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A Special Visit Bob and Joycee Lindstrom visited our GMO Panimaquin Project in June of 2000 and again this June 2005. Both are longtime Dropout Prevention teachers in Pinellas County, Florida. Bob has a master’s in psychology and Joycee’s are in Business Administration and Distributive Education. In 2000 Bob and their son, Charlie, worked in the project building roofs and tiling a bathroom for the village women and children who then had their first use of a shower. Joycee worked with the project ‘factory’ women teaching them to layout material and cut out patterns. This June 2005, Bob and Joycee both worked with the students for a week. Bob taught scientific concepts involving a ‘field trip’ around the project looking for the three classes of levers and a ‘scavenger hunt’ for the four basics needed to sustain life. Joycee brought Peaceworks, Inc. materials and taught all the children peace strategies and the rules for living peacefully with peers, family and community.
Bob and Joycee shared with us the changes they saw since their initial trip in 2000.Daily pre-work devotions during which the entire staff share the word of God and minister to each other with a desire to serve our Lord by loving and serving others. Joy in the faces of our Project men, women and children (compared to infrequent smiles just five years previously) as they went about their daily activities.Laughter in every part of the Project displaying a total spirit of helpfulness, respect, and honor for each other.The project men , now greatly skilled in all aspects of building, using their talents to improve the homes and lives of other community residents.Church services on Sunday and Tuesday evenings are now awesome worship experiences with Lazaro Suruy, an inspired and passionate pastor.The male teens have taken a leadership position in providing truly wonderful music and worship during church and project activities (like the touching Father’s Day celebration).The school program grow from 20+ students, from babies through grade two, to 80+ students including babies through grade ten.The school expand academically with the addition of a licensed teacher and curriculum from a certified Christian School with 50 years of credentials on site.Factory workers become expert in sewing high quality, useful articles (including bible covers, purses, portfolio covers, stuffed animals, aprons, potholders and coaster) in typical Guatemalan fabrics.Their Perspective Bernard and Trish are daily following God’s will for the Project. They initiate needed school and church projects with total trust that God will provide the funds, people, and supplies. While other churches have tried to separate those in the community by allegiance to their denomination, Trish and Bernard have been steadfast in treating all those in Panimaquin equally. They have lovingly provided transportation, water, spiritual teaching, guidance and support to all and the results are beautifully apparent! The people of Panimaquin have truly blossomed. Children are now laughing, playing, hugging and eager to learn, while 5 years ago they appeared mostly unanimated and were not used to being touched or played with. The men, women, and children are all appreciative and most important, are God-conscious. Most inspiring are the youth! The teenage boys and girls have taken an active role in the spiritual activities of the Project. They are enthusiastically learning in the school and have hope in their eyes - very unlike the dullness and despair reflected in their father and mothers’ eyes 5 years ago. They all help the younger children, by serving lunch and then participate in the clean up. The children are healthy! Daily breakfast and lunches have given the children glowing skin and daily tooth brushing and hand washing has improved their overall health. Faith, hope and trust in the Lord are apparent in all who are connected with the GMO Project thanks to the dedicated service of Bernard, Trish, Lazaro, and Glendy. Praise God!
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Guatemalan Mission Outreach Inc. (G.M.O) Revised: 01/27/2008 |
