Local people help build Guatemalans' new homes

By Ken Johnston
Editor

At a time of the year when so many people are giving, a group of district people just gave some people new homes at no cost to them.
Mark Mast of Rainy River recently lead a group of local people to Guatemala to do missionary work that involved building new homes for impoverished residents there.
This was Mast’s fifth trip to that country in the past three years to continue this work through Grace Ministries. Teams of 40 go on a regular basis, paying their own way there; about $900. Eight people from this area went, including Mark’s daughter Miriam, Don Ricci, Courtney Peters all of Rainy River, Felicia Schmutz, Stephanie Goodman and Brianna Shortreed all of Emo and Don Ricci’s brother-in-law Ron Stenning of Winnipeg.
Mast said that his cousins from Michigan have been going for years and kept saying he should go. At first they only worked on humanitarian needs like providing clothing and shelter. Then when they expressed an interest in doing the work of God Mark became very interested. In 2005 he travelled there and helped them establish a bible program. He made the journey three times that year and now the teams of 40 not only look after humanitarian needs but also spiritual needs.
Mark does some of each when he makes the trip and finds is so rewarding that he convinced others from this are to go last year and again this year.
The group departed on American Thanksgiving, Thurs. Nov. 22nd and returned eight days later. They travelled to Chimaltenango, Guatemala, a city of about 500,000 people. However, they spent their time mostly in the hills overlooking the city on a coffee plantation. Many of the people there live in poverty. “The existing homes are shanty at best; made from tin scraps, corn stocks or whatever they can find.”
His team set out to construct 12 feet by 12 feet tin buildings. While that does not sound like much to us here, Mast said the people there are very grateful for them and are often on a waiting list for them.
The local churches in Chimaltenango do needs assessments. Then they recommend on a priority basis who is next in line to get the new homes. Each team of 40 knows that they will be constructing 15 homes, but teams are constantly going to the region. Mast said that sometimes they have people approach them personally asking for help. “We make a note of it and get the word of their needs to the local church so they can get on the list.”
All members of the team also bring very little personal effects so that they can bring extra luggage filled with clothing and other needed items like shoes. “Miriam brought 16 lbs. of personal effects and I brought 20-25 lbs.” Mast said they have not done a local appeal for items, but people have been very generous. He noted that Inge Scheibler of Barwick, personally crocheted 50 afghans, some baby clothes and toques for the team to take down. But because the local team had their maximum allowable luggage she paid to have them shipped to another team member in Alabama to take with.
Five of the eight members from here are teenagers and on the last day with the help of two other teens and two university students, they built one of the homes all on their own. “They were very proud of that accomplishment,” said Mast.
In addition to the home building and the bible study work, they also painted a gymnasium at a seminary and the inside and outside of a local church.
Mast said that too date about 20 people from this area have gone and Grace Ministries has already allotted 10 spaces for more to go from here next November.
Some people have donated funding for team members to take down. For $10 a child can go to school for a month there. Mast said Schmutz also did a school project that saw her buy small Guatemalan dolls while down there and sell them for a profit here and then donate all the proceeds to the cause. She raised enough money, about $600 to build two more homes there.
Students at SCAP also raised money to make beautiful quilts which were taken to Guatemala by the local team.
If anyone would like to go on the next trip or help in any way they can contact Mark Mast at 852-3202.