Today, I killed a pig with the broadside of a sledgehammer. And honestly . . . I feel no remorse. In fact, it was pretty awesome. The pig never saw it coming . . . he did however see the second strike . . . and the third one . . . but otherwise, he was none the wiser!
Now that I have my jokes of the day done with, let’s give a little backdrop to the reasoning why I “gingerly” smashed a pig’s head (okay, I am really done this time).
In case you are not aware, this Sunday is Mother’s Day, and all across America, husbands, daughters, and sons will say the words “I love you, I value you, and I appreciate you.” There will be much joy and a plethora of intentional acts all around the country that confidently, and proudly, praises and respects the mother’s of our country. Nearly every mother will be honored for the part she plays in her family. In Guatemala however, this will not be the case.
Mayan women are considered to be a fourth class citizen in Guatemala, with only the widow considered to be lesser of a person, and the people make it obvious. On almost a daily basis, these women are looked down upon shamefully, disrespectfully, and critically in both their communities and families. Typically living off of only $1 to $3 per day, these women and widows have to feed themselves, pay bills, and take care of their children. From my observations, I would say that most of these women have around three children or more. In some cases the number could be as many as seven. To put it bluntly, the odds are stacked against these women and they are never valued, appreciated, or loved by anyone. We Racers are partnering with Go! Ministries this month to change that. Enter the pig.
With Mother’s Day, we want to do something extremely special for the mothers and widows of the surrounding communities of Xenacoj, Guatemala. For three days, we will be throwing parties in honor of these women to show them that they are valued, appreciated, and loved by us and most importantly God. We have butchered two pigs (one that I killed personally) for them, and their children, to eat and plan to do several other things as well for them. Gifts that we plan to be giving will include coffee, candies, and of course a rose. These gifts might sound small in nature to us as North Americans, but when considered that these women would never be able to afford this for themselves, or their children, the gravity of what we are doing begins to set in.
Through making them feel like they are the most valuable people in the world, we will be showing them the love of Christ in a way that some of these women have never seen before.
So again, I am stoked that I butchered a pig in one of the most ridiculous fashions imaginable, and if given the chance to do it for a cause like this again, I would swing that sledgehammer gladly. These pigs represent what we are going to be doing this month in Guatemala in a way that I do not expect others to understand. I want to fight for these women and they deserve nothing less. These women have stolen my heart and I am honored and proud to be able to serve them this month by showing them Jesus through love, appreciation, and servanthood. Pray that these three parties go better than expected and that the Bible message that we have prepared for them speaks to them in a way they possibly have never heard before. Pray that they understand just how valuable, appreciated, and loved they truly are by us, and most importantly God. For He is in love with them. The least of the least.
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
