Dear friends of El Grupo de Bob and West Virginia Volunteers In Mission,

The Lord blessed us with another wonderful, amazing, and holy short-term mission pilgrimage to Guatemala! Just as a reminder, “El Grupo de Bob,” translated, “the group of Bob,” or, “Bob’s group,” is a reference to the VIM group from WV that has been traveling to Guatemala every year since 2003, except for 2020 and 2021. “Bob” is retired WV UM minister Rev. Dr. Robert C. “Bob” Cole, from Buckhannon.

The team arrived to Guatemala City on-time and without incident, thanks be to God! That is no small feat these days! We overnighted in Antigua, and after a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast (photo: Jimmy Wilson from Nolensville, TN), including plenty of Guatemalan coffee, we hit the road for San Juan La Laguna, located on the western shore of the breathtakingly beautiful Lake Atitlan.

We partnered this year with the Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya (ODIM), a United Methodist Advance Project. After successfully completing ONIL stove installation training, the team worked alongside ODIM personnel to build eight ONIL stoves and install eight Ecofiltro water filters in the very modest homes of eight ODIM beneficiary families. This was part of ODIM’s High Impact Home Improvement (HIHI) program. Breathing smoke from cooking over an open fire indoors, and ingesting waterborne contaminants in unclean drinking water are two of the most significant health hazards in Guatemala and other developing countries.

There is much more that could be said, but in the interest of keeping this short-and-sweet we will conclude by giving glory to God for abiding with us the entire time, and for keeping us safe and COVID-free for the duration of the trip! “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Amen.

Humbly submitted,

Elaine Benson, Peggy Laing, and Dean Cole, co-leaders

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