Samsons serve in Guatemala

By IAN MINIELLY

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Ironwood - Students and former students from Gogebic Community College and Luther L. Wright High School joined eight members of the community to take a service learning trip March 10-18 to Guatemala.

It was in conjunction with Pure Vida Ministries, which works to promote health and education in the Quiche department of Guatemala, according to its website, purevida.org.

The trip cost $2,000 per person and over $7,500 in grants and scholarships were provided to GCC students who applied for funding.

During the service trip, students worked on the construction of a cinder block home for a family in need and painted a nutrition center in the village of Lemoa. Additionally, the GCC team spent one morning with the children of San Jose Pedro at a rural village school playing games and crafting.

Scoti Tanula said, "It was wonderful going to schools and seeing how happy and grateful everyone was to see us."

Janie Williams, event organizer and administrative assistant with Allied Health Department at GCC, said during free time the group toured Mayan ruins, visited the Chichi Market and met local weavers who described how they make their colorful patterns.

Williams said many of the team members said the event was life changing and at least a half-dozen are planning on returning to Guatemala at some point and a 2019 trip is being scheduled for March 9-17.

The team's schedules were flexible, but the focus was on the house and nutrition clinic. The group decided before departing the area what they wanted to do in country.

Williams said during the wrap-up of the trip, the team visited Antigua and learned about Ecofiltro's water filtration project bringing clean water to rural Guatemalans, toured Finca Filadelfia Coffee Plantation and hiked up the Pacaya Volcano. Some of the team visited a jade factory and a chocolate factory.