I felt I was on a "diplomatic trip". I felt we were treated like dignitaries throughout the trip. I felt our team worked as a team should. Everyone looked out for each other. There was so much to do and see and so little time. I enjoyed our bus trips with our interpreters. All the questions we had for them. They did a great job. There were so many old beautiful buildings that are just left to deteriorate(so sad to see).
The people of Guatemala are very poor. They seemed to me almost worse off than many of our people who live on the streets. They do not have any government assistance programs.
Their faith is strong. This was a bad year for their coffee crops. They just do without and trust in God to get them through. They continue working and praising God for what they do have.
It seems the best thing we can do is love and encourage them. We need to continue praying for our new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.
I hope we keep going back.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
From Jerry and Peggy
Jerry said his highlight was seeing Carlos as each site we were at. On Thursday he had said good-bye because he wasn't going to make it Friday--but there he was. The way he had to walk over an hour to get to the places we were...he was an inspiration to us.
For Peggy, it was that the Vid y Pompano board made Pease a very beautiful banner. It was so special to them that we came to show interest in what they are doing. In a weeks time they had it made. Another highlight for Peggy was giving two little boys wooden cars and watching them playing with them on a cement block in their house with a dirt floor making "car noises."
For Peggy, it was that the Vid y Pompano board made Pease a very beautiful banner. It was so special to them that we came to show interest in what they are doing. In a weeks time they had it made. Another highlight for Peggy was giving two little boys wooden cars and watching them playing with them on a cement block in their house with a dirt floor making "car noises."
Monday, March 4, 2013
Terri's Thanks
I don't know why I'm so slow at sending you my reflections re our trip to Guatemala. It's partly because it's just plain hard to put into words what I'm feeling. My overwhelming emotion is gratefulness! There are many I must thank. I'll start with Pease CRC..thank you so much for allowing me to tag along with your team! It was a wonderful privilege to again visit and work in a country I have come to love since my first trip there12 years ago. I especially appreciated the kind of preparation we did and the teamwork that was built long before we left.
That leads me to the next person I want to thank from the bottom of my heart...my dear friend Julee!! It was largely her vision and her passion (along with the Outreach Team) that were the impetus and inspiration for the idea in the first place. She communicated that vision and passion in ways that encouraged excitement, participation, and commitment in so many others. I saw Julee, in the middle of much personal/family struggle, pain, and grief, continue to work tirelessly in planning, organizing, fund-raising, leading meetings, leading devotional times, and taking care of countless other details that made it possible for all of us to have the kind of experience we had. Her leadership was a gift from God to all of us...and I am so proud to call her my friend!!
I also want to express my thanks to World Renew, Pastor Moises and all of his associates at his church, at John Calvin Seminary, and at Vid y Pampanos for the work they all do to advance the spiritual, social and economic growth of the people of Guatemala. It is definitely our Reformed worldview in action! A particular blessing to me was to see the work being done to lift up the position of the Guatemalan women, who have been oppressed and held down for centuries by a culture that values male machismo far more than female dignity. We saw women in leadership, and we saw women whose lives had been made better, safer and more meaningful when their husbands and other men began to see them as their equals. One man in particular, who is a new Christian and is a student at the Seminary, now encourages his wife's gifts, and treats her with new respect...beautiful to see!
I loved being a part of this team, and I loved getting to know the people in the villages where we worked. It is a special joy to me that the people we worked alongside are now our friends, we will see them again, and our relationships with them will continue to grow as the Pease CRC carries out its commitment to partner with them for years to come. This is what missions should be!!
This is getting too long (those who know me well aren't surprised)..but I still need to thank Kris for being a great roommate...
And above all, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing all of us with the privilege of serving Him in this way!
That leads me to the next person I want to thank from the bottom of my heart...my dear friend Julee!! It was largely her vision and her passion (along with the Outreach Team) that were the impetus and inspiration for the idea in the first place. She communicated that vision and passion in ways that encouraged excitement, participation, and commitment in so many others. I saw Julee, in the middle of much personal/family struggle, pain, and grief, continue to work tirelessly in planning, organizing, fund-raising, leading meetings, leading devotional times, and taking care of countless other details that made it possible for all of us to have the kind of experience we had. Her leadership was a gift from God to all of us...and I am so proud to call her my friend!!
I also want to express my thanks to World Renew, Pastor Moises and all of his associates at his church, at John Calvin Seminary, and at Vid y Pampanos for the work they all do to advance the spiritual, social and economic growth of the people of Guatemala. It is definitely our Reformed worldview in action! A particular blessing to me was to see the work being done to lift up the position of the Guatemalan women, who have been oppressed and held down for centuries by a culture that values male machismo far more than female dignity. We saw women in leadership, and we saw women whose lives had been made better, safer and more meaningful when their husbands and other men began to see them as their equals. One man in particular, who is a new Christian and is a student at the Seminary, now encourages his wife's gifts, and treats her with new respect...beautiful to see!
I loved being a part of this team, and I loved getting to know the people in the villages where we worked. It is a special joy to me that the people we worked alongside are now our friends, we will see them again, and our relationships with them will continue to grow as the Pease CRC carries out its commitment to partner with them for years to come. This is what missions should be!!
This is getting too long (those who know me well aren't surprised)..but I still need to thank Kris for being a great roommate...
And above all, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing all of us with the privilege of serving Him in this way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)