Saturdays are usually our day of rest, but we decided to go with Pastor Ben and Vanessa across the lake. There was a miscommunication of time so we ended up having to skip breakfast. Bad idea, but I’ll get to that later. We all get into the boat along with Javier, Carlos, and Abraham and Pastor Ben asks us to get out our bibles. He has a word for us, but it’s more like feedback. We read several different versus and then Pastor Ben chastises us. Most of it is miscommunication between our team and him. His words were harsh, but some felt conviction, others guilt, and I felt angry. Was what he said true, some of it was. Did we need to hear it, probably. Was it necessary at the beginning of our day to head out and do ministry, no. We got off the boat about 45 minutes later and I was still upset. I wasn’t feeling well and I thought it was probably due to the boat ride over, but then again I felt nauseous the day before. Who knows what it was, but I didn’t want Ben to think that I was slacking so I shut my mouth and marched on up the hill with the rest of the team.
We ended up in the market to buy food for the family of Vanessa’s adopted daughter. That place is crowded and chaotic, not the best combo for being upset and not feeling well. We bought this family lots of food and small treats for the children and began to make our way to the house. It was at this point that I could tell my blood sugar was low from not eating breakfast. Then I realized that because I hadn’t eaten breakfast I hadn’t take my meds. I was being eaten alive my fleas from the dogs and mosquitoes. Even though I had put on sunscreen, my arms and face were being burned and beginning to turn into sun poisoning because I hadn’t taken my allergy meds. I needed to get out of the sun and I just prayed that the place we were going to would have shade.
When we arrived at the house we were greeted by about 12 children. Six of them were Vanessa’s daughter’s siblings. The reason Vanessa adopted the child was that the family had no means to take care of another. There were already going without food and the dad was an alcoholic. As the mom came around the corner it was clear to see that she was pregnant again. Due in November. (side note: Adoptions are now closed here in Guatemala due to the stealing and selling of children to make money). Pastor Ben spoke to the grandfather in Spanish who then translated into his native tongue to the mother asking what was going to happen to the baby. She said she didn’t know. She wants to keep it, but then she said she might sell it, or give it to a local family. She has no way of caring for it. She said that she finally kicked her husband out, but he took everything. I broke down. I don’t know if she practices witchcraft or not and I fear for the baby if she does. I wanted to scream, “That is a person inside you!”, but I did not. I have never wanted to adopt a child more than I did right there only adoptions can’t happen here.
I walked away and sat down. I was now upset, feeling sick, my skin hurt, my heart was broken, and I was frustrated because I didn’t know what emotion to feel. They were overwhelming. When my teammates asked me what was wrong I didn’t know what to tell them. I tried to explain it all, but it wasn’t coming out right. We walked back towards the market to go and buy a bed, but I had to sit down. Things were beginning to spin. I put on my sweatshirt because I was freezing. Sarah sat with me and rubbed my back. They went and got me food. I ended up with 3 packs of crackers and Sarah bought me fried chicken. I felt a little better, but when we came back across the lake I just went to bed and slept for 4 hours. I felt a little better my skin still hurt, but I didn’t have nausea. The ended on such a high note. I love my team. We had movie night on Mega Bed, which is a double and a twin bed pushed together. So imagine 7 of us on one mega bed watching a movie on Alana’s Mac. It was pretty epic to say the least.
MEET MEGA BED!
