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Curamericas Global would like to say "thank you" and "welcome home" to all of the wonderful volunteers who participated in our most recent expeditions! Although we know that you will be sorting through emotions and memories for years to come, we've done our best to provide a quick summary of each trip below.
January 2010 - 2nd Annual Elon University Service - Learning Course in Guatemala
"I enjoyed the way we were completely immersed in the community to every extent... I realize now how much programs like this really make a difference all around the world, and how much the people appreciate it"
- Emily Giegerich (Sophomore at Elon University)
 18 students and two faculty members from Elon University journeyed to Calhuitz, Guatemala to work alongside our partners at Curamericas Guatemala. Students could earn credit on this class trip towards different areas of study while gaining invaluable service and cultural experiences. As the second consecutive year for Elon students to work in Calhuitz, the team continued construction on a multi-purpose health facility. Students quickly worked to construct the walls of the third floor of the building, the same building of which Elon Students poured the foundation only 1 year earlier. This multi-purpose health facility currently holds a pharmacy and two health administration offices and when completed will have 4 floors for administration, lodging for family members of health patients, and a large training room to host important health training workshops for midwives, health facilitators, and health educators. Along with construction, students visited local homes, hiked to an ancient Mayan religious site, met a bone healer, and worked with our health team.
"I could see it was hard here every day for the community, but their positive attitude was very uplifting. I felt very safe and… I didn't experience culture shock like I have before."
- Lee Allen (Senior at Elon University)
 Students gave presentations on nutrition and safe birthing practices to women in Calhuitz and students worked with a health educator to distribute micronutrient rich cereal to mothers and collect key statistical data of women and children. After 2 successful trips, we hope to maintain and grow our relationship with Elon University staff and students, who have supported our project in Guatemala in a great and significant way.
"...you can't always apply your culture to another. These people have a culture and a way of life that works for them and if you have their best interest at heart in the context of their own culture, you can make a difference in their lives in a positive way and just coming to know them will be a rewarding experience in itself."
- Melissa Wolf (Junior at Elon University)
October 2009 - Pine Forest Team Breaks Ground for the New KW Children's Home, Curamericas Says Goodbye
 The first phase of construction for the second Kory Wawanaca Children's Home has finally begun! Kicked off by a small team from Goldsboro and Asheville, NC, the work begins with a brick fence around the perimeter of the new building site - a beautiful plot of land in an indigenous community on the rocky, mountainous outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia's capital city. The KW kids will move from the first home (in the rural village of Tacachia) to the new home after 6th grade in order to continue their education in the city.
Goldsboro's Pine Forest United Methodist Church recently sent another mission team to the KW Home in June, and a handful of team members decided to organize a group to return as soon as possible. The Goldsboro community matched their eagernes s and dedication to the project by helping the team raise all of the funds needed for the trip within a few short months. In addition to their work in La Paz, volunteers also spent time with the children in Tacachia. Three team members stayed for a full month and are already planning to return again next summer.
It was a bittersweet trip for Curamericas - our last as facilitators for the KW Home. We are proud to announce that Kory Wawanaca is now ready to set up their own volunteer program with the help of our own Elizabeth Barricklow, who has resigned fro m her position as Director of International Volunteer Programs in order to begin working as a consultant in volunteer coordinating and international development. As we continually strive to make empowerment and sustainability key outcomes of our work, we are honored to be part of this successful transition and look forward to continuing to support our colleagues in their next steps.
September 2009 - Christ UMC Team Builds New Entrance to CSRA Clinic in El Alto, Bolivia
"Not a day goes by that I have not thought of the people I met and the experiences I had in Bolivia. It was an amazing journey."
- Jill Gonzales, Christ UMC Volunteer
For Lynne Randall of Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas, traveling to Bolivia is less like venturing to a foreign land than like reuniting with beloved relatives. A former Curamericas Global board member, she began working with our health partner CSRA over 20 years ago and has led several volunteer teams to help with various projects over the years. This September, her 13-member team spent two weeks helping in CSRA's Senkata Health Center, which serves indigenous people in the slum city of El Alto.
 Team members worked alongside community volunteers to build two new clinic entrances (an ambulance driveway and a waiting room for sick patients), while others helped in the pharmacy and in the new children's nursery - built with funds from our July 2009 Curamericas volunteer team.
It was an emotional trip for Randall, who was amazed by the progress that CSRA's devoted staff has made over the years. "I can't believe how much has changed. Twenty years ago, they didn't have any of this," She said, referring to additions such as office computers, a pharmacy, and many more rooms. "It makes me feel so proud to have been able to be part of this!"
On-going support from the members of Christ UMC and other dedicated donors has helped CSRA play a key role in improving health conditions for women, children, and families in Bolivia. However, the needs are still great, and continued support is becoming more and more important as the Bolivian government changes their policies in ways that reduce funding for organizations such as CSRA. Curamericas and our partners would like to thank Lynne, Christ UMC, and all of our donors for their help!
July 2009 - FUMC-Cary Youth Team Brings Color & Cheer to Bolivia
"I would definitely recommend this to others. The trip was fun and culturally exciting, but more importantly it served others. This is something people should experience."
- Ruth Young, FUMC-Cary Youth Volunteer
 First United Methodist Church of Cary, NC sent a youth mission team overseas with Curamericas Global for the third summer in a row this July, sharing their generous support, hard work, and infectious enthusiasm with yet another of our health partners.
This year, the team traveled to the highlands of Bolivia to serve with CSRA (Consejo de Salud Rural Andino) in the crowded city of El Alto, located next to the capital city of La Paz. The team worked in CSRA's Senkata Health Center, the main clinic serving El Alto's mostly impoverished indigenous population. They seemed to bring new life to center by painting the hallways, tearing down walls to build a new nursery, and providing funding for several more improvements, including a new office printer and an outside sign.
 During the 12-day trip, the team took a short break from city life for an overnight visit to the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in the rural village of Tacachia. There, they threw a Hawaian-themed dance party for the KW kids, teaching them the chicken dance and the Macarena.
Adult chaperone Peggy Carroll and her daughter Megan have supported the FUMC-Cary youth trips for years, but this was their first chance to take part in the Curamericas Global experience. Peggy commented, "I have been on mission trips before and this was by far the best organized, executed, moving and just incredible experience I have ever had."
When Curamericas Global returned to Senkata with another volunteer team in October, we were able to see the finished benefits of FUMC-Cary's hard work and generosity! Here are our ‘Before & After' pictures:
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After
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After
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June 2009 - Pine Forest UMC Hugs and Hard work at Kory Wawanaca Children's Home
"We could see the importance of each task and what it meant to the children's home, so it felt worthwhile and that we were making a difference."
- Lisa Pettus, Volunteer from Goldsboro, NC
(June 2009 Pine Forest UMC Mission Trip to Kory Wawanaca)
 CA group of 11 adventurers traveled to the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in Bolivia in June of 2009, completing a second annual successful mission trip for Pine Forest United Methodist Church of Goldsboro, NC. Showered with hugs and smiles from the children, the volunteers worked their tails off to complete multiple construction projects on the Home's farm during their 10-day trip. They tore down an old farm building, salvaging over 1,400 adobe bricks, and built a retaining wall for a large field, using wheelbarrows to carry 13 dump truck loads of backfill to use for support.
 Team leader Mark Woods said "This trip to La Paz and Tacachia (Caracas, Lima) has changed the lives of those who went. One of our team members has retired from his job to devote time to mission work."
Pine Forest UMC hopes to send another team next summer for a third trip. Meanwhile, three team members are already gathering a group to return to Bolivia this October in order to help Kory Wawanaca with their newest project: the construction of a second home in La Paz where older children will live while continuing their studies in high school and college. If you are interested in joining this team, email us as soon as possible at volunteer@curamericas.org!
March 2009 - Health & Construction Volunteers Connect in Guatemala
"This trip has impacted my life. Not only will I have a new perspective about the world in which I live, but I have also come to understand how important it is to show others unyielding love just as the people of Calhuitz accepted us and loved us as their own...I can honestly say my time in Calhuitz will help me become a better person."
- Trip "Viaje" Stewart, George Washington University Student
(March 2009 Volunteer Trip to Guatemala)
It was an awesome experience to have both health and construction volunteers working together in Guatemala. Our Health volunteers spent two full days facilitating educational worksho ps for comadronas (traditional birth attendants) and community health workers. The educational exchange proved profitable for both the volunteers and the local health workers as questions were raised and answered for both groups. The volunteers were also able to spend a day on the front lines with the local health teams, providing exams, immunizations, and important vitamins for the mothers and children of two communities. The construction volunteers continued to make significant progress in the building of the Calhuitz women's training and medical auxiliary structure located next to the Calhuitz Maternity Center.
 Courtney McGuire said this about the construction "At the end of the trip, I was incredibly proud about how much our construction team had accomplished! We worked side by side with the men from Calhuitz and accomplished so much in three days. It was really exciting to think about what we had contributed and gained from this experience!"
Dr. Dan Sellinger especially enjoyed his experience with the local people. He commented, "The locals were also outstanding...a perfect combination of local friendliness and learning from the locals about their culture and habits..."
Would you like to share stories or photos from your Curamericas Global volunteer experience? We would love to hear from you! Please email andrew@curamericas.org or call 877-510-4787.
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