If you’ve been following my blogs, you’ve been reading a lot about a man named Emilio for the past three months. My group and I met Emilio at our church, Shoreline Guatemala. One of the first Sundays, I served with Emilio greeting at the door. It doesn’t take long to get to know someone like Emilio. After the initial hola, we talked and got to know each other, becoming friends very fast. Through this friendship, I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer each week at his Eco-market, tour two of his Eco-farms, meet many amazing people, see places in Antigua I never would have found without him, and gain a new perspective on life. Emilio was a hugely influential part of my time in Antigua and I’ve been so blessed to have gotten to know him.
Ever since we met, I’ve been thinking of the best way to capture in a blog everything that Emilio is, everything he does, and everything he believes in. Emilio’s job/ goal in life is to promote a more sustainable and healthy way of life in every aspect of life and he does this through countless projects he has. When I say countless, I’m not joking. Literally every time we have a conversation, he tells me about a new project he is working on. These projects could range from starting a fashion line to organizing a soccer team for the kids on the streets of Antigua. I even asked him once if he knew how many projects he had, and he sincerely had no idea. There are too many to count!
The best way to get to truly get to know Emilio is by talking face to face with him. I wanted to share about him and everything he is doing here in Antigua, so I decided the best way to do that was through an interview. We sat down for coffee the other day and I asked him some questions.
You grew up here in Antigua, right?
Yes, born and raised here. I went to elementary school and high school here and then went to study abroad for University. Then I came back here.
Your family has many farms and a lot of land here in Antigua?
Yes, I have a farming background. My family has different businesses and industries. We have a construction company, private schools, land, different farms, organic production, a little bit of animals, coffee, and a cattle ranch.
Was the farming in your family always focused on being organic?
Not organic, it was more conventional farming in the past. But then the younger generation- us- we took it and then twisted it a little bit. We revolutionized it and started pursuing the organic movement. Maybe like 10 or 15 years ago we saw the trend that humanity was going toward an ecological movement so we started putting our efforts toward that industry.
And it started with your generation? You and your brother?
Yes, our generation. We took it a level up and changed it, started developing all the ecological base, products and business. We just had a hunch that it was going to be big in the future so we started. In the beginning it was a little bit bad. People didn’t understand what we were doing. It takes more time, energy, more control, more money, and more expenses. But we had a hunch and kept the faith. Now, it’s reaching a tipping point. Now people see our effort and understand what we were doing. Back in the day, they thought we were crazy; they didn’t understand what we were doing but now they realize. We were ahead of the curve.
What was it like for you to grow up with a twin brother?
Everything has good parts and bad parts. The good thing is you always have a friend your age. You can hang out and relate. We are both guys so our wardrobe duplicates. So when he buys clothes, I buy clothes and we have more clothes between the two of us. I have more friends. If he makes new friends I make new friends and we match them up. See, that’s the benefits. The downside is people are always confusing us. We get one present for our birthday instead of getting one each.
So tell me about your time in University in Mexico.
It was great. I got a scholarship. I studied tourism management. I had a minor in business and design. It was a pretty high-end university. Mexico was pretty advanced, more developed in their tourism. I basically copied and pasted what they were doing there with a Guatemalan twist.
Can you tell me about your journey to becoming a Christian?
I wasn’t Christian. I had a lot of addiction problems in the past. I was living in darkness; I didn’t even know light existed. Back when I was in darkness and ignorance, I didn’t even know what I was searching for; I just knew that I was searching for something. Trying to see what life is about. But that search was pretty painful because I didn’t know God and how everything was designed and created. I was trying to fill my void with idols, women, drugs, and alcohol. But I knew there was something more and I was searching for it. I didn’t know what it was. Like I always say, I like to focus in the solutions not the problem. So I did my effort, did a lot of research and searching just trying to find something until I found the light, Jesus Christ. I spent a lot of years in darkness, but I was searching for the truth. Basically that’s what we all want, to see what’s true and find cleansing and healing. It was a long process and pretty painful. It still is and I still slip and fall down sometimes. Now I have more light, wisdom, and intelligence and I’m much better. I have more joy and peace. God provides those things through Jesus Christ. Just finding those benefits, those fruits, it’s a big blessing and I’m pretty grateful. Now I look back with perspective on my life and I see all the things I went through when I was in the darkness but I didn’t know God. I was detached from God but He was always there taking care of me. So that was pretty amazing.
Something I found very interesting about you is that you found Jesus through a process of research and trying out other religions and ideas. At the time, they seemed like they were true, but once you found Jesus you knew that was the one real truth.
I did a lot of research on ancient civilizations and philosophies. In my quest for searching for truth, I experienced a lot of these philosophies and religions. They seemed pretty nice, all about peace and love and helping others but in the end, they are not real. There’s no change in you. There’s no transformation. In the end, you end up the same. I finally found God and then I experienced by myself how I started to be transformed and clean. I’ve experienced life changing situations in the past. I’ve had guns put to my head, machetes pulled out, and knives pulled out. I’ve been attacked by wild animals like snakes. Those situations make you wonder about life, how everything can change in the blink of an eye. It makes you more aware of what’s next, the next step, where we are headed after this life. That was part of it. My research was a long process that shaped me. Finally I found the gospel and that’s the one that filled me up. And then I started feeling the change in my life and the difference. It’s alive. The other religions and philosophies seem pretty nice but they are dead. The gospel, Jesus Christ’s words, God’s words, speak to you and they have power and they are alive and that’s what changes and transforms your heart. It works. Once I find something that works, I keep it. That’s how I came in contact with Christianity. Once I found the truth, everything started changing from there.
Whenever we walk down the street, you are always constantly saying hello to someone or shaking someone’s hand. How do you feel about being so well known here in Antigua?
Well, it’s a small town, so everybody knows everyone. It’s a nice community. I like to enjoy life, be happy, and always have a positive attitude. I think as well the more people you know and the more connections you have, you can advance in whatever you are trying to achieve. For me life is pretty simple, always be nice and treat everyone equal, from the little guy that shines shoes in the park to the mayor of town. You never know when an opportunity or blessing is coming your way, and I have experienced those blessings from guys that shine shoes and take care of cars in the streets and from the mayor and important people. It’s pretty amazing. It’s a pretty unpredictable life where the blessing or opportunity is going to come up but I’m always open with a positive attitude towards life and so it’s pretty interesting.
We both go to Shoreline, Guatemala which meets in The Lucky Rabbit, a popular night club here in Antigua. What is it like for you to go to church in a place where you used to host events and parties?
It’s pretty mind blowing. Before I was Christian, I used to work for a company that set up a lot of parties, festivals, and fashion shows. I was known for that. Going back to the same place now that it’s a church, being there and knowing that I used that venue for throwing big parties and being around that scene, a lot of alcohol and girls, going back to that same place with a different purpose, I see how incredible God is. He uses the same venue for a different purpose. It’s pretty shocking and mind-blowing going back to the same place but for a different purpose and reason. It just shows you how God can use something bad and turn it into a good thing.
You have so many projects and l learn a new one everytime I talk to you. Can you sum up what it is that you are doing here and the reason behind it all?
I know it’s something that is hard to explain because I do so much. There’s a lot of opportunity and resources in the country. On the other hand, there are a lot of corrupt governments and it’s hard to get ahead. There’s so much. Basically for me, my vision and my goal is to change that situation in the country. Everybody says we have so much, everything to become a good country and prosper and to turn around the situation. So that’s basically my goal here: to use the resources I have available, to exploit them in a good way, to unify the Guatemalans, the community, and make us stronger and prosper. There’s enough for everyone, a lot of opportunity and a lot of abundance. He gives us all the opportunity and all the things we need. I like that mentality. There’s enough for everyone to improve their quality of life with the people, the community, education, health benefits, and healthy eating. We all have the same rights, so we all have the right to eat healthy and have a good system. So basically all the projects I develop, it’s always aiming toward that goal. Hopefully one day I can cross borders and make it international so it will be from Guatemala to the world. We can show people in other countries what we are doing here and everything that we are developing. And that’s my purpose in life, my mission. You just live once in this life, so just try to make the best of it. I feel blessed that I was born in a family that has a lot of resources but I also feel committed to share that and help others who don’t have as many resources and opportunities. I want to lift up people and make Guatemala shine. Flip the tortilla, is what we say here. Everything is possible with Jesus Christ. In God everything is possible. That’s my challenge and my goal: to develop the country, make it prosper and make the community and the Guatemalans stronger.
I’ve learned so much from observing the amazing way you steward your resources. What are your ideas behind that?
I try to be a good manager. Nothing is ours; everything is God’s. We have to be good stewards, good managers, of what God gave us. It’s in the Bible. So I try to do my best to manage the resources the best I can. Like money. Money’s not good or bad, just the way you use it, the way you manage it. You can have a lot of money but use it towards bad purposes. You can have a lot of money and use it for good purposes. I just to try to focus on the good and the positive and use the resource the best way I can. We don’t take anything to the next life, we don’t take any material possessions or belongings, just the work we do here with people.
With your career and all your projects, what is the biggest challenge you face?
I think the biggest challenge is working with the Guatemalans. It’s been a lot of problems in the country for a lot of years, a lot of corruption from the government. A lot of people are disappointed and depressed. They live in a really tight situation economically. Their mindset is more focused on the little they have; they don’t want to share it. A lot of people don’t have a sense of community or of working together. I think the biggest value is changing the mindset of the Guatemalans and motivating them, transmitting that energy and vibe that it’s possible that we can change things. Being self-sustainable, not relying on the government or any other source. We can start changing the mindset and the beliefs of the Guatemalan people, working toward a common goal., The country is in pretty bad shape, a lot of ignorance from the people, lack of education, poor health system, education system, and transportation system, so I’m trying to change all that. That’s basically the mission and the goal. Its hard work and it’s difficult but it’s not impossible. It’s working and it’s coming along. We are reaching a tipping point. In the end it’s God’s work. We’re just tools to change things and to bring his kingdom to the Earth and bless other people. I believe we preach by example. I can come and teach you a lot of stuff, but if my example doesn’t preach that, it’s not consistent. It’s more about working hard. Show people by doing and acting. Most people see your work and example and they get motivated by that and they want to start helping out.
What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?
I would say that helping people out, seeing the satisfaction in people when you care about them and you help them out. For me it’s my biggest reward when a homeless person or someone really poor blesses me. I do something for them and maybe give them a small offering and just getting back a God bless you is priceless. Being blessed by a homeless person or really poor people, it’s really rewarding.
What is the legacy you hope to leave in Antigua or in Guatemala? How would you like to be remembered here?
I’m just trying to do the best I can in this life, help as much as I can, and make a better environment for the community and the people that live here. For me it’s not that important to be remembered here after I’m gone. It’s more important that the work continues and just keeps growing and growing.. It would be nice to be remembered as a good example and as someone who trued to change a lot of things for the better.
Emilio is someone who truly made my time in Guatemala very special. Please pray for him and all of his projects! He is someone who energized me with his enthusiastic pursuit of Kingdom, and he could use a lot of prayer over his life and the people he is affecting.
Although this post is about Guatemala, I actually just made it to South Africa! I’m going to miss Guatemala a ton, but I’m planning on going back very soon in the future. I’m super excited about this whole new season! I still have one more blog to post wrapping up my time in Guatemala, but more updates are on the way about Africa. Also, I still have some money to raise! Keep praying folks; our God is doing incredible things. Thank you all!
Emilio giving us a tour of one of his Eco-farms.
The beautiful farm.
Spiral farming. It’s breath-taking!
