A sharing of JOY and FAITH!

Friends and Family,

Saturday, June 11th, thousands of adults and children, from the mountain villages and the town of Santo Tomas, descended on our mission property to celebrate with Fr Hazy his 50th anniversary of Priesthood! It was Pentecost and it was a speaking in TONGUES!, as many different languages were spoken in words of celebration and voices of song. The majority of the people speak Quiche, one of 22 Indian dialects spoken in Guatemala; the other dominant language of course is spanish. Several american friends came and added english to the mix. Fr Hazy has spent the last 47 years celebrating the sacraments in two parishes in Guatemala, Santa Maria Visitation and in Santo Tomas La Union. His contribution in education include the founding of two successful junior, senior highschools which has provided education to thousands of young mayans who otherwise would not have had this opportunity. Now over 300 are attending university level in one of these schools, as an extension of the Pan American University in Guatemala City. This remarkable contribution in education was acknowledged by the Governor of Solola with a beautiful plaque; she is one of the students who benefitted from his gift of education to others.

I am in the city to leave Fr Hazy at the airport tomorrow as he returns to Montana for a well deserved rest. Thank You Fr Hazy and we hope to see you again here in July. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Included are a picture of the multitude, estimated over 5,000 and

a photo of Fr Hazy and the Governor of Solola, Julia Elena Yojcom of Santa Maria Visitacion,

presenting a Plaque of Thanks to Fr Hazy for his contribution in EDUCATION.

GO LA MAXEÑA¡

Friends and Family,

Life cannot be just WORK¡ Activities together build spirit and relaxation. Together we can change our world. Our clinic has many opportunities to come together for dialogue and to discuss change and ideas. Sometimes we bring speakers to inspire and give new ideas. Our band, LA MAXEÑA, coninues to improve and brings laughter and joy to meetings.

Our soccer team is also an important part of spirit. When the University of Montana students visited in May we had a soccer game and the Clinic WON¡¡ The visiting team gifted three soccer balls to our team. THANK YOU. COCO my cocker spaniel is the team MASCOT and enjoys going to the games and putting on his uniform.

Visit the Clinica Maxeña on FACEBOOK. THANKS¡

June! the Month of the Environment

Friends and Family!

All over the world folks pause to become aware of their environment during this month. June 5th was World Day of Environment. I have become more conscious of the importance of caring what is happening to the resources of Creation since I came south of the border. The Clinica Maxena is planning activities for June 17th. This years theme is the FOREST and WATER.

Plant a TREE! That is our message. Here in Guatemala the forests are disappearing. Fire wood for most of the mayan population and forests fires have decreased dramatically the trees of the forest. Trees of the forest are part of the water cycle by preserving rain water, preventing erosion of the soil, diminishing landslides, providing materials we need, such a lumber, and firewood. We all must strive to maintain a sustainable forest. Be careful with campfires in the forest.

Last week we took visiting university students up the mountain to a source of water for a populous community with the task to plant a tree around the cement tank of water. I found it a difficult climb and I was sort of pulled up the hill by a fellow co worker, Manuel, of the clinic. THANKS MANUEL! I planted my tree and gave it a name, TEELIN, after the town where my dad was born in Ireland. Some of us will return there in a few months to see how our tree is growing!

On June 17, when the clinic comes together to commemorate the Day of the Environment, we again will each plant two trees. This time we are going to the cemetery in a nearby mountain village to plant trees around the perimeter of the cemetery. We will dialogue about how we can educate the public about WATER and the FOREST. We will raffle two ONIL stoves that save firewood and prevent disease from decrease of smoke in the homes. We will set up and exhibition in our meeting room and invite students from local schools to learn about how they can help preserve the forest and also provide water for the future for their children.

What are you doing to preserve the forest and water in your community and neighborhood?

You can donate 100. dollars to buy a stove for a Mayan family here in the mountain villages of Guatemala!

Send your donation to:

Guatemala Mission

Diocese of Helena

PO Box 1729

Helena, MT

59624

Mention it is for the Clinica Maxena Stove Project

Blessings and Peace!

Sheila

Photos include:

Campus Ministry director of University of Montana, Kirsten Hangass, admiring the forest!

and Myself, Sheila planting my tree!

June, the month of RAIN! and activities here at the Mission.

Friends and Family,

We are now in the rainy season or our winter. Skies are overcast and usually rains are heavy in the afternoons! If you are not accustomed to carry an umbrella, you do get drenched! In the clinic we do see many more upper respiratory illnesses and fevers. We have not yet begun to diagnose dengue but it is showing up in other parts of country. Dengue is result of a mosquito bite and found where water pools, such as in old tires or puddles. Many bridges have not been repaired and highways still have detours from landslides from Storm Agatha in 2010! As the President of country remarked, "we are not prepared for another disaster!" Keep that in prayer.

Life is busy as we prepare the celebration of 50th anniversary of priesthood of our pastor, Fr Hazy, which is scheduled for June 11th. He has dedicated his life here, now 84 years old and 47 years in Guatemala. We expect a huge turnout with Mass, music, bands, and food.

We are expecting a German volunteer at the Mission, from the Diocese here in Guatemala, in June for a few weeks; she will study nutritive plants, especially herbs, and their prevalence in the mountain villages. We are hopeful to be able to use this information as we move forward in our sustainable agriculture project, related to our nutritional needs for malnourished children.

Needs are great and we respond to them in the spirit of faith and knowing that there are many who are there to help the poor in their needs. Thank you for your presence in our lives here in our Mission in Guatemala!

Today I made a quick run to the National Hospital to visit one of our patients, Juana, who we had sent Friday by ambulance. She is 15 years old, the mother of a three month old baby that she had by cesarean; she is now suffering from acute gallbladder disease with stones, anemia and requires surgery. She has no maternal milk and her three month old infant is surviving on breast milk of a neighbor, who is breast feeding her own baby. I was glad I had gone as I encountered the family, who were fearful of surgery, in the National Hospital and wanted to discharge her since her acute pain had improved. I am hopeful that I convinced them that she must have the surgery; I assured them that we will accompany her and that I know the surgeon and that he is very competent. More prayers!!

Good Night! Love from Guatemala! Sheila

Attatched a Photo of our priest, Fr Hazy outside a mountain parish church. And a bit of reality of the rainy seasons with friends of University of Montana Campus Ministry, walking in the rain!