Friendships: What We Do
Over the years, we have asked a lot of questions, listened to many stories, and made many friends in Guatemala. You've now met Candelaria and Gregorio, Francisco and Carina, Massimo, and many others. Those of us from Canada have met through friends, business contacts, and family, and found ourselves coming back again and again.
Since we call ourselves "Guatemala Conexions", you might understand why we value the intangible "conexions" as much as any project. We are all neighbours, and we are all in this together.
Orville and Grace with one of the blanket recipients at Casa De Fe in Antigua, where Conexions brings knitted blankets. The recipients are patients at a local hospice, waiting for or recovering from surgeries, and blankets make the experience a little better. Some have traveled ten hours to receive a surgery.
For Ron and many of us, Crossroads Cafe is an oasis of good coffee, where you can collect your thoughts, amidst the busy-ness of Panajachel. Ron is an architectural designer back in Canada, a longtime board member, and a frequent flyer to Guatemala.
Mike is the one-man-show proprietor of Crossroads Cafe, and a source of encouragement and answers for many a visitor. He knows more about coffee than anyone we've ever met.
June met Dr. Francisco while studying Spanish in San Pedro, and told the rest of us "you've got to meet this guy." Here, she's delivering a Canadian-knitted baby blanket, for a future safe-delivery in Francisco's clinic.
Dr. Francisco's heart for his people connected us with him, and he has become a deeply trusted friend, Melody has coordinated medical team efforts for Conexions for many years, has been a longtime board member, and works in retirement home administration with Hallmark Retirement Communities back in Canada.
Carina, Francisco's wife and partner in all things, is his key teammate in making his medical clinic work. She assists in operations, helps organize, and one of her personal missions is making sure that new moms receive a set of cloth diapers, courtesy of Canadian moms who have sent them down.
Candelaria and Gregorio have two amazing young sons, Brian and Pablo, who are learning what it means to live a sacrificial, unselfish, give-it-all-you-have lifestyle. They both attend an American school in Panajachel in English, and Brian is now tutoring English for some of the scholarship students.
Where?
Guatemala:
Known as "The Land of Eternal Spring"
Favourite Food:
Corn tortillas, made by hand, are eaten three times a day, every day, as the universal meal staple, by virtually every rural Guatemalan.