Friday, July 26, 2013

Mission trip to Guatemala

Our fabulous youth and adult advisors left last night for their mission trip to Guatemala! In Guatemala City they will work with the organization Safe Passage for a week. Safe Passage is located in the slums adjacent to the Guatemala City garbage dump. It's mission is to provide a way out of poverty through education. Safe Passage is not a school, it is a support center that helps children with their schooling and works with parents as well.


The group of 17 have spent nearly a year preparing. Meeting monthly they: created a covenant, learned about Guatemala, raised funds, and planned lessons for their time in the children's classes. They are being led by a really wonderful group of adults: Mindy Whisenhunt, Randy Jennings, Roz Dahl, Dan Mackay, and Jon Marr. Mindy, Randy, Roz and Dan are also senior youth advisors, so they really know the youth they are traveling with well. Mindy, Roz and Jon traveled with the group on their last mission trip to Guatemala two years ago.




They are all representing FUSS (soon UUSS) and our Unitarian Universalist faith out in the world. I have no doubt that they will represent us with joy, kindness and compassion. They will be changed by this trip and they will change others too; this I know from personal experience.

A little history: This is the third time our congregation has helped send youth on a mission trip to Guatemala. Our connection began on a beach in Maine, UU retreat center Ferry Beach, when Mindy Whisenhunt learned about Safe Passage. Mindy has worked tirelessly maintaining a connection to Safe Passage, traveling there on her own and leading these three trips.