iam1ru BCS Guatemala

The team is doing great. Visited Papaya Volcano yesterday and headed to Pana today for some R&R. Here are a few more pics.

Latest Report From iam1ru BCS

The team is doing great!
Health is holding up and today they are just finishing up their second house!  This afternoon they will be doing a block party.  I am told the students are pumped about today.  Internet at the Guest House is an issue.  Last night Wendy had to walk a bit down the road to find an unsecure wireless connection that she could jump on to send me these few pics.  I will keep you updated as much as I can.

Update on iam1ru BCS Team!

Just heard from Wendy...
The team made it okay...everyone is doing fine and they are headed out today to build a house!
No rest for them baby!
Will keep you updated as I am update.

A few pictures of the Medical Team in Guatemala March 03-13,2011

Here are a few pictures taken by Colleen Lipskie.

Heading to see more patients!

Jolyanne Marcotte giving out prescribed medicine! It's like a "gold" in Guatemala...

Joanne Stever is checking a little boy. People were lined up from early morning to see a doctor.

Angie Morris loves playing and entertaining the kids that are waiting to see a doctor! Every child got a soft toy! Thank you to all who donated their toys!

Liam Frape giving out reading glasses. A lot of people in Guatemala can not afford to buy them...

Agnes Bos is helping a family with a little baby!

Doctor Doug is having a special patient, what a Freak!

Nori Frape is doing some serious checkups!

Holly Rietveld is writing the prescription for this young lady!

Dr.Doug : "Rose, that didn't come to my mind!"

Kieran May is checking a blood pressure! There is no Walmart in Guatemala to check the blood pressure for free.

Thank you all for donating towards the Medical Clinic!

Ladies in the prison got goodies!!!

With the help of a donation of $100 from Iam1ru Philanthropists we were able to get goodies for the ladies in the prison.
This is an update from PI Dream Agents in Central Asia-
We continue to work with women who are in prison as well as those
who have been released. Recently these women received a pack of little
goodies for Woman’s Day.They were so happy! These little gifts made
these ladies feel that they are loved. They want to continue to change and
become better people. They said that they feel so special.
Here are pictures of some of the ladies-



March 2011.

Many Dreams were fulfilled in Central Asia!!!

With the donation of $150 from our iam1ru Philanthropists we
were able to fulfill so many Dreams!!!
Here is an update from Pi Dream Agents in Central Asia-
One of our PI projects is helping single parents with handicapped
children. We noticed how many of them did not have any blankets.
We put this Dream on the Website. But after this Dream was
sponsored, we found more families with the same need for blankets
and mattresses.


Our blind lady Gala did not have a blanket and mattress.
On March 8 we have a huge celebration in our country as it's
International Woman’s Day. With your help we were able to throw
a little party for our blind ladies. The blind ladies feel very special on
that day.

Our senior lady Tanya had no where to put her groceries. They were just
sitting on the floor. How happy she was on the day when she got these
shelves. She keeps thanking us with tears in her eyes.

We (workers of the Baby orphanage) go to the local markets from time to
time and ask the vendors for donations of fruit, vegetables and different
types of goodies. But when we bring all the donated goods to the orphanage,
we always had a problem as we did not have proper dishes to store everything.
We were so happy to get these three big containers.
March 2011.

Birthday party for 16 years old orphans.

With the donation of iam1ru Philanthropist we were able to have a
Birthday party for the orphans in the college.
We got this report from our Dream Agents in Central Asia-
Birthday parties are something we always had as children. Our
parents did their best to make us feel that we were important on
that day. But for orphanages with 150 or 200 kids it is impossible
to have Birthday parties. We decided to help with the parties in each
of the projects we are involved in. And what a Bomb!!! The kids
are so happy. Most importantly they feel very special themselves.
Everyone who was born in February and March had a special gift
and they shared cake, fruit and meal with their friends. We had about
50 kids at the party and everybody had so much fun!!! We spend
$100 for the party


March 2011

Sam's Fav Pics from iam1ru Guatemala

There are lots of great pics that I have seen and I have heard some great reports.  We already have people telling us they are in for next year!  Here are some of my favourite pictures from this trip...with a few of my comments. :)  By the way....I will post pics from medical team when I get some from Colleen.

Kathy Mizen getting reading for the Game Show "Find me a Cowboy"!  Booyah!

Barbara Wright modelling her new apron!

The team brought tons of supplies for the volunteer EMS crew and firefighters.

This is the Guest House where the team stayed.  Very nice.

Not only nice on the outside but nice on the inside.

I am thinking if you can fit into a hockey bag you should be able to go for free.  lol.

Rachel Ray has nothing on these three!

Jesse & Tabitha with Phil.

Enjoying the Volcanic Smores!  Also keeping an eye out for a Guatemalan Cowboy!

Okay....this pictures screams out one word to me...."Trouble"!

Speaking of trouble....lol....what a Freak!

Dancing with the Stars - Pana Style!  

Cathy Hughes and Kathy Mizen getting the gifts ready for each house they were about to have a party at as they dedicated the homes and presented each owner with keys!

House #1

All six houses were built in the same village.  In this village a few years back a man came and offered to build new homes for people for $500US.  He took many peoples life savings and never returned.          A few years later, a team shows up and builds six houses that "everyday philanthropists" in Canada paid for.  The people in the village were a bit untrusting at first but by the end of the week they were warming up to the idea of homes maybe being built for them in coming years.  Thanks to all who donated.  This is what I am talking about baby!

House #2

House #3

House #4

House #5

House #6

To Canadians these houses do not look like much.  When you have a house with cornstalk walls and old beat up tin for a roof....and a dirt floor....imagine what it is like in the rainy season.  Again, thanks to all who support PI and those who gave specifically to these dreams.  You have changed lives!  You have brought hope!

Want to know more about what we do and the dreams that are available now to sponsor, visit our website www.iam1ru.com

A couple days of relaxing...

A few of the crew with their new hats they purchased in Pana.

All smiles after a ride in a TukTuk...must have been a good driver!

The sunset in Pana.  Now that is what I am talking about.

The team arrives back in Toronto Sunday night at about 9:30.

I am looking forward to hearing all the reports.

House Dedications & Block Party

On the way to a "house dedication" these three ladies were spotted.

Getting out of the truck and van and heading to a house dedication.

This team was the group that built this house.  Here they are posing with the mom.

Another building team with the house they built.

At every dedication a local pastor would present the family with a Bible and a house warming gift.  They would then be presented the keys to their new home by the team.

Wendy Pauls chatting it up with some folks that are gathered around the team van.

Some kids enjoying the bouncy castle at the Block Party.

Not sure if this little guy is enjoying the castle or if he wants out.

Fun games were for all the kids that showed up.  John Teskey reports that by the end of the time he had over 70 kids lined up waiting to try out the bouncy castle.

And of course what is a Block Party without candy floss.  It was a big lineup!