The holidays are in full swing and I cannot believe that in less than a month I will be headed out for this adventure. Thank you ALL for the support you have given, the world is a better place already!
A new change, I have a different host family. I will be staying with two women and a 2 year-old in the same neighborhood where I had originally been placed. Still 15 minutes from Caras Alegres Orphanage and near the city centre!
Can't wait to meet this awesome new host family and experience Guatemalan culture first hand. I am honored to be taking this journey.
Much love and let's all hope for peace as we enter 2014.
P.S.-I will be raising funds through the end of January for Guatemala. If you are interested in donating to this cause online please visit:
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Support Mary Beth's Guatemalan Volunteer Project!
Hope all are well preparing for the holidays! Just wanted to share a way that anyone/everyone can contribute online to the Guatemalan Volunteer Project I will be embarking on in just over a month!!
Please watch the video, read the information, and remember that ALL of your donations will go STRAIGHT to the causes in Guatemala!
Here is the link:
Please watch the video, read the information, and remember that ALL of your donations will go STRAIGHT to the causes in Guatemala!
Here is the link:
Monday, December 16, 2013
Hello everyone! Firstly, thanks to EVERYONE who has provided such awesome support for this project. It means so much. I hope you are all well while preparing for your holiday season. I promised some photos that would familiarize you all with where exactly I will be. For many of you this will just be a brush-up on your geography and for others, an introduction to the location of Quetzaltenango (Xela) where I will live for 3 months!
I will be in a mountainous and highly volcanic region, but I will save pictures of those until I'm actually there and able to take them myself (hopefully!). So, here are two maps to get you familiar with my exact location!
I will be in a mountainous and highly volcanic region, but I will save pictures of those until I'm actually there and able to take them myself (hopefully!). So, here are two maps to get you familiar with my exact location!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Hola todos! I just want to update everyone on the newest details about my trip. In the last day, A Broader View has given me information about my host family, my address, and my whereabouts in the city of Xela. I couldn't be more thrilled that I am about to embark on this journey...in a little over a month!
My host family is a couple in their 40's named Sandra and Sergio. They have 3 sons, although only two still live at home. The two sons at home are ages 20 and 15. As many of us have learned through teaching, volunteering, mentoring, etc., you learn A LOT from young people so I am thrilled to be living with two young Guatemalans to help me pick up colloquialisms, Guatemalan culture, and maybe even show me around town!
Sandra and Sergio's home is located only 4 blocks from the city centre of Xela. This is the oldest, most historic part of the city (which if you know me, thrills the socks off me!) and I am only a 15 minute walk from the orphanage where I will volunteer daily. During my 3-month stay, there will most likely be other volunteers staying at the home-stay with me and at any given time, A Broader View could have around 4 or 5 volunteers in the city of Xela (although not all necessarily volunteering on the same assignment).
I'll post pictures soon to give you all an idea of the geography of the area, and MUCHAS GRACIAS again for all of the support that is pouring my way from all directions. So much love in this world. Let's start spreading it.
My host family is a couple in their 40's named Sandra and Sergio. They have 3 sons, although only two still live at home. The two sons at home are ages 20 and 15. As many of us have learned through teaching, volunteering, mentoring, etc., you learn A LOT from young people so I am thrilled to be living with two young Guatemalans to help me pick up colloquialisms, Guatemalan culture, and maybe even show me around town!
Sandra and Sergio's home is located only 4 blocks from the city centre of Xela. This is the oldest, most historic part of the city (which if you know me, thrills the socks off me!) and I am only a 15 minute walk from the orphanage where I will volunteer daily. During my 3-month stay, there will most likely be other volunteers staying at the home-stay with me and at any given time, A Broader View could have around 4 or 5 volunteers in the city of Xela (although not all necessarily volunteering on the same assignment).
I'll post pictures soon to give you all an idea of the geography of the area, and MUCHAS GRACIAS again for all of the support that is pouring my way from all directions. So much love in this world. Let's start spreading it.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Hola todos y bienvenidos a mi blog! As many of you are aware, I will be traveling to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala on January 23, 2014 to serve as a volunteer at a high-need orphanage with A Broader View volunteers. This will be a challenge for me, but nothing compared to challenges experienced by the abandoned and orphaned children with whom I will be working in Xela. Sometimes 60-100 children ages 0-15 are on campus leaving this orphanage understaffed and these children with no one to simply play games, read to them, or change a diaper. My goal is to dedicate every ounce of my energy to these children and this organization and hopefully bring a smile to at least one nios face.
Again, thank you for your support. I will try to update frequently with pictures and stories. Here is a link to A Broader View www.abroaderview.org. Again, I will be in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala!
Gracias por todos!
Again, thank you for your support. I will try to update frequently with pictures and stories. Here is a link to A Broader View www.abroaderview.org. Again, I will be in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala!
Gracias por todos!
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