JULY 30, 2014
GREETINGS OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE
DEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, from Our Mission in Guatemala!
The Clinica Maxeña is in its forty eighth year of service, in the parish of St Thomas Apostle in Guatemala, the Mission of the Diocese of Helena, MT. Our Diocese responded to a call by our Pope, to send Missionaries to Latin America, in 1964.
Many Missionaries, volunteers, medical teams, friends, family have visited and donated time, talent and gifts to our Mission. Many have and continue to be generous donors to our work in the Vineyard of the LORD. Campus Ministry students and their pastors come yearly to learn the culture, make friends, share faith gifts and work in our Agriculture Project and share in our Parish Junior, Senior High School.
This Month of July, the earth trembled and rains poured from the heavens. There was minimal damage in our area, from an Earthquake of 6.6 on the Richter.
Recently Refugees and Immigrants are fleeing into the United States, over the U.S., Mexican Border. There is HUNGER, VIOLENCE, UNEMPLOYMENT, and ALARMING POVERTY. Answers will not come easily. Our Health response to the critical health needs of the day is guided by PASTORAL HEALTH of our DIOCESE and by Our Faith. More and more patients come to the Clinic requesting relief of their symptoms of acute and chronic illness; many more now cannot pay. More infants are enrolled in our Nutrition Project for malnutrition.
The Clinica Maxeña has a Sustainable Agriculture Program that we continue to see as a partial solution. Land is scarce but we believe the Mayans must return more to the EARTH. Fields of Corn, Herbs and Vegetables will help ease the Hunger and it is an URGENT NEED. The Coffee Harvest will fail again because of the continued plague of a Coffee fungus, in the coastal area of our Mission.
We are reaching out to our FRIENDS and people of Faith to help us to our respond to this crisis. Any small donation is deeply appreciated.
You can send your donation to: the following address:
Diocese of Helena Montana
GUATEMALA MISSION
P.O. Box 1729 Helena, MT. 59624
PLEASE NOTE FOR THE CLINICA MAXEÑA.
THANK YOU!
Sheila McShane
