From Cassie:
Today we were at the public school playing with the children all morning, and then walked around the corner to the church to make and deliver some food packs. We then finished off our day by playing in the local park with the children from the Clubhouse program before heading back to the team house for an amazing Guatemalan meal. To say the least, it was an amazing day! It was so much fun playing with all of the kids and talking with those in the community, and even with a language barrier, communication was not as difficult as I had personally expected. It amazed me how gracious and generous the people of the Bethania community are! One little girl in the school who did not want to leave my back all day had been sucking on one small lollipop and in her generous manner, offered to share. Another small girl had only one small bag of chips for her lunch, yet still wanted to share them with me. I was slightly surprised that I was not heartbroken for all of the impoverished people we encountered, but as I continue to think about our day, I’m realizing that I don’t feel bad for them because even though they lack materially, they are still so thankful and happy for the lives God has given them. I strive to learn from these people as we continue to interact with them as the week continues. In our devotional for today, one of the passages was Zechariah 7. In the middle of the chapter, it talks about fasting, eating, and drinking not for ourselves but for the Lord. This was a good reminder for me personally that even though we are enjoying most of(if not all) of the things we are blessed enough to do during this trip, it is not about our personal gain, but all for God’s glory. The most impactful things I’ve learned so far on this trip are 1) it is not necessary to feel guilty for the material wealth God has blessed many of us with, but it is very important to be thankful for it and to use it for the glory of God, 2) we are no better than these impoverished people and need God’s love as much as they do, and 3) we need to hand these people over to God and trust that He will care for their spiritual and material needs because we cannot change all of their lives just in a week of serving them.
From Kierra:
Community is defined as “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” After only three days in this beautiful country I’ve gained a whole new perspective on the idea of community. The people of Guatemala have redefined what it means to be a part of a community, and it extends far beyond geographical boundaries. As our team waited in local public school courtyard this morning, waiting for the children to arrive for recess, I never thought there was a place where you could walk into a completely foreign atmosphere and feel so at home. However, after only a few hours playing and getting to know complete strangers, their hearts of gold became abundantly apparent. The minute the doors opened and the kids came running out, they overwhelmed me with genuine joy as they embraced each and every one of us with hugs and kisses without even for one minute treating us like the outsiders we clearly were. I never could have imagined being surrounded by such love almost instantly regardless of language or cultural differences.
There were a couple experiences that really stood out to me from today. After playing with children for hours at the school we got the opportunity to deliver packs to local families through Clubhouse Guatemala. The first house my group visited was a humble little home in Bethania with a beautiful family of five. I was introduced to their young son, who was also a part of Clubhouse’s program. Experiencing the home and broken city they live in and then chasing him and his friends around for hours afterward through the streets and the park, I realized the joy these communities maintain is unmatched by anything I would have seen in the United States. This boy wasn’t being held back by his lack of material things, but instead indulged in the joys that come from something only God could provide through his infinite love. Not only did he show me he wasn’t ashamed of what he was missing in his life, but he showed me he was rich in many areas that I could only hope to obtain. The community I got to see was consumed in spiritual wealth and surrounded each other in accepting and loving on everyone, even strangers. God truly surrounds these people with something greater than money and wealth, He shows us what it really means for a community to be defined as a people of love and passion for the Lord.
From Alex:
After saying our “¡Hasta Manana! (see you tomorrow)” to the energetic and loving kids, we walked our way around the corner to the Sembradores Church, a local branch of the main campus located in Zone 6. Pastor Fernando Jr. delivered us the goods that would be needed to put into a bag. Soon after a quick replenish with coffee, we created a line to fill the bags with love and food. Although we were tired from playing with the kids in the school, we knew the delivery of a single food pack was more important than our fatigue. Therefore, we put the essential needs in a yellow grocery bag, such as spaghetti, rice, sugar, cooking oil, beans, toilet paper, toothpaste, and a nutrient drink that could replaced as a meal replacement. After packing 30 bags, we split into 4 groups with each having 2 packs and dispersed into the narrow streets of Zone 7.
My group, chaperoned by Mrs. Chaboya, visited 2 families, and one of the families lived in between two buildings. I was surprised that 4 family members consisting a mom with 3 sons, were living in a room size of a closet. They greeted us with big smiles as we filled their bedroom. We asked some questions about their daily lives, and the mother replied that everything is going well yet two of her sons were sick from cold. Therefore, I asked what we could pray for and she requested to pray for her kids and especially for her hands as well because she had to pay visits to the doctor’s due to her injury. So we talked to the Lord for healing and the continual love that the family have been receiving.
What jolted me the most was after our prayer when the mother spoke to us. Speaking from heart, she chatted that everything we need is provided by God and don’t ever worry about being empty-handed because God will fill us with more than we ever need. Moreover, she complimented us with joy that we are such blessings to her family and told us to continue the great work that God has assigned because we will be blessings wherever we go. I was truly astounded and moved. Being in a situation where the living is harsh in a compact area, they were so happy that we came and were content that God’s presence was in their hearts. I felt so convicted and guilty because I lived under many different roofs, all provided with warm food and high-quality goods, yet I have complained about many things in life. Not only was I greedy but I was starving of spiritual fruit of God and I craved for their joy with God. What an amazing day it was to not deliver the food and love of God but to receive the spiritual fruit and light of Him.
LC Senior Go! 