We are one week away from heading home - wow how time has flown by. I am still working towards raising funds to support the programs I have been working with. This week in Guatemala, we have had a few different short term teams come through that support Senderos de Luz. Being able to work alongside them and share vision with them about iTeams has been incredible. In addition, hearing their passion for this work and community has inspired me over and over again. This week, the main activity happening in the community is building a new home for a small, but growing family. The program leader - Hilmar - has built close relationships with the families in La Pinada, allowing him to understand their needs and to be able to meet them. Working with the family, the house is being constructed! I can't wait to share more later in the week once it is complete.
Its small things like this - a house that will provide them with a more sanitary living condition and better safety is restoring dignity, justice and peace to this family. It is giving them hope for a better future by transforming their physical living condition!
This house costs approximately $400... that's it! The small team that is paying for the house is blessing this family in a huge way.
Furthermore, through donations, water filters have been given out to a handful of families over the past few weeks. Each water filter costs $40 and lasts for 2 years - killing 100% of the bacteria, bad odours and tastes in the not so sanitary water access families have in La Pinada.
AND EVER MORE, donations enable the feeding program to continue to run in La Pinada, giving children a good lunch two times a week. Through our conversations, the work Senderos de Luz is doing is blessing the community and helping them so much. Every mother and father we speak to is thankful for the work being done!
Living in Canada, we know $400 is realistically not a whole lot of money the majority of people. Maybe that's half of your pay check every other week... or maybe its less than that. And then $40 is maybe what you spend on your Starbucks drinks in a week - I know it is true because I know where I can easily spend my money. I think it is pretty amazing that we are blessed to be a blessing. God calls us to live generously to support our neighbours and help those in need.
You can be apart of helping families have restored dignity and hope by donating today - join me (yes I too am continuously giving to this fundraiser), in donating. Be apart of something that is going to impact families around the world! Donating $10, $50, $100, or more will impact these communities more than you realize! Bringing them a new home, water filter, or a simple meal that gets them through that day!
Want to donate in a unique way? Why not donate through purchasing something from the Guatemalan Christmas Market we've launched (www.fundrazr.com/guatemalanchristmas)
Let's reach $4,000 by the end of the month! I think we can do it together!
Think about it... challenge yourself today - how can you live generously in order to see lives transformed?