We will be working at a small school in the western highlands of Guatemala.  This remote little school is situated high on a volcanic mountain and contains only 3 classrooms and 3 teachers. Because of limited resources they need our help with repairs and with a building project at the school and have also invited us to present VBS to the children at the school.

You will have time to:

• take your choice of work projects — building/repairs or teaching Vacation Bible School
• meet the artisans we work with and visit their communities and homes
• maybe see how they make those delicious tortillas by hand
• learn a little of a Mayan language – T”zutujil, Kakchiquel or K’iche
• visit other villages in the rural highlands  and see beautiful Lake Atitlan
• see the colonial city of Antigua
• share God’s love while helping our neighbors in Guatemala
• maybe teach a little English in our spare time at the school
• view weaving demonstrations on a backstrap loom and foot pedal loom

We will be building a new kitchen stove for the school!

Learn more about this trip of a lifetime at our website and then email us for more information!

Hurry before the trip fills up!

Visit beautiful Lake Atitlan

Help us present Vacation Bible School to the little children!

Meet the artisans and see their villages.

Beautiful cathedral – La Merced – in Antigua.

]]> http://educationandmore.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/mission-trip-to-guatemala-in-october/feed/ 0 educationandmore DSC00770 DSC00786 We will be building a new kitchen stove for the school! Visit beautiful Lake Atitlan Help us present Vacation Bible School to the little children! Meet the artisans and see their villages. 058 http://educationandmore.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/learning-about-jesus-in-guatemala/ http://educationandmore.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/learning-about-jesus-in-guatemala/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:15:20 +0000 educationandmore http://educationandmore.wordpress.com/?p=2519 ]]> Kids jumping up and down and so excited to come to Vacation Bible School!  The first day we were overwhelmed with nearly 160 children from ages 2-14!  What a day and what fun to share God’s Word with all the children.

Listening to Bible stories………

Learning Bible verses……..

Doing Crafts………..

and of course playing games and singing songs!

Many of the children have not heard about Jesus and we are so pleased to introduce them to the life saving news of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have received a grant from the Lorenz Foundation to help us present VBS to hundreds of children in Guatemala.

Two of the artisan groups that we help have already told us that the children are asking when we are coming back for VBS again.  If we receive sufficient donations into our Vacation Bible School fund we will continue sharing God’s Word each year with as many children as possible in Guatemala.  Learn more about our Mission trips to present VBS or just learn more about our work in Guatemala at our website.

Many of the group could sew a little, but the  products they made lacked the precision and quality that we needed  so that we could market their products for them in the world market.  They have been so appreciate of their new machines, supplies and lessons and are learning rapidly how to sew correctly, how to make patterns and how to use various types of machines.

As with our other groups many like to use the treadle sewing machines although they have new electric machines too.

This group will receive lessons for several months so they are able to attain a high quality with their sewing.  We look forward to bringing their new products to market in a few months!

The artisans we work with in Guatemala use a lot of ikat in their weavings and have designed some of new weavings and products with ikat.

Check out our online store for more Ikat and Indigo handcrafts!  Education And More Store

Blue Placemats with lots of ikat

Pillow covers for your home!

Spanish Salvation Bracelet

These bracelets are such a fantastic tool to share the Gospel with your friends and acquaintances and now we have them in both an English and a Spanish version!

If you are going on a mission trip into a Spanish speaking country be sure to order lots of these to give out to the children you meet on your trip.  Our webstore  has them in quantities of 1 dozen but if you need a large quantity we do sell them in bulk quantities too.  Be sure to email us!

Choose from English or Spanish and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Perfect gift for your Sunday School or Vacation Bible School classes! These bracelets are made by our artisans and they receive a fair wage for their work which helps them feed and educate their children.

Your purchase of these will help you share the life saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also help an artisan support her family!

Maybe we don’t often explain the reason for our name, but we are all about education.

We believe education is vitally important to reducing poverty and there are many types of educational opportunities that we offer. Just helping a student with a way to attend school isn’t often enough in a developing country because the students face so many problems outside the classroom.  They lack sufficient food in their daily lives and are often less healthy –  therefore are at a disadvantage in learning.  By focusing our work on helping in many aspects of their lives, the students, their families and communities  can look forward to a better future.

What types of educational help do we offer?

1. Sponsorship to Public Schools — Primary grades, Junior High grades, High School, Career schools, Technical school, and University
2. Practical Education — sewing classes;  marketing,  technical , and product design help and education
3. Christian Education through Bible study, Vacation Bible School presentations, Christian films
4. Schools — we offer help to small schools by providing the administration and teachers the tools they need: textbooks, computer labs, school supplies for the teachers as well as students, repairs and upgrades to the school building, and more.

What is the ‘And More’ in our name…………..

1.  help to artisans through a Fair Trade wage.
2. increased self worth and dignity to the artisans and students because of achievements in their handcraft businesses and in their education
3. sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
4. building relationships with trust and  friendship
5. interest free micro-credit loans to help them expand their handcraft businesses
6. giving cash advances for family emergencies
7. long term relationships with the students and parents so they know someone cares if they succeed

We would love you to become involved in helping us provide Education ……….And More!

Even the tiniest had fun at VBS!

We presented a special Bible Study hour to the mothers of the children through the Magdalena film from the Jesus Film Project.  After the film we presented a short study on Psalms 66 and what God has done in our lives, then we let them listen to the Bible in their own language on a Proclaimer from Faith Comes By Hearing.  A Proclaimer is a simple black box that has the Bible downloaded into it in the native language of the listener and in this case it was in Kakchiquel.  The women (and children too!) have never had the Bible in their own language.

The Proclaimer is a unique tool to share the Gospel because it is very simple to use, it can be recharged by solar, wind-up or by electricity, and the volume can be turned up so that approximately 300 people can hear the Word.  We left the Proclaimer with one of our groups to use until we return in a few months and then will let another group use it. We would like to purchase one for each of our groups and are looking for donations. The cost is $100 each so if you would like to help share the Word please donate today!

So what do these questions have to do with a neck scarf?

What is a neck scarf worth to these women?  How does a neck scarf help them…………

Every time someone buys a neck scarf from Education And More it gives the weaver —- that mother — an income. What does she earn for her weaving? Our artisans earn approximately 200% above the Guatemalan poverty line for each hour they work on products.

But that is not all –

• they receive business training to develop their weaving / handcraft businesses
• advance payment if needed
• new sewing centers
• learning new skills such as sewing
• they receive help for their children to attend school
• interest free micro-credit loans

These are just a small portion of the extra benefits our artisans have received.  This is all possible because you have bought one of their handcrafts in our online store or hosted a bazaar of their handcrafts at your church.

So how does a neck scarf help?  Let me count the ways…………………………

Education And More has lots of their gorgeous textiles and handcrafts from Guatemala at the sale.  Be sure to take time and do a little shopping and help impoverished artisans in Guatemala earn a fair income for their work!

Come see the variety of our Fair Trade handcrafts!!

• Purses
• Neckscarves
• Jewelry
• Coin Purses
• Shawls
• Mayan Textiles
• Placemats / Napkins
• Table Runners
• Handwoven Rugs
• Clergy Stoles
• Gospel Bracelets
• Friendship Bracelets
• Hacky Sacks and Stocking Caps — Soccer
• Weekend / Sport Bags
• Sofa Throws
• and so much more!!

The Fair Trade Marketplace opened yesterday– November 23, 2012  and will run through December 1, 2012.

The traditional Mayan woman’s dress is still being worn in Guatemala — especially in the rural areas even though the younger women, especially in the larger towns, are sporting western wear of jeans and shirt.

The Mayan clothing for the women – a huipil and corte – is both colorful and meaningful.  The pattern on the huipil (blouse) signifies which village  the wearer is from and she usually wears it when she is away from home.  The corte (skirt) also can indicate the village but it is not as distinct today in its meaning because many of the cortes are simply fabric that is purchased and cut into the length needed for a skirt.  The lady above is living in San Juan La Laguna but the huipil she is wearing is not typical of San Juan La Laguna – so perhaps she was born in another village.

These ladies were in a parade and in their finest traje (dress/outfit)

This little lady also wears the traditional dress.

Grandma’s skirt and blouse are thread bare and has probably been worn everyday for years.

Even the tiniest little girls get their own huipil — woven by Mom.

This huipil is a heavily brocaded with distinct patterns that is typical of Santa Catarina. The brocading is done while weaving the piece.

Every week a ‘yard sale’ takes place in Panajachel where they sell used huipils and cortes.  Tourists buy them as a souvenir and some locals buy them to recycle them into purses or other handcrafts to sell to the tourists.

The traditional huipil is giving way to the modern rayon fabric of a purchased huipil.  They are very inexpensive in comparison to the yarn and time needed to weave the fabric for a  huipil on a backstrap loom.

This huipil has birds embroidered all over it and was a gorgeous example of Mayan huipil!

Some huipils are just a plain weaving with a strip of embroidery to join woven pieces together.

This huipil is from San Juan La Laguna but is an older design style.  The newer style is a burgundy with small white stripes but still sports the heavily embroidered neckline.

We hope you have enjoyed a look at the women of Guatemala and their beautiful clothing!