Guatemala Trip - One Week Later

These are the people who changed the world,
just by showing up... 

It's been a week now, since we came home from Guatemala. All of our clothes have been washed and put away. We are back to our normal routines. The sharp edges of our memories are beginning to dull a little. Dull, perhaps, but still ever present. I can tell you this - we are changed. We will never be the same again. The trip - the country - will always be with us.

It's hard to sort out what had the most impact on me. Knowing how much need there is for the women's shelter where we painted? Thinking about young people learning God's word in the classrooms we (literally) laid the foundation for? The persistent, intense faith of the pastors and congregants we met? The beauty of the land and people? The hearts of our host family?

In the end, I think that what sticks with me the most - beyond even all of these memories and experiences - is the quiet whisper from God saying, "keep showing up."

Many years ago I found myself in a strange and intimidating place, facing a task that was far beyond my abilities, the outcome of which was of vital importance to many people. (Sound familiar?) I found favor there and succeeded - not because of anything special about me, but because God was faithful since I obeyed him and showed up. He made very real to me in that experience that the world is run by the people who show up.

He made the same thing real to me in a new and deeper way again when we were in Guatemala.

In the cities and villages we were in, it was very clear that someone is always running the show. Someone is showing up. In some places, the forces showing up were things like poverty, ignorance, hopelessness, greed, corruption, fear. In other places, though, it was people like you and me who showed up. Good people. People with the love of Christ to share. People without any particular skills or talents, except for a willingness to be God's hands and feet, and to speak his words. We show up. He does the rest. It's a powerful partnership, and one that we shouldn't take for granted.

We shouldn't take it for granted in places like Guatemala, where our very presence (or prayers, or financial support...) can be the thing that changes hearts, lives, and eternities. We shouldn't take it for granted in our communities, where we might just be the difference between hope and helplessness for our neighbors and our friends. We shouldn't take it for granted in our workplaces and schools, where we have the chance to form relationships and change lives for the better. We shouldn't take it for granted in our families - the most intimate and powerful of all institutions God created on earth. We shouldn't ever take for granted - no matter where we are, or who we are - that our willingness to show up in our everyday lives is meaningful. It is powerful. It is Godly, and blessed, and will be richly rewarded.

Someday I'd love to return to Guatemala. I will always treasure the time I had there, pray for the people we met, and I hope we can visit again soon. Until then, though, I'm going to be sure that I'm showing up in the here and now, where I live, with the people God has put in my life today. I can't encourage you strongly enough to do the same. After all - someone's going to show up and run the world you live in. Don't you think it'd better be God, through your willing presence?

Guatemala Trip - Day Five

Friday, February 8th --

(Please excuse the many typos. Much of this was written on a very small, and touchy keyboard, while we were driving on very bumpy roads. I'll clean it up later.)

I slept much better last night. Perhaps it is because I got to bed at an earlier hour. It might be that we're so tired that we can't help but fall asleep when our heads hit the pillow. Thankfully, we also didn't have quite as early of a morning - 7:30 for the van, instead of 6:20 like yesterday.

We started off with a delicious breakfast of french toast and fresh pineapple, then we were off to the school. The guys and the ladies (except for Jenny, who was teaching) got to observe classes. I sat in on the end of the morning routine (calendar and prayer time) and Bible time with the 2nd graders. They were talking about wisdom, and practiced several scenarious in groups to decide the wisest course of action or advice to give.

Then I got to see the 4th grade class. They were working on division with money. After the teacher had given the exmple problem, she put up 3 problem in the board, and each student worked the problems at his/her own desk on little white boards. It was fun to get to look over their shoulders and help out when they got off track.

After math time, the Spanish teacher came in. Apparenlty they all study Spanish spelling and grammar, as well as English spelling and grammar.
I only observed for about 10 minutes, during which the tacher would say a word, and then students would write it on their white obards, then divide it into syllables. They were a typically distrdistracted group - with lots of talking, fidgeting, side conversations, and lots of giggles over the fact that hidden inside one of the words they were spelling was a 'dirty' word.

Next I caught the tail end of a the kindergarten teacher reading a book and discussiong how we're all different with her class. Then they lined up and walked outside for recess. Whilewaiting for the teacher, they were showing off different things they could do - race around the playground, skip, and a perfect demonstration of how a dog goes to teh bathroom. That one got a lot of attention - and several students had to either see the demonstration, do their own demonstration, or discuss the ways that boy dogs and girl dogs go to the bathroom differently. Kids are kids no matter where you go. :)

I really enjoyed talking with the first grade teacher. She and her husband both teach at the school, and they're expecting their first child in August. It was fun to get to hear her perspective, and share some mommy advice. After I spoke with her, I went back to the Kindergarten class and got to read two books to the kiddos. They were adorable! One book was about snow and winter, so I told them that it snowed where I live. Some had been to the United States and seen snow, and thy told me they liked snow balls, snow angels, and Frosty the snowman. (I evengot sung to a little for the last one.) When I was finished , they all thanked me, and gave me the most wonderful hugs. I couldn't think of a better way to finsih our time at the school.

Next we hopped into tehe van for a beautiful but harrowing drive up the mountain to the hot springs. We just thought the other roads were bad! Sheer rock cliffs on one side, straight drop offs on the other, and full of windy curves. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just us, but there were tons of trucks (all Toyotas - that's all they seem to have here) loaded with produce and people going to the market. On the drive we got to see the farms and farmers in action. It was breathtaking to be so high up in the mountains and see so much.

We arrived at the hot springs after about 45 minutes or so. It's actually a park that you pay a fee to get into. I don't know how much it cost, since David paid, but it would be worth it no matter what the fee. We were, literally, above the clouds in a rainforest. We parked the van and walked up a gorgeously maintained path with beautiful flowers all around until we arrived at the hot springs themselves. There were many different pools in the park - including one near the entrance. however, where we were there were 3 pools, surrounding a bathroom facility and a small restaurant. The pools had been repaired after an earthquake that destroyed them several years ago. They were all made of cut stone, hand laid, and were filled with water piped in directly from the mountain. The smallest was just under bath temperature. The next was like a warm bath, and the last one was quite warm. It was directly underneath the rock face of the mountain, and the water trickled directly off the rock into the pool. When you walked all the way over to the wall, it was very hot. In fact, if you put your hand under the water trickling in, it almost burned you. However, the pools were just what we needed for our sore muscles, and the surrounding scenery was phenomenal.

After the springs, we drove back down the mountain, stopping in a shop where they sell hand-blown glass. I wanted to take everything home with me, it was all so beautiful. We got to the hotel and had about 45 minutes of down time before heading back to David and Mirsa's for a supper of fried chicken, coleslaw, and homemade guacamole (made 2 different ways). After supper one of our members went to teach at the Bible college. We headed there so we could see it, and then spent an hour or so in the town's main park downtown. We headed upstairs to the patio of a restaurant  where we sipped the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever had and looked out over the downtown.

Now we're back at the hotel, trying to figure out how to get everything back into our suitcases. We're planning on leaving a lot of stuff here as a donation to the shelters. I hope it will be a blessing. I'm excited to get home to see our kids, but it will also be very hard to leave this place.  I can honestly say that neither one of us will ever be the same again after this trip, and that a part of our hearts will always belong to Guatemala.

Guatemala Trip - Day Four

What an early start! We had to be downstairs at the van by 6:20 a.m. Oy! It was good to get started, though, and the breakfast Mirsa had waiting for us was a welcome start to the day. We had scrambled eggs with ham mixed in, fried plantains with sugar and cream, and refried black beans. It was all so delicious! Several of the other ladies went back to the shelter to finish painting the ceiling in the kitchen. The rest of us went to the school.

We started by loading 36 one hundred pound bags of cement (18 at a time) into the van, unloading them behind the school, and carrying them up a flight of stairs to the work sight. It wasn't long after that the cement,  mixer got fired up, and we started our jobs. I shoveled sand and gravel into 5 gallon buckets. Mark carried the buckets and heaved them up and into the cement mixer. There was a whole crew of people who carried little (but very heavy) buckets of the mixed cement and poured them into the foundation. Thankfully, there were several fairly long breaks in the day. I don't know that I could have kept it up all day in the sunshine like Mark did yesterday.

Even as tired as we were, it felt unbelievably wonderful when we finished he job around 1:30 in the afternoon, and got to sit down to a dinner of Dominos pizza.

After that, all 9 of us piled our sweaty selves, along with two extra people, and drove up a very steep and bouncy mountain road. (Well... we had dropped off one of our extra passengers.) We ended up at a park high in the mountain that has a fairly well-known big slide. Big, and it ends at a short cement wall in order to prevent people from being propelled off a steep dropoff. It was fast enough for me by itself, but several people put flattened 2 liter plastic bottles under their rear ends in order to get some extra speed. Several people actually caught air on the bumps. It was very fun. 


After that, we didn't have a whole lot of time, but did get to spend around 40 minutes at a different market (more inside, more souveneirs, less vegetables). We had stopped and exchanged some money for Quetzalis right before we came to the market, and it was tons of fun to ask prices, look at all the goods, and be a part of such an awesome cultural experience. We bought 2 of the purple fruits that Leslie had gotten for us in the other market. I'm not sure - they're called something like Jaimitos or Chaimtos. We also bought an avocado. All together it cost 3 Quetzalis - or about 24 cents. Can't wait to eat them in the hotel this evening. We also got one small souveneir for each of our girls. I wish we would have had more time to shop some more. Hoping we'll have a chance to do some more shopping tomorrow.

After a very quick shower and change of clothes, we headed to David and Mirsa's for a delicious supper of tamales. There were two kinds to choose from - rice with chicken or mashed potatoes with peas. They were wrapped in a kind of leaf similar to a banana leaf. (The locals prefer this type of leaf, and export banana leaves.) What a privilege to be able to have enjoyed this meal!

After supper we loaded into the van to drive to a rural church with an earlier start time. The drive was about 30 minutes, and it was down the mountain and up the other side. We actually drove by a volcano that had erupted and the whole side had collapsed. There were also beautiful farms all around us. The village we went to was very undeveloped. The walk from the road to the church was down a rocky, narrow path. The church was small and simple, with a beautifully-painted mural on the front wall, and very simple wooden benches. The people are more from indiginous tribes, and speak their own native languages.  One of our members preached a powerful word about the need to be filled with the holy spirit, and asked anyone who wanted to receive the spirit and speak in tongues to come forward. The entire church came forward - probably 40 or more people, many of them beautifully dressed women with their babies tied on to their backs. It was a powerful, amazing evening, and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it.

I am trying to soak up as much as I can in the fleeting days of our trip. I feel so blessed to have gotten to have this experience.

Guatemala Trip - Day 3

Wednesday, February 6th
(Sorry I didn't have time to flip some of the pics.)

It was very hard to go to sleep last night, and not terribly easy to stay asleep. We were awakened this morning by the incredibly loud sound of a radio in the room next door. It was alright, though, because it was already 6:20, and we had to be ready to go by 7:00.

We started the day with breakfast at David and Mirsa's house. We enjoyed an enormous stack of pancakes and some melon. The men left with David to go work at the school again. The women (except for one of our group, who went to the Bible College to teach for four hours) were enormously privileged to go with Mirsa to a women's shelter. It is ONLY because of her connection there that we were able to see it. It is in a remote location - even most of the people in Xela don't know about it, to protect the safety of the women there. They are mostly young women, who are running away from their families because of rape, incest, and abuse. Several months ago Mirsa was there and met a 13 year old girl who was holding her infant son, and her infant brother. There were too many stories that Mirsa and her friend Leslie shared to be able to retell here. It was heartbreaking to think of what these girls had already been through, and even more so when we found out that this shelter struggles to find food everyday. It depends entirely on donations, but getting the word out about the shelter poses a risk to the women who live there - many of whom are running away from very dangerous and well-connected drug traffikers.

Our job for the day was to repaint the kitchen. The building was very nice. We found out it had been built by a man from Spain. However, there are no funds for upkeep.. It was such an honor to be able to help out. There were several curious little children around, including one four year old girl who really wanted to talk to me. My Spanish, alas, isn't even at a four-year-old level. :) Figuring out how to paint the kitchen was also a very interesting challenge. To say that our methods wouldn't exactly be OSHA approved is like saying that the Pacific Ocean is a bit damp. At one point one lady was standing on top of a table, that was perched on top of the stove. It was ok, though, because it didn't interfere with the pressure cooker filled with tripe that was hissing away on the other side of the stove.

Mirsa and Leslie were able to go back to Leslie's house and get a ladder, which  meant that one of our group was able to really get into the corners up high. (The ceiling was about 15 feet tall.)

While we were working Mirsa introduced us to a 15 year old girl who was there with her 8 day old baby. We got to hold him. What a precious, precious, poignant moment that was.

Over lunch (sandwiches Mirsa brought, and an  exotic kind of fruit with orange flesh and a large, dark seed that some men use for shaving cream here in Guatemala) we talked about the needs of the shelter, and how to best help them. I suggested that they should get chickens. Mirsa thought that sounded like a good idea, and she called the director of the shelter, who said that would be a good idea. Mirsa is going to check to see how much it would cost to build a coop and get some chickens. I hope we can see it through and make it happen.

We quit work around 3:00, and got to go to one of the markets. Xela has many such markets, apparently, but I could hardly imagine how there could be more than the huge one we saw. It felt like it went on for miles, though it probably only filled a couple of city blocks. There were vendors who rented space indoors (quite a labrynth of narrow corridors, let me tell you!), as well as people just set up on the sidewalk. One lady's umbrella over her stand caught the wind and tipped over, breaking dozens of eggs and spilling several pounds of beans. We stopped to help her clean up as best as we could. I can only imagine what a financial loss that must have been to her.

The variety of things available was amazing. Everything from toilet paper, garden hoses, hand-embroidered fabric (quite expensive), pottery, used cooking utensils, and all the fresh veggies and fruits you could ask for. (Many I didn't recognize.) Leslie bought us a purple fruit - I don't recall the name - for 1 Quetzali that we split open with our hands and ate while we toured the market. Felt strange to spit to the many seeds on the ground, but that's what you're supposed to do. We didn't go through the meat section, because some in our party were a bit squeamish to see (and smell) so much raw, unrefrigerated meat.

However, the vegetables were so beautiful that it was all we could do to take it all in. Everything they sell there is grown in Guatemala, and their growing season lasts all year. The things I recognized included papaya, several types of bananas and plantains, mangos, watermelons, canteloupes, cucumbers, strawberries, onions, garlic, cilantro, star fruit, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, corn, lima beans, avocados - the list goes on and on. It was a feast for the eyes. We asked about prices, and found out, for example, that you can often get 2 or 3 big avocados (not the small, Haas ones from California) for around 8 Quetzalis, or 1 American dollar. Where was this market when I was vegan? :) I so wish we had access to such amazing fresh produce!

Here are a few pictures of the market:

After a shower and a tiny bit of down time (more for me than for Mark, who really deserved it - he spent alllll day hauling buckets of sand and rock at the school) we went to supper at David and Mirsa's. This time it was roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and the most delicious zucchini I've ever tasted. 

When we had finished eating we went to a different church for their Wednesday night prayer service. This church was much more humble, but very spirit filled. After a wonderful worship, one of our members brought a word about the need to get things in your life right with God in order to have good soil in your heart. Afterward, the pastor said got up and told his congregation that everything Chris said was a confirmation of what God has spoken to him - that this was going to be a year of prosperity because of the congregation getting right with God. The people cried. There was an alter call, and one man came up to receive Christ. Again - we were so humbled at what we received on a trip where we came to give.

 I know that these words are not sufficient to convey everything that is happening here, but I hope, at least, that you are able to see what a mighty God we have, and how very grateful I am for the chance to be here. 

Guatemala Trip - Day Two

Tuesday, February 5th
(Sorry there are no pics - the internet is too slow here.)

The day started early - we had to be in the van by 7:10. We drove first to David and Mirsa's house, where we were plied with enormous quantities of delicous food - scrambled eggs, fried plantains with sugar and cream, home made refried black beans. After that we got back in the van nd went to the school. It was interesting to see Xela during the day.  It is incredibly hilly, and the turns and corners are amazing. Traffic seemed equally chaotic here as in Guatemala City. Whoever is biggest and/or bravest has the right of way.

The school is on top of a very big hill, and the view of the city below is breathtaking. We knew we had a long day of hard work ahead of us, but it was ok, since we had unbelieveable views to enjoy. It was especially fun to see the volcano. It was inactive, but the one behind it wasn't, and we saw several puffs of smoke throughout the day.

We started with a tour of the school. It was amazing to see. It's been there for 50 years, is a Christian school, serves pre-K through 12th grade, is completely taught by American teachers, and all the instruction is done in English. It was very, very modest by American standards, but very neat and tidy. It's strange to see buildings with open courtyards between them. I don't think that would work in Iowa. :)

 Their library has around 15,000 books, and have the largest collection of English books in Western Guatemala. The computer lab has all Macs. Since class size is limited to 15 kids, this lab can accommodate a whole class at a time. They also have a class set of laptops, and of Ipads. All the kids bring their own lunches, and can heat them up in the mircowave.

After our tour, we got to work. They already had the foundation dug for 2 small classrooms they were adding. (Well... most of it. Mark got the pleasure of digging the rest.) Everything was done by hand. Our tasks for the day included hauling material up and down the very steep hills, cutting and bending steel to make brackets to hold the rebar together, cutting the wire and wiring the brackets to the rebar, and hauling sand (by 5 gallon buckets) up a flight of stairs to a different pile. It was very warm - 71 degrees or so. The sun is very potent this near the equator, and we had to be very careful not to get sunburns. Also, since we are at 7,500 feet elevation, it was very easy to get overly exerted and breathless. We broke for a lunch of sandwiches and chips which some of the ministries brought in. It was hard, hot work much of the time, but so worth it! To see how much progress we made in just one day felt phenomenal, especially after we had some parents, teachers, and students express great gratitude for our work.

After working we headed back to the hotel for a quick (and cold, and low-pressure) shower. Really makes you grateful for the little things back home. (FYI - flushing toilet paper is not allowed either. That is taking some getting used to.)

Supper tonight was also phenomenal - a chicken, broccoli, and pasta dish with a side salad and dinner rolls. If we weren't working so hard during the day, I'd be afraid we'd all weight 500 pounds by the time we go home.

This evening, however, has been the highlight of the whole trip for me so far. We visited a church in a nearby village. Before we arrived, David told us a little history of this village. In the 70's it was very poor and had no agriculture or exports. There was a man there who tried to commit suicide - pulled the trigger 6 times, and every one misfired. After that, he gave his life to Jesus. When he went to tell his grandmother (who had been mute for 30 years) about it, she was healed and able to speak. Soon, the whole village was on fire for God, and he blessed them. It is said that their vegetables are still the best anywhere - with carrots as big as your arm! To say we were excited doesn't even begin to cover it.

Our visit started with a tour of the whole building. The basement is used as a parking garage and also has a water purification system. Unfortunately, when they built on to the building to make the new sanctuary,  the system (which had been installed by a missionary group from the U.S.) had been disconnected. When the church was using it before, they provided free, clean water to all the schools and widows in town. (Remember - you can't drink the water from the taps.) The group that put it in hasn't been able to come down to fix it again, so they're without the clean water they (and so many others) used to rely on.

Their 3rd floor is totally open for now - a flat roof. Someday it will be offices, but it was the perfect place to look out over the town. Next door were a couple of houses that were especially eye opening. One was completely open over 1/2 of the house. We could literally see into their living room. The other house was a row house, and only had curtains for doors.

Their sanctuary was beautiful, and newly-remodeled. The pastor had a vision and a word from God to tear down their old church and build this one. It took years, and much faith, but he credits the building as a miracle from a mighty, capable God. He was such a humble, kind, man.

The service was beautiful as well. By the time we got done with our tour, they were well into their hour-long worship. Humble, but moving. The pastor insisted that we all get up and introduce ourselves, and the congregation (approx 40, mostly young people) all clapped after each name. The message that our group member brought was a very personal but simple word about the power and importance of forgiveness. Afterward, she invited people who felt the Holy Spirit calling them to forgive a certain person or people to come forward. Almost everyone did. She prayed for them all, and there were many tears. It was, clearly, a powerful moment for all of us.

Afterward, everyone wanted to take pictures of and with us. I have never felt like such a celebrity in my whole life. David said that it is very, very rare - possibly once in a lifetime - that these people would have a group of American visitors at their church. They took it as such a distinct honor for us to be there, and committed to praying for our church, as we committed to pray for theirs.

It is humbling beyond words to have been so welcomed with such open arms  - literally. We were hugged by or shook hands with everyone. And, though language was a barrier, we were very aware of the love that we had for one another. One woman gave me a big hug, and said, "welcome, sister" in Spanish. How amazing is our God that he can take me halfway across the hemisphere and still I can find family.

Guatemala Trip - Day One

Monday, February 4th

We started out early - arriving at the church at a.m. to meet the van. To say that Mark isn't a fan of flying is a bit of an understatement. But, our flights went well. We made it to Atlanta with juuuuust enough time to make our connection. The flight from Atlanta to Guatemala City took about 3 hours. Mark and I were glad to be able to sit together on the plane. I had a window seat. Here are some of the views we enjoyed:

When we arrived at the airport in Guatemala City, it was very apparent that we were in a whole new world. The toilet in the bathroom didn't have a toilet seat (perching on the rim isn't all that hard, it turns out). The language barrier became an issue. And, we saw the first of what we would soon find out are ever-present armed guards.

Our host, David, was perfectly comfortable driving his 12 passenger van through the chaotic streets of Guatemala City. Traffic laws (like many other laws) are more like suggestions. We were also surprised at all of the American fast-food restaurants. Burger King, Dominos, and McDonalds all readily visible. David, however, took us to a Guatemalan fast food chain caled Pollo Campanos. We also really ejoyed seeing the old busses, which were colorfully painted and chromed, and filled to the brim. Here are some shots of what we saw in Guatemala City:

(The exchange rate is approx 7.6 Quetzalis for every dollar)


After lunch we started off on the long drive over the mountainous pan-American highway. We alternated between driving through relatively-remote stretches, and long, sprawling towns. It was shocking to see the poverty. Some of the houses were little more than shacks. The farms, also, were so different that it was striking. Farmers usually can only afford tiny (maybe 1 or 1 1/2 acre) plots of land that are right on the mountainside and so steep I don't know how they even walk on them, let alone do any work. Everything is done by hand. I don't even know how many men and boys we saw carrying crude metal shovels, or how many women we saw carrying huge loads of vegetables on their backs or heads. What we saw the most of, however, was dogs. There were dogs everywhere - most of them so skinny they looked like they were about to die. We saw dead dogs, too. I did a roadside dead animal count, and was at 10 by the time we arrived. One was a cow. There were animals everywhere. We saw many, many people with cattle or horses tied very close to the roadside so they could graze. There were also people shepherding herds of goats and sheep, and chickens everywhere.

The drive was, however, beautiful. It took about 3 1/2 hours to climb to the summit (including a stop we made at a beautiful roadside rest stop). At the peak, we were over 10,000 feet above sea level. The descent was much faster - only about 30 minutes.

Here are a few of the pics I took along the way:

 Beautiful flowers growing at the roadside stop.

After such a long day of travel, we were very glad to arrive at David and Mirsa's house  in Quetzaltenango, which is called Xela (say: Shay-lah) by the locals and natives. Supper was phenomenal - roast beef, green beans, rice, rolls, home made tortillas, and ice cream with brownie pudding for dessert. 

After we were done eating, we headed to the hotel (Hotel 6). It is dated, and not up to the standards that I'd be thrilled with in an American hotel. It also has an armed guard (as did the entry to the gated community where David and Mirsa live). We are getting used to this sight, but it is unusual. The best part, though, was that the hotel had a bed, which was all that mattered. Can't say we slept the best, since it was veeerry noisy in the city, but it felt terrific to sleep! It is strange to be in a place where the houses and hotels have neither furnaces nor air conditioners.