Guatemala Photo of the Day – On The Way To School

Here’s the road we traveled between our house and German‘s house.

As we head over for our first breakfast, we see a young girl in front of us who is probably on her way to school.  In Xenacoj, the younger kids go to school first in the morning, and the older kids go to the same school in the afternoon.  It’s a way to utilize the school space best, and I think it works out well for the families.

This girl is on her way to school, and we are on our way to a week of learning.

From Fearless To Fearful To Freedom

For example, I used to love climbing trees.  If I could reach the lowest branch, you would find me climbing as high as I could go.  My parents had a giant willow tree in the backyard, and I remember climbing high into the tree as high as I could go.  Things changed on one of the first days of first grade when I fell out of an apple tree at a church picnic.  The fall was not very far, but I managed to land on my wrist.  From this point on, I became more cautious when it came to climbing trees.

I don’t remember fearing failure when I was young.  If I didn’t build the block tower correctly, I could always build it again.  As I went to school, I began to fear getting bad grades.  I feared letting my parents down.  My perfectionism was more driven by a fear of failure than a desire to succeed.

I went from fearless to afraid.

You would think that growing up would take me beyond my fears.  In reality, my fears have only matured.  I am now afraid of other things that are now on my radar as an adult.  I fear for the health of my wife and kids.  I fear for the future and my ability to provide for my family and to retire with enough funds to make it to the end of my life.  I still fear failure at my job, in my parenting, in my faith, and even in my writing.

Fear can paralyze us.

I was absolutely terrified about the prospect of going to Guatemala with my daughter leaving my wife and son behind.  When my friend, Adam Flora, asked me to go to Guatemala with him as a chaperone for our church’s youth group, I was initially convinced I was staying home in the comforts of the familiar.  I was afraid, and I was prepared to miss the adventure of a lifetime if it meant I didn’t have to face my fears.

It took a major leap of faith for me to say yes to Adam.  And the rest is history (if you’ve been reading along).  I traveled to Guatemala, and I fell in love with the people in the small village of Santo Domingo Xenacoj.  This first trip led to two more trips the past two summers with my family.  And it has led to a vision for returning to Xenacoj over and over again for the rest of my life.  Besides this, my initial trip to Guatemala helped me learn to face my fears with more confidence.

I still have fears in my life, but I have learned to move forward in faith and wisdom as I face the various things in my life that scare me to death.  I wouldn’t say I’m fearless, but I can say that my fear has become healthier.

This new perspective has given me freedom to face life with a renewed sense of fearlessness.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

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 4:18

How has fear impacted your life?  What do you fear?  How have you learned to face your fears?

Guatemala Photo of the Day – A New Day, A New Vantage Point

This picture was taken Monday morning on the hike from out house to German Espana’s house where we ate all our meals.

Walking down the dirt road, I caught this view over the roof of a nearby house. The view captures a small glimpse of the village I love so much. You can see a radio antenna in the distance surrounded by various homes and buildings in the village below. The electric pole just beyond the house is a reminder of the electricity strung throughout the village. The homes don’t use nearly the same amount of electricity that we use here in the United States. And the wiring methods wouldn’t pass most township inspections here.

But there is light.

I reminder of The Light casting His glow of hope on Xenacoj.

As we started our first workday on this trip, this picture reminds me of the new day and new perspective I gained this year by traveling back.

Sometimes we need to get a new vantage point to gain a fresh perspective.

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Past, Present, and Future

Sunday evening in Central Park, we ran into Christian. He’s the taller one in the picture.  I met him the first summer I was in Xenacoj.  He was very friendly with our group, and he was the only kid I remember who could speak English.  I didn’t see him the second summer we were there, but we ran into him on the third trip.

In this picture, he’s with Fernando.  We didn’t know it at this point, but Fernando became a cool, young friend during our visit.  We ended up building a house for Fernando and his family.

In this picture, you can tell that Fernando has a friendly personality. He is someone who will move mountains in the future.  I can’t wait to go back and see what Fernando does with his life!

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Smiles All Around

While Hannah played Duck, Duck, Goose and Isaac played soccer with the boys, I carried on conversations with other kids in the central park.

These two kids stopped by to talk for a while as I sat on a bench soaking it all in. It’s difficult for me to remember the details of our conversation, but I remember it being fun and refreshing. After putting my limited Spanish aside for nearly a year since our last visit, these kids were just what I needed to re-engage my mind into the language.

We exchanged simple questions and responses. “Como esta?” (How are you?), “Cuantos anos tiene?” (How old are you?), “Que es tu numbre?” (What is your name?) “Donde esta tu casa?” (Where is your house?), and so on. I think these kids were partially smiling because they were happy, but I think they were also smiling because my Spanish was so funny. Regardless, I remember smiling right back at them.

There was something so refreshing about sitting in the middle of Xenacoj in the mountains of Guatemala on a mild summer Sunday evening. It makes me smile just thinking about it!

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Game On

After the teams are selected, the game begins. It’s serious and fun at the same time. Isaac hasn’t played soccer for several years, but he fits in despite his towering size. He quickly learns what soccer is really like. These Guatemalan boys can really bring it.

This is the first of many instances on our trip when I just watched and was inspired by Isaac’s adaptability and sincere care for the people of Xenacoj. He really loved conversing with the other kids. And he often came to meal time or down time with questions and comments.

Many people have asked me why a short-term missions trip like this is necessary. I have many responses. One response is this: our kids saw a much different part of the world. They experienced a small part of how most kids live in the world. And it was different than their comfortable lives here in America. They were transformed by this trip differently than going to the shore for a week or just hanging around home.

Can you get this experience in the United States?

Perhaps.

But I would argue it’s much different outside our borders, and we all need our eyes opened to the world outside our comfort zone. Going to Guatemala was an opportunity to get in the game on a whole different level.

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Picking Teams

Just beyond the circle of girls playing Duck, Duck, Goose, boys gather in the most open part of the central park for a game of soccer. The ball isn’t real fancy, but it works, and the goals are makeshift as well. My son, Isaac, jumps into it. He stands out for sure although he is probably younger than many of the boys. I didn’t watch the whole process, but the picture seems to indicate that the boys were determining teams for the big game of the night.

We all want to be picked. We all want to play the game. And we don’t want to be picked last. Many children in this village go unrecognized and unnoticed by the rest of the world, but God has a plan for each of them. In fact, He picked them to be on His team – just like He picked you and me.

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Smiles All Around

It’s amazing how a game of Duck, Duck, Goose (in Spanish) can quickly turn into a group of smiling girls. When we returned to Guatemala this summer, there was something so refreshing about the smiles shining from the faces of our young friends in Xenacoj. Laughter is such a good medicine, and we experienced the healing power of these laughs and smiles on our trip last summer.

Guatemala Photo of the Day – Duck, Duck, Goose!

Kids love to play where ever you go. It doesn’t take expensive gadgets or toys. It doesn’t take fancy electronics. It doesn’t take trophies or ribbons. It doesn’t take fancy jerseys. It just takes a group of kids. In this case, it just takes a group of kids and three girls from our team. Within minutes, there was laughter in the air as Guatemalan children chasing tall American girls around a circle in a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. This was a small reminder to embrace the simple things and to hold on to the things that kept us amused when we were children. We need this reminder from time to time!

A Chance To Make A Difference

I received a Facebook message this week from James Cook.  James is a connection I made in Guatemala this past summer.  We have a few things in common:  a funny sense of humor, a love for our wives and kids, and a big heart for the people of Xenacoj.  James proposed to me an opportunity to make a difference in the village of Xenacoj.

James was recently back in Xenacoj for a medical missions trip.  As he explained the trip to me, it was his hardest trip so far and his best trip so far.  When you are in Xenacoj, it’s easy to fall in love with the people who live there and the people who serve there.  Our mutual friend, Dave Sgro, is one of those people we both love as a brother.  Dave lives in the United States, but he returns to Xenacoj about once a month to continue missions through GO! Ministries.

GO! Ministries brings the gospel message to Xenacoj through practical service, connection, and teaching.  GO! doesn’t require a lot of on the ground resources, but there are a few indispensable tools.  One of those tools is the van.  Currently, GO! has a white Chevy 15-passenger van that is used to transport short-term missionaries into and around the village of Xenacoj.  Dave drove the van from the United States through Mexico and down to Xenacoj when his family with 13 children lived in Xenacoj.  When the family returned to the United States a few years ago, he left the van there to be used for the ministry.  The van has traveled many miles and has many stories.  The van has seen its better days, and the costs to repair the vehicle and to keep it road-worthy are becoming too much to be truly practical.  In other words, it’s time for a new van.

If you’ve been to Xenacoj the last couple of years to serve with GO! Ministries, you probably have a van story or two.  One of my favorite van stories surrounds my first visit to the village of San Antonio.  This is a small mountain village three miles and forty-five minutes outside of Xenacoj.  We took the van up to San Antonio.  The first two miles where fairly easy as the van navigated the windy paved roads outside of Xenacoj.  Then things took a bumpy turn when we turned off the payment and onto a dirt road.  Before we went to far, the van stopped and Dave invited us up on the roof to enjoy the views as we continued the journey.  The ride was not comfortable at all, but the views were spectacular and the memories made were incredible.

When we arrived at the top, we had the opportunity to serve a meal to the children of this small village.  We also served them frozen pops we brought up from Xenacoj.  These were the poorest conditions we saw during our trip to Guatemala.  The experience left a mark on me forever, and this would not have happened without the van.

The cost to replace the van is $21,000.  When James reached out to me, he spoke about trying to find 21 organizations to donate $1,000 each.  I don’t think he was necessarily thinking about The Stretched Community being one the 21 organizations, but I couldn’t help but imagine the chance to make a difference again for Xenacoj.  Why not?  I have seen the impact GO! Ministries is having for the people of Xenacoj first hand, and I know a new van could help make a big difference.  Let’s see if we can be one of the 21 organizations to contribute.  Let’s see if we can raise $1,000 together to make a difference.

Won’t you join me in supporting this cause?  Won’t you take the chance to make a difference?

For more information or to give directly to this cause, click here.

To sweeten the pot, I’d like to make an offer:  For anyone who gives $25, I’ll send you a copy of Traveling Nomads: (Black and White Version), a book written by six World Racers who traveled to Xenacoj.  For anyone who gives $50, I’ll send you a copy of Traveling Nomads and Giving Jesus Skin (Black and White Edition), another book written by another group of World Racers who traveled to Xenacoj.  For anyone who gives $75, I’ll send you the first two books and a copy of my book, On Track: Life Lessons from the Track & Field.  And for anyone who gives $100 or more, I’ll send you the first three books and Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life by Jeff Goins.  This is a book that I read right before my first trip to Guatemala.  The book had a profound impact on me, and I’d love to give it to you in exchange for a generous donations towards the van.

In order to get these books, you need to make a donation through the site (click here) and indicate “Stretched” as part of your donor information.  (Then send me an email at jonstolpe at gmail dot com.)  Once you’ve done this, I’ll find a way to get you these books.

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!