We need Encouragement

I have fiinished reading a book called "People Raising". One of the ideas it talks about is that donors do more than give money. They give encouragement. We need some of that now. Let me whine for a few minutes about all the crap going on down in Los Robles, Guatemala and maybe you can say something that will inspire me to move forward. First, we were burglarized two weeks ago. They broke into the kitchen and stole our microwave and big pots and pans and our submersible pump out of our well. So our poor cook and intern are hauling water from the school to make sure the kids still get their lunch. We are having to spend $500.00 a month more for 24/7 night time security. Who did it? Not sure. Maybe an employee or maybe a group of community men who were mad we did not give them enough food when the mudslides happened. We have heard both rumors. Next a rumor went around that an employee had hired a hit man to beat up our new directors. Some people in the community were upset with them. The new directors left that day. The intern stayed as she was not afraid and things have been fine so far. So now we are trying to hire a new director. A Guatemalan [ actually he is Tzutihil] who used to work for us. Then there has been a string of kidnappings in our area of San Andres. Let me first say before anyone panics.
THEY DO NOT KIDNAP AMERICANS BECAUSE THE FBI COMES IN AND IT GETS STICKY. Much easier to do express kidnappings of a Guatemalan, demand $2000 , get the money or bargain on the money and then return the person. Well so we heard there were a string of them. One was a family of 6, the youngest being 8 months. They wanted $25,000.00 to free them. Safe Homes contributed some as the dad in the family was the brother of our worker Arturo. Friends and family raised the money and two days later the family was thrown over the side of the mountain. The dad was hurt and required hospitalization, but everyone esle is okay. The next day in the same town a stupid kidnapper tried to snatch a boy. Boy yealed. 100s of people with tremendous anger towards kidnappers surrounded him and beat him to death. Things will be safer now and even tho I am an American and belive what I told you about them not taking gringoes, it is scary. My friend Nancy who has lived in the country for 20 years confirmed she has not know gringoes to be taken and that the high ransom must mean the kidnappers were doing a revenge thing on the dad.
Okay so I get past the kidnappers. The Mayan justice does not really bother me as they keep things safer and I wish there had been vigilante justice when I was a kid. Plus i really like the song "Whisky For My Men and Beer For MY Horses". No I do not dirnk, but it is about vigilante justice.
Then our guardian decided to quit. Okay, well there had been trouble surrounding him anyway, so we look to replace him. He decided to stay and we say "sorry", we have other plans. He leaves. goes to the Guatemalan Labor Union and comes back with a piece of paper saying we owe him $3000. So now we have to pay our attorney to get this straigtened out. And we hear thru the grapewine that he is making up false charges against us and is going into cohoots with Pedro to try and get more money out of us. Pedro who has done so many illegal things. Gosh it makes me mad.
Oh yeah our septic system fell in and we have to build another one. That is from the rains. Our well needs a retaining wall from the rains. Poor well. The lid is off where they stole the pump and it is starting to lean from needing the retaining wall. Okay there is all my whining.
I need to be down there and need your prayers for safety, for money, for positive things happening and for the negatives to stop.
There are positive things happening. I just do not feel like writing about them today. Maybe tomorrow.
Vicki
20.vicki@gmail.com