| Meet the Mission Team |
Symphonies of Hope– Choirs of Faith
| Symphonies of Hope Chris & Coleen Anderson P.O. Box 1061, Pharr, TX 78577 In the U.S. : 608 - 313 - HOPE Message phone in U.S. : 956-781-5133 Email: chriscoleen@symphoniesofhope.org Email: chriscoleen@choirsoffaith.org |
| SymphoniesOfHope.Org ChoirsOfFaith.Org SinfoniasDeEsperanza.Org CorosDeFe.Org |
| Orchestras & Choirs Serving in God's Love |
| The mission team is a group of persons dedicated toward offering themselves in service and love to those in the communities we visit. For reasons of school, work, or family commitments, some are only able to participate for a few weeks or months, but it is certain that each member has touched the lives of others in a special way. Life traveling in a commitment to others is often not easy. That is why we call those who served time with us "survivors". It may mean staggering around at 2 am with a flashlight constructing a camper to sleep in…or driving for 10 hours a day on bumpy roads in tight quarters with grumpy children. Showers are a bit challenging as well—usually 2 or 3 gallons per person. It often means skipping a lunch or dinner, or both. It may mean having 2 dinners of strange food that are completely not to your liking. In the midst of heavy rains or dust storms sometimes the only decent shelter is an 8 ft x 20 ft pop up camper. In addition, interruptions to plans are a daily reality. Privacy is minimal… a nap nearly impossible. Sometimes the nights are so dark and quiet you feel like you are on another planet and other times trucks, loud music, dogs, choruses of roosters… nearly drive you out of your bed and out of your mind. There are many rewards too… Spanish has become a firm second language for most of us. We get to know and understand families in many different places facing many different problems and circumstances. There is a special joy associated with helping someone receive their first pair of glasses, or of seeing a child play his first song on violin. When you have worked hard for months in a location trying to make good on your commitments … when you leave, there is a real sense of accomplishment and maturity. You know that there were struggles, but you also know that what you were a part of was something special and meaningful. |
| You know that there were struggles, but you also know that what you were a part of was something special and meaningful... |
| Survivor—Wilmer Esteban Barrios Wilmer is one of the leaders in the small violin group in Malacatancito Guatemala. He is always willing to help others learn and spent 3 months with our mission team. While he was assisting us as we worked with other violin and choir students in new communities, we were helping him improve his computer, math, and English skills. Wilmer is the brother of Luis & son of Domingo. We hope he will spend more time with us when we return again. |
| Coleen Anderson Coleen is the art teacher, cellist, computer tech., web page designer, animal doctor, and elementary teacher. When there is time she enjoys going for a walk and searching out new plants and flowers. |
| Jonathan Anderson Need to make a kite, glue a violin, or make a small boat or a foam house?—Jonathan is the one… He helps out a lot teaching others in violin classes and enjoys doing new and interesting things. In Guatemala, he enjoyed helping a neighbor family plow their field by hand as they prepared it for planting corn. Of his school subjects reading is his favorite. This year out of necessity he is learning how to weld...He has been our sole welder for the camper that we are making for Elizabeth. He seems to have picked up the skill very quickly and hurries to get his schoolwork done so that he can move on to welding before it gets too late in the day. |
| Sarah Anderson Sarah is our bookworm... Sometimes I think we should keep all books under lock and key so that she will get other things done. Sarah enjoys being the cook’s helper… eggs, pancakes, cake, tortillas— she’s willing to try making it….at least once. When we are meeting with other adults Sarah and Jonathan are in charge of children's activities. She also enjoys holding any baby that is available. |
| Samuel Anderson Samuel’s primary job is to keep things interesting and challenging for everyone else. Filling shoes with flour, putting soap in the family water tank, and losing his own shoes are some of his favorite past times. He is now beginning to speak Spanish without too many problems. He is a very popular travel companion if you should take him to town with you. |
| Elizabeth Anderson specialist in laundry, chicken health, and studying dog training techniques... Laundry is by no means an easy task since it is almost always done by hand— scrubbing over a rough concrete pila. She always has her eyes out for a small animal in need and tries to find homes for those that are abandoned. She is the one to send to the street market as she well knows the going price of things and where to find this or that. This year marks a new change for all of us as we build a camper for Elizabeth which will mean 2 vehicles and campers as we travel. We will have more space for instruments and the equipment we use for our mission including 2 tympanies which will give our little orchestras a new dimension. |
| Survivor - Noah Anderson... If you communicated with us by phone in the past it is likely you talked with Noah. Noah was our phone specialist. For a year he was in Wisconsin working as a cook in a Bible Camp. He is continuing to study violin and hopes someday to teach. As of late Noah has been working as Sponsorship Officer in Columbia with Stand By Me. (There is a link to Stand By Me on our Links page.) He has also been leading his own small Symphony of Hope group at the little school there. |
| Chris Anderson Chris Tries to keep everyone happily heading in the same direction. He usually leads the choir and violin groups that we work with. He also can be found composing new music for our little groups of children to learn. When things get dull he tinkers with new inventions. |
| Survivor—Joseph Anderson… Joseph—the oldest of the Anderson children—is currently working as paramedic in McAllen, Tx. While he was with us he was our welder, 2nd violin player, tenor singer, assistant driver, guitar player, and main mechanic. While with us in Guatemala he very much enjoyed all the activities associated with logging or cattle. He would also volunteer his time on Guatemalan and Mexican ambulances. Joseph and Chris did much of the trial and error welding on the first camper in 2002. Now he is married and has a new baby... Bethany, Our second grandchild. And Hannah is already 2 years old. We want to congratulate Joseph here as being a “survivor.” |
| Survivor—Jesse Landis… Jesse served 4-5 months with our team as we left McAllen and then crossed to the other side of Mexico passing through Monterrey. He was hoping to stay with us until we reached Guatemala but our departure from McAllen took longer than planned. He was very patient and hung in there through thick and thin. He is one of the very few people who really understands what we go through to prepare for extensive travel. The suspension he helped us re- work on the camper is still working well today. We would like to honor Jesse here as a “survivor.” |
| Survivor—Luis Esteban Barrios Luis is one of the very capable new violin players in Malacatancito, Guatemala. We very much appreciate the manner in which Luis’ mother and father have tried to keep God and his ways very much alive in their house. Luis often helps his dad with field work and has worked very hard at doing the best he can at school. He helped us in our work for 3 months while we worked with new young people new communities. We want to see him and his brother have the best chance they can and hope they will work with us again in the future. |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |