previous baby stores was trying to rip us off, probably because we were a big group of white people who maybe looked like we have money. So we got the baby stuff, and then I was pushing the cart with all the toilet paper. We were able to fit 16 x 24rolls of toilet paper in my cart. So here I am, pushing this cart full of T.P., and everyone in the store is laughing at me. At first I didn't even notice it, but then I was like, hey, why is everyone laughing at me? It's not like I this is all for me? Is it really necessary to stop, point, and laugh??? It's a good thing I have a sense of humor, because I was drawing alot of attention. Jesse said when he bought the bathroom plunger at the outdoor market, little kids were pointing and laughing at him, and they even started following him. Soo....maybe bathroom supplies just just create that kind of reaction in Guatemala.

ANyway, we loaded it all up in the car, and we didn't have room for ourselves. We had to literally pile in , and drive home clown car style to unload.

After unloading and eating, we headed back out to the outdoor market. It was the first time I had ever been there, so it was fun for me. It was indeed a little dirty, smelly, the meat was laid out on the tables with flies on them.....it was basically salmonella city. However the vegetables looked INCREDIBLE!!! I have never seen such fresh and yummy looking produce.

There was a little of everything at that market, and we saw it all. A few things at the market that surprised me:




  • Box Baby: A mother had her BABY in one of the pretzal carts with the glass sliding boxes on top. Well, instead of having pretzales in the box, she had her baby inside the glass case and then she slid the door shut after handing her something to play with.....wow....

  • There was an adorable little girl sitting in the gutter next to her oblivious mother surrounded by filthy pools of contaminated water with flies all over her face.

  • One of the women selling produce used a contaminated pool of water in the gutter to wash an apple that was dirty. She dried it off and set it back on the apple pile to sell to the next customer.*cringe* (That is precisely the reason why Debbie Bleached all of the produce that we purchased before eating)



We found what we were looking for, bought our produce, and headed home again. Kari and I immediately started back into the organizing of orphanage supplies. We knew this was going to be a long project. Luckily Kevin and Jesse had built us locking cabinets for one of the hallways where we're storing it all. They had them knocked out pretty quick, and I was glad to see so much progress. It motivated us to work harder. Kari and I worked until after 10:00. We could hardly think straight by the end, and we literally collapsed into bed.

While we were at the volunteer house, everyone else was at the orphanage cleaning, organizing, sorting....the works. They kicked butt too. Dang we make a great team!!!


Journal Day 6: Wednesday

First thing Wednesday morning, Kari and I finished putting away the supplies. Unfortunately, we had to leave a little early because we were waiting on Kevin and Jesse to finish the shelves. Thanks to those who finished that for us!!! By 11:00 we were heading back up MOunt Everest to the orphanage to spend the last day with the kids. It was hard for me because I had been unable to spend much time bonding with the kids because we spent so much time working to set up systems and structure for future long term volunteers and help stabilize the orphanage. It was incredibly important work, but I definitely didn't get the opportunity to know the kids like I did on the last trip. At least on Wednesday I knew it was my last day and I really wanted to be with the kids. I sat alone with the babies for a few hours while everyone else went to lunch. Kari and Jesica went with ALejandra to her school to get her registered. Alejandra was so nervous because she didn't know whether or not she was going to have the funding for the next year's tuition. They had to wait for the Dean, and when he showed up he informed them that all of her tuition, books, and misc. items had been paid for in full. She was ready to start the following day. She could not have been a happier girl. She was jumping up and down, and smiling from ear to ear. She starting crying when she saw her friends and the best part of it all.....is that she got to be a kid. She was able to be a 15 year old, and I think school has become her outlet for her childhood. School is where she gets to be a kid, and I think that's fantastic!! ( I found out that Elder Jones who is in the Quorom of the Seventy. He pays not only for HER tuition, but books, bus fare, whatever she needs...but he pays for Erica as well. Erica said that he does this for many of the youth in Guatemala. I do not know him....but I have an immense respect for what he is doing for these kids.)



After Lunch I made 3 batches of Rice Crispy treats for for everyone. When we got back to the orphanage we ordered pizza from Dominos. Let me tell you...I think we made their year. They were going crazy with excitement!!! After dinner, everyone went outside in the courtyard and had rice crispies. They stuffed themselves silly. When they all had their fill, they started grabbing ziplock bags and stuffing them with slices of pizza and rice crispy treats and running to their rooms to hide them so they could eat it later. It was really humbling to see such excitement over something like pizza and rice crispies.


Jimmy turned on the music and we all had a dance party outside in the courtyard. The boys and Jesse were showing off their skillz, and Tanya was surprisingly a very good dancer. I went out on the dance floor and got her to show me her moves, and we were all clapping and cheering. The kids were having a fabulous time, and really being kids without problems.

At the end of the evening, Guillermo gathered all the volunteers and children together in the kitchen. He told everyone thank you and asked if anyone wanted to say anything. I had a feeling that we were going to do this again, so this time I jotted down a few words earlier that day so I could think about it a little more. I was the first to go, and here's what I told them with Jesse Translating:

Dear Children,

It's my last day, and I just wanted to take a moment and thank you. This has been a wonderful experience, and I want you to know that it's an honor to be here. I fell in love with all of you before I even arrived, and now I'm getting ready to leave. I wish I could stay longer to spend more time with you instead of working. I want you to know that we love you, we worry about you, and we want what's best for you.

I want you to know that when I leave here, I'm not going to forget about you. I will continue to help, and I will tell others about you back home. You are all amazing children, and your strength and courage inspires me to be a better person.

I also want you to remember to be kind and love one another. Be good examples for eath other, because your friendship and love will affect and influence those around you.

Remember that Heavenly Father Loves you. He worries about you, and he watches over you. Say your prayers, and feel his love. I want you to know that I won't forget you, and you'll always be in my heart.

During the meeting Abigail sat next to me and sobbed on my shoulder. She didn't want to let go. She just clings to those that show her love and affection. We don't have much information about her, and it makes you wonder what her previous life was like before the orphanage. The most touching part was when Jimmy got up. He is this 12 year old "tough guy". He is the last person in that room I would have expected to get up in front of everyone. He told us thank you, for cleaning their rooms, and giving them shampoo and lotion. For taking care of them this week, and really making this home a better place to live. He was trying his best to hold it together, and then he broke down.....and then WE ALL BROKE DOWN. I cannot say this enough. I am realizing that children are children, and no matter who they are, how old they are, and where they come from....they need to FEEL loved, and have the opportunity to GIVE love. It was a really special moment for me to listen to him speak. At the end I gave all of the children a picture of Chris and I, and on the back I had a nice postcard of Las Vegas so they could see where I live. They all wanted 2 and 3 copies to keep for themselves. I thought it was really sweet, and I hope they will remember me and know that I really do love them.

That night, after all the kids were in bed, Guillermo came over to the house to tell us all about the children and their histories. It's important we have the accurate stories, and we also need to keep records of things like this. I have to say I thought I was prepared to hear it all, but nothing can prepare you to accept the things these kids have been through. My heart literally ached and he went through each story of the children in great detail. Most of the information is really personal, and to protect the children, won't be used on the website. I have no words to express the things that they have endured. I am so inspired by them, and I know that their stories inspire others. That is why we do what we do. We do it for them. They have been dealt a crappy lot in life, and maybe, just maybe, we can help undo some of the injustices that have been forced upon them at such an innocent age. That is our goal. I know that we may lose some along the way, 100% success is never guaranteed. However, I feel that with the right spirit and hard work, there will be some along the way that are saved and even one child makes it worth it. Everyone deserves at least the chance for success, and what they do with it is up to them.

Journal Day 7: Thursday




This morning Guillermo picked us up at at 5:30 to head to the airport. Kari sat up front with him and pretty much translated the whole way. It was way too early for me to really say a whole lot, so I just did alot of listening. Guillermo played us 2 yr old Brandon's favorite song. I think his parents used to play it alot at home because he knows all the words and sings along. He said that every time they get in the car, he says "Play my song, play my song!" and then Guillermo will put it on and he'll sing his little heart out. He also said that when all the kids are in the car and they're being naughty, and fighting with each other, all he has to do is turn on Brandon's Favorite song and they all calm down and start singing along because they all know the words from playing it so many times. For some reason that really was such a sweet picture in my head of all the kids that morning.

It's strange to be back in the states. A mere 24 hours ago, everyone was speaking spanish around me, and it was dirty and dusty, and I was with the kids. Now, here I am, in a nice car, in my beautiful home, eating takeout. I'm always shocked by the reality check it gives me. How much I take for granted. I thought more than once how grateful I am to be born to the family I was born to, in the United States. What tremendous blessings and opportunities I have been given almost from birth! What a blessing NOT to have to raise children in a third world country. I don't know how these women even do it.

When people come up to me and ask, "How was your trip?!" Honestly, how the heck am I supposed to sum up all these experiences and all these feelings into a few senteces? I don't even know where to start or what to say. How can I possibly convey my feelings, my experiences? How can a simple, "It was great!!" sum it all up? That's the hard part. I LOVE talking about it. I LOVE telling people about the kids. I owe it to the kids to share their stories and let people know how they can help. But where the heck do I start? It's changed my life, and my perspective on life....that's just the beginning.....

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Photo Gallery Update

The photo gallery has been updated to include pictures from the volunteer trip Jan 9-16, 2009.

Click here to visit the gallery.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Facebook!

We are now on Facebook. Please stop by and join our cause.

Click below
Guatemala Children's Project Facebook Cause

Trip update

The volunteers, Kevin Callahan, Jesse Callahan, Marta Tyler, Jesica Mangum, Kari Nash, Debbie Clark, and Kirsten Winters, have been very busy cleaning and preparing the volunteer house. They have had a great time with the children at the orphanage and on Monday they took Penny Man, a reading super hero at Sunset Elementary in St George Utah, and presented all of the books the kids at Sunset were able to earn. The orphanage was overjoyed and loved getting these new books. Penny Man was a big hit and even attracted 7 or 8 neighbor kids who were also given a book to take home. Jesica will be taking additional funds the kids at Sunset have earned and purchase badly needed diapers and formula for the infants. The money these kids have earned will help keep the infants in dry diapers that actually fit. Previous to this the only size of diaper was newborn and had to be used on all of the kids that still needed to wear diaper. We appreciate the efforts of the kids at Sunset Elementary as well as everyone else who has and will continue to financially help. We can not continue this project without donations from great people who care. If you have not been able help with this cause yet, please do whatever you can.

Friday, January 9, 2009

NEW EXPEDITION

We just sent off the latest group of volunteers this morning to the orphanage. The group consists of Kevin Callahan, Jesse Callahan, Marta Tyler, Jesica Mangum, Debbie Clark, Kari Nash and Kirsten Winters. They will be delivering as much baby formula as they could pack in their bags, some toys, books provided by Sunset Elementary and other supplies. As soon as we receive pictures from this trip they will be posted in our gallery.