2018 FHMB Update
By Katie Brown
Betty and Katie returned to Damien House and Julio Matevello in the fall to spend the money all of our donors provide!!!
Sr. Annie had a list of major NEEDS, so we went shopping!
We bought an industrial clothes washer, industrial clothes dryer, freezer, split AC for the new room for Justino and Carlos, employee refrigerator, file cabinet, and a fan. And that was just one major trip to the mall.
One of our favorite people to see each year is Father Santana. He comes weekly to say the Sunday Mass any week day he can come. He has his own Parish and works with the Bishop of Guayaquil, but one of his priorities is Mass for the Hansen’s patients. He speaks directly to them with God’s love. It is a privilege to celebrate Mass with him.
This year we brought Jody and Dennis Creamer to meet our friends at Damien House. They were the painting duo extraordinaire!
They heard that the women’s living room, dining room and kitchen needed a fresh look, so out came the paint and brushes. Like magic, in one day the living room was prepped, painted and put back together. They did the same for the dining area and kitchen, then found a wall in the men’s area in need of help. Before we knew it, the handrails had been painted black. They did have help from Esther and then Justino. Both of these patients love their home at Damien and always want to help.
We went to visit two Ecuadorian Sisters in the poorest area of Duran. Srs. Gladys and Fanny have started programs to help the women better themselves and families with classes on health and nutrition as well as sewing. They have volunteers helping in all these areas and the afterschool programs for the students who need an extra boost. We hope to follow up with them and watch their progress.
Well our days weren’t just shopping or painting. We had our annual trip to Babahoyo to see Vivianna and Louis’ family whose wood house we helped build a few years ago. The four boys and Judy were very happy when the bags of food and especially the boxes of cereal arrived! We had a fun time with them, singing and rolling the soccer ball around in the house!
We were treated to a show at the school of Julio Matevello on our only visit. The students can dance and sing! We were able to give gifts of rosaries, toothbrushes, pens and pencils, and cookies to the students and left $3,000 for scholarships for the school year starting in May 2019. The best part of our visit was the hugs from all the students who remembered Betty and Katie.
Scholarship students at the school;
Mariuxi, Vanessa, Valaria.