December 2005
 
Dear Foundation Friends,

     I took my first visit to Guatemala in 1969 and fell in love with the beauty of the landscapes and the people. As we traveled throughout Guatemala, the children who were sent out by their parents to make money came running to sell whatever they could. I was so struck by the beauty of spirit of these children. As I gave all my "fichas" to each and every child, my husband, who is Guatemalteco, said, "Polly if you gave all of your money to the poor children in Guatemala, it would only be a drop in the ocean." I said that I would do what I could even though it was a drop in the ocean. Over the years as I visited Guatemala and saw the changes in the country-for the worst--I hoped to one day be able to do something for the children. I did not know what, but I knew that I could only cure my sadness by doing something.
     Many guests of Guatemala study Spanish in Panajachel. It is now such a Mecca for tourists and yes, that brings commerce and money to the area, but when I first visited Panajachel in 1969, it was an oasis of "naturales". They lived along the lake in "ranchos". Raised their pigs, wove cloth, had small gardens and lived right on the lakes edge. One of the few hotels was the Hotel Monterey, built in 1948 of "madera" built and operated by a German family and in the style of the frame houses one sees in the U.S. There was no electricity, but the hotel had a generator that ran between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The light switches and wires were on the outside of the walls and the wires ran to a bare bulb in the center of the ceiling. The dining room was built on stilts and literally sat over the edge of the lake-It was built like a large sun porch. The food was served family style on blue and white china from Germany. The hotel was surrounded by huge flower gardens, bougainvillea and tropical shrubs and trees. As we sat in the dining room we could see the "naturales" in their carved out wooden boats. They used a long pole to move around the lake. In those days, there were no motorized boats on the lake. It truly was tranquil and of such beauty that it cannot fully be described.
     The photo was taken at Panajachel sometime in the late 80's. As you can see by the background of the photo, all of the little "ranchos" have been displaced by restaurants, etc. The two little girls had approached me to sell "manias". As I have an allergy to peanuts, I told them that I could not eat peanuts because of my allergy, but did they have anything else to sell. The two whispered to one side and then said that yes they had something else they could sell. That they would let me take a picture with them. My husband took the picture and then I asked them how much for the picture. They said in unison-a dollar for me and a dollar for her!! How smart these little girls were.
     My husband's lifelong dream was to return to Guatemala and when he retired from Bell South, we returned to Guatemala. In Quetzaltenango, I met an American neighbor who knew about the girls' home and introduced me to the girls at La Divina Providencia and I was hooked. At last, something that I could do personally to help them. I began teaching English classes and cooking classes at the home. My lifelong career has been that of a legal assistant and my law firm in Miami helped me set up a 501 (c) (3) organization. Over the years Dana and many other Americans who live in or visit Quetzaltenango have helped by donating money to the home through Light the Way. Our goals have always been first, to show unconditional love for these girls and second, to push an agenda for education of the girls. Unfortunately, the law in Guatemala only requires that a child go to school until 12 years of age. (I am not sure if this is still the age, but at the time I returned to the U.S. that was still the age.)  I have always felt that our dream is to Light the Way for a better future for these children, through mentoring and stressing the importance of education, so that the girls have an opportunity to make other choices for their lives. It was with a very heavy heart that I made the choice to return to the United States to be near my elderly mother. Yesterday, we celebrated her 80th birthday with her friends and family. Over 80 people were in attendance. I one day hope to be able to return to Guatemala and be with the girls not just in my heart but again by being their mentor, teaching them English and cooking.
     Please let all who want to help these children know that their gifts will be used 100% for the girls for whatever the donor requests it be used for. We have the foundation strictly for the benefit of the girls. We, too, like the donors, do this small part to show these girls that love can be unconditional and that through the kindness and caring of others that they can get an education. We believe that by educating young women that we will lay the groundwork for the education of their children. When a woman has an education, she will want her children to be educated as well and will have the ability to lead her children to a better life for themselves and future generations of the family.

Sincerely,
Polly Reyna
Bruceton Mills, WV