What to do?

Many people have asked me "what exactly will you do in Guatemala". This is a whole new experience, so I don't want to make any assumptions or create expectations. What I know so far is that we will be spending time with the kids in the orphanages playing games, doing crafts, etc…as well as working in the local community with families in need of help.

Additionally, one of our main missions while we are there is to install stoves in the homes of women that need them to cook not only for their families but also for their livelihood. They will cook and sell their food and the stoves will help their families for years to come. When I learned this I thought this was really cool, as it will really have an impact beyond our short time there. And I thought, maybe my husband needs to come along too, as he is an Electrician. And personally, I know nothing about installing a stove! I guess I will learn!

I've started doing some additional research about the people of Guatemala and the issues that they face. I've learned that following the eruption of Pacaya, the local volcano and the wrath of Tropical Storm Agatha, the country of Guatemala has been devastated, once again, by disaster. There is not a lot of media coverage about this and most media outlets are minimizing the country's distress. And when the media coverage stops, often so does the relief and support. All the more reason, Guatemala is in desperate need of relief.

Some other shocking facts:

• · Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in children under five in all of Latin America.
• · In rural Guatemala, many children (particularly girls) do not complete their basic education, speak only their native Mayan language, and grow up functionally illiterate.
• · Adolescent females marry as young as 12 years of age and have an average of seven children.
• · All of these factors serve to reinforce the vicious cycle of poverty unless investments are made in children at a very early age.

Someone also pointed out to me that maybe one of the biggest impacts we could actually have is the human connection. That perhaps being there and showing love and compassion to the orphans and the widows is the biggest gift of all. It's funny, how we get caught up in the "doing". "What will we be doing?" When actually just "being" there is what it's really all about. And I expect that I will come home after the experience with a lot more gratitude. And so, I've decided that the most important thing I can do is just focus on going and learning and growing from the experience.

Next question..."Where are you going?"...more on that later!

With Love and Gratitude,

Sondra

Why?

I have always felt drawn to global causes. When I see celebrities traveling to far reaches of the globe and helping in orphanages and communities in need, I've always paid close attention. My ears perk up and I want to understand what that must be like to have the resources to do that. And I've seen many of the leaders within my company embark on similar journeys. I have always thought, "someday when I have the resources and time, I will do that." It's even on my dreamboard!

So when I received the email from Valerie, seeking volunteers to join her on a Mission Trip to Guatemala, my immediate reaction was "Yes!" You see, Valerie, is one of the most giving people I know and after a 3-year process of adopting her son, Mateo, from Guatemala, she wants to give back and help the over-flowing orphanages where her son spent the first three years of his life.

And then my logical brain took over...what about the kids, who would watch them, what would my husband say, how would I pay for it? So I looked at the calendar. Lo and behold, the girls get out of school the week before the scheduled departure! I called my mom. "Would she agree to have the girls come to the farm for a week in June?" "Of course," she said. Valerie suggested that we could raise money through Parties with a Purpose and having people sponsor us, so last on the list...talking to my husband. At first he was surprised and asked all the same questions I did. Luckily I had all the answers! And, after 20 years of marriage, he knows that when I've set my mind to doing something, there's usually no stopping me!

And then, I began to see doors open! As I told people about this mission, I began to hear others tell me they knew someone who had gone to Guatemala, or in the case of my chiropractor friend, who has a sister-in-law who is currently there building houses. As I networked among my Latino friends, I discovered I knew a lot of people who had family connections to Guatemala and I received so much encouragement and support.

On the day that I was scolding my children about how "there are children in this world without clothes, food, and shelter (because they were complaining about something), I realized that this trip could not only fulfill my internal tug, but I could use it as a "teaching opportunity" and my girls could experience what true giving is all about. Not by being there with me, but by hearing the stories and seeing the photos and helping to save spare change for their Mom to take this trip.

So, it's official! The fund-raising has begun! And after just two people agreeing to host a "Party with a Purpose" we've raised $300 (enough to pay for the deposit to Across all Borders, who is planning the logistics). Next is to raise money for the plane ticket. There will be a large group of people connected to the Arbonne business family who are attending. I feel very blessed to have this experience. A few wonderful, dear friends will also be joining me and I know that it will be an amazing experience with positive, giving people. And we will be forever changed!

I'll be using this Blog as a way to share what I learn through this experience and to appreciate the people who support us.

Blessed and Grateful,

Sondra