Our second month we are in Guatemala. My team, along with two other teams are in the city of Antigua. It is a beautiful old city. The architecture of the buildings is so beautiful. Because it is such an old place, some of the buildings have begun to deteriorate. But it is not ugly. It actually makes the buildings more beautiful!
Not only is the city beautiful, but the people are wonderful as well. We have a lot of freedom to walk around the city. It is somewhat of a tourist city, so it is very international as well. And for those of you that know me well, this is where I thrive! We have met some great people through exploring the city. Not only have we met them, but we have been able to build relationships with these people. There was a guy in the market, who we found out is a Christian. And then at church we met a bunch of very welcoming and loving people. We met one of the cutest old couples, who invited us to their home for tea and cookies the last week we were there. And those were just a few of the many people we were privileged to get to know. I just love these people so much!
In regards to ministry, this month I am working at a place called Casa Jackson, and it is a malnutrition clinic. There are young children from birth to about 8 years old. They have malnutrition for different reasons – lack of knowledge, poverty and etc. The children stay about 2-3 months, unless the doctor feels the need for more time. They are fed a few meals a day and the nurses and volunteers play with them. So that is what we did. The really cool thing is that before the children go home, Casa Jackson makes sure their home has a cement floor and a water filter. This made me really excited about this place, with my passion for clean water.
But even more, was the fact that I fell in love with one of the little girls there. The very first day I was there, I got to talk to her mom. I learned a few things about this very special little girl. This made me feel the start to a special connection with this precious little one. Her name is Modai! Such a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl. She was actually drawn to me from the first day. And then every day, I would go in to her room, and she would get so excited when she saw me. She would “whap” her legs on her crib mattress and a huge smile would come on her face. I also had one of my teammates tell me that Modai had a different demeanor when she was with me. It was so wonderful to be able to love on this little girl. To show her how Jesus loves even the smallest children, and wants so much for them to come to Him. I know we aren’t supposed to have favorites, but I absolutely love my little Modai! We definitely had a special relationship, even though there was no verbal communication.
There are so many things that have made me fall in love with this beautiful place! I know it’s only month two, but I feel that this is a place that God may have in my future. I don’t know when or how exactly, but those plans are all up to God!
