We have returned safely from a busy and extraordinary time in Guatemala. Our journey took us through many places; and we met and served alongside some wonderful people, missionaries, and ministries along the way. God was faithful to answer our prayers and honor our preparation. We are so grateful for the incredible testimonies and awesome unity within the team. It was amazing how we experienced God personally and corporately throughout this opportunity.
Our first week, we worked with Strong Tower Ministries in rural parts of Guatemala. After a long day of travel, everyone arrived safely (James, Jolyn, Roland, Susan, and me) and met Steve and Robin Braun, their daughter Rachael, and Craig (another missionary working with the Brauns). The night was spent in thier Guatemala City condo.
The next morning everyone but Rachael (who is currently in medical school) left the capital for the three hour drive to Zacapa. Vehicle passenger capacity in Guatemala includes truckbed space, and there were always team members in the back of the truck. Once you get used to the bumps, highway speeds, sharp turns, occasional rain and bug splats, it is a great way to see and ‘feel’ the country. After a pleasant trip, we met Rob and Paula Comstock (another couple who serve with the ministry) & Tyler Braun (Steve and Robin’s son) and had a time of sharing and getting to know one another.
Mid-afternoon, we loaded up our two pickup trucks and drove into the mountains headed for the rural village of Liquidambo. Unfortunately, it had begun to rain and the mountain dirt roads became treacherously slippery at spots. One of our trucks could not make it up a hill and slid into a ditch off the road. We all enjoyed the adventure and remained positive as the rain and darkness fell. We attempted to free the truck by piling rocks under the tires and pushing carefully. After awhile, we got it back onto the road and decided we should return to Zacapa for the night and try again the next day.
After a devotional (a part of each morning), we set out on a gorgeous sunny day and made it to the village. Our home for the next couple days was a concrete structure designed as the village clinic. It was divided into two sections - sleeping quarters and a meeting/fellowship area. A nearby outhouse took care of any bathroom needs.
The people of Liquidambo are of Mayan ancestry and relatively shy. However, it did not take long for the children, as well as the chuchos (dirty, diseased dogs that are mistreated and scrounge around for scraps), to pay us a visit. The kids liked to watch what we were doing and as we interacted with them, they became semipermanent fixtures at the clinc. They also really enjoyed the ‘Jesus Loves Me’ bracelets we handed out.
On our first day, part of the team visited a family whose little girl was recovering from severe malnutrition. The rest began our main work project, which was to finish a cement staircase on the right side of the clinic and pour a long section of walkway on the left. The second day a some of the team finished the top of the walls as well. Working hard and efficiently together, we formed the steps, mixed the cement, and successfully completed the project over two days.
Late both afternoons, we taught fellow teammates two dramas (‘Ragman’ and ‘Prayer Warrior’) for the upcoming evening services. We’ve found from sharing dramas in different cultures that their messages transcend language barriers. Everyone involved gave 100% and learned them very quickly. In the evenings, we walked to the village school building and hosted church services. Both nights we sang Spanish praise songs and Steve shared a message. We did one drama the first night, and both dramas (one twice) the second night. At times, a village elder (who is a Christian) would explain the message in more detail to the villagers who were there. The second night, many people who never attended church came to see what was going on.
Late on our last evening in Liquidambo, we bagged vitamins, Tylenol, and Motrin for the upcoming medical clinic the next day.
Early Wednesday morning, we loaded the trucks and headed to San Antonio, another small village about an hour away. The local church had scheduled its first community medical clinic that day and we needed to get there promptly. It was amazing to see the work the local pastor and Christians had done transforming the small mud brick church into a clinic. They had hung sheets as dividers for examining rooms, turned the kitchen area into a pharmacy, set up a prayer station, given out patient order numbers, and prepared a waiting room.
What an amazing experience! As Steve called the numbers for patients to be seen, nurses Robin and Jolyn, along with Tyler to translate, diagnosed each patient and then sent them to the pharmacy where James, Susan, and I filled prescriptions. Roland and Craig would then explain dosage and purpose of each medication. Rob and Paula, along with local Christians from the village, prayed each patient after their visit. We saw exactly 100 patients and gave out medicine and vitamins for many different ailments - including malnutrition, worms, fevers, headaches, colds, viruses, skin rashes, bites, and more. Another great testimony was that 13 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior that day! The local pastor invited each of these new brothers and sisters to a special introductory meeting to begin to disciple them.
After we cleaned up the clinic we had another church service. Roland and James shared testimonies, we did the ‘Ragman’ drama, sang Spanish worship songs, and Steve and the local pastor gave messages. The congregation in San Antonio seemed more involved overall and a lot more people attended the services. As usual, the children loved to hang out with us and watch whatever we did. Any time we could we played games and interacted with them.
The next two days were devoted to putting a roof on the new church building. We prepared the rebar, took measurements, raised four heavy trusses onto the walls, and welded them in place using two car batteries with jumper cables and locking pliers clamping the welding rod. Then we attached the long purlins (horizontal beams) across the trusses. Finally, we measured and screwed down large pieces of corrugated steel roof to the purlins.
We were delighted to be able to complete the roof in two days. All the glory goes to the Lord for His strength and perfect timing to help us meet the goal. The pastor was very grateful for our work and extremely hospitable the whole time. He allowed us to sleep at the old church/clinic where he lived, cooked us a Guatemalan breakfast, helped out when he could, and shared sweet words and prayers with us when we finished the project.
Thursday night we also did a church service. We performed the ‘Prayer Warrior’ drama, sang some worship songs in English, Jolyn shared a testimony, Steve preached a message, and we ended with Spanish worship. The children were so passionate in singing the songs, and after the drama many of them were pretending to wield swords, mimicking the drama. We pray that seeds were planted about the reality of spiritual warfare and the battles taking place in the spiritual realm.
Just as the sun was setting on Friday evening, we loaded the trucks and drove back to Zacapa for a meal at a local restaurant. We enjoyed a shower and a good night’s sleep without bugs, barking chuchos, and forest noises all night.
Saturday morning we had a debriefing and celebration for our week with Strong Tower Ministries, and then traveled back to Guatemala City. Later that night, our sixth team member, Willem, arrived to join us for the second week.
Sunday we had our first team day and hiked an hour or so to the volcano Picaya. We were able to see lava streams oozing around the base. Careful of where we stepped, we had the chance to touch the lava with walking sticks. How awesome it was to see a unique part of God’s creation so close! We then prayed for the country of Guatemala and sang some worship songs on a nearby dormant volcano crater before descending by another route. That evening we attended an English speaking church service and fellowshipped with some long term missionaries.
