Back "Home" to Panajachel, to Sr. Elizabeth

Guatemala pics 563
Originally uploaded by grupodeduke

Dear Sr. Elizabeth,

I am so happy that you have enjoyed everything in the little "treasure box" I sent you... I was hoping that this would be true! The blank cassettes are for you to record more music on, and I can change them to mp3's when I get back to the states. I haven't sent out the piano CD recordings to many people yet, so am very happy that you have enjoyed them. I played on a real grand piano at the (formerly) called Windham Hill recording studio near Brattleboro VT. It was wonderful. What took me so long?

I am writing to you from Guatemala, where I am back "home" in Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, having arrived two days ago. It's wonderful and I am so glad to be back. We are just starting into the rainy season so it's "indoors" for me after 3:00 pm (just like Hawaii), otherwise it's 75 degrees year round, as always, and ALL the flowers and roses and bougainvilleas are blooming like I've never seen before! Unlike me, they never seem to get tired!

I brought a whole load of Mac laptop computers for LIFE School here in Panajachel; it is 70% indigenous, 30% gringo+ and is the only school that teaches the local language Kichea (sp?) and English, and does wonderful work in other areas as well. See their website at Life School in Panajachel Guatemala:

* "L.I.F.E. School: An international school educating children preK-12. Includes school handbook, class pages, and photos of school activities." www.lifeschoolweb.com


I'm collecting things for them as this country is very, very poor. Perhaps you might have some ideas on this?

As far as setting up a new blog, send the Bishop the info and he can do it himself, and also use the same info for the newspaper. That's probably the easiest way to do it!

Will write more later, and hope you do too.

Love, Katie

On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 5:11 PM, Sr. Elizabeth wrote:

Dear Katie,
There are simply no words adequate to thank you for the precious gifts that came yesterday by media mail. I opened them and put your super-beautiful piano CD on. At the time I only had 5 minutes or so, but I came back again this afternoon (next day) and played it from start to finish. I marvel at the beauty your fingers produce from the keyboard. What kind of piano are you playing? I think I could listen to your music for hours on end and never tire of it. I'll bet you thank God night and day, 7/24 for this precious GIFT God has given to you. I want to read the book that you also sent, MAKE PEACE WITH ANYONE" by David J. Lieberman, Ph.D. It looks tremendously good. And another huge debt of gratitude to you are the tapes you sent: "Christmas Favorites," over 30 minutes on each side! And Three Other Tapes, two have not even been opened, one 90-minute one, and the other 120 Minutes!
And two additional tapes, both 90 minutes. My endless gratitude for all, dear Katie. As I said, there are no words adequately to tell you of my deep gratitude.
Lots and lots of love and prayers, always!
Sr. M. Elizabeth