[written starting 9.18.12]
Though our entire squad of about 60 is living together at the AIA base, each team has a different ministry assignment in the area. My team was paired with one other team for the first two days to go to a local prison because our original church assignment wasn’t quite prepared for us yet. The prison houses 150 male inmates, 80% of whom are innocent. The corruption in the system is absolutely appalling. We spent most of those two days painting and fixing up the prison guards’ bedrooms and bathrooms. I became the default Spanish translator for our ministry group though I’m not even near fluent. But I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve my team and to go deeper in relationships with Guatemalans because of it. Ministry is all about relationships, and whether that means sharing lunch with the pastor’s family and getting to know them or playing with their 7-year-old son, I think learning the language is so honoring to them. And each day I’m more aware of the tremendous blessing it is to converse with the Guatemalans in ministry and in passing. I’m glad I have two more months in Latin America, but I’m wondering what the following months will look like, when I’m literally speechless in Malaysia or Cambodia.
Since last Wednesday, when our church contact Pastor David was ready for us, we’ve been there painting the church building. I absolutely love Pastor David’s family, and I’m so grateful for the amazing blessing of having wonderful fellowship over lunch made by his wife. His wife’s name is Loli and his three children are René (18), Analucia (12), and Julio (7). René speaks English pretty well (ultimate translator!), and he is seriously aspiring to go on the Race after attending college in the States. Everyone in the family has such a huge servant’s heart (even little Julio, who is always so helpful and sweet), and I can’t wait to see how God will continue to use them for awesome ministry.
On Sunday evening, we went to Pastor David’s church, as did two other teams on the squad. We had agreed to do a foot washing service for the congregation. The Holy Spirit totally inspired my teammate/team leader Erin with the idea when we were conversing with some congregation members last week. They, along with Pastor David, told us that the indigenous people of Quiché (of Mayan descent) are downtrodden and oppressed in Guatemala, and they feel inferior to both other Guatemalans and to foreigners like Americans. Our hearts broke upon hearing that because we want them to know that we’re here to serve them and love them. So with the help of Pastor David’s family, we were able to hold a service dedicated to that this week. He preached on John 13 (Jesus washing the disciples’ feet), emphasizing the difficult lesson of humility and grace. After the sermon, our team and the others took turns washing the feet of the congregation members. There were so many who were moved to tears, weeping in their seats and weeping as we washed their feet. I was speechless, and it was so sad that some of them weren’t coming up because they seemed to feel that they felt unworthy, embarrassed, or too dirty to have their feet washed. But that’s such a lie of the devil, and I hope everyone, whether literally washed or not, left church with a taste of the Lord’s sweet love. The truth is that he came to serve, not to be served. And we’ll never be too filthy and shameful for him to wash us. It was really humbling for me, too. Earlier that day, of all days, our team had gone to see the Mayan ruins nearby, and I’d taken my shoes off for better grip going down a dirt path. So of course my feet were gross by the time we got to church. But we didn’t just wash the feet of the Guatemalans; we washed each other’s feet as well. So as one of my squadmates Katie washed my feet, I squirmed inside, slightly embarrassed and sorry that she had to touch my dirty feet. But wow, what a reminder to put my pride at the altar in both serving and accepting the service of others. The Spirit seriously did some breaking, shaking, and stirring of things for the Guatemalans that night. What’s next, God?! 🙂
P.S. Congrats to my teammate Ed, who got baptized in a pool on Saturday!!! 😀 Praise Jesus for new life!
