Gearing Up for Guatemala

It's hard to believe that it is already October and... that in 18 short days 6 Salem members, along with members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church will be headed to Guatemala!

For some people in our group this trip will be there 6th, 10th or even 14th time to Guatemala, but there are others who will be going to Guatemala (or even leaving the US!) for the first time.  We have a group of fun and interesting people and are looking forward to learning from each other just as much as we will learn from people in Guatemala.

We have a lot on our agenda, we could use more time, but know that with work, school and families it's just not possible.  We will be visiting ILAG (the Lutheran Church in Guatemala) and San Lucas Toliman and learning and helping in many ways.

Here is what is on our agenda:

• Visiting a congregation & school in Guatemala City where we will lead activities for 70 children including: puppet making, kite making, songs and parachute games.
• Celebrating 'Dia de los muertos' (Day of the Dead) in San Lucas by worshiping in a cemetery and watching a kite festival over Lake Atitlan.
• Building safe stoves in the homes of 4 families.  These stoves provide safe and healthy living conditions for the family, and also stimulate the local economy and provide good jobs for young adults.
• Participating in a baptism of a new baby.
• Visiting students from San Lucas and surrounding communities that are sponsored by members of Salem.
• Touring the San Lucas projects (reforestation, women's center, hospital, schools) and learning about the work being done in the community.
• Many impromptu visits and gatherings with friends we've met along the way.

Even though you may not be coming on the trip with us, our fellow church members, families and friends are still very much a part of this trip!  We need your prayers prior to and on our trip.  Prayers for the people of Guatemala, our safe travel, and that we AND the people of Guatemala benefit from our time there.

Many of you have already donated towards scholarships, stoves, and to ILAG....THANK YOU for that!  As we get closer to the trip we will keep you updated on needs we still have for the trip.  This blog will also be the place to get updates about what is happening while we are in Guatemala!  We will do our best to provide daily updates as long as we can find an internet connection.