Visiting Our Sponsored CFCA Child At Her Family’s Home

I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to top last year’s New Year’s Eve. As part of my Guatemala CFCA awareness trip, I was able to visit our sponsored child, Angelica, at her home. Typically on CFCA trips a home visit isn’t part of the itinerary so this was an extra special event. For me, it meant I could see where Angelica calls home, meet her whole extended family and see how they live.

When we started sponsoring Angelica in 1998, her home was described as having two rooms with a metal sheet roof and mud floors. Having spent a lot of my awareness trip visiting with families whose homes fit that description and were near earthquake fault lines or on mountains prone to mudslides, I was anxious to see if Angelica lived in a safe home. I knew her family was a loving family but I was worried her living conditions might align with the many I had experienced. I really don’t think if I could have gone back to the US without seeing Angelica’s village and family home. I needed to make sure her family wasn’t living in harm’s way. My next blog post will share a story of a Guatemalan family that lost three children to harm’s way.

  Back to New Year's Eve and our adventure to Angelica's village. We traveled or about 2 hours up mountains, down valleys and up mountains. It was gorgeous scenery. Think Napa Valley Mixed in with a bit of Hawaii. On our trip to the village, our translator, Elena, shared that Angelica’s family lived in an area that was not plagued by mudslides nor was near a fault line. News that was even more calming to me than the scenery. So this gave me the courage to ask about their home. Elena assured me that the family had been building on to their home and it was safe and comfortable. Another sigh of relief for me. She also informed us that we needed to be prepared for a very large celebration!

And boy, did the family throw out the red carpet! We were greeted by what seemed like half the village and a large band that was made up of Angelica’s two brothers, uncles and cousins. There were lots of introductions and hugs. I felt like I was being thrown a coming home party and that that Angelica’s family had adopted me. It was very heartwarming and overwhelming especially getting to meet both sets of Angelica’s grandparents.

Angelica’s family pridefully showed me around their home as the music and festivities continued. It was beautiful! I would say the stucco-cement blended walls were at least a foot thick. Her father, Luis, assured me they would withstand typical earthquakes – though no earthquakes had hit their area. The floors were not mud but were gorgeous ceramic tiles. The roof was made of tiles with straw and mud insulation so the home was cool.   

Angelica walked me to her room that she and her sister, Yessica, share. She showed me a little Weist family area she had created with photos from us and

little gifts we had sent. This was a tear jerker for me for so many reasons. Her favorite gift was the saints book we had sent several years back. It was my favorite religious book growing up and I was so happy to hear it is her favorite as well.

Angelica’s mom, sister and aunts were busy making a Mayan feast for us. The highlight of my visit was sitting around their living room eating tostadas with Angelica’s whole family. Laughing and sharing stories. What a treasured moment!

Meeting a few of the children that Angelica’s family has taken in over the years was extra special as well. These kiddos, 10 in all, needed a safe place to live and be raised while their parents dealt with alcoholism. I couldn’t believe how committed Luis and Edilberta were about this. “It’s just the right thing to do. Our family has been blessed and we want other children to have a happy and safe childhood,” said Edilberta.

We danced in their courtyard for longer than we should have but no one wanted us to leave and we would have stayed but we had one more family to see that day and day light was escaping us. Saying goodbye was so incredibly hard but my heart felt light knowing Angelica’s family lived in a strong, safe home with a large supporting family. I also talked with Angelica and her parents about school and following her dreams to help her family continue to thrive. This home visit was the best way for me to see how our family had given Angelica’s family a hand up not a hand out.

Playing a little part in helping Angelica’s family achieve their dreams – that is what our sponsorship is all about. There were so many amazing moments to this day. The ones that are most precious to me are
seeing Angelica in her environment so happy and at ease - showing me around and so happy to have me with her family. Her personality really came alive and I saw a side to Angelica that I never could through letters. I also got to see for myself how the family lived, what they needed, and how their life plays out day in and day out. There’s a lot of love in Angelica’s home. Such a comfort.

If you are considering a home visit with your sponsored child, I would definitely say: do it.

A very big thank you to all the local CFCA trip that spent their holiday driving, hosting and interpreting for me and the CFCA headquarter’s lead, Judy-Anne. A very special thank you to Pedro, Angelica’s social worker, and of course our translator, Elena. I know that Elena was very late to her family’s New Year’s Eve fiesta and I very much appreciate her giving heart and helpful spirit!

Interested in learning more about CFCA and why I chose to sponsor a child? Here's my story.

I’ll be posting more recap blogs here. I'll update with video from CFCA when post-production work is finished. Many in-the-moment updates have already been posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - just look under #cfcatrip.

DISCLOSURE: CFCA covered my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my CFCA awareness trip experience via my social channels. 

Fourteen Years In The Making - Meeting My Sponsored Friend #cfcatrip

I was extremely excited to meet Angelica and her family in person on Day 3 of my Guatemala CFCA awareness trip.  This moment had been 14 years in the making and the butterflies were getting the best of me as we set up video cameras and did sound checks. I'm sure there will be an outtakes clip I will share here. I was shaky at best.

Many families filed in starting around eight in the morning. There were 38 sponsors - some who sponsor more than one child or aging friend - so several families needed to check in. Though the lines were long, every Mayan had a smile on their face waiting in anticipation to meet their sponsor either for the first time or catch up since the last visit.


It is easy to tell yourself you are not going to cry when you meet your sponsored child for the first time. It's a joyous occasion and you only have a few hours so you want all smiles and no tears. Yep, the reality of that mantra lasted all of about 15 seconds for me.

I saw Angelica and her family registering and just couldn't wait to throw my arms around her and share that moment with the camera. There were lots of tears of joy and it was such a once-in-a-lifetime moment. I'll post the video as soon as I can. 

It's hard to put into words how overwhelming of a emotionally-charged moment it was. To spend time with someone you care so much about, have so much hope for and want so much for - someone you didn't think you'd ever be able to meet - I wanted to slow down time and cherish every second. And the seconds flew by!

Angelica was such a delight. Her smile - it is a treasure and it barely left her face all day. I haven't seen her smile much in photos we have gotten over the years so seeing her spirit so alive and happy was a goodness that words again can't describe. Her parents, Luis and Edilberta, are so proud of her and her little brother, Fernando, was all over her that day - just crazy for her. There was so much family love and respect for each other. What a comfort for me to see! So many acts of kindness without thought or reflection. All so apparent to me but so matter of fact for them. 

Angelica and her mother, Edilberta, made our family special gifts including the native outfit I am wearing in these photos. Their weaving is incredibly beautiful and Angelica has inherited her mother's love and gift for weaving. They are blessed to be able to help provide for their family. 

After seeing how well Angelica weaves it really hit home how difficult it must be for her family to commit to keeping her in school. She is so talented but they realize that her education will be more beneficial for the family long-term.

We were able to spend about an hour together before lunch. Angelica loves to play basketball and read so I brought her a ball and some books. We talked about school and her hopes to be a nurse. Her father, Luis, pridefully shared how Angelica juggles school work, weaving and helping her mom with chores around their home. We talked about all their family. They got me caught up on how Angelica's grandparents are doing. We discussed how Angelica's family helps take care of children in their village that need a healthy and happy home to stay in for as long as they need it due to alcoholism. This kind fact made sense of all the kids we had seen in pictures over the years. They have taken in several children. A family in need helping others. 

The morning was spent sharing a web of stories that had a few gaps given we'd known each other fourteen years but hadn't ever met. We were filling in those gaps real time with our amazing interpreter, Elena. Even with the gaps - the bond - the family-like bond was instant and steadfast strong. 

The highlight of my day after meeting Angelica was eating a traditional Mayan lunch with Angelica's family. It was nice to have time over a meal - to break bread - and not have to worry about any of the family serving on us. As a mom, it was something that really stuck with me. CFCA staff did all the waiting on and we just enjoyed amazing food and each other's company. Also, each family with their sponsor could speak in front of the whole group. Angelica's dad shared with the community our story in such a captive way. I have to say I fell in love with the prose of the Mayans that day. They know how to give heart-felt talks that are beautiful to take in. They flow like songs. And, during the program we danced together - the Mayans love music and dancing. We - Angelica and I - did a folk dance to Mayan music. That was yet another highlight of the day. 

And the best news for me - I was going to visit Angelica's family at her home in a few days so though this day came to a close too quickly at least it was just a temporary good-bye for us.

Interested in learning more about CFCA and why I chose to sponsor a child? Here's my story.

I’ll be posting recap blogs here. I'll update with video from CFCA when post-production work is finished. Many in-the-moment updates have already been posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - just look under #cfcatrip.

DISCLOSURE: I was CFCA's guest blogger. They covered my flight and lodging during my Guatemala awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my experience via my social channels. 

Day 1 #cfcatrip - Dile Hola a Guate!

Judy-Anne Goldman, CFCA Multimedia Manager, and I started today at MCI in Kansas City around 3a. A bit blurry eyed from lack of sleep but thankful that the winter storm passed us, here's a brief video kicking off our Guatemala (Guate) adventure.

Our flight from Atlanta to Guate had boarded when we landed in ATL so we dashed to get on it and here's the gorgeous view during our descent into Guatemala City. 

Yes, we went from 10 degrees to 85 degrees in about 6 hours. The CFCA staff met us at the airport along with other sponsors. I think all told there's about 35 sponsors on this trip. We'll be sharing some of their stories throughout our trip and we have a talkative crew so we'll continue sharing stories here for as long as this crew wants. 

As soon as we arrived at our hotel, we met with Dave and four generations of family members from his sponsored daughter, Evelyn (more of Dave's story coming in a sponsors´stories compilation post) but here's a pic to show the amazing emotional bond Dave has with Evelyn whom he has been sponsoring for 14 years.  Evelyn's father died when she was two years old and Dave started sponsoring her shortly after. I felt honored to be part of their conversation. To see the mutual love and respect they had for each other. This special bond through sponsorship took my breath away. 

This afternoon we worked out connectivity issues and took in this incredible sunset. 

We have an insanely beautiful sunset video to share but we need to do some post production so we'll post it later. The whole CFCA crew joined Bob and Cristina Hentzen for our first awareness trip dinner where Chico and Brenda, our staff leads, welcomed us with open arms and treated us to a fantastic Guatemalan feast. Mucho gusto!

What I am learning first hand is every sponsor has a very different yet very similar sponsorship story. Different circumstances on why they are sponsoring but how they feel is very much the same. It's the relationship they have with their sponsored child that defines the how - there is a bond that can only be created in a hand up, heart-filled way that is defined by CFCA's mission. 

Say hello to Guate! Buen viaje!

Interested in learning more about CFCA and why I chose to sponsor? Here's my story.

DISCLOSURE: CFCA is covering my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my mission awareness experience via my social channels. 

CFCA Trip - What Do You Want Me To Share During My Trip?

Ok, so you know I'm headed to Guatemala for a mission awareness trip and I want to know what you would like for me to share while I'm there via this blog - the title kinda summarizes that, right?

But first, a little bit about why I'm going to Guatemala...

CFCA is a global non-profit organization headquartered in my hometown - Kansas City, Kansas. CFCA's mission is a passion of mine:

Our mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world.

• We provide personal attention and direct benefits to children, youth, aging and their families so they may live with dignity, achieve their desired potential and participate fully in society.
• We invite people of good will to live in daily solidarity with the world’s poor through one-to-one sponsorship.
• We build community by fostering relationships of mutual respect, understanding and support that are culturally diverse, empowering and without religious or other prejudice.

Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, CFCA is a lay Catholic organization working with persons of all faith traditions to create a worldwide community of compassion and service.

A nonprofit organization (NPO) working with persons of all faith traditions to create a worldwide community of compassion and service - if you know me well, you know this isn't just a passion but a perfect calling for me. 

You can read a bit about why John and I sponsor Angelica, teenager in Guatemala, through CFCA in this blog post.  It has been a dream of ours since we started sponsoring Angelica in 1998 to meet her through one of CFCA's mission awareness trips. The CFCA infographic below is from about a year ago and gives overview answers to common CFCA mission awareness trip questions:

With four kids and two full-time working-out-of-the-home parents we decided to put that dream on permanent hold. I began doing more local volunteering with CFCA including helping with public service announcements and fundraising events.

Last year, I became a member of CFCA's Social Media Advisory Board and was thrilled when CFCA asked me to be their first mission awareness trip social media advocate. I am going to meet Angelica - our sponsored daughter who we have been "talking" with via letters for the last 14 years! This is going to be amazing for me. I honestly don't have the words. And if technology and the local wifi holds up, I'll be sharing it with you in real-time or near real-time.

I'll also be interviewing CFCA staff and families and understanding local CFCA initiatives including micro-lending businesses (which I'm really excited about given my start-up roots).

So now that you have a little background, please let me know what you'd like to hear about and see me do while I'm in Guatemala. Judy-Anne Goldman of CFCA will be with me and we'll have a video camera and laptop in tow so we'll be ready to capture and deliver on your requests. 

DISCLOSURE: CFCA is covering my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my mission awareness experience via my social channels. 

CFCA Trip - Compliation Post: What I Need To Pack for my Guatemala Mission Awareness Trip

So I asked you through this blog,  Facebook and Twitter what three things I should pack for my upcoming CFCA mission awareness trip to Guatemala. You know good advice comes in threes and here's the excellent suggestions I received and am planning to pack:

• Peanut Butter - Angela Robson
• Multi-purpose wet wipes - Kerry Bettenhausen  and Erica McClenny 
• Use your phone to take pictures of any prescription bottles for meds you may take, your passport/travel docs, etc. If you misplace anything or need a prescription, get questioned about a med at customs inspection, etc. it makes things so much easier - Matt Ridings (#lightbulbbrilliant)
• Good shoes - Katelynn G
•  Toilet paper - Veronica
• A small bottle of pure tea tea oil - it works as natural astringent and bug repellant for scratches and bug bites - Kerry Bettenhausen  
• A Camera - Shanxi
• Crafts for the kids - Angela Robson
• Water Purifying Bottles - Erica McClenny (this was a oh-wow, they make those? suggestion for me)
• A sarong wrap - besides being a comfortable skirt, it can be used as quick robe, towel or extra blanket. - Judy-Anne Goldman
• Sunscreen - Veronica
• Liquid bath soap - Judy-Anne Goldman
• A light jacket/sweater for evenings - Katelynn G
• Medicine - Veronica
• Comfortable clothing you can mix and match over several days - Shanxi
• Jake Jacobson is letting me borrow his Garmin Forerunner so I can share with you where I've traveled every day of my trip - Thanks, Jake! - Jake Jacobson
• And my favorite - Matt's Travel Gear Pinterest Board (lots of great ideas for all your travel).

 Thanks to everyone for all the great ideas around question number one! 

I don't leave for Guatemala until December 26th so keep the suggestions coming. My next CFCA post will be question number two as I crowdsource my way to prepping for this wonderful trip.

Find out more about why I'm going to Guatemala on my personal CFCA page.

DISCLOSURE: CFCA is covering my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my mission awareness experience via my social channels. 

CFCA Trip - Three Things I Need To Pack

The next several posts, and a smattering of posts thereafter, are going to be about social media - but not about the industry or my work. I’m switching my lens to social media for social good.

See, I’m going on my first trip to Guatemala with CFCA leaving on December 26, 2013, to meet my family’s sponsored child, Angelica. John and I have been sponsoring her since 1998 – since before any of our kiddos were born.  

This meeting has been a long time in the making! And I’m looking forward to taking y’all along for the festivities but first, I really need your help. Nope, I’m not asking for money to get me to Guatemala. I really need your brain power - your developing country traveling expertise.

I need advice in preparation for this big trip and what better place to ask for advice than my online community?! Via all my social channels, I’ll be asking a developing country trip related question on Tuesday of every week until I leave for Guatemala. By then I hope to be educated through all of you and ready to take on the adventure ahead of me.

And here’s my first question: What are the top three things I must pack and why?

In my upcoming posts, I’m going to be sharing the reasons I’m going; what CFCA is about; what CFCA is planning for me while I’m in Guatemala; and of course, at the end of each week I’ll do a compilation post of the answers to the weekly question.

While I’m in Guatemala, I’ll be posting recap blogs with video here on this blog and in-the-moment updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,  and Pinterest. All updates will be tagged with #cfcatrip.

I can’t begin to share with you how excited I am to be going to Guatemala and meeting Angelica. I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.  I appreciate you helping this developing country trip noobie become a developing country trip expert! We have less than six weeks, friends, so get me your answers in the comment section below to Week One’s question: What are the top three things I must pack and why?

Let’s do this!

DISCLOSURE: CFCA is covering my flight and lodging for my Guatemala mission awareness trip in return for me documenting my trip via blog posts and sharing my mission awareness experience via my social channels. 

Poverty is B.A.D.

You are seeing it everywhere today, references to #bad08 - Blog Action Day 08. From YouTube to Digg to the Red Cross website to Twitter to yet more YouTube...today all the chatter is about talking up how you are helping end poverty. For ideas see my post from yesterday.

I am thrilled to say CFCA hightlighted my family's poverty story on their blog today.

There's so many blogs covering poverty today for the second annual Blog Action Day, I thought I'd highlight one in particular that really got the message through to me:

Beth Kanter's Blog: Blog Action Day: Can One Person Make A Difference? Challenging Poverty With Social Media


And check out Twemes.com to see all the amazing conversations going on about Blog Action Day via Twitter.