Monday, April 10, 2006

Thanks from Cary Valdes, Caminos Ministry

Joe Leier is an excellent worker and blessed our church by building a bridge needed to connect the two buildings. He was punctual and clean. We are blessed to have him, Karen and his whole family as our dear friends. Most recently they added to our blessings by caring for our two oldest teenagers while my husband (missionary/Pastor here in Guatemala) was in the hospital. During that time Joe saw that I was having problems with my radiator and offered to get it fixed. That was a huge blessing because I was driving every day 45 minutes to the hospital, didn’t have time to take the car in to get fixed and was needing to put water in the radiator every time I went to drive it. He, as usual, saw a need and met it. Thank YOU for allowing the Leier’s to be here and bless our family. We love them dearly.

-Cary Valdes

Caminos , Guatemala

Thanks from Salud y Paz

Living and working (volunteering) in a developing country like Guatemala can be a wonderful experience. When it's good, it's very good, when it's challenging, it's PHENOMONAL! Keeping a huge medical project going and all its equipment in operation has proved to be a daunting task for Project Salud y Paz (see our website at www.saludypaz.org ). Sure, Guatemala has modern resources, modern technicians, modern hospitals....IN THE CITY.

Once you leave the city, you are in fact in another country. Nothing is available. You repair and "fix" as best you can with what you have. If it's an emergency, so what? Life is cheap here, in more ways than one. To many people, the indigenous Maya living in the country just really don't count.

That's why Joe and Karen Leir are such God-sends for us. Joe is willing to come out, 3-4 hours from the city, almost on call, and fix what we have. If he can't fix it on the spot, he takes it and looks for what is needed, then comes back out to us again. His great repertoire of skills and knowledge make him what I like to call a "MacGyver," remember the old TV show? That's what we need here. Thanks Joe!

If you are helping Joe and Karen in their mission here, I want to say thank you. Please keep it up, because if you are helping them, you are helping Project Salud y Paz. In fact, consider giving them a "raise." I think they deserve it, don't you?

May God grant you health and peace,

Phil Plunk
Project Salud y Paz

Website www.saludypaz.org