College Guatemala - January 2021 - Day 2

The day started bright and early with a delicious hot breakfast of pancakes paired with crisp and sweet fruit. Following the breakfast was the first in person church service many of us had in a while, so with full bellies, we got to sing and worship the Lord together in fellowship. The speaker, Victor Lopez, taught from the book of Philemon describing the letter Paul wrote to Philemon from jail. Paul details the importance of fellowship with one another and gives Philemon advice on how to run his church/home/worship center. The lesson obviously being led by God’s call to us to come together as one to worship Him and to spread His teaching through relationship. After the church service, we rushed to change into better suited clothing for our first home visits and jumped into the van, meeting our interpreters and eager to begin this journey after the hour-long drive to Cruz Blanca. The hills danced with rich plant life and rolling farmlands. Sunday runners lined the streets as well. Buildings were built into the sides of the hills, rolling with God’s natural landscape, embracing it instead of resisting it. We arrived at the learning center, meeting more teachers who would come along with us to the house visits.

 Our first visit, to be totally candid, was a bit awkward as we navigated a totally new environment. The families were kind and very hospitable to us, welcoming us into their homes with open arms. After the first visit, we had a brief lunch break, then went on to do two more visits. The families in all the visits were so warm and friendly, ready to receive what we had to share with them, and happy to share their lives and passions with us. The kids were so bright and happy with diverse dreams in becoming accountants, teachers, police officers, and doctors; the learning center clearly giving these families a newfound sense of hope and faith in what the future can bring, despite the difficult challenges they have faced in this pandemic. God’s light reflected from the mamas in how they spoke lovingly to and about their children, and He embraced each visit in a unique and beautiful way.

 Relationship came to the forefront today, being the topic of conversation in the sermon then being reflected in our connection to the families today. God’s fellowship has provided security, hope, and peace for us and the people of Guatemala.

- Cali Schmidt