How Trying On Someone Else’s Shoes Might Actually Make This World A Better Place
The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.
Carl Jung
Today is my wife’s birthday.
When gift shopping for my wife, I try to get her something she wants, something she needs, something to wear, and something to read. One of her gifts from me this year was a brand new pair of brown boots. (This kind of fits into two categories – something she wants and something to wear.)
When I she opened them tonight, I told her I couldn’t try them on as my feet were too big.
I laughed at my typically corny comment. I’m not sure she appreciated my comment as much as I did, but I’m learning to accept this about my wife.
As I was thinking more about the comment, I realized that there is so much to gain by learning from the perspective of others. How often do we find ourselves in some sort of disagreement, misunderstanding, or fight because we have failed to put ourselves in the shoes of others?
I genuinely try to live this way, but I fail too many times. It’s hard to relate to others when we don’t really take time to understand where they are coming from in their lives. What experiences from their past are influencing their present? What hurts, pains, and scars impact how they go about life?
As I observe the present climate in the week following the election, I’m seeing our culture is suffering from this same problem. People are protesting, fighting, and spewing all kinds of hate towards one another. In all likelihood, they really don’t understand the person or people they are protesting.
And on the other hand, many of us are likely to dismiss the protestors as being misguided instead of taking time to understand why they are so frustrated.
I think this world might be a much better place if we all took a little time to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
When we take time to ask questions, to listen, and to withhold our judgements, we might actually find some commonground on which we can base our relationships.
As we head into the unknown of tomorrow, let’s take time to try on someone else’s shoes. Let’s do what we can to build a better world for tomorrow regardless of how we voted.
Who’s shoes do you need to try on first? Who do you simply not understand? What is one thing you can do to gain a better understanding of their perspectxive? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Thank The People Who Show Up Every Day
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
Voltaire
Tonight, I had the honor of attending the Annual Awards Dinner for my company where employees are recognized for their years of service to the company. This year, I celebrated my 20th year with Siemens (actually, we were Landis & Gyr Powers when I started).
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years.
And I really appreciated the opportunity to applaud others who were there to celebrate their 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, or 35th year with the company.
We need to remember to stop and recognize those around us who have shown up every day – the people who keep things going in our lives.
A thank you goes a long way.
Who do you need to thank? And how are you going to go about showing your appreciation to someone who deserves it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Where Is Your Trust?
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20:7
Facebook (and other social media channels) has been littered with posts bashing the candidates, prophesying doom, and destroying any hope of unity our country might have had. People are protesting the election results in cities all over the country.
I’m thankful we live in a country where people have the right to freedom of speech, but I’m also reminded of the words of James – “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
I was not thrilled with either of the two major party candidates this year (which may give you a small indication of how I did or didn’t vote), but I’m a firm believer that God is still in control, that I’m called to pray for our leaders, and that I can be part of the change I’d like to see in this world.
As “brothers and sisters in Christ” pronounce doom and gloom on the world in the wake of the election results, I challenge all of us to remember where our allegiance lies. And I challenge all of us to be unifiers instead of dividers – bridge builders instead of wall builders – and people of action instead of people who simply voice our disgust without taking any positive steps forward.
Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, some trust in presidents, some trust in their jobs, some trust in their bosses, some trust in their retirement accounts.
Me?
I trust in the name of the Lord my God.
I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but I know who holds my future. It’s not Donald Trump. It’s not Hillary Clinton.
Where is your trust?
Saturday
I was home most of the day today, and it felt great!
I woke up a little later than normal, and I headed to the gym for a chest, shoulders, and triceps workout. I’ve been tracking my workouts in a handwritten journal, and it has been encouraging to see the progress over the past five weeks. I am lifting more, and there might actually be some muscle tone developing – maybe. The workouts have definitely contributed to helping me feel more fit and a little more flexible.
When I arrived home from the gym, our whole family enjoyed brunch – homemade, baked french toast with turkey sausage and a cup of decaf coffee. I can’t remember the last time all four of us ate breakfast together in our house (but I know it’s been at least two months).
Next, Leanne and I spent some time going over our finances – balancing the checkbook and talking about our spending for the next week or two. We’ve missed this weekly “meeting” for the past few weeks due to our busy weekend (and weekday) schedules with visits to Messiah College, Grove City College, and DeSales University (for one of Hannah’s cross-country meets). These weekly financial check-ins are important for our financial beings, but I think they’re also important for our marriage as well. It’s healthy to talk about our spending, our saving, and our plans for the future.
After our financial “meeting”, we loaded everyone in the car and headed out for a few errands which included picking up items for our Operation Christmas Child boxes, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and a trip to Ott’s to get a family picture in front of the “mountain” of mums. The trip also included a trip to the bank, so Isaac could deposit his first paychecks. He started working at Chick-Fil-A a few weeks ago, and this is the first time he’s had a job like this. Talking to him about savings, spending, and giving is not new to him as we’ve tried to instill this pattern in our kids life ever since they started handling money, but it was cool to talk about it again as he was figuring out what to do with his first ever paychecks.
I took a nap this afternoon. I’ve grown to like napping on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoon. There’s something about taking a break that helps me thrive during the rest of the week.
Tonight, Leanne and I went to our church for a special meeting with the staff and a few other people in the church. We talked about the church’s vision for the future. We talked about the importance of touching the lives of kids and their families in our area and around the world. People asked great questions, and I left encouraged by the direction of our church and its leadership. I’m convinced that our pastors have a heart for connecting broken people to God in a way that impacts them for the rest of their lives and for eternity, and it’s exciting to be part of it. I’m praying God will continue to grant wisdom and energy to our leaders and will provide the resources for our continued impact.
And now, I’m home again.
Time for bed. I’m looking forward to what adventures await me tomorrow.
The Parable of the Lost Landscaping Plan
Don’t matter how much money you got, there’s only two kinds of people: there’s saved people and there’s lost people.
Bob Dylan
Have you ever lost something?
You remember having the item at one point in time, but now you can’t find it.
The search begins. You look all over the place for your lost item. Every closet, every corner, and every crack is checked and checked again. You look under every bed, and you look everywhere else. The search continues until you find the lost item or until you lose hope.
When you find the item (especially after a long search process), you celebrate.
Recurring Theme
This seems to be a recurring theme in my life. In June, I wrote about The Parable of the Lost Blue Water Bottle. There was much rejoicing when I found my lost bottle. Since I made this story public, I’ve had several people point out my water bottle, “Is that the famous blue water bottle?”
Almost two years ago, I wrote about a lost item.
Over two years ago, I wrote about a lost child.
Four years ago, I wrote about a lost key.
Over five years ago, I wrote about a lost landscaping plan.
The lost and found theme that seems to run through my life is powerful. Despite the countless stories of missing items, I’m generally a very organized person. But God seems to be trying to get my attention.
Found!
My collection of lost and found stories grew last weekend when I discovered a long-lost item.
At my house, we have been going through a season of de-cluttering. We are selling and giving things away, and we are simply discarding things we no longer need. As we go through each room in the house, we take time to sort through the “stuff” we have accumulated since we moved into our house ten years ago. I’m amazed to discover how many things we never use.
Last weekend, we spent the day cleaning up our basement. As I was cleaning up my workshop area, I came across a brown bag full of paperwork. I decided I should probably look through the paperwork to see if anything needed to be saved. After twenty minutes of paging through appliance owner’s manuals and other miscellaneous pieces of paper, I discovered a familiar folded up document – I found our lost landscaping plan!
A smile immediately crossed my face, and the smile quickly turned into laughter. I couldn’t contain my excitement. I ran upstairs where Leanne and Isaac were preparing lunch, and I unfolded the landscaping plan for them to see. They could hardly believe their eyes.
We had the landscaping plan designed for us shortly after we moved into the house. We had big dreams of using the plan to beautify our property over the years. Unfortunately, we lost the landscaping plan several years ago, and the initial landscaping plans were replaced with a new make-it-up-as-we-go plan. We looked high and low (but not in the brown bag in the basement).
Whenever we lose an item in our house, our family jokes that the lost item must be with the landscaping plan.
This week, we celebrated the return of our landscaping plan with our H.O.P.E. group. Leanne made cake. I shared the story of our rediscovered landscaping plans. And our friends helped us celebrate.
I’m planning to frame the landscaping plan to hang in our house as a reminder. This new wall hanging will remind our family of the humorous story that has become a part of our history. And the wall hanging will remind me of something else…
We Were All Lost
At one point or another, we were all lost. God went to great lengths to “find” us. He sent his Son to give us a way home. When we decide to follow Christ, there is much rejoicing in heaven. My lost landscaping plan reminds of the measures God took to help me find my way home, and the landscaping plan reminds me of the opportunity to share God’s love with others.
If you want to read more stories about the lost and found, check out Luke 15.
When was the last time you found something you previously lost? How did you celebrate when you found the missing item? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Guatemala 2016 Update – Getting Acclimated
(Monday, July 11, 2016)
Today was a good day in Guatemala.
My body is still on East Coast time, so I was up fairly early. Of course, it doesn’t help that there were dogs barking and roosters crowing on and off throughout the night. After I woke up, I walked up to the roof of the place where we are staying this year in Xenacoj. From the roof, you can see most of Xenacoj. And you can see the three highest mountain/volcano peaks off in the distance. This morning, the sky was clear and the few of the mountains was spectacular.
On the roof, I took time to read and process II Thesallonians 2. This chapter reminded me that there may be a lot of things happening in the world (like the Dallas police shootings, the Orlando night club shootings, the Minnesota and Louisanna shootings, and other terrible events), but there is still reason for hope. Towards the end of the chapter, Paul reminds the readers to be encouraged, to stand firm, and to hold on to the eternal hope that is in Christ Jesus. You may see this as a dark time (and many of these events are sad and sometimes scary), but we must remember to hold onto the hope we profess.
On the roof, I also took some time to record my thoughts on video and to outline some of the book I finished on the airplane (The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun).
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After breakfast, we eventually made it over to the construction site of the first home we are building this year in Xenacoj. We met Dolores, the widow who will be receiving the home, along with her daughter and a few of her grandchildren. She doesn’t speak Spanish – only Katchequel (the native Mayan language), so it was especially hard to communicate with her. Thankfully, German can speak Spanish, English, and Katchequel, so we has some translating throughout the day.
Building these houses is always a learning experience. We learn more about what not to do next time, and hopefully, we learn more about what to do as well. If I’m going to build 100 houses in Guatemala before I die, I better start taking notes.
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We took a break for lunch, and before returning to work at this job site, German drove me over the other widow’s construction site. The widow, Maria, came out and helped us move lumber into her yard for construction later during our trip. According to German and Dave, she was the persistent widow. She kept asking German to build a house for her. When funds became available to build a second house this year, it was an answer to her prayers.
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Back at the Jobsite, we were able to complete the framing, and the house should be ready for a roof and walls when we return to the Jobsite on Wednesday.
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This evening, we enjoyed a natural, God-provided fireworks display as we watched a huge lightning storm over the mountains surrounding Xenacoj. It was absolutely beautiful and it lasted for hours. The fireworks display was another reminder of how beautiful it really is here in Guatemala. The landscape is incredible, and the people are amazing.
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Tomorrow, we’re scheduled to go to the village of Santa Marie to help clean the ears of widows in the village. It will provide a new adventure for sure. But that’s for tomorrow. If Xenacoj has taught me anything, it’s taught me that plans change and sometimes you just need to go with the flow.
For now, I’m shutting off the light and heading to bed. I’m exhausted.
Good night.
Guatemala 2016 Update – A Change Of Scenery
(Thursday, July 14, 2016)
Today has been different from our other days in Guatemala so far.
After breakfast, we traveled outside of Xenacoj to a small village of Ayapan. The village is one of the poorest areas I’ve seen in all of my visits to Guatemala. The village can only be accessed by dirt road. It’s about 1.25 miles from the nearest paved (or concrete) road. And the road to the village is windy with scenic views of the surrounding mountainous country side.
When we arrived, we walked up to a school building located in front of an old church. (The church was build based on a photo of a European church. Up until recently, there had never been an American missionary presence in this village.) There are actually two school buildings in the village – one for upper elementary students and one for lower elementary students. I’m not sure, but the older students in the village may go in the afternoon to the same buildings. (This is how it is in Xenacoj.)
We peaked into the classrooms just before students were released for one of their 15 minute recess periods. When the came out for recess, they were “treated” to a meal of rice and beans along with a hot cup of otool (I’ll have to check the spelling of this). This meal is a big deal as they often don’t have enough food at home to provide nourishment.
After the meal, we played with the kids for a while in the dirt play yard. We played tag. We played ball. And we simply interacted with them. There is so much to be done in these types of villages. There is clearly not enough money to support the schools, the nutrition, and the sanitary systems of these communities. Up until recently, the poorest members of this community got their water from a well that was located 30 feet down hill from the school bathrooms. These bathrooms made the worst outhouses in the United States seem like deluxe spas.
This community is facing a lot of other issues as the Guatemalan governement is taking over some of the properties to build a highway system around the capital city of Guatemala City. This construction project has led to protests and even a few deaths as the native Mayan population is trying to protect the land that has been in their families for many, many years.
At one point during our visit, I noticed several armed Guatemalan guards. Apparently, they had been sent there to protect the highway construction workers. Meanwhile, the local workers have been impacted by the concrete and construction dust that fills the air often filling their lungs and compromising their crops which provide their source of living.
While the highway system will most likely have an overall positive impact on the mobility in Guatemala, it is perhaps having an irreversible impact on those who were in Guatemala first – the Mayan people.
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After our visit to Ayapan, we took our team to Hope Haven Guatemala, an organization on the outskirts of Xenacoj that builds wheelchairs for the disabled all over the world. We played wheelchair basketball with several of their employees during their lunch break. It was fun to laugh with them. I quickly gained the nickname Amarillo after I made a few baskets and they noticed my yellow (Amarillo) shirt.
After a fun time of basketball, we ate lunch as a team under the shade of an avocado tree next to the basketball court. Then we went inside to help in the factory for a couple of hours. We sorted parts and pieces for future wheelchairs. The impact of these chairs may never be known, but it was cool to know we were providing hope to disabled individuals around the world with our simple efforts.
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Even though this is my fourth trip to Xenacoj, I feel like I have so much to learn. I don’t understand all the local politics, and I certainly don’t understand all the culture and tradition that happens in this village I have come to love.
When I first dreamed of building 100 houses for widows in Guatemala, I thought the construction would be the challenging part. In reality, there is so much more complexity to it than I ever imagined. There is jealousy among other widows not getting the houses. There is even some sense that certain people in Xenacoj don’t want us around. I don’t think they understand us either. (For the most part, we are welcomed, but there are definitely a few people who are not thrilled with our presence.)
I may have an audience with the mayor while I’m here, and I think this could be helpful in discussing the state of affairs in Xenacoj and determining how we can best help in the future. I believe we can build a better house for these widows even though it may cost a few more dollars. I have to believe we can develop a better application process for determining who gets the houses in the future. I want to see if we can setup some kind of system for following up with each of the house recipients. They need some type of maintenance program for future repairs, but they also need some type of spiritual follow-up.
These are things I’ll continue to wrestle with as I move ahead with plans to build 100 houses.
Guatemala 2016 Update – Finale
(Saturday, July 23, 2016)
Today was our last full day in Xenacoj.
I wish I could say I enjoyed the day to the fullest. As I type this at the end of the day, I’m exhausted. My stomach has been a little uneasy the past day or two (which isn’t bad considering we’ve been here two weeks and I haven’t experienced any stomach issues up to this point). I picked up a cough, and my voice partially left towards the end of the day. And I experienced some minor migraine symptoms earlier today.
I’m not saying this to complain. I’m just realizing how much I poured into preparing for our trip and into actually being here.
Our family did a lot of things, we experienced a lot of things, and we will fly home tomorrow with full hearts.
This morning, I woke up to perhaps the most beautiful of mornings we have had since we’ve been here. I spent time on the roof of our house refleting and rejoicing in what I’ve experienced and in how I’ve seen God act during the past two weeks. I then enjoyed walking the streets of Xenacoj as Hannah ran on ahead of me. This is a ritual I’ve come to enjoy, and I will miss it greatly when I go home tomorrow.
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After breakfast, we walked over to German and Suzy Espana’s house to help out with the feeding program at their house. Every Saturday morning, they welcome widows and their children into their home to feed them a meal and to pray with them.
We were greeted very warmly when we came into their house, and it was our pleasure to serve them a meal.
The kids were excited to sit with me as they ate their meal. A few of the kids we knew through our building projects.
After the feeding program, we rode back to our house in German’s car (don’t let me forget to tell you about German’s car). We loaded five single beds on top of the van, and we drove them through the streets of Xenacoj to Maria’s house.
When we arrived at Maria’s house, the place was buzzing with activity. German’s father-in-law was putting the final touches on one of the doors. Maria’s family was helping to decorate the house we built for her, and they were making corn tortillas for our lunch together later that day.
We deposited the beds in Maria’s house, and we said hello to some of the kids who were hanging around all week.
One of the girls said to me (in Spanish of course), “I wish I could have one of those beds for me.” Again, my heart wanted to burst. I wish there was something I could do to help all the kids in Xenacoj. I’d love to give them the opportunity to sleep in their own bed in their families warm, dry house. I’m sure this girl’s wish is similar to many of the wishes other children in Xenacoj have. I must remind myself to do for one what I wish I could do for everyone. Our family has done what we can do for now. I hope to come back, so we can do more.
German dropped us off at the market, so our family could do some shopping for some groceries and other gifts to help welcome Maria into her new house. We picked up four pounds of beef, cooking oil, brown rice, black beans, soap, a cake, a pineapple, squash, and a dozen peach roses.
We walked back to our house and enjoyed a few minutes of downtime before the afternoon festivities began.
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When we arrived back at Maria’s for the dedication of her house and the celebratory lunch, there was an excitement in the air. The family had covered the floor of the house in some type of long pine needles. It appeared as though Maria had installed a dark green carpet over the concrete floor. Balloons hung inside and outside the house. And inside the house, three tables were setup with Guatemalan table coverings. Two beautiful boquets of white flowers decorated the tables. We placed our gifts on the tables, and we set up a buffet line of sorts in the “hallway”/”kitchen” outside the house where we had debarked planks of wood with machetes earlier in the week.
German and Suzy brought food for lunch. They brought rice, mashed potatoes, chicken, tortillas, and a red sauce.
When everyone gathered in the house, Hannah kicked off the dedication by reading a note (in Spanish) from our family to Maria. I gave her a Spanish Bible from our family and said a few words (in English). Then our family gave Maria the other gifts we had purchased earlier at the market. Maria then spoke for a few moments. She thanked our family, and she said she could never repay the gift our family had left for her.
Before we took several group photos, I took a few minutes to pray. There is something beautiful about praying in English while multiple prayers are being offered up in Spanish and Katchiquel.
When the dedication was over, we feasted!
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On our way out of Maria’s house, we ran into Carmen’s mother. She walked us over to the house where Carmen has been staying with her children, and they proceeded to give us a few gifts. They also spoke with Dave about developing some type of business which would allow her to purchase the property where she is building the house. It was good to hear her thinking this way, but it will be challenging to make it work. The average woman (or family) making fabrics (table cloths, table runners, napkins, etc.) makes very little money selling their products which they spend hours making. The money they make selling these goods barely covers their time and expenses much less provide any margin for living.
I felt bad that we couldn’t offer more of a solution at this time, but it reminded how important it is for these women to find a trade that will support their lives and their families. Making a few dollars a day just doesn’t cut it.
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This afternoon, our family used our open hours to visit a few of the families we have come to know in Xenacoj. We visited Dolores and her family. We visited Zully and her family. And we took a walk down to Betty’s house. It was our opportunity to say our final goodbyes before our departure tomorrow morning. These families have all become a special part of us, and we look forward to seeing them again some day.
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Tonight, we journeyed over to German and Suzy’s house for a final feast/celebration of the two weeks here. Dave cooked up filet mignon, shrimp, and a couple of other wonderful dishes. We feasted and enjoyed each other’s company as the skies opened up. While we were eating, it sounded like God was repeatedly dumping out huge buckets of water on German and Suzy’s metal roof. While this is the rainy season here in Xenacoj, we hadn’t experienced rain like this in our two weeks here.
After dinner, Dave showed us a highlight video he had put together using our photos to help recap and remember the experiences from the week. My heart smiled as I looked at the pictures which were set to music. Our lives are fuller, because of the lives we’ve touched these two weeks. The people, the places, and the things in these photos all represent the love we experienced this week. Our trips to Cruz Ayapan where we played with children. Our trip to Antigua where we enjoyed a rooftop meal with our team members. Our trip to Hope Haven where we helped build wheel chairs after a rousing game of wheel chair basketball. Our trip to Santa Marie to clean out the ears of several residents. Our days at Dolores’ and Maria’s houses where we worked together to provide homes for two widows in need. Our morning at Carmen’s house where we had the opportunity to expand our ministry to a young mother in need. Our widow walk with German where we had the chance to provide physical and spiritual nutrition to women who are typically forgotten in this society. Our meeting with the mayor, Mario Aquino, where we saw a glimpse of what God might be doing in the future through us here in Santo Domingo Xenacoj. And the smiling faces of our team members who chose to use their vacation time to help others. This trip deeply touched me.
While I’m ready to go home, I will miss it here. I will miss my morning times of rooftop reflection. I will miss the constant smells of burning fires through the community. I will miss the sounds of roosters at all hours of the morning (never mind, I may not miss this). I will miss the sporadic explosions of fireworks in the Xenacoj air as villagers celebrate milestones in the lives of their family. I will miss the friendly smiles that greet me as I walk the streets of Xenacoj. I will miss the afternoon siestas. And I will miss the relaxed pace of life.
Tomorrow, I head back home. I have duties and responsibilities to attend to. I have a job to go to on Monday morning. I have items on my calendar for later that week. While I have to jump back into life in Pennsylvania, United States of America, I will do my best to hold onto Santo Domingo Xenacoj, Guatemala.
My heart is full.
Guatemala 2016 Update – A Busy Day In Xenacoj
(Friday, July 22, 2016)
This morning, we headed back over to Maria’s house where we discovered that the house was all cleaned up and ready for the installation of the doors and windows (which happened later this afternoon). Tomorrow, we will dedicate the house for Maria.
All of the excess wood had already been moved to the street outside of Carmen’s property, so we walked over to Carmen’s property to assess the situation. We prayed together, and we got to work. We moved the wood just outside the gate to her property, and we began cutting and nailing boards to the make shift wooden posts in her “house.” The sun was unusually hot without a lot of shade which meant my energy level was extra low (especially given my poor nights sleep the night before), but we persisted. Before long, we had completed half of the back wall of Carmen’s house.
After a break which included cold sodas and crackers, we worked until we ran out of wood. We were able to complete two of the three walls that needed to be completed on her house. She’ll have some work to do to finish things up, but this should put her several days ahead of where she would have been otherwise.
It still blows me away that many people in the world today live in these kinds of conditions – dirt floor, pieced together walls and roof, and no plumbing.
While we were there today, we learned that her daughter had been sexually abused in some form or other by some older boys or men in the community. Apparently, they are facing criminal charges, but it saddened me to know that a 7 year old girl had been violated in this way.
Carmen was extremely thankful for our donation of wood and our efforts in helping to construct her house. Before we left, we purchased a couple of table runners she had made, and she gave us a few hand-made cloth napkins as a gift for our part in her house.
I left feeling thankful that we had done what we could to help Carmen, but I also left kind of sad wishing I could do more to help.
(Our family is hoping to help by providing some of the roofing material she will need to keep her house dry. We’ll have to take care of this tomorrow.)
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After lunch, I took a nap. My energy level today was not very strong, and the siesta was a welcome break from the day.
After my nap, our family walked through Xenacoj in search of a specific shop that dyed their own fabrics for making the various textiles for which the community is know. After much searching, we found the place, and we made a small purchase after getting a tour of their facility and how they dye their yarn.
On the way back to our house, we stopped for vanilla milk shakes at an nice cream place on the central street that runs through Xenacoj. We haven’t had milk since we have been here, so while the milk shake itself wasn’t very think, it was great to taste cold milk (with a strong vanilla flavor).
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When we arrived home, we met German Espana who took us on a fairly long walk around Xenacoj to visit with some of the widows in the community. German has a passion for helping the widows here, and he makes every effort to make sure they receive care and regular visits. He’s in the process of helping to set up a Widows Association for all the widows in Xenacoj to help them meet each other’s needs and to help them get more recognition and support in the community.
Our first stop was Lola’s house. Lola is a 96 year old widow. Her husband died when he was 101 years old. She was the care taker for her son until he recently passed away. And from the sounds of it, she doesn’t receive many visits from her grandchildren. Lola lives by herself on the edge of Xenacoj next to the community soccer field not far from the Xenacoj city gate. She cooks her own meals. While her face and hands are full of wrinkles, there is an amazing beauty that radiates from her face.
We took time to visit with Lola. We prayed with her, and German sang to her. We gave her three bags of fortified rice and beans as a parting gift. It was a beautiful experience.
Next stop, we walked through the city gates and onto a small hut on the side of the mountain where a widow lived with her mother and son (Alfonzo). From what I could figure out, her 17 year old daughter lives next door with her 54 year old husband and their two young children. The daughter is expecting their third child any day. We learned that the mother is the cousin of German’s wife, Suzy. They don’t communicate very often. We met with them in their hut where they cook and sleep. Like most older houses in Xenacoj, there was a strong smell of smoke in the building which made it hard to breathe. While they just had a stove installed in the hut that will exhaust the smoke through the roof of the hut, they still choose to cook over an open flame inside the hut. The bottom side of the roof is coated in thick black residue from the smoke. I took a picture of the lightbulb hanging over the fire. The lightbulb wasn’t typical white. Instead it was more brown, and it looked as thought it had been dipped in honey.
The grandmother wore a typical Mayan dress, and she walked next to the hot coals of the fire in her bare feet. Her feet looked like leather. When she smiled, her grin quickly clued us in that she had probably never seen a dentist. She had one “tooth” on the lower part of her mouth. The tooth looked like a rotten piece of black rice.
We prayed with the family, and we gave them three bags of the fortified rice and bean mixture and two copies of the Nuevo Testamento (the Spanish New Testament). German invited them to his house on Saturday morning where he and his wife Suzy, regularly provide Saturday morning breakfast for widows and their families.
As we left this home, we cut through a couple of properties on our way back to the streets of Xenacoj. We stopped at a couple more widows homes to say hello and to drop off rice and beans. In each incident, German invited the ladies to his house on Saturday morning.
We then walked by El Fuelso on our way to German’s parents house which lay on another edge of the village. El Fuelso is a school we’ve visited several times in the past, but GO Ministries is not longer doing ministry there. Apparently, the principal wanted GO Ministries to pay for the school to put concrete over their dirt playground. When GO Ministries refused to help with this request, they were told they could no longer bring their feeding program to the school. The school now has a concrete playground, but the school apparently does not have a great reputation in the community.
When we arrived at German’s parents we met his mother and father. His father is wheel chair bound due to a few strokes. The property where they live is beautiful. On a clear day, they have an amazing view of the three mountain peaks outside of Xenacoj. Their backyard was full of chickens, firewood, and rows for corn. German visits them every day, and he is finishing up a kitchen addition to their small cinder block house.
When we left their house, we headed for Angela’s house. We built a house for Angela two years ago. (I wrote about it last week.). I wish I could tell you more about our visit to Angela’s house, but we had to cut our visit short due to the onset of a migraine headache. As we were talking to Angela, I suddenly couldn’t see very well. I let Leanne know, and we quickly left, so I could make it back to our house to take my migraine medicine. I’ve had a few of these incidents here in Xenacoj. The altitude may have contributed, but I think I most likely wasn’t hydrated appropriately when these occurred. (You would think I would learn my lesson).
Honestly, I didn’t feel well most of the day after not sleeping well the night before, and I didn’t pay enough attention to resting and drinking water. Oh well.
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We quickly stopped at home. I took my migraine pill, and I grabbed Isaac’s sunglasses before we headed off to city hall to visit with the mayor of the village, Mario Aquino. German helped to set up this meeting, and I didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity with or without my migraine headaches.
When we arrived at the city hall, we had to wait outside for a few minutes as the local police made sure we were welcomed into the building. In a few minutes, he came back and let us in. We were then escorted to Mario’s office. Mario and German sat on one side of the room, and our family sat on the other side of his office. Hannah explained to Mario (in Spanish) why I was wearing the sunglasses, and we proceeded to talk. For the first half of our discussion, I couldn’t see a thing. The migraine medication hadn’t kicked in yet, and I was left to see blurry editions of the people in the room. Despite the vision problems, we had a very interesting (and hopefully productive) conversation. I shared with him about my vision to build 100 homes for widows in Guatemala. I thanked home for welcoming our family to Xenacoj and permitting us to serve in this way. I told him that I was interested in seeing how he might be able to help us engage the community in achieving this goal. We talked about the importance of the community partnering with us to make 100 houses happen.
Hannah did an amazing job translating as we talked back and forth.
Mario was very intrigued by the idea, and he asked when we would return. He promised to have a proposal of some sort to my by Wednesday. And he asked if we could build five houses next time we were here in Xenacoj.
Before we said our goodbyes, we took pictures of the assembled group. I feel like this was a monumental meeting. For one, I know Mario is typically very busy, so it was an honor that he would carve an hour out of his busy schedule to talk to our family. I believe Mario cares deeply for his community, and he seems to believe in the work that German is doing for the widows. Only God knows what the future holds, but I’m praying we will look back on this meeting with Mario as a monumental step in building homes and demonstrating the love of Jesus to many in Xenacoj.
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Before dinner, Leanne and I stopped by the Internet cafe for a few minutes to post by video and blog post and to check Facebook and email. While we were there, we briefly connected with my parents via Facebook Messenger Video Chat. It was so great to speak with them for a few minutes. They seemed excited to talk to us. My mom, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Progression this spring, seemed fantastic. While this interchange only lasted a couple of minutes, it was one of the highlights of my day here in Xenacoj.
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We closed out the day with a fire on the roof of our house. We enjoyed roasted Guatemalan marshmallows. Dave picked up Hershey’s chocolate and a sweet cracker. He also found white chocolate for me.
This was such a great way to end a busy day in Xenacoj.
Guatemala 2016 Update – A Broken Heart
When I arrived in Xenacoj, Guatemala nearly two weeks ago, I said a prayer: “God, let my heart break for the things that break your heart.”
Today, my prayer was answered.
It’s hard to know exactly where to start, so I guess I’ll start in the middle of the day.
After lunch, our family ventured over to Maria’s house to continue with the construction. The house is almost finished. Jose was installing the electric in the house. Leanne and I put up the last few pieces of wood on the front of the house. And we worked together to put up filler strips of wood on the inside of the house to close up the gaps left by the uneven pieces of wood.
As I was hammering up some of these pieces, I wished that we had used the same wall material on Maria’s house that we used last week on Dolores’ house. At Dolores’ house, we used fairly even, milled planks of wood. It made the construction easier, and it looked great when we finished. At Maria’s house, we are using long pieces of wood that is flat one side and unfinished on the other side. In other words, one side of the boards used for Maria’s house still has bark on it from the tree. The planks of wood are not completely straight, and Maria’s house looks like a log cabin. I want the houses we build in Guatemala to look good AND provide suitable housing for the widows who are receiving the houses.
Maria’s house will definitely be suitable housing for her for which I am very thankful.
Midway through the afternoon, German asked Dave to go visit another house site with him, and I immediately jumped in. As we walked over, German explained that there was another woman who needed a house. She had been living with a friend, but she was asked to move. Somehow she gained access to a property without any shelter. She was looking for construction material in order to build a “house” on the property.
When we arrived at the property, we were greeted by an older gentleman, the woman, and her mother. They welcomed us into her yard, and we started looking around. The property had corn growing in neat rows in one corner of the property. Part of the property was full of weeds. And there was a “structure” going up right where we walked in. The structure consisted of six or seven tree trunks and/or branches standing vertically. They supported smaller pieces of scrap wood which were constructed to hold up roofing material. Underneath the “structure” was a dirt floor. And in and around the structure laid a mixture of scrap wood, pallets, and rusted roof material.
We began to ask questions. We discovered that the ladies’ name is Carmen. Her husband abandoned her. She has two children, Evelyn (7) and Jose (4). And she lives with her mother. She earns money by making and selling napkins, tablecloths, and table runners. She rents the property for 300Q (~$36) per month, and it will take her 20 years to own the property at the rate she is paying. (That’s 3,600 Q (~$432) per year for 20 years or 72,000Q (~$8,640) total.). It takes her 6 days to make a table runner that she sells for 40Q (~$6).
You do the math.
This lady needs help.
We have extra wood at Maria’s house, and we’ll be able to bring it over to Carmen’s house tomorrow. The wood we will provide will make a huge difference in the “house” being built on her property. In essence, we’ll be building three houses in Guatemala this trip.
I ran back to Maria’s house to get Leanne, Hannah, and Isaac. I wanted them to be part of the decision to donate wood to Carmen’s house. We all agreed that donating the left over material to her house was the best use of our resources. We met her children, and we prayed with her family. Carmen cried as she kneeled down in the center of our makeshift prayer circle, and I could hear German’s tears as he prayed over this family. He first prayed in Spanish. Then he prayed in Katchiquel. And he finished by praying in English.
As I opened my eyes at the end of the prayer, I could see tears in the eyes of Dave Sgro, our missionary contact here in Xenacoj.
We walked back to Maria’s house, and I explained to Maria what we were going to do with the extra material. As I talked, I began to cry. I explained that our family kept coming back to Xenacoj to help widows like her and to share the love of Jesus in a practical way. It’s our hope that this love would spread to those we serve and that they in turn would share Jesus’ love with others.
Maria seemed grateful for our families support, and she seemed willing to help Carmen however she could.
We are so blessed to live in the United States where we have so many material items, and we have access to so many resources. Carmen is not unlike a majority of the people living in this world. So many people struggle to find food, shelter, and clothing. And so many people miss out on the love of Jesus.
Today, my heart breaks for Carmen.
Pray for Carmen, Evelyn, and Jose. Pray for provision for their basic needs. And pray that they would know the love of Jesus.
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This morning, we went to two schools. First, we went to Cruz Ayapan where we visited two previous times. We had the chance to feed some of the kids and to play with them during their recess time. The kids seemed even more comfortable with me this time. They talked to me, and some of them climbed all over me. As I was hanging out with these young kids, I noticed a few of the kids were cross-eyed, and many of them had severe dental issues. I’m guessing the vision problems could be repaired with surgery, glasses, and eye strenghening therapy. These kids will most likely face challenges for the rest of their lives as a result of their vision problems that could be addressed now. And the dental issues are a result of poor nutrition and inadequate at-home dental care.
I wish I could simply snap my fingers together and fix all these problems, but it’s not that easy.
There is so much work to be done.
After Ayapan, we drove over to El Cavalerie where we had the opportunity to play soccer and basketball with some of the kids, and we had the opportunity to poke our heads into some of the classrooms. Some of the kids at this school knew a tiny amount of English, and they were excited to share it with our family. El Cavalerie was the school where Hannah and I spent several afternoons playing with kids the first time we came to Xenacoj in 2012. SInce then, the school has grown and experienced some dramatic improvements. It was satisfying to see these changes.
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Our time here in Santo Domingo Xenacoj, Guatemala is over soon, and I’m starting to feel like I’m straddling two worlds as I start to think about heading home on Sunday and as I long to hold onto the experiences and relationships here in Xenacoj.
There is still much to do, and I plan to return.
And since I still have two more full days here, I’m going to make the most of each moment.
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I didn’t sleep well after all of these events from the day. I ended up waking up around 1AM (Friday morning), and I tossed and turned until at least 3AM. My brain was spinning. I kept thinking about Carmen and her family. I kept thinking about why our family comes back to Xenacoj over and over again. And eventually, the concept of God’s love for me came to my mind. I started to recite verses in my head about God’s love that I had committed to memory years and years ago. I realized I needed to write a few things down to get them out of my head, so I turned on the flashlight on my iPhone, and I looked up ‘love’ in the concordance at the back of my Bible. Here are some of the things that came to my mind in the early hours of the morning:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (and sisters). If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother (or sister) in need but has no pity on him (or her), how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. I John 3:16-18
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. I John 4:7-12
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in the world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:16-18
We love because he first loved us. I John 4:19
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17