Guatemala Mission Trip

This Tuesday, I will be leading a group of eight parishioners on a pilgrimage to our Sister Parish in Guatemala for one week. Outside of the ‘covid years,’ we try and take a group down every year and then pay for several members from there to visit us every other year so we can continue to learn from each other and build a spiritual bond.

The primary goal of these visits is to deepen our relationship with each other, unlike other mission trips that often include building a house or something. We have much to learn from these holy people of Guatemala as they live with such happiness and faith in the midst of having so few material things.

In this particular visit, we want to get updates on various things we have been supporting there:

1. Scholarship Students – part of our monthly donations provide schooling for about 20 students whom we will meet and learn of their progress.

2. Healthcare Initiative – we have paid for training and supplies for better healthcare checkups for families and elderly out in the small villages up in the mountains.

3. There is an especially poor part of the city where they have begun more outreach.

4. We will see the finished fellowship hall we helped build at a chapel in one of the mountain villages (aldeas).

Your generous donations in our monthly envelope (and online) for Guatemala are doing great things there. Thank you! Our group looks forward to sharing photos and stories with you when we return next Tuesday. Keep your eyes open for details about a presentation in future bulletins.
God’s Peace be with you,
Fr. Jim Deiters