Q&A for Kelli
What do you miss most about home?
I miss brushing my teeth in the sink while not worrying about the water.
And I especially miss my kids and grand kids.
Did you have any expectations about the
trip?
I expected to see dense jungles & snakes! But....through our devotions, I have found the strength to give my fears and worries to God and knew it’d be okay. I worried about packing, going through TSA, the flight.....but I just placed my trust in Him and knew it's in God’s hands.
Who invited you to the Guatemala meeting?
Kevin Koppendryer invited me to the meeting in early fall.
Craziest thing you’ve seen here?
The driving!!! The way these people live out in the communities… it’s so
different than our lifestyles back home.
Has there been a moment that has taken your
breath away?
The children here, the love & kindness of the communities. They have
shown us each and every day. They are so giving… they were always trying to
share with us and express how much they appreciated us and our help. They made
us meals. For example, they gave us gifts like necklaces, hand carved wooden horses, hand stitched dolls and pens. It's not like they went out and bought the necklaces...they hand made them from the seeds they grew. Seeing the active volcano was also an awesome
sight too!
Any fun experiences on this trip?
Going to the hot springs was fun. I have never seen anything like that
before.
Do you see any similarities with these
communities and back home?
The
closeness. Everyone is always coming together when there is a need. If there is a need, there is an outpouring of support and love- just
like back home. They take such pride in their community and where they have
come from.
- Kelli
Q&A for Julie
Did you have any expectations before the
trip?
I
have never been to a place like Guatemala so just going off of the past teams’ experiences,
I expected to see poverty. I expected to see beautiful kids that deserve so
much more. And I expected to see hard working families living on their faith. I
saw all of these things! What I did not expect to see was the amount of work
these men, women, and children need to put into just simply getting by and
surviving another day.
Has anyone influenced you here?
This
entire team of people has been so dynamic and has grown together so much since
the first meeting we had back in November. Since being here the team has done
devotions each morning and evening. I think I have been influenced by each
person just by getting to know them more and going through this experience
together. Even though each day we were in the same community, we were often
doing different tasks and were split up. It was fun to get back together in the
evenings and really take the time to hear about how God worked in each of us
that day. Being surrounded and supported by strong Christians really helped me
process this experience.
How has God spoke to you this week? What is
he saying?
Our
devotion yesterday was about having peace. When I reflected on that… I decided
I was at peace with my experience here. I felt like I really participated. I
felt like I gave it my all with the kiddos- playing with them and making them
feel special. I felt like I made great relationships with everyone on the team.
But then at the same time... I feel uneasy. I feel like God has spoken to me
and shown me certain things on this trip that I need to process and I really need
to figure out how I can go back to “normal” life with a changed heart. The fact that I don’t quite understand what
exactly he is saying yet is what makes me feel uneasy. But I know that he is
working in me to help me discover what changes I need to make and He will
continue doing so until I make sense of this incredible experience.
- Julie
Unity - being one in heart and purpose
Colossians 3:14 - And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
After two
days of being visiting another communities, the team went today to Esperanza
Miralta which is the place where the classroom is being built. During the
morning, the teachers of the School presented several activities to celebrate the
new facility at their school, and after a delicious lunch - prepared with local
ingredients – it came the time to work in the project.
The team
members split in groups to do three different activities: helping in the
construction itself, carrying water, and prayer visits. The people who helped
in the construction were sifting sand or compacting the terrain for the
classroom floor (a really heavy task); the ones that were bringing the water
for the construction had to go far from the school and carry the water containers
with a plastic strap hanging the from their fronts (a mecapal); and, the people who went to the prayer visits took their
walking sticks and they had to walk in really twisted and narrow roads. I had
the opportunity to see all of them because I went for a round to take pictures
of every group. Having the chance to see all the groups in different places and
performing different tasks, but working for the same purpose, helped me to
understand that we do not have to be all in the same place in order to have
unity if we are united by a common mission.
The groups
worked hard and experienced the heavy tasks which are part of the daily lives
of the people in the community. The water carriers and the ones who were in the
construction went back to a classroom for having a break. However, the group
who went for prayer visits were still walking to come back. I call to one of
the team members but the phone call was rejected. I tried a couple of times
more, without answer. Worried a little bit more, I called the officer who
accompany them. He answer and told me that they were on their way back to the
school. They finally came and reunited with the team with joy and telling each
other what was their experience about.
In that
moment, when they were exchanging experiences, I remembered the time when the seventy-two
disciples returned with joy to Jesus
and told him what they experienced in their trip (Luke 10:17). The Disciples of
Christ went to different places, but with the same mission given
by Jesus.
When God is
leading us, we can be united by his Holy Spirit, even when we are in different
places.
Davinsky de
León
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