2013: Last summer, I went on a mission trip with my church (Biltmore Baptist) to serve a VBS camp to the sister church and another church in Guatemala. While there we also loved on several widows. The culture there is amazing–such neat clothing, language, and ways of living. We learned how to prepare tamales, painted fingernails, and played a lot of soccer. We sang songs, loved on the kids, and served the women of the village.
My favorite story from Guatemala is when one of the elder women asked about my earrings. These earrings were from my first trip to Peru. I offered them to her, and the pure joy on her face when I put them in her ears warmed my heart.
Fast Facts about Guatemala
- Population: 12,701,000
- Capital: Guatemala City; 951,000
- Language: Spanish, Amerindian languages
- Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
- Currency: Quetzal, U.S. dollar, others allowed
- Life Expectancy: 66
- Literacy Percent: 71
- Culture:
- *Guatemala means “land of trees”
- *It is the most populated country in Central America
- *More than half of Guatemalans are descendants of the indigenous Maya peoples
- *The government faces problems of crime, illiteracy, and poverty
- *They have very tasty coffee (coffee is one of their most popular exports)
- Prayers:
- Gripped by poverty and bound to a spirit of religion, the people of Guatemala hunger for the kingdom of God to pervade their lives. Pray for the opportunity to usher in the Kingdom to this land and reach out to the people on the fringes of society through hard work, relationships, and maybe even a miracle or two. (Modified from WR website)
- *Pray that we have opportunities to love on the widows, serve and play with the children, and build necessities for the people of this land. However, the most important thing is to pray that God would break the hearts of these people–that freedom would reign in the country. Pray that the people would fall in love with their Savior, not just follow a religion because it is expected.
