LA PEDRERA

La Pedrera is an indigenous Mayan school in the western highlands of Guatemala. The school serves the poorest area of a very poor country and is sponsored by Casa Xelaju a Spanish language school in Quetzaltenango. Over the past four years we have been assisting the school by supplying the tools necessary to improve education for the children in La Pedrera. These efforts have had a profound effect on the community. Please explore our site and learn more about this important project. And of course, we would welcome your donation. Check out the donation section to see how you can help.

UPDATE: JULY 2007

As a supporter of my missions to Guatemala, you will be pleased to hear that the new school room is completed and dedicated. The ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 27, where I took part in the dedication and ribbon cutting. It was attended by about forty people, including Julio Batres, the owner of Casa Xelaju (and sponsor of the La Pedrera Project), the director of Casa Xelaju, the coordinator of the La Pedrera Project, students, parents and members of the community.

At the beginning of the ceremony, I was officially welcomed by a number of students, who had memorized their lengthy lines, as well as officials of Casa Xelaju and La Pedrera, and some of the parents. As the welcoming wore on, I was beginning to think that they were talking about someone else or that I should at least walk on water.

After listening to all of the welcome and accolades, my resolve to give my speech without becoming emotional was for naught. At least I didn’t have to reach for a handkerchief until I was through. I was able to deliver about a third of my words in Spanish. When I got to the part about Barbara’s (my wife) part in the project and how she was with me in spirit, I broke down. The rest of my speech was read in English and ably translated by one of the students of Casa Xelaju.

Finally, I climbed the stairs to the new story and cut the ribbon for the “Wayne Hess Electronic Library". It is a beautiful room, well lit with tile floors, a drop ceiling and built in desks around the edge. The computers are networked and now have internet access. Juio's perserverance over the past months had paid off. After trying a number of different transmitters for internet access, Julio had finally been able to find what he needed on eBay. The equipment had originally been designed for military use in Iraq, but had proven inadequate for their needs. The signal is able to be transmitted over one mile. In, fact the entire city may now have wireless access.

Following the ceremony we were all treated to a feast of chicken in a mole sauce, homemade tamales, and dessert. You may be assured that everyone knows that this was not a one-man project and that it took each of you and your generous donations to make it all possible. I acknowledge you as a group and was asked to extend a heart-felt thank you to each of you. Pictures of the event will be posted to my web site sometime in the near future, so check back. I will be returning to Guatemala next February and invite any of you who are interested to contact me for the details. No skills required, just a willingness to work and be spiritually rewarded.

— Wayne Hess