The morning of July 30, I set off rather early to pick up Laura Foster at the airport. (I was a bit worried that we’d be late, since it took us more than 45 minutes to get out of Antigua due to parades the various political candidates were having, but we made it just in time.)
Laura is a young lady I have had the privilege of watching grow up since almost pre-school. In April of 2009, she along with two friends came with me for an Easter trip down here to Guatemala. This past May, she graduated from Concordia High School in Omaha, and, as a graduation present, her parents have given her a two week stay with me in Antigua.
Before you start thinking that I am now running a vacation and tour service, let me assure you that Laura is very serious about serving here for the glory of God. In place of graduation presents, she asked that her friends and families make donations to the Josiah Foundation which will be used to provide wheelchairs and other needed items for the children at Hermano Pedro. Now she was coming to “shadow” me and spend time with the kids once again.
Two weeks with Laura flew by. She spent a good deal of time at Hermano Pedro, and really enjoyed taking kids to her favorite Guatemalan restaurant (and theirs)—Pollo Campero.
She also helped out in numerous ways at a Hope Haven wheelchair distribution.
Laura accompanied Dick and me on a couple of trips into the villages, visiting two very different communities. In Cerro Colorado, near the coast, she visited the Vincente Hernandez family and went with us to take the school age kids to lunch in Santa Lucia to celebrate their good grades. Here she saw just how hot Guatemala can be!
We also took Laura to visit one of our favorite communities, just outside Tecpan. Maria, a young widow with four children, and her extended family live here in a small community with other impoverished families. These people are some of the most gracious and welcoming people I’ve met in Guatemala, and we wanted Laura to meet them. This climate here is very different than the coast, since this area is in a mountain valley which sits at about 7400 feet. Much cooler and more comfortable here. Much more traditional life-style, too, and we visited in adobe block houses.
Laura became very independent in her work here—even going alone to Hermano Pedro one day when I was involved elsewhere.
While she loved the kids with disabilities down in the Anibal ward, this trip she fell in love with the little ones up in the Malnutrition Project. (This time she was old enough to go up there and spend time!). She quickly became a favorite with the kids up there.
In addition to just loving on the kids downstairs, Laura got some practice “teaching” especially working with Elmer. She has a natural knack for this, and the kids enjoyed working with her.
She reluctantly returned to the US August 13th, already planning her next trip back here. It will have to work around her studies this fall at Metro Community College in Elkhorn. She plans to continue on to study to become a special education teacher in the future. I sure know kids she can try out her skills on!
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