Category: Guatemala

Our first week is complete.  There are so many stories and little time to tell but there will be many days of sharing to come.  Today part of the team travels to Chichicastatenango to experience the market and others remain here at Bambu. All of  us will be resting so we can work hard next week.   The time flies by.  Hard to imagine but the logistics of food, clean up, carrying tools & supplies, etc. daily for 23 people keeps everyone busy.

This morning as I was walking back to my room I heard the voices of Sarah and Todd saying the prayers of the prayer team back at home.  It was the 6:30am time…when the daily prayer team is in the sanctuary at home saying those same prayers. Their voices were beautiful to me and they sounded like a chorus. It must have been the angels, I’m not sure, but it is good.

Our progress on construction is going well.  We are still decking the roof with the back side almost complete (one classroom left) and the front coming along just fine. I love being on the roof but I welcome today’s break from the sun and hammer!

Vacation Bible School continued with Sarah and her team in the young classrooms yesterday.  They love the story of the lepers and the songs are received with much joy. Their smiles are unending. Their hands reaching out to grab one of ours.  No one will forget these moments.

These are hands and voices joined in Hope…joined in Love…shared Joy.  What will their memory be? What will our memory be?  Hearts and lives are transformed in this sharing.

Kristina, Julia, and Randy. This is Randy’s first time in Guatemala. He is retired from the military and is a local pastor with the UMC. Randy’s wife, Deborah is a counselor in our school at home. Julia is our translator from VIM. She is also a lawyer with her own practice here in Guatemala. Kristina, is one of the great teachers in the school at La Toma.

Randy Odom and I, along with our translator, Julia, taught in the 6th grade classroom yesterday.  With the help of Ana and Kristina, La Toma teachers, we talked about wisdom (Sabiduria) for life. Where does it come from? How do we get it? What happens once we get it? And for what??? So we can be salt of the earth; light of the world for God’s glory.  We engage the children with their thoughts and then connect them with scripture and truth they can apply to the specific situations of daily life.  It was a good time and so nice to be with Ana and Kristina again.

For every day here I need about 4 hours of writing time and a bit more for reflection.  I find myself writing lessons, learning and notes on the bus as I try to keep up with all that God is showing me.  I am grateful beyond words.  The roof is hot and I love being up there. Hard labor and sweat is good for the soul. Today, however, I welcome the break from the sun, I anticipate the cold air of Chichicastaengango and more than a moment for my spirit to listen closely to what is being given. Let it be.

The Santa Maria is one of the massive volcanoes in Gautemala. As I have been moving about for the past couple of days, I am struck by the beauty and strength of its standing.  The volcanoes are all named, while the mountains…which look like foothhills in the shadow of a giant…are simply: “las montañas”.  The road we traveled yesterday is called the Interamerican highway.  The journey is full of hairpin curves, steep hills and a surrounding of mountains (las montañas) that takes your breath away.  Creation is its majesty and splendor.

A view of the lake at the Metodista Camp

Doris (the VIM Coordinator Guatemala) and I left out early at 6am and traveled to the Metodista Camp just north of Chichicastanengo.  The camp is beautiful.  You step onto the land and know immediately that many people have made lifelong memories in this place.

We met eleven of the twelve children there that people from our church have sponsored. All of them are from the area of Palqui, Quiche which is very remote. It is near the town of Uspantan. The children traveled 4 hours to get to the camp to meet us.  Many of them walk an hour to get to their school, and an hour, of course, to return home.  They have a great desire to get their education.  We had a great experience getting to know one another and talking about dreams for life. 

And they have great dreams: to be a great student; to become a professional that helps others; to be a good teacher; to get a better future; to graduate; to learn other languages…. dreams. 

After speaking of dreams and goals and sharing wisdom together, we busted a big piñata and celebrated! We celebrated two things:  first, that these children will be staying in school for an entire year because someone believes in them enough to make it possible.  Their parents believe in them.  A pastor somewhere believes in them. The people of our church believes in them. And God believes in them.  Second, we celebrated what God is doing with all of us!   As we shared our dreams around the circle, I shared one of mine too: that the churches of my country would build a bridge with the churches of Guatemala, and that together we would help each other become all that God created us to be.  We need each other.

The students I met yesterday are full of courage and hope.  What we are doing is sharing a mutual dream, with each of us investing what we are able to offer.  The students and parents are doing the “work” of getting up every day and doing whatever it takes to get to school, make good grades and finish the course.  

Sponsors, pastors, mentors and others are providing every bit of encouragement and faith possible, to help the students take these steps toward their dreams. We are all taking a risk and a big step forward. God has answered many prayers and arranged for many things to take place over the past 48 hours that seem like miracles to me.   Something big and beautiful keeps happening.  And a little like being in the shadow of the Santa Maria…the more it unfolds the smaller we seem to be.  And like being in the shadow of the Santa Maria, it just feels good to be a tiny part of something amazing God keeps creating.  Let it be.

 

I have been granted the gift of an extra hour this morning. I am traveling to a different area and my ride has been delayed. I love the delays that are common in Guatemala. It has taken me a long time to say that.  And I still get all “ready” and then think, “oh yeah…I don’t have to hurry!” The delay today is the gift of a moment to write and get my thoughts together.

Things are changing.  This morning as our team met for devotion and I shared with them the plans for me to go meet the children from other areas of the country… I also told them that I felt a little bad for leaving the construction site.  Setting up a roof is hard work – every hand is appreciated.  We value “doing” more than “being”. But as Woody, our team leader, and Joe, a veteran team member said to me,  the mission changes and things are changing.  Yesterday the parents of the children came and talked with us…relationships are emerging…we are seeing one another and not a project.  I pray this continues at a deep level.  We are made for this…for collaboration and relationship.  It is beautiful.

I dream of a day when we can see more fully that we ALL have something to offer one another and each offering is a gift – no matter where it comes from or what it is.  Yesterday I visited the Saban family home in La Toma. This family has become dear to my heart. I call them “friends”….amigos.  I was only there a short time but warm tortillas, beans and queso were placed in front of me.  Danilo and Elvia (2 of the children) wrote thank you notes into my notebook that are for scholarship sponsors from our church. They gave me three mangoes to take back for the team. We made silly pictures with the family dogs and we laughed and talked of the joy of the river. I have nothing to give them today except friendship. They have nothing to give me except friendship.  We exchange what we have…pictures, food, hugs and laughter.  This is worth more than any amount of gold or earthly treasure.  I am rich beyond measure.  (I Corinthians 13)

We began construction today. Three roofs, three trusses, no major injuries and a lot of help from the children of the La Toma school.  They helped us hammer, drill, cut wires, prep wood, pick up lumber and learn Spanish one word at a time all day long. We are constructing classroom and we are building relationships. I wonder as I watch the team set the trusses up…which ones of these little ones will one day be teaching in this classroom and sharing the story of when it all began…

Sometimes construction is about hammers and nails, sometimes it is about relationships. Today was a lot of both.   A few of the children were truly our helpers and co-laborers all day long.  They worked hard. They are strong and want to learn.

And the team worked hard.

Some doors opened today and it is possible I will travel to meet the new students our church has sponsored. Some of them are from a remote village pretty far away but we are making arrangements to meet in the middle.  This is a great opening and I am excited about the possibilities.

We reconnected with friends that teach at the school. Due to Ash Wednesday this week there are really no classes until Thursday so that is when we will be teaching.

Today was all about celebrations, beauty pageants and enjoyment! This includes packets of flour being dumped or sprinkled on other’s heads as often as possible throughout the day.

Los ninas lined up for the celebration! Muy bonita!

We spent the morning hours preparing for our work.  Some were drilling holes in the plates for the roof. Others were practicing songs Sarah McGinley has prepared for us to sing at church today and later with the children of La Toma.

Maria is a team member from Columbus, Ohio who is fluent in Spanish, a native of Peru. She helped us go through our stories and correct the computerized translation (it does not know culture or normal speaking!). This took some time and will help us communicate well tomorrow when we share the stories with the children.

Maria has lived in the USA for 40 years.  She is living with family members in Ohio now that only speak Spanish so she is living espanol every day; a big help to us right now!

“Be humble. You do not live here and you do not know.” I shared this message in an earlier post. It is consistent.  It popped up again this morning as we were going through the story of the leper (Luke 17:11-19).   In translating the story from English to Spanish there was a problem….one we could not see without other eyes…of a different culture.  Today Maria provided those eyes.

We worshipped at Felix’s church this afternoon.  It was wonderful to see everyone.  We walked down to the school and looked at the fabulous work the teams before us started with the classroom construction.  The TN teams have been coming here for many years. When they started there were 3 classrooms. Today there are 15 and over 600 children come here for their education.

One block at a time…one team at a time…one year after another.

We cannot come to this country and interpret the culture or the language with our own voices.  We have to have the voice of the people with ours.

Every day God places people in our path and we are invited to listen and to learn.  Wisdom will often come from what is right in front of us. If we are too quick to interpret, we miss the gift. If we are too frightened to engage, we miss the blessing.  I Corinthians 13:1 says it best, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol.”

Translation needs both courage and humility. God, please give all of us an extra measure of both. This is my prayer tonight.

Although saying “yes” seems to come too easy to many of us who are overcommitted…the truth is that saying “yes” is very hard.  Saying “yes” often means risk, vulnerability, possible failure and possible greatness that is beyond our control.  And sometimes saying “yes” hurts.  So why do we ever say “yes”..to relationship, to God’s nudges, to anything???

7 people said “yes” to the nudge to come to Guatemala for the first time this year.  Sarah and Jack Neal started getting the “nudge” several months ago. The deadline for signing up for the trip passed and they weren’t on the list. The nudge persisted. I said,  “there will be another trip…another chance…” The nudge persisted.  Someone had to cancel; Sarah and Jack Neal are here.

Dudley Berry has never been on a mission trip and never out of the country. She has been waiting for a time when at least one of her children could drive so the daily life of the Berry household would continue in her absence. One of Dudley’s children now drives. Dudley is here.

Randy Odom has enjoyed a busy career and has traveled to over 10 countries serving in the military. He is also a local pastor with the United Methodist Church. Randy took early retirement this past year. He’s always wanted to go on a mission trip but his work schedule didn’t allow it. Randy retired. Randy is here.

Debbie Kleinschmidt is a multi-cultural lady with a heart for respecting others in every circumstance. She lived in Singapore for several years and is well versed in the hows and whys of understanding other cultures. Debbie wanted to come on the trip. She signed up. Family needs emerged that required her deep attention. Debbie cancelled. The nudge persisted. Debbie signed back up. The family needs persisted. Her husband stepped up to help more. Debbie is here.

Todd Officer is a husband and father of two small boys, henry and Graham.  Being away from his family is no small thing – for any member of the family! Todd has a heart for missions. He leads our Missions & Outreach Committee at church. He brings books to our attention: The Hold in Our Gospel;  When Helping Hurts; Toxic Charity.  Todd can’t stop pushing just a little more for a faithful and humble relationship with others.  In the middle of family life, work and commitments….Todd said “yes” and Todd Officer is here.

Michael Jones is a gardener.  Acutally, Mike is the garden angel. He lives among the gardens on the North Campus of our church. He plows, plants, weeds and harvests. Michael has never been out of the country.  There are several reasons why Michael could “not” go on this trip but the invitation was stronger than every “no”. Michael said “yes”. Mike Jones is here.

Every person has a time and a place to say “yes”.  Yes means risk. Things might be hard. Things might be amazing. Life might be different. We might be different. Saying “yes” to the inviations of God are consistently about relationship, consistently transforming and consistently a step of faith.  Adventura with the Divine. I am so thankful people keep saying “yes!”

We arrived safely after a long, but easy day of travel.  Funny how you arrive with all your senses anticipating the sounds, the smells the beauty…the people! Just a few hours of flight away from the USA and we are transported into more of the “Americas”…the land of Central America..the culture of Latin America…the country of Guatemala.  My favorite part of the flight was looking out the window as we were descending and seeing the National Palace in Guatemala City. I actually recognized what I was seeing!  The flag, the parque central, the Palacia, the Catedral…familar to my eyes and my spirit leaps inside my preoccupied body: you are here!!

Summer Turvey happy to be back in Guatemala!

The sunset entertained us during the 4 hour bus ride to Mazatenango. Our cameras were glued to the windows to catch its beauty…as if we could.  Our cameras….our cameras.  We take pictures becuase we don’t want to ever lose what is unfolding before us. We take pictures because we want someone else to see and experience this with us. We take pictures because this is ….  is not our ordinary life.  When I come here I have this deep sense of Wisdom speaking, “be very humble, this is not your home and you do not know.”  Even after several trips this past year, that voice is still with me…resounding loudly in my spirit, offering caution, discomfort and hope.  Caution because I need to be reminded.  Discomfort because I am a visitor here. Hope because if God is willing to bring me here and allow me to be, then God has more to reveal.

Our team is made up of many from our church – with 7 people here for the first time.  Other friends from Ohio and Columbia, TN churches are also part of this group.   We are a total of 23 people. Today we will worship (thankfully, worship is in the afternoon in Guatemala!) with the local church where our project is located.  It is already a beautiful day with birds singing, sun shining and beauty all around.  I have just finished a true Guatemalan breakfast which I have longed for since September.

The blessing of return; the blessing of a “home” away from home. Bienvenidos! Estoy feliz estar aqui.