Mission of Love Good News

Theheartsarealltheplaces

Mission of Love Good News

DearMissionofLoveVolunteers,andSupporters,

Iamproudtosharewithyouour2021MissionofLoveGoodNewsNewsletterwithyou.Ournewsletterdemonstratessomanyofthesuccessesthatwehavehadoverthe pastyearbecauseofyoursupport.Ournewsletterisaboutyou.BecauseofyoursupportweareabletoprovidebasichumanneedstotheIndigenousLakotaandMayaIndians.

YouwillbeimpressedandproudtoreadthesestorieswrittenbyourMissionofLoveVolunteers.OurIndigenousfriendsdependuponyoursupportinordertoregainhopein ordertothrive.YouwillreadinourNewsletteraboutunconditionallove.

SojustwheredoIbegintosummarizeourInternationalIndigenousMissionofLove’s2021?

Wemonthlysupportour“MayaGrandmothersHome”inTecpán,Guatemalaandcontributeto“TheHouseofGod.”

OurDentonAirliftmadeitswaytotheLaMosquitiaRainForestinHondurastotheNormaLoveFoundation~MissionofLovevolunteersbagged35,000poundsofcorn, donatedfromLutzFarms,Warren,OhiodestinedtotheMayaIndianFamiliesofTecpán,Guatemala.~SueJerinandhervolunteersbroughtcarloadsandvanstoourMission ofLoveWarehouseloadedwithdonatedFabricfromJoAnneFabricHudson,Ohio~35,000poundsofhumanitariancornwastransportedtothePittsburghAirForcebase destinedtoTecpán,GuatemalaviatheUnitedStatesDepartmentofDefenseDentonProgram.~HumanitarianAidwaspackeduponpalletstobetransferredtothePittsburgh AirForceBase.~HumanitarianAidwasdistributedtotheMayaIndianFamiliesofEspita,UxualtezYucatánMexico.~Workcontinueddailytomoveoutofourwarehouseto ournewlocation.

EducationalmaterialwaspurchasedatauctionsinordertofurnishtherecycledbottleschoolsbeingbuiltinTecpán,Guatemala.~MarriotHotelofMedina,Ohiodonatedto ourMissionofLovemattressesandhundredsofnexttonewsofabeds.VolunteersretrievedthesedonationsandplacedintoourMissionofLovewarehousefortransferto PineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservation,S.D.~Two53’foottrailerswereloadedwithappliances,schooldesks,fabric,cafeteriatables,furnitureetcdestinedtoPine RidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservation,S.D.becauseofarequestfromHenryRedCloud.~35,000poundsofcornarrivedintoGuatemalaCity,Guatemaladestinedforour MayaIndigenousFamiliesofTecpán,GuatemalaviatheUnitedStatesDepartmentofDefenseDentonProgram.~MissionofLovevolunteerswenttoNorthRoyaltonSchools toretrievetruckloadsofauctionitemsfortheMayaschoolsofGuatemala.~Preparationswerebeingmadetoloadbuildingsuppliesina53’trailerdestinedtogotoPercy WhitePlumeandAngieCliffordonthePineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservationS.D.withbuildingsuppliesandhumanitarianaid. ~MissionofLovebuiltaLakotaHomeforAngieCliffordandPercyWhitePlumeonthePineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservation,S.D.~OurDentonMayaMissionof LoveDentonC17CargoplanelandedinGuatemalaCity,GuatemalafortransfertoourMayaFamiliesinTecpán,Guatemalawithhumanitarianaid.~Educationalfurnishings werepurchasedfromschoolauctionsandloadedandunloadedthroughoutthemonth.~LumberwaspurchasedforupcomingmissionsfromCarterLumber.~SueJerinand DonnaStofieldeliveredtruckloadsoffabricfortheMayaandLakotaIndiansfromJoAnnFabrictoourMissionofLovewarehouse.~

DavefromDrugMart,MedinaOhiodonatedtruckloadsofrehabequiptmentforthoseinneed.~Preparationsweremadetosenda53’openedtrailerloadedwithhumanitarian aidtoTimKerner,LafitteLouisanaduetoHurricaneIda.~MissionofLovereturnedtoPineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservationtobuildanadditiononHarryYazzie FEMAtrailer,andbuildacabinforAlbertRedBear.

Throughouttheyear,wedeliveredanddistributedtoourIndigenousVolunteersHumanitarianAidviaMariaRaquelRaquelCocomXuluc~EspitaYucatánMexico,PercyWhite Plume,HarryYassie,AlbertRedBear~PineRidge,S.D.JhonatanMartin~TecpánGuatemala,MaritzaCastillodePaz~HouseofGodGuatemalaCity,Guatemala,TimKerner ~Louisiana.ThereareNOwordstoexpressmyappreciationtoourInternationalIndigenousVolunteers.

Aboveisjustabriefsummaryofourworkofloveandcompassionthroughout2021.

WithGratitudeandBlessingsforallofyou.

KathleenPrice

MissionofLove~Founder/Director/1989

PS:MissionofLovephotosareworththousandsofwords!ThankyouGeorgeandKenn@CCAGraphicsformakingouryearlynewsletteronetobesoproudof!

Who shallI send?HereI amLord! ~ AndreaReedy

We’veallheardofleadersofcharityorganizationswhotakemillionsincompensationpackagesorcharitieswhoseexpenses aresohighthatforeverydollardonated,onlyasmallpercentagegoestotheactualcause.Statslikethiscanhaveusbecome cynicalandresistanttohelpingmankind.

Butwhatiftherewasacharityorganizationthatcouldturneverydollardonatedinto$1.22ofgoodsandservices?

Thereis…MissionofLove.ItstartedwithoneOhioanwhoheardourLord’scallof“WhoshallIsend?”andanswered “HereI amLord,sendme”.Forthepastthreedecades,KathleenPrice,ofAustintownOhio,hasbeenthefounder,volunteer,andspirit behindMissionofLove.

MissionofLovehashelpedpeopleofallcolors,ages,andnationalities.“Ittakesavillage”withalotofhardwork,donations, vision,sweat,dedication,volunteers,andlovetoaccomplishwhattheMissionofLove“village”hasaccomplished.Homes havebeenbuilt,orrebuilt,afternaturaldisasters.Clinicsandschoolsconstructedtoservicevillages.DonatedOhiograin deliveredtothehungry.Doctorsbroughttoplaces intheworldwhere healthcarewasscarce ornon-existent,tobringhealing, hearing,surgicalprocedures,whichchangedtheirandtheirfamiliesworld.Specialneedsschoolscreatedtogiveopportunity to children with downs, deafness, CP, or other challenges which left them abandonedby their government.Support in all forms giventootherOhioans,ourNativeAmericans,orVeterans.

ThePlace,andtheirteammembers,havebeenpartofMissionofLovevillageforthepasttwentyyears. Theypickupmedical equipmentfromlocaldoctorsclosingtheirpractices,children’sdesksfromschoolsbeforetheyaretorndown,orwhatever KathyPricecallsuponthemtohelp.TheyhavesharedtheirexperiencewithothersinMedinacounty,resultingindozensof localpeoplejoiningthecausebydonatingtheirtime,skills,andresources;knowingthattheirdonationsgodirectlytothe peopleinneedbecausethereisnopayroll,noCEOcompensationpackage,nobuildingoverhead. Peoplegiveoutofloveand thatlove ismultiplied bythe volunteersthen paidforward.Manyof ourvolunteers havetraveled toPine RidgeNative American reservationinSouthDakota,Louisiana,Guatemala,andMexicotowithmedicalexpeditions,buildingprojects,ortopassout aide,compassion,andlove.

Ifyouwouldliketolearnmoreandbepartofsomethingreal,grassroots,localwithanationalandinternationalreach,check outwww.missionoflove.orgorfacebook.com/ourmissionoflove

Note:Due to the high freight costs, cash donations are currently in the greatest need.A 53’semi-truckload of supplies were just senttoJeanLafitteLouisianatohelpthehurricanevictims.Itincludedsanitizer,garbagebags,food,water,cleaningsupplies, lumberand otherbuilding suppliesand muchmuch more.The freightwas over$6000; normallyit wouldbe about$2500.Note: RedCrossgavethecommunity5bucketsand5mops.YOUwillmakeadifferencewithatax-deductibledonationtoMission ofLove.

AndreaReedy~IndigenousInternationalMissionofLoveVolunteer

AndreaReedy,TomBorrow,BrianRoyeaand KathyPrice,MissionofLoveVolunteersloading a53’truckloadofsofabedsandmattressesfor HenryRedCloudandhiscommunityonthe IndigenousLakotaPineRidgeNativeAmerican IndianReservation,SouthDakota.

“Youarenotheretosavetheworld, buttotouchthehandsthatarewithinyourreach.”

Throughourshareddetermination, wehaveand willcontinuetoforgea better future.

Tothemembers,patrons,andbeneficiariesofMissionofLove: Iamamazedbytheimpactthatthissmallgrassrootsorganizationhasmade througheveryone’shardwork.SinceIbegantoworkwithMissionofLove, I’vebeenabletoserveasoneofthevolunteersgatheringaidandsupplying ittoschools,homes,andhospitalsinGuatemala,Honduras,andthemainland UnitedStates.Thesuppliesgatheredbyjustahandfulofpeoplearebeing usedtobuild10sofhomesandhospitalsservingthousandsofpeople.This organizationhassomuchpowertohelphumanitythroughourcommunity andtrustforoneanother.

Thiscommunityismadeupofsmallteamsofusspreadallovertheworld,and thereisa goodchancethat mostofus willnevermeet.Wewillnever fullyknow orunderstandtheadversitytheothermembershavefacedorthesuccesses theyhavereveledin.Iknowsomeofourmembersareworkingtohelpothers allwhilebeingill,battlingdemons,orevenlosinglovedonesoftheirown.I wishIhadhalfofthedeterminationtotheimprove thelivesofotherpeopleas theydo.Despitenotknowingeveryoneinvolved,IknowtheworkIhavedone upuntilnowisworthwhile.

IknowitisworthwhilebecauseItrusttheorganization.ItrustKathy.Thesame wayeveryoneelsetrustsme.I’mtrusted tomove,pack,sort,filter,andorganize ourwarehousesandaidbeforeitcanbeshipped.Itrusttheamazingpeopleat thesesitestohelpthosenearandfar.

ThenwetrustKathyas shewatchesandcaresfor theentirecommunitythatwe arepartof.Whenourjobisdone,wetrustthecommunitywillbealittlebetter offandmayonedaybeabletogivetothosearoundthem.

Iamalwaysremindedtobehumblebythebreadthofwhatwedo,andthe numberof thelives involvedin ourmission.Thesealso tellme tostay confident. Withjustafewworkinghands,wepossessthepowertochangethings.Ifeel prideforevery illnesscured,hunger fed,personeducated, homebuilt,and new businessmade.It showsmethat Iamconnected toeveryone.We arehumanity. Wearenotdividedbyarbitrarybordersorideas.Weasasinglepeopleare workingtogether.

MissionofLovemaybesmall,butthepersistenceeverymemberhasputinto theirworkhasleftanenormousandlastingimpactonthelivesofhundreds,if notthousands,ofpeople.Throughourshareddetermination,wehaveandwill continuetoforgeabetterfuture.

Thankyoueveryoneforwhatyoudoand please,don’tstop!Knowthatnomatter whereyou are,you aremaking adifference.

Sincerely, ColtonKemp

MissionofLove Membersince2019

With greatgratitudetoourIndigenousMayaMissionofLove

ThankyouKathleenPrice!AndthankyouMariaRaquel CocomXuluc,MayaMissionofLoveTeamVolunteer,Espita YucatánMexico.Alwayslookingtohelpwhoneedsthe humanitarianaidthemost.NOPOLITICALAGENDA,justfor theloveofothersandtheloveofEspita,Méxicovilla.THANK

YOU!!!!

PastorJackAcri,ReeseAlbright,TiffanyDaly,Coltan Kemp,AshtonKemp,KathyPrice VolunteeratMissionofLoveWarehouse

Thereareangelsdisguisedashumanshelpingwiththeir hands,withtheirgoodheartandsoul;thereareangels hiddeninfleshandbonesbuttheyaresoldiersofGodinthe world,theyfeelthepain andlackintheirown beingandthat isthereasonforgreatloveandhumanitarianaid;Kathleen Priceyouareoneandallwhoknowyou,allwhohaveseen you,thewhohavelistenedtoyouandtouchedyou;they loveyouandthankyouforbeingthewayyouareeveryday, tirelessbeingGod’slinkintheworld,thankyouforallowing ustobepart ofyourmission,today allfullofpride wetellthe wholeworldthatforyouweareMissionofLove.

~MarcoAntoniaSánchezCocom

Thank youfor touchingourhands.ESPITA YUCATAN MEXICO MARIA RAQUEL COCOMXULUC

MISSIONOFLOVE

KATHLEENPRICE

SUBJECT:THANKS

Withmyhandonmyheart,I thankyouforthehumanitarianaidthat duringallthis timeofthepandemicthatyouhavesentus.Food,cleaningaid(sanitizer,antibacterial gel,facemasks),alsoforcleaning,tomorethan1000familiesThishumanitarian aidhasbeenofgreatimportance,withyoursupportwehavesupportedcancer patients,the elderlyin distress,our childrenwith differentcapacities andfamilies in extremeneed.Thishelphasbeenlikeaglassofwaterinthedesert. Onlyyou, TheMissionofLovehashelpedusinthistimeofpandemic. We havehadyourpresenceandsupportformorethan25years.

ThankyouMISSION OFLOVE!

Onbehalfofallthefamiliesandforthosesmilesandtears

MissionofLoveVolunteersloadingthemuchneededhumanitarianaid

Applicationforhumanitarianaid

FOR:

MISSIONOFLOVE

KATHLEENPRICE

BythismeansandknowingtheLOVEthatyouhaveforourMayanfamilieswithgreat respect,Isendyouthisrequestsothatyoucontinuetosendaidforfoodsupportfor ourfamilies inextreme need,knowing inadvance thatwe willhave itbecause formore than20ForyearswehavehadyourhelpandworkhereatESPITAXUALTEXYUCATÁN MÉXICO.

IthankyouandsendahugfromyourMayasisters.

Affectionately

MARIARAQUELCOCOMXULUC

MayaYucatánMissionofLoveVolunteer

BobPrice

I’mgoingtotellyoualittlestoryaboutsomethingthathappenedtoday.Iwantto tellyouthatstorysothatIcantellyouanotherstory.Iwillhavetoincludeathird storysothatitallsortofmakessense.Bearwithme,allofthesestorieshavesemi happyendings.

TodaywasoneofthosefunsummerdaysthatKathyandIspendtogether.Itisthe weekendaftertheFourth ofJulyandwe arespendingtimeat asummercottagewe ownatConneaut,Ohio,ontheshoresofLakeErie.

KathyandIhavearoutineonSaturdayafternoonsatthelake.Wedrivearoundand scoutoutthebestgaragesalesinConneautandAshtabula,Ohio(knownasthe homesofUrbanMyer,formerheadcoachatOSUandConnieSchultz,PulitzerPrize winningcolumnist.)Wealsoliketovisitlittlespecialtyshopstopickupgoodies forsnacksbythelake.Thatiswherethestorybegins,inalittleItaliangroceryin Ashtabula.KathywasshoppingandIwaspeoplewatching.Therewasayoung womaninthestorewhowascarryingalittlegirl,about5yearsold.Eventhough itwasaboutonePM,thelittlegirlwasstillinherpajamas,andhermotherwas carryingher.Kathymadeeyecontactwiththechild,andsoontheywerehavinga livelyconversation.Kathysoonlearnedthatthechildwasn’tfeelingwellandthatis whyhermomwascarryingherinthestore.Thechildwasanimated,themom,well, maybenotsomuch.Afterall,a5yearoldcanbeheavy,andmywifewaschatting upherkidwhileshestoodthereholdingher.Kathyaskedthemomifthelittlegirlcouldhaveasweetfromthepastrydisplay.

Oncenecessaryapproval wassecured,the childbeganthe rigorousselectionprocess.Withthehelp ofafriendly storeclerk,the littlegirlpickedacupcakewithsprinkles.Sheinstantlyfeltbetter,momwashappy,theclerkwashappy,andKathywashappy.

AsI paidthe grocerybill, includingthe cupcake,the clerkremarked athow kindmy wifewas. Ignoringthe factthat Iwas atleast semikindbecauseIpaidthebill,Iagreedwithherandtoldher,“Youhavenoidea.”

Ok,Itoldyouthatstoryto tellyouanotherstoryaboutkindpeople, andmyweekendlastweek,the weekoftheFourthofJuly.

BeforeItell youthatstory, Ihaveto tellyouthe storyofhow KathyPriceand theMissionof Loveobtainshundreds ofthousands of dollars in relief supplies, and how they get from a warehouse in Ravenna, Ohio, to places likeTec Pan, Guatemala. I have already mentionedthatwe spendourSaturdays“junkin”atgarage sales.Wedrive arounduntilKathy seesonethat lookspromisingand thenwe stop.Usually, Iwill spendabout fiveminutes lookingat thecollections ofother people’sstuff, getbored, andwait inthe truckwatchingNetFlixon myphonewhileKathy doesherthing.After abouthalfanhour, herecomesKathy,and theproprietor ofthegaragesale,loading tonsoftoys,serviceableclothes, bedding,andheavenknowswhat elseintothebackof Kathy’slittle redpickuptruck.WithoutevenaskingIknowthatmostofthestuffthatmywifehasjustacquiredhasbeendonated.Sheas explainedtothem thattheirthrow awaystuffthat theywerehoping tosellfor afewbucks isgoingto someplacethatthey have neverheardof tohelpimprove thelivesof peoplethatthey willnevermeet. (Mywifecan beverypersuasive.)Thesefolksdidn’t knowitwhentheytheysawmywifewalkinguptheirdriveway,buttheirkindnesswasabouttoshinethatday.Thesearejust somemoreofthekindpeoplethatIpromisedtotellyouabout.

Today,Kathyboughtaboutadozenunbreakablecoffeemugs.Theseareearmarkedforaseniorcenterin TecPan,inthe mountainsofGuatemala,whereeachofthevillageelderscanbegiventheirownpersonalcoffeemugtoenjoycoffeewhen theyvisititcenter.Mostlikely,theyhaveneverhadacoffeemugbefore.TheseniorcenterisrunbyTelmaMartin,averykind Guatemalanlady. Lastyear, onone ofour junkinforays, Kathypurchased aused joggingstroller. Icouldn’t imaginewhat shewas goingtodowiththat.Shetoldme,“ItisforEdwin.”Okaybyme.Ididn’tknowwhoEdwinwasorthathejogged.

OnSundayafternoonsatthelake,KathysortsandboxesallofthestuffthatsheboughtonSaturdayandputstheminthe back ofthepickup.Thenextweek,shewilltakethemtotheMissionofLoveWarehouse.Thewarehouseishuge,butithasnotheat orlightanditisofnousetoanybody,butKathy.Somemorekindpeopleallowhertouseitataverynominalprice.Avisitorto

thewarehousewouldbeamazedbythethingsthatareinthere.Mywifecanbeverypersuasive.Besidesthesmallgaragesale stuff,thereareroomsofmedicalsupplies,schoolsupplies,hospitalfurniture,andtools.Manyofthelargeritemsaredelivered bytrucks ownedby otherkind peoplewho donatetheir vehiclesand employeesto bringcritical suppliesto thewarehouse. (My wifecanbevery…..oh,yougetthepoint).Oncethesesuppliesarriveatthewarehouse,theymustbesorted,inventoried,and storedintheappropriatelocation.OftenvolunteerswillassistKathy,moreoftenthannot,shespendsherdaysdoingthiswork alone.

Areyouwonderingwhathappenstothesupplies.ThatiswheremyFourthofJulystorybegins.

Severaltimesayear,TheUnitedStatesDepartmentofDefensefund,youknowwho,(verypersuasive)arrangesfortheUnited StatesAirForcetotransportthesereliefsuppliesfromtheYoungtownAirReserveStationtoGuatemalaCity,Guatemala.Thisis donethrough agovernmental programknown asthe DentonProgram. Ittakes monthsof planning,paperwork andinspections beforeanairliftisapprovedbythePentagon.Afterallisapproved,aUSAirForcecargoplanefliestheaidtothecommand centeroftheGuatemalanAirForceinthatnation’scapitalcity.Oncetheplaneisontheground,itmustberapidlyunloaded andthegoods transportedbytruck toanothersite inGuatemala.All ofthismust becoordinatedwith thePentagon,the United StatesStateDepartment,andtheGuatemalangovernment.ItisagoodthingthattheMissionofLove’swarehousemanageris alsotheintergovernmentalaffairscoordinator.Idon’tknowhowitgetsdone,butitdoesgetdone.

Onemonthago,aC17transportplanedepartedCharlestonSouthCarolinadestinedforYoungstown.Whenitarrived,iton loadedfifteenspecialpalletsboundforGuatemalaCity.Itleftwithinhoursforitsdestination.

KathyandagroupofvolunteerswerewaitingonthegroundinGuatamalafortheplanetoarrive.Ithadtakenagooddealof “persuasion”tomakethishappen.Thevolunteerswereattheairbaseandcouldheartheplaneintheair.Then,theyreceived wordthattherewas asmallaccidenton therunwayand theplanecouldnot immediatelyland.Thecrew oftheC17 wasforced toreturntoCharlestonwiththecargostillonboard,includingthejoggingstroller.Thedeliverywouldhavetowaitforanother day.

Thatotherdaywas July1.Kathyreceived thephonecallabout atwoweeksbefore itwasalldue tohappen.Thismeant thatnot onlydidshehavetoflytoCentralAmericatoreceivetheplane,butthatshehadtolineupmanpowertounloadahugecargo plane,andprovidefivesemistohaulthesuppliestoTecPan,eightymilesaway.And,sheneededatravelingcompanion.

SincethefourthfellonaTuesday,IarrangedmyscheduletobeoffworkfromFridaytoTuesday.Iwasreallylookingforward tofiveconsecutivedaysatthecottage.DidImentionthatmywifeneededatravelingcompanionandthatshecanbevery persuasive?

Tomysurprise,onJuly 1,Ifoundmyselfstanding onthetarmacatthe commandcenteroftheGuatemalan AirForce.Iwaswith mywifeandtwentyGuatemalanvolunteers.FranciscoChanhadbroughtfivesemisandthepeopletoloadthemfromTecPan. Itwasabaddayforourfriend,DonFrancisco.OnthetripfromTecpánhereceivedatelephonecallthataclosefamilymember haddied.Yet,herehestood.At1:00PM,thisbeautifulsilverbirdflewoverheadandcircledtheairfield.TheC17hadarrived, righton time.It taxiedto aspot notfar fromwhere thesemis wereparked. Withinten minutes,the cargohatch wasopened and asingleforkliftwasunloadingthefifteenpallets.Theydeliveredthemtowherewewerewaiting,andwealldisassembledthe palletsandloadedthesuppliesintothefivetrucks.Theentireoperationtookfortyminutes.Afterafewquickhandshakesand pictureswiththeAirForcemajorwhopilotedtheC17,heclimbedbackintothecockpitandtheyreturnedtoCharleston.The semisthendepartedforTecPan,Guatemala.

Ithoughtthattheworkwasdone.Notsomuch.Trucksthatareloadedmustbeunloaded.Weclimbedintoapassengervan thatKathyhadrentedandwetookoffforTecPan.Afterabriefstopfordinner,wewenttothebodega,orwarehouse,where allfivetruckshadtobeunloaded,inthedark,andinthemountainswherewewere,itwascold.Whowouldthinkthatitwould becoldinGuatemalainJuly?Notthisgenius.IttookuntiltheweehoursofSundaymorningtounloadthosetrucksandstore theprecioussuppliessafelybehindlockeddoors.OurfriendAstridholdsthekeys,andsheistheladyinchargeofdistributing thosesuppliestowheretheyneedtobe.SheisalsothekeytoallthathappensinhercountrywhenKathycan’tbethere.She managesthesuppliesandoverseesahomethat MissionofLovehasestablishedforhomelesschildren andelderlywomen.Itis calledGrandmother’sHouse.

Thefollowingday,Sunday,wevisitedthecentralmarketinthemainsquareofTecpán,thefuneralofDonFrancisco’srelative, andafiestaatGrandmother’sHouse.Therearemorestoriestobetoldofthemarket,thefuneralandthefiesta,butIpromised

thattherewouldonlybethree.

ThefinalstorybeginsonMonday,July3,ourlastfulldayinGuatemala.MuchoftheMissionofLove’sworkthatisdonein Guatemalaisdonebythepeoplelivingthere.Therecipientsoftheworkareindigenouspeople,MayanIndians,wholiveinthe mountains.Dr.JuanManuelSocop,aspecialistwhotreatsdisabledpeople,donatespartofhispracticetotheimpoverished Mayanswho livein hovelsbuilt onthe hillside.One ofhis patientis littleEdwin, sevenyears old,and strickenwith cerebralpalsy. NowIknew whoEdwinwas, andIwas abouttomeet him.Beforewe couldgohome, Kathyinsistedthat wemustvisit Edwin.To reachhisfamily’shome,Wehadtodriveuphazardousmountaintrailsthathadsteepdropoffsoneitherside.Wewereabout 7,500feetinelevation,andstandingontopofthatmountain,lookingacrossthegreenvalley,youcouldloseyourbreath. LookingdownthehillsideintothedeepravinewhereEdwinlivedwithhismotherandsisters,youcouldloseyourequilibrium. Theclimb downfrom theroad tohis housewas morethan wewere willingto dare.That meantthat Edwin’smother hadto carry himup thesteep pathto wherewe waited.No bigdeal, becauseshe handcarried thischild everywhereshe went,much likethe motherinthestoreinAshtabula.Thedifferencewas,shehadnochoice.Edwincouldnotwalk.

WhenshebroughtEdwinfromherhousetothehilltop,andplacedhiminKathy’sarms,Ithoughtthathewasababy.Atseven yearsold,hewas frailandspindly,like anewbornfawn. Kathygentlyplacedhim inthejoggingstroller thatwehadbought last year“junkin”.He becameanimated andbegan tocry.Theguy hadhimself aset ofwheels. Hewas mobile.And now,I understood.

Thereareseveralpicturesthataccompany mysmallstory.Thereisa largeplane,andthereistiny Edwin.WhatIhavenotshown youisapictureofthewretchedconditionsthatthesepeoplelivein.Theydon’thavemuchmoney,buttheyhavegreatdignity andIwould notdeprivethem ofthatby takingphotoswith myphonethat costmorethan thehousethey livein.Before weleft, Kathygavethefamilyfood,vitamins,andtoysforthechildren.Shealsogavethemapromise.Shewouldreturn.

ThenextscheduledairlifttoGuatemalawillcontainanambulanceandtwofiretrucks.Perhapstherewillberoomforasmall somethingforasmallboy.Iwouldbetonit.

BobandKathyPricewithMayaIndigenousFranciscoChan,Edwin andMomandsister,andDentonAirForcepalletsofhumanitarian aiddestinedforTecpán,GuatemalafromYoungstown,Ohio.

Maya MissionofLovefortheChildren inneed

@TheHouseofGod, Guatemala City

MyDearKathy,

ThankssomuchforallthatyouhavesenttousviatheMissionofLoveon

the DentonAir Force Humanitarian plane.Jhonathan, Andres and Andrea deliveredtheaidfromTecpan,Guatemala.

ThechildrenareattheHouseofGod,GuatemalaCityaresohappywith thetoysandsomuchmorecomfortablewiththeblanketsandpillows thattheyreceived.Knowthatyouallmakeourheartssmilewithlotsof Love.

GodblessyouandalloftheMissionofLovevolunteers.Youarealways worriedaboutourkidsinneed.Weloveyousomuch!

~MaritzaCastillodePaz

Why doestheMaya GrandmothersMissionofLoveHome haveto continuetoberented? ~Tecpán,Guatamala

InordertocontinuehelpingthemostneedyofTecpananditssurroundings,foryearsthegrandparents’houseasweaffectionatelycallithasservedasabase,headquartersorshelterfordifferentpeopleregardlessofreligion,socialclassorideology. Therehavebeenmanyprojectsinthishouseandsomearestillinforceandothersareincorporateddependingontheneeds ofthepeopleandshortageofplacesinTecpan.Threegreatexamplesandreasonswhythehousewasrented aretheorphaned childrenofthefoundation,afamilyofchildrenatthattime,nowteenagerswholackedaroof,livingindeplorableconditions andbeingrescuedbyAstridChocwhotellsthestorytoKathleenPricedirectorofMissionofLoveFoundationandshewithout hesitationacceptedandlovedtheideaofgettingahouseandshelterforthechildren.Alongwiththatstory,two essentialprojectsbeganinthehistoryofFundaciénMisiéndeAmorGuatemala.SchoolofloveandPhysiotherapyClinicfor peoplewithlimitedresources.

Escuelitadeamor:Let’sstartwithEscuelitadeamor,itisaschoolofinclusionwherechildrenwithdifferenttypesofdisabilities arehelpedandtaughthowtosocialize,basiceducationandgoodmanners.Whenitstartedthesechildrenwere10yearsold| woulddaresayless,todaytheyarealready17and18butdespitetheiragetheyarestillintheschoollearningmoreandmore thingseverydaytohelptheminthefuture,thesechildrenhavebeenthereforyearsandparentsandchildrenknowthelove withwhich theyare taughtand theappreciation theyhave foreach child.These childrenhave beenyear afteryear handin hand withthefoundationandbeingagreatmotivationforallvolunteers.

Physiotherapyclinicforpeoplewithlimitedresources:almosthandin handthisbeautifulprojectstartedwiththebeginningof thehouse. Anidea fullof lovewhere theobjective isto supportpeople whoneed physicaltherapy treatmentsbut unfortunately donothave theresources.In Guatemalaphysicaltherapies areusuallyquite expensiveandmore fortheday laborerswhowork everydaytobeabletoeat,duringtheseyearswehaveseenrealmiracles,manychildrenhavebeenabletowalk,adultshave beenable towalk again,older adultsfeel relieffrom somuch painin thebone andthanks toour physicaltherapists andfacilities equippedthanks todonations. Inthis year2021 afterthe pandemic,we continueworking withall thecorresponding biosecurity measures.Wehave4physiotherapistsattendingtosixpeopleaday,wehavefullspaces,buteverytimesomeonearriveslooking forhelpwelookforawaytoattendtothem.Withoutthehouseoflovethiscouldnotbepossiblesincewehave3spacesfor differentfunctionsinthetherapyarea.

Newprojects:

PsychologyClinic: aswell asthe physiotherapyclinic, itis verydifficult forpeople toreceive therapyfrom apsychologist because inTecpananditssurroundingsthereareonlyprivatepsychologists.Forthisreason,togetherwiththehelpofavolunteer,we areprovidingpsychologicalhelptopeoplewhodonothavetheresourcestopay forit,sincementalhealthisjustasimportant asphysicalhealth.

Speechtherapy:aswellasphysiotherapyandpsychology,thisisaprogramfocusedonpeoplewhocannotaffordtopayfor speechtherapyforchildrenwhohavedifficultyspeakingorpronouncingwords,whichisgivenintheclassroomoftheschool ofloveintheafternoons.Sewingschool:aworkshopfocusedonsinglemothers,widowswheretheyaretaughttosewwith. machinesthatthefoundationhas,givingthemthematerial,fabric,threadsandtoolssothattheycanlearnandthenperform workforthemselvesortosellandcanbringalivelihoodtotheirfamilies.

LiteracyProgram:inthisprogramtwovolunteerswhoareteachersteachreadingandwritingtochildren,teenagersandolder adultswho didnot havethe opportunityto goto schooland receivethe educationthat everyoneshould have.These volunteers workwithdidacticmaterialprovidedbythefoundation,thegoalisthatallthepeoplewhoattendthecourseattheendcan writeandread.

Vegetablegarden:asmallspaceinthebackofthehouseswherewidowsandsinglemothersplantvegetablestotakehome, receivingfromtime totimethe visitofexpert farmerswhoshow themthecorrect waytoplant andharvestthe vegetables,also teachingthemthecorrectwaytowashthevegetablestoavoiddiseasesandthespreadofthesame.

InthisyearthatI havebeeninchargeof thehouseofloveand itsfunctionsIhaverealized thatthefoundationhelpsthousands ofpeopleindifferentprogramsandhumanitarianaid,butalargepartofhelpisthankstothephysicalspacewehavewiththe houseasit hasbeenmodified roomsandconverted intoclinicsand thatishow wemanageto helpsomany peoplewhodo not havetheresourcesoropportunitiesthateveryoneshouldhave.Wehaveseenverypeculiarcaseswheredoctorssaythatthere willbenorecovery,butthankstotheworkofourtherapistsandtheeffortofthepatienttheyrecover,childrenwhoarrive

withoutknowingcolorsor numbersandatthe endofthegrade endupsayingeverything byheart,olderadults whoinalltheir livescouldnotreadandattheendofthecourseyoucanseethetearsintheireyesbecausedespitetheiragetheycontinueto learn.Countlesslaughter andblessingsthat peoplegiveus everydaythanking forthesecond chancetheyare given,thisis why thehouseofloveissoimportantinthelivesofhundredsofpeopleandasavolunteerIcansaythatthehouseoflovemission foundationfeelslikearealhome.

JhonatanGarcia

JhonatanGarciaDirectorof MayaMissionofLoveGuatemala givingdiplomastoourstudents, distributingthe35,000pounds ofcornthatwassentviathe DentonPrograminMarch2021, anddistributingaidfortheMaya disabled.

ThisisourLakotaStory ~ AngieClifford

DearMissionofLove/KathleenPrice/CaringPeople

I’mwritingthisletterwithgreatgratitude&belief.WeliveonthePine RidgeIndianReservationinSWSouthDakota.Acoupleyearsagomy husband&Iwere approachedbyKathleenPrice. Atthistime,I hadjust hadsurgeryandwasrecovering.Shesaidtheywouldliketobuildusa houseand invitedus tocome andlook atthe housethey werebuilding foranotherfamily.Iwassosurprised.Ifeltlikemaybethere’safamily inmoreneed thanweare whocoulduse thishouse.Kathleen saidthat myhusbandalwayshelpsbutneverasksforanythingandthatshe wouldliketohelpus.

Thisisnotaneasylettertowrite.

Yousee,whereverwelived&regardlessofthekindofhousewelivedin wetriedourbesttomakeourhomesafe&welcomingfor ourchildren (atthetimetheywereallveryyoung,nowtheyareadultswiththeir ownchildren)andrelativeswhocametovisit.Wealwaysseemedtobeshortonspaceespeciallysleepingspace.

Wehad appliedfor ahouse throughHabitat forHumanity andqualified.Therewere alsoother applicantsand onlya fewhouses. Inour communitythey weregiving 1house tosomeone.Iwas toldthat Iwould beon thelist andan eldercouple whoqualified. Iknewbecausewewereyoungerthattheelderswouldgetitandthat’swhathappened.Ifeltsomedisappointment,butour childrenwerereallydisappointed.Icomfortedthemandtoldthemwewilljustkeeptryingandthattheneedforgoodhomes wasgreatandthatsometimeswejusthavetowaitourturn.

Wehadalso qualifiedfor atribalhome. Iwasapproached bysomeof thepeopleon thisboardand wasaskedif Iwouldgive this housetoanolderladywhowassick(shelivedinaoldloghousebuiltbyherrelativesalongtimeagoanditwasfallingapart &wealsolivedinaoldloghousethatwasbuiltbymyrelativesthatwasn’tinverygoodshapeeither).Iwastoldthatthenext homesthatweregivenoutIwouldbethefirstonetogetahouse.Iagreed.Whenthehousescameavailablethepaperwork thatwasneededtogivemeahousecouldnotbefound,anditwasnotrecordedintheirmeetingminutes. Sodisappointing.

Weare gettingolder andhave raisedour childrenand welive ina 1973trailer house.We haveour youngestson whois deaf/hard ofhearingandoneofourgranddaughterswhohasDownSyndromewholivewithus.Theywillprobablyalwayslivewithus.

Ourtrailerisa2bedroom&1bathhome.Ourgranddaughtersleepsinthelivingroom,Ialsosleepinthelivingroomwithher. Wehaverepairedthefloor.Hadsomeofthewindowschanged.Wedonotusethefurnaceasitusestomuchpropanetorun. Weheatwithelectricspaceheaters&ourcookstoveinthewintertime.Wehavehadtorepairourbedroomastherewasblack moldinthere.

About4 yrs.ago wehad alot ofrain &it affectedour home.The roofstartedleakingandourceilingswerewaterstained.We gota visitfrom arepresentative forFEMA.Weshowed themthe damagetoourhomeroof,walls&windows.Theytooknotes anditlookedpromisingthatwewouldgetadifferenttrailer home.Andyetanotherdisappointment.Wedidnotgetanew trailer.

Ashortwhilelaterthere wasamanwhostarted buildingthese canopythingstoputovertrailerhousesofthepeoplewho didnotgetaFEMAtrailerbuthadbaddamagetothetrailer homes.Wewereluckytogetone. Thishassavedourhome frombeingblownawayandbeingdamagedmorebythe severethunderstormswegetinourarea.

Thisisnotaneasylettertowrite.Alotofmemorieshavebeen broughtbackandfeelings.

So,thisourstory.

We are very much appreciative of the help that we are receiving. WiththegraceoftheCreator&helpfromthepeoplewewill haveanewhome.

“TheHousethatLoveBuilt ” ~Daniel WinkleMD

Therearemany components thatgo intomakingahouse; boards,wires,windows, concrete, nails,paint, andmany others There is, in myopinion,one component that creates thedifference betweenahouse andahome, and that islove. It is thatelementof love that Missionof Lovebrings to all ofitsprojects and especially toitsJune 2021 mission tobuild ahome for PercyWhite Plume and Angie Cliffordonthe PineRidgeNative AmericanReservation.

Participation in this mission and beingapartof theteamledme to aska fundamental question-whatare the specificelements that Missionof Loveembodies tobring success inproviding connection,caring and aid to indigenous communities?I believe the successof Missionof Love todeliver humanitarian aid toourbrothers and sisters comes from3 foundational elements- mutualrespect,nourishment, anda spiritof cooperation. We encountered allof theseelementswhiledoingourwork. Asavolunteer,I learned much about them fromsharingand listeningwithour indigenous relatives.

Eachmorningwepulled intoPercy White Plum’s residencewewerereminded ofthefirstelement- mutualrespect Aswewouldmade theturninto the property there wasa signthat read “Be Respectful ” Myfirst observations and gutfeeling told me thiswas more thana signbuta wayof life for Percy, Angie andmany others in their community.Iobserved that all thevolunteers lived this tenantwhileworkingwith Missionof Love. Was there stress?Absolutely, manychallengeswerefaced whilebuilding thishome like skyrocketing construction costs,how tosafelymove theirolderhome,and limited access tobuildingresources. Despite the challenges,neverwas therea raised voice, but instead,wewitnessed dialogue, hardwork, andopen communication. It was thisrespect and dialogue that kept theproject moving forward towards itsgoal.

The second elementofsuccessthatblessed this mission was thatofnourishment.Nourishment came inmanyforms such as meals shared forthewholebuilding team like theoneprepared by ZuyaWhite Plume and hiswifeMaria.Theprojectwasnourished by theknowledgeofBeauBlack Crow,ourdedicated and hardworking contractor, aswell asHarry YassieandAlbertRed Bearwho selflessly shared years ofhomebuildingexperience We werenourished by the storiesandmemories shared by Angie Clifford andPercy White Plume about theirhome, theirland, their family, and theirdedication forproviding shelter andcare for those in need which gave lifeand context towhy we were there and just how much thishome wouldmeanfor them. We werenourished by thededicationof Kathy Price, Edward Keich, Steve Kemp, andReneeMilettawho traveled thousandsof miles and worked tirelesslytomake thishomeareality. Theprojectwasnourished byprayersfromAlbertRed Bearand PercyWhite Plume in the Lakota language and traditional Lakotaways thatreminded us thatwe arepart ofsomethingbigger than just ourselvesandto connect themissionanditsvolunteers toa spiritualwayof life.

The thirdelementof success was theembodimentof the spiritof cooperation. Contrary to popular belief,Ibelieve,it isnot the spiritof competition that keeps theworldinbalance,but the spiritof cooperation. This cooperationwas evident and abundant in this Missionof Loveproject. Itwas evident as teamsworked seamlesslyon thejob site andbywitnessing theprocurementof constructionmaterials thatwere difficult toobtainbutessential for theproject. Evenmother nature joined in the cooperation as we had perfectbuilding weather throughtheentire trip In my profession inhealingwork, thehealing process involves our bodies ormindsmoving froma stateof conflict back into astateof cooperation. Missionof Love, by example,demonstrated thisprocess of cooperation and theroutetohealingona collectivescale.

Theseelementsofloveexemplified byMissionof Lovewill travelwith me through my lifetime.I am forever thankful for theopportunity tolearnfrom andgrowwith suchacaring organization and to be touched bytheirwork.Iwillnever forget theelementsoflove andhomebuilding thatIlearned from Missionof Love and allitsvolunteers.Ilook forward to deepeningmyown commitment to understanding these essentialaspectsoflove that are embodied by Missionof Lovevolunteers- mutualrespect,nourishment, and the spirit of cooperation.

Loadingandoffloadingbuildingmaterialandhumanitarianaidthatwassentfrom MissionofLovewarehousetoPercyWhitePlumeandAngieClifford.

Pilamayaye(thankyou)

PercyWhitePlume&AngieClifford

Albert RedBear, KathyPrice, AngieCliffordandPerry White Plume

KathyPrice,DoctorDanWinkle,SteveKemp, ReneeMiletta,andEdwardKeichMissionofLovevolunteerstraveling totheIndigenousLakotaonthe PineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservation,SouthDakota.

DearMissionofLoveVolunteers,

LastTuesdayIreceivedacallfromKathyPriceandtheMission ofLove.IwilltellyouitneverfailswhenIhearfromthem.I alwaysgetgoosebumps!Iheardwonderfulnewsthatwe aregoingtobuildahomeforMr.PercyWhitePlumeandhis beautifulfamily. IlookforwardtothisbecauseIwillfeeluseful again.

AboutayearagoIwasrobbedofallofmytools,powertoolsandif thatwasn’tbadenough,Iwasinacustodybattleformychildren. Thebattle formy childrencaused meto gointo depressionand IevenattemptedsuicidewhichIwashospitalizedforamonth forsuicidaltendencies.Isoonbegandrawingandpainting againwhichIneverdidindecades.Ievenbuiltabirdhouse andbegantogetmy confidenceback.Isoonwonthecustody ofmychildrenandIprayedforthepeoplewhostoleallofmy tools.Ilook upnowwith apositive attitudetowardlifeandnowhavefuturegoalswithmychildren.

Kathy, which I love to call her Mom has always been an inspiration to our family. Icriedwhenshegotourfamilyahotwaterheater,whichneededreplacedin overayear. ImadenewfriendswiththeWhitePlumeFamilyandIpromiseto helptheminthebestwaythatIcantocompletetheirhome.GodBlessallof youandIwon’tletmybraincancerormyheartfailuregetinthewaytohelp anotherLakotaFamilyreceiveanewhome.

SincerelywithLove, Yazzie

“Lifeisasuccessionoflessonswhichmustbelivedtobeunderstood.”

~RalphWaldoEmerson

THETRAIN:

“TheTrainof Life”

At birthwe boardedthetrainand met our parents,and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goesby,otherpeoplewillboardthetrain;andtheywillbesignificanti.e.oursiblings,friends,children,strangersandeventheloveofyour life.However,atsomestationourparentswillstepdownfromthetrain,leavingusonthisjourneyalone.Otherswillstepdownovertime andleaveapermanentvacuum. Some,however,willgoso unnoticedthatwedon’trealize theyvacatedtheirseats.This trainridewillbefull ofjoy,sorrow,fantasy,expectations,hellos,goodbyes,andfarewells.

Successconsistsofhavingagoodrelationshipwithallpassengersrequiringthatwegivethebestofourselves.

Themysterytoeveryone is:Wedonot knowatwhichstation weourselveswillstep down.So,wemust liveinthebest way,love,forgive,and offerthebest ofwhowe are.Itis importanttodo thisbecausewhen thetimecomes forusto stepdownand leaveourseat emptyweshould leavebehindbeautifulmemoriesforthosewhowillcontinuetotravelonthetrainoflife.

Iwishyouajoyfuljourneyforthecomingyearsonyourtrainoflife.Reapsuccess,givelotsofloveandbehappy.Moreimportantly,thank Godforthejourney!

Lastly,IwanttothankyouforbeingoneofthepassengersonourInternationalIndigenousMissionofLovetrain!

“YOUarenotheretosavetheworld,butareheretotouchthehandsthatarewithinyourreach.“

Mission

AlbertRedBearandhisLakotaMissionofLovevolunteersworkingon Yazzie’shomeadditionandbeginningofbuildingAlbertRedBearscabin inYellowBearCanyon,PineRidgeNativeAmericanIndianReservation,