Guatemalan Crafts Are Back!

There’s another chance to buy beautiful handmade crafts made by the women from our hermanamiento, UPAVIM, who live on the outskirts of Guatemala City.  There will be colorful bags, scarves, kitchen items and, for the first time, jewelry.  Stop by our table in the Parlor on Sunday, April 17^th and Sunday, May 1^st to pick up a gift for Mother’s Day, teacher appreciation, birthdays and graduations, or treat yourself!

The sale of these crafts helps the women to build better lives for themselves and their community funding a school, a clinic, a bakery and soy milk production. The profit we make will help fund a visit to the women in July this year. We have seven people interested in forming a delegation to visit Guatemala City from July 6-14^th. Contact Ina and Ray Osborn (630.515.8418) if you are interested in joining us on this mission trip in July.

As part of our continued commitment to be in relationship with the women of UPAVIM, we exchange monthly letters to share what is going on in our lives and in the life of the church.  The following is a recent reply from one of the delegates who visited us in November 2009:

We send a warm greeting from ALL THE WOMEN OF UPAVIM.  Our hearts are filled with joy when we hear that you are well.  How good to know that winter has passed.  It fills us with enthusiasm to know that you support our project with the laboratory.  We trust in God that we can open it to the community soon.  Thank you.  We are here in very hot weather working for our community and our families.  Let’s keep praying together that peace will not cease in the world-- in all that is happening in it.

Thank you for writing to us, take care.  We send a strong hug to all of you.

Sincerely,

Odilia