Update from Patzun, June 27

Pictured above: *Fr. Tim Thompson, Jean Meehan, *Samra Bufkins, Colleen Cargile, Chad Riley, *Phil Carosone, and Bill McNeill.  Support staff for the mission are Paola and Miriam, wearing their native dress. Not pictured are Gloria Ramon and Enrique, our wonderful driver. (*St. Mark Parishioners)

The mission team has been busy since arriving in Guatemala on June 23.  The team has provided basic medical clinic services to people from the villages of Camelias San Pablo, Chichoy Bajo, Xeatzan Bajo and Chichoy Alto. These villages are centered around water sources in this agricultural region where corn, beans, broccoli, beets and other vegetables are grown, some for subsistence, some for export.  Many of the women supplement the family income with weaving and embroidery work on the traditional Mayan garments. The soil is rich and the patchwork fields are beautiful to look at.  All farm labor is done by hand, and it's common to see men and boys walking to the fields carrying huge hoes.

In the clinics, often set up inside a village church, Jean Meehan, nurse practitioner, examines patients, and the rest of the team support her with translation, triage, and pharmacy supplies.  Paola also manages an antiparasite program for children in the villages, which has proven to reduce waterborne illness in the children.

One highlight of the trip so far was the team's participation in Teacher Appreciation Day, which is a national day in Guatemala.  We visited Our Lady of Carmen School in El Sitio--this is the school many St. Mark parishoners help support--and met all the teachers, the principal, and the students.  After a prayer service for the teachers, a beautiful Mass for all the students and teachers was celebrated by Fr. Tim in the church next door. 

Later, the students put on an entertaining show honoring all the teachers.  From the littlest to the middle school, all groups were represented, and the program was a surprise for the teachers. The little ones clearly had help from the older students. There was music, dance, poetry and skits before presentations to the teachers.   

After the program, the team and all the teachers returned to the convent for a special lunch in honor of the teachers. We presented them with tokens of our appreciation, and then joined them in several games.  One was a Guatemalan version of dodgeball, another was an animal game involving "rock, paper, scissors" and imitating animals (sorry folks, no photos of Fr. Tim playing that one!) and finally a soccer match. 

It was evident that this group of teachers is dedicated to their students, and loved by the students and parents as well.  The sisters at the Prophet Elias Convent ensure the best possible education is made available to the children of the area villages.  (Pictured below are members of the mission team with the teachers at the school.)

During the mission each team member discovers special talents.  Phil Carosone did a fabulous job of entertaining the children by blowing up latex gloves into colorful balloons.  Everyone took time out to play with the children, and we brought toys (balls, jump ropes, stuffed animals) to entertain the kids while they waited for family members at the clinic.

Today we had planned to go to Antigua for a little sightseeing, but awoke to torrential downpours and high winds, so after Mass and breakfast the team took inventory in the pharmacy and caught up on journals, reading and rest. Tomorrow is another busy clinic day, and our last full day in Guatemala.

Everyone on the team has been touched by the warmth and friendliness of the people here.  Their faith is deep, and despite crushing, unending poverty they always have a smile and often a hug for us.  The Mayan people in this area have suffered greatly from war and natural disasters, and they have very little economic opportunity, yet their faith in Jesus and devotion to Mary are a true testament to their strength and dignity as well as to the dedication of the many missionaries who work with them throughout the year.