A team of 36 from the Oakville area and Port Perry area will be leaving Toronto on Friday April 30, 2010 to go to remote villages in Guatemala to serve the indigenous peoples. A strong and determined team have come together as strangers to work together planning, organizing, sorting and packing for this 10 day trip. Now a family, these 36 individuals are about to embark on a life changing adventure where a number of planned activities and events will help support and encourage life sustaining and self-sustaining initiatives for local Guatemalans.
The current schedule includes such activities as:
• Leading women in hygiene, empowerment and sewing seminars
• Painting classrooms in a local school
• Holding a soup kitchen where 1000 women and children will be fed a hot meal
• Organizing soccer and hockey games for children
• Assisting in both medical and dental clinics
• Furnishing 8 sponsored homes, including building beds, shelving units, and building brick stoves
• Building a playground for the local school
• Launching an agricultural program involving pigs, where fenced in areas will be built
• Hosting a clothing distribution program where children will be fitted for shoes for school
• Their bean and pea harvest will be ready for picking, so we will be aiding in the hand picking of their ripe crops
The team will also be visiting a hospital in Chimaltenango where the team will deliver teddies and clothing to infants, who often don't have a new outfit to go home in. They will also visit the children's ward, and play games, and offer one on one support.
The teams will be participating in a church service, a traditional community festival among other important events while visiting Guatemala. The families that we are working with are families that have chosen to be a part of the support offered by Loving Arms. The intention of the team is NOT to change their lifestyle or culture, but to assist them in efficiency, offer them healthcare and a base of knowledge so that they can make changes in their own lives as they see fit.
On April 17, the team gathered together at Loving Arms’ storage facility to sort and pack donated supplies and resources such as: medical supplies, dental supplies, craft supplies, hygiene items, school supplies, food, clothing and shoes. They were able to fill 74 suitcases to 50lbs each! Quite a feat! It is such a blessing to have the continued support of the community to help Loving Arms make a difference in the lives of so many impoverished families.
Many thanks for your support!
