Hello to you and thank you for being interested in what we are doing in Guatemala.
I am not sure how to ask so I guess I will use the direct approach. We need some of your money. OK the painful part is over, now for the explanation.
If you recall our first Christmas while traveling to visit Maura and family; we saw many children along the road waving. We later found out they are from the small villages hoping to get a bit of candy or a toy that they may have some enjoyment at Christmas.
Our second Christmas; we used some of past generosity to give them more than a little happiness. We bought 200 pounds of beans, rice, and sugar. We hired some poor children from our village to put them into 1 pound bags. We combined these with a box of crayons, markers, or paint sets, a few pencils, pens, and a toy or candy and a pamphlet explaining the salvation plan and its relation to Christmas. Loading my van; we distributed these bags covering about 2 miles.
We hope to do the entire 10 mile section this year. With some quick math you can estimate a need of 100 bags per mile or 1000 bags. If we empty our Guatemala account, we can do about 400 bags. As said; we hope for 1000 bags with the estimated cost per bag at $2.00.
$2.00 per child may seem like a lot when there are 1000 of them. Allow me to explain the inexpensiveness of this project. For this family to have beans and rice in the same meal will be a feast. The school supplies couldn’t come at a better time, school starts the first week in January. It is always an appropriate time to explain God’s love. The candy or small toy, well that is for pleasure only.
Thank you for considering our request.
With 3000 plus pounds in the ½ ton Toyota pick up; it should be about full.
Give to PayPal or to my POA.
We are sorry but we are not a tax exempt organization, but you can be assured that 100% of this is used for the poor families in Guatemala.
A note of encouragement; during the week that we wrote this; we received a $100.00 donation from a friend in New Hampshire. I’m smiling not as much for the money but as for the way God works.
If you plan to help, please do so before December 8 as this is the date we will be busying the beans, rice, and sugar.
Dennis and Sue Santkuyl
