How bad can things be....can they be that bad?

I would prefer to be sharing all sorts of the photos that show the fun side of Guatemala.  People laughing. Men fishing. Kids playing. Bright colors. Sounds of marimba up and down the street. People shopping in the tiendas and markets.

But that only tells half of the story, and the story that we need to tell people is not a story that is so easy to tell.  The story about poverty.  About abuse.  About alcoholism that comes out of a poverty of soul, spirit and dignity. About how the alcoholism can cause so much destruction.  About how when people live off of less than a dollar a day in some cases it is so hard to feed your family.  About how generation after generation has seen hopelessness and can't get out and keeps carrying it on.  The story about homes that have dirt floors...one room...one very, very, very tiny room that may have walls of plastic tarp, or bamboo or, if you are lucky adobe or maybe even cement block. About how inside this homes everyone sleeps in the same bed.....

and how that can be a breeding ground for the type of abuse that we want to try to put a stop to.

Maybe another post will have the happy photos....but for this one there are few photos of what some of the very real conditions are like.  The bunk beds won't solve every problem...we are not kidding ourselves there. But what they will do is to prevent some...and it's a place to start.  By giving bunk beds to the families, the children and parents will have a little bit more privacy....a bit more separation.  Even that will make a difference.

We are not just dumping off bunkbeds and coming back home.....but we are asking the leaders in the community (in a church we work with) to identify 10 families where abuse is an issue already or a very real concern...and these families will be invited to get the beds.  In order to get the beds, the families will attend a 4 part teaching series we are calling "Making Healthy Families" where we talk about being free and breaking chains, about alcoholism, about the seriousness of abuse and even nutrition concepts.

Do you know that there is one real amazing side benefit of kids get a good and safe night's sleep?  Education.  If they can sleep at night...they may be able to better learn and participate in school (if they go).

Your participation in this project may do more than give kid one good night's sleep...but you may change his or her future fore-ever!

Anyway. Here are some photos of the reality of some of these homes....another day we can show you some nicer photos.

girl next to typical style one-room home.

interior of typical home, built of reclaimed corrugated metal pieces

 Guatemala City neighborhood in the dump--"La Limonada"  I have not personally been to La Limonada, however this is a view so typical of many areas.

Did I mention that if the home has a bed so often there is not a mattress? It's a piece of plywood?

girl working in the dump, carrying her little baby brother with her.

A few more (important!) details.

Interest in this event is percolating!!!  Some of the most popular questions have been:

Where, exactly is this place?
We are holding "CafeCasita" in the MatterMore headquarters.  It is a kind of warehouse-y space kind of between St. Louis Park and Hopkins.  The actual address is 7005 Oxford Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55426.  GPS will help you to find it, and we are planning to have balloons or something out front to help make it easier to spot it .

I want to come and empty my pockets for these kids. But I can't make it!  Is there some other way to give? 
We are so sad that you have to miss it!! I hope that whatever else has your time will be super fun.  But we are thrilled that you would still like to participate by giving!  There are a couple of ways.  Electronically or by check.  (cash will work too.)  Credit card gifts and checks are definitely tax deductible.

Just to keep you re-assured, all money is collected through our church (that keeps it both tax-deductible and everything accountable as well).
Check--Make Check payable to Wooddale Church, and then in the memo line, PLEASE write "James 1:27 Special Project."  You can mail it to me at Amy Trottier 11242 Vessey Circle, Bloomington MN 55437, or you could mail it directly to the office at church (preferred!). 
That address is:
Wooddale Church
%Kathy Emerson,
 6630 Shady Oak Rd,
Eden Prairie MN 55344

Credit card:
go to http://wooddale.org/short-term-trips .  Then on the right side of the page select "give to short term trips"
Then a menu of possible team/trips to give money to will pop up.  Please select GUATEMALA JAMES 1:27 Orphanage

Then you will be asked to set up an account (to keep things secure for you, it does not sign you up for anything!!).  Once you have logged in, then it will give you the option of selecting a team member (it says February...they have not updated to say August on that line, it's ok).
So click to select team member. Then you want to select "Special Project" as this is what we have labeled the bunk bed project.

It also says in there that unused monies will go to support other missions programs--because we are going to be doing this every 6 months, funds given to the bunkbed project in excess of the $4,000 for this August will be rolled over to next Feb for the same thing.


Thank you for your interest!  We can't wait to see you, and see how together we can make a difference for families and children in Guatemala!

CafeCasita--You are invited!

  

Save the date! JULY 26, 2015--4:30-8:30 pm (stop in, or stay the whole day!) 
Guatemalan Coffeehouse...in Minnesota!

After years of traveling to Guatemala, we have been hearing story after story about sexual abuse of women and children, especially in some of the rural and poor areas....

It has to stop!

In an effort to prevent some of this abuse, my team is raising money ($4,000) to purchase bunk beds for families in Guatemala living in a dump area that is particularly affected by this. We are working through a local church in that community who is identifying families that there is known abuse or very high risk, and they will invite these 10 families to get a bunk bed. In order to "qualify" for the bunk beds, the families will participate in 4 classes that we are teaching--called "Making Healthy Families" where we will talk about things like healthy family relationships/abuse, where to get help, alcoholism (another problem area), nutrition, family health etc. The bunk beds will help to create space in these super tiny 8x8 foot homes that people live in...homes where there might be 8 people all sleeping in the same bed.  This is a way to allow for a little bit of separation....and safety.

Please join us in this effort! It will be a fun evening!! There will be live music, Guatemalan coffee, Guatemalan marketplace items, special signed watercolor paint/sketches by Bill B, Chair Massages, Guatemalan Cookbook, Guatemalan Jewelry.....and more is being added daily! We are holding this event in the warehouse space owned by "MatterMore"....there will be an opportunity to walk through homes built very similar to the same homes we see in Guatemala....this will help to gain deeper understanding of how easily abuse starts, and how even starting with bunkbeds will help the situation!

Bring a friend or two, or three....it will be a great time! Love to see everyone there!!!!!!

(ps. All gifts are tax deductible, and will be routed through my church in order to accomplish that and make it official. If you want to be a part of this, and can't come to the coffeehouse....I will miss you...but ask me about other ways to donate!)

More info will be posted on making donations separate from the event if you would like to!

Amy and "James 1:27" team!