CURRENT PROJECT
Purchase Orphanage Home
We are currently fundraising with a goal to purchase the orphanage home in June 2019 when the lease is up. I am planning to climb to Mt. Everest base camp as a major fundraiser in March 2019 for my 50th birthday. Our goal is to raise $150,000 for the down payment of the new orphanage home with a purchase price of $350,000. With $150,000 down, this will leave us with a 15 year mortgage and a very manageable payment of $1,500 a month which is what we rent for right now. This Home will give the much needed stability for the children and caregivers. Some of these orphans and foster children have moved multiple times before coming here. It is no small thing to move 20 kids and relocate. The home currently being rented suits their needs perfectly and owning it would be such a blessing for the kids to have a place to permanently call home.
Thomas
CURRENT PROJECT
Water Wells
More water wells in the villages surrounding Rodeo de Jalapa. The people in these small remote villages know first hand the struggle to have access to clean water or any water for that matter. The opportunity to provide them a well and to see the excitement of something as basic as water, I must admit has been one of the most humbling experiences in my life. It is an overwhelming blessing to them! We completed our 1st well in Rodeo de Jalapa this past December and in January 2018 we started digging 7 more wells to be completed by June 2018. To me another exciting part has not only been that they now have water, but that we have been able to employ them and empower them to do the work themselves. They are very gifted individuals who dig the wells by hand with picks and shovels and as my engineer who specializes in water wells who went with me to survey the first well said, "This is a great job!" The well also received a clean well certificate. We are able to build a quality water well for only $1,000. If you would like to sponsor a well with your family, church, or business we and the people of Guatemala would be most grateful! We would also include a very nice plaque at the well with whatever name you would like to mention as a sponsor of that well.
Thomas
Completed PROJECT
Construction of Medical clinic in Rodeo de Jalapa 2013.
With the building of this clinic the government now pays 1 doctor and 2 nurses to work from this clinic Mon-Friday 8-5. This is such a blessing for this community that did not have access to medical help without an hour taxi ride into Jalapa which costs $3 that they do not have.
Completed PROJECT
Construction of new church/community building that can squeeze in 400 people for the village of Rodeo.
Completed PROJECT
Purchased a van for the orphanage to accommodate the large number of kids to transport. Before the van they loaded and squished numerous kiddos into Cynthia's small Toyota Rav 4. This 16 seat van is much safer and easier!
Completed PROJECT
Building and dedication of school for the children of Rodeo de Jalapa, 2013. That is Sophia, our daughter, cutting the ceremonial ribbon with many of the children around her.
Completed PROJECT
New Orphanage location. Moving to this new home for the Orphanage in 2017 was a huge undertaking! The previous location was also rented and changes were made in the lease that did not make that a good option anymore. This new location and property works wonderfully for the kids. It is huge and all on one floor which is VERY important with many little ones. This is the property we would like to purchase as a permanent home for the children in June 2019 when the lease is up.
