Local students take part in Guatamala mission

Three area students have been given the opportunity to serve and learn in unfamiliar territory.

Tessa Janssen, a member of the Light Memorial Presbyterian Church in Sidney, will be accompanied by Natausha Holtz, Emily Gill, and Genessa Schilz on a trip to Guatemala this July for a youth mission.

Holtz and Schilz are from Sidney. The former graduated on Sunday. Gill is also from the class of 2014, at Leyton.

Their destination is El Cortijo, a small village about two hours away from Guatemala City, and their purpose is to lead a Bible school program for the children of the village and to participate in light work projects during the construction of a new memorial chapel.

This chapel holds special meaning for Janssen and her mother, Anne McDaniel. The Rev. Martin McDaniel Memorial Chapel is named for Anne's husband, who died of a stroke in 2011.

Anne McDaniel spoke at Light Memorial Presbyterian Church last month to inform the congregation of of the project and to stimulate support.

Before his death, Marty McDaniel had taken great interest in the construction of a medical clinic being built in El Cortijo. This medical clinic had been built due to the fundraising efforts of his father-in-law Frank Ebetino, and Frank's brother Charles, and would serve the medical needs of the those living in the impoverished mountain villages surrounding the area.

In his retirement, Ebetino had started traveling with medical professionals to various developing countries helping with eye clinics. During one of his trips to El Cortijo, he was invited to stay with Erick Estrada, a pastor and doctor in the area, and his wife Cynthia. The Estradas and town officials expressed to Ebetino their dream to build a medical clinic.

When Ebetino left Guatemala, he asked his church for support. Through fundraising and monetary gifts, construction started on the clinic in 2007 and was finished in 2011.The clinic now serves around 4,300 people in the region, and between 75 and 100 patients come in each week.

Marty McDaniel traveled to the site in 2010.

"I can remember mostly him being excited about one thing he saw in particular," Anne told the congregation. "A Nebraska Furniture Mart truck. I guess that is where old trucks go when they have fulfilled their usefulness here."

Estrada, the pastor and doctor, presented plaques to McDaniel and Ebetino commemorating the people who contributed money to the building of the clinic.

Ebetino had stressed that when they take these trips, they are expected to work and serve in clinics that are set up by Dr. Estrada. When he visited, he took money collected for the clinic, thousands of dollars worth of prescription drugs, clothes, and over the counter medicines. When McDaniel's family visited, they volunteered in the clinics.

Inspired by what he had seen and experienced, McDaniel wanted to do more for the people of El Cortijo, but he passed away soon thereafter.

His family felt moved to build a memorial to him in Guatemala. They knew it had to be something the villagers needed or wanted.

They considered making a memorial library in one corner of the clinic, but it didn't seem to fully signify the interest and care that McDaniel had for El Cortijo. His brother, Mike, pushed for the idea of building a chapel, but it seemed too difficult and beyond the desires of the villagers.

However, during a subsequent visit in Guatemala, the Estradas mentioned wanting to buy the land near the new clinic to build a chapel. McDaniel had previously expressed to Estrada that the mission of the clinic should be more than just to benefit physical health; it should also minister to people spiritually.

McDaniel's family was surprised and inspired by that revelation. They took it as a sign, and resolved to help raise the money to buy the land for the chapel.

The Rev. Martin McDaniel Memorial Chapel is now being constructed, thanks to the efforts of McDaniel's wife and family. So far, about $23,000 has been raised for the project, and there are plans to add on a maternity ward to the clinic.

An estimated $10,000 is still needed for completion of the chapel. For more information, or to donate, contact Anne McDaniel at [email protected].