Iaomai Letter from Board of Directors

To the Iaomai Family,

This past year’s trip to Huehuetenango in October was a great success. We saw over 1000 patients in the clinic; we did 130 surgeries; we performed 200 diagnostic ultrasound exams and counseled hundreds of patients and their families before and after surgery. Great job team!

The team of 75 volunteers returned home as changed people. We were privileged to watch so many patients safely treated. Everyone suddenly has a new appreciation of the daily blessings we take for granted. It never ceases to amaze me how volunteers from so many different places, life experiences, and expectations come together to serve others without regard for their own comfort.

Sean, Jonathan, Kari and Greg all appreciate the kind words of many who have expressed their thanks and appreciation for our preparations and organization of the team. We all consider it our great privilege to serve you and our Lord in this calling. We receive far more blessing than we could ever imagine.

This coming year we are excited to be able to have two trips to Guatemala. The first trip is January 5-16 to Joyabaj, and a second trip September 29 - October 9 to a site to be determined. We are investigating several sites other than Huehuetenango, but that is still a possibility.

For the January trip, we have also organized a stove team to go into the surrounding villages and assist about 38 families by providing a stove to cook on that does not have an open flame, decreasing the amount of firewood needed, directing the smoke out of the home, and decreasing the chances of injury from burns. If this goes as well as expected, we hope to offer a stove team on the fall trip as well. The stoves cost $230 each and include a water purification system. The team installing the stoves needs to raise the funds to cover them, which for this trip is nearly $10,000. The team has raised or pledged so far about 2/3 of this. This is amazing as we only added the stove project 6 weeks ago. For more information on the stove project see : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_e0vOfjvH0.

As the year end approaches, please consider a tax deductable donation to Iaomai, to the address below. Feel free to designate your gift for a specific project, such as stoves (either in Jan or Oct), medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, or general mission expenses. No one on the leadership team is paid; we are all volunteers and 100% of any donation goes to the missions. Our only expenses are a storage unit in San Diego, accountant fees, IT expenses and our trip supplies.

Thank you for your consideration and your part in changing the lives of so many. May God’s richest blessings pour out on you and your loved ones this Christmas Season.

Blessings,

Iaomai Board of Directors