Dana Reynolds and Suzanne Gayda & several Spanapark Lions, visited our Club a few months ago on invitation to share Dana's
Hands of Hope mission experiences. The Rainier Lions gave a donation to Dana
for her recent trip. This is the email from Dana:
From: Dana Reynolds dreynoldspta@hotmail.com
Sent:
Sun, Aug 3, 2014 6:48 pm
Subject: Hands of Hope update
Dear friends and patrons of Hands of Hope,
Amidst this
ever-changing world, it warms my heart to know there is at least one constant:
the innocence, curiosity and joy of the children in the small school community
of Taucca. These children consistently inspire me to continue walking the path
of service.
Upon my first visit to the Taucca Primary School the
children showered me with exuberant hellos, hugs, smiles, and longing to know
more about the objects I arrived with. I brought a class set of foam geometric
math manipulatives and a larger plastic set of geometric shapes for the teacher
to use as models. Later when I asked the children what they would like, a chorus
of children spontaneously erupted with "libros, libros, madrina" (books, books,
god-mother). We had been enjoying the one large picture book about dinosaurs and
it was apparent how thirsty these children are to learn. It confirmed my goal to
fund raise for a Hands of Hope van (book mobile) - a traveling library to share
with several communities. Children naturally want to learn more about their
world and of course these children are no exception. As a result of that visit
and thanks to your generosity, I went shopping and returned with many beautiful
Spanish children's non-fiction hard cover picture books about various animal
groups. I hoped that these would whet their appetites to continue seeking
answers to the many questions that fill their minds. (The books were a big
hit!!)
This year my teacher friend, Corinne, from Washington is here for
2 months and has joined me when visiting Taucca. I know the children have
touched her heart as they have mine. She planned and practiced to share a few
read-aloud Spanish books.
Since fruit is not easily accessible at this
altitude, we planned a fruit fiesta to enjoy after the sharing of books. This
time we arrived with watermelon, papaya, grapes and apples. These were a special
treat since we typically arrive with a large supply of oranges and bananas.
The children had also prepared little group presentations to share and
then we played store - the children had small items that had price tags and they
gave the mothers and myself pretend money to shop and they would give us change
for our purchases. It was delightful to witness the joy and pride when they were
correct.
Last August, Hands of Hope had a balance $13,100. towards our
goal of $35000 for a HOH book mobile. In the spring we were at $15,600 and
before I left in July we had $20,056. I also have money to use here this summer
to meet the needs of theTaucca school community at this time. I will keep you
updated on our progress here.
Thank you all for your continued support
and well-wishes for Hands of Hope. We are making a difference in the lives of
theses children and their families.
Dana
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