We have been in Guatemala for two weeks. This is an all-squad month, so all 55 of us are living together in one compound. We are living in tents, but thankfully we have hot showers and bathrooms! We separate into teams for our various ministries around the area.
This is my first time being in another country besides Canada, and it has been such an experience! Everywhere we go, I hear people (particularly children) talking about us – “Gringos!”. I feel like a parade float when I ride in a truck bed through town. All of the kids want to wave at us, and we wave back. Yes, I have gotten to ride on the side of a truck bed going down the highways! And I have yet to see a speed limit here.
Quiche, where we are living and working, is in the highlands of Guatemala. As such it is cold and misty in the mornings and warmer during the day, but never too hot. In addition, we are in the beginning of rainy season – it has rained heavily every night so far, and periodically throughout the day. I think we are beginning to take dampness as a way of life.
Our squad was fortunate enough to arrive in Guatemala while they were celebrating Guatemalan independence. As opposed to the 4th of July, the festivities last for a week up to the actual holiday. As such, our official ministry work was postponed as we joined children in celebrating their nation by supporting school futbol (soccer) tournaments and watched an elementary school production on Guatemala. On Monday we got to observe an independence day parade here in Quiche, and some of the girls in our squad actually got to don traditional dress and become a part of it! The traditional dress involves a lacy blouse, a long, woven skirt, and an embroidered belt. Altogether – very colorful.
Here is a picture of Kristin Schneider modeling her outfit. Yes, we are all tall here.
Due to the festivities we only began our “official” ministry work this week. Our team (Magnetic Light) is working with another team (Warrior Bride) to demolish the slim remains of an old building project begun by the government. That particular project never came to fruition, and the pastor we are working for, Arnold Eliseo, bought it with the purpose of building a retreat center. Pastor Eliseo, by the way, is an amazing person who has started a church and school here in Quiche. His family is also wonderful (he and his wife have quite the romantic tale), and his wife insists on cooking us lunches. Traditional Guatemalan food!
Above is a picture of us with the pastor, his wife, and daughter.
The first step is to demolish all remains of the old buildings. What makes this job so interesting is that the tools that we are using resemble those in biblical times. For example, we are taking down cement and stone with hammers and chisels. I am slightly humbled as I see how quickly the pastor’s sons and nephews can accomplish the work that takes us Americans so long, though, granted, we are a lot of girls…
There is a lot to learn from breaking down walls. Although such work is usually not the preference of most people setting out on a missionary journey, I feel that I have been blessed in a lot of ways through the work we’re doing, and hopefully we will bless others!
For one thing, Nehemiah has been constantly on my mind. We are soft Americans (I’m not exaggerating, we are), suddenly using all our strength to bang on chisels, and smash at stone with pickaxes, as our hands become blistered and burnt. Yet, we know that we are doing this because it is what God has set us to do, as work for Him. Similarly, Nehemiah was a cupbearer, meaning he probably had a very soft life before he organized the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (I find this VERY encouraging). To complete the similarity and my ability to see this as such a relatable passage, the tools are probably very similar. But somehow, Nehemiah found it within himself and others to undertake such an intense and rigorous project, because he knew that God was behind it!
We are taking down walls. One of the girls found this beautiful analogy: we all have built walls that keep God away from areas of our lives. Sometimes, these walls are weak and flimsy, and a hammer and chisel can knock them down easily, but sometimes, the bricks are solid. In such cases, it takes a tremendous amount of effort and slow progress to chip and chip and chip away at the stubborn, strong stones. Similarly, some of our defenses against God need a lot of work to break away, but we NEED to break them down and to allow God to chip and chip away, though it may hurt and our hands become blistered.
Finally, I also see beauty in building. A retreat center which will be used to bless countless lives will develop where these ruins were. Just as the wall of Jerusalem was built to protect God’s chosen people, we need to build a foundation in God in which we are blessed, God can bless others through us, and which will be a solid protection against giving way to the influences which are not of our Father. This is similar to the way that the Hebrews needed to be vigilant and guarded against letting foreign influences draw them away from God, as easily occurred when their wall was weak and in ruins.
Though, as an encouraging point, Nehemiah is about the repentance of a group of people. The book was not about their failures and mistakes, but about how they rebuilt and returned to God. An entire book was written in which their repentance was all that mattered. It’s about building.
That is my update from Guatemala. If you would like more details, shoot me an email! Preferably include a joke in that email. I am running low.
Please be praying for us in our ministry, both at our ministry site and at all other times of the day. Also pray for our health, as 12 of our squad are now sick and it is spreading fast. We need protection against this so that we can continue doing the work we have come here to do.
More to come, probably from Nicaragua! Thank you so much for your prayers and support.
Love,
Kayla
