June 19-28, 2009 St Pious, VBS & Construction Trip

Much of Kentucky’s week oners, stayed for week two and were accompanied by about 10 more arrivals from Kentucky. We were also blessed with the presence of Katrina Hennies and family, whom adopted Reese, a Guatemalan child, just before the closing of international adoptions.

The group geared up for the week with a church service, once again held at beautiful Pasabien waterfall.

The Reese House, which is the Hearts In Motion orphanage, was dedicated on June 21st, 2009 with the presence of little Reese, her adopted family as well as the Guatemalan family who cared for her as she awaited her departure for the US.

The much awaited arrival of the container finally happened during this week. Seeing the semi come down the rough, washed out roads in Valle del Motagua was quite a sight! After several tries the semi successfully ramped up enough power to make the entrance into the center for unloading. With the help of all the volunteers and many bomberos, the semi was unloaded and sorted. Thank ya’ll (as they say in Kentucky) the wonderful donations you sent to Guatemala!

VBS was held in Cubilete, Valle del Motagua where the Nutrition Center and Orphanage are located, Triunfo, and Las Carretas. Volunteers acted out the Biblical stories of Jonah and The Whale and The Three Kings, much to the kids delight! Also, the local kids successfully got more glitter on themselves and the volunteers than their projects!


The construction crew tackled the pile of pavers seen below and started the walkway. It was quite a job making sure the spacing was accurate bewteen each block! They also built and varnished more tables and benches for Wednesday’s Feed at the Nutrition Center. Black tarp was laid under the courtyard rocks, which involved first moving the rocks, a lengthy task, made much more enjoyable by the presence of good music!

The artist of the group, Angela, added to her previous mural in the HIM house comedor. Leading her team of painters they created a welcoming ambiance of butterflies, birds, clouds, and plants. Great job guys! Thanks for adding more color to our home!

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to Hearts In Motion. Another productive and fun filled week with the Kentuckians has us excited for their return in 2010.

Ya’ll come back now ya hear!!

VBS, Medical Clinic, Sports In Motion, Construction trip June 12-21 ,2009

June was welcomed with a group from St. Pius Church, of Louisville, Kentucky and a group from Illinois. The group brought many familiar faces as well as several new ones, totaling 53 volunteers. Focuses for the week included Vacation Bible School with the area kids, medical clinics, Sports In Motion work and construction projects.

Sunday morning’s waterfall service set the tone for the week with a beautiful message given by Mark. The message reminded us that the years that will someday be represented by the “dash” on each of our gravestones and what we did during that time is what really matters. Spending a week in service was an excellent way for each of us to evaluate what we want our "dash" to represent.

Following the service we visited the Senior Center in Usutmatlan, where we were greeted my many smiling faces appreciative of our visit, as well as the mayor. The mayor came to thank HIM for the hard work and helping hearts they provide to the town.

Throughout the week clinics and VBS were held, typically simultaneously, in the villages of La Fragua, Aldea El Chaguijon, El Remolino and El Arco. During the course of the week 1,145 people were seen at clinic and rougly 300 kids participated in VBS!

Vacation Bible School Fun!

The Director of SIM joined us for the week and headed up continued work on the basketball/tennis court in Valle del Motagua, as well as did some initial planning for the soccer field. The court got a new coat of paint and looks wonderful! Dusk to dawn lights were put up on the electric poles surrounding the court, to allow for night play. The first night the lights went on the court was greeted by nearly 40 people ready to play!

Check out the tranformation of the basketball/tennis court!

The court, pre paint.

Jack and Glenda, hard at work!

Lights for night play going up.

The results, including addition to the future tienda (store) area.

Be sure to become members of both Hearts In Motion and Sports In Motion on Facebook!!

Construction teams worked diligently on putting up a wall to separate a room in the Nutrition Center to allow the rooms to be more well utilized. Additionally, 6 junior beds, 6 cribs, and 4 playpens were constructed and varnished for the daycare at El Maguey. The temporary bodega (warehouse) at the Nutrition Center was torn down and the contents were moved in the new, permanent storage space.

Furniture construction

Delivery of furniture to El Maguey

Our mission work this week was a perfect example of the kind of importance of the dash in each of our lives. Hopefully each volunteers work with HIM was a catalyst for the continuation of the work that REALLY matters.

We all look forward to another blessed trip with this crew in 2010!

And remember to keep living out your "dash!"

Cleft Lip/Palate Surgery and Dental Trip Mar 20-29,2009

A full month of HIM trips visiting Guatemala was wrapped up with the Cleft Lip/Palate Surgery and Dental trip. With a whopping 69 volunteers from the states it was a remarkable week! Close to half of the crowd were new faces to HIM. It was a busy week with a gammot of projects happening.

The focus of construction this week was the orphanage. Given the prep from the previous trips, we were set to pour the floor for the second story of the building. With no water in the city of Gualan that day, and temperatures in the high 90s, the troops pressed on and the floor was successfully poured! A big hand to all those involved, it was no easy feat!

General and Dental clinics were held at Finca Carrizal, Gualan, Barranco Colorado, La Union and La Iguana. With large teams, there was a lot of activity at each clinic. As the week progressed, temperatures rose, yet the group rose to the occasion! Totals for the week included...

1143 General medical patients seen

325 Dental patients seen

665 Tooth Extractions
512 Teeth Cleanings
95 Eyeglasses fit

55 Surgeries

We were blessed to have the presence of three skilled plastic surgeons this week. The hospital team of doctors, nurses, surgical techs, etc were able to complete an amazing 55 surgeries!

Bomberos come to the rescue to provide us with water!

Assembly line concrete pouring.

Some of the girls showing off their muscles and skills!
Inside the Nutrition Center, volunteers hard at work rectifying our courtyard weed problem.

Clinic set up at Barranco Colorado

Teeth varnishing at clinics

Extracting teeth

Seeing patients at general medical clinics

Volunteers and locals mingle as HIM is welcomed to La Union by the Mayor and a Marimba band. It was a beautiful day with a light hearted feel thanks to the music of Guatemala's national instrument.

Clothing hand out at the garbage dump.

Thanks again to all who made this an extremely successful month for HIM! You did make a difference in the lives of countless Guatemalans and volunteers from the states. An immeasureable number of smiles, hugs, and new friendships Cheers to putting our hearts in motion!

Arcadia Trip Mar 14-22, 2009

Arcadia University in Philadelphia returned this year with a crew of 42 people. General medical clinics, construction, and schools were the focus for the week. The construction team worked through the heat and sun tying rebar in prepartion for the second story floor to be poured for HIM's orphange in Gualan. A lot of hard work and sweat enabled the results necessary for the preparation to be completed. This group also picked up where the prior week's group left off on the AA building in Teculutan and laid more block. With the help of an ER doctor from Houston, a Nurse Practitioner, and two Physician Assistants 771 patients were seen at the general clinics held throughout the area. Additionally, the group's Education Majors visited 3 area schools where they were able to interact with the children through games, books, and art projects, as well as see the conditions of typical schools in Zacapa. Many supplies were able to be distributed to the teachers and students as well.

Patients, patiently waiting as we set up for clinic in Los Limones.

Setting up our "pharmacy" for the day

Jan checking out this little one's complaint

Jan and Alyssa seeing a group of siblings

Dr. Kasper examining this little tyke, as he examines Dr. Kasper!

Activities with the children who came to, or accompanied their mothers to the clinic

The team working hard, prepping food and distributing it to the kids

Visiting area schools

Outdoor classroom at Pueblo Modelo
Games with the kids!

Thanks for playing!

Visiting the children at Maria's Daycare

Nick with this new arrival to the Teculutan Nutrition Center

The trips visit to the garbage dump.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of eachother and every person who's life you so willingly touched while in Guatemala! Hearts In Motion looks forward to a return from

Arcadia University in 2010!