Guatemala Bus Project

Article from The Mountaneer Newspaper (April 2007) by Vicki Hyatt

HELP IS ON THE WAY- Members of the Haywood Rotary Club purchased a bus to be used in Guatemala to transport those in need of medical care from outlying regions to a central hospital.  Most in the region do not have transportation, so having a ride available once a week if medical care is needed will make a big difference.

Project will aid Guatemala healthcare

    Thanks to the Haywood Rotary Club, thousands of Guatemala citizens will have transportation to a hospital.

    Rotary member Ken Thomas spent time at the hospital two-and-a-half years ago when he and two other linemen worked to build a power line to the hospital.

    There Thomas, who works for Haywood Electric Membership Corporation, became acquainted with Tim Spurrier, who has served as a full-time missionary in the region through New Covenant World Missions.

    "I do a lot of mission work through Samaritan's Purse," Thomas explained, "and they contacted me about the hospital project. My Rotary Club, Samaritan's purse, HEMC and Central Electric Membership Corporation partnered to do the project."

    While working in Guatemala, Thomas said Spurrier remarked how nice it would be to have a bus to transport those in need of medical care to the hospital from the five outlying regions served by the hospital.

    Thomas mentioned the matter to lee Starnes, a fellow Rotarian who has helped arrange for surplus school buses to be purchased and then donated to other areas.

    Starnes ultimately found two buses, which the club was able to purchase for a total of $2,900.  One bus went to a church in Statesville, and the other was destined for Guatemala.

    The purchase price was only a small part of the bill for this project, however.

    Gas for the 3,500-mile drive was estimated to cost nearly $1,300.  There is a $1,000 fee to get through Mexico and $500 fee to pass through Belise, Thomas said.  Once the bus arrives at its destination, there is another $2,000 cost for registration and taxes.

    Because the Haywood Rotary Club was familiar with the area and had help to finance an earlier project for the hospital, the club members embraced the second project Thomas said.

    "They had come to know the area, what was being done and what a humanitarian organization New Covenant World Mission is," Thomas said.  "I've been there and lived with these people.  The conditions are horrific and they are very poor. It just happened this was a project we were able to do."