(:HOW GREAT FAMILY IS:)

This is Julee...the one with 2 e's!  :)  Nick asked me to write about my experience to today, and what feelings arose because of it. 

So, a little background is needed first.  My dad and mom were the first ones in my family to come to Guatemala about 13 years ago.  My dad returned 2 more times, once with my brother and once with me.  Since that time my daughter Jackee has been here 2 times with me and my son Dylan once.  This is my 8th time here. 

This past Christmas my dad's 12 grandchildren decided rather than buying him something he didn't really need, that they would donate money to GAP in his name for books for the school children.  When my siblings heard about it they also contributed.

Last year Terri B. and I spoke with the teacher of La Palmera (Luis).  We asked him what would help him to teach the students.  He said a library of good literature so that the kids could enjoy and learn to love reading.  He felt this is the only way to keep them reading, and therefore learning once they have completed 6th grade.  Most of the children here do not continue school past that point.  The money we donated was used to purchase approximately 60 books, including a dictionary and Bible to begin their library!

Today I had the honor of presenting the books to the children and teachers.  I was very sad that their teacher Luis had been transferred to another school.  He will not be able to see these students reading the books from the list that he thoughtfully recommended. 

The new teachers were extremely grateful, as were the leaders of the community and the parents.  They had been informed of this gift ahead of time and had already built a bookshelf!  They also honored my family by presenting me with a plaque that expressed their appreciation for the help in the education of their children.

I was overwhelmed with pride....pride in my family for their generosity, pride in my dad for his willingness to go to Guatemala and then teach his family to love this country as much as he does.  But mostly pride in the community of La Palmera.  Over the last 4 years they have become my friends.  I think about and pray for them almost every day that I am not with them.  I wonder how they are doing and I look forward to seeing them again.

As Terri D. said....today was like a party in my heart!  One I will never forget!

~Julee

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Today was like a party in my heart. This morning after another very bumpy bus ride we arrived at the village of La Palmera and were greeted by sounds of firecrackers and the sight of children anxiously awaiting our arrival. The school yard was decorated with arches made from branches, streamers and signs welcoming us to their village. Shortly after our arrival, I was brought to the kitchen that donations from Pease helped to build and shown a sign indicating this building is in memory of Warren Kamstra, my dad. Part of the reason I went on this trip was to experience the things my dad did and get to know the people he met. 

Leaving the airport in Minneapolis and the first day in Guatemala was very emotional for me because my dad was in the forefront of my mind but it didn’t take long for this trip to become my adventure. Seeing the plaque on that building brought all of that emotion back to the surface. Hector, a strong leader of village development made a speech in my dad’s honor and I was given a plaque in his memory. I knew Dad made an impact on the people in Guatemala, but I didn’t realize how big of an impact he made until today. What did my dad do that was so exceptional? He was just himself and let the love of Christ shine through him. God does not call us to be something we are not. If we let him, he can use us whether we hand out Wilhelmina peppermints and play with children in Guatemala or go about our daily lives at home.  

The people of La Palmera are so thankful to have the community of Pease, Vine and Branches and World Renewsupport them. Money was contributed so a cement water reservoir tank could be built and soon more families will have access to better quality water. Before we arrived here three shelves consisting of their school library were empty. Julee will tell you more about this later in the blog.  Every school-aged child received books, two pencils, an erasure and a Wilhelmina peppermint.  The village anxiously awaits our arrival every year and Hector described today as a party in his heart. After all of the speeches were over, plaques were received, and the fantastic food prepared for us was eaten, each team member received a hand-carved wooden horse.  I felt like they gave us so much out of the very little they had. My sacrifice of time and money to come here was not great.  We were all so extremely humbled by their kind words of appreciation and gifts. Hector said over and over how much our support is such an encouragement for them. Today really reminded me how much difference a hug or word of encouragement can mean to the people we encounter every day. ~ Terri 

Five of us had the privilege of digging a trench for the outlet pipe from a new 3500 cubic meter cement water reservoir tank. The people of the village plan to bury a pipe from the holding tank to their village which about 1 Kilometer away. We dug about 40 meters. This tank is fed by Two springs in the hills above the tank.  Pipe must be laid from those as well.  This tank will supply 30 homes with water that will need only minimum treatment to be drinkable.  There are more tanks in the planning stages.  Digging was hard work in this heat though once we got through the vines and roots the ground is quite soft.  I cannot imagine how it stays in place in the rainy season.  I had the honor of uncovering our first tarantula, Yikes it was big.   ~ Bruce