Bill Peterson
Special to the Citizen
Imagine making 70 trips over 25 years to a country that seemed to have almost nothing familiar upon which to hang your hat. And then soon discovering, that, despite differences in language, food, customs and religion, you found you had more in common than you had imagined!
This has been the experience of Rogers and Peg Strickland, Weston residents who are partners in love, business, faith and philanthropy, working together for the benefit of the people who live in and around the town of San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala.
The weekend of May 2, the Stricklands will be hosting an entire weekend of events celebrating the people of San Lucas. The public is invited, especially to the picnic and program on May 3 at Red Barn Farm in Weston. The picnic is free but registration is required. To register and to learn more about San Lucas go to: sanlucasmission.org
Speaking of the upcoming celebration Rogers said, “Thanks to some very generous sponsors we have a $1,000,000 match in place, so all gifts will be doubled. And we will have the Director and Assistant Director of the Construction program visiting from Guatemala. This event is really our opportunity to celebrate the incredible people of San Lucas, their resilience and creativity.”
“Our work in San Lucas all started in 1997 when I was asked to donate a building to be used as a community center in the village of Chitulul,” said Rogers. “And my life has been immeasurably enriched ever since.”
That first building was a huge risk. Not only did it need to get shipped from Illinois to a remote village, it had to be safely carried and stored, piece by piece, until Rogers and his team arrived to work with the community to erect it in one week. The slab had to be poured and cured before arrival of the team to exacting specifications.
At the end of the week, as the community gathered to offer gifts of fruit and vegetables, Rogers knew he had found another way to make a difference in the world.
“I barely knew where Guatemala was. And they had just come out of a 36-year-long civil war, so I expected the people to be so demoralized. But the opposite was true. They were so excited to help improve their community with this building and were so gracious in their welcome that we were completely overwhelmed,” said the businessman and farmer.
Since that first trip, Rogers, Peg and their teams have constructed over 50 community centers, churches and schools throughout the municipality of San Lucas Tolimán which sits on the shore of Lake Atitlán. They have worked through a Guatemalan non-profit which is supported financially by a Minnesota-based non-profit: The Friends of San Lucas.
For the past several years, Rogers and Peg have hosted a weekend-long celebration and fund raiser for Friends of San Lucas. These events have raised more than $7 million to support the work of the Mission in San Lucas. The Mission has projects in 7 different program areas: education, construction, healthcare, a women’s center, a charity with dignity program, a coffee exporting program and a visitor program.
Of the 40,000 people who live in and around San Lucas, the Mission impacts the lives of 25,000 people every year. It educates over 600 children, builds 80-100 homes, treats 20,000 patients, and provides services to women, children and the elderly. Since its founding in 1963 it has made a substantial impact on the lives of generations of people, mostly indigenous Maya, who call San Lucas home.
Rogers and Peg have noticed the difference. “From when we first started coming,” said Peg, “There is a noticeable difference in the community, small businesses are growing and people seem better off. Of course, there is still so much to do, but we can see that the Mission has made huge progress.”
One reason for its success has to do with how the Mission works. An example of this is in the construction program. The housing program uses local, independent contractors. Those contractors have their own crews and uses local suppliers. Working this way, the Mission has enabled over 25 contractors to grow their businesses.
“I am a died-in-the-wool capitalist,” notes Rogers, “So I love the fact that the Mission supports small businesses and creates jobs.”
And, as if all this wasn’t enough reason to celebrate San Lucas, Rogers, who recently turned 75, has written a book “Amazing Grace”, chronicling his colorful and adventurous life. From hitchhiking cross country to stints in military school (he was almost kicked out), the Air Force and as a Methodist minister, before settling into a career in construction and farming, his book is an honest look at both the challenges and privileges that came with being part of a family that had high expectations and more than its share of dysfunction.
Rogers said, “I wrote the book for my family, especially my kids. I have had a blessed life, to be sure, but it has not been without heartache and challenges. I think it is important to tell the whole story, warts and all.”
The book will be available at any of the events the weekend of May 2nd in and around Weston. For a complete listing of events go to: sanlucasmission.org/events.