Building a House in Guatemala in Honor of Val
Val’s Mom, Doreen, shares her reflections from a recent mission trip in honor of Val:
At the end of January, Patrice and I took a trip to Guatemala sponsored by the Travis Manion Foundation. Working there through Casas Por Cristo and with Shane’s Challenge, our group of 25 volunteers built a house for a very poor family in honor of our fallen loved ones.
building site for the house
framing the house
We were physically challenged during the week working at 6000 feet altitude and hiking down and back up a mile from the work site each day. Our group consisted of parents, siblings, and spouses of fallen military heroes. It was great being with others who understand.
getting to know the children there
some of the women and children
dedicating the house to the family for whom it was built
It was very emotional for the family to receive such a generous gift and for us to give them photos of our loved ones to hang on their walls. The Travis Manion Foundation provided a brass plaque in loving memory of all eight of our heroes. Their legacy lives on in a remote village in Guatemala.
the plaque above the door
We also spent time visiting with children from the Morning Glory Christian Academy. We brought musical instruments to donate so that the children could have an opportunity to learn the beauty of music. During a celebratory festival, this little girl, Allison (also the name of my youngest daughter) latched onto me. We are hoping to sponsor her throughout her schooling at Morning Glory.
A little girl, Allison, who clung to us
I think that all of us would agree that we got much more than we gave.
View more pictures from Pat and Doreen or from the Travis Manion Foundation.
Wings For Val Foundation 