Guatemala

First of all, I want to thank you so very much for donating 30 Peace Pals for my trip to Guatemala. It is very difficult to put into words the reaction the people of Guatemala had not only to our presence there, but to those Pals as well. I went with an organization called Refuge International. They are based out of Longview Texas.

We traveled to San Raymundo Guatemala, which is a somewhat remote village. The Clinic was located on the outskirts of town. Many people had to walk several hours in order to get to the clinic for medical care. People came from all over villages in Guatemala to receive primary care as well as surgeries.

The group I went with had 3 surgeons who performed Gallbladder surgery, Hernia repairs, as well as many Gynecological surgeries. I worked in the pre- and post-op areas. I did not see many children in my areas; however, many other physicians and nurse practitioners/nurses were working in the Clinic and were able to hand out the Peace Pals for me. During breaks from working, I was able to take the photos of the children with their Dolls. I personally handed out many of the pals in the photos when I was on a break.

All 30 were distributed to children that had been patients in the clinic. Seeing their little faces light up when they realized they were receiving a gift was just priceless. The people of Guatemala really are humble and selfless. It was so rewarding to care for them.

Again, thank you so very much for your donation. The Peace Pals were a major success with the children as well as the head of the organization - she loved them.

Thank you again,

Sincerely, Deirdre Murphy