A Volcano and Compassion

Jennifer and Cadence at the church property

Yes…we are behind on giving everyone an update. We are still alive, and haven’t dropped off of the face of the earth. Life just slows down a lot outside of the U.S. and before you know it, a week has passed by quickly!

Last week we continued language tutoring with our amazing new friend Vivian, whom was mentioned in last week’s blog. She is very patient, kind, and continues to encourage our attempts of speaking Spanish. Last Sunday, and yesterday we attended church with her in Antigua. Both services were very vibrant, and worshipful. The people gathered together worshipped our awesome God with total abandonment. It is an amazing experience to be apart of another culture’s worship of the same, one and only, Jesus Christ.

A couple of days we spent engaged in scavenger hunts to “ find” and “price” certain food items for the groups coming in July. Vivian went with us on Wednesday to Guatemala City to check out the prices at Wal-Mart and ClubCo (similar to Sam’s Club). To our surprise, the Wal-Mart closely resembled those in America! Marvin did get in trouble for writing prices down, and was even followed by one worker a few aisles to ensure he wasn’t sneaking prices in his notebook. It was quite comical. We also decided to really be American, and stop in at Pizza Hut for lunch. That decision was a bad idea because we got turned around. Guatemala City is the capitol city, and ALWAYS packed with lots of people and lots of traffic. Needless to say, Marvin was a great driver and finally got to our destination after only a few detours. Let me assure you, the pizza was worth it! However, it was an exhausting day, as we were told by Vivian we would only be allowed to speak Spanish…no Spanglish. Our brains were tired after that day.

Saturday we were able to spend a wonderfully tiring day with Pastor Max, and his wife Theresa. Part of the day was spent in the village of Santa Rosa el Rodeo. All of us traveled over, and checked on the 100 posts that were cut for the fence that we be erected on the property. Each post was hand cut by a man that lives in the village. We paid him, and arranged the day for the posts to be delivered. Then we went to the property to make plans for the placement of the fence, storage building, dormitory, bathrooms, and the church. It was exciting to actually be on the property, talking and dreaming about the future ministries that will take place in this village. Visions of kids running around during VBS, groups of ladies and men studying God’s word, the people of the village fellowshipping with one another, and worshipping Christ together was exciting.

Off-Roading in Alotenango

After our visit to Santa Rosa, we traveled to nearby Alotenango. While we were there, we explored potential spots for other groups to build houses for various families. There were three things that happened here that characterized this trip.

First, we drove down some of the smallest pig trails we’ve ever seen! The first road we were traveling down was small enough, then Max put on his turn signal. We actually thought he was turning into a house. However, it was a small trail that went up a steep mountain. We weren’t sure if the green hornet (Isuzu Rodeo) was going to make it up and down some of the rough terrain that Max was gallantly leading us through. One spot was so bad, a Guatemala man told us, “That piece of road is no good.” In order for a Guatemalan to proclaim a road is bad means that it is practically undriveable!

Another part of the trip to Alotenango occurred while we were talking to families that potentially needed homes built. We were walking up a fairly steep mountain when a vigorous, auditory sensation, tickled our hearing. It was a frequency that sounded like a cannon explosion, synchronized with thunder, with a little bit of ‘enormously loud’ sprinkled on top. All four of us looked at each other and then Max informed us of the source of the occurrence. In his exact words, with a nonchalant look on his face, “Oh, el volcan.” The what? I thought to myself. I was thinking of the ancient Roman city Pompeii. I didn’t want to be a monument somebody would look at years down the road. So many thoughts filled my mind, but Max kept on going.  Needless to say, everything was fine, but what an experience.

el Volcán de Fuego near Alotenango, Guatemala

The last part of the trip that stood out to us was the process of finding families that needed homes. Practically, everyone that we saw needed a home. We were visiting places that reminded us of section-8 type neighborhoods that you see in the United States, but built with dried cornstalks, mud, and plastic. We were visiting plots of land where five families were living on less than a quarter of an acre. Before the end of the day, Max counted over forty families that needed a house. Unfortunately, the houses that will possibly be built is nothing to covet compared to the ‘American Dream.’ Both of us were overwhelmed with the awful living conditions of these people. It never becomes normal to see families drink dirty water, live in deficient homes, sleep on the dirt, or have possessions that we would consider rubbish. We were moved with compassion for these people and their physical needs. On a deeper level, we know that their spiritual need for Christ outweighs every physical need that they have.

I recall in the book of Mark when the author shares the story of Christ feeding the multitudes. In both accounts, the author takes note of Jesus being moved with Compassion. One time, he was moved with compassion for their physical need. The other, he was moved with compassion for their spiritual need. Jesus proclaimed, “They are like sheep without a pastor.” We need to plead with the father to help us be moved with compassion daily for the people around us. Each of us comes in contact with real people, with real physical and spiritual problems. What are we doing daily to ‘LIVE. LOVE. GO.’ around those people? I am challenged to plead with God to move my heart with compassion and brokenness for the people around me similarly to Christ.