Friends,
I am now in the United States visiting family and Friends and also sharing information about our Mission of the Diocese of Helena in Guatemala. In Washington DC I visited friends that I shared and worked with in the eighties. It was a joy to be with Alice Zachmann for a few days. I worked with Alice as she was the founder of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission,USA. I was sort of a translator and followed Alice about in her daily work and met many wonderful friends who worked for justice for the people in Central America. Alice, 82 years young, is now a 12 hour a day volunteer at the International Task Force against torture in our world, TASSC. The next evening we had a lovely supper at the ASSISI Community . Dianna Ortiz, a torture victim in the nineties in Guatemala,and founder of TASSC, lives there and was the cook for the evening. She is doing fine and an inspiration to all. I met Amanda, the now Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission,USA. Amanda was a Peace Corp Volunteer in an agrarian community in Guatemala in the nineties; surprisingly this community is just five minutes from our mission and part of our parish. She will visit me in December. She invited me to accompany her to the Guatemalans celebration of the September 15, INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR GUATEMALA, in Maryland. I happily went along and was able to sell some crafts for our mission to the Guatemalan immigrants living in our country and help support our mission clinic.
Then I was on to visit my nieces and nephews living in Maryland. I went to a CORN MAIZE with grand nieces and nephews, a lovely shrimp dinner with my nephew Jimmy and family, Peggy her husband and son. It was fun to be with the children and see how they are growing so fast. I went to the Zoo with Peggy and little Aedan the next day. Now I am with My sister Marie, husband Jim and another niece Mary. She lives amidst the trees in Vermont, incredible view and peaceful setting. We drove around the beautiful sites of Vermont and again being treated royally to delicious food and rest and relaxation. Today my sister and I will go to the Weston Priory for a few days. I have always been inspired by this Benedictine Community who gave sanctuary to Guatemalans fleeing the violence in the eighties.
Thank You for your support of our work in Guatemala and for reading my blog. You can send a donation for our Clinic in Guatemala at:
Guatemala Mission
Nurses Fund
Diocese of Helena
PO BOX 1729
Helena, MT
59601
Sheila
