Continuing to Care - Two Thrivent Financial representatives make commitments for keeps on their Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip to Guatemala in September.

Donna’s Story
Donna Yorkston returned home from her Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip to Guatemala with more than she expected: A desire to help out a new friend.

In Guatemala, the Thrivent Financial representative from Abingdon, Maryland, bonded with single mother Yojana Ovalle, the group’s in-country guide. Ovalle works hard for nominal wages, Yorkston learned, and with that money, supports her son, her mother and her mother’s three stepchildren.

But Ovalle isn’t one for self-pity. She shared with Yorkston her vision for the future: to send her son to a private military school, to raise him in a Christian environment and to own a home built through Habitat for Humanity.

“Yojana is trying to save and has started to make a life plan,” Yorkston says. “She’s doing what we advise as financial representatives, but without any guidance and with very few resources.”

During the trip, Yorkston quietly decided to help Ovalle purchase the land she needed to apply for a Habitat house. Back home, Yorkston collected about $3,000, including donations from other financial representatives.

Ovalle received the financial gift in November, and Yorkston felt that she, too, received something valuable—satisfaction. “What better way to help someone who made sure that those of us on the trip were comfortable and happy,” she says.

Greg’s Story
Greg Bushman didn’t think twice before he applied to participate in the Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip to Guatemala.

The Thrivent Financial representative from Concordia, Missouri, wanted to help Guatemalan families in need of a new home. Further, he wanted to experience the native culture of his soon-to-be adopted son, a 1-year-old named Daniel, who was still in Guatemala waiting for his adoption to be finalized.

“I would have given anything to have him home with us at the time of the trip, but I said to myself, ‘This will give me an opportunity to be better prepared when we do pick him up and take him home,’” Greg recalls.

Better yet, the trip gave Greg a chance to meet Daniel face-to-face for the first time. As the Thrivent Builds project came to an end, Greg traveled to Guatemala City, where his wife, Risa, was waiting for him.

Together, they welcomed Daniel to their hotel for a 36-hour overnight visit. The pair spent their time playing with Daniel in the hotel pool and taking him for his first haircut.

The Bushmans hope to have Daniel home by early 2008. “As he grows up, I want him to understand what his origins are,” Greg says. “I hope we can make numerous trips to Guatemala so he can stay acquainted with his country.”