A Volunteer Humanitarian Aid
and Sustainable Development Organization
Our Mission:
To provide worldwide humanitarian relief and development programs
in order to reduce vulnerability, alleviate human suffering, and
restore the self-sufficiency and livelihoods of disaster-affected populations,
while fostering cultural understanding and volunteerism through
International High School Mission (IHSM) programs.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." (Gandhi)
May 2006 Newsletter
We extend our sincere gratitude to so many of you who have and continue to support our work. We hope you enjoy this issue, and we hope that you will continue to be inspired to help us in our efforts to serve the poor throughout the world and foster youth volunteerism
2006 Ongoing Appeal!
We continue our efforts to
raise much-needed funds in order that we may build and expand our programs in serving the poor, and we
depend on your generous support. If you would like to make a donation,
please click here to be automatically directed to
our secure on-line donation page. We ask that you kindly give as generously as possible, and please
encourage everyone you know to match your donation! We also want to assure you that at least
90% of all donations received is spent directly on our development programs.
Mir Pace International is a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization. Your charitable contribution is deeply appreciated and is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted
by the Internal Revenue Code.
Mir Pace's principal goal, through our IHSM programs, is to provide young people the opportunity to experience and appreciate the effects of poverty and injustice in the lives of people throughout the developing world and help them to learn invaluable lessons about their personal capabilities, to know the values of volunteerism and to then use this knowledge to involve themselves more committedly in community service programs here at home.
Last year's newsletter (May 2005), provided a beautiful and very moving account of our program in Tamahú, Guatemala, written by Alissa Doherty. Recently, she had this to share: "I could see the change that I had made, I could feel it, I could almost touch it. Every hug and every smile and every bag of cement had made a difference to someone. I was changing the world by becoming a part of something bigger than myself. This weekend it will be the [Women's and Children's] Shelter in Dorchester, this summer it will be Tanzania, and one day it will be the Peace Corps, but now I know that I am capable of making a difference. I am the change I wish to see in the world."
Thank you Alissa, for your beautiful response to our programs. We wish you every
success in your future plans serving the poor!
Once again, Mir Pace was blessed with 21 extraordinary volunteers who participated in our April 2006 IHSM program. With the help of family and friends, our young volunteers began their mission even before they departed Boston. They worked to gather donated items for the people of Tamahú and held several very successful fundraising events. Once in Tamahú, they came together in truly inspiring ways! Under crystal-clear skies and in sweltering heat, the group worked tirelessly to construct three homes for some of the poorest families in Tamahú. We are grateful for the sacrifices they and their families made, and we applaud each one of them for their cooperation, determined efforts, and unremitting exuberance. There are many treasured memories of this trip, and we invite you to read about their experiences by following the "next" link at the bottom of this page. We hope you enjoy what our young volunteers have to share!
On July 22, 2006, Mir Pace will hold its 2nd Annual Paddle for Poverty kayak race
(canoes and other paddle boats are also welcome!). Come meet us at Steamboat Wharf Marina (Nantasket Pier),
on George Washington Boulevard, next to Jake's Seafood Restaurant, in Hull, MA. Volunteers are also needed!
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. To learn more and to download a registration form, please click here.
From July 27 through August 11,
IHSM volunteers will work in the northwest region of Tanzania, the Kagera region, assisting local
communities in the construction of water harvesting systems, interior repair and improvement
projects at a rural medical clinic, assisting at a shelter for street children, and visiting the local schools.
Knowledge of the Swahili language is NOT required!
For more information about being a part of these rewarding experiences, please visit our
Mission Locations page.
by Lizzie Keller, 2006 IHSM Volunteer
Remembering Guatemala -
The van cautiously made its way down the winding roads. My fellow group members and I lay sprawled out in
the back, overcome with a sticky heat, exhaustion, and lack of space for an abundance of arms, legs and feet.
Yet as we finally pulled into the village, we pulled ourselves out of our somnolent slumber and opened our
eyes to the place we had heard so much about-Tamahú. We pulled up next to the church, and it seemed as if
the entire town was waiting there for our arrival. As we all piled out of the van, I suddenly felt shy.
Kind of timid. Why had we been chosen to come here? Why were we, out of the billions of people born in the
world, chosen to win the genetic lottery, thus being born in America? I definitely didn't figure it out
then, and maybe it is something that neither I, nor any of us will ever be able to comprehend. Standing
there in that churchyard, I'll never forget seeing a father and his baby daughter standing watching us. He
was smiling and pointing in our direction. I think it made everyone feel a little relieved to know that
everyone was grateful for our coming. Generosity and kindness was one of the many qualities we would
discover in the people of Tamahú.
Although we had seen the pictures, our group was awestruck by the majestic and stately
beauty of the village. If you woke up in the house the girls stayed in and walked right out onto the balcony,
you could see the most gorgeous view of the mountains and rain forest. One night, some of us even decided
to sleep out there. I remember it as the most peaceful sleep I've ever had. Even more of a welcome sight in
the mornings were the villagers. They were all so friendly and hospitable. Our first weekend there we were
able to get to interact with them a lot-by playing soccer at a local school, going to the market, or just
going up and saying hello. Their generosity was incomparable, and something we often don't see here in the
United States anymore. How can it be that people who have so little be so gracious, yet we who have so much
are not?
When the time finally came to work on our houses, we were a crew that was ready to go! We
divided up into three separate groups, aptly named Groups One, Two, and Three. Group One and Two's houses
were in the mountains, while Group Three got started on tearing down a house just outside the center of the
village. One interesting and eye-opening experience was seeing farmers use the "slash-and-burn" methods on
the land. It's often taught in schools, but it's a different thing to see it practiced up close. It's a
little sad knowing so much of Guatemala's beautiful landscape can be destroyed like that, for the benefit of
the wealthy land owners, while the workers are allotted only a tiny plot near their huts to grow their own
food, which is not nearly enough to feed their families, especially during the off-harvest season. It was
one of the true experiences on this trip that made you realize what a different life we have here in America.
We don't worry about having basic things-things that are so necessary to live, like clean water, food, and
shelter. We just know that it will always be there.
One of the other experiences I'll never forget in the house-building process was the
group of kids that helped us. They were the ones to live in the house. One little boy in particular, he was
probably about 6 years old, kept bringing cinderblocks and bags of cement down the mountain, and he did it
while smiling the entire time. He was so proud that he was helping to build his house, and so grateful for
our help that he wanted to aid us in whatever way he could. To think of him is such a refreshing and
beautiful sight, and reminds me of a quote by R.H. Delaney. "Love builds bridges where there are none."
The week continued to fly by and on Thursday, Eileen dropped a bomb on us: We were to
leave that night (there was a state-wide protest of the farmers and the roads would only be open that
evening). The thought of leaving the place that had come to be almost a second home was a lot to bear. In
the midst of packing and finding lost items, many of us walked around the village a last time in an attempt
to say goodbye to the place that had been so wonderful to us. And when it came time to leave, there was no
shortage of tears. I'll never forget when our host "mother"-the woman who rented one of the houses to Mir
Pace-gave me a flower. I felt like she, like many of the villagers, had given us so much, and really acted
as a "mother" type figure throughout the trip. Those were the moments when saying goodbye became incredibly
difficult. Everyone wanted to stay just a little longer; leaving today would have been too soon. Many of the
children were crowding around the van saying goodbye. It's so impossible to forget them and I don't think
we ever will.
One of the most culturally shocking experiences for me was eating dinner the night I got
back home. My dad said "I'll bet a lot of the people in Tamahú would be grateful for this meal right now."
Suddenly, I was on the verge of tears. What he said was so true. It is then that you realize something very
important. For the villagers of Tamahú, there will not be any jet plane whisking them to America. For the
villagers of Tamahú, the opportunities we are so fortunate to have will probably never be the same for them.
But the villagers of Tamahú also possess something more real and more complete than anything any of us have ever
known: the true power of love and kindness.
by Andrew Wesson, 2006 IHSM Volunteer
The Mir Pace high school mission trip to Tamahú was an
incredible experience. I could talk for days about how greatly this trip impacted my views of the world and
my outlook on life, but what was even more remarkable was how much we were able to help the people in
Guatemala. Whether we were building houses, distributing goods, or even playing soccer, everywhere we went
there was an opportunity to make a difference.
One of the most memorable and heartening experiences came on our last day in Tamahú.
After a long week of building houses, there were still boxes and boxes of soap, shoes, blankets and bags to
hand out. Directed by Father Rick, a few of us went on an hour-long hike through the mountains to a very
isolated village consisting of no more than fifty families. When we arrived, curious children gathered
around and women gave us warm corn drinks. Everyone in the village eventually packed into the small, dimly
lit church where Father Rick led a mass. This mass, which was spoken in either Kekchi or Pocum, had a
remarkable atmosphere. Chills ran down my spine as the people started saying their prayers out loud,
everyone going at a different pace. I could see through the looks on their faces just how strong and
important their faith in God was. After this mass, we organized ourselves to efficiently distribute goods
to every family. I worked with Father Rick and a man from the village handing out boots and sandals. Every
single person was able to get a brand new pair of shoes. Each family also received more than fifteen bars
of soap, a few blankets, and a couple of tote bags. Allie and Jessica did a great job occupying the kids
passing out bubbles and taking pictures, while John showed the villagers how to use the hand sanitizers that
were donated. By the look on their faces, I could tell that the people of this village were overjoyed to
have us there.
The feeling of reward and accomplishment that I felt after was truly indescribable. It
made me realize how much we have in the United States and how much we could contribute if we really tried.
by Sarah Blakely, 2006 IHSM Volunteer
Strong-muscled people with black hair and caramel skin, carrying straw baskets of freshly
picked produce. These were the Guatemalans I had seen in photos and been imagining since I found out that I
would be traveling to Guatemala in April. The purposes of my trip to Tamahú, Guatemala were to begin
building cinderblock houses, live with a Guatemalan family, and be fully immersed in Guatemalan culture.
As we've settled back here to life in America, many of us still find ourselves reflecting
on the trip, our lives, and theirs. The houses we constructed were just outside of Tamahú in the surrounding
mountains, primarily inhabited by Mayan Indians. Unfortunately, this group of people tends to have even
fewer resources than the Guatemalans who live in villages and cities throughout the country. Still, many
Guatemalans live in a serious state of poverty. Someone who lives at the top of a mountain must walk for as
long as three hours in order to reach the nearest town. I cannot imagine walking for so long, as I felt out
of breath after my 25-minute hikes to my worksite. Often times when I walked past someone in the mountains,
he or she would glance back at me or stop and stare for a little while. As I sluggishly made my way up the
mountain each day, I wondered what they were thinking.
Another aspect of the trip that I thought was eye-opening was watching the family who
prepared our meals work together. There were at least seven women of varying ages, some with young children,
working at a time. They greeted us with warm smiles as we walked through the kitchen door to hand them our
dirty dishes after each meal. The small children were equally happy to help. Seeing this generous, happy,
hard-working family work together to prepare our meals was one of the many ways that helped me realize how
privileged a lifestyle I live.
As I sit here on my couch, I am terribly sad that I am not in Guatemala. I hope I am able
to return someday, as the people are cheerful and generous in a way I rarely see in my everyday life. While
our i-Pods and new jeans bring us instant gratification, simpler things in life, like smiles and hugs,
delight Guatemalans.
Danielle, Lizzie, Emily, Erin, Isaac, Jessica E., Jessie, Jessica F., Owen, Robert, Rosie,
Sam, Sarah, Stephanie, Wayne, Jack, John, Maureen, Susan and Susan,
for "being the change we wish to see in the world!"
