Casa de Sion

We are officially back in Guatemala. While we were gone the orphanage had to move again as the original place we rented in Panajachel ran out of water. The courts started harassing us about no water; as if we were not smart enough to know we needed water for 35 kids. We also had to let an employee go who was not following employee rules and he called in lies about us to the courts. So basically poor Pedro and Olympia and the rest of the staff dealt with one inspection after another. Finally they seem to be over. When I went to visit the first day everything looked good and clean, new house and kids. I brought down impressive presents for the kids for all you wonderful folks who sent things to my house in VA. The kids sure did love them.
Then the land we are buying had problems. The 10 acres is fine; bought and paid for. The next 6 acres that is on the road was supposed to be paid for one third now and two thirds in a year. This was so we could start building and have enough money to build. Well everything was signed at the attys. office and then one of the brothers we bought from went nuts and went to his sisters house with a shotgun and told her he did not like the deal she worked out. Today Jody and I went up to the land to see it and talk with the sister. I gave Bethany, my college daughter who was watching the kids, instructions for what to do with the kids if her dad and I did not make it back. Just partly kidding. As you can tell we made it back. We are just going to pay the other two thirds in the next week and be done with the fighting and have the road front land set to work on. We decided to start our buildings there as it will be cheaper and wait to build the road to the bottom land when our Canadian donors who want to build the road come down. Hopefully the money will flow in as fast as it flows out. The bottom land will be great for farm crops and I made contact with a man in the states who will buy all the sun-dried tomatoes we can raise. But that will happen another day.
I was sick the first week we were here and did nothing except get my children started back in school and visit the orphanage. I have been wanting to start some other programs here as there is so much need. Mon. 18 wonderful people from the states came to Panajachel and brought things for the orphanage. While they were visiting, the Mayan representative came to the hogar with the mother of four of our children there. The mother also brought her 1 month old baby. Her four older childlren had been taken from her because she and the father are alcoholics and left the children totally neglected. None of them went to school and the oldest boy was used to beg from people. For some reason, these children were sent back to the parents. They were crying. They were pulled out of school to go with them and looked so neat and clean. Next week I am going to visit them with our social worker. I want to start a program where we help the children in the family home as many of them never leave there. I need funds to set aside for food and meds to take to these families and to give out to families in the community. We can use the the local Mormon church to give it out and I am assured we will have plenty of people. I want to focus on the children and pregnant women as infant and maternal mortality is so high. I over heard another story while eating out the next day. It was about a baby who had not nursed in several days and a gringo man gave the mom money to take the baby to the doctor. The dad took the money, bought alcohol and told the mom to wait a few days to take the baby. The baby died. This kind of thing happens all the time as dads seriously dominate moms here and kids are not on the important list. I want to be able to hand out formula and pediolyte and pay doctors for children who need it. I need funds for this. The next day I was having lunch out [ no I do not eat out everyday just these two ] while my 20 year old daughter was having some dental work done. When I and the two little ones with me finished, there was some food left. An old lady [ probably my age, but she looked alot older ] came up to try and sell me some trinket I did not want. It dawned on me she was lusting after my left over food so I asked her if she wanted it. You would have thought it was Christmas. I got a bag for her and she bagged it and took it. Obviously the old people can use some help too. Again I need funds to try and get more food out to these desperately poor people. So these are my new programs. At the present they are just running around in my head mostly from lack of funds, but if you feel so inspired.......
We hope to actually start buildings for the orphanage in about two weeks. Finalize the land and a builder, make sure the water spigots work on what we bought and run an electrical line and go forward. We have wonderful support from a variety of people. Another tour group with donations the first of the month. A man with Rotary money checking us out to help build a tutorial room for our orp kids and community kids, a man bringing dentists the end of Feb. We love the volunteer teams who come with donations and emotional and physical help. The team last Monday was great and Ryan Williams who lead them to us and repeatedly brings us help is always welcome. Ryan brought a $100.00 raised by a young man doing his eagle scout project. We are using the money to buy a new stove. Our old one only has two burners that work. I am also buying a stroller for my two youngest at the hogar so they can go to the playground with the other kids. Also some riding toys for the little ones. Our youngest is carlos david. He has captured my heart. He is 14 months and has a 14 year old mom at the hogar with him. He was very malnourished when he came, but now looks healthy and contemplative. I took him with me yesterday and bought him a cookie and got the sweetest smiles out of him.
Well will write regularly again.
I have two new grandsons, one born in Oct. and one born in Dec. I got to spend wonderful time with them both as well as the beautiful little granddaughters. I have another grandson due in Feb. and another in Mar. Four grandsons in 6 months. To add to my 6 granddaughters. And a new adopted granddaughter in Sept. I am certainly blessed.
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org