Greetings Friends, may I introduce my friend, and many peoples friend, Sue Patterson...there is much ado about Sue because she's a famous lady that maybe you haven't met...at least, not yet!
Sue is a retired member of the U.S. State Department/Foreign Service who spent many years abroad and presided as Counsul General at various glamourous places such as Florence, Italy, San Marino (which as everyone knows is the third-smallest, yet amongst the chicest countries in Europe...a Napoleon favorite) and Guatemala, Central America too.
In retirement, our friend Sue, has been a great help to many (including me, especially at the time of the loss of my dear friend Jose Luis ten years ago) and a strong, sensible and healing voice who actively participates in the creation and building of many community life-enhancing projects/services in Guatemala. Projects that are privately funded outreach programs....one is named WINGS and WINGS includes Sex Education, Family Planning and actively working for the prevention, detection and treatment of Cervical Cancer (the leading cause of death of reproductive age women in Guatemala)...WINGS goal is to achieve "Reproductive Healthcare for Every Guatemalan."
Sue, Juan Carlos and I enjoyed one anothers company this early, and very beautiful Central American morning, and also ENJOYED Juan Carlos's special Spicey Cheese/Chorizo Omlets at breakfast...Coffee, Toast (with Sue's gift of Apple Butter spread thickly on Pan Integral)....a su orden...you're invited next time!
When you have a moment, please visit Sue and her Healthcare miraclemaking WINGS organization at:
Photo by Juan Carlos Castillo Fuentes
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7 comments:
Hi Leonardo--I couldn't get the link for Sue's organization to work but will try to Google that.
Not only is your Sue lovely, so is the backdrop. One of yours?
Hi Bonnie, yes, it 4'x4' named Trellis...thanks for asking...when I click on the WINGS GUATEMALA link it works fine for me...
Hi Leonardo--I did Google the site. It talked about the femicide (sp?) legislation recently passed in Guatemala. Good on them! It is staggering to think that 2,000 women are killed in Guatemala each year. And, baby "women" having babies is one of those issues that just makes me so angry at the RCC's stance on birth control.
You have some wonderful people in your life, Leonardo. The painting behind Sue is positively exuberant. I would love to watch you work.
Bonnie, the issue of "baby women having babies" makes me so angry I can't even bring myself to click on the link. The way those folks reduce human life down to a physical accident devoid of context, meaning, or future cheapens everything.
fs--The situation is as you have described but I didn't mean to turn anyone off to the article. Sorry, my bad. The work that Sue and others like her are doing is very heartwarming. Also, the Guatemalan government seems to be stepping up to the plate to help protect women.
Hope you are getting stronger each day.
Fs and Bonnie, yes, WINGS is exposing and offering SOLUTIONS to deadly cultural circumstances and promoting healthier thinking, acting and beliving in Guatemala...if you click on the link you may be pleased with what you see...trust me, better, trust Sue.
BTW, from time to time I'm going to be introducing you to those in my life that are filled with positive energy and efforts of "change"...there are so many foreigners in Guatemala who add precious and urgently needed service that you will be amazed...then there are the many, many well-off Guatemalan citizens who also, and sometimes very privately offer of themselves and their personal in vital ways that help people who live on incomes sometimes far less than $100 a month...there is much good to be seen as folks "help one another" in the gorgeous "Land of Eternal Spring."
Ken Wood will be coming to visit me next weekend from Santiago, Atitlan and he brings BIG news of HELP that is on the way from private citizens, mostly anonymous, from the U.S.A....it's important that we realize the good that IS being done for people in desperate conditions by OUR private citizens...more later regarding:
http://www.puebloapueblo.org/
and many OTHER groups who are, and operate in a professional and reputable manner...reputable and FINANCIALLY TRANSPARENT matter!
FINANCIALLY TRANSPARENT matter...whoops..."manner"...I'm new at blogging and don't know how to make all the corrections yet.
No pain, no gain they say!
Best to all!
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