GCC Guatemala Team - Update

The GCC Team arrived safely in Guatemala on Sunday afternoon.  We had great flights and smooth connections along the way.  Everyone was tired from the journey but also energized by the excitement of the week ahead.  We settled in to the seminary on Sunday afternoon and received a brief orientation from John & Amy Banta, Missionaries with GSM Guatemala.  

On Monday morning we went to "The Terminal", a market that is typical Guatemala.  We broke into teams and each group had to purchase items that we would give away to families in need throughout the week.  It was a unique cultural experience.  Next, we drove about 12 blocks to visit Oakland Mall, one of the nicest shopping complexes in all of Guatemala.  It rivals many of the nice malls in the U.S.  We at in the food court there and experienced the culture shock between that environment and where we spent the morning.  Later that afternoon, we delivered our first food basket to a needy family in a small community called, Pinito.  My family and I were on the team that delivered that basket, and it was great for me to see my kids experience the reality of Guatemala in that way.

On Tuesday we headed over to the future site of the GSM soccer facility and we spent the day painting the bathrooms and removing some dirt from around the field.  It was a hard day of work, but much was accomplished.  

Today, we spent the morning getting a closer look at the way GSM uses soccer to minister to the kids of the city. We cheered on two teams at a tournament in Alemada.  After the games, some of the team had an opportunity to share about why they came to serve here in Guatemala.  My kids enjoyed paying with the Guatemalan boys, and observing their "Trumpo" skills (Trumpo's are old-school tops that spin with strings and the Guatemalan boys can get pretty fancy with them!).  In the afternoon, we went back to the GSM facility and resumed our painting project.  We were doing well until the rains came.  We are hoping that we can finish the painting project tomorrow (during our last work day).   

The week is going fast, and everyone seems to be enjoying their time here.  For me, it is exciting to see my family get the chance to participate in what I do with teams all summer.  Some of the team members spent some time reflecting this morning about their experiences here thus far.  I've included those reflections below.  Please keep praying for our team.  I can definitely feel the prayers from all of you.

Peace,

joe neill

TEAM REFLECTIONS:

What an awesome experience!  I never imagined how this would impact me and my daughters!  We have seen so many new and unimaginable things I don’t even know where to start.  From the market to the tin shacks that multiple families live in with 10 dogs, it is just startling.  The contrast between the rich and the poor Guatemalans just blows your mind.  There is despair in this city and we are only a little bit of the solution.  There are other groups here who are doing the same things and with all of us working together I hope we can make a difference.     

–KIM

Guatemala is an amazing place! It’s so great to see all the different ways that God works. Even on day one, when we first arrived you could see God working through the GSM crew. They were all so welcoming and it touched me. Even on my first night God was already laying a lot on my heart. So far it’s been amazing and I hope that we can do a lot more in our time here. It’s really great that I am able to share the experience with my dad especially since it’s my first mission trip and time out of the country! I hope the rest of the week is just as amazing as the past few days have been! 

–Kirsten

Not enough words to possibly express what I am feeling! I came here expecting to bring and shine Gods Love here, but God doesn’t need me to do this, God is here, these are his people.  Even though they have so much less then me and much of America they are content, happy and taking each day as it comes.  There is an overwhelming amount of despair, but yet there are smiles and thank-you’s at every encounter that we have. My prayer is that we can assist and help the Banta family to further their ministry in anyway that the Lord wants. I am so grateful to be here and to be a part of this wonderful experience! I pray for more mission trips! 

– Heather