A bright spot in the wet days in Guatemala.

We have had the World Cycle Messenger Race here in Panajachel. A big honor for a little town. There have been lots of cyclists riding around town.
Yesterday there was music in the street and lots of activities regarding this race.
To read more ...please go to this link.
http://www.bikeblognyc.com/cmwc-in-guatemala-mudslides-and-all/

San Antonio Palopo needs help.

These are some of the families from San Antonio Palopo and how they are living in the cemetery. Either their homes have been destroyed or they are too scared to go back to live in their existing homes. So many of the homes are in danger of landslides. There have been so many landslides in the village that it feels like the whole mountain is going to come down. Many other people are sleeping in the market place or at the church. Many do not have mats or enough blankets.


We are waiting to take delivery of 25 Shelter boxes that we can deliver tomorrow to San Antonio Palopo and be able to have some of these people living in a shelter.

It is still raining, not as strongly but at least every day it is raining. It is miserable for these families. San Antonio Palopo still cannot be reached by road due to the landslides. The only way is by boat.

Any donations, no matter how small will be able to help these families have food, blankets and shelter.
Please consider sending something to help them.
To donate...please go to this link

Slide shows of the work Mayan Families is doing!

Bonnie made these great slide shows!

Please click here:

http://www.go2album.com/album/b/d/m/
o/m/bdmom8/4c8648472e1/mayan_famili
es_tropical_depression_slideshow_1_9
-6-2010.swf?fs_path=http://www.go2album.co
m/album/b/d/m/o/m/bdmom8/4c8648472e1

and also:

http://www.go2album.com/album/b/d/m/o
/m/bdmom8/4c864dc2262/mayan_famili
es_tropical_depression_slide_show_2_9-
6-10.swf?fs_path=http://www.go2album.co
m/album/b/d/m/o/m/bdmom8/4c864dc2262

Thank you very much Bonnie!

Food for families in Guatemala.

 
 
 
 

Today we handed out food in Panajachel to many families in need. Several of the families were widows, single mothers, elderly and families whose husbands have lost their work. In several cases, it was women who have lost their jobs and are feeling very desperate. The situation is not good for many people. Due to the floods and mudslides, there is very little tourism. This is the season when there usually is not too much tourism but it is very dead right now. Several restaurants and stores have been laying off staff . The local council has not been able to pay the council workers for the past month. They have not received any wages.
The prices for food are increasing. Many people are trying to find new housing because their old houses are inhabitable or are in a very dangerous location. This has pushed up the price of rent.
But at least the road to Solola opened up today and the road to the city is opened.
This will help with food deliveries and reduce shortages.

Thanks to your donations, tomorrow ....we will be able to continue giving out food to other villages. Tomorrow we hope to give food to some of the people from San Jorge.
We also hope to receive Shelter Boxes that we will be able to put up for families to live in. In San Antonio Palopo there are many families sleeping in the cemetary with just plastic bags covering them.
Thank you for everyone who has been able to send in donations, thanks to everyone who has sent good wishes and is keeping the people of Guatemala in their thoughts and prayers.

Deadly mudslides in Guatemala as rainy season's storms batter region [Updated]

Deadly mudslides in Guatemala as rainy season's storms batter region [Updated]

US provides relief for floods in Guatemala

US provides relief for floods in Guatemala
(AFP) – 19 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The United States said Tuesday it has requested 50,000 dollars in emergency aid for flood-hit Guatemala and reprogrammed another 4.38 million dollars in economic aid for recovery efforts.

"We are very, very concerned about the disaster there," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

The US ambassador in Guatemala City Stephen McFarland at the weekend asked for 50,000 dollars in aid from the US Agency for International Development and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance as a "US initial response," he said.

"We have since reprogrammed 4.38 million dollars in economic support funds to assist Guatemala's recovery efforts," Crowley added.

He also said the US embassy has freed up helicopters which are normally used to help fight drug trafficking for the purpose of surveillance and rescue missions.

"And we'll continue to look for additional ways to provide support to the people of Guatemala," he said.

In Guatemala, at least 45 people died over the weekend amid the heaviest flooding in living memory.
Here is the link for this story:

Blessings from Loida

Loida is recovering well and sends all of us blessings! Thanks for coming together for this lovely woman!

Here is a letter from Loida with a personal message to all of you:

Dear Miss Ely:

I hope everything is well in your work and material life, and especially in your spiritual life. Above all else that you take care of, take care of your heart, because it is the mana of life. Prov. 4-23 (Prov. 4:5-9)

Well, I have to tell you that thanks to God, the day of the operation came and went, as always I was a little nervous, then during the operation as well a little, because the doctor told me that he suspected a small tumor in the nerve and it was exactly as he thought. Fortunately it was a benign tumor, but the doctor had to cut the nerve, which means that two of my toes are completely insensitive. The surgery was small but deep because the damage was under my toes.

The day that they took out the stitches, a friend took me, and it was supposedly a whole day trip, but we were stuck in the road for the whole night because a big mudslide fell and we had to go back to look for somewhere to sleep in Chimaltenango. And we left early the next day, but there was still no way to get through the road. We finally arrived in Panajachel, exhausted, but thanks to God, we were safe.

Now comes the difficult part because I have to get accustomed to the bother I feel now that my toes have lost all sensation, and until now, I have just now begun to feel the bother, but I will get used to it. Well I have spent my energy now, I just wanted to give thanks to you for taking me into account. Thanks for making my world a little less difficult. I want to tell you that the 5 operations I have endured, mostly all this alone. Now it is so different because I have so quickly found so many special people in my life like you, and others. Those that I have known for so long a time, years past, and some that I don’t even know. Nevertheless, they are special to me, and I ask God to bless all of them. Can you imagine it, now someone has volunteered to give me food massages. I feel so appreciated and thankful for this attention. I am thankful for everything from God, because there are so many blessings I don’t even feel like I deserve them. Only by his grace, it doesn’t matter the circumstances, all things help for good and when we understand that EVERYTHING has a purpose for our life, we should feel happy, even in pain. Thanks Miss Ely, people like you have shown the love of God, through service to your neighbor and that reflects always in your smiling face.

God bless you, give you much health, and may all your goals be fulfuilled.

Regards,

Loida Elena Muñoz and children