Let me tell you about my friend Lili who is quite likely the coolest girl in Guatemala:::
It’s extremely rare to find women and girls of Mayan descent (which includes the entire village my team works in) not wearing traditional Mayan dress; handmade, colorful, completely-embroidered blouses with long skirts tied tightly around their waists. It’s even more rare to find Lilliana wearing anything but jeans and sweatshirt.
I met Liliana at the school in our village where my team and I teach English. We learned each other’s names on the top of the monkey bars, our favorite hangout spot. She told me to call her Lili (Liliana is just too common and too girly). She’s 11 years old and the youngest of 7 children. She can beat any boy in a foot race or a game of soccer, not to mention she’ll win any game you have on your phone. She loves to take pictures and videos of us and for us. She can knock the highest fruit out of the trees with ease. She taught me how to fly a kite, the proper technique for climbing flag poles, and even how to catch pigeons… essential skills, really.
We got the chance to visit Lili’s house during ministry and pray for her siblings and her mother, who has been experiencing lots of pain in her head. We also were given the privilege of sharing the love of Christ with her mother who ended up accepting Him into her heart. Angels were dancing and singing over Maria and my teammates who were so humbly used as vessels for the Lord to work through.
As if all of this isn’t great enough, Lili is kind and welcoming and loving and is never without a smile. She’s generous and energetic and pure gold. Every kid in Corrales knows Lili. Everyone lights up when they see her. Everyone wants to be around Lili, even if it means being one-upped. But they’re in good company… she wouldn’t brag if you paid her. On the off chance you did beat her at something, she’d still laugh and celebrate right with you.
For lack of a better term, she’s a bad ass. She goes against the grain and has that kind of confidence some people only wish for. I think I speak for my whole team when I say I hope I’m half as cool as Lili when I grow up. We can dream.
If you think about it, please be praying she sees the gifts in her life and uses them for the Lord. Pray that she would grow to know Him and love Him. The Lord is working in Lili and making her a part of His army in Los Corrales. I couldn’t be more sure of that
Hoping I never get used to this,
L
