2011 comes to an END

Friends and Family,

It is the end of year 2011 and we look to the dawning of 2012. Here at the Clinica Maxeña our needs with the sick and poor have dramatically increased. Hunger and malnutrition and disease are very prevalent. Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition of children under five years of age, in the hemisphere. Our donations are down. We have to cut our staff and our programs to survive in 2012.

Daily at 6am, patients come at dawn, to receive a number for medical consult; consult is only three dollars. We have a well sorted Pharmacy and also a complete diagnostic laboratory. Our Emergency Room receives three to five emergencies a day; the most common are wounds to be sutured for field workers, and respiratory crisis in infants and children. Emergency deliveries of babies happen at least monthly. Snake bites, car accidents, diabetic emergencies keep our Emergency Room busy.

We have a Nutritional Project for malnourished infants and children. Many lactating mothers do not have sufficient breast milk for their babies. We prefer not to depend on formula; it is expensive and we know secondary disease results from lack of hygiene with the baby bottles and also contaminated water. Our Nutritional Project provides classes on nutritive supplements to the diet of the infant or child, recipes on how to prepare, a protein drink that is produced by the workers of Medicinal and NutritivePlants of the Clinica and free Medical consult to these infants and children by our doctor. The protein supplement of the Clinic is made from corn, rice, soy, wheat, peanuts, mush and other additives. In 2011, we began to work with Sustanable agriculture; we have planted a demonstrative garden of vegetables and native healthy herbs. The harvest is gifted to the mothers of malnourished children, in diabetic club and sold in the clinic to the public.

Our clinic has a team that works with environmental deficiencies that cause disease; garbage thrown on the road side, contaminated water, lack of sanitary facilities, such as toilets, lack of recycle centers, decrease of the forest. These are problems that the Ministry of Health should address but their response is slow, minimal and often non existent. CAN YOU HELP US.. As Christians we know that the GOSPEL tells us the POOR will always be with US. WE are called to be present to them!

You can put us on your christmas list. You can make possible the continuation of our WORK! You can educate your children of the importance of remembering the POOR at christmas. Thank YOU for your support. You make possible the continuations of our WORK in the CLINICA MAXENA!

You can donate on line at:http://catalog.diocesehelena.org/Guatemala Mission-c10

or make a donation by check to DIOCESE of HELENA

send to:

Diocese of Helena

Guatemala Mission

Mr Mark Frei

PO 1729

Helena, MT

59624

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO YOU AND ALL YOUR FAMILY FROM THE CLINICA MAXENA¡

CHAJINEL goes home to his BRIDE!

Friends and Family,

If you have visited our Mission, you have met CHAJINEL. Chajinel is a beautiful Husky; his name in the Mayan indian dialect is "GUARD". I got him as a puppy with intention of giving him to the dormitory students at ASUNCION; this was in 2006. That did not work out and I grew attached to him. He quickly became a big doggie and I could not keep him at my bedside. I had built a fenced small yard with a doggie house, behind our kitchen; he was a good watch dog. He was restless at times, as would be for a Husky, not able to run freely.

I knew I had to find him a new home. Last night he went to the home of his new BRIDE, a beautiful female Husky. The owners are friends, and the wife, Sheila, is also my godchild. I am happy with his new home. I WILL MISS GREETING HIM EACH DAY!

Attached Photos of Chajinel with me, A LAST HUG, and leaving for his new home, ACCOMPANIED BY THE TWO CLINIC WORKERS, WHO FED AND CARED FOR HIM!

AGAIN MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

LOVE,

SHEILA

Undocumented Immigrants

Friends and Family,

I am the daughter of Irish parents who immigrated in the 1920's; they came also for economic reasons but they had visas and someone in the United States to greet them. This is not the reality of the undocumented immigrants, who at great personal risk of life, go North in search of work to give their family the bare necessities of life, mainly food. There are many hungry people here. The immigrants first cross the Mexican border and into Mexico. This country, especially border towns, are extremely dangerous for the presence of Narcotic trafficking. Immigrants are kidnapped, robbed, obligated to participate in crimes, and often murdered; they never make it to their destiny of HOPE, the USA. Usually their bodies are never recovered; families have no news from them and the worst is presumed. Some immigrants choose to stay in Mexico if they can find employment.

Thus is the story of a young man who arrived at our clinic with two siblings, including a ten month old baby. His parents and one sibling remain in jail in Mexico; they are accused of a crime he claims they are innocent. The father apparently selling tortillas, with his wife, when two of his other children were accused, by a passerby, of breaking into an auto. He said the baby was put in a nursery until two siblings were released, after three months in jail! Ten family members were arrested and jailed. This was March 2011; all but three were released in June. He said he was told if other family members came to the jail looking for his parents they would be encarcelated too. He related that his parents jail sentence is eight years. This young man is distraught. His own wife abandoned him, with their infant, when he returned to his community, because he began to drink alcohol. He now is the caregiver for his other siblings, including his 10 month old brother, Salomón. He requested milk for the baby. We did provide powder milk and a protein supplement, free medical consult and vitamins.

We have requested assistance from the catechist, or person who works with the small Catholic church in the community, to follow up with the older, caregiver brother.

Hopefully he can facilitate the reconciliation for him with his wife and return to their home to help care for the extended family. The catechist also will advise the young man about his alcohol consumption. Today, a week later, they arrived again at the clinic; they had not eaten breakfast, and were requesting more milk and medication for diarrhea for the infant. We provided milk, protein supplement, breakfast and necessary medication.

Immigration reform is an issue for the American Congress. Pray for these immigrants and for a just resolution to Immigration reform, which would allow immigrants to work legally, even for short terms and enter safely to our country by bus transportation. The Catholic Church is supportive of Immigration Reform.

Thanks. Love Sheila

PLEASE REMEMBER TO DONATE TO OUR CLINIC THIS CHRISTMAS.

You can donate on line at: http://catalog.diocesehelena.org/Guatemala-Mission-c10

NOTE FOR THE CLINICA MAXEÑA OR

make check to:

Diocese of Helena;

send to

Diocese of Helena

Guatemala Mission

Mark Frei

P.O. Box 1729

Helena, MT

59624

USA NOTE FOR CLINICA MAXEÑA