By: Rosie Y.
For more information about PILAS and my short-term missions trip, please check out my prayer letter. You can also support PILAS by donating online on my fundraising web page.
Today I discovered something else I take for granted in my “privilege” (see Day 2’s post) that I didn’t know I had until now – chewing gum! After lunch, I really wanted to cleanse my palate with some gum or even a mint. It’s something I do most days after lunch so it seemed natural. It took me a minute to realize that, while not actually ingested and therefore arguably not real food, Guatemalan villages probably don’t have packs of Dentyne readily available. Don’t worry, I didn’t actually chew gum – but of course knowing that I couldn’t chew it made me want it all the more! However, I’ve decided to stop complaining about what I can’t have, and finish this week joyfully. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7) – and that probably applies to people who do GLC diets too.
Speaking of cheerful giving – thanks to a very generous donor, we’ve raised almost half of the (new) fundraising goal! I’m incredibly humbled by this person and grateful both to them and to God for keeping faith with me and showering PILAS with love. Dear Donor, may the Lord bless you! We’re now able to send one of the eight PILAS students back to school – and you fill me with hope that with everyone else’s help, we can send at least two more! =)
Here’s a photo of the PILAS kids in their blue uniforms (two of them forgot to wear them that day) flanked by their tutors, and Barb & Gerry on the right side.
When I was in Guatemala last year, there were a few documentaries Barb & Gerry showed us that really helped us understand some of the obstacles faced by the village kids in breaking the cycle of poverty. Here’s a link to one of them. Thankfully, none of the PILAS girls are in the same situation as the girls in the video. But for their friends and extended families, it’s all too familiar. Just another important reason for these girls to stay in school!
(Warning: this documentary is probably not rated G.)
Too Young to Wed – https://vimeo.com/123979556