A Year Later

A year ago, is where it all started.

It started with joining World Help to go to Guatemala. God was already preparing something big, not knowing exactly a year ago what that would be. But returning from my trip, I somewhat knew what God was preparing for me. Fast forward to August, exactly five months later, I found myself at Hope of Life again. Fast forward once again and almost exactly five months later, I’m back at Hope of Life for long term volunteering. 

When I was here for my first time in March, on the first day we went into a village called Pueblo Modelo. That day was the day reality hit. The reality of seeing how people live in third world countries. Tarps as homes, or tin as walls and/or ceiling. Not having enough food for every day. Just surviving the best they know how to with the resources they have. It was a reality that was hard to comprehend.

A year passed and I found myself this village again.

Walking around this village with the team leader, you learn all the things that have been happening in the past year. That day was the most emotional day, but the best day anyone can ask for. Let give you a little update. From what the original amount of people that lived there, there is almost double the amount now. And every day, there are new people that come to try to make a living there. Most are people from the mountains. The government controlled village is hard to change when all they think about is making money and not for the well-being of the people. The promises that were made were all broken and people don’t know what to believe anymore.

One family’s living condition was harder to comprehend.

Walking to a house with a mother and her child, it is hard to know what to expect. The only thing we knew was that she has five children and a husband who is incapable to work because of an accident that has happened. She is the only one working trying to provide for a family of seven total.

Walking up to their home, it was just a small dirt lot. Then you see a deep ditch dug and four wood sticks to cover it that was right beside the entrance to their home. That ditch, is their restroom that is right beside the entrance. Also, you see four sides of tarp hanging that creates a shelter to the family of seven. Inside, is an old bed, a small hammock where a child is sleeping, some handmade piñatas (to try to sell), some other belongings, and a rocky, dirt floor.

As holding one of the children in my arms, it was hard to ask the questions, but I would only know if she would tell me. In the meantime, the team leader talks to the parents about this lot and learns a little more about their family. The little girl, being shy, still gave me a hug and climbed into my arms. The question I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer to was hard in itself. The question remained, it was where she and her other siblings slept. She informs, that she, along with her three siblings sleep on the ground. The rocky, dirty floor. The little one sleeps in the hammock.

As hard as it was that day to accept the reality once again, the one thing that needs to be reminded is that, we as people are here to help them. Jesus tells us to take care of the poor.  'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Now the question stands, are you willing to take care the least of these? 

Please feel free to message me or ask questions. I'd love to hear from you! God's blessings to you. 

Change of Heart

When you hold a two month baby who is two pounds, or you meet children in villages that hold on tight to you the whole time, or spending time with children at the orphanage, your heart does nothing but keep breaking. Some people have asked me if you “get used to it.” My answer is, no you don’t. Since I got here, I have been to several villages. Some poorer than others. Some have more malnourished problems than others. It doesn't change the fact that these people are the poorest of the poor. They don’t have what we have.

One of the biggest things that has been on my heart since getting here was and is about love. Since the first day being here the verse from 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” has been my motto. I read that and was just reminded that every day, no matter what I was doing that love is the greatest thing to show these people who have nothing.

Few weeks ago, I was in a village called Paseo del Credo. I was doing photography with a team that was doing a medical clinic and VBS with the kids in the village. This was the first time I was ever around a medical clinic in Guatemala. So it was exciting to see how it goes. Of course, I wasn't prepared to see what I did. Many people started flooding in to a little area, in front of a house that someone let us use. There were mostly just mothers with their children. Though we gave out about 50 tickets, through the day the few doctors saw over a hundred people. One particular child got my attention. This child’s mother was there with a few of her children. She held her tiny child in her arms who cried because he was hungry. By the looks of it, he looked no more than a month, well more like a newborn. As I asked her his age, she told me he was four months old. I didn't want to believe it the reason being that there was another child with her mother who was also four months, but she was three times bigger. As I looked at both of them standing together, there were a just lot of things going through my mind. I was trying to keep myself from crying for this child’s life. It was just that bad. As the doctor saw them, he knew that something needed to be done, because this child would not be able to survive if nothing would be done. There were some complications with getting the mother to come to understand that her child needed medical attention pronto, but just last week, to my surprise, the doctor told me great news. This mother had come to Hope of Life. She had come to get her baby the medical attention that he needs! I was so ecstatic finding out that she had agreed to this. It was an answered prayer.  Seeing them at the hospital is such a fulfilling feeling, because you know that St. Luke’s Hospital will nurse the child back into great heath!

I also wanted to share another time that left a mark on my heart. Do you remember the story about the girl in the blue? You can read it here if you want…http://heartinguatemala.blogspot.com/2013/05/day-4-pueblo-del-rio-jurgallon.html

There has been a similar experience, but a different situation. This one particular day, I was with a team doing photos. We went to six different villages around Tecultant that day to give out sponsorship bags/ gifts. So to say the least, it was a very busy day for sure. It was in the third village that a boy named Alejandro who is eight that had grabbed my attention. When we walked into that small village, this women came up to me and had Alejandro hug me and all the people who were with us. It was more of a manner hello to welcome us. As we were doing what we needed to, he came around and stuck around me for most of the time there. He was very shy, but yet he made the effort to talk to me though he would talk quitter. I knew that the lady who was with him wasn't his mother, so I asked him where she was, and he said she was away somewhere else. As time was getting closer to be leaving, he hugged me and didn't want to let go. My heart started aching knowing that I had to be getting on that bus soon. Again, something was happening that I didn't really understand. I had to leave the unknown. The unknown of his life, family, and everything in between. My eyes were watering leaving this village.

Alejandro is in the light blue shirt

That evening as I was talking with a few friends here, who are also volunteering, I told them about my experience that day. I told them that it just makes me think, “Who am I to be chosen to be loved by these precious children?” Then my follow up question is, “How is it that God chooses those who least deserve it, but are loved unconditional by our Father?” As we talked about this, I was reminded by them that God chooses certain people to break our hearts to show us what breaks His!

In all, what I can say is that this has been the best thing that has happened in my life. Being here in Guatemala has given me peace. Peace in knowing I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.