On the night of October 1st a mudslide occurred in Santa Carina Pinula, a town outside of Guatemala City. Taking 253 lives, with over 350 still missing. And affecting over 180 homes.
Yesterday I saw it.
I’ve heard about tragedies like this my whole life; earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes they are always happening. But I’ve never seen it.
I’m not just talking about the destruction of tangible things, that is completely different. I’m talking about something that cannot be replaced, people’s lives.
Yesterday I saw the hurt, the pain, and the devastation in the eyes of the people who had lost someone from this disaster. Someone they can never get back and can never replace.
When we first got there yesterday we began sorting clothes that had been donated. After awhile of doing that they told us that another group was coming in so they didn’t need us anymore.
We weren’t sure what to do so we walked down to where the landslide took place.
There I saw the word “morgue” and that’s when I realized why we were there. Because hundreds of lives had been lost and hundreds of families were affected.
It became so real, I was right there in the midst of it.
Some families were found dead all together, while others were still waiting. We walked in there where all the families were just sitting, continuously waiting.
They were waiting there hoping that their loved one would turn up alive but knowing that at this point that was next to impossible.
But there they still waited for hours, days, some almost a week. They ate and slept there. Just waiting for someone to come out to the tent filled with people and say, “We have identified a young boy’s body, will you come and check to see if it’s yours?”
The body would belong to one family but it couldn’t possibly belong to them all. So there the rest continue to wait, hoping that they could at least have the body of their loved one. Many won’t even get that opportunity.
The first family we prayed over had lost their parents, two brothers, and we’re waiting yesterday to find out about their sister.
I was instantly glad I couldn’t speak Spanish well because what do I have to say to them? What does a person even say to someone who lost practically their whole family and most likely their house?
How am I even worthy of praying over them? I don’t understand and I probably never will. I still have my whole family and way more than I could ever ask for.
There are no words.
There is nothing you can say that will make this disaster okay.
As our ministry host prayed, I silently prayed along but mostly listened for the voice of the Lord. He told me, “I’m breaking your heart for what breaks mine. Just give them my love.”
The truth is I don’t have to have all the right words, nor will I ever. I don’t have to understand, nor will I probably ever because this is something so far beyond me.
God has the right words, he understands.
Many people think of God as being far away in these instances, usually asking him why he would do this to them. But yet that is so far from the truth.
He was right there with every single person yesterday. Feeling every emotion they felt. He was broken with them.
That’s all God wants us to do, be there and be broken with them. Words aren’t necessary.
“God is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18)
For some reason God wanted me to feel their brokenness yesterday. Maybe to remind me that in the midst of the darkest times He is still there, longing for His children to cry out to Him.
So thankful for a Creator who has defeated one of the worst and hardest things on this Earth to deal with, death. He is so much bigger than all of it.
I don’t know what His plans are for the people of Guatemala or why this had to happen to them, but He does and He has beautiful redemption coming for them.
Please continue lifting up prayers for this beautiful nation.
