Wow, its only been two weeks yet it feels like a lifetime. I have seen so much and experienced more then I thought my heart could handle. That said, I would not change anything about this trip! We are not doing one, not two, but three different ministries during the week!! At times it can be crazy, not only during ministries, but also at our house where I live with 6 other girls.
We minister on the rougher side of the city. Every store has bars on the windows for protection, trash fills every corner of every street, and we dress very modestly to make sure people will not get the wrong idea.
Our first ministry site is an old building in the city that hasn’t been used in years. Our final goal is to make it into a coffee shop where the homeless can hangout, play games, be loved and have free coffee. We have to start from the bottom and work our way to the top. There is a lot of work that needs to be done: we have to paint the walls, put in the bathroom, build a counter, and much, much more! It may be hard work, but I know deep down in my heart in the end it will be so worth all the kinks in my shoulders, the sweat on my face, and the paint stains on my shirt that will be with me for the next 9 months. These homeless people will know the second they walk into this building that they will be safe and loved no matter what!
Our other ministry is pretty simple. We walk the streets of Guatemala City and befriend homeless people – children, teens, adults and seniors – it doesn’t matter the person or the age, we talk
to who ever will talk to us! We bring games to play with them like bingo or a deck of card and of course Uno! We sit and chat with them just like we do with our family and friends back home. We develop relationships with these people. Every Monday when we get ready to go I can’t wait to see them and hear all about their day. I love each of them so much and I’m starting to see why I was put here, in Guatemala City, with this group of people. God has placed me here to lend my ears to listen to these people, lend my hands to hold the babies, lend my heart to tell them they are loved, wanted and they have purposes in this world even if they can’t see it!
My last ministry in Guatemala is my absolute favorite! We do bible studies with little kids ages two to eight years old. If you know me, you know my heart belongs to kids. I lucked out because I get to work closely with kids in this ministry. We get to play games, sing songs and teach them. We teach them about the bible, as well as give everyday lessons such as saying please and thank
Guatemala might only be three houses away by plane from my home, but the difference is huge! I may not speak Spanish, know the local transportation, or have a good grasp on the currency, but knowing I’m able to touch other people’s lives makes it all worth it in the end! I would not change anything about my time so far here in Guatemala City. I can’t wait to see how my heart is going to change over the next two months here!
God bless,
Lucretia Jojola
