Guatemala

Guatemala!

So many WONDERFUL things to say about this beautiful little country!!! I am SO blessed that after 12 years of it being on my heart, God FINALLY worked out the details for me to be able to go! His timing is perfect--who can question?

Back in 2007-2008, when the kids were young, my ex and I were still married and we were homeschooling the girls, we had some friends that adopted a baby girl from Guatemala. I instantly fell in love! Not long afterwards, foreign adoption was shut down. A few different reasons emerged as the reason why and I'm not sure what is the truth, maybe all of it. Nonetheless, adoption by Americans was no longer allowed. Yet, it isn't in the culture of the Guatemalan people to adopt within either and with a shortage of available spots in orphanages, abandoned children quickly became an even bigger problem.

Since then, I have wanted to see this little country and go love on some babies! I signed up to go on a family mission trip with my church and before I knew it, thanks so many donors, some anonymous, my trip was fully funded!

Due to some logistical issues, I wasn't able to go on the trip with members from my church and I won't go into those details here. But I was soon hooked up with a team of wonderful people from Family Church in West Monroe, Louisiana.

The beauty of the landscape is truly indescribable--mountains, volcanos....I even loved the way the tiny colorful homes were close together and stacked on top of each other. From the plane, it looked like legos!

We spent almost a week with Inn Ministries (see link to the right) getting to know people in San Cristobal, serving the neighborhoods, hospitals and schools.

I take no position on the immigration issue currently a hot topic in America. I see both sides. But trust me when I tell you not to believe everything you see or hear. Not everyone in this quaint little impoverished country is rushing to the southern U.S. border trying to get through. Many probably aren't even aware that it would be possible (and keep in mind Guatemala is in Central America, below Mexico! Traveling through to the U.S. border is certainly possible but definitely not easy! These beautiful people are simply trying to survive where they are--I just do not believe the majority are worried about much more than that.

And life there is hard! When we were painting and doing yard work at the school, we had no lawnmowers, weedeaters, edgers--no electrical or gas-powered tools to help. Edging was done with a shovel and grass cutting was done with a machete.  It's not always about efficiency. It's a way of life that, while difficult and different, is beautiful.

The people make use of whatever they have and aren't wasteful--especially with land or water! They don't wait to have a nice, level, flat patch of land for growing food. They will plant and harvest on the side of a volcano, a vacant lot in between two crumbling buildings--wherever they can. And the water, while generally safe for the people of Guatemala to drink, isn't always available nor plentiful.

One day, we visited the pediatric ward of a public hospital. It's a sight I won't ever easily forget. The healthcare debate in this country is a heated one. Forced purchase of unaffordable insurance, quality of care and availability to all in the U.S. seems ridiculous to argue about when you see healthcare in a 3rd world country. The hospital, despite the best efforts of its workers, was filthy, hot, crumbling with peeling paint and rusting  and outdated equipment. They are understaffed and overwhelmed. And whatever caregivers determine is needed for the recovery of the patient must be supplied by the family.

I recently had knee surgery and my itemized bill showed simple and inexpensive medicines charged to my insurance company at absurd prices. That would have me think, "Sure, that policy would be great--instead of paying $100 for an aspirin, I could send my family to the Dollar Tree to get some for $1!" But most families lack the funds to provide anything.  I honestly don't know how anyone ever gets well in such a place.

We had divided into three groups so we didn't overwhelm the patients and their families. Somehow I'd gotten separated from mine and when trying to find them and catch up, I walked past a young mother named Soila. When our eyes met, she looked at me as if I was a family member she hadn't seen in awhile. Her eyes filled with tears but she smiled and reached out to me. My Spanish wasn't fluent enough to understand her but I could understand that she was happy to see me and glad I was there. I quickly found and interpreter and asked if I could pray with her. She agreed and I did. I prayed for healing, for peace, comfort, strength, that God would show her who He is and what He can do. I hugged her and cried with her. It was truly one of the most precious moments not only of the trip but of my life. To be brought to a stranger just for that moment--I just don't have the words.

One night, the ministry had arranged for each of us to have dinner in a different home--either a church member or family of a student in the school. That is how I met Carlos and his family. He's in the 3rd grade at the school and loves to play games. His mom is widowed and she prepared us tamales. They were nothing like the tamales you see here and were very interesting. We got to know each other and I am now sponsoring him through Inn Ministries. 

The relationships formed during this week, the things we got to do to serve the people and the blessings we received as a result is just so overwhelming! I can't wait to go back. I'm praying the Church of the Highlands will allow me to lead a team from the Birmingham area this time because so many want to go and they will not allow members to join teams from other campuses. But if they don't, I'll either join my Louisiana friends again or work with Inn Ministries myself to bring a team outside of COTH. Nothing will keep me from making Guatemala a regular part of my life now!