We’ve been in Guatemala City for about 2 weeks now. We got settled into a very comfortable house with host family is incredibly warm and welcoming. Not only that, but we have stunning views of Guatemala City and the mountains that surround it.
To get to ministry, we take the infamous “chicken bus,” decorated school buses used for city transit, which takes about an hour. One day on one of these buses I sat next to a guy in his early 20s who was drunk and high on glue. Noticing I was a naive gringo, he told me a number of times about how beautiful Guatemala was, with which I responded with an unsure “Si.” When the guy’s stop came, I got up from my seat so that he could walk around me. But, he decided to take the shuffling as an opportunity to jab his fingers in my side pocket in an attempt to snatch my wallet. Noticing his clumsy move, I put my hand over the pocket while Ross, the more burly one on the team, gave him a light push and shouted “Hey!” He surrendered and left in peace.
So anyway, the ministry my team has set up with is called “Mi Arca” which means My Ark in English. It is a well organized ministry that works with many different kids in the community by teaching English, doing art/music, playing games, and teaching bible lessons. My team has been able to join Mi Arca in a number of these different activities throughout the past few weeks.
One of my favorite experiences was visiting a sick kid that Mi Arca works with frequently. As I walked into the pediatric center of the hospital, I was struck by the large number of sick children aged 6 months – 10 Yrs lying in their beds. Some were hooked up to oxygen and IVs, but all were lacking the fancy medical equipment of America. The children’s parents were either playing or comforting their kids or silently crying over them as they slept. It was a sweet sight and a reflection of God’s compassion for His children.
My team came up to the kid we were there to see (name not disclosed for privacy), who was about 10 years old and was being consoled by his mother. We were able to give his mom a big hug and we played games and did origami with our new friend. It was heartwarming to see his face light up and laugh with our interaction with him. It was a special moment for all of us!
Other days we make visits to a group of street guys, who are between 13 to 40 years old. All they pretty much do all day is get high off of glue or occasionally weed, but are harmless and actually pretty nice folks. Since we have language barriers and becuase they are high, we love them by playing uno with them or playing music. We all seem to enjoy it quite nicely.
Otherwise, things are running smoothly. God has been growing me in street smarts as well as staying rooted to him when I am tempted to base my life off of something else. Staying intimate with the Lord has been the constant peace and stability. With this new season of life, I’ve been able to clearly see the constant love of God for me despite changes around me. The most impactful parts of my couple weeks have been when I just sit and recieve God’s love for me.
