Guatemalan Life Challenge (GLC) - in support of PILAS Student Ministry

Rosie's Guatemalan (Food) Life Challenge - to Send a PILAS Youth to School!

When I went to visit Barb & Gerry Normand, Directors of PILAS Student Ministry (www.pilas.ca), for the first time last year – I knew the students they sponsored lived in poverty, but I didn’t think too much about what that meant for meals.  It wasn’t until Barb & Gerry told us their stories, that I learned that lunch was the first meal of the day for some of the kids; and that some dads spent more money on liquor than groceries.  And no matter how little they ate, the village kids were always expected to work in the fields after school.

It isn’t just the lack of meals they experience, it is also the lack of quantity and choice.  For those of you who’ve tried the Whole Life Challenge (“WLC”), which is a high protein, low carb, no sugar diet – you may appreciate how expensive it is to eat in this way.  In the Guatemalan villages, the diet is almost opposite.  Corn is one of their most abundant crops, so tortillas (made of corn flour) are among their affordable foods – as are black beans, eggs and rice.  Meat (mostly chicken), salads and fruits are expensive commodities, and portions (when they can get them) are small.

This September, I will be returning to Sumpango, Guatemala to support Barb & Gerry and the PILAS students.  What does PILAS Student Ministry do?  They provide educational support services to qualifying students (grades 7+) from the villages of Sumpango.  The villages have numerous challenges, which include acute poverty, malnourishment, addictions, absence of educational institutions, lack of employment, and more.  And, they lack leaders who can bring hope to their communities and families. PILAS’ goal is to graduate responsible citizens, equipped to initiate personal and social change.

To raise funds for PILAS, and to increase awareness of their food reality, I am doing a GLC (Guatemalan Life Challenge) diet. The week of July 25, I will eat a limited menu of "comida típica" (typical food) similar to what the village families would eat, as seen in this link:  http://bit.ly/GLCmealplan

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For only $6,000 CAD, PILAS can send three high-potential village youth to school for a year (with a hearty lunch!)  They currently have 8 students in their program.  Will you please help me send three of these students back to school this year by sponsoring my GLC week of "comida típica"?  All donations through this website are eligible for a Canadian income tax receipt, and funds will be transferred to PILAS through their sponsoring organization, Commission to Every Nation (“CTEN”).  You can also donate by mailing a cheque or donating online directly to CTEN (a registered charity that also issues tax receipts) – details are on the website: http://www.ctenc.ca/gerrynormand/ 

I would love to tell you more about PILAS and my Guatemalan experience if you are interested.  Please contact me by email, check out their website (www.pilas.ca), or follow along during the GLC week on my church’s blog site:  http://english.etcbc.org/etcbc-blogs/

Thank you so much for your support.  Together, we can help make a better future for the youth and villages of Guatemala.

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112% raised!  $6,705 of $6,000 Goal  ($5,020 Offline + $1,685 Online)

Wow - THANK YOU everyone!