Q&A continued

A question for Jessica TenHaken - Having knowledge of root causes of poverty, rights deprivation, injustice - what did you notice with Esperanza Miralta? How do you feel the people of Esperanza support each other?  In Esperanza Miralta, I noticed pride. Everyone was clean, neat, and well dressed. I noticed the people were healthy, and happy. They were anxious for our arrival and excited to show us their community. I felt a great spirit of cooperation among the people. I was happy to see Vidal's son, who had special needs, come forward to receive school supplies, but I was saddened to see others be sure to point out his special needs. I was also saddened to see the women be so hesitant to kick back and have fun with us, but it delighted me when they overcame that and participated with joy. In the village, I noticed homes were tidy and well kept. An example of that is when I noticed a broom for the dirt floors. That certainly depicts a sense of pride and ownership in their properties. The spring where they got water was a long trek down a steep hill. Going there to wash dishes, their hair, and their clothes provided a chance for socialization and teamwork. This community is vibrant and continues to grow stronger under the leadership of Vine and Branches. Their main challenge is the great difficulty to get water.

A question for Warren - What grabbed your attention, in light of God's creation, during our stay i Guatemala? How farmers farm the land of Guatemala; the step mountain sides and deep valleys, it really amazed me. It amazes me that our world can be 90 degrees in one place and -9 degrees 2,800 miles away. What an awesome God!

A question for Debbie - Did you experience any form of doubt before or during this mission trip?  I did experience some doubt about going on this mission trip before I made my commitment. For the last 2 1/2 years my major focus has been on my parents. My dad's health had been declining, but my daughter and sisters stepped up and helped when I am gone so I decided I could once again take time to go this year. I have much love and compassion for the Guatemala people and the country. I have been coming down here for 8 years now and my dad was very proud and supportive of my trips. I almost backed out in the middle of January when my dad had a very bad week. But he rebounded so I once again felt it was okay for me to go. Unfortunately, my dad passed away Feb. 8th. The following 2 weeks I was on auto pilot. I told Phil I didn't think I should go. I came anyway, I thought I would take dad with me. I thought I was doing pretty well but come Wednesday, it was just too much. My heart is too broken and too heavy. I haven't had enough time to process the loss of my dad. So for this I apologize to my teammates. I'm sorry.

(Phil and Debbie were amazing on this trip! I, and I'm sure I can speak for the rest of the team, are very glad they came this year. They added tranquility and peace to the group. It was admirable, from my perspective, to see a couple lean on their faith during their personal time of calamity. They trusted in God to persevere through this mission by putting others before themselves. Something we talked a lot about on during this mission, was to be do justice, love mercy and walk humbly "Micah 6:8". I learned a lot from them.) Thank you, Phil and Debbie. Thank you for being strong and courageous.