Monday’s events presented the greatest imaginable range of highs and lows.
LEARNING CENTER
Our partnership with VisionTrust is centered around a Learning Center, where children are taught about the love of Christ, receive academic enrichment, eat a nutritious meal, and are educated about health and well-being.
On our first day at the Learning Center, we experienced the love, joy and hope of the children. We taught the story of Noah; crafted (animal mask); snacked (cookie frosted into looking like a lion’s face); and relay-raced, mimicking various animals.
The skilled builders on our trip began building a new classroom. They worked alongside local laborers to raise walls and install roofing, to complete the building that will accommodate additional children next year.
HOME VISITS
After the school day concluded, we visited sponsored children and their families at their homes. We got to see several stoves in action, which had been installed the prior day. The stoves vent smoke out of homes; are safer than open flame cooking; and are efficient, requiring less wood.
Families welcome us into their homes. They share about their lives, including their struggles. We are able to develop relationships, finding common ground despite our different circumstances. Praying for one another’s needs is a powerful and humbling experience.
As we walked from home to home, Rut’s father shared about our partnership, “It is an example of why the Bible says that we are the body of Christ: a body with many parts.”
GRIEVING
After dinner, we went to the home of Emilio’s parents. Emilio recently passed away at the age of five; his Learning Center teacher described him as having been excited to share with his friends the good news of Jesus Christ.
Twenty-two from CPCC and five from VisionTrust crowded into their living room and gave our condolences. We prayed with the family, and cried with the family.
SOCCER
Just down the hill is the community’s indoor soccer field. With little time to process our time of grieving, we entered the building to find 100+ people from the community, eager to watch and play in our traditional soccer game.
Pastor Alfredo referees and hosts community on Monday nights. The CPCC men were the first to be soundly defeated. The women fared no better. Teens beat us. Pastor then mercifully set up seven of us versus five from the community — we played to a dramatic 0-0 tie, our best ever result!
The games were full of laughter, cheers and handshakes and congratulations between teams. Both sides know that we are one team.
Could there be a fuller day? Could the community fill our hearts more?
WRITER: Jeff Lovell, Team Leader of the Guatemala Trip
