by Charlie Bouchard, Pura Vida board member
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit”
-- Reshma Patel
This year the team from FUMC Loveland joined with the Betts' Vets crew led by Jon Schmidt to work on two home sites. Great work was completed on both sites. The Loveland team worked on completing the second half of a home, while team Schmidt went from the ground up to complete the bottom half of another build. As in years past, we left a small physical imprint for the betterment of those in rural Guatemala, while those in Guatemala left an enormous impression on the hearts of all team members. We set out to give, and received so much more in return. This year we had the added bonus of veterans being a part of our trip. It is safe to say that it was mutually beneficial to all.
-- Reshma Patel
This year the team from FUMC Loveland joined with the Betts' Vets crew led by Jon Schmidt to work on two home sites. Great work was completed on both sites. The Loveland team worked on completing the second half of a home, while team Schmidt went from the ground up to complete the bottom half of another build. As in years past, we left a small physical imprint for the betterment of those in rural Guatemala, while those in Guatemala left an enormous impression on the hearts of all team members. We set out to give, and received so much more in return. This year we had the added bonus of veterans being a part of our trip. It is safe to say that it was mutually beneficial to all.
Often on these trips, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the need and wonder if we are making a difference - hence the opening quote. On this trip, our old friend Raul joined us on his own time (a four hour round trip from his town), to work for a day with us. I took advantage of the opportunity to ask him the question - “Are we making a difference?”
Raul commenced to tell me that in 2001 he was an 18 year old unqualified interpreter. In his town, the school had over 100 students with two teachers and two rooms. Each teacher taught two grades in the same room, with half the class facing one way, while the other faced the other way. Today, there are over 1000 students in the school with a teacher for each class. He emphasized that the government does nothing to help, and the improvements have everything to do with volunteers working hard in his community.
What Pura Vida is doing in the Lemoa area is similar, as all those who visited the John Wesley School can attest to. It is like a water drop falling into a pond - the ripples continue for a long way. We are helping house and educate tomorrow’s leaders and that is a long term game. We may never sit under the shade of the trees we plant, but be encouraged that profound differences are being made in lives in Guatemala as a result of the work being done.
Many thanks to all who participated and the great leadership we had on our teams.
What Pura Vida is doing in the Lemoa area is similar, as all those who visited the John Wesley School can attest to. It is like a water drop falling into a pond - the ripples continue for a long way. We are helping house and educate tomorrow’s leaders and that is a long term game. We may never sit under the shade of the trees we plant, but be encouraged that profound differences are being made in lives in Guatemala as a result of the work being done.
Many thanks to all who participated and the great leadership we had on our teams.
RSS Feed