The wonderful gift of a Water Filter

These sponsored families were so happy to get the gift of a water
filter that will give the family clean drinking water for the next 12
months!
What a terrific gift to give a family.
The people holding the green packets are receiving replacement filters
for their water filter.
The ceramic filters come from England, the buckets are made here in Guatemala.
After 12 months the filters need to be replaced so that the water will
remain sweet tasting. But we have had families who continue to use the
filter for up to three years. The water does not taste as good but it
is still clean.
A water filter for a family is $63 US
A replacement filter is $44 US.

Partial list of families in emergency shelter in Panajachel​

Hi , these are the folks who have had to evacuate and are in the emergency shelter in Panajachel, Guatemala.
A25

#1045

#1089

#1158

#1598

#L110

#1089

#1203.

There are two other families in San Andres but I don't have their numbers yet and there are more who have had to leave their houses but are staying with friends or relatives.

Sharon
Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES
Panajachel, Guatemala.
Web:       www.mayanfamilies.org

Af​ter the first storm

These are several of our sponsored families and Elderly people who had
to evacuate their homes to go to the emergency shelter area.


We brought up dry clothes, diapers for children and diapers for
adults. Food was provided and we went back to check on them again
today, taking more supplies.


Most of them will be able to return to their homes in the next few days.
Thank you to those of you who have been able to send donations to help
buy food for families in difficult situations.  It is greatly
appreciated. If you would like to help with the disaster
relief....please send a donation to.www.mayanfamilies.org/donate
Thank  you!

If you live in the Chicago area....an invitation....

If you are in the Chicago area.......

Join Sharon and Dwight, founders of Mayan Families, in Chicago for an afternoon of stories, food and fun. Mayan Families Advisory Committee members Kimberly Bares and Pam Winthrop are hosting a reception on Saturday, October 29 from 1-4pm at 2929 W. Gregory Street, Chicago, IL. Learn more about Mayan Families and meet others who have a passion for Guatemala and/or have children who are adopted from Guatemela. Children welcome!

Ferris wheel at the Panajachel Festival

I posted last week about the perils of the ferris wheel here at the local fair.  It was on an angle with pieces of wood underneath it propped to make it balanced.  It was also near high tension wires..and if it went over would take the wires with it.


It looked like a disaster waiting to happen. 
Fortunately, nothing happend till they were packing it up.


A young man, 17yrs old who worked on the ferris wheel climbed to the top to start dismantling it.  There is some dispute as to whether his fellow workers were not helping him as much as they should have. The young man fell, hit his head on one of the chairs going down and then hit the ground. He died at the hospital. 


Somewhere on the coast, a mother would have received the news that her son was not coming  home.
Sharon

Tropical storm update

We have had to close our pre-schools today.  All govt. schools are closed.
The two roads out of Panajachel are closed. 
The road to Santa Catarina and San Antonio Palopo are closed due to mud slides.


Our teacher and cook for the San Antonio school could not get through due to mud slides.
There is a rush on buying food, gas and water now that the roads are blocked.


Tom from Mission Guatemala told me that he has had to close his clinic today.
We are so fortunate that we arrived yesterday rather than today otherwise we would not  have been able to get through.


The river is huge and many houses are being evacuated including a few Mayan Families staff members.


Thank you for those who have sent in money for food for families.  This rain is expected to last two days...so all the families that work in the river sifting sand will not be able to work, there will not be much work for tuk tuk drivers, crops will be hurt and people will not be able to get to market. So there is going to be a need for help with food.


If you can even manage a little it would be very helpful.


Thanks, Sharon
Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES
Panajachel,  Guatemala. 
Web:       www.mayanfamilies.org

Guatemalan Storm stories

Thank you to all of Mayan Families staff who made our trip so fantastic. Yesterday was an adventure. Ray Smickle and MJ Finken want to personally thank the guys who helped walk us up the mountain to our driver. What an experience... Ray and I live near the Delaware river and we have flooding but the rain here and the flooding is totally different. These people are losing everything they have worked so hard for, and there is no relief except Mayan families. They are their for all the people, even the crazy Americans who need to get out. We finally arrived in Guatemala city 5 hours later because there were mud slides the whole way in to the city. It was scary in the fog and never knowing what was around the next turn. They definitely need donations to help feed all these people. The men who work in the river will not be able to work for days so they will have no income, and there will be no tourist due to the weather so the vendors will not be making money and that also means no one will be eating at the food venders either.. So if you can help please donate so they can continue to help all these families in need.
www.mayanfamilies.org


Again Thank you to all of the staff.