This trip has been a mix of amazing and also depressing. God has been bringing me on quite a trip. Yesterday, when we were Alamadia, we had a soccer tournament with some kids. There was this one child whose name was Julio who was nine years old and lived 40 blocks away from where we were at. He was extremely quiet and very small. I asked him if he went to school and he said no. I asked him if he played on a soccer team and he said no because he had to help his dad out at the market. I gave him a ball and his face just lit up! Bob played goalie and I played defender. Julio giggled his head off and ran around the field. John told us we had to leave and I looked at Julio who was still playing, knowing that I would never see this child that fears the gangs everyday. When we loaded up in the van, he walked us down to the curb and watched us drive away. Among all the kids that we had to say good-bye to, he touched my heart the most. My eyes welled up because I did not know if Julio would make it to his 10th birthday which was on June 8th. He was very proud of that. All of this has given me a different look on life and God has given me new things to think about.
-Jocelyn
This week has been one of the most amazing weeks I have ever experienced. I have loved getting to know the Guatemalan people and my teammates better. Our team has grown so much closer through playing crazy games, shouting along to Don’t Stop Believing, and working next to each other moving dirt and picking up rocks. The Guatemalan people have also left a great impression on my heart. They have taught me so much, and I feel like they have helped me just as much or more than I have helped them. When we were working on a garden at the school we worked at, two little girls came up and to me and asked me my name and questions about my family. They offered to help me, even though I was moving big cement blocks. They each grabbed an end of a block and carried it to where I was moving blocks, laughing all the way. They didn’t just sit back and let me do the work, but they stepped out and helped because they were thankful. The children here are so satisfied and joyful with what they have, even though they have so, so much less than I do.
Today, our team went to Antigua for a shopping trip. There was a woman there selling bracelets and other items. She asked why we were in Guatemala, and we told her we were on a mission trip. She asked us our names, and gave each of us who were there a free bracelet. She said, “Thank you for helping my Guatemala. My Guatemala cannot pay you back, but my Christ will.” The free bracelet may have been a clever scheme to get us to buy her goods, but I think she was seriously honest. It was a really touching, sweet reminder that it doesn’t matter if we get recognition for our work here on earth. Our treasures will be stored up in heaven, and that’s the only thing that really matters.
-Anna
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