Merry Christmas everyone!! We delivered almost 100 gifts to less fortunate children all over Sibinal today. We ventured into villages and cantones we had never been to before. We drove and walked off the beaten path and brought joy and smiles to many children. I hope you all enjoy the pictures.
Some children were harder to get to than others. Every effort made was worth it. What a way to spend Christmas Day.
On our way back to the car we spotted a couple children pushing a wheel barrel up the road; an opportunity we could not miss.
We made our way to a house where we had spotted several children playing.
Walking across the street we spotted a mother and her two children lugging wood on their backs. We yelled out to them and asked if they'd like Christmas gifts.
Once again, on our way back to the car a small group of children began to follow us and suddenly the group got larger. So we handed out more Christmas gifts.
We even had the opportunity to go back and visit some of the families we had helped via Project Genesis.
We had heard their was a home with many children whose parents could not afford a Christmas gift. It was quite a way up a small mountain so two of us went up to do recon and see how many children their were. The others waiting by the car brought the gifts up once we screamed the number of children back to them. Innovative communication.
We drove to a different village afterward and decided to hand out the last of the gift bags.
We had one last loose end before Project Genesis was completed. Remember the unfinished latrine in yesterday's blog post? We completed it today.
With Project Genesis complete and Christmas for Guatemalan Children done it was time to have our last meeting with the volunteer group from Sibinal named Generacion Magnificat. We spoke about the 20 families and how both projects had turned out. We acknowledged the truth which was that none of this would've been made possible were it not for all the donations and contributions made to both Project Genesis and Christmas for Guatemalan Children. There was a sense of accomplishment in the group in knowing that 100% of all donations went to the people of Sibinal, San Marcos, Guatemala. The way we all come together as a unit and completed all projects for the 20 families plus rebuilding a home and roof with an unexpected donation.
I was humbled when Generacion Magnificat thanked me for my work in Sibinal, Guatemala. I was presented with a beautifully hand knit banner.
Afterward we went out for quesadillas and coffee. I didn't want the night to end. I can't imagine not seeing the children or Generacion Magnificat members tomorrow or the day after. Their is a sense of belonging for me here in Sibinal, Guatemala. I hope to be back next year. Until then, I will miss the relationships I developed here. Tomorrow I go back to Guatemala City and prepare to fly out to Barranquilla, Colombia. This part of my trip will also be blogged but it is NOT part of Project Genesis. It's for recreation and adventure. Welcome to the next phase of my journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment