Abraham – Our Success Story

Abraham, our special case, who I wrote about before had a very good year. We sent him to the special school two days a week and to the regular school three days. The special school has been great for him. He feels less out of place there where in the regular school he is a sixteen year old in second grade/class. He likes both school and has made some great friends and is quite popular.

Well at the end of the year I collected his report and yes he passed. This has been the first time in is life to pass a grade. He was so excited as indeed we all were.

RIGO

Well all in all Rigo had a very good year. He worked very hard in school and it paid off – he got good results and I am very proud of him.

His family made some contact with him, which I though was good. They really wanted him to visit them during holiday time be the reality was that I did not have time to bring him to them.

I was very worried when it came time to deliver him to them at the end of the year. I was and still am very afraid that they will not let him return to us in the New Year. To help with the process I asked the principal of the college where most of the children attend to accompany us. My reasoning for this was very simple. The principal is an indigenous sister who speaks the language of that area. She knows the reality of Rigo and wants to help even though she had a ton of work to do, she gave up one day to be with us. She spoke to the grandmother and uncle, who are not very in favour of Rigo going to school. They need him to work and earn money for them. Well it took over two hours of negotiations but they finally said that they would allow him to continue until sixth grade and then we will talk again. A great outcome. I still came away feeling very sad. Knowing that they were not going to be caring for him and that he would be working very hard and not having time to play or enjoy his holidays. I am also sure that there will not be sufficient food to maintain him.

After what happened to him last year I noticed that he did not bring most of his things home with him. He asked me to mind them so he is sure of having them!

Now we have less than a month to collect him and I am very worried that he will not be coming back with us. Please, please say a prayer that all goes well for him and that he will be returning to start the New Year with us.

Contact me after the 4th Jan to see if he has come back or not!

Habit Forming!

Well, my brother appears to have a wonderful habit. We keeps coming back to visit us! This year alone he visited us twice. This was a wonderful trip for everybody. The children and the teenagers just loved to see him. This time he was able to communicate a lot better than before. He even learnt some K’iche’ and surprised everyone including himself!

When he left everyone went into a depression. The children missed him and for some of the smaller ones they couldn’t understand that he would not be back (at least not this year!).

He has also formed another habit. He phones me regularly. It makes my role here a lot easier receiving these phone calls. I always feel so much brighter in myself. For these who actually read these newsletters I am always saying that any correspondence I get is really wonderful even if I don’t respond to it. It is a lifeline, a shot in the arm. So if anyone wants to form some good habits in the New Year please take a leaf out of my brother’s book.

New Members

When Mateo was graduating he approached me to see if there was a possibility of his cousin entering the programme instead of him. I told him that we cant just pass placements on to family members but if his grades are good and if there is a good reason for him to enter it would be considered. Well his cousin, another Raymundo, brought his results to me I was very impressed. I spoke to his father and some other family members and I discovered that his case is deserving of help in that his mother abandoned him at six months and as been living with his granny since then. His father lives near and financially supports him but he himself is very poor. So we welcome him into our programme.

You may note that another cousin in also called Raymundo. There is a story to this. Their uncle was murdered at fourteen years of age by the army in 1982. These were both called after him Raymundo Diego. The uncle was exhumed – as he was just buried in a mass grave and was buried properly in 2001. I wrote about that life changing experience of mine The Quiche Times number 7. Check it out on the website!

Another new member is Carlos. His father contacted us a while ago and asked if there was anything we could do to help. Two weeks before we met with him his wife died in childbirth. The sixteen year old Carlos was devastated and the fahter was concerned that his schooling would go by the board.

So Carlos is now enrolled in a bilingual teaching course. In time he will be able to bring education to his community.

5^th December 2002

Dear Patron

I send greetings from Guatemala and hope that this letter finds you all well.

My name is Juana Victoria Patzan Ixcoy and I am 19 years of age. I am studying to be a bilingual secretary and if God wills it I will be entering my third and final year in January.

My mother was widowed many years ago when my father was assassinated by the authorities, she struggled all her life and all she ever wanted was that we would have a better life then she had. She believed in education and sacrificed many things that we could receive an education.

Three years ago today, my mother was killed in a road accident along with my five years old nephew. Apart from the trauma of my mothers and nephews deaths I realised that my mother’s dream would never come to be. My future looked bleak and resigned myself to a life of poverty, which I was used to.

We had known David for a number of years so much so that he in fact was the godfather of Reynaldo, my nephew who was killed with my mother. My oldest brother approached him to see if he could help. Thank God, hope was restore to us. The project has blessed me with an education and the realisation of my mother’s dream.

There is no possibility of ever repaying your generosity but what I have done is studied very hard and received a place on the honours role in a very fine catholic academy in Xela. This is my way of showing you that your donations are greatly appreciated. I hope that my success will be a light to those who follow me and a signal to you that I am very grateful.

Thank you again for giving me my future back. May God bless each and every one of in all your daily tasks.

Yours sincerely

Juana Victoria Patzan Ixcoy

Another New Arrival

In September we were blessed with the arrival of a new Missionary. Sent to us with complements of the Incarnate Word sisters in San Antonio, Texas. His name is Gerard and is from Canada originally but has been in many parts. He role is to accompany me in the running of the project with some specific roles.

Although he has been a missionary for some time I think that the Quiché scene offers a unique challenges to him but he has three years to overcome them. I am sure you will be hearing from him soon.

Welcome on board Gerard.

The “illness”

Some time ago, Tomás one of the teenagers in the programme but living with his family, did not appear in school one day. The next day I asked him how come he did not attend school the day before. He told me that his mother was very sick and was afraid so he stayed with her. I thought that that was very noble and as it transpired it was! The very next day I met the mother and said that Tomás had said that she was sick. Now, I must say that at the best of times I have problems understanding this lady. So she tells me “ I was very sick but it is all over now” she said “would you like to see it?” she then asked. I being very confused and wanting to get some understanding on the situation said “yes”. We started walking to the house and then entered. She then said, “there it is over there on the bed”. At this stage I was totally lost. I went over to the bed only to find a beautiful baby girl! The heavens opened and all was revealed! I had never heard a birth being referred to as an illness. Live and learn!

Manuel’s mothers story

Manuel is a thirteen-year-old boy who started with the smaller children at the beginning of the year. Although he had difficulties in school he is bright enough. The difficulty he had was very simple and quite widespread. He could not speak Spanish very well. This affected his grade for the year. I always found him to be very courteous and very helpful to me.

Because of some internal difficulty his mother came to me to ask my help. She said that Manuel was not happy in with the smaller children and wanted to know if we could accept him into the project with the teenagers.

We called some of the others together to see if they have a difficulty with this. After all it is one more person in a very small area. All were in favour. So we accepted he in. when we spoke with the mother to tell her the good news she broke down crying. She was so relieved that at last she had found help that she started to tell us her own personal story.

She like so many was married at a very early age. She had two children from this marriage. Then again like so many, her husband went to work one day and never returned. His body was found – you don’t want to know the details! She started with some popular organization looking for justice. She told us that on many occasions she would be attacked one the road. She was raped and beaten and left for dead. She was then approached by the man behind the attacks and told that her family would receive a sum of money if she marries a certain man, and the attacks would also stop. She really felt that she did not have a choice. He life went from bad to worse. The beating started right from the beginning and continued. She literally became a slave. The man went off with another women but returns when he thinks she may have a little money and when she doesn’t ……

The woman does not have enough resources to collaborate with us so Manuel said that he would work in the construction of the house during his holidays as a means of contribution.

I have to say that Manuel really appreciates anything he gets. As do not of those in the project. So for me he is worth giving help to. I hope you feel the same way?

PLEASE PRAY FOR US ALL HERE. AS WORD ON THE STREET IS THAT THE ARMY ARE GETTING ITCHY FINGERS. MANY OF US HAVE BAGS PACKED AND ARE READY TO RUN FOR IT. NORMALLY WE HEAR RUMOURS BUT THESE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES. IT IS VERY WORRYING FOR US ALL. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT MORE NOW THAN EVER. WITH ALL THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY NOBODY IS LOOKING HERE.

THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Dora and her Situation.

Dora is a nineteen-year-old wife and mother. I was her padrino for her quinceañera (sponsor for her fifteenth birthday). She really is a wonderful person and like everyone makes mistakes – the biggy she made was getting married very young. Same old story, she was promised the sun, moon and the stars. She got mistreated, abused and pregnant. The husband get mad at her and goes running back to mammy. It could take him weeks to return to her – not necessarily a bad thing him taking so long! He also says that he is not going to come back – if only!!!

She has been studying against her husbands will (he does not have an education) and we have been helping her with some fees. In September she visited us with her daughter of 2 years. She filled me in on her situation and asked if we could help her with her studies for the coming year. She wants to become an auxiliary nurse. Her father was a doctor who gave treatment to the poor and so was taken out and executed by the army. The mother has struggled for eighteen years with poverty and remarried. This time the husbands turned out to be alcoholic and three years ago she gave birth to a downs syndrome boy.

With regards to the help that Dora asked I really did not have to think very long or hard. We have to help her. It is a course of one-year duration and when she graduates will be able to stand on her own two feet. So when the husband leaves her again she will be independent and can tell him not to come back.

I so often come before God and ask why are some people mistreat others? I do have a certain understanding but it is not complete. But we will keep on helping the victims and hope that some day things will change.

First Holy Communions

This year we had a flood of communions. Well, three to be exact! They all have been studying for the longest time and then the day came for their first confession, ah I remember it well. Mind you my sins haven’t changed in all those years!!! I must be doing ok!

What I like about it here is that the boys have to wear white shirt and black trousers. The girls wear the traditional dress as they always use with a white veil. Nobody goes in for games we play trying to outdo everyone else.

One of the girls spent almost a week in final preparation. Some days on retreat and two full days practice. We didn’t go through anything like that in my day! Anyway they all turned out really well. Now they will have to wait until they reach eighteen years of age to start the process for their Conformation. A little strange for most of us but I must say that I am in full agreement with it. You can make more money as an adult!!!!!

Making the Funds Stretch

Funding for a project like this is always going to be difficult. I have spent years begging for help and you have always responded generously. I thank you all for that.

By it’s very nature this project can never be self-sufficient and will always depend on your valuable contributions. So what we are looking at is producing a diary with information about the project, the country and the culture. It will be in three languages K’iche’, Spanish and English. Not that very many outside of here will speak K’iche’, but it is interesting to see how the language is written and the type of numbers that are used. These will make a wonderful present, original, ornate, different and practical. We plan on covering them with embroidered cloth from here that the teenagers themselves will participate in production of. If we could get groups to help us sell them as I myself cannot do everything, as I need to be here to run the project. This is one of the ideas we have to help us have more dignity and independence.

We plan on having some from next May/June and they will be for year 2004.

We will need to sell a couple of thousand for it to really benefit us. It will of course mean that that we will be seeking less handouts.

Please let me know what you think and if there is anyone prepared to take some and sell them among their friends and workmates.

Christmas all Year Round

I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a very happy and more importantly a holy Christmas.

Christmas can so often spark off something within oneself. We think of loved ones especially those who have passed on. I will be doing a lot of thinking about my own family how I miss them more at this time of the year than at any other time. I will be also carrying in my heart you our patrons without whom this work would not be possible.

Christmas is the time when we celebrate the physical presence of God among us. But sometimes we forget about it the rest of the year. We all know we do it. I must be one of the luckiest people in the world today. I get reminded of Gods presence every day I work here with these people. They are the Incarnate Word, God in a flesh form. So it can be said that I celebrate Christmas every day of my life. Is it any wonder I love being here even though at time it hurts to be far away form loved ones I take comfort in being with loved ones in this far away place.

I always love to hear from people even though I may not respond to them in a written form. Please take on the new years resolution on sending me an Email now and then.

So until then Cuidense y que Dios les bendiga

Bilingual Teaching

Exposition

Habit Forming!

New Members

Another New Arrival

The “illness”

Manuel’s mothers story

Many people have been asking me what is the best way of getting financial help to me. One secure way is to lodge it directly to the Irish account (details below)

For those overseas there are two ways

1. Send it to my sister Berni and she will deposit it in the account in Ireland. Checks should be made payable to “Friends of Kanoj” My sisters address is

Nutrition

The World Cup

Marimba lessons

First Holy Communions

Christmas all Year Round