Guatemala

If you’re reading this, consider yourself invited to Guatemala next summer. Our church has taken 4 teams there now, and each team’s experience has been life enriching. Although the obstacles to being part of a team may now seem insurmountable, the blessings are worth every effort. Here is an excerpt from my journal during our church’s most recent trip, which I share with you in the hope that you will catch a glimpse of how Guatemala has impacted me.

“Lord, tonight is our last night in Guatemala. I wish I could bottle up some of Guatemala’s cultural values and take them home and sprinkle them all over my house and life. I would sprinkle over my days a little more time with people I love, and a little less time with small, glowing screens. I would add more awareness of the people around me struggling on the margins and minimize my browsing on Etsy and Amazon for stuff I really don’t need. I would invest more energy and resources into someone else’s business rather than into my own. I’d help build a diaper bag company with Guatemalan women. I would eat more of my meals with family and friends and fewer alone. I would wrap Russell on my back like the Guatemalan women do and walk down Pearl Street and see how he liked being that close.

I also wish I could bottle up the creativity, uniqueness and passion of our team. Who would have imagined that Matt’s crepe breakfast idea would be such an amazing fundraiser? I never knew that Jason could beet box, or that Farrah loves hot salsa so much, or that Kate looked so good in traditional Mayan clothing, or that Corbett had so many outdoor survival skills!

And I’d like to bottle up the simplicity and quiet of each morning and evening I’ve had alone with you, Lord, in this beautiful country. May you bless the village of Quixia and the work of Mothers Global Village here.”