Our Favorite Guatemala Story

This story has "stuck" with us and seems to be our favorite! Last year when our team was in Guatemala, they went to a small village that had suffered terribly from a huge mud slide that had killed many. Many children were left orphaned, over 500 bodies were never recovered. This village is an Indian village, they don't speak Spanish, but Mian. The plan for this year was to go back and do the program in the temporary school that has been set up and to visit the refugee camp, similar to what we see in Florida after a hurricane, except we have trailers and they had tin leaned together and out houses. We did those things. A few months ago, the pastor from this area had requested money to build a home for one of the families that lost theirs in the mud slide. Their homes are much simpler than ours, and the cost for a home was only $1500. Cary sent the money down, and another team coming before us built the house. The missionary we were working with, Kenneth, wanted to take his youth group from Guatemala city on a mission trip and finish up the details on the home. He only had two youth sign up, because they could not afford the cost of $35 to go on the mission trip. Another team that was there heard and offered to pay for any of the youth that wanted to go, thus, Kenneth took a team of 14! They finished up the house and were able to lead this lady, her sister, and her mother to the Lord! This happened the week before we arrived, and the lady knew we were coming and she said she didn't want to move in the house until we came and prayed over the home! So, that we did! Speaking in Mian, then being translated to Spanish, then to English, this lady told us her story. Her husband had left her 7 years ago, with two small girls. Since the mud slide, she and the girls had been sleeping on the dirt floor of her parent's home. She also had taken in the little girl in pink because she lost all her family in the mud slide. The woman does not read or write, and wants better for her girls, sending them to school and encouraging them to make good grades. The lady supports them by weaving, and she showed us her work, which we quickly bought up! She could do nothing more than to say "thank you" for providing the money that built the home. She was very humble and appreciative, knowing the only thing she had to offer was to give her girls a better life and break the cycle. After she spoke to us, Cary prayed and the translation reversed from English, to Spanish, to Mian. What a moment that was! (Kenneth is in the green shirt, Cary in the blue, and the local pastor in red.)Being a part of the story was something we will never forget. More than that, it is such a perfect picture of the body of Christ. Some provided money for the home, some built it, some provided money that allowed the Guatemalan youth to be a part of leading these ladies to the Lord...and on it goes! WOW!