Guatemala Missions—Part 1—Guatemala City

 

An indigenous Mayan family from a village near Lake Atitlán.

My Initial Resistance

In 2009, our church announced a team planning a mission trip to Guatemala. I casually mentioned to my husband that I wondered whether God would want me to do something like that. I am not exactly a world traveler. I have a hard enough time getting out of my own state, let alone visiting a third-world country. A few Sundays later, a woman came up to me and said, "Hey, I hear you're going to Guatemala." I said, "I am?"

I have never in my life wanted to go on a mission trip or travel to a third-world country, but I also desperately wanted to get over myself and submit to God, not based on what I wanted or didn't want. 

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 

— Mark 3:34-35

I wrestled and prayed in the weeks leading up to the decision. I looked for signs everywhere. I noticed clothing tags that read "made in Guatemala," which I had never seen before. Also, for some odd reason, I ate yogurt for breakfast every morning, which was not typical. I later discovered that everyone on the trip was instructed to eat yogurt to keep their digestive systems healthy, since they would be exposed to microbes they were unaccustomed to. I wasn't settled about it until the morning we were leaving. I had the T.V. turned on to the local PBS station, and they were showing a man in Guatemala painting a portrait of an indigenous Mayan woman. He was so gracious in giving me a sign.

Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

— Psalm 86:17 

 

The Flight

Flying wasn't something I was used to, and I didn't care much for it either. After committing to the trip, we were told we'd take three flights to get there, and at some point we'd take a four-seater bush plane and land on a grass strip to reach a town 40 minutes west of Guatemala City. 

The flights to Guatemala City were thankfully uneventful, and I didn't get too nervous until we boarded the TACA international flight in Florida. The stewardesses supposedly spoke English, but I couldn't understand a word. The reality of being somewhere I couldn't be understood frightened me. 

It also wasn't discovered until after the commitment that Guatemala is one of the most violent Latin American countries on this side of the planet. According to the "Economist"

"No region on earth is more routinely murderous than Guatemala, with 46 murders per 100,000 people."

This fact starkly contrasts with its reputation as the most polite Latin American country. Commands are unusual, and the language is formal. On average, 17 murders occur every day in this small country. Violence generally revolves around drugs, gangs, or interfering tourists.

Dangers

The neighborhood of Guatemala City where we stayed was in Zone 13, in the Santa Fe region (meaning holy faith), just south of the airport. It wasn't exactly one of the city's safer parts, but probably not the most dangerous. 

Before our visit, we were instructed never to be out after dark or alone outside the mission base. We were advised not to wear jewelry and to be careful when using our cameras on the street because of the risk of being robbed. Guatemala is also infamous for tourist robberies. 

Bars covered every ground-level window, and glass shards lined every reachable ledge. Local businesses conducted transactions behind bars. Armed guards, often carrying semi-automatic weapons, were common at delivery sites, and certain types of companies, such as newspaper headquarters and gated neighborhoods, used them. 

For safety, the Pattons' (host missionary family) vehicles had heavily tinted windows. Tressa was once carjacked when her air conditioner failed. She rolled down her window because it was hot, and a man with a gun took her car. Last year, the Pattons were also robbed by five armed men while their children were present. 

About 15 gangs have been in the neighborhood where the Pattons live. Three of them have dispersed since Jason and Tressa moved to the community.

Jason, Tressa, and their three young children. Michelle from our team is in the middle. 

The Pattons 

I certainly admire the Pattons for laying down their lives to reach the Guatemalan people by leaving the safety of their own country and choosing to raise three young children despite such dangers, serving Him as Christ did for us.

... everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 

— Matthew 19:29

We stayed at the home/mission base of the Pattons in Guatemala City. Tressa was a gracious host who fed us well. They are currently converting the top two floors of their home into a missionary base. The building once looked like other buildings in the neighborhood, but they have built a compound where I felt safe.

A Room With a View

The view from the 4th floor, where we stayed, was spectacular. There were no glass, screens, or bars, just open air all day and all night. Guatemala City sits at an elevation of 5256 ft and maintains a constant average of 75 degrees year-round. I think everyone in the densely populated region owned a rooster. They crowed all night long, in concert with the barking dogs. I am glad I brought earplugs. 

There was a stark contrast between the beauty of God's creation from above and the squalor just beneath it. Guatemala is home to 33 volcanoes spread throughout its highlands. We saw 

Guatemala's two largest volcanoes, Pacaya and Agua. Some of these volcanoes are continuously active, with lava rivers, volcanic ash, and noxious gases, and are among the most active in the world.

Guatemala is also plagued by earthquakes, hurricanes, and mudslides from heavy rains, none of which occurred while we were there except for a small eruption from Pacaya. 

Driving in Guatemala City was ridiculous. Speed limits are optional, and stop signs are merely suggestions. I didn't see a single person stop at a stop sign. They rarely even slowed down. The only time anyone stopped was when a collision looked imminent. The main idea was to drive as fast as possible through very tight spaces. You can pass anyone, anytime, anywhere. You can park however and wherever you want. You can also back up and make everyone else back up, too. Pedestrians and animals were on their own and narrowly missed several times, yet no one seemed affected or concerned. Of all the violence in Guatemala, road rage didn't appear to be an issue. Just honk your horn a lot and drive whatever way you want. I would have provided a photo, but the tinted windows didn't allow it. 

The First Day

The first day of our journey included a visit to the airport hangar, which housed the missionary plane used for the ministry. In 2005, a hurricane, volcanic eruption, and earthquake triggered devastating mudslides that killed approximately 2000 people. Missionary pilot Jason was among the first on the scene in one affected area, bringing 1500 pounds of food and water. The hangar will eventually become a distribution center. 

Our task was to begin painting the inside of the building white. Electricity in Guatemala is often unreliable, and the white paint made it much easier to see inside. 

Another part of our team worked on the hangar's backside, removing hillside and bamboo that were beginning to damage the roof and back wall. I initially wanted to be with the outside team. The weather was spectacular. But no one wanted to paint inside, and my friend Michelle had spent weeks painting before she got there to raise money for the trip. It ended up being the least exhausting choice. Once, I went out to see what I was missing, and everyone looked hot, miserable, and tired. I volunteered to help after lunch to take a break from painting, and I only lasted an hour. They also encountered spiders and snakes back there, which I am not very fond of, not to mention the smelly bamboo slime. 

Neighborhood Ministry

We then returned to the base, only 5 minutes away, to practice a dance we would perform for ministry later that week. We were taught by two Guatemalan girls, Joselyne and Candy. 

Joselyne and Candy

Three Contrasting Cultures

Guatemala is about the size of the state of Tennessee in square miles but is home to three very distinct cultures. Ten percent of the population is wealthy, and their cultures, customs, and materialism reflect Western culture. As you can see, Jocelyn and Candy in the photo above are very modern and Westernized, as are many of the city's more upscale parts. Most of Guatemala City is impoverished. Education is precious. People spend up to thirty percent of their income to get their kids to school and survive on diets that mainly consist of corn tortillas. On special occasions, a chicken is cooked to serve about ten people. The third group of Guatemalans consists of the indigenous Mayan people who live in more rural areas or smaller cities. 

According to Jason, about 8 or 9 people own and control most of Guatemala's land, making personal prosperity unlikely for many. 

© 2011 Tamarajo