Pura Vida Ministries Summer 2024 Update

 


The following are a series of updates about a recent trip for a English Camp and Construction teams that have arrived in Chichicastenango.  Newnan Presbyterian Church proudly supports Pura Vida Ministries.    You can learn more about Pura Vida Ministries at the following link: https://www.puravida.org/

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JULY 6TH EMAIL UPDATE

Saludos a todos!

Our July English Camp and Construction teams have arrived in Chichicastenango and are preparing for the work week.

Travel began for our teams on the 4th of July and included being picked up at the Guatemala City airport in our chicken bus, 'Super Nina' (see photo below), and one night's stay in Antigua.

This morning our team enjoyed a tour of Ecofiltro Guatemala. Led by Founder and CEO Philip Wilson, we learned a great deal about the work Ecofiltro is doing to bring clean water to families in need throughout Guatemala. https://ecofiltro.com.gt/

Following our tour we made our way to Chichi, stopping for lunch along the way at a Pura Vida team favorite: Chichoy, and arriving mid-afternoon at Hotel Santo Tomas (our home for the work week).

Tomorrow morning the work begins. Our English Camp team will head to Lemoa for a prep-day to get ready for ~100 students who will arrive for camp beginning Monday morning. Our construction team will head to Santa Cruz to pick up where the Mountain View UMC team left off - building a home for Josefina and her family.

We will keep you updated throughout our time here in Guatemala. (Be sure to click on the photos to get an expanded view.)

Whether you are working on this project as part of an in-person team, have contributed financial resources, or are offering up prayers of support from afar, we thank you. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Blessings,
Janie Williams 

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JULY 7th EMAIL UPDATE

Greetings all,

It was a bit of a rough start to our first workday here in Chichi, but it did not deter our teams from having a fun and productive day.

There was a bit of a delay in getting the keys to the English Camp buildings this morning, and our construction team was stopped in traffic on the way to the worksite while roadwork was being done to repair damage from a mudslide. Our amazing team members took all of this in stride.

The English Camp teachers spent the day preparing their classrooms and reviewing materials for next week's classes.

The construction crew had several rain delays throughout the day, but were still able to lay roughly 4 rows of block on the back wall of Josefina's house.

There were several student visits today, as well. Connecting with sponsored students and their families is always one of the highlights of our time here in Guatemala.

Tomorrow is Market Day in Chichi - a popular destination for locals as well as tourists from around the world. In addition to exploring the market, we will have 21 more student visits. It will be a full day!

Thanks for your support!

Blessings,
Janie Williams 

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JULY 8th UPDATE

Market Day!

This morning our team woke up to the sounds of the world-renowned Chichi Market. For those of you who have been on one of our work trips, you know exactly what we experienced: fireworks, traffic from trucks, microbuses, and chicken buses, chickens, dogs barking, and voices of the Guatemalan people shouting directions as they set up their kiosks throughout the streets of Chichi. Starting around 4am. It is fascinating to witness this city waking up on a Sunday morning Market Day.

In addition to the market, we welcomed 21 scholarship students and their families for visits with their sponsors. (This was in addition to 5 student visits on Saturday.) Some of our sponsors met their students for the very first time. Other sponsors have been blessed to visit their students multiple times through the years. Either way, it is a special time for all involved. Thank you, Sponsors, for the support and encouragement you give to your students!

Attached is a short video about Pura Vida's Scholarship Program. We currently have ~50 students waiting for sponsors. https://www.puravida.org/sponsor-now.html
Feel free to reach out to me if you would like more information on how to sponsor one of our students. (Video by Jose Fares, award-winning photographer/videographer and good friend of Pura Vida.)

Our Sunday activities ended with an evening worship service at one of the Methodist churches in Chichi where a mission team from Costa Rica shared their music and a Pastor from Tennessee gave a powerful message. Our group also participated, singing 'Go Now In Peace' to the congregation. It was quite a multi-cultural service.

Tomorrow it's back to work for our teams. English Camp classes will kick off in the morning, and our construction team will do their best to work around the rain that is in the forecast.

Special note to the Mountain View construction team: although our July team is working in some wet and muddy conditions, we are blessed with an abundance of rain - and rain barrels. So far, no treks down the ravine for water. ;)

Thank you for the numerous ways you are supporting our work here in Guatemala. Many people are being blessed thanks to each of you!


Blessings,
Janie Williams 

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JULY 9th EMAIL UPDATE

Saludos a todos,

Construction team update:

This morning Lic. Fausto and Prof. Amilcar (members of our Pura Vida Guatemala board of directors) visited our construction site to give a blessing on Josefina and her family, our construction team, and the home that we are building.

The construction team was able to complete the U-block on the back wall and lay several rows of block on the side and center walls. We only had one rainstorm blow through in the afternoon, but we were still able to put in a full day of work.

Update from the English Camp team:

Today we welcomed our students to the first day of English Camp, with high schoolers in the morning session and middle schoolers in the afternoon. Many of the students returned to camp after attending last year, which is a great credit to our volunteers.

Camp was kicked off with an introduction from Fausto and a blessing from Amilcar. Camp ended with our traditional closing song, sending the children off with 'Go Now in Peace.' We're off to a great start for the week!

Thanks for your support!


Blessings,
Janie Williams 


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