Pair learns from work in Guatemala

By Michelle Ma
mma@stcloudtimes.com

COLLEGEVILLE — With a slide projector, support from family and friends and listening audiences, Anna Losacano and Margo Game know they can help change lives in Guatemala.

Losacano, a recent graduate from St. John's Preparatory School, and Game, a senior, show pictures and tell stories of their February visit to Guatemala with the nonprofit group Common Hope, which helps Guatemalan families overcome poverty and improve their lives.

The two have given their presentation for an Albany church group and for PeaceJam, a program that lets students work with and learn from Nobel Peace Laureates.

On Sunday, Losacano and Game presented to a group of about 15 people at St. John's Prep in honor of Common Hope's 20th anniversary.

The two wanted to celebrate the organization that has changed Guatemalans' lives — and their own.

"I think we get back so much and are more appreciative of what we have," Game said.

Eager listeners gathered in the school's Weber Center and munched on chips with salsa and guacamole.

Sunday's afternoon heat didn't stop the friends, family and teachers who attended from browsing through photo albums and buying bracelets and handmade cards that benefitted Common Hope.

Julianne O'Connell, English teacher at St. John's Middle School, said she could see on Losacano's and Game's faces the joy they have in telling others about Common Hope.

Local ties

One of Common Hope's founders and current executive director John Huebsch is a St. John's University alumnus, and many people in the St. Cloud area know about the organization through him, Losacano said. Central Minnesotans have joined Vision Teams like Losacano's and Game's that go to Guatemala for 10-day trips. Still, word-of-mouth is how most people discover Common Hope.

"We wanted to follow up with what we've learned," Losacano said. "We thought we could get a presentation ready and speak to groups."

Common Hope began in St. Paul, but most staff members — about 150 — live and work in Guatemala, said Shari Blindt, development director.

A mission

The February trip to Guatemala was a second for both Losacano and Game. Game's parents, Tom Game and Luann Hentz of Albany, have traveled with Common Hope to Guatemala five times. They led the February team that included 10 St. John's Prep students.

Volunteers usually build homes for Guatemalan families and help in the communities with whatever skills they bring, Tom Game said. They work with Guatemalan youths, teach English, help in the library and do construction work, among other things. Common Hope emphasizes education for Guatemalan youths and sends students to school with the help of sponsors in the United States.

It's exciting for Game's family to visit Mayra, a 14-year-old student they have sponsored through Common Hope since she was 5. Mayra and her family have improved housing and access to education because of the organization.

"She takes so much pride in her schoolwork. She wants to be a preschool teacher," Margo Game said Sunday. "She's doing really well."

The two students hope someday to return to Guatemala. They also want to encourage others to get involved through sponsorships and visits. It's an experience no one will forget, they said.

"The kids are just so loving," Losacano said. "A lot of people who go there comment the culture is just really friendly and warm."

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