Anne is a first time volunteer with Friends of Cozumel.

My name is Anne and this is my first opportunity to experience Friends of Cozumel in action. I spent the past three days helping teach a sewing class and did a lot of sewing on other projects at the apartment where we stayed.

This morning I went with my sister Ellen, and Ilene, a Friends of Cozumel organizer, to Vida Abundante Church. To the background music of construction on the front wall of the structure, the three of us showed Pastora Mariela the steps involved in making a banner for the church.

Ilene and Ellen had already purchased the fabrics with Mariela. From enlarging the dove design Mariela had selected onto a plastic tablecloth (in the absence of newsprint), to demonstrating the use of Heat and Bond, to selecting the layout of the final design, it was an amazing experience. Ellen kept her trusty dictionary handy and was our translator. Mariela was an able and eager learner, sharing her ideas for each step of the process.

Pastora Mariela works on a banner for Vida Abundante Church.

The final product pleased all of us. Mariela was given the extra supplies, and is anxious to try her hand at making a banner for the church on her own soon.

Love and laughter while working on a shared project transcend language, and the finished banner shares a message that also requires no shared words. ~ Anne from Illinois

From left: Ellen, Ilene, Anne and Pastora Mariela proudly display the newly created banner.