Over the years, Mir Pace has been blessed with the young people who have participated in our mission programs. Each and every one of our volunteers are truly special. This past April, however, twenty high school student volunteers from throughout Massachusetts and Vermont traveled with us to Tamahú, Guatemala and touched our hearts in a profound way. They came from diverse backgrounds, all came for different reasons, some were seasoned travelers with Mir Pace, some new to us, yet all had the same light in their eyes and the same boundless energy. Friendships were fast and were created in the spirit of overwhelming kindness and care, discovery, wonder, joy and laughter. We were humbled and deeply inspired by their shared commitment to selflessly serve the poor of Tamahú, while also developing a sense of the needs and feelings of one another. We will never forget the young people of this group, and I hope they will remain a part of our Mir Pace family for years to come.

While in Tamahú, our volunteers assisted in the construction of a water tank that will serve twelve families living in the Aldea of San Francisco, a newly established community nestled within the lower mountain slope of the Cuchumatanes mountains. The source is located high atop a mountain where rainfall percolates through soil and metamorphic rock giving rise to a pristine, clear, crisp spring.

Our volunteers also began construction on a new home for a small family living in the lower village of Tamahú. The area is extremely poor, with very limited basic sanitation and health and social services, and many children suffer from nutritional deficiencies. The beneficiaries of this new home are a young mother whose husband is a migrant laborer working in the United States. Young women living in this situation are particularly vulnerable to abuse. She was a victim of sexual assault and is now careing for her fifth child. Thanks to the compassion and tireless efforts of our volunteers, this family will now enjoy a safe, dry, and spacious new home.

Our volunteers also gave of their time in visiting the local schools and visiting our newly established weaver's collaborative.

Below are some images from our week in Tamahú. Be sure to visit our "Newsletter" page and click on the May 2007 link to read the beautiful and very powerful reflections from our volunteers!