How Are Your Donated Dollars Used In Guatemala?
Two months ago this was how Alba, her brother and her mother survived; in a dark adobe home, sitting on their one piece of furniture, and somehow, still smiling after a decade of poverty and pain from chronic disease.
When we were given this family as a possible referral, we accepted them. The word “Yes” stuck in our throats, which were dry with concern that we couldn’t find the funds to back our promise to make life better for this family. Our board moved forward with the belief that what you most focus on will be drawn to you: the law of attraction.
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| Rogelia and daughter (seated on bed) on day of discovery |
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| We started with essentials: blankets, pots, medicine and food |
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| LynnAnn Murphy, an American missionary, hired this amazing builder to restore the house |
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| He and his assistants carried supplies up impossibly steep hills |
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| What was once a dark and unhealthy home became this. |
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| Donated bedding as seen with light from the new window; neighbors came to visit. |
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| New Crutches |
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| Out of bed after pain medication and better nutrition
A few days after agreeing to take this family, a donation for the $3,000 to fund their needs was delivered to our post box.
LynnAnn, a full-time missionary in Guatemala who referred us this family was their lifeboat. She recognized the acute need; she knew that Rogelia was malnourished and ill and could in no way be an adequate mother to her children. LynnAnn was willing to do the footwork to oversee construction and deliver donated furniture and food. Finding Freedom was the ladder. We provided the funds through some donors that trusted us with their donated dollars. Our donors were the light that this family needed to find their way in the dark. The sharing continues. Alba and her brother will be sponsored for school in January. Rogelia has access to to a doctor who understands her condition. A sink has been delivered and we are purchasing chickens for the family so they can have a source of protein.There is a radiance about this family as they witness the significant life-changes that they have been gifted. Rogelia and the children now receive monthly food staples so they can eat on a regular basis. The children will have school supplies and clothing. Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, had a gift for expressing deep thought with few words. These photos are similar; eight images that show the essence of what a philosopher considered important centuries ago. We think it is just as vital now. (photo credits: LynnAnn Murphy)
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