Greetings from Guatemala! Our sister parish of San Andres in Guatemala, with the help and support of our generous parish members, has been able to go into the town marketplace and purchased 6,500 lbs. of corn (65 sacks @ Q230/sack) spending about $2,000, and will begin distributing it in the poorest villages next week. It took around two months for the gift we sent in February 2022 to Maryknoll to become available here in local currency, called Quetzales. Sr. Bernice of the Maryknoll order writes: "The San Andres Parish council members were waiting in hope that the price would go down so they could buy more, but the price kept going up. Nobody here has ever seen the price of corn so high. I heard that the government is importing corn for the local market. Corn is the mainstay for the population here, which is mainly indigenous Maya-Quiché. When they are at rock bottom in resources, they say "if we can have corn and a little salt, we'll make it." The tortilla is so basic and necessary that they call themselves "people of the corn." An ordinary man working in a cornfield all day can consume 10 tortillas at the main meal. And the meal may be just tortillas, a little soup made from herbs, and maybe a little coffee. Widows are very vulnerable in times of scarcity. Even if they have adult children, those offspring are struggling to feed their own families, and "mom" has to shift for herself. The rest of your gift (about $220.00) is destined to buy plastic, stackable chairs or benches to accommodate the parishioners using the facilities for formation classes, meetings, etc. In the name of us all, Father Mauricio, the council members, and those who will have a little more to eat this month, I thank you and your generous parishioners. May you be richly blessed. Bernice Kita, MM"