Smiles come to those children who received school supplies. Developing a World of Peace.



This past week has been a special one as we attended and participated in helping hand out school supplies to children in out lying areas of Guatemala.  The school supplies consist of 4 notebooks, two pencils, pencil sharpener and eraser.  The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and other organizations partner with an organization called Grupo Emisoras Unidas who sponsors the School Kit donations to Public Schools in the outlying areas where funds are scarce or non-existent to elementary children attending schools. All organizations that partner to do this amazing project, donate funds and time to put together the kits.   More than 4,000 children benefited from these kits and they were so happy to receive them. The project will be on-going for a few weeks to hand out the kits.  Elder B and myself helped to hand out the school kits along with our director Julio Alvarado.

The kids love both Kits school that we are delivering as part of the campaign ' notebooks with Heart ', One of the mothers room said: ' We have little money for food, good that we do not have to find money for these notebooks, thank you for coming to help"

One little boy ran up to me as the other children were returning to their classes.  He said something in Spanish and I told him I speak very little Spanish, then he said, "Oh, (In perfect English) "I like these books, Thank you so much"  I could have cried but I hugged him and told him he was welcome. 

Nothing is so heartwarming than to see these beautiful children be so overjoyed to receive notebooks, pencils and sharpeners and erasers to help them study in school.  These kids really WANT to be in school.  The teachers REALLY want to be an influence in their lives. 

To the naysayers who say that so many kids are being shipped to the US, let me say this.  The parents of  THOSE kids are already in the US and some parents here in Central America cannot take care of their kids and are looking for a way out for their children.  But that is not true of the majority here in Central America.  From Public to Private schools, the parents are doing all they can to get them in school.  Granted, not all kids are in school......they are working in the fields, selling typical clothing or handmade souvenirs, or helping the family get by on what ever they can do.

Here is an interesting tidbit .  Children who have no birth certificates....meaning that they were not born in a hospital, cannot go to public school, however they can go to school on weekends.  Most of these children are called Garbage Dump kids....and why? Because their families are camped by a dump where they forage for food.  Its a sad thing. 

Here in our neighborhood where it is fairly affluent, we see buses come get kids for public and private school.  But in the outlying areas of Guatemala City, they walk....and yes it is the "five mile walk" that our grandparents talked about.

Do not judge what you don't see and only hear.  Most of it is not true.  And if you really want to get involved.....find a charity to donate to or better yet...join up with one that you can make a difference. In the LDS Church there is what is called "Mormon Helping Hands".  We are here to help.  In Spanish it is called "Mano Mormones Que Ayudan"  Mormon Hands that Help.  And all denomin ations are welcome.  That is why the LDS faith joins other organizations and other churches to promote good amongst all God's children.

Those who are LDS or know of an LDS congregation, you can donate to LDS Charities.  You can find LDS Charities on line as well.  By so doing you are helping a developing country and a developing a world of peace.

 

 



Public Affairs Work and other information. Please visit and read.

Our job here in Guatemala is to strengthen relationships between Public Opinion Leaders and the church.  By the way this blog reads you would think that all we do here is to sight see.  So to clarify what we have done in the last 10 months I will explain.

Elder B has structured training by use of power point and video's to train Public Affairs committees within the stakes (Estacas) that are called to serve in that capacity. It should be mentioned here that Elder B is fluent in Spanish as he served a mission in the Andes Mission, Peru and Chile some 50 years ago. We train the committees to identify who the Public Opinion leaders are and to gather information on projects performed by their stakes which are service projects that are performed by church members. The LDS church wants the governments and all people that we are friends not to impose our beliefs on others.  Mormon Helping hands are all church members involved in a service project that help the community and all people . With that information the Public Affairs committees can write about it and send it to me with pictures and then I enter it into a newsroom format on the church's website. This is something I like doing and I am proficient at it.  For Guatemala it is called Sala de Prensa or newsroom.  Pictures are sent to me and I put them into the format.  For instance if you recall the last story I covered was from Costa Rica where a Stake had worked on an amazing open house and devotional about the meaning of Christmas.  That story went on the newsroom for Costa Rica but then our director Julio Alvarado asked me to enter it in the Guatemala newsroom as well.  Which brings a question to the minds of my readers that I might have control over all the Central American countries....well yes and no.  Each Central American country has their own called editor which does what I do for Guatemala however I have authorization to oversee and check each country's newsroom for proofreading and small errors.  For the most part that is well done.  I do not speak Spanish well enough to truly edit their work and I don't .  I just see if it is updated and information from Salt Lake is current.  The news rooms from all countries are viewed by the entire world.  Not just members of the LDS Church.  Which is the point.  There are so many misconceptions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that it has become necessary to inform the world of our good intentions.  No we are not perfect but we strive to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and do unto all men and women everywhere good.  Just good.  Just love and help.

The newsrooms are specific to language and country.  When you visit the Sala de Prensa you see in the upper right corner an international icon that you can click and open up and see the various country's listed and then see what the church is doing in each country.  I have really enjoyed reporting these newsroom stories.  I don't have to know the language expertly to do this.  I use the tools that modern day technology has provided...like google translate and of course I rely on the amazing talents of the members and employees in my office that are bilingual both in speech and writing skills.  I learn from this also as I read the English and compare to Spanish and pick up meanings.  I also learn more about the culture here and also appreciate that language expressions are different in other languages.  I am not offended that what I write in English and then translated into Spanish may be a little differently said.  I appreciate that the Spanish language has expressions that is better understood by the people here in Central America.  And I have learned to love that difference.  The spirit tells me that it is all very good and I love it. I have loved getting to know the people.  All people are the same.  We are all children of our Heavenly Father and we feel the same, love the same and have the same needs.  At Christmas time I made some Banana Nut Bread and gave to my two neighbors who live on our floor who are native Guatemalans.  Nothing could have warmed my heart more than doing this.  It is an act of friendship and I loved feeling the friendship.

I hope that I have explained this better as I have many readers to my blog now.  Even though I do not get comments as I did when I lived in the Philippines I know that I have readers.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ goes forth among all people and it is a marvelous work and a wonder.  The visits to archeological ruins help us to understand todays people and how cultures built their cities and how they lived. It helps us to know where the people of Central America have evolved from.  Its a great learning experience and has broadened my perspective tremendously. 

More about what its like here

There are things that I have to realize and be patient with here in Guatemala City. One of those things is the traffic. It is challenging even though drivers drive in their lanes and there are stoplights etc., it is just very challenging to be out and about.  Many cars out there.  I don't drive here....makes me very nervous.  Too many motorcycles that dart in and out of traffic....that is scary.  It is a developing country and it is not like it is in the US, however there are many similarities.  That's why it is called a developing country.

There are modern conveniences like internet and cable TV that work most of the time. Hot water in the showers and sinks.  Washer and dryers.....which we are fortunate to have.  Not all people have that.  They wash clothes and hang them up.  Our apartment here had hookups for a garbage disposal but no garbage disposal....but they are sold here.  So we bought one and had it installed.  We love the sound of it if you can believe it. There are many modern malls and supermarkets and some fresh produce markets.  That is our favorite.

What we have learned here

We have gleaned from the other Senior Missionaries what they have experienced in their callings.  The medical, self reliance, English teachers, auditors, technical, lawyers all have experiences that help not only the Church but all people here in Central America go forward.  It is work.....believe me.  Its a job.  And to put everything together we travel about with other seniors.  We learn together. We help our families and ward members back home to better have an understanding of the church and people abroad.  If anything at all....its to love one another as God as loved us all. 

I think the country is beautiful but I do miss my homeland and home in St. George Utah.  Therein lays the sacrifice in serving.  You leave what you know and love to serve God and the Lord and other people.    I miss my family so very much.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of them.  Thank Heaven for Skype and Facebook and email.  Life without those capabilities would be very depressing. 

I am thankful for the opportunity but I count down the months until I can return. 

I hope I have better explained our time here.....God bless you all.  Hermana Burningham

Sala de Prensa can be found by going to www.saladeprensamormona.gt  for information on Guatemala.  Upper right corner is an international icon which can be clicked and where other countries can be viewed.  Go see and enjoy.

Ongoing Humanitarian Project for new mothers here in Guatemala City that need assistance

There has been a humanitarian project for new mothers who do not have the resources to pay for their child's birth or even cloth their newborns.  The Senior Missionaries here in the area have adopted a project of making blankets and putting together newborn kits and collecting money for this most worthy cause.

Good friend and relative Geneva Stringham of Salt Lake City heard of the project and spread the word to her ward. Many contributed to the efforts of making the blankets.  The Mia Maids from Geneva's ward plus her granddaughters Alyson and Katie.  Julia Stringham Allen, Geneva's daughter, had her Beehives in Young Women help with the project also. Geneva's Granddaughter Alyson Stringham had a blanket making party at her home with her Young Women class.  All  put forth a wonderful effort in making blankets and filling them with a baby onesie and booties.  One of the Sister Missionaries, Lynda Hill has a son Kyle Robertson who does not live far from Geneva and brought down the kits in a huge duffle bag as he made his way here to Guatemala City to visit his parents.  Following are pictures.

Baby blanket kits from the US thanks to Geneva Stringham and her granddaughters Alyson, Katie and to the Beehive class of Julia Stringham Allen. From left to right, Elder Jim Hill and Hermana Lynda Hill, me and Kyle Robertson who brought them down to  Guatemala for the humanitarian new mother project. Updates on this post January 3rd 2015.



Happy New Year 2015. We're ready!!!!

The end of the 2014 brought about a Senior Missionary excursion out to Semuc Champey.  A water fall and pools very similar to Havasupai in the Grand Canyon Arizona.  Only Havasupai is larger.  10 couples that included us traveled by 15 passenger van (challenging) out to Semuc Champey.  The time it took to drive was about 6 hours.  It was challenging but the pools were beautiful.  After a two hour tour of that we traveled to our hotel which took about 3 hours.  We were so tired of traveling we didn't want to see that van again. The following are the pictures of Semuc Champey.

After visiting this site we returned to a hotel and then traveled into the City of Coban.  We hiked up some 100 stairs to the top to view the city and see the Church that was up there.  I had help climbing from Al and Molly Cragun, a daughter in law to senior missionaries Elder and Hermana Cragun.

This represents the wise men coming to worship the Baby Jesus.  It was set up just inside the church.

Senior Missionaries climbing the steps. I was ahead of them....with a little help from my friends.

Molly Cragun, my helper on one side climbing the stairs.

 We don't know why this was set up right next to the opening of the church but a few sisters decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  Hermanas Province, Hill and Cragun.

Climbing those stairs.

Us climbing those stairs

The front of the church we hike up the stairs to.

Inside Church

Father with his daughter praying at the church for his daughter's health

Al speaking with the father at the front steps of church

All of us that took the trip.  From Left, Jim Hill, Hector our guide, Lynda Hill, behind her is her son Kyle Robertson, Elder and Sister Province, Al and Kathy Burningham, Molly Cragun, Chad Cragun, Elder and Sister Cragun.

On New Years eve we all met together at San Martin's, a restaurant close by that at least stayed open until 8 pm.  All of Guatemala City's commerce closed up by 4 pm.  Some of the group played games until the fireworks started and some just stayed in their apartments.  We were not too excited about fireworks so we just welcomed the New Year the next morning.  But it's here and we have 7 and a half more months in beautiful Guatemala serving as Public Affairs Specialists.