Loving Guatemala for the Third Time...

Brad Blauser and I returned to Guatemala on May 16th. It would be our third time in the country providing adjustable pediatric wheelchairs to children with disabilities. I was excited to see old friends and share the experience with my mother (Mum), Christina. She was our second volunteer to go to Guatemala; the first volunteer was my husband, Bruce.

We met Mum at the airport. She had already connected with Sam and Annie from Hope Haven and was sitting comfortably in the van when Brad and I arrived from Houston. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Sam

I had stayed in Sam and Annie's quarters at the Hope Haven guest house before but never had the pleasure of actually meeting them until that day at the airport. They were a wonderful couple; both filled with love for the Lord. We enjoyed a lovely lunch with them at the San Martin restaurant before we went to the guest house.

The house was as we left it in October. Our fur babies, Tank and Dozer, were there to greet us. The only thing I noticed that was different was a new kitchen table and the wicker sofa was missing from the rooftop. It feels like home whenever I go there. It's a welcome respite from cell phones, TV, laundry, cleaning and other responsibilities. Okay, well, not exactly. I remember doing a lot of dishes, some laundry, and making dinner one night, but it feels different when you're doing those things at someone else's house, right?

Mum heading into Church

Lunch with Dick Rutgers & Others

On Sunday, we attended Church in Antigua, had lunch with friends, went to the jade museum, and went shopping at the market for souvenirs.







We stopped at the Cerro de la Cruz and had dinner at Monoloco before heading back to the house. 


Cerro de la Cruz

The view of Antigua from the Cerro de la Cruz was incredible but it was a cloudy day so we didn't get a great view of the Pacaya volcano.




Monoloco Menu

A Mother's Love Knows No Boundaries...

Happy Mother's Day!!

I have three children. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do to keep them safe and healthy...



Izzy with Diana and her mother in 2014

 

You've probably heard the term, "A Mother's Love Knows No Boundaries," and it is very true. All around the world there are mothers who are struggling to care for their children with disabilities, but every day they sacrifice everything and do their very best to care for them. So, this blog is dedicated to all the mother's who choose to care for their children, and refuse to give up...

This is a photo of little Dianna. I met her in March 2014 at one of our wheelchair seating clinics in Guatemala. She has very complex medical needs and cannot walk. Through my personal donation of $350 she was able to receive a wheelchair. It was an incredible experience to meet the child who would receive a wheelchair because of my donation. I thought about all the ways the chair would change her life. I remember her mother dressed her in a beautiful little dress and she was wearing the most precious little shoes. I took a photo of her shoes.


I returned to Guatemala in October and we had made plans to visit some of the children that received our wheelchairs in March. I wanted to know how the wheelchairs had impacted their lives. Were they attending school now? Were they able to go outside and play with friends? I had no idea we were going to visit Diana. I remember Brad Blauser had walked into the house ahead of me and he came out and said, "You're not going to believe who this is...." I looked inside and there she was, and I wept. I wept because I wasn't sure if Diana would still be alive, and she was.

I connected with Diana's mother on a level that only another mother of a child with a disability would understand. With the assistance of a translator, I told her about my own son and also about the photo of the shoes that I had taken. She walked into another room and appeared with little Diana's shoes and presented them as a gift to me. She had outgrown them. I reciprocated by giving her some Quetzals to purchase Diana some pink new shoes and for her other needs.

Today, Diana's perfect little shoes are in my library. They remind me every day of Diana and her mother's love. There are no boundaries..

 

I am returning to Guatemala in less than 7 days and I hope  to see Diana again as well as many of the other children we met last year. Through several generous donations, we will be providing 30 children with adjustable pediatric wheelchairs. My mother, Christina, is traveling with us and she's so excited about volunteering. I can already tell this will be an incredible trip!!

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Donations change the lives of children with disabilities all over the world. If 100 people donate just $20 each then 6-8 children will receive wheelchairs. Please visit Wheelchairs for Kids International and learn how you can make a difference; help a child go to school; play with their friends, and just be kids..

Visit: http://kidchairs4life.org/WFKIDonate.html