"Adult Delegation to TNII 2002"

Reports from
Adult Delegation in TNII
... July 19th-29th, 2002
by Mindy Ahler Olmstead(group leader), Kathy Hoene, Dorothy Irvin, Pat Johnson, Carol Krush, Kathy Malaske, Heidi Meyer, Judy Miller, Danette Moore, and Susan Sell.

Friday, July 19th
A quick note to let everyone know that we arrived safely in Guatemala. We were met at the airport by a number of women and one young man from Tierra Nueva 2 who greeted us with a pink rose for each delegate. They had traveled one hour by bus from TN2 just to greet us, help carry our luggage and then go home again by bus. After some orientation time with the staff here and a great dinner we are off for some needed sleep since we were at the airport at 4am this morning. Tomorrow we go to TN2 and will have our first opportunity to stay with host families.

Paz,
Mindy

Monday, July 23rd
Greetings!

Our delegation has had three wonderful and very full days. We spent Sat. and Sunday in TNII, meeting with the Sister Parish Committee and Parish Leaders. We have also spent time enjoying our host families who have been truly gracious and hospitable sharing their beds, preparing special meals, and walking us to every meeting and around their community.

We were asked to participate in their 6.30 am mass as Eucharistic ministers and had the opportunity to extend the greetings and prayers of St. Joan's to the church community at the end of mass. A highlight was creating a poster together with our TNII friends to symbolize our relationship. This poster will be placed under glass so it can be preserved in the church. Our picture depicted an alfombra with colored paper and magic markers.

We said good bye this morning(Monday) and went to Antigua. This community is abuzz with the anticipated visit of POPE JOHN Paul for the canonization of Hermano Pedro on July 29th. We spent time visiting his tomb and a museum dedicated to his life at the church of San Francisco. The people of Guatemala are thrilled to have this man honored with sainthood. Of course, we did some shopping as well in Antigua.

Thank you for your prayers. Susan and all of the SJA delegation

Tuesday, July 24th
Another long and beautiful day. After breakfast, our daily devotion and a long discussion we took off for a settlement in Guatemala City called Mezquital. We visited the Women's Cooperative which consisted of a Montessori preschool/daycare center, a grade school going up to fourth grade, a Medical and Dental Center and a craft area where all of the women in our delegation spent money. Crafts are made there and sent to the United States to be sold. After a great lunch provided by the Coop we took off for the women's group meeting at Tierra Nueva Dos.

About twenty women meet every week for a support group or to learn a new skill. They have a schedule for the year on their various activities. We started the meeting with a prayer and introductions. The main theme that came from the women is they were there because they felt they needed to do something for themselves. Next they worked with us on an art project. Our work was so good we all may go into the craft business! It was a great experience working and laughing with them. We all were emotional when we left after eating again. It was a great day seeing how other women worked and learned and had fun together despite all the problems in their lives.

Tomorrow(Wednesday) at 7 AM we are leaving to travel for two days. There is not much resting time but we are having a great time together.

Judy Miller

Friday, July 26th
Hola to all our friends and family! We're all well and making a quick stop at the Sister Parish Center before we head back to Tierra Nueva Dos. We don't have long, but wanted to send you a quick note to tell about our adventures since we sent you an update last. Before that however, I must tell you that Guatemala is the most poverty stricken, saddest, most beautiful, and most joyful place in the world. You have never met people so humble and full of warmth. The following is just a random rundown of a few of the things we have been doing since our last update...

In Panajachel we went to the market, saw some breathtaking views of the lake and went by the library project located near the center of town.
Traveled on to Santiago Atitlan. Stayed with Chonita, a dear lady, who opened her home to us and told us all about the fair trade bead co-op for women in need. We also visited the Peace Park where 13 people were massacred. |n addition, we learned about Chonita's personal losses and the people of the region during the height of the violence. We had the honor of being in the village on the Fiesta of St. James, which meant we were able to walk among the masses of people making pilgrimages to the church of Santiago. Something to see! It is also the place where Father Stanley Rother is held in very high regard. Father Rother was a missionary from Oklahoma who was murdered in the rectory of the church and his heart is now buried in the church. On our way out a villager stopped us and asked if we would like to see the room where he was killed. We were escorted in and had the privilege of sharing a prayer in this sacred space.
Traveled to Chontola. Visited a site, which there are many of, of a church that had people rounded up into and bombed during the war. We visited with the widows from the war who make up a weaving project to support scholarships for the children and a number of other causes for the village.
Visited the school at Tierra Nueva Dos and spent the afternoon. The children gave us a wonderful program to thank us for our work on the building of a wall to provide protection for the children’s play area. The school was amazing- really in need of supplies. 50-60 students to a classroom and very little in the way of desks, books, or general supplies. Now we are heading back to Tierra Nueva Dos to spend the weekend with our families and get back to the task of what we are here to do. I must sign off, but please keep us in your prayers as well as our brothers and sisters of Tierra Nueva Dos.

Much love,
Danette and the "Sisters of Saint Joan's"

P.S. It's questionable if we will make it back on Monday, as the Pope is coming to Guatemala on Monday and we are the only flight out before they close the airport.

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