Technical Note

The internet here in Santa Maria is not working well, so we were not able to post pictures on the blog today. If you would like access to the 1000+ pictures via Vivian's Picssa Web page, please email me your email address at jason@fbcanaheim.org.

Hope in unlikely places

So as our trip comes to close I’m setting here thinking back on every defining moment and there are so many. God has shown His beauty grace and power through everything we have done here in Guatemala. As you know we have been digging a cistern, which is crazy hard work, like nothing I have ever done before in my life; there were so many times when me and every member of the team just wanted to stop and go back to the school and sleep or sit and watch the Guatemalans dig, but we kept in mind who we were working for and never stopped. With every movement the back pain got worse and we got more and more tried but we knew we were working for God and that kept us going.
As we would walk through the streets of Santa Maria the eyes of the all the people we passed would light up, as if we were bringing hope to them. We bought a jump rope and played with little girls in the street and took care of their little brothers and sisters so they could have a little fun and just be kids for a while. We played street soccer with the boys, and lost hopelessly. We would give the kids we passed candy and their eyes would light up so bright it could blind you. After lunch we gave out the leftovers to people near by and they were ecstatic.
The people here in Santa Maria are so happy even though they have nothing, I have yet to hear any of them complain or cry or even see them frown. They know the difference between things they want and things they need, and they trust God to provide for them. God has used them to show me that I don’t need to worry about anything and if you trust him he will provide. God is working and doing wonders here in Santa Maria, and his people show it in their lives.
So the people here don’t all have running water, electricity, money a good roof over their heads and some might not even know what they will eat for dinner tonight but they have so much more then we do and are so much better. They have a magic about them that I have been able to see and even take hold of, and they have changed my life and the lives of the rest of the team forever in so many ways. We have learned so much from them and taken so much from this experience, I wish I could share it all with you right now, and I hope to at some point.
Thank you so much for your love support and prayers while we have been down here they are much appreciated.
-Emily Culmer

Life is hard in the US

So we are still at this place called Guatemala, and it happens to be a country that is not America. We’ve been doing a couple different things around the town we are staying in, like helping out at the school, and a group of us have been building a cistern for the church in the area. We started digging a giant hole in the middle of a church, and now it’s about 10 feet deep and we are currently pouring cement. The thing about Guatemala is that it isn’t America. It is not the same country we live in. They get running water for an hour every other day, and we are building the cistern so they can store more water until they can fill it up again. The people here are wonderful and about 95% of the people are indigenous. Women still wear these crazy colorful costumes and carry stuff on their heads and it’s not even Halloween. Many people speak Catchi Kel and everyone speaks Spanish and there are some that speak English. I wrote the rest of this on day seven because we forgot to do the post and I forgot to finish this, but when I say today I mean the fifth day. I won’t write about day six or seven because someone else will and I don’t want to ruin it!

Today during devotionals, one Guatemalan told us that life in the states is way harder than life in Guatemala. Yeah, I know. That guy is crazy. We had just read through Matthew 6:19-34 and it dealt with not being anxious or worrying about things and stuff like that. The Guatemalan guy said that they never have to worry about mortgages or car payments and stuff like that. Just food and clothes. America has become a society that is corrupted by everyone who is telling us that satisfaction and success are measured by the amount of things you own. We are forced into thinking that we cannot be content unless we own the world, but the thing is, you will never be satisfied by constantly trying to get more. When we are always told we need more and more there will never be a point at which the need for more stops. Chasing after these earthly, perishable things all the time leads to emptiness, because they will all perish. These things are as good as gone. We know what will happen to all earthly things eventually. But there is only one thing that will never perish. Perishable materials can never fulfill the need for something eternal, and I’m beginning to think that people like the Guatemalans realize this with much more ease than we can.

That is what God has been showing us lately. It’s not that owning things is a bad thing; it’s just that these earthly things can easily get in the way of an eternal relationship with God. Especially when every unnecessary item has been lifted so high up and has been depicted as the key to happiness. Even things like intoxication, money, sexual immorality, and even apathy can be equated with happiness these days. My prayer for our nation is that our eyes be opened, and that we may even be purged from this non-stop consuming way of life that we sometimes live, or at least from this mentality that has distorted the truth and is holding so many back from restoration and peace. This way of living also affects everyone around the world. It’s not difficult to notice that there is currently a great imbalance in the world. Countries are overrun by poverty and starvation and many of us at times will choose to ignore this. Even in our own country, there is homelessness and poverty. In the cities we live in there is great poverty in areas. God has called us to be his hands and his feet and with this we humble ourselves to serve his kingdom by bringing life to the dead and healing to the sick and love to every person on earth through Christ who has given us everything. Because God so loved the world, we share this love with the whole world.

-Kelley Bader

Jose Alejandro

Today began really early, no really, really early, like 4:45am we had the unique opportunity to visit the Martindale's World Vision child. Ched, Viv, Mitch and Jason left for the day to visit with Jose Alejandro a child in the small village of San Pedro Ayampuca about one hour east of Guatemala City. We met Francisco our World Vision visitation contact person in Guatemala City he drove us to visit Jose, we drove through the jungle and mountains to get to Jose Alejando's home. We were greeted by Jose Alejandro and his Abuela (Grandma), they live in a small two room corrugated steel home. Jose's Mother, 6 year old sister and 16 year old brother were not home today, they were visiting their Aunt who is ill. There was joy in Jose's eyes as we brought to him a few toys, his favorite being the soccer ball. Mitch played soccer in the streets with Jose and his friends until they could play no more, tired and sweaty, we all sat and visited for a short while. Next we took a walk in the village to see where Jose's lives his life. We returned to say goodbye but were invited in to hear Jose read from the book of Bible stories we had left with him. Jose Alejandro is a small man with dreams and goals in life, he would someday like to be a lawyer, we encouraged him to continue with his studies and to wake up every morning being thankful for what God has given him.
Everyone else worked hard once again today digging! Watch for more pictures tomorrow.
Ched & Viv

Seeing Jesus

Today’s devotional consisted of the concept of seeing Jesus in people. This started the day off with a new perspective as we worked with some of the most spectacular Guatemalans. Throughout our work day, Jesus appeared in many various forms. When the 10 foot hole seemed almost impossible, he motivated us to keep pushing further. When our bodies seemed like they could take no more, he gave us strength. Later on in the day, the team split up and went for walks, doing what we do best- getting frozen bananas (every day). A few members were in charge of wheel barreling the dirt out of the holes to a back yard around the corner. As the rain started to pour, the ground and everything around turned to mud, thus making it extremely difficult to work in. The day ended around four, and everyone came back to the school. Overall Jesus was seen in everyone in every way. It is truly a wonderful opportunity for all of us to be able to experience this, and we could not be more grateful. Tonight is our first church service in our little town of Santa Maria de Jesus.

-Deidre Alexis
-Ashlyn

Overload of the Senses

After a long night of traveling, we arrived in beautiful Guatemala. The emerald green mountainsides glow in all their glory. Smoke pours out of the distant active volcano Pacaya. The smell of burning wood fills the air as the residents of Santa Maria provide for their families. Little girls, in their brightly colored outfits, run to a fro through the cobblestone streets. The primary colors of the walls are contrasted with the plum of exhaust from each bus that drives by. This is Guatemala. This is where we get to serve God for 9 days. Why should we be so blessed?

Most of the team left early this morning to begin digging a cistern for a local church here in Santa Maria. There is only running water one hour every two days here in town. It is important to collect and save as much water and rain runoff as possible. Margarito is teaching us about his town and his trade. His eyes show the depth of compassion he has for his own people. By providing clean water, he helps his own people raise up from the poverty that has plagued them for so many years.

Others on the team are building a stage in the girl's school "Proximos Pasos" where we are staying. Early this morning, the large conference room filled with parents who came to hear about the unplanned vacation the school is having to take. All the women, in their typical Mayan clothing, huddled together on one side of the room. The chatter of gossip could be heard filling the room as they waited for the meeting to start. The laughing quickly warmed the cold cinder block room. The crying of babies, who were strapped to their back, didn't seem to bother anyone. A handful of men, in their cowboy hats and boots, tied their mules outside the front door before entering. They all stood on the other side of the room, eagerly awaiting the end of the meeting. One could see they were much more comfortable plowing their fields and tending to their crops then they were at a children's school meeting. The beauty of this country is only outdone by the beauty of the people. Yes, they are poor and worn by the hard work they call life, but they are none less beautiful and precious as people created in the image of God. God's creativity is evident in each face.

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