In 2020, a number of Central American counties were hit by a couple of massive hurricanes that caused horrific damage to millions of people. One of the problems was the lack of clean drinking water – the streams and rivers were brown with contaminated water. Through Welcome Hand, we raised the funds to provide water purification filters and buckets to 5,000 Kekchi (Mayan) families that are located in the villages near Coban, Guatemala. It was an extraordinary experience for me to visit with these humble people that live in shacks with a dirt floor – with chickens and other animals residing with them.
On one occasion I was so very glad when we made it to the other side of a large river after crossing on a dilapidated swing bridge to visit a small village of Kekchi people. The walkway on this bridge even had some boards missing. This was a harrowing experience for me. There were many people on the bridge, and it was swinging back and forth, and I was so sure that the little cable could not hold all the weight. Then, when we made it safely to the other side, the only way to get back to the car was to cross it again. But it was well worth it because the people were extremely friendly, and they were so very grateful to get the water filters. This was also the year of Covid-19, when we had to wear masks and be very careful how we interacted with people.
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