Local Leaders Learning to Fight for their Communites

All of the work we do in Guatemala is planned and managed by a local team.  This is both an organizational necessity as well as a way to help implement long term change. It is a necessity because we need local people to identify needs and supervise our projects. Many donors make a mistake by…

In Her own words: Rosa Rax Chub

My name is Rosa Rax Chub. I am 16 and I come from the village of Chinamachacas, Livingston, Izabal. I have six brothers and sisters and of those I have only 2 little brothers that study in the elementary school in my village and 2 of us that came to study here at the Junior…

Medical Mission Serves over 1000 villagers in need

The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.  — Frederick Buechner     Where do you go on vacation? Maybe to the beach, the mountains, to see family – who knows. Whatever your dream vacation is, you most likely hope it is fun, restful, and relaxing. But,…

In His Own Words: Rodolfo

My name is Rodolfo Oswaldo Yac Chocoj, and the village where I come from is called Lo de en Medio. I have 5 brothers and four sisters. My two oldest brothers only finished elementary school – we don’t have the money to pay for their studies because there is no work for my dad. My…

We Can Make a Difference

Sometimes it is hard to imagine how difficult life can be for people – especially people from a different country or culture that we don’t know much about. Life in Guatemala, and places like it, is often unjust – cruel even – for no particular reason. We often see all the problems in the world,…

Merry Christmas from Hope for the Rio Dulce

We hope all is well with you and yours this wonderful Christmas season. It has been a while since our last update, but be assured that our team of in Guatemala and the United States is hard at work finding ways to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters in need. At this time…

In Her Own Words: Carmelina

A letter written in her own words (and translated into English) by a student at Hope for the Rio Dulce Junior High: Carmelina in her dorm room My name is Carmelina. I live in the village of Sarstun Creek, Livingston, Izabal. I have 7 brothers and one sister, two are in elementary school. My parents…

The Immigration Crisis

Immigrants riding atop train towards the United States. Photo: Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press Recent news has been highlighted by stories of large numbers of immigrant children arriving at our border. Over 60,000 “unaccompanied minors” have been detained at the US border this year. Much of the coverage has focused on politics. We do not…