What do we do?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Hello Everyone from Guatemala
This is not going to be the normal news letter showing you all of the medical clinics in remote villages because we have not had any teams since October. I do not want to sound negative in any way but I feel it is my obligation to keep those of you informed who have followed my work and supported us for years, to be aware of our situation.
This year we had eight teams scheduled to come and help us do medical clinics in the remote villages of Guatemala. Unfortunately due to the economy and personal reasons three of the eight teams canceled leaving us with only five small teams to see 140 villages. We of course could only see a fraction of those people and we still continue to receive request from villages who have no medical care or medicine at all.
I understand that the economy is taking it's toll on everybody around the world. I have many friends who are missionaries here in Guatemala and around the world how are throwing in the towel and returning home due to lack of support. We are faced with the dilemma of how can we see and treat medical patients with out help. Marleni and I can only see so many patients by ourselves, but when we have 300 to 500 people standing in line for help we just cannot do it with out help.
There are several other factors that we are having to deal with such as increase cost of fuel, (gas is $5.00 a gallon) food prices had doubled since I first came to Guatemala, and electricity is high and getting more costly. This is why you may have noticed on my web site that the expense cost is now $75.00 per day. We have not increased that cost for 10 years but we cannot continue unless we can pay for these items and maintenance.
We truly believe we are called to do this work and especially now that the government has shut down several hospitals due to lack of funds. This makes what we do even more of a need.
So with out beating around the bush I am just going to share with you our situation.
As of writing this news letter we have not one team signed up for next year 2012. We cannot afford to fly to the States and rent a car and pay for fuel to go speak to Churches and Universities or Civic Groups.
This leaves us with the only option of asking folks like you if you would be willing to form a team of at least 10 to 12 people and come to Guatemala for 8 to 10 days and help us treat the forgotten people living in areas so remote no one will go there but us.
I know this is asking a lot. It takes time from your work, and sacrifice from family members and takes expenses money to cover the cost of hosting a team. I understand this is a huge sacrifice on people lives to do this. But with out teams to come and help us we cannot continue.
I do want to stop here and say thank you to so many of you who can come down here and sacrificed to help us and also to those of you who could not come down but have supported our work over the years. We really have no words to thank you enough. But Marleni and I want to say THANK YOU !
Last year a team from North Eastern University Boston came down and did a fantastic job. Two of the team members had very good camera equipment and made a video of what is an normal medical mission trip. I have been given permission to show what we do and hope that it may inspire you to consider helping us to keep going.
Please take a few minutes of your time and click on this link and see what we do and what you can expect if you come to Junglemedic Missions for a medical mission trip.
Junglemedic Video
Our hope is to continue to help the people of Guatemala, but we cannot do it with out help from folks like you.
On a personal note I do want to say that I have been blessed in so many ways. God has given me a wonderful helpmate who is a wonderful Christian faithful wife and mother. Marleni just graduated from 5 years of going to the University to get her degree in Psychology. I know a lot of people have been asking about her.
I do not want to stop the work we do, but as I said, we cannot continue with out help. I guess that based on the response we get from this news letter we will know what we should do.
Thank You for taking the time to watch the video and read this news letter. And again thank you to all of you who have supported and helped us in so many ways over the years.
May Gods blessings be on you and your families and we pray you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
This is not going to be the normal news letter showing you all of the medical clinics in remote villages because we have not had any teams since October. I do not want to sound negative in any way but I feel it is my obligation to keep those of you informed who have followed my work and supported us for years, to be aware of our situation.
This year we had eight teams scheduled to come and help us do medical clinics in the remote villages of Guatemala. Unfortunately due to the economy and personal reasons three of the eight teams canceled leaving us with only five small teams to see 140 villages. We of course could only see a fraction of those people and we still continue to receive request from villages who have no medical care or medicine at all.
I understand that the economy is taking it's toll on everybody around the world. I have many friends who are missionaries here in Guatemala and around the world how are throwing in the towel and returning home due to lack of support. We are faced with the dilemma of how can we see and treat medical patients with out help. Marleni and I can only see so many patients by ourselves, but when we have 300 to 500 people standing in line for help we just cannot do it with out help.
There are several other factors that we are having to deal with such as increase cost of fuel, (gas is $5.00 a gallon) food prices had doubled since I first came to Guatemala, and electricity is high and getting more costly. This is why you may have noticed on my web site that the expense cost is now $75.00 per day. We have not increased that cost for 10 years but we cannot continue unless we can pay for these items and maintenance.
We truly believe we are called to do this work and especially now that the government has shut down several hospitals due to lack of funds. This makes what we do even more of a need.
So with out beating around the bush I am just going to share with you our situation.
As of writing this news letter we have not one team signed up for next year 2012. We cannot afford to fly to the States and rent a car and pay for fuel to go speak to Churches and Universities or Civic Groups.
This leaves us with the only option of asking folks like you if you would be willing to form a team of at least 10 to 12 people and come to Guatemala for 8 to 10 days and help us treat the forgotten people living in areas so remote no one will go there but us.
I know this is asking a lot. It takes time from your work, and sacrifice from family members and takes expenses money to cover the cost of hosting a team. I understand this is a huge sacrifice on people lives to do this. But with out teams to come and help us we cannot continue.
I do want to stop here and say thank you to so many of you who can come down here and sacrificed to help us and also to those of you who could not come down but have supported our work over the years. We really have no words to thank you enough. But Marleni and I want to say THANK YOU !
Last year a team from North Eastern University Boston came down and did a fantastic job. Two of the team members had very good camera equipment and made a video of what is an normal medical mission trip. I have been given permission to show what we do and hope that it may inspire you to consider helping us to keep going.
Please take a few minutes of your time and click on this link and see what we do and what you can expect if you come to Junglemedic Missions for a medical mission trip.
Junglemedic Video
Our hope is to continue to help the people of Guatemala, but we cannot do it with out help from folks like you.
On a personal note I do want to say that I have been blessed in so many ways. God has given me a wonderful helpmate who is a wonderful Christian faithful wife and mother. Marleni just graduated from 5 years of going to the University to get her degree in Psychology. I know a lot of people have been asking about her.
I do not want to stop the work we do, but as I said, we cannot continue with out help. I guess that based on the response we get from this news letter we will know what we should do.
Thank You for taking the time to watch the video and read this news letter. And again thank you to all of you who have supported and helped us in so many ways over the years.
May Gods blessings be on you and your families and we pray you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Hoping to continue in His Service,
Bryan and Marleni
Buchanan