My Guatemala Experience

~ Posted by Ben

I still remember the January Wednesday night when our Youth Pastor announced the upcoming Senior High mission’s trip to Guatemala City in July. I must admit, I didn’t listen very closely. Bianca and I had both planned to go back to Haiti this summer. So I figured that whatever he said about Guatemala had nothing to do with me.

As the months forged on, between losing two Grandparents, doing schoolwork, and continuous unpacking from moving, I literally forgot our youth group was even going on a missions trip. It was of little consequence to me. But as we got closer to our projected June trip to Haiti, it became crystal clear that this was not God’s will for us this year. The harder we tried to make it possible, the more doors kept closing for us to go. The message was clear.

I remember talking with Bianca about the situation in the office of our house. She told me that our Pastor D had mentioned that one of the Guatemala team members dropped out of the trip. Pastor D said he would try to create another spot so that we could both go. Before long, we got word back that he was successful. We were going to Guatemala! We attended the remainder of the prep meetings faithfully, did the assigned reading, and did all the studying we could do on Spanish and Guatemalan history and culture.

We spent the whole last week before leaving packing and shopping. The night before we left, Bianca and I kneeled in our living room as our family gathered around us and prayed for our departure the next day. Morning came quickly (4:00 am) and we met the rest of the team at the church and then departed for the airport. We made it through our flights safely and arrived in Guatemala that afternoon.

I will not go into much detail about the actual trip itself, since Bianca has dedicated several posts to that. But I would like to briefly share from my perspective what affected me the most during the trip. One of the most meaningful moments for me was on Wednesday, when we toured an orphanage and played with the children. This orphanage exists for children who have been forcefully removed from a bad home situation. They live here while the courts do an investigation into whether or not the children can be returned to their abusive/dysfunctional homes. The children introduced themselves to us one by one, sang a song for us, we played a game, and our group did a skit in Spanish of “the boy who cried wolf.”

The children singing a song for us.

Yes, he really is biting my leg! J

Being attacked by the “wolf” (our youth pastor, D) in the skit. Yes…I know I’m supposed to be wailing in terror and agony, but I couldn’t help but laugh. J

Perhaps the most emotionally touching part of the trip was when our time with the children was over. The founder of the Orphanage spoke to the team, sharing her testimony and how she came to start the orphanage. I was amazed at the immense  faith she had. especially when it came to the finances for the orphanage. She talked about how the end of the month was coming, and they didn’t have the money needed to pay July’s expenses. But she stated confidently that she was not worried. She knows that God will provide. He always has, and the way she sees it, He always will. She states with a smile on her face that the orphanage has no debt and doesn’t intend to. They have full reliance on God and His mercy and grace. I can honestly say that I have never seen that kind of audacious faith in the United States.

Another aspect of Guatemalan culture that I was inspired by was their sense of family community. I watched the people from Iglesia Biblica interact with one another at the missionary’s house and I can say that they seemed like they were truly family. They know that they have all been saved by Christ’s grace. That is their common denominator, nothing else matters, they are family. I pray that more churches in the US would have that kind of fellowship!

I returned from the Guatemala trip changed in many ways. I went to teach and serve, yet I felt like I had done more learning than teaching. I hope that I can someday go back and serve and learn again!

Bianca and me with Pastor A and his wife.