San Pablo Xucaneb

The Midland-Based Stove Team completed the installation of Vented Stoves and Water Filters in 176 homes in villages near San Pablo Xucaneb, east of Santa Cruz Verapaz in northern Guatemala.  We also installed Water Filters in each classroom of an area school, along with a large cooking pot stove.

The predominantly indigenous Mayan region we served has ~80% of the population living in poverty with 50% estimated to be in extreme poverty.  These basic life enhancements reduce the incidence of respiratory illness and other health problems and also cuts the time or money spent obtaining firewood.

This was our largest ever Mission impact – in this 10th Year – of our Midland-based volunteer teams living out our Faith through Charitable Works of Service.  This year’s team of 24 volunteers was composed of several area Christian church’s members; 8 of which who joined for the first time.

The villages served this year had no vented stoves or water filters previously.  They had reached out to HELPS International to seek support, and our Midland team was asked and agreed to go into this new area of need.  Enroute to San Pablo Xucaneb to deliver the stove parts the week prior to our arrival, one of the trucks became stuck in a road construction area.  The community so strongly believed in the impact the stoves and filters would have in their lives and wanting to ensure the installation schedule, 40 men from the villages came down and transferred the parts to a second truck in the pouring rain (~200 lbs / stove) arriving in the village at midnight.  Their commitment inspired us all week.