During my time in Guatemala I’ve gotten to meet some incredible people. My time spent there wouldn’t have been the same without them, so I wanted to briefly share about three of them:
Meet Wendy.
Team Esther’s ministry host & good friend.
Every morning she met us in Chimaltenango to take a bus to the village we taught in – Bola de Oro. Every morning she’d greet us with a smile and kiss on the cheek. Wendy exemplified joy, patience, and love so well. Joy in her spirit – lighthearted, uplifting, with a smile that instantly brightens your day. She was not moved by circumstances, rather she leaned on the Lord and asked for prayer when needed. Patience in how she treated others – speaking softly, yet assertively with love to the kids when they got rowdy & patience with our team when we didn’t fully understand each other. Love in all that she did – how she loved our team, her family, and the families we visited on the daily during lunch. Wendy has become family to me, reminding me that family extends far beyond DNA matches. I’m thankful for the unconditional love Wendy pours out to others.
Meet Josephina.
Team Esther’s other ministry host, Guatemalan mother & Wendy’s real mama.
Josephina hosted us and two groups of kids in her front yard 4 days a week for classes. She joyfully welcomed us into her home and would joyfully share food with us as well. She even taught my teammates how to make tortillas, which was super entertaining to watch. Our last day in Bola, her and the ladies in her small group prepared a delicious meal for my team and our parents. I’m thankful for Josephina’s hospitable & loving heart.
Meet Don Felipe.
A faith-filled man in Bola de Oro my team and I had the honor of getting to know.
This man and his family played a huge role in how I saw the power of prayer. A bit of Don Felipe’s story: He used to be a pastor, but once he got sick with acidic arthritis, it became too painful for him to get out of bed and walk around so he stopped preaching. We visited him one afternoon during our lunch break in between classes and had kept coming back ever since. We would go to pray for him, and he ended up becoming an even bigger blessing to us. A few weeks before our parents came for PVT, we asked Don Felipe if he would want to have church with our parents and preach – he said yes. A week or so later, he had a heart attack. Our team came during our lunch break and prayed and prayed until his family took him to the hospital. It was sad and scary because it felt as if I was losing my grandpa all over again, but a miracle happened. When we came back to visit a few days later, he was alive and well in his bed. He couldn’t stop talking about God’s goodness & faithfulness. He got to preach to us and our parents last week and created a safe space to share testimonies. It was a truly beautiful moment. Over the past three months, Don Felipe’s family invited our team to become apart of their family. We laughed together, worshipped together, prayed together, cried together and praised God together. I’m thankful for Don Felipe’s strength and unwavering faith in the Lord. I’m thankful for his family for inviting us in with open arms. I’m thankful for his reminders of how good God is. I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness in Don Felipe’s life.
*This is only a glimpse of the people I encountered and got to know in Guatemala. The people there have a lot to offer.*
Thanks for taking time to read this! Have a wonderful week.
All my love,
Melissa
