El Gringo Gigante – 4 Reasons To Go On A Short-Term Mission Trip

When we left for Guatemala, our family had all kinds of feelings and fears.  Little did we realize the people of Guatemala would have just as many feelings and fears about us.

I remember walking through the streets of Xenacoj the first night we were there.  I felt out-of-place in some ways.  I didn’t fit in the makeshift shelters.  My skin was quite pale compared to the darker complexion of the Guatemalans.  And I couldn’t understand most of the words floating through the nighttime air.

Everywhere I went in Guatemala, kids and adults pointed at me.  Many even laughed.  They whispered or snickered to their friends, “El Gringo Gigante!”  I think some kids were even a little afraid of me.  I towered over everybody in Guatemala.  I’m nearly 6’6″, and most Guatemalans are challenged to make it to 5’6″.  Once the kids saw me smile, they usually lightened up.  Some were shy, but most kids seemed thrilled when I came over to ask them questions in my broken Spanish.

I interacted with many kids while we were in Guatemala.  While my Spanish is pretty weak, a smile is universal.

It’s amazing the difference a week can make.  By the end of the week, the villagers were saying hello to me (actually they were saying “Bueno”).  They weren’t laughing at me (at least not as much).  And I felt comfortable there as well.

Many people are afraid to travel to a foreign land.  They don’t know what to expect.  Will they be safe?  Will they be accepted?

I get it.  For many, international travel requires a huge leap of faith to go to a foreign land – especially when it requires serving and getting dirty.  A short term missions trip may be just the recipe you need to overcome your fears.

Here are four reasons to consider going on an international short-term mission trip:

• An international short-term mission trip opens your eyes to how the 98% really live.  There are third world countries within a few hour plane ride of the United States.  As Americans, we complain about the rising cost of healthcare and the tough economic times we are enduring.  Go see how people live in countries like Haiti and Guatemala.  I guarantee it will change your perspective.
• An international short-term mission trip opens your mind to imagine a different world.  While there are many sad things about life in a third world country, there is also hope.  I left Guatemala with so many new hopes and dreams for myself, my family, and the people of Xenacoj.  I imagine the people of Xenacoj learning new skills that will help them thrive.  I imagine their kids growing up nourished and inspired.  And I imagine an entire village on fire for Christ.
• An international short-term mission trip opens your mouth to share the message of hope.  While we were in Xenacoj, I definitely felt more encouraged to share the gospel message with those I encountered.  And since I’ve come home, I’ve been encouraged to share about our journey.  I want others to know they can help make a difference for the orphans and the widows.  They can take a similar journey and be forever changed.
• An international short-term mission trip opens your heart.  If you’re dragging, if you’re uninspired, if you’re spirit is down, consider going on a short-term mission trip.  Your heart will be ripped open for people who need help and who need to know the love and hope of Christ.  This will also change your perspective on your daily interactions at home.  We work and interact with people everyday in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools who need to know the love and hope of Christ.

Don’t take my word for it.  After all, I’m just a “Gringo Gigante”!  Try a trip out for yourself.  Now is the time to start planning a trip for the spring or summer of 2014.  If you need some encouragement or ideas, look me up.  I’d love to help!

How could an international short-term mission trip open you up to something amazing?  How has an international short-term mission trip change you?  What’s holding you back from going on an international short-term mission trip?

Chatting With A Book Publisher

I just talked to a book publisher on my way home from work. There are a lot of questions running around in my head. Would any of you read a book written by yours truly? Also, if you’ve ever written a book, what advice do you have for me?

Tuned In – Keeping Your Ears Open To God’s Voice

This radio tower stands tall above the village of Santa Clara.  Santa Clara sits on the mountain top ridge as you drive out of the Lake Atitlan valley in Guatemala.  The tower is not a lot different from what you might see in the United States, but this one represents something pretty significant in our trip to Guatemala.

Let me explain.

We spent most of our time in Xenacoj (or nearby), but part of our trip included an exploratory trip to Lake Atitlan (one of the ten most beautiful lakes in the entire world).  The goal of this one day, one night trip was to find another location where GO! Ministries might be able to expand their ministry in Guatemala.  After staying in a beautiful bed and breakfast on the coast of the lake and serving children in the village of San Pedro, we felt it was time to move on.

Nothing felt exactly right for expanding GO!’s reach until we stumbled upon the village of Santa Clara as we were driving back to Xenacoj on Thursday.  When we stopped in Santa Clara, our intent was to stop for 15 minutes so our team could stretch their legs and one of our team members who was fighting illness could get some fresh air.  Our fifteen minute pit stop turned into a 3 hour appointment.

After walking through the town square where local marching bands were playing in exhibition on what must have been a holiday in this town, we decided to walk through a few of the streets to get a better feel for the town.  What was the need?  Were they open to this type of ministry?  Would the churches in Santa Clara welcome GO! Ministries as partners or would they cast them out?

While we were walking down one of the streets, we ran into a local pastor and his wife.  It was as if God had set up this meeting.  We ended up talking in the street for several minutes learning more about the town and its openness to missionaries.  We learned a lot in those minutes.  Santa Clara is about three times bigger than Xenacoj.  The people in the town struggle with similar issues that inflicted Xenacoj.  Poverty is one of the challenges in Santa Clara, and divorce is another challenge in Santa Clara.

We did our  best to understand what was being said, but it was a challenge to understand the Spanish language being exchanged between the pastor, his wife, and our missionary friends.

We decided to take a walk to the pastor’s church.  The church is also home to a school.  We poked our heads into a couple of the classrooms.  The children were amused at the site of “the Gringos”.  We learned that the church was open to partnering with GO! Ministries and their martial arts ministry.

From there, we asked if they would join us for more conversation and a bite to eat.  They agreed, and we ended up in a restaurant near our van.

As we sat down in the restaurant, it was amazing to listen as the discussion continued.  Like Xenacoj, there were a mix of Catholic and Evangelical churches in the community.  It appeared these churches do work together to a degree to spread the message of help.  From our discussion, it was quite obvious that there was more need for help – spreading God’s Word, teaching, and helping with the widows and the orphans of the town.

Our missionary friend, Dave Sgro, had been praying about a place to expand their ministry.  He was hoping to find a place that was similar to Xenacoj.  He was hoping to find a place 3-4 hours away from Xenacoj.  He was hoping to find a place open to break dancing and martial arts (two tools that they used in Xenacoj to engage with the community).  And they were hoping to find the place where God was calling them.

It was interesting to watch this unfold.

Could this have happened if Dave had just prayed about it but stayed in Xenacoj?  I suppose, but it doesn’t seem realistic to me.

Could this have happened if Dave and his family took a vacation to Lake Atitlan without thinking about expansion of the ministry?  Again, I suppose, but I don’t think this would be realistic either.

After much prayer and thought, Dave took action by going to Lake Atitlan.  He didn’t know exactly where he would land, but he realized that God had given him a vision for serving in another community, and he went.  He had his antenna up as we explored the area right by the lake, and it didn’t feel right – it didn’t match the vision that God had laid upon his heart.  He kept the antenna up as we began our journey home, and we “stumbled upon” the village of Santa Clara.  Was it an accident?  I don’t think so.

I will always remember this divine appointment in Santa Clara.  How God uses GO! Ministries in this town is still being worked out, but I will forever be marked by what I experienced in our three-hour pit stop to Santa Clara.

How do you listen for God’s voice?  What have you heard lately?  And how will you respond to His voice?

Ready, Set, Go

Go karting with Leanne and Isaac

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Ice Breaker – Discover Columbus Day

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week’s Ice Breaker is inspired by Columbus Day.  This is a day when Americans celebrate the discover of America by Christopher Columbus.  While many will question whether or not he actually discovered America, there is little doubting his pioneering spirit.  With this in mind, I hope you’ll chime in with an answer to this week’s Ice Breaker question.

Question:  What discovery or invention are you especially thankful for today?

My Answer:  I’m especially thankful for the invention of the toilet.  After doing a little research on Wikipedia (assuming you can trust this resource), this is an invention that has evolved over time.  Many of us in developed nations take this invention for granted.  When we were in Guatemala, they had toilets, but you couldn’t flush toilet paper down the toilet.  I’m assuming their sewer systems were not designed to handle this extra paper waste.  When you go number 2 in Guatemala, you have to put your used toilet paper in a waste container typically located next to the toilet.  It’s a little strange.

Needless to say, I was thankful when we returned to the United States where our toilets and sewage systems can handle our waste.  Our trip to Guatemala was a great reminder that many people in the world do not have clean water and advanced sewage systems.  This is a basic necessity that helps people stay clean and healthy.  I’m grateful for organizations which have begun to tackle these problems.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Fresh Coat

I just put another coat of polyurethane on the picnic table. I think we will be ready for a picnic as soon as it dries!
How might a fresh coat give you a new start this week?

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Book Review: The In-Between by @JeffGoins

As a little kid, I remember struggling to sleep the night before Christmas and the night before the first day of school.  More recently, I’ve struggled with sleep the night before our trip to Guatemala and the nights before big meetings at work.  In all these cases, I am so focused on the next big thing on my schedule.  In the intensity of my thoughts for the future, I miss out on sleep.

On a larger scale, we spend so much time focusing on the big events in our lives – things like college, marriage, home purchase, children, promotion, and retirement.  In our focus on these next big things, we often miss out on the life that is going on right around us.

In The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing [A Spiritual Memoir], Jeff Goins shares stories from his own journey in learning to live in the spaces between the big events of life.  The In-Between is part memoir and part call to action.  Jeff stories will draw you in and take you to places of “in-between” in his life.  These are stories in which we can all relate.  And he will challenge you to appreciate and embrace the everyday life you are living right now.  As I read The In-Between, I literally found myself smiling, crying, and thinking.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a fresh look at life.

I’m giving away a copy of The In-Between to a “lucky” member of The Stretched Community.  The winner will be selected at random from the top ten commenters this month (October 2013) on the blog.  Your chances of winning increase the more you comment.  I’ll announce the winner at the beginning of November.  If you can’t wait, pick up a copy yourself by clicking the link below.

What are you waiting for?  What are you doing while you wait?

(Please note:  There are affiliate links in this post.  Should you purchase The In-Between by clicking one of these links, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.  These funds are used to support The Stretched Blog and to extend ministry and missions to Guatemala.  Thank you!)

Life Is An Adventure – Are You Living Like It?

Life is an adventure.  Are you living like it?

Honestly, I’m typically a “keep it the same” kind of guy.  I eat oatmeal for breakfast every day.  I eat nearly the same thing for lunch every day at work.  I get up at the same time every day.

Routine is a good thing.  At least I think so.  But sometimes our routines prevent us from experiencing adventures that are screaming for us to break free of our comfort zones.  Going to Guatemala this summer was definitely an adventure – a contrast from the routines of my life.

Our trip certainly didn’t match up with the typical American vacation to the beach, to the mountains, or to some resort.  While we did eat one or two fancy meals on our trip to Guatemala, we didn’t eat in any expensive restaurants.  In fact, we ate a lot of rice, beans, and corn tortillas.  We certainly didn’t ride in any luxurious motor homes, trains, or sports cars.  But we did take some rides we will never forget.

The morning we went to San Antonio was an adventure I will never forget.

As I mentioned earlier, we took a long and curvy road from Xenacoj up to San Antonio.  The road was paved most of the way until we turned right onto a dirt road.  One of us said something about riding on the roof of the van.  Before we knew it, the white, 15 passenger van had stopped and five of us were climbing on top of the van to sit on the uncomfortable metal roof rack.  When we were all positioned as comfortably as possible, one of us banged our fist on the van’s roof, and we proceeded up the rugged dirt road for a ride we’ll always remember.

The initial part of the road passed by fields where workers were cultivating the fields by hand.  They waved to us calling out “Bueno!”  (Or “Hello”).  Across the fields in the distance we could see volcanoes stretching way above the horizon touching the sky.  Continuing up the bumpy road, we passed a couple of cows and horses grazing on the side of the mountains tied to a fence post or stake.  The clouds in the sky looked like fluffy pillows spread throughout the sky and wrapping themselves around the nearby mountains.

Climbing higher, we passed a pump house that was built by another missions organization used to get water closer to the people of San Antonio.  Looking down the side of the van, you could see where a previous group had dug a trench up the side of the road to deliver PVC pipes filled with water to the homes on top of the mountain.

Suddenly, we arrived in the small village.  We passed a few homes – many built with cornstalks and sheets of metal and some built with concrete block.    We started seeing signs of life.  A woman walking up the road with a load balanced on her head was a reminder that we weren’t in Kansas any more.  Our van pulled to a stop next to the one and only school in San Antonio – a place that would grip our hearts further.  It’s here where the faces of children were etched in our memories and hearts for ever.

What if we didn’t go on this adventure?  What if we didn’t climb on the roof of the van?  What if we didn’t drive up to San Antonio?

We would have missed out.  We might have passed right by the “appointment” with these children.  We may have lost the opportunity to be touched in such an amazing way.  We could have been left out on the adventure of a lifetime.

But…

We didn’t!

Adventures can be scary.  They can be bumpy.  They can be completely uncomfortable.

And…

Adventures can be totally worth it!  They can touch you in ways you never imagined.  They can inspire you (and others).  They can absolutely change you from the inside out.  I will forever be marked by this adventure.  I know we helped the people of San Antonio, but they also impacted me in amazing ways.

What adventure do you need to pursue?  What’s holding you back?  When has it been worth it to get outside your comfort zone in pursuit of adventure?

Priceless Popsicles

What can you purchase for $12.50?

What did you purchase last week that cost $12.50?

Lunch?

A quarter tank of gas?

A ticket to the movies?

This summer, the value of $12.50 took on a whole new perspective for our family while we were in Guatemala.

Yesterday, I shared a little about our trip to San Antonio.  Today, I want to share a little more about this trip.

On our way out of Xenacoj, our van pulled over at a local store.  Dave, our missionary friend, jumped out of the van and ran into the store.  Within a few minutes, he popped out of the store with three boxes in his arms.  As he climbed back into the van, he passed the boxes back for us to see.

As the van started moving, Dave asked us if we were ready to see one hundred kids smile.  He went onto explain that he had just purchased 100 Popsicles and ice creams for a grand total of 90 Quetzals.  90 Quetzals is equivalent to $12.50 (US Dollars).  Amazing!

When we arrived in San Antonio, we saw the poorest children we saw while we were in Guatemala.  These children struggled with malnutrition, hygiene, and general poor health.  They do not experience any of the luxuries that we take for granted.  They don’t get three healthy meals a day.  They don’t have a closet full of clothing.  They don’t have an abundance of toys or books.  Do they get ice cream very often?  I don’t think so.

This was a real treat for these children.  And it was incredible to see them enjoy this very special treat.

It cost us 90 Quetzals and a quarter tank of gas, but the results were priceless.

I will never forget the look on the faces of these children as they accepted these cold treats and as they enjoyed the cool flavors.  I know we live in a different place where prices are naturally higher, but I will never again have a Popsicle without thinking of the children in San Antonio.

How might you spend $12.50 this week that would change someone’s life?  I’d love to hear your ideas!

Slit In The Sky

Washing up after dinner, this is the view a raised my eyes to see.

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