Guatemala Mission—Part 2—The Indigenous Village

 

Our Journey Begins

Our first part of the trip was spent in Guatemala City, a densely populated city. The second leg of our journey was a 40-minute morning flight to Santiago Lago de Atitlan, a town on Lake Atitlan west of Guatemala City. The views were so spectacular that I completely forgot to be afraid. We could only ride three at a time. Pastor Matt, Michelle, and I volunteered for the first flight. We landed on a grass strip, which made for a rather bouncy landing.

Feeding Program

When we arrived, our job was to work with local pastors to clear a section of land used to grow food for a feeding program. They don't have farm equipment; therefore, the area is cleared by hand, and our particular task for the day was digging up the root balls of old trees in preparation for planting new Avocado trees. They will begin with avocado trees because no one is tending the crops right now; otherwise, weeds will take over. Another great reason to start with Avocados is that they are considered a "perfect food," nutritionally speaking. These trees grow well in the fertile volcanic soils of the Guatemalan forests. The land was donated to the mission.

Malnutrition in Guatemala

Most of the indigenous Mayan people are malnourished, according to Hormel Foods' "Inside" magazine.

• Guatemala has the highest rate of Chronic malnutrition in our hemisphere. 
• Nearly half of all children under age five are stunted - the highest rate in the world. 
• The rate of chronic child malnutrition in Guatemala is higher than in many countries in Africa. 
• More than 75% of people live in poverty. 

In partnership with "Food For the Poor," Hormel has created "Spammy," a fortified turkey spread to help address this problem. It is high in protein and fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. Hormel has committed to delivering 1 million cans of "Spammy" each year to needy families for three years. This offering is a temporary solution, and thank God for it. In conjunction with other, more permanent feeding programs like "Life Builders International" (Jason and Tressa's ministry), many families will be nourished.

Technology

Sarah Lou was a young woman from the city who joined us on this venture. She spoke English exceptionally well. As you can see in the photo, she was talking on her cell phone in the middle of a Guatemalan forest. I was shocked to find cell service where we were. Jason later told us that Guatemala has the world's highest per-capita cell phone use. 

"Guatemala has the highest rates of people who can access internet, telephone communication and television communication" 

— Wikipedia

Maximon

We were scheduled to stay two nights at a hotel in Santiago. There were no sheets on the bed, only a blanket and pillows. The showers had on-demand heating units. According to my electrician husband, heating units inside shower stalls are unsafe. He claims people have died from them. Donna happened to touch one while showering and got a jolt. Apparently, Guatemala has no building codes. 

Our evening activity centered on gathering people in Santiago at the main square to hear a message about forsaking Maximon, their idol of worship. Worshipers offer him alcohol and tobacco in supposed return for good fortune in their lives. There were Christians in this community, but they were afraid to speak out about forsaking Maximon. It made us slightly uneasy because the local pastors and elders would not attend or come with us; instead, they sent their young girls to show us around and interpret for us.

Their clothing is so stunningly beautiful and colorful 

The Call to Forsake Other Gods

In this section's accompanying photo, these beautiful young ladies escorted us through the city in pairs to invite people to the meeting. Inviting folks was challenging because we didn't speak much Spanish, and Spanish is their second language. Their native language is Sutwhil. We resorted to our made-up sign language. A few communication errors led to about 20 minutes of hysterical laughter for all of us, including the Guatemalan girls. 

Pastor Matt did a stellar job preaching unashamedly about the value of worshiping the one and only true God, who is worthy of our praise, and he encouraged the people to put away their false idols and fully surrender to the King of Kings. 

Nature

The following day, we worked more on the tree stumps and the landing strip. We filled in divots at the end of the landing strip with dirt from the surrounding hillside. One of the things I loved about working in the forest was the cows that seemed to wander around aimlessly, unattended. We also ran into a poisonous caterpillar. I liked caterpillars and was about to pick it up when Gustavo, another young man from the city who accompanied us, shouted, "mui mall!!" I knew it meant "very bad" and left it alone. 

We also saw an enormous hive of some sort that we chose not to disturb. On the plus side, during lunch, we munched on some wild raspberries we found in the bushes. I also noticed some morning glories on our way up the trail to the site where we were working. They confirmed the Lord's presence with me on this journey. Before we left, I was seeking His face for guidance, and I kept noticing morning glories. I kept asking what they meant. When I saw them, I knew He would use them later to reassure me.

Children's Ministry

Our final evening in Santiago was spent ministering to the children of the village of Tzan Chaj. We performed a dance and a skit. Michelle made crowns for the little girls to wear, and Jason preached a message about God's incredible love for them. When we passed out the little tiaras, the older women wanted them too. It was quite touching. 

Afterward, we held a hygiene lesson on toothbrushing, and the children were given toothbrushing supplies to take home.

A final note on the indigenous people

The Guatemalan people are beautiful, skilled, and hardworking. When we were digging stumps, the local pastors outworked us all. They were there before we arrived and stayed until we left. 

I was fascinated by their dress, culture, and lifestyle. As we rode to the work site in the truck, I looked out the window and watched them washing their clothes in the lake and carrying their laundry, corn, and other supplies in baskets on their heads. Everyone was busy. 

I noticed that some seemed to enjoy having their picture taken, especially the children, while others did not. For the most part, we asked permission before taking photos. 

Our Final Missions in the City

Our final assignments on the trip were performances at local schools. We performed dances with the help of Candy and Joselyne, who did an excellent job of "working the crowd." The children seemed to enjoy it. The kids prayed for us at one of the Christian schools we visited. I was stunned and moved by their comfort and willingness. Oh, how beautiful and moving. 

On our final evening, Jason and Tressa took us out for pizza in a nicer part of the city. It was very much like the U.S., with all the standard fast-food places and shopping centers we would have here. Each culture felt like stepping into some kind of warp. 

To close out my trip, I leave with a final picture of one of the most effective ministers I met, with Patton's little boy hugging his Guatemalan neighbor. The Patton children are all Guatemalan citizens because they were born there, and they are bilingual. Jason and Tressa speak predominantly Spanish at home. 

Thank you for sharing my journey. I highly recommend a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a place that will stir your heart and confront you with the harsh realities we can only imagine. God bless the Pattons for choosing to live there. 

May we also live in gratitude for having a home and enough food to eat, and may we all find ways to share what we have with those who don't. 

Brenda, the office manager, standing by the sign that says "Your Kingdom Come." It was what I prayed before I left for Guatemala

© 2011 Tamarajo