In a way, arriving in Guatemala for the ninth month of my World Race felt a lot like coming home. I lived in South America for six months, and I’m quite familiar with Latin culture. I love the language, the music, the loud and outward expressions of emotion, all of it. Ethnically I’m about as “cold-blooded” as they come, but I feel so much more at home in this warm-blooded way of life. I love their passion. I love the way they value relationship. God has turned me into a Latin lover! (Of the culture!)
My heart was singing as we arrived in the airport and I was able to use my Spanish to communicate with the people around me. I had been looking forward to my last three months in Central America since the start of the race, and I was not let down. Our host picked us up and brought us to our house just outside of Zone 11 in Guatemala City. It was a nice home, and we all had beds, warm water, and even a working stove. Praise Jesus!
Our host sat us down and showed us a video to explain the mission of his ministry, called Revolución de las Calles, or Street Revolution. The video, titled Reparando, showed ministries with similar visions to his working with the people living on the streets of Guatemala City. As I watched, I felt like my heart was on fire, a fire ignited by the Lord for the Latin American people. Guatemala was the first country on my race that moved me in this way. I don’t know when. I don’t know where. I don’t know how. But I know someday in my future I will be going back to some part of Latin America to work with His people. Whether it be Mexico, Guatemala, or some other country, only the Lord knows.
Our first day of ministry, and every subsequent Monday, we went out to different parts of Guatemala City to pray for people, and especially those on the street. We were living with two other missionaries from Minnesota named Justin and Jenna. They were a married couple, and she was adopted from Guatemala. They took us out to pray for people in the main square. It was really helpful for me to listen to Jenna pray in Spanish. I was able to pick up on her words and new vocabulary. My Spanish was a little rusty, but I warmed up quickly.
The majority of our ministry was done in an area of Guatemala City called the Bus Terminal. It’s an area of the city that’s completely overrun by gangs, bars, brothels, and prostitution. There is a large market surrounding the terminal, and you would never know it, but there is an entire shantytown behind the market. We walked through the market to pray for people, and one day Kyle was even able to preach with a mic on the corner. Guatemalans know Jesus, and many came forward to receive prayer. I sat down to pray with two prostitutes on the steps of a store. When I mentioned to one of them that she is beautiful and worthy, she just closed her eyes and shook her head. Shortly after they both left, one with her 6-year-old in tow, chasing after a potential client. Father, please help them.
Every Tuesday through Thursday we spent our mornings at our host’s coffee shop called La Chispa, or the Spark. It is intended to be a place of refuge for the street youth to come in the mornings, sit down, drink cappuccinos, play games, and hopefully receive a little bit of Christ in the process. It was refreshing to be doing relationship-style ministry again, but I have never felt more helpless in my life.
The guys coming in were anywhere from their late teens to their thirties, and nearly all of them were high as a kite. They walked in reeking of paint thinner, their drug of choice because it’s so cheap. They would soak a rag with it and huff it, and it completely destroys the mind. There were times I would be sitting next to one of the guys, playing cards, and have to leave for a minute because the smell was giving me a headache. With the limited resources of a world racer, how do you help someone in that condition? The guys were incredible, smart, and kind, but they were addicts. I was getting so frustrated with God day in and day out, thinking what can I do?
Through it all, the only thing I could do was treat them like valuable human beings. One of the men told me I was the first woman in a long time who showed him any respect. These men have no self worth. The world tells them day in and day out they aren’t worth anything. But to God, they are worth everything. I tried to keep that in mind as I sat with them each day.
The Lord’s gift to me was a young man named Pablo who came in a few times during the week. He wasn’t homeless; his job was selling gum to whoever wanted to buy. I am the only one of my team that speaks Spanish, so I sat with him and tried my very best to answer his questions about the bible. He told me someone on the bus told him a person would come into his life to lead him back to Christ, and he was convinced that person was me. Whether or not that’s true I don’t know, but the Lord reminds me time and time again I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be through divine appointments like this one. I could see the Spirit in his eyes, and one day I was able to prophesy over him and speak life into him. He cried and told me he had been asking the Lord for purpose for so long. I told him to continue chasing after the Lord, because true purpose could be found only in Him.
Our afternoons at La Chispa were spent doing a mini school and bible club for the kids who lived in the neighboring shantytown. Some of them had never been to school and were just learning how to write their letters as 8-year-olds. The kids learned quickly, and they truly loved being with us and around us. Jenna lead the little school, and I lead the bible club. It was awesome to be able to truly communicate with the kids and form relationships with them instead of just laugh because I don’t understand their language. It was a breath of fresh air.
My favorite part of our ministry in Guatemala was working with Pastor Tony and his church in San José Penula, a small town just outside of Guatemala City. They cooked for all of the kids in the neighborhood every Friday afternoon. After they were finished eating they would sing songs and teach them about Christ. The kids were so passionate, and the community was really involved in what was happening with their children. They were also teaching the mothers how to do crafts and run small businesses in efforts to keep them away from idleness and prostitution. It was beautiful to see.
Pastor Tony, his wife Gabby and their friends, Venecio and Wendy, are a large part of the reason why I so thoroughly enjoyed Guatemala. They invited us into their home and treated us like family. I’ve never felt so loved by someone I hardly knew. We spent an entire evening talking about what it means to truly honor and love your partner and those around you. After getting to know them, I’d be inclined to call all of them family, and I plan on going back to visit sometime in the future. The Lord’s favor truly rests upon them, their families, their church, and their ministry.
It was refreshing to be in a Christian country where you see churches on the corner instead of temples, and subsequently, the spiritual atmosphere is significantly lighter. One of the most incredible things about our time in Guatemala was corporate worship. We went to a church called Vida Real, and my spirit came alive. It reminded me of being at home at the House church, except everything was in Spanish. It was exciting for me to experience worship and a sermon all in Español. My heart was so full. After spending five months in Asian countries where Christianity is the minority religion, it was such a blessing to worship the King in a strong community of believers.
My team was also lucky enough to visit Antigua a few times and explore the city. It is so quaint, and perhaps my favorite city I’ve visited on the race. It’s cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and Spanish-style architecture creates a charm that captures the heart. We got to spend a few days there before our PVT, or Parent Vision Trip. We traveled to Santo Domingo Xenacoj, and I got to spend a wonderful week with my parents! God is so good.
I am currently in Honduras for month 10 of the race! How the time flies! God is so good! Check out my Guatemala recap video to get a quick glimpse into my month! Thanks for reading!
