Part 20 "Adios, Babies!"

[Cheryl's Note: Follow the rest of Michelle's adventure in the March blog posts.]


Michelle writes: Tomorrow I take a shuttle bus to Panajachel, a popular tourist town on the lake. From there, I take a boat to Santiago Atitlan. Then, I'm supposed to show a tuk-tuk driver the photo on the flyer for the Elder Center. That is supposed to get me there; if not, I have a phone number of a lady. It is all an adventure! Everyone is so helpful, I'm not worried. Is that called blind faith?


I will miss the babies.

Baby René

Mario, an independent nino, follows you around the hospital.

Sweet Juan Antonio always sucks those middle fingers to fall asleep.

The twins voice their opinions.

This 4'10" nurse is a powerhouse, keeping Casa Jackson's babies fed, changed, bathed and charted!

Part 2 "God's Child"

Michelle writes:
Hello from Antigua, Guatemala. I'm here for a month to do volunteer work for the God's Child Project. I've been working in the hospital with infants and children who have cerebral palsy, low birth weight, burns, etc. The people here are very appreciative, and there is such a great need. 

I’m at the hospital this morning, bathing, changing and feeding the babies.All those here are small and malnourished. The people here are already small, but these children are very small for their age. The usual stay is 3 months, being fed every 2-3 hours. The families also come to visit and learn about nutrition. They are given food supplies to assist with an improved diet. Ninety-nine children were here in 2010, and only five had to return for additional help. 

Education is critical for improved sanitation and diet. The father of the three-year-old who only weighs 12 lbs. spent the entire morning holding, feeding, bathing and diapering. Evidence of the love of family. 

Entrance to God's Child Facility

Antigua, Guatemala

What is God's Child?

Here is some information from their website at  http://GodsChild.org/home.html

"There are many diverse opportunities for volunteers to help make a lasting contribution to our mission to help the world's poorest children and families "break the bitter chains of poverty through education and formation." Whether you can give a day or a couple of years to The God's Child Project, we'd love to meet you and show you around. Please email volunteers@anaguatemala.org for more information or to schedule a tour. 

The God's Child Project was founded in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA, in 1991 by Patrick Atkinson to help orphaned and abandoned children Atkinson had removed from the midst of Guatemala's violent 37-year civil war. Since 1991, the Project has grown to where it now provides Guatemala Central America's largest and most comprehensive charitable services."